Time and the Gods | Page 3

striding through the stars, came suddenly upon
earth lying in a corner of space. And behind Slid there marched a
million waves, all following Slid and tramping up the twilight; and Slid
touched Earth in one of her great green valleys that divide the south,
and here he encamped for the night with all his waves about him. But
to the gods as They sat upon Their hilltops a new cry came crying over
the green spaces that lay below the hills, and the gods said:
"This is neither the cry of life nor yet the whisper of death. What is this
new cry that the gods have never commanded, yet which comes to the
ears of the gods?"
And the gods together shouting made the cry of the south, calling the
south wind to them. And again the gods shouted all together making
the cry of the north, calling the north wind to Them; and thus They
gathered to Them all Their winds and sent these four down into the low
plains to find what thing it was that called with the new cry, and to
drive it away from the gods.
Then all the winds harnessed up their clouds and drave forth till they
came to the great green valley that divides the south in twain, and there
found Slid with all his waves about him. Then for a space Slid and the
four winds struggled with one another till the strength of the winds was
gone, and they limped back to the gods, their masters, and said:
"We have met this new thing that has come upon the earth and have
striven against its armies, but could not drive them forth; and the new
thing is beautiful but very angry, and is creeping towards the gods."
But Slid advanced and led his armies up the valley, and inch by inch
and mile by mile he conquered the lands of the gods. Then from Their

hills the gods sent down a great array of cliffs against hard, red rocks,
and bade them march against Slid. And the cliffs marched down till
they came and stood before Slid and leaned their heads forward and
frowned and stood staunch to guard the lands of the gods against the
might of the sea, shutting Slid off from the world. Then Slid sent some
of his smaller waves to search out what stood against him, and the cliffs
shattered them. But Slid went back and gathered together a hoard of his
greatest waves and hurled them against the cliffs, and the cliffs
shattered them. And again Slid called up out of his deep a mighty array
of waves and sent them roaring against the guardians of the gods, and
the red rocks frowned and smote them. And once again Slid gathered
his greater waves and hurled them against the cliffs; and when the
waves were scattered like those before them the feet of the cliffs were
no longer standing firm, and their faces were scarred and battered. Then
into every cleft that stood in the rocks Slid sent his hugest wave and
others followed behind it, and Slid himself seized hold of huge rocks
with his claws and tore them down and stamped them under his feet.
And when the tumult was over the sea had won, and over the broken
remnants of those red cliffs the armies of Slid marched on and up the
long green valley.
Then the gods heard Slid exulting far away and singing songs of
triumph over Their battered cliffs, and ever the tramp of his armies
sounded nearer and nearer in the listening ears of the gods.
Then the gods called to Their downlands to save Their world from Slid,
and the downlands gathered themselves and marched away, a great
white line of gleaming cliffs, and halted before Slid. Then Slid
advanced no more and lulled his legions, and while his waves were low
he softly crooned a song such as once long ago had troubled the stars
and brought down tears out of the twilight.
Sternly the white cliffs stood on guard to save the world of the gods,
but the song that once had troubled the stars went moaning on awaking
pent desires, till full at the feet of the gods the melody fell. Then the
blue rivers that lay curled asleep opened their gleaming eyes, uncurled
themselves and shook their rushes, and, making a stir among the hills,

crept down to find the sea. And passing across the world they came at
last to where the white cliffs stood, and, coming behind them, split
them here and there and went through their broken ranks to Slid at last.
And the gods were angry with Their traitorous streams.
Then Slid ceased from singing the song that