The
DEVIL’S
MOTOR
In the dead midnight,at that supreme momentwhen the Hoursthat are past slip awayfrom the grasp of the Hours yetto be, there came rushing betweenEarth and Heaven the soundof giant wheels,—the glare ofgreat lights,—the stench andthe muffled roar of a huge Car,tearing at full speed along thepale line dividing the Darknessfrom the Dawn.
And he who stood withinthe Car, steering itstraight onward, wasclothed in black andcrowned with fire; large bat-likewings flared out on eitherside of him in woven webs ofsmoke and flame, and hisface was white as bleachedbone. Like glowing embershis eyes burned in their cavernoussockets, shedding terrificglances through star-strewnspace,—and on histhin lips there was a frozenshadow of a smile more cruelthan hate,—more deadly thandespair.
“On!” he cried—“Stillon! On with an endlessrush and roar!Over the plains ofthe world that is gone,—over theheights of the world to come—on,still on! Without pause, withoutpity, without love, withoutregret! Follow me, all ye Forceswhich are destined to workthe ruin of Mankind,—follow!On, on, over all beauty, all tenderness,all truth I ride,—I,the Avenger, the Destroyer, theTorturer of Souls, the Arch-enemyof God! The Kingdomof Hell grows wide and deep,—praisebe to Man whomakes it! I count up my growingpossessions in the ever-breedingspawn of human lust andavarice,—I breathe and live andrejoice in the poison-vapours ofhuman Selfishness! The men ofthese latter days are my foodand sustenance,—the women mychoice morsels, my dainty delicates!Brute beasts and blind,they snatch at every lie I offerthem;—rejecting Eternal Life,they choose Eternal Death,—verilythey shall have their reward!Like a blight my Spirit shall encompassthem!—and whosoeverwould scour the air and scorch theearth must run on the straightroad of his desire with Me!”
The great Car flashedalong with grinding,thunderous wheels,and a