| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: fellow anent past happenings. It appeared that the three had followed
Carter's directions and proceeded from the enchanted wood to Dylath-Leen
by way of Nir and the Skin, stealing human clothes at a lonely
farmhouse and loping as closely as possible in the fashion of
a man's walk. In Dylath-Leen's taverns their grotesque ways and
faces had aroused much comment; but they had persisted in asking
the way to Sarkomand until at last an old traveller was able to
tell them. Then they knew that only a ship for Lelag-Leng would
serve their purpose, and prepared to wait patiently for such a
vessel.
But evil spies had doubtless reported much; for shortly
 The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: Clinias.
Soc. Tell me, Xenophon, have you not always believed Critobulus to be
a man of sound sense, not wild and self-willed? Should you not have
said that he was remarkable for his prudence rather than thoughtless
or foolhardy?
Xen. Certainly that is what I should have said of him.
Soc. Then you are now to regard him as quite the reverse--a hot-
blooded, reckless libertine: this is the sort of man to throw
somersaults into knives,[12] or to leap into the jaws of fire.
[12] Cf. "Symp." ii. 10, iv. 16. See Schneider ad loc.
Xen. And what have you seen him doing, that you give him so bad a
 The Memorabilia |