“The full moon was high in the sky and the fire was extinguished. My legs trembled so that I swayed like a reed in the wind. For a while it seemed as if the earth itself were staggering through the sky, for I saw the moon flutter hither and thither until it was drowned in blackness. Then I knew that I was blind in my other eye, since I could no longer see the woods or hills around me, only darkness and silence. I know not how, but of a sudden I could see with the wall-eye that had been blind before; and I saw a strange world where blue birds with bearded faces like men hovered in the air, stars with long spider’s legs ran across the sky, stone trees walked about and fishes signalled to each other with their hands in dumb show. There were many other curious things, and all seemed strange to me and yet also familiar, as if I had been there from the very start of memory but had just forgotten it. And ‘before’ and ‘after’ had a different sense for me, as if time had slipped sideways – – – (scorch marks) – – – the distance a black pall of smoke rose from the earth and spread out as flat as a board, widening at one end until it stretched like a dark triangle pointing down out of the sky; then it burst and a fiery red gap split it from top to bottom and within was an enormous spindle whirling round – – – (scorch marks) – – – saw the dreadful figure of the Black Mother, Isaïs, plucking human flesh from the distaff to spin it with her thousand hands – – – blood dribbling down from the gap – – – some drops splashed up from the ground, sprinkling my body, like one that has the red plague, which must have been the mysterious baptism of the blood – – – (scorch mark) – – – the Great Mother called and woke her daughter, that had slept within me like a seed-grain, by which I came to Life Eternal, ever conjoined with her in dual being. – Even before that time I had never been subject to the lusts of the flesh, but since then I was proof against them for all time, for how could a man be gripped by the Curse who had found his own womanly nature within himself? – Then, when I could once more see with my human eye, a hand appeared from the chasm in the moor bearing something that gleamed dully like silver. I could not grasp it with my mortal fingers, but Isaïs’ daughter within me stretched out a cat’s paw and gave me the shoe – the ‘Silver Shoe’ which takes away all fear from him that wears – – – (scorch marks) – – – joined a troupe of strolling players as a tightrope walker and animal tamer; the tigers, leopards and panthers hissed and spat and drew back from me in terror when I turnd my wall-eye on them, and I found I could walk on the high wire, although I had never been taught to. Since I had been wearing the Silver Shoe, all fear had left me and my ‘bride’ within me drew all the heaviness from my body so that giddiness and falling were impossible. – I see by your face, Brother Dee, that you are asking yourself, ‘With all these gifts, why did Bartlett Greene remain an outlaw and a mountebank?’ I will tell you: the baptism of fire and the ‘Taghairm’ released my strength that I might become Captain of the Ravenheads that go unseen and that I might pipe a pibroch to the Papists from over the water that their ears would ring with it for centuries to come. Let them draw up their cannon and fire – boom! – they will not harm me. – Do you doubt that I wear the Silver Shoe, learned Master Dee? See here, o you of little faith” – and Bartlett Greene placed his right foot against the heel of his left shoe,
