as he strode: and going across the green earth came down to Ambrady at
the valley's edge, and there met the foremost of Slid's fierce armies
conquering the world.

And against him Slid hurled the force of a whole bay, which lashed
itself high over Tintaggon's knees and streamed around his flanks and
then fell and was lost. Tintaggon still stood firm for the honour and
dominion of his lords, the elder gods. Then Slid went to Tintaggon and
said: "Let us now make a truce. Stand thou back from Ambrady and let me
pass through thy ranks that mine armies may now pass up the valley
which opens on the world, that the green earth that dreams around the
feet of older gods shall know the new god Slid. Then shall mine armies
strive with thee no more, and thou and I shall be the equal lords of
the whole earth when all the world is singing the chaunt of Slid, and
thy head alone shall be lifted above mine armies when rival hills are
dead. And I will deck thee with all the robes of the sea, and all the
plunder that I have taken in rare cities shall be piled before thy
feet. Tintaggon, I have conquered all the stars, my song swells through
all the space besides, I come victorious from Mahn and Khanagat on the
furthest edge of the worlds, and thou and I are to be equal lords when
the old gods are gone and the green earth knoweth Slid. Behold me
gleaming azure and fair with a thousand smiles, and swayed by a
thousand moods." And Tintaggon answered: "I am staunch and black and
have one mood, and this--to defend my masters and their green earth."

Then Slid went backward growling and summoned together the waves of a
whole sea and sent them singing full in Tintaggon's face. Then from
Tintaggon's marble front the sea fell backwards crying on to a broken
shore, and ripple by ripple straggled back to Slid saying: "Tintaggon
stands."