How It All Goes Down
- The Arch-astronomer of Krull watches slaves removing a giant bronze structure from its mantle.
- He asks the craftsman, a man named Goldeneyes Silverhand Dactylos, to tell him his history.
- Goldeneyes tells him of a series of projects he was contracted for—each time he completed a project, he'd be mutilated in some way to ensure he'd never create something of equal splendor.
- First Pitchiu removed his eyes, then Emir took his right hand, and then the tribe of Nef tried to imprison him. In each case, though, he overcame the difficulty and built again.
- The Arch-astronomer must have learned his lesson from the tale because he kills the craftsman outright.
- Goldeneyes mutters about the "[s]loppy workmanship" (4.1.29) before dropping dead.
- With the chelonauts ready, all the Arch-astronomer needs now are sacrifices. For that, the ocean will provide.