“The souls on earth were as a page to me. All schemes in lives or mysteries of nature I could understand. I could recite to you long histories of the pre-Adamites. I saw the glory of Atlantis before the oceans submerged it. Its wisdom was superior to that of the race now on Earth, its achievement beyond all later achievement. So like gods grew those men that the Earth trembled at their power, and the mandate went forth to destroy their wicked brilliance and unpeople almost all the Earth.
“As I looked at the burnish of its wealth and saw its miraculous prosperity, I bethought me to fly down and save a few souls from the doomed land. With a great air-ship, such as we used in my world, I gathered from the Earth a few, and these are their descendants. Then there was a removal of oceans, an uplifting of other areas. The learning of ages, the temples of nations slept under the sun as I neared the Earth, and slept under the water as I left.
“Then the fragment was too small for us and I bethought me to capture a half-cooled ball of lava not far away. By means of heavy chains and air-ships I hitched my island to this star, and later grafted its roots into the soil. According to the law of my great sphere, the lesser plant began at once to absorb the greater, and then it was revealed to me that when the Sun Island had extended over the entire star, absorbing all the lava substance, transforming all the seas to emerald and flame, I might proceed to realms more fair.
“I still watched Earth, through the glory into which the history of Egypt dies, into the progress of moderns where hope of history lives.
“More than a thousand souls I influenced from time to time. At last, there was born in an English hamlet a boy, Gregg Dempster. His mother died with a mad prayer on her lips: ‘Let him not worship gold! Oh, take him to another, easier world than this!’ In all the years I had not heard so simple a prayer uttered with so awful power of death. From his cradle I watched the child through friendless youth, loveless manhood, monomaniac age, and saw him in abject poverty, yet ever shielded from the greatest grief of men. Often I urged him on, often I taught him secrets, often I gave him courage. I spoke when he lay upon his bier. It was not he. I stood here to meet him when he came first upon the star. I walled for him the Sun Island.
“Then, Regan, my eyes saw you forsaken in the forest, with your little sister in a wilderness. Your mother prayed not but cast herself to death. I thought, ‘Where is some man to save these souls?’ Father Renaudin had had no visions then. While you and Isabella sobbed in the forest, she freezing and you despairing, I lighted for Father Renaudin that vision of his duty which flashed into his eyes and burned into his soul. It made him shake off his habit of slothful luxury, and sent him to where you stood. That very night he found good homes for both of you. Do you remember that, Regan?”
“I shall remember that when the suns have grown cold!” answered Regan.
“I noted that, with all your heavy curse, the curse of the father and the curse of the mother also, you were yet strangely noble. You chose for yourself the humble home of poverty, and gave all the brightness of life to your sister. I wondered would you too forget. Through the imposed silence concerning the relationship I saw you always faithful, always in human love bound beyond power of separation to sever. I was near you when you fought your path through disgrace and poverty in life. In your deepest troubles, in your darkest disgrace, I was there, but I could not excuse your course. I could only pity your weakness and remember the curse of the father, the curse of the father!
“I did not note Rondah until she came, like a ministering spirit, to care for Gregg Dempster when he was near death. The prayer of Gregg Dempster’s mother was answered from Heaven. Father Renaudin and yourself I watched and aided. Rondah was blessed by the kindness of the angel-man!”
“You came to me,” said Father Renaudin, “when I stood on the cliff and with despairing misery looked over the star. You whispered in the air: ‘Man, you have dreamed a god’s dream with human strength! You have been given a field where humanity can accomplish the godlike dream!’ It was time for you to come. My soul fainted, my faith faltered!”