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was just as Crow remembered it. Or would be, except that on those previous occasions Kthanid had seemed alone in his palace; whereas now -
    - Now, where mighty, Kthanid sat in his private alcove, its pearl-beaded curtains thrown back - now he gazed out upon a multitude!
    At first glance it appeared to Crow that half of Elysia must be here - including several who ranked almost as high at Kthanid himself, and whose appearances were similarly or even more outré - for the great hall was packed. No simple council-meeting this, for not Only were these High Eminences here but also representatives of a dozen different races, and lords and leaders from all of Elysia's many cities and lands and parts.
    Among those assembled were several high-placed lithards, wearing their black leather neck-bands of office; and Crow at once recognized Esch, Master Linguist of the bird-like Dchi-chis, a man-sized archeopteran who bent his plumed head in a silent nod of greeting; and then there were several 'Chosen' ones: usually but not always members of manlike bipedal races whose natural beauty was favoured by the Elder Gods, including several fragile-seeming varieties Crow could only ever think of as pixies, elves or fairies. There .were insect-beings, too, and squat, amphibian fin-creatures; even a solitary member of the D'horna-ahn, an energy spiral who gyrated cl ose to Esch where they hummed electrically at each other in muted, cryptical conversation.
    Of the handful of Elder Gods who were there: Crow spied a great, gently mobile congeries of golden spheres that half-hid a writhing shape of sheerest nightmare, and he knew that this was Yad-Thaddag, a `cousin' of YogSothoth, but infinitely good where the latter was black and putrid evil. Also, in an area apart from the rest, a lambent flame twice the height of a man, tapered at top and bottom, twirled clockwise where it stood `still' upon its own axis and threw out filaments of flickering yellow energy;- and this too was a member of the elite Elder Gods, a Thermal Being born in eons past in the heart of a star, whose half-life was five billion years! And all of them here to talk, exchange thoughts or otherwise commune with Kthanid.
    And Titus Crow, a mere man, summoned to a meeting such as this ...
    `Mere man?' came Kthanid's thoughts from where he sat upon a throne in his arched alcove. 'That you are not, Titus Crow, and well you know it. Men are not "mere" creatures; you, of all men, are not "mere." Indeed, this entire assembly has waited on your arrival more than that of any other.' Crow's entrance had been noted, and in more ways than one. Now he felt the golden orbs of Kthanid's eyes full upon him, and the mainly silent throng parted to let him come forward. This he did, losing count of the strides which took him across those great hexagonal flags to the alcove where Kthanis sat at an onyx table. And there before the Elder God, a scarlet cushion; and upon the cushion, the milky shewstone
     

3 Kthanid
    Crow arrived at the foot of the huge steps up to the dais, paused there and stood straight as a ramrod, his hands , at his sides, his head bowed. It was a measure of his respect; his stance told eloquently of his recognition of Kthanid, that he stood in the presence of a superior Being. Then:
    `Yes,' said Kthanid, but directing his thoughts at Crow alone this time. 'Well, we're one and all superior in our way, else we'd not be here in Elysia in the first place. Titus, come up here to me. We need a little privacy.' Crow lifted his head, climbed the steps. Behind him the curtains swept shut and closed the alcove in; but not before Kthanid sent out a final thought in the direction of all those gathered there: ' Please wait. Accept our apology that we exclude you from this, but its nature is such that it involves only the Earthman and myself Only be sure it is a matter of great moment . .
    Now he spoke openly (albeit telepathically) to Crow, saying, `Titus, we now stand in a completely private