BOOK TWO. THE THING IN THE ATTIC. . . . And it is written that after the Giants came to Tellura from the far stars they abode awhile and looked upon the surface of the land and found it -wanting arid of evil omen.Therefore did they make man to live always in the air and in the sunlight and in the light ofthe stars that he would be reminded of them. And the Giants abode yet a -while and taught mento speak and to write and to -weave and to do many things which are needful to do of -whichthe writings speak. And thereafter they departed to the far stars saying. Take this world asyour own and though we shall return fear not for it is yours. THE BOOK OF LAWS. Honath the Purse-Maker was hailed from the nets an hour before the rest of the prisoners asbefitted his role as the archdoubter of them all. It was not yet dawn but his captors led himin great bounds through the endless musky-perfumed orchid gardens small dark shapes withcrooked legs hunched shoulders slim hairless tails carried like his in concentric spiralswound clockwise. Behind than sprang Honath on the end of a long tether timing his leaps bytheirs since any slip would hang him summarily. He would of course be on his way to the surface/some 250 feet below the orchid gardens shortlyafter dawn in any event. But not even the arch-doubter of them all wanted to begin the trip not even at the mercifulsnap-spine end of a tether a moment before the law said. Go. The looping interwoven network of vines beneath them each cable as thick through as a mansbody bellied out and down sharply as the leapers reached the edge of the fern-tree forestwhich surrounded the copse of horsetails