The sky is a
solid sphere that surrounds Earth. The stars are no more like the sun
than the glow of my cigarette is like a forest fire. They are lights on
the inside of the sphere, moving in patterns of the Star Art, nearer to
us than the hot lands to the south."
"Fort," Dave said. "Charles Fort said that in a book."
Ser Perth shrugged. "Then why make me say it again? This Fort was right.
At least one intelligent man lived in your world, I'm pleased to know.
The sky is a dome holding the sun, the stars and the wandering planets.
The problem is that the dome is cracking like a great, smashed
eggshell."
"What's beyond the dome?"
Ser Perth shuddered slightly. "My greatest wish is that I die before I
learn. In your world, had you discovered that there were such things as
elements? That is, basic substances which in combination produce--"
"Of course," Dave interrupted.
"Good. Then of the four elements--" Dave gulped, but kept silent, "--of
the four elements the universe is built. Some things are composed of a
single element; some of two, some of three. The proportions vary and the
humors and spirits change but all things are composed of the elements.
And only the sky is composed of all four elements--of earth, of water,
of fire and of air--in equal proportions. One part each, lending each
its own essential quality to the mixture, so that the sky is solid as
earth, radiant as fire, formless as water, insubstantial as air.
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