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amulet,  a  small  white  stone  on  a  chain  preserved in a
lead-like substance.  Somehow  it  is explained that one of
the ancient  Greek philosophers  recommended wearing it
around  the neck while dipping the stone in the lead.  I  try
it, and it does seem to open up some prophetic crack.  But
through the ages all sorts of  junk has become stuck in the
substance,   it  is  very impure,  and  this  has  reduced  its
ability to function as a ground.

    From these dreams, Howard pieced together the story
below. Note that  the  dreams  have been re-arranged, but
that    their   wording   remains   almost   unchanged.  The
image of Lilith, who by ancient  Hebrew legend  was  the
first   woman   and  was  created  independently of Adam,
forms  the encompassing  theme for  the story. The story
also draws upon a common  thread  among  the dreams—
the image or suggestion of finding something.

Lilith's Cave*

     For  weeks  the  four  of  us  had   been  traveling in
the  Sinai,  searching for  dues  that  would  lead  us to
Lilith's  cave. When  we were  close to discovering it by
ourselves,   we  came  to   a  settlement   where  an  old
woman  who  knew   the  secret  reluctantly  agreed  to
show  us the way.  Behind  her  house  was a steep hill,
and  at  the bottom  of the hill  an inlet  of the Red Sea,
where Lilith, fed up with Adam,  had come so long ago
to escape. She told us the cave was down there, its one
opening revealed once a month, when the rising moon
settled on its secret entrance.
      Three nights later she took us inside it.  She told us
that no one ever came to the cave out of curiosity,  that
those  who made  the journey  were  always  desperate
for its shelter.  Once  we  were inside  she left us alone.
We carried in the wood we had gathered for a fire that
would last all night.  Lighting the wood inside the cave
was   no  problem,   but  gathering  heat  from  the  fire
wasn't easy,  and  no food turned brown from its flame.
Strange feelings came over us after a while. Of course,
it  had been centuries since  Lilith had lived there,  but
her   presence   could   still  be  felt.   When   it  seemed
impossible  to  fall  asleep  we  each  left  to  explore  a
separate passage.
     The  first  to  come  back  brought  a  tiny  turtle.  Its
origin   and  the  way  it   had  sustained  itself  were  a

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