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I am indeed in one place； for my uncle took me to this
temple when I was a boy； and in this I shall doubtless die。
But if a man remain in one place he shall see that the place changes。
The pagoda of my temple stands up silently out of all the trees；
like a yellow pagoda above many green pagodas。 But the skies
are sometimes blue like porcelain； and sometimes green like jade；
and sometimes red like garnet。 But the night is always ebony
and always returns； said the Emperor Ho。
〃The sky…breaker came at evening very suddenly； for I had hardly
seen any stirring in the tops of the green trees over which I look
as over a sea； when I go to the top of the temple at morning。
And yet when he came； it was as if an elephant had strayed
from the armies of the great kings of India。 For palms snapped；
and bamboos broke； and there came forth in the sunshine before
the temple one taller than the sons of men。
〃Strips of red and white hung about him like ribbons of a carnival；
and he carried a pole with a row of teeth on it like the teeth of a dragon。
His face was white and discomposed； after the fashion of the foreigners；
so that they look like dead men filled with devils； and he spoke
our speech brokenly。
〃He said to me； ‘This is only a temple； I am trying to find a house。'
And then he told me with indelicate haste that the lamp outside his house
was green； and that there was a red post at the corner of it。
〃‘I have not seen your house nor any houses；' I answered。
‘I dwell in this temple and serve the gods。'
〃‘Do you believe in the gods？' he asked with hunger in his eyes；
like the hunger of dogs。 And this seemed to me a strange question
to ask； for what should a man do except what men have done？
〃‘My Lord；' I said； ‘it must be good for men to hold up their hands even
if the skies are empty。 For if there are gods； they will be pleased；
and if there are none； then there are none to be displeased。
Sometimes the skies are gold and sometimes porphyry and sometimes
ebony； but the trees and the temple stand still under it all。
So the great Confucius taught us that if we do always the same things
with our hands and our feet as do the wise beasts and birds； with our
heads we may think many things： yes； my Lord； and doubt many things。
So long as men offer rice at the right season； and kindle lanterns
at the right hour； it matters little whether there be gods or no。
For these things are not to appease gods； but to appease men。'
〃He came yet closer to me； so that he seemed enormous；
yet his look was very gentle。
〃‘Break your temple；' he said； ‘and your gods will be freed。'
〃And I； smiling at his simplicity； answered： ‘And so； if there be no gods；
I shall have nothing but a broken temple。'
〃And at this； that giant from whom the light of reason was
withheld threw out his mighty arms and asked me to forgive him。
And when I asked him for what he should be forgiven he answered：
‘For being right。'
〃‘Your idols and emperors are so old and wise and satisfying；'
he cried； ‘it is a shame that they should be wrong。
We are so vulgar and violent； we have done you so many iniquities
it is a shame we should be right after all。'
〃And I； still enduring his harmlessness； asked him why he thought
that he and his people were right。
〃And he answered： ‘We are right because we are bound where
men should be bound； and free where men should be free。
We are right because we doubt and destroy laws and customs
but we do not doubt our own right to destroy them。 For you live
by customs； but we live by creeds。 Behold me！ In my country I
am called Smip。 My country is abandoned； my name is defiled；
because I pursue around the world what really belongs to me。
You are steadfast as the trees because you do not believe。
I am as fickle as the tempest because I do believe。
I do believe in my own house； which I shall find again。
And at the last remaineth the green lantern and the red post。'
〃I said to him： ‘At the last remaineth only wisdom。'
〃But even as I said the word he uttered a horrible shout；
and rushing forward disappeared among the trees。
I have not seen this man again nor any other man。
The virtues of the wise are of fine brass。
〃Wong…Hi。〃
〃The next letter I have to read；〃 proceeded Arthur Inglewood； 〃will probably
make clear the nature of our client's curious but innocent experiment。
It is dated from a mountain village in California； and runs as follows：
〃Sir；A person answering to the rather extraordinary
description required certainly went； some time ago；
over the high pass of the Sierras on which I live and
of which I am probably the sole stationary inhabitant。
I keep a rudimentary tavern； rather ruder than a hut；
on the very top of this specially steep and threatening pass。
My name is Louis Hara； and the very name may puzzle you
about my nationality。 Well； it puzzles me a great deal。
When one has been for fifteen years without society it is hard
to have patriotism； and where there is not even a hamlet it
is difficult to invent a nation。 My father was an Irishman of
the fiercest and most free…shooting of the old Californian kind。
My mother was a Spaniard； proud of descent from the old
Spanish families round San Francisco； yet accused for all that
of some admixture of Red Indian blood。 I was well educated
and fond of music and books。 But； like many other hybrids；
I was too good or too bad for the world； and after attempting
many things I was glad enough to get a sufficient though
a lonely living in this little cabaret in the mountains。
In my solitude I fell into many of the ways of a savage。
Like an Eskimo； I was shapeless in winter； like a Red Indian； I wore
in hot summers nothing but a pair of leather trousers； with a
great straw hat as big as a parasol to defend me from the sun。
I had a bowie knife at my belt and a long gun under my arm；
and I dare say I produced a pretty wild impression on the few
peaceable travellers that could climb up to my place。
But I promise you I never looked as mad as that man did。
Compared with him I was Fifth Avenue。
〃I dare say that living under the very top of the Sierras has an odd
effect on the mind； one tends to think of those lonely rocks not as peaks
coming to a point； but rather as pillars holding up heaven itself。
Straight cliffs sail up and away beyond the hope of the eagles；
cliffs so tall that they seem to attract the stars and collect them as
sea…crags collect a mere glitter of phosphorous。 These terraces and towers
of rock do not； like smaller crests； seem to be the end of the world。
Rather they seem to be its awful beginning： its huge foundations。
We could almost fancy the mountain branching out above us like a tree
of stone； and carrying all those cosmic lights like a candelabrum。
For just as the peaks failed us； soaring impossibly far；
so the stars crowded us （as it seemed）； coming impossibly near。
The spheres burst about us more like thunderbolts hurled at the earth
than planets circling placidly about it。
〃All this may have driven me mad： I am not sure。 I know there is one
angle of the road down the pass where the