Titans of Chaos

Is there death among the Nameless Ones of Myriagon? There shall be none here. Is there want orscarcity among the silver-haunted cloudscapes of fair Cimmeria, within the paradises of thedreaming? No more than will be when I am Saturn, and Time is mine. No matter how small mychance of success, surely the trial is worthy of attempt, since success will mean infinite bliss; andbounty, not merely for you, but for all creation, and peace as well with uncreation, the roaringrage of Chaos stilled, Saturn's black crimes undone! Is it not worth peace, peace between ourpeoples, peace to embrace Cosmos and Chaos both?"

"If peace is your goal, why all this killing?"

He smiled a crooked smile. "Because the gods of other things cannot understand the swiftthoughts of the god of quickness and quick-wittedness. Because I am misunderstood. Because theintelligent of this and every world are mistrusted by the slow of brain. Because I must pull up theroots of this old Cosmos, so ill-designed, to make the new world from its bones."

She said, "You cannot know it will work, can you?"

He laughed. "Naturally, no one has disnatured all of nature before. Destroying and remaking allexistence is unique, unparalleled. It is not something one can do in experiment beforehand."

"Well, that's an interesting point of view. I don't want to sound like a naysayer, but: Would youhire a man to build a house who had no experience in house building? And a world is bigger thana house."

"Who needs experience? I have theory!"

Vanity said, "Um. Okay. Theory, huhn? Gee. Why don't you give me a little time to think thisthrough? Come back in a year and a day, and we can discuss our marriage plans, and-"

"Lie me no lies. I know my children," he snorted, "for I am the Prince of Actors and Players,Lawyers and Orators and all who live by slyness. Why don't I kill you now, and finish thediscussion when I resurrect the world? What is wrong for others to do, is not wrong for me."

Trismegistus raised his wand, whispered a command, and all the deck to either side of himcrackled and shivered with a black shadow that passed back and forth across it. The shadowscrabbled at the edges of the doorframe, but could not get in.