to heal or overwhelm. And Time went forth into the worlds to obey the
commands of the gods, yet he cast furtive glances at his masters, and
the gods distrusted Time because he had known the worlds or ever the
gods became.

One day when furtive Time had gone into the worlds to nimbly smite some
city whereof the gods were weary, the gods above the twilight speaking
to one another said:

"Surely we are the lords of Time and gods of the worlds besides. See
how our city Sardathrion lifts over other cities. Others arise and
perish but Sardathrion standeth yet, the first and the last of cities.
Rivers are lost in the sea and streams forsake the hills, but ever
Sardathrion's fountains arise in our dream city. As was Sardathrion
when the gods were young, so are her streets to-day as a sign that we
are the gods."

Suddenly the swart figure of Time stood up before the gods, with both
hands dripping with blood and a red sword dangling idly from his
fingers, and said:

"Sardathrion is gone! I have overthrown it!"

And the gods said:

"Sardathrion? Sardathrion, the marble city? Thou, thou hast overthrown
it? Thou, the slave of the gods?"

And the oldest of the gods said: