Here the walls were of green malachite. Shafts in the high ceiling must have reached up to the earth's surface for the sunlight spilled down through them and was reflected from the walls in a glowing emerald effusion. The furniture of the room was of carved ivory, and the central pieces were two low couches. Eos went to one and seated herself, folding her legs under her and spreading her cloak so that even her feet were concealed. She gestured to the couch facing her. 'Please be at your ease.
You are my honoured and beloved guest, Taita,' she said, in the Tenmass.
He went to the couch and sat opposite her. It was covered with an embroidered silk mattress.
'I am Eos,' she said.
'Why did you call me “beloved”? This is our first meeting. You do not know me at all.'
'Ah, Taita, I know you as well as you know yourself. Perhaps even better.'
Her laughter was sweeter on his ears than any music he had ever listened to. He tried to close his mind to it. 'Even though your words defy reason, somehow I cannot doubt them. I accept that you know me, but I know nothing of you, except your name,' he replied.
'Taita, we must be honest with each other. I will speak only the truth to you. You must do the same for me. Your last statement was a lie. You know much about me, and you have formed opinions that are, alas, mostly erroneous. It is my purpose to enlighten you, and to correct your misconceptions.'
'Tell me where I have erred.'
'You believe I am your enemy.'
Taita remained silent.
'I am your friend,' Eos went on. 'The dearest and sweetest friend you will ever have.'
Taita inclined his head gravely, but again made no reply. He found he wanted desperately to believe her. It took all his determination to keep his shield high.
After a beat, Eos continued, 'You imagine that I will lie to you, that I have already lied to you as you have lied to me,' she said.
He was relieved that he threw no aura for her to read: his emotions were seething.
'I have spoken only the truth to you. The images I showed you in the grotto were the truth. There was no element of deceit in them,' she told him.
'They were forceful images,' he said, his tone neutral and noncommittal.
'They were all true. All I have promised is in my power to give to you.'
'Why of all mankind have you chosen me?'
'All mankind?' she exclaimed, with scorn. 'All mankind is no more important to me than the individual termites in a colony. They are creatures of instinct, not of reason or wisdom, for they do not live long enough to acquire those virtues.'
'I have known wise men of learning, compassion and humanity,' he contradicted her.
'You make that judgement from the observations of your own short existence,' she said.
'I have lived long,' he said.
'But you will not live much longer,' she told him. 'Your time is nearly done.'
'You are direct, Eos.'
'As I have already promised, I will speak only the truth to you. The human body is an imperfect vehicle and life is ephemeral. A man lives too short a span to acquire true wisdom and understanding. By human standards you are a Long Liver, one hundred and fifty-six years by my reckoning. To me, that is not much longer than a butterfly lives, or the blooming of a night-flowering cactus, born at dusk and perishing before dawn. The physical vehicle in which your spirit soul rides will soon fail you.' Suddenly she thrust her right hand from beneath the black silk cloak and made a sign of benediction.
If her feet were lovely, her hand was exquisite. His breathing checked and he felt the hair on his forearms rise as he watched its graceful gestures.'
'But for you it need not be so,' Eos said softly.
'You have not answered my question, Eos. Why me?'
'In the short time that you have lived you have achieved much. If I extend your life eternally you will become a giant of intellect.'
'That does not explain all of it. I am old and ugly.'
'I have already renewed part of your body,' she pointed out. He laughed bitterly. 'So, now I am an ugly old man with a young and beautiful cock.'
She laughed with him, that thrilling sound. 'So elegantly phrased.'
She drew her hand back under the cloak, leaving him bereft. Then she went on, 'In the grotto I showed you an image of yourself as a young man. You were beautiful, and you can be again.'
'You can have any beautiful young man you choose. I do not doubt that you have already done so,' he challenged.
She answered at once, fairly and honestly: 'Ten thousand times or more, but despite their beauty they were ants.'
'Will I be any different?'
