"These things lie in a cave afar from here, and over the cave stands
sentinel one Kai, and this cave Kai hath guarded from the gods and men
since ever the Beginning was made. It may be that he shall let Khanazar
pass by."

Then the King gathered elephants and camels that carried burdens of
gold, and trusty servants that carried precious gems, and gathered an
army to go before him and an army to follow behind, and sent out
horsemen to warn the dwellers of the plains that the King of Averon was
afoot.

And he bade Syrahn to lead to that place where the days of old lie hid
and all forgotten hours.

Across the plain and up Mount Agdora, and dipping beyond its summit
went Khanazar the King, and his two armies who followed Syrahn. Eight
times the purple tent with golden border had been pitched for the King
of Averon, and eight times it had been struck ere the King and the
King's armies came to a dark cave in a valley dark, where Kai stood
guard over the days that were. And the face of Kai was as a warrior
that vanquisheth cities and burdeneth himself not with captives, and
his form was as the forms of gods, but his eyes were the eyes of
beasts; before whom came the King of Averon with elephants and camels
bearing burdens of gold, and trusty servants carrying precious gems.

Then said the King:

"Yonder behold my gifts. Give back to me my yesterday with its waving
banners, my yesterday with its music and blue sky and all its cheering
crowds that made me King, the yesterday that sailed with gleaming wings