would I could strip him of the veil! Thus I see the thing that you call
God!"

"A ghastly picture," said Pentaur, "because you forget that we recognize
reason to be the essence of the All, the penetrating and moving power of
the universe which is manifested in the harmonious working together of
its parts, and in ourselves also, since we are formed out of its
substance, and inspired with its soul."

"Is the warfare of life in any way reasonable?" asked Nebsecht. "Is
this eternal destruction in order to build up again especially well-
designed and wise? And with this introduction of reason into the All,
you provide yourself with a self-devised ruler, who terribly resembles
the gracious masters and mistresses that you exhibit to the people."

"Only apparently," answered Pentaur, "only because that which transcends
sense is communicable through the medium of the senses alone. When God
manifests himself as the wisdom of the world, we call him 'the Word,'
'He, who covers his limbs with names,' as the sacred Text expresses
itself, is the power which gives to things their distinctive forms; the
scarabaeus, 'which enters life as its own son' reminds us of the ever
self-renewing creative power which causes you to call our merciful and
benevolent God a monster, but which you can deny as little as you can the
happy choice of the type; for, as you know, there are only male scarabei,
and this animal reproduces itself."

Nebsecht smiled. "If all the doctrines of the mysteries," he said,
"have no more truth than this happily chosen image, they are in a bad
way. These beetles have for years been my friends and companions.
I know their family life, and I can assure you that there are males and