y itself.

Everything was brought together at one point and at one instant-fire
and the waves, also. Everything was made grand and rock hard, held
together by their infinite natures and limits.

The Universe simply was. All its heavenly bodies were compelled to
turn and to make their way into infinite end, while they grew in nature
and in kind, making their firmament and their gleaming lights to be
awakened at their first moment of life-their first day. Time had
begun, and with its cycles of night and day, seconds and light years,
stellar light joined the spheres in moments so brief as to deny
comprehension, in a time that spanned infinite dreams.

Light was life. With this life, the ages passed into a third order.
As if a single day had passed twice from awakening, the heralding joys
of this new-found life had permitted growth to those things named
leaves and trees-the fruits by which the life to come would consume and
hitherto live.

Perpetuation . . . assurance by tiny seed that beat with life in a
harmonious pulse, the genesis of a new life within the ground that
would grow to feed the firmament with breath and thus tempting more
life to be.

The further ordered time had lapsed. In passing as if five thousand,
thousand years flashed by instantly. In these times the Universe was
seen as it reeled and smiled, content with the pleasures of being.
Freedom had taken its accounting. Life left the dark waters for the
light of land. Propagating in their kind they were of dual sexes,
soon to cover the expanse of their terran home.

The Thought knew itself. The Thought was life. The Thought prompted
into Its Being the struggle to survive in the harshness of its new
awareness and substance.

Flesh came from the earth. Blood coalesced from the dew of morning
and eyes that could see the new wonder were carved from the Sun's own
rays. Intelligence sprang from the swiftness of the clouds covered by
the veins and hair, born from earthly grass and breathing with the
life of the wind's own spirit. Each substance could feel and find
meaning for its life. The flesh heard, the eyes saw and the souls
could smell the life to its fullest beauty. The veins of life knew
the touch of life, and the currents of blood tasted life's
sweetness. Bones claimed life's stature through endurance while new
thoughts explored their cravings and their urges. They knew their
pleasures and their joys.

Man was the life and death t