Morning came, and our guides told us that we should come to the city ere nightfall.  Again we passed southwards through the changeless desert; sometimes we met travellers coming from Babbulkund, with the beauty of its marvels still fresh in their eyes.

When we encamped near the middle of the day we saw a great number of people on foot coming towards us running, from the southwards.  These we hailed when they were come near, saying, ‘What of Babbulkund?’

They answered:  ’We are not of the race of the people of Babbulkund, but were captured in youth and taken away from the hills that are to the northward.  Now we have all seen in visions of the stillness the Lord the God of our people calling to us from His hills, and therefore we all flee northward.  But in Babbulkund King Nehemoth hath been troubled in the nights by unkingly dreams of doom, and none may interpret what the dreams portend.  Now this is the dream that King Nehemoth dreamed on the first night of his dreaming.  He saw move through the stillness a bird all black, and beneath the beatings of his wings Babbulkund gloomed and darkened; and after him flew a bird all white, beneath the beatings of whose wings Babbulkund gleamed and shone; and there flew by four more birds alternately black and white.  And, as the black ones passed Babbulkund darkened, and when the white ones appeared her streets and houses shone.  But after the sixth bird there came no more, and Babbulkund vanished from her place, and there was only the empty desert where she had stood, and the rivers Oonrana and Plegathanees mourning alone.  Next morning all the prophets of the King gathered before their abominations and questioned them of the dream, and the abominations spake not.  But when the second night stepped down from the halls of God, dowered with many stars, King Nehemoth dreamed again; and in this dream King Nehemoth saw four birds only, black and white alternately as before.  And Babbulkund darkened again as the black ones passed, and shone when the white came by; only after the four birds came no more, and Babbulkund vanished from her place, leaving only the forgetful desert and the mourning rivers.

’Still the abominations spake not, and none could interpret the dream.  And when the third night came forth from the divine halls of her home dowered like her sisters, again King Nehemoth dreamed.  And he saw a bird all black go by again, beneath whom Babbulkund darkened, and then a white bird and Babbulkund shone; and after them came no more, and Babbulkund passed away.  And the golden day appeared, dispelling dreams, and still the abominations were silent, and the King’s prophets answered not to portend the omen of the dream.  One prophet only spake before the King, saying:  ’The sable birds, O King, are the nights, and the white birds are the days,...’  This thing the King had feared, and he arose and smote the prophet with his sword, whose soul went crying away and had to do no more with nights and days.