mystery,  but  it seemed healthy,  and the one who had
found  it  was certain to treat it with care.  The  second
person to return had found the fragment of an ancient
page.  When  translated  the  words  read: Most  of the
dreams  were  left  behind  her,  cool  diamonds ...  Soon
afterwards  I  found  an ancient  amulet concealed in a
crevice.  It  was  a  small white stone  on  a silver chain
preserved  in  a  lead-like  substance.  I  put  the  chain
around  my  neck  while dipping the stone  in  the lead,
and it seemed  to  open  up  some prophetic crack.  But
through the ages all sorts of junk had become stuck in
the  substance.   It   was  very  impure,   and   this   had
reduced its ability to function as a ground.  The fourth
person, who found nothing that night, wrote a poem in
a  dream  and  finished   the  last  line  before   waking,
about setting the jewel in the crown.

*"Lilith's Cave" is reprinted by permission from the storybook, Lilith's Cave,
by  Howard  Schwartz  (Isthmus Press, Box  6877, San  Francisco, California
94101). Copyright © 1975 by Howard Schwartz. All Rights Reserved.

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