“From far away. From the lands which are beyond the lands, from the worlds beyond the worlds, from the heavens beyond the heavens.”
“Where are you going?”
“Very far. Do you see those distant regions yonder, of silver and opal? Well, thousands of times so far I am going. . . . I go from illimitableness to illimitableness; I come from nothingness and I am going to nothingness.”
“What is nothingness?”
“Everything. Nothingness is as far as your brains can think, my little princess; and then still farther, and nothingness is more than all that you see from this high tower. . . .”
“Are you never tired?”
“No, my wings are strong; I can bear all mankind on my back, and I could carry them away to the stars behind the stars.”
“If Astra knew that!”
“Astra knows it. But she does not want me. She reckons out the stars with figures.”
“Why do you fly from one end to the other, O splendid Chimera? What is your object? What are you for?”