the same time, it is grand and
joyful. The joy consists in this--that it is in our power to give freely
what will later on be taken from us by force."

Tydomin watched him attentively. "Then your feeling is that your life is
worthless, and you make a present of it to the first one who asks?"

"No, it goes beyond that. I feel that the only thing worth living for
is to be so magnanimous that fate itself will be astonished at us.
Understand me. It isn't cynicism, or bitterness, or despair, but
heroism.... It's hard to explain."

"Now you shall hear what sacrifice I offer you, Maskull. It's a heavy
one, but that's what you seem to wish."

"That is so. In my present mood it can't be too heavy."

"Then, if you are in earnest, resign your body to me. Now that
Crimtyphon's dead, I'm tired of being a woman."

"I fail to comprehend."

"Listen, then. I wish to start a new existence in your body. I wish to
be a male. I see it isn't worth while being a woman. I mean to dedicate
my own body to Crimtyphon. I shall tie his body and mine together, and
give them a common funeral in the burning lake. That's the sacrifice I
offer you. As I said, it's a hard one."

"So you do ask me to die. Though how you can make use of my body is
difficult to understand."

"No, I don't ask you to die. You will go on living."

"How is it possible without a body?"

Tydomin gazed at him earnestly. "There are many such beings, even in
your world. There you call them spirits, apparitions, phantoms. They are
in reality living wills, deprived of material bodies, always longing to
act and enjoy, but quite unable to do so. Are you noble-minded enough to
accept such a state, do you think?"

"If it's possible, I accept it," replied Maskull quietly. "Not in spite
of its heaviness, but because of it. But how is it possible?"

"Undoubtedly there are very many things possible in our world of which
you have no conception. Now let us wait till we get home. I don't hold
you to your word, for unless it's a free sacrifice I will have nothing
to do with it."

"I am not a man who speaks lightly. If you can perform this miracle, you
have my consent, once for all."

"Then we'll leave it like that for the present," said Tydomin sadly.

They proceeded on their way. Owing to the subsidence, Tydomin seemed
rather doubtful at first as to the right road, but by making a long
divergence they eventually got around to the other side of the newly
formed chasm. A littl