Копи царя Соломона

           SirHenryfollowedsuitwithaverseoutoftheOldTestament,andsomethingaboutBalbusbuildingawall,inLatin,whilstGoodaddressedtheQueenofNightinavolumeofthemostclassicalbadlanguagewhichhecouldthinkof. 

           Slowlythepenumbra,theshadowofashadow,creptonoverthebrightsurface,andasitcreptIhearddeepgaspsoffearrisingfromthemultitudearound. 

           "Look,Oking!"Icried;"look,Gagool!Look,chiefsandpeopleandwomen,andseeifthewhitemenfromtheStarskeeptheirword,oriftheybebutemptyliars! 

           "Themoongrowsblackbeforeyoureyes;soontherewillbedarkness—ay,darknessinthehourofthefullmoon. Yehaveaskedforasign;itisgiventoyou.Growdark,OMoon!withdrawthylight,thoupureandholyOne;bringtheproudheartofusurpingmurdererstothedust,andeatuptheworldwithshadows." 

           Agroanofterrorburstfromtheonlookers. Somestoodpetrifiedwithdread,othersthrewthemselvesupontheirkneesandcriedaloud. Asfortheking,hesatstillandturnedpalebeneathhisduskyskin. OnlyGagoolkepthercourage. 

           "Itwillpass,"shecried;"Ihaveoftenseenthelikebefore;nomancanputoutthemoon;losenotheart;sitstill—theshadowwillpass." 

           "Wait,andyeshallsee,"Ireplied,hoppingwithexcitement."OMoon!Moon!Moon!whereforeartthousocoldandfickle?"