An Ancient City. And the Seaward Gate

A voice whispers a song that you have always known:

{if A Heretic = 1}

The dragon-green, the luminous, the dark, the serpent-haunted sea,

The snow-besprinkled wine of earth, the white-and-blue-flower foaming sea.

---

The metal-grey, the tenebrous, the pale, the life-accursed boat,

The tar-besotted growth of vine, the egg-and-shell-tower building moat.

---

Beyond the sea are towns with towers, carved with lions and lily flowers,

And not a soul in all those lonely streets to while away the hours.

---

Beyond the towns, an isle where, bound, a naked vixen bites the ground:

The shadow of a monstrous wing looms on her back: and still no sound.

---

Beyond the isle a rock that screams like madmen shouting in their dreams,

From whose dark issues night and day blood crashes in a thousand streams.

---

---

Beyond the rock is Restful Bay, where no wind breathes or ripple stirs,

And there on ancient ships, they say, stand rows of metal Mariners.

---

Beyond the bay in utmost West the old, the wise, the Prophet King

Sat with his beard upon his breast, once grip’d and guard’d his magic ring:

---

And when that ring was stolen, he’d rise in outraged majesty,

And take the World upon his back, and fling the World beyond the Sea.

{elseif An Occultist = 1}

The dragon-green, the luminous, the dark, the serpent-haunted sea,

The snow-besprinkled wine of earth, the white-and-blue-flower foaming sea.

---

The metal-grey, the tenebrous, the pale, the life-accursed boat,

The tar-besotted growth of vine, the egg-and-shell-tower building moat.

---

Beyond the sea are towns with towers, carved with lions and lily flowers,

And not a soul in all those lonely streets to while away the hours.

---

---

Beyond the towns, an isle where, bound, a naked vixen bites the ground:

The shadow of a monstrous wing looms on her back: and still no sound.

---

Beyond the isle a rock that screams like madmen shouting in their dreams,

From whose dark issues night and day blood crashes in a thousand streams.

---

Beyond the rock is Restful Bay, where no wind breathes or ripple stirs,

And there on ancient ships, they say, stand rows of metal Mariners.

---

Beyond the bay in utmost West the old, the wise, the Prophet King

Sat with his beard upon his breast, once grip’d and guard’d his magic ring:

---

And when that ring was stolen, he’d rise in outraged majesty,

And take the World upon his back, and fling the World beyond the Sea.

{else}

Never gonna give you up

Never gonna let you down

Never gonna run around and desert you

Never gonna make you cry

Never gonna say goodbye

Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Never gonna give you up

Never gonna let you down

Never gonna run around and desert you

Never gonna make you cry

Never gonna say goodbye

Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

{endif}

You wake. Your head hurts and thunderous echoes ring in your ears.