Межзвёздный скиталец

           Themarksoftheseaarestillonus,asthemarksoftheserpentarestillonus,eretheserpentbecameserpentandwebecamewe,whenpre-serpentandpre-wewereone.Onceweflewintheair,andoncewedweltarboreallyandwereafraidofthedark.Thevestigesremain,gravenonyouandme,andgravenonourseedtocomeafterustotheendofourtimeonearth.

           WhatPascalglimpsedwiththevisionofaseer,Ihavelived.IhaveseenmyselfthatonemancontemplatedbyPascal’sphilosophiceye.Oh,Ihaveatale,mosttrue,mostwonderful,mostrealtome,althoughIdoubtthatIhavewittotellit,andthatyou,myreader,havewittoperceiveitwhentold.IsaythatIhaveseenmyselfthatonemanhintedatbyPascal.Ihavelaininthelongtrancesofthejacketandglimpsedmyselfathousandlivingmenlivingthethousandlivesthatarethemselvesthehistoryofthehumanmanclimbingupwardthroughtheages.

           Ah,whatroyalmemoriesaremine,asIflutterthroughtheæonsofthelongago.InsinglejackettrancesIhavelivedthemanylivesinvolvedinthethousand-years-longOdysseysoftheearlydriftsofmen.Heavens,beforeIwasoftheflaxen-hairedAesir,whodweltinAsgard,andbeforeIwasofthered-hairedVanir,whodweltinVanaheim,longbeforethosetimesIhavememories(livingmemories)ofearlierdrifts,when,likethistledownbeforethebreeze,wedriftedsouthbeforethefaceofthedescendingpolarice-cap.