登陆注册
5272100000034

第34章 The Mantle of Immortality(3)

"Only by the vote of every immortal can it be bestowed upon a mortal.""I know all this," answered Ak, quietly. "But the Mantle exists, and if it was created, as you say, in the Beginning, it was because the Supreme Master knew that some day it would be required. Until now no mortal has deserved it, but who among you dares deny that the good Claus deserves it? Will you not all vote to bestow it upon him?"They were silent, still looking upon one another questioningly.

"Of what use is the Mantle of Immortality unless it is worn?" demanded Ak. "What will it profit any one of us to allow it to remain in its lonely shrine for all time to come?""Enough!" cried the Gnome King, abruptly. "We will vote on the matter, yes or no. For my part, I say yes!""And I!" said the Fairy Queen, promptly, and Ak rewarded her with a smile.

"My people in Burzee tell me they have learned to love him; therefore I vote to give Claus the Mantle," said the King of the Ryls.

"He is already a comrade of the Knooks," announced the ancient King of that band. "Let him have immortality!""Let him have it--let him have it!" sighed the King of the Wind Demons.

"Why not?" asked the King of the Sleep Fays. "He never disturbs the slumbers my people allow humanity. Let the good Claus be immortal!""I do not object," said the King of the Sound Imps.

"Nor I," murmured the Queen of the Water Sprites.

"If Claus does not receive the Mantle it is clear none other can ever claim it," remarked the King of the Light Elves, "so let us have done with the thing for all time.""The Wood-Nymphs were first to adopt him," said Queen Zurline. "Of course I shall vote to make him immortal."Ak now turned to the Master Husbandman of the World, who held up his right arm and said "Yes!"And the Master Mariner of the World did likewise, after which Ak, with sparkling eyes and smiling face, cried out:

"I thank you, fellow immortals! For all have voted 'yes,' and so to our dear Claus shall fall the one Mantle of Immortality that it is in our power to bestow!""Let us fetch it at once," said the Fay King; "I'm in a hurry."They bowed assent, and instantly the Forest glade was deserted. But in a place midway between the earth and the sky was suspended a gleaming crypt of gold and platinum, aglow with soft lights shed from the facets of countless gems. Within a high dome hung the precious Mantle of Immortality, and each immortal placed a hand on the hem of the splendid Robe and said, as with one voice:

"We bestow this Mantle upon Claus, who is called the Patron Saint of Children!"At this the Mantle came away from its lofty crypt, and they carried it to the house in the Laughing Valley.

The Spirit of Death was crouching very near to the bedside of Claus, and as the immortals approached she sprang up and motioned them back with an angry gesture. But when her eyes fell upon the Mantle they bore she shrank away with a low moan of disappointment and quitted that house forever.

Softly and silently the immortal Band dropped upon Claus the precious Mantle, and it closed about him and sank into the outlines of his body and disappeared from view. It became a part of his being, and neither mortal nor immortal might ever take it from him.

Then the Kings and Queens who had wrought this great deed dispersed to their various homes, and all were well contented that they had added another immortal to their Band.

And Claus slept on, the red blood of everlasting life coursing swiftly through his veins; and on his brow was a tiny drop of water that had fallen from the ever-melting gown of the Queen of the Water Sprites, and over his lips hovered a tender kiss that had been left by the sweet Nymph Necile. For she had stolen in when the others were gone to gaze with rapture upon the immortal form of her foster son.

同类推荐
  • 少林寺短打身法统宗拳谱

    少林寺短打身法统宗拳谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 修真十书玉隆集

    修真十书玉隆集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Cy Whittaker's Place

    Cy Whittaker's Place

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛古闻禅师语录

    佛古闻禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 千乘

    千乘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 乱世:花随落

    乱世:花随落

    三个命运迥异的女子,辗转在波诡云谲、万骨铺就的帝王之家……风夕颜,名满天下的花语楼楼主,复杂迷离的身世,在险象环生的尘世中历尽坎坷,九死一生……翊倾尘,倾国倾城的七公主,却是庶出,陷入一场荡涤阴谋,与心爱之人若即若离,失之偏颇;轩辕昭羽,华国嫡公主,荣宠之至,才名绝胜天下,工于心计,步步为营,坚信我命由我不由天,一心要作世上最尊贵的女人……跌宕起伏的乱世中,谁主沉浮?
  • 天相

    天相

    道宫治天下,气相始显尊。引气锻五感,洗髓伐体筋。通灵明妙法,神游御剑行。化玄自成域,天相掌神通。闻依因一只蝴蝶振翅而来到这个气相显尊,光怪陆离的神话世界。且看华清宗区区一随从,历生死,悟神通,踏碎江山,步步崛起,一路高歌。
  • 萧先生你老婆不要你了

    萧先生你老婆不要你了

    (推荐新书,《一不小心成为团宠》)帮好友相亲居然偶遇了一只软软糯糯的小包子,而且还一口一个妈咪抱着她不撒手?苏轻兮表示有点懵。小包子的爹找过来一张冰块脸也就算了,还拿支票来打发她?这谁忍得了?当即甩脸走人,却不想羁绊才刚刚开始……
  • 戴尔·卡耐基亲子睡前故事:五分钟名人传记

    戴尔·卡耐基亲子睡前故事:五分钟名人传记

    戴尔·卡耐基5分钟道尽一个名人的一生,本书根据哥伦比亚广播公司金牌节目整理而成,书中简明扼要地介绍了37个名人成功路上的坎坷经历,大人物,小视角,故事不长但非常精彩,每天晚上孩子睡前讲一则故事,有利于培养孩子树立远大目标并锻炼其抗挫折能力。
  • 异世界打脸系统

    异世界打脸系统

    异世界!系统!楚天在历境中越发强大。位面!威胁!让其在未知的领域里逐渐探索。迷题?真相?系统的由来也逐渐清晰。巨大的阴谋背后究竟是怎样的危险?放弃还是坚持,楚天到底应该怎样选择?《异世界打脸系统》已上线,敬请期待。
  • 陛下驾到:偷心女王

    陛下驾到:偷心女王

    她是皇室唯一公主,残暴荒淫、杀人取乐、抢男为宠、手下冤魂无数,却不知将国破人亡。她穿越而来,薄情寡恩,勤勉睿智,男宠无数,不曾青眼,只为袖手天下,坐拥江山为帝。且看她金戈铁马,收拾破碎皇权、调教各种男儿,打造一片属于她的盛世风云。普天之下莫非王土、世上男儿莫非我臣,邪魅将军,阴沉世子,文人雅士尽归麾下……却不知她偷了多少公子的心。他是不败战神,金戈铁马可逐鹿天下,却赢不了对她的“战争”。他是腹黑奸臣,玩弄朝堂堪称搅屎棍,却愿俯首甘拜石榴裙下。他是麒麟才子,温文儒雅有天下奇谋,却可无视君臣之羁,为妃相伴。(特色女强)
  • 邪性总裁

    邪性总裁

    他爱她,却以恨为名,不停的伤害她。
  • 失忆新娘(出版)

    失忆新娘(出版)

    她是谁?在醒来后,她竟然想不起来任何的事情,连自己的名字也忘掉了,只是脑袋好疼。这么大的一座夜影堡里,虽然人很多,但却都冷冰冰的。为了找回自己失去的记忆,去寻找这里的主人,却发现堡主是那么的······不过,他救了她,他绝对是个好人。所以,她不怕他。天哪,他邪魅的微笑,竟然让他的脸柔和很多,那样的俊美迷人,让她怦然的心跳加速。她怎么了呢?夜禅心:失忆小人儿,夜影堡中小丫头,心如禅思,取名禅心陵听鹜:夜影堡堡主,一半俊美,一半邪魅,外冷内热,唯独对她《替身新娘》《失忆新娘》各新华书店,当当网,卓越网均有售!~亲们喜欢,请顺便支持!~汩泉博客:http://m.wkkk.net/sweet14博客泉泉常常更新,亲们有兴趣可以常来逛。
  • 重生国民女神:系统狂霸酷拽

    重生国民女神:系统狂霸酷拽

    【爽文+娱乐圈+身心干净】乔青落,校花女神级别人物!沉鱼落雁、闭月羞花,在她身上可以得到淋漓尽致的表现。从小到大,胸大无脑、最佳学渣一直都是她的代名词。生活平淡的她,却因为一张大学录取通知书惨遭谋杀!当她带着系统重生归来,她微笑,男神、宝物,一个都不能少!嗯,天凉了,顺便白莲花领饭盒吧!
  • 竞争如此残酷,你怎么脱颖而出

    竞争如此残酷,你怎么脱颖而出

    这是一个人人都在路上的时代,一个眨眼就可能一败涂地的时代。如果空想多于实干,注定永远失败。这是一个急需年轻人活力的时代,一个机会只对强者开放的时代。从来就没有什么怀才不遇,敢闯,哪里都有你的江湖!所有年轻人应该学习的课,是认识自己的一无所知。掌握的知识越多,才能意识到自己知道的东西有多贫乏。大脑是用来思考的,想要进步,必须要有值得思考的内容。《竞争如此残酷,你怎么脱颖而出》主要分为三个部分,主要讲了面临困境时政治家们是如何抉择的,社会精英如何认知社会,商界领袖之所以能够取得成功有什么秘诀。