{"id":"01KG8AKMH5N6W13XW6XCDDGXFB","cid":"bafkreieof5eth6nyv4oqw2nx4ctiv2zgwlnefycartz7uhbsuizi2vl33y","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":844,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:09.927Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","start_line":776,"text":"CHAPTER VI.\r\nThey Discourse Of The Gods Of Mardi, And Braid-Beard Tells Of One Foni\r\n\r\n\r\nWalking from the sacred inclosure, Mohi discoursed of the plurality of\r\ngods in the land, a subject suggested by the multitudinous idols we had\r\njust been beholding.\r\n\r\nSaid Mohi, “These gods of wood and of stone are nothing in number to\r\nthe gods in the air. You breathe not a breath without inhaling, you\r\ntouch not a leaf without ruffling a spirit. There are gods of heaven,\r\nand gods of earth; gods of sea and of land; gods of peace and of war;\r\ngods of rook and of fell; gods of ghosts and of thieves; of singers and\r\ndancers; of lean men and of house-thatchers. Gods glance in the eyes of\r\nbirds, and sparkle in the crests of the waves; gods merrily swing in\r\nthe boughs of the trees, and merrily sing in the brook. Gods are here,\r\nand there, and every where; you are never alone for them.”\r\n\r\n“If this be so, Braid-Beard,” said Babbalanja, “our inmost thoughts are\r\noverheard; but not by eaves-droppers. However, my lord, these gods to\r\nwhom he alludes, merely belong to the semi-intelligibles, the divided\r\nunities in unity, thin side of the First Adyta.”\r\n\r\n“Indeed?” said Media.\r\n\r\n“Semi-intelligible, say you, philosopher?” cried Mohi. “Then, prithee,\r\nmake it appear so; for what you say, seems gibberish to me.”\r\n\r\n“Babbalanja,” said Media, “no more of your abstrusities; what know you\r\nmortals of us gods and demi-gods? But tell me, Mohi, how many of your\r\ndeities of rock and fen think you there are? Have you no statistical\r\ntable?”\r\n\r\n“My lord, at the lowest computation, there must be at least three\r\nbillion trillion of quintillions.”\r\n\r\n“A mere unit!” said Babbalanja. “Old man, would you express an infinite\r\nnumber? Then take the sum of the follies of Mardi for your\r\nmultiplicand; and for your multiplier, the totality of sublunarians,\r\nthat never have been heard of since they became no more; and the\r\nproduct shall exceed your quintillions, even though all their units\r\nwere nonillions.”\r\n\r\n“Have done, Babbalanja!” cried Media; “you are showing the sinister\r\nvein in your marble. Have done. Take a warm bath, and make tepid your\r\ncold blood. But come, Mohi, tell us of the ways of this Maramma;\r\nsomething of the Morai and its idols, if you please.”\r\n\r\nAnd straightway Braid-Beard proceeded with a narration, in substance as\r\nfollows:—\r\n\r\nIt seems, there was a particular family upon the island, whose members,\r\nfor many generations, had been set apart as sacrifices for the deity\r\ncalled Doleema. They were marked by a sad and melancholy aspect, and a\r\ncertain involuntary shrinking, when passing the Morai. And, though,\r\nwhen it came to the last, some of these unfortunates went joyfully to\r\ntheir doom, declaring that they gloried to die in the service of holy\r\nDoleema; still, were there others, who audaciously endeavored to shun\r\ntheir fate; upon the approach of a festival, fleeing to the innermost\r\nwilderness of the island. But little availed their flight. For swift on\r\ntheir track sped the hereditary butler of the insulted god, one Xiki,\r\nwhose duty it was to provide the sacrifices. And when crouching in some\r\ncovert, the fugitive spied Xiki’s approach, so fearful did he become of\r\nthe vengeance of the deity he sought to evade, that renouncing all hope\r\nof escape, he would burst from his lair, exclaiming, “Come on, and\r\nkill!” baring his breast for the javelin that slew him.\r\n\r\nThe chronicles of Maramma were full of horrors.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJNK0ZYX7B9FSGP1VKF2A","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKMH5R4D83N0DE112XEM9","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:10.789Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:19.391Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}