Above the grey fog, within the ancient palace, by the side of the "Fool's" chair.
A "point of prayer light" swelled outwards, casting forth ring upon ring of haloes.
It was as if, inside a shuttered chamber, the curtains were suddenly drawn open, letting sunlight strike at the eyes of the "Sleeper."
The vortex of worms that had grown still again grew once more frenzied, the slick and uncanny tentacles thrashing.
…………
Klein's gaze slid across the section concerning the "Lord of Mysteries" and went on to decipher what followed:
Eternal Darkness, Singularity of All Things, Unifier of Time and Space:
"River of Eternal Darkness" + the "Darkness" uniqueness, the "God of Death" (Eternal Sleeper) uniqueness, the "Giant of Twilight" uniqueness + one share of "Knight of Disaster" extraordinary characteristic, one share of "Pale Emperor" extraordinary characteristic, one share of "Hand of the Divine" extraordinary characteristic.
God of Roots, Mother of All Things, Filthy Mother's Nest:
"Mother's Nest" + the "Mother" uniqueness, the "Moon" uniqueness + one share of "Walker of Nature" extraordinary characteristic, one share of "God of Beauty" extraordinary characteristic.
The Disordered One, Shadow of Order:
"Realm of Disorder" + the "Black Emperor" uniqueness, the "Judge" uniqueness + one share of "Order-Slaying Prince" extraordinary characteristic, one share of "Hand of Order" extraordinary characteristic.
Calamity of Ruin, Misfortune of the Roots:
"City of Calamities" + the "Witch" (Chaos Witch, Primordial Witch) uniqueness, the "Red Priest" uniqueness + one share of "Doomsday" extraordinary characteristic, one share of "Conqueror" extraordinary characteristic.
Father of Demons, Lord of the Aberrant, Source of Curses:
"World of Shadows" + the "Abyss" uniqueness, the "Bound One" uniqueness + one share of "Filth-Foul King" extraordinary characteristic, one share of "Divine Iniquity" extraordinary characteristic.
Demon of Knowledge, Mad Mystery:
"Wilderness of Knowledge" + the "Hermit" uniqueness, the "Perfect One" uniqueness + one share of "Emperor of Knowledge" extraordinary characteristic, one share of "Enlightener" extraordinary characteristic.
Key of Light, Endless Chaos, Incarnation of Fate:
"Key of Light" + the "Wheel of Fate" uniqueness + one share of "Great Serpent" extraordinary characteristic.
Such are the Ancient titles corresponding to all nine source-essences… With the deciphering done, Klein felt within himself a wave of feeling.
If he and Emperor Roselle could have understood this branch of occult knowledge earlier, neither of them would have come to the pass in which they now stood.
At certain moments, even without the use of extraordinary abilities, knowledge is, fully and absolutely, equal to power… The titles formed by the combination of the "Earth" and "Moon" pathways differ to some degree from those of the "Fallen Mother"; so She is indeed but a part of It; that is to say, the titles and authorities currently retained by that Outer God on the "Moon" side are: "Fallen Mother," "Origin of Evil," "Imperishable"… by the same logic, the present full title of the Mother Tree should be "Mother Tree of Desire," "God of the Lost Heart," "Howler of the Ages"… as for the "Son of Chaos," that is less clear; He is as if vanished — no one is able to look deeply into Him… Klein gave a barely perceptible nod.
He then opened his mouth and asked:
"It seems the 'Omniscient and Omnipotent' is the strongest, with the 'Lord of Mysteries' and the 'Unifier of Time and Space' in the second rank, and the rest in the third."
He was judging by the number of extraordinary pathways involved, and was not counting the Outer Gods.
Adam, looking at that "Blasphemy Tablet," said calmly and unhurriedly:
"It is not so.
"The number of authorities has a certain relation to standing and tier, but is not the whole of it; the corresponding traits, mights and symbols are equally important.
"After the splitting of that first Creator, those at the very apex of all the Ancients were the 'Three Pillars': one was 'God,' the 'Omniscient and Omnipotent'; one was the 'Lord of Mysteries,' 'King of Time and Space'; one was the 'Fallen Mother,' the 'Origin of Evil.'"
Hearing Adam's last words, Klein could not help glancing down at his own left sleeve — the "Magic Mirror" Arrodes lay hidden in there.
No wonder Arrodes said it had seen, in me, Pillar and dominion… he at once grasped it, and grew yet more convinced of the "Daydreamer" Adam's account.
At this point Adam added in his neither-quick-nor-slow tone:
"At present, the foregoing two great Pillars exist only as source-essences; and the 'Fallen Mother,' after parting from the 'Mother's Nest' and from those two extraordinary pathways, no longer differs greatly from the other Outer Gods — only the symbolism of 'Pillar' yet abides."
Had there not been a bloodied cross of wood plunged into his chest, Klein would certainly have felt the present exchange to be of the pleasantest atmosphere; several times, in a moment's daze, he caught himself thinking that he and Adam were friends, gladly discussing occult knowledge as they awaited Amon, the other's child, to come home to dine.
Of course, I am the "dinner"… one must admit: the "Spectator's" ability to affect another's cognition, sense-experience and state is truly formidable… Klein, even as he reminded himself to remain on guard, said with perplexity:
"I had thought that only Outer Gods like the 'Fallen Mother,' with two or even three source-essences, would count as Pillars."
Adam glanced down at the silver cross-pendant hanging at his chest and said:
"She has only one source-essence.
"Under normal conditions, source-essences cannot be divided; only when that first Creator split apart did the 'Aggregation' and 'Separation' incarnations produced thereby tear them, drawing portions of them into our planet."
"That is to say, the present source-essence of the 'Fallen Mother' is incomplete, and the future Ancient 'Mother of All Things' will not be a complete Ancient either?" Klein pressed.
Adam's lip moved slightly, as if a smile passed over it:
"In the very beginning it was so. But source-essences have the capacity to perfect themselves; the 'Fallen Mother's' present source-essence is not incomplete, and the 'Mother's Nest' alike can produce an Ancient. The only question is that the 'Fallen Mother' can now only employ in part the symbolism of 'Pillar' that is hers — unless she should once again fuse with the 'Mother's Nest.'
"This has also brought a certain mutation in the birth of life and the manifestation of feminine forces throughout the cosmos; though, on the astronomical scale, a few thousand or tens of thousands of years are very brief, and the consequences have not yet spread.