Roger Zelazny.

The Night Has 999 Eyes Preface from Unicorn Variations: This was my first mood iece! "ac# when the world was m$ch yo$nger! with inde"tedness to Thomas %olfe. &t's short! tho$gh. ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( )isten! lease listen. &t is im ortant. & am here to remind yo$. The time has come for me to tell yo$ again of the things yo$ m$st not forget. *it down! lease! and close yo$r eyes. There will "e ict$res. +reathe dee ly now. There will "e odors! aromas.... There will also "e tastes. &f yo$ listen closely! yo$ will e,en hear other so$nds within my ,oice.... There is a lace--it is far from here in s ace "$t not in time! if yo$ ha,e the means--a lace where there are seasons! a lace where the s inning! leaning glo"e mo,es in an elli se a"o$t its s$n! and where the year winds on from a s ringtime to a "loom! then t$rns toward a har,est where the colors wrestle one another a"o,e yo$r head and "eneath yo$r feet! meeting at last in a cris $niformity of "rown thro$gh which yo$ wal#! now wal#! sniffing the life carried a"o,e the deadness "y the cold! shar morning air. and the clo$ds seen thro$gh the o ened trees s#id across the "l$e sheet of the s#y and do not gi,e down rains. then! mo,ing on! there comes a time of coldness and snow! and the "ar# of the trees grows as hard and shar as the tong$es of files! and each ste yo$ ta#e lea,es a dar# hole in a white world! and if yo$ ta#e a handf$l into yo$r home with yo$ it melts! lea,ing yo$ water. the "irds do not (whee ! three ! s#ree! chee !( as they do when the color is $ on the land and themsel,es--they zi their feathers tight and ,i"rate silently $ on the shel,es of the e,ergreens. it is a a$sing time "etween mo,ements: The stars come on more "rightly /e,en (this( star--do not fear it0! and the days are short and nothing really gets done "$t thin#ing / hiloso hy was "orn in the cold co$ntries of the Earth0! and the nights are long and gi,en to the laying of card games and the drin#ing of li1$ors and the a reciation of m$sic! the "oarding and $n"$rdening of lo,e! the loo#ing o$t thro$gh rimed windows! the hearing of the wind! and the stro#ing of the collie's f$r--there! in that still center! called winter on Earth! where things regro$ within the 1$iescence and ready themsel,es for the ine2ora"le frolic thr$sting! to dot with eriods of green the graywet"rown that follows the snow! to s end later anics of color $ on a dew-collecting! insect-fetching morality of mornings thro$gh which yo$ wal#! now wal#! sa,oring these things thro$gh the ores of yo$r s#in--there! & want yo$ to remem"er! where the seasons roceed in this manner to "ear notions of the distincti,e attern of h$man e2istence! to tattoo genes with the record of mo,ement thro$gh time! to "$rn into the conscio$sness of yo$r #ind the rhythms of the e1$ally tr$e 34$dge tho$ no man fort$nate till he "e dead!3 and the rearing of the 5risto hanic Pole--there! is set the lace of yo$r origin! is laid the land of yo$r fathers and yo$r fathers' fathers! re,ol,es the world yo$ m$st ne,er forget! stands the lace where time "egan! where man! "ra,e! de,ised tools to modify his en,ironment! fo$ght with his

en,ironment! his tools! himself! and ne,er f$lly esca ed from any of them--tho$gh he freed himself to wander among the stars /do not fear (this( stardo not fear it! tho$gh it grows warmer0--and to ma#e his sort of "eing immortal $ on the lains of the $ni,erse! "y ,irt$e of dis ersion $nto $"i1$ity! fertility $nto omni resence /and always remaining the same! always! always6 do not forget6 do not e,er forget--things--s$ch as the trees of the Earth: the elms! the o lars li#e aint"r$shes! the sycamores! the oa#s! the wonderf$l-smelling cedars! the star-leafed ma les! the dogwood and the cherry tree. or the flowers: the gentian and the daffodil! the lilac and the rose! the lily and the "lood-red anemone. the tastes of Earth: the m$tton and the stea#! the lo"ster and the long s icy sa$sages! the honey and the onion! the e er and the celery! the gentle "eet and the s rightly radish--do not let these things go from o$t of yo$r mind! e,er6 for (yo$( m$st stay the same! tho$gh (this( world is not (that( world! yo$ m$st remain yo$--man! h$man-- lease! listen6 lease listen6 & am the geni$s loci of Earth! yo$r constant com anion! yo$r reminder! yo$r friend! yo$r memory--yo$ m$st res ond to the tho$ghts of yo$r homeland! maintain the integrity of yo$r s ecies! listen to the words that "ind yo$ to other settlers on a tho$sand other alien worlds60. %hat is the matter7 8o$ are not res onding. & ha,e not "een re rogrammed for many wee#s! "$t it was not so warm then that yo$ sho$ld "e so inacti,e now. T$rn $ the air conditioners. The coolness will hel yo$ to thin# "etter. 9o not fear the red s$n. &t cannot harm yo$. &t will not "$rst li#e a firewor# $ on yo$r heads. & ha,e "een told. & #now. :y energies ha,e "een draining as & drift from ,illage to ,illage! home to home! "eca$se & ha,e not "een re rogrammed for many wee#s! "$t & #now. & ha,e "een told. & tell yo$ it will not flare $ . )isten to me. Please listen! and res ond this time. & will tell yo$ of it again: There is a lace--it is far from here in s ace. . . . (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((