long did it take eean to tell me the whole of the story, and when he had told and i had gathered and put together all of it, i said to him, “not yet has the tower fallen, and ere it comes down one might go to the top and take the magic mirror of the babylonians and put it in the hands of the king.”

“the king may be dead,” eean said, “or else he may be in such a state that he cannot see or hear any more.”

we were then sitting under the greatest of the cedar trees, and he was eating pomegranates[pg 100] from my lap. i looked from out the shade of the cedar tree, and i saw the king of babylon walking in his gardens.

the king was fearful; he looked to the right and to the left as he went on. when he saw a little deer that was standing still he was startled, and he turned back. as he came nigh the cedar tree he saw me standing there before him. i prostrated myself and i said, “o king, fear not for babylon. the tower has not yet fallen, and the magic mirror will yet be placed in your hands.” but the king only said, “go to the tower and bring back to me the black cock that i tied to a board but did not sacrifice.” thereupon the king went within the palace.

i called upon eean to come, and we went down the way of the lions, and through the gate of brass, and out into the city. it was the hour of the market, but there were no people in the market place. we went on, eean and i, and we came before the tower. there we saw a throng such as would have filled many markets, and they were standing round and gazing on the tower.

[pg 101]

i had never looked before on the tower of babylon. it was built tower upon tower to the height of four towers, and its color was red. around the whole height of it went a stairway showing steps on this side and that as it went winding around. on the top of the topmost tower i saw a gleam, and i knew it was the magic mirror of the babylonians.

that gleam dazzled me and put into my mind the thought of going to the top of the tower. i, out of all that throng, would go and bring down the magic mirror! i went amongst them and they let me pass, for i had on me now the dress of one who belonged to the palace. i stood before the throng and i saw where a great space of rock was worn smooth—it was the rock against which harut and marut had lain.

i came to the first steps of the tower, and i climbed three of them. i heard the murmur of those who spoke of me, and i stood still. then up the first round of the steps i went, keeping my mind from the thought of the great height that was above me. i came at last to where the second[pg 102] tower grew from the top of the first, and i stood and looked down, and i saw that the men below had already become little. it was then that i felt terror of the height that was above me.

i began to climb the steps of the second tower, fearful to look down and fearful to think of the number of steps that were before me. i went on and up, all in a terrible silence, and feeling that at the step above me something unbelievable would happen.

after a great length of time i came out on the space that was the top of the second tower. on that breadth i rested. as i waited there the coldness of death seemed to come over me.

but the coldness passed, and i felt the air again. i found the steps that went up and around the third of the towers. as i went on i felt that those steps leaned down on me and crushed me, and that with my feet alone i never could surmount them. then i went down on my hands and knees and i climbed and climbed until my hands were bruised and the parts behind my knees ached. i thought that suddenly the steps would cease to be, and[pg 103] that i should find no place for my hands, and that thereupon i would fall down all the height i had climbed up. but step came after step, and at last i came out on that space that was the top of the third tower.

above me was the fourth tower. i stood holding myself against it, and i looked down all the distance i had climbed. i saw the great river shining whitely: like pebbles in the bed of a river were the throngs below. but now my fear went from me. the silence was all around me, but i was exultant because of the silence through which i climbed. the height troubled me no more, rather it made me exultant, making me feel as the eagle feels. i came out on the top of the fourth tower, and there was nothing above me except the silent sky.

and there was the magic mirror of the babylonians. it rested against the great spear that was nimrod’s, and it was turned toward the city and toward the king’s palace.

i looked into the magic mirror. as i looked into it i saw a writing come upon it. i read the[pg 104] writing, and it said: bring the magic mirror of the babylonians to the king of babylon, but burthen yourself not with the spear of nimrod.

and that writing faded, and another writing appeared on the mirror. and the writing read: zabulun the enchanter has been brought by harut and marut into the cave that is below the sea. for forty days they will watch over him, but then they will fall into a slumber. zabulun will come forth from the cave that is beneath the sea, and in anger he will pursue him who revealed his plan for the taking of the magic mirror. take one of the rings that are around the mirror. it will reveal when zabulun comes from the cave, and it will show how near he comes in his pursuit of eean, the boy who was apprenticed to him.

that writing faded, and i saw the rings that were around the mirror. i loosened one and i took it off the mirror and i put it around the wrist of my hand. the color of the ring changed to the green of the sea.

i took the magic mirror in my hands and i went down the stairway. down i went, from the fourth[pg 105] to the third, and from the third to the second of the towers. as i went down the stairway around the first of the towers i heard the murmurs of the throng. high above my head i raised the magic mirror, and i went toward them holding it so.

and as i went amongst the throng i heard a voice cry out, “the tower trembles, the tower rocks.” it was the voice of eean. as the cry arose the throngs drew back from before the tower. they ran, and i ran carrying the mirror, and eean ran beside me. and when we came to the market place we two were alone.

we stood in the empty market place and we looked toward the tower of babylon. in its great height it stood there, strong and wonderful. i heard the shouting of people around it. then i saw the great tower swing like a child’s swing. dust rose up, cloud after cloud, and cloud over cloud. the cries of people came from out the clouds.

we stood there until we saw the sun shine through a cloud of dust. then we knew that the tower of babylon was indeed fallen. never again[pg 106] did we go near the place, but from travelers i have heard that where the tower stood there is emptiness, and that great blocks of stone are scattered far and wide.