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male Three."
Ern recalled his first memory. "I was alone. I broke into the male-female shell. We fought
at length."
The Three reflected for a lengthy period. Ern wondered if he had committed an annoyance.
Finally the Three said, "I am named Mazar the Final. Now that you are here I can be
known as 'the Final' no longer. I am accustomed to solitude; I have become old and severe;
you may find me poor company. If such is the case, you are free to pursue existence
elsewhere. If you choose to stay, I will teach you what I know, which is perhaps pointless
activity, since the Twos will presently come in a great army to kill us both."
"I will stay," said Ern. "As of now I know only the ceremonies of the Twos, which I may
never put to use. Are there no other Threes?"
"The Twos have killed all-all but Mazar the Final."
"And Ern."
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"And now Ern."
"What of sea-left and sea-right, beyond the rivers, along other shores? Are there no more
men?"
"Who knows? The Wall of Storm confronts the Wall of Dark; the Narrow Land extends-
how far? Who knows? If to infinity then all possibilities must be realized; then there are
other Ones, Twos and Threes. If the Narrow Land terminates at Chaos, then we may be
alone."
"I have traveled sea-right and sea-left until wide rivers stopped me," said Ern. "The
Narrow Land continued without any sign of coming to an end. I believe that it must extend
to infinity; in fact it is hard to conceive of a different situation."
"Perhaps, perhaps," said Mazar gruffly. "Come." He conducted Ern about the hall, through
workshops and repositories, chambers crowded with mementoes, trophies and nameless
paraphernalia.
"Who used these marvelous objects? Were there many Threes?"
"At one tune there were many," intoned Mazar, in a voice as hoarse and dreary as the
sound of wind. "It was so long ago that I cannot put words to the thought. I am the last"
"Why were there so many then and so few now?"
"It is a melancholy tale. A One-tribe lived along the shore, with customs different from the
Ones of the swamp. They were a gentle people, and they were ruled by a Three who had
been born by accident. He was Mena the Origin, and he caused the women to produce
clutches with the eggs purposely joined, so that a large number of Threes came into being.
It was a great era. We were dissatisfied with the harsh life of the Ones, the rigid life of the
Twos; we created a new existence. We learned the use of iron and steel, we built this hall
and many more; the Ones and Twos both learned from us and profited."
"Why did they war upon you?"
"By our freedom we incurred their fear. We set out to explore the Narrow Land. We
traveled many leagues sea-left and sea-right. An expedition penetrated the Dark-Chill to a
wilderness of ice, so dark that the explorers walked with torches. We built a raft and sent it
to drift under the Wall of Storm. There were three Ones aboard. The raft was tethered with
a long cable; when we pulled it back the Ones had been riven by dazzle and were dead. By
these acts we infuriated the Two preceptors. They declared us impious and marshaled the
Ones of the swamp. They massacred the Ones of the shore, then they made war on the
Threes. Ambush, poison, pitfall: they showed no mercy. We killed Twos; there were always
more Twos, but never more Threes.
"I could tell long tales of the war, how each of my comrades met death. Of them all, I am
the last. I never go beyond the wall and the Twos are not anxious to attack me, for they
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fear my fire gun. But enough for now. Go where you will, except beyond the wall, where
the Twos are dangerous. There is food in the bins; you may rest in the moss. Reflect upon
what you see; and when you have questions, I will answer."
Mazar went his way. Ern refreshed himself in the falling water of the grotto, ate from the
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