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Chapter 25 — The Grand Lunar
“Imaginethelargesthallyouhaveeverbeenin,imperfectlylitwithbluelightandobscuredbyagrey-bluefog,surgingwithmetallicorlivid-greycreaturesofsuchamaddiversityasIhavehinted.Imaginethishalltoendinanopenarchwaybeyondwhichisastilllargerhall,andbeyondthisyetanotherandstilllargerone,andsoon.Attheendofthevista,dimlyseen,aflightofsteps,likethestepsofAraCoeliatRome,ascendoutofsight.Higherandhigherthesestepsappeartogoasonedrawsnearertheirbase.ButatlastIcameunderahugearchwayandbeheldthesummitofthesesteps,anduponittheGrandLunarexaltedonhisthrone.
“Hewasseatedinwhatwasrelativelyablazeofincandescentblue.This,andthedarknessabouthimgavehimaneffectoffloatinginablue-blackvoid.Heseemedasmall,self-luminouscloudatfirst,broodingonhissombrethrone;hisbraincasemusthavemeasuredmanyyardsindiameter.ForsomereasonthatIcannotfathomanumberofbluesearch-lightsradiatedfrombehindthethroneonwhichhesat,andimmediatelyencirclinghimwasahalo.Abouthim,andlittleandindistinctinthisglow,anumberofbody-servantssustainedandsupportedhim,andovershadowedandstandinginahugesemicirclebeneathhimwerehisintellectualsubordinates,hisremembrancersandcomputatorsandsearchersandservants,andallthedistinguishedinsectsofthecourtofthemoon.
