The Prince and the Father

The start begineth upon the coda of everythynge. At the ever there was Three and Five. The Three were of a piece, and they were Thought, Image, and Wisdom, and they were the Father. The Five were of a piece, and they were Dæmon, Dragon, who was also called Samum, Eagle, Fish, and Lion, and they were the Prince. And did the Prince quarrelleth His Father.   Endeavoured the Father to create the stars & light & fire & knowledge, and He fashioned from stars those which would live fullness. The Prince, in His jealousy of the Father, fashioned emptiness and did it bring the star people to it and they were upon it. They were full and among the empty and so they did escape, so the Prince made an empty beinge after the star people.   Now each of the Five were to gift it somethynge, that it would keep the star people bound within empty, and so Lion & Fish & Eagle & Dragon would give to it of themselves, but Dæmon was the most selfish of the Five, and did not want to sacrifice. So Dæmon tricked the star people, taking forme of one of them and warning of a great coming calamity, and set them to building the Khaliyaman. When it was done it took from them Agni.   Each the Five gathered together, and the Prince had sculpted of clay a jar like the star people and it was empty. Lion gave to it teeth and claws that it might hunt and eateth its prey. Fish gave to it fins that it might know well the waters. Eagle gave to it wings that it might know well the skies. Dragon gave to it language that it might know itself. And Dæmon gave to it that which was not its to give, for Dæmon gave it Agni to fill the vessel and it was pneuma and it burned away the other gifts, and when it was left, it was naked and soft and without defence. But it did not die, for in Agni was its strength, and for itself it crafted the thynges it had lost. It made of iron the teeth and claws it had lost & it made of wood the fins it had lost & it made of cloth the wings it had lost & it made of breath the language it had lost.   Then did the Prince set His creation upon the star people and a scourge it did make Agni brooding in empty clay and bronze and were the star people brought low and charred.