“Senor,” he said, “beyond the path of Mars run many worlds that I would have you know.  The greatest of these is Jupiter, towards whom all that follow my most sacred art show reverent affection.  The smallest are those that sometimes strike our world, flaming all green upon November nights, and are even as small as apples.”  He spoke of our world with a certain air and a pride, as though, through virtue of his transcendent art, the world were only his.  “The world that we name Argola,” he said, “is far smaller than Spain and, being invisible from Earth, is only known to the few who have spoken to spirits whose wanderings have surpassed the path of Mars.  Nearly half of Argola you shall find covered with forests, which though very dense are no deeper than moss, and the elephants in them are not larger than beetles.  You shall see many wonders of smallness in this world of Argola, which I desire in especial to show you, since it is the orb with which we who study the Art are most familiar, of all the worlds that the vulgar have not known.  It is indeed the prize of our traffic in those things that far transcend the laws that have forbidden them.”

And as he said this the green flame in the bowl before him died, and he moved towards his cupboard of wonder.  Rodriguez hastily thanked the Professor for his great courtesy in laying bare before him secrets that the centuries hid, and then he referred to his own great unworthiness, to the lateness of the hour, to the fatigue of the Professor, and to the importance to Learning of adequate rest to refresh his illustrious mind.  And all that he said the Professor parried with bows, and drew enchantments from his cupboard of wonder to replenish the bowl on the table.  And Rodriguez saw that he was in the clutch of a collector, one who having devoted all his days to a hobby will exhibit his treasures to the uttermost, and that the stars that magic knows were no less to the Professor than all the whatnots that a man collects and insists on showing to whomsoever enters his house.  He feared some terrible journey, perhaps some bare escape; for though no material thing can quite encompass a spirit, he knew not what wanderers he might not meet in lonely spaces beyond the path of Mars.  So when his last polite remonstrance failed, being turned aside with a pleasant phrase and a smile from the grim lips, and looking at Morano he saw that he shared his fears, then he determined to show whatever resistance were needed to keep himself and Morano in this old world that we know, or that youth at least believes that it knows.

He watched the Professor return with his packets of wonder; dust from a fallen star, phials of tears of lost lovers, poison and gold out of elf-land, and all manner of things.  But the moment that he put them into the bowl Rodriguez’ hand flew to his sword-hilt.  He heaved up his elbow, but no sword came forth, for it lay magnetised to its scabbard by the grip of a current of magic.  When Rodriguez saw this he knew not what to do.