Chapter 1
Part 1
Waiting for the helicopter Daisy walked around the bare patch of ground that was being used as a landing pad/patch for the helicopters, she was trying very hard not to think about what was more than likely happening in the camp without her, she hated leaving it for more than a few hours, she had a horrible feeling of dread that all manner of terrible things were going to happen while she was gone.
Get a grip. She told herself; stop acting like a mother hen.
From above her head she heard the unmistakably sound of a helicopter coming closer, the sounds of it growing closer as it flew above. Lifting her head up and pushing the tip of baseball cap back so she could get a better look. Because it was coming from the south begun to descend against the sun in the sky, meaning Daisy could see clearly as it came closer.
“Finally.” Said Rami from behind her. The older doctor was as keen as Daisy to get to the camp as she was, a native to the East Africa who had made it his life work to help improve the lives of the poorest of his country, he was one of the kindest and most genuine people Daisy Pierce had ever met in her life but he was an impatient man, especially when it came to visitors, it had taken a while before he come to trust and believe the sincerity of Daisy.
Smiling and looking over her shoulder at him Daisy said. “He’s traveled nearly 8 thousand miles Rami, that takes time.”
“Hmm.” Rami said pushing his lips together and tilting his head to the side. “Two weeks, he’s two weeks late Daisy.”
Looking at the helicopter as it begun to land in front of them Daisy wished she could answer why he was two weeks late, she had thought the man had changed his mind, thinking his botanist work was too important for the likes of them, that he could use it elsewhere and make money selling it on to billion dollar companies that would he could use to retire with…but luckily Mr Gaplhanger had decided his work would benefit the people of Somalia and had said he would come. Neither Daisy Pierce or Rami Jaja knew too much about their new arrival, only that he had approached them with his work, said he had his own funding and that he was a team of one. Through all her research she could find nothing untoward about him, just that he was extremely private, he had won awards which he never turned up to and there was not a single picture of the man anyway.
Their new arrival's helicopter touched down on the ground, throwing up the dry bright orange sand with it, not as much as there would ordinary be in that part of african, because, from advice from Rami, the had chosen that area as a landing area for the helicopter because of the lack dry Earth, sand, animal or civilian life nearby. The helicopter was completely black, similar to something that Daisy imagine a celebrity would use, tinted windows, incognito but flashy imagine to create interest.
Quicker than Daisy had seen any helicopter do, the propellers slowed to a stop quickly and easily in front them. From the left side of the helicopter a door opened two sliver suitcase were put on the ground, followed by a pair of legs.
Rami moved forward so he stood next to Daisy, they both looked at each other thinking the same thought. Rich people, they can never just arrive can they?
Stepping out was Richard Gaplhanger, an average heighted man in his late thirties, with neat ivy league haircut, dressed in beige linen trousers, a pale linen shirt, boots, backpack and sunglasses. Everything about him screamed he was confident and ready, picking up his suitcase quickly with ease, showing no sign of strain at doing so, he walked over to Daisy and Rami with a cool ease and macho confidence she had seen in anyone since she lived in Stark Tower/Average Tower with Tony Stark.
Oh please don’t tell me he’s a Tony Stark wannabe. Daisy thought mentally with a sign, the thought of having someone else like Stark out there with a smart-ass comment and retort for everything, with more money than sense, and who was else seeming able to choose the wrong decision for all the right reasons.
“Doctor Pierce.” Gaplhanger said in a crisp mid-western accent as he put down one of his suitcases and extended his hand to her to shake.
Taking it, Daisy nodded and measured his handshake, despite all the things her Father had done, he taught her to measure ‘a man by their handshake’, which in the case of Gaplhanger was firm, strong but gentle enough to feel his hands were callused and knew work. “Mr Gaplhanger, welcome, we’re so glad to finally meet you.”
Smiling a clean, neat toothy smile Gaplhanger said. “And I’m glad to meet you.” His eyes seemed to focus on Daisy more as he said ‘you’ to her, his tone taking on a little more intensity as he did, noticing this but thinking nothing of it (she had experienced male behaviour like that before, gentle but not obvious flirting). “And you Doctor Jaja.” Gaplhanger added moving his gaze to Rami, who too noticed his focus on Daisy a second ago. Gaplhanger gave Rami his hand to shake, his handshake with Rami was visibly more firmer and definitely more masculine than Daisy’s handshake.
From behind them the helicopter propellers begun to come back to life and then begin its journey back up in the clear African sky.
Taking his suitcase once in his hand, Gaplhanger straightened his back, gave another toothy smile and said enthusiastically. “Shall we guys?”
Rami and Daisy flicked each-other similar looks, the same feeling they had knowing their new arrival was like a child on a school trip and was very excited.
After showing Gaplhanger around the medical camp, their makeshift hospital, all the overworked staff, their aged and overused equipment and their limited medicine supply, Daisy and Rami felt worried there new arrival would say he couldn’t possible work under those conditions, but instead he listened, nodded, understood and said very little.
After making his excuses Rami left to go back to his work, having only saying a few things to Gaplhanger, Daisy already knew that he didn’t like or trust him, not just in his typical way but in a way that Daisy had only seen him do once before to someone else, who turned out to be a drug-dealer…that thought didn’t rest well with her, she trusted Rami completely and valued his thoughts and instincts as much, if not more, than her own.
“Well…” Daisy said as she walked into a tent doorway, opening it and entering inside. “This will be your tent and area to work in.”
Following in Gaplhanger came close to her, so that their shoulders touched, but doing so in a way that made it look accidental, as his eyes were scanning and taking in his new work area. It was the basic tent, a table to work form, a desk with lap-top and a lamp and a chair, again she thought he would say he could his new work area, that she knew someone like him needed so much better, instead he smiled. “This is perfect.”
Moving more into the tent, wanting to lose the closeness of his body to hers and the scent of sweet peppermint he carried with him, Daisy couldn’t take it anymore.
“Mr Gaplhanger,” She started, her voice pensive. “I don’t want to be rude but…you have acted as if everything we’ve shown is wonderful and amazing, you’re acting like your in seventh heaven…your in one of the most underfunded, overworked mobile hospital in East African.”
Folding his arms under his chest, Gaplhanger faced changed as he took in what she was saying, he was no longer smiling but looked thoughtful.
“This place…” Daisy continued. “will work you to the ground, you won’t have time off or to yourself, you will be surrounded by sickness, illness and death, you’ll have days when your too tired to wash or eat…I’m sorry but your a man who could be doing your work and research anywhere and your here?…Why?”
Inhaling thoughtfully Gaplhanger rubbed his chin and was silent for a moment before saying. “I know it looks like I’m an insane man, I know I could be working all manner of places and living the highlife with the rich and famous out there…but I want to do my work here, where it matters and where it can be used.”
Unfolding his arms Gaplhanger walked over to the bare table to what was to be his work space, reaching out his hand, he run it along the table, his expression changed to soft and thought and far-away.
Standing behind him Daisy watched.
“My wife died a while back.” Gaplhanger said softly. “She died needless and unnecessarily and I could do nothing to stop it.”
“I’m sorry for you loss Mr Gaplhanger.” Daisy said from behind.
Stopping where he stood, his hand still on the table Gaplhanger lowered his head. “I’ve spent the last few years thinking what I could do to of stopped what could have happened, what could I have done to change it…and I came to realise there was nothing…but I could change the future, make things change for the better with my work.”
Looking at him Daisy gave a thoughtful nod, thinking she understood what he meant.
“So coming here…to the middle of a war zone?” Daisy said. “You will make more changes here.”
Turing on his heels to face her, he leant his back against the table and looked at her. “I was offered work by Stark Industries, a job with unlimited wage packet and living in a condo in Los Angles over looking the valley…but I would rather stab myself in the eye than work for a piece of shit like Stark.”
Tilting her head to the side Daisy said. “I think Stark doesn’t have much to do with his company much nowadays, he’s too busy fighting aliens and intergalactic beings trying to steal his crap.”
“He’s still a piece of shit.” Gaplhanger said plainly but voice was underplayed with anger. Shaking his head, he gave a weak smile at Daisy. “One day Doctor I’ll explain why I dislike Stark…but not yet.”
Nodding Daisy thought it better not to ask anymore, she knew the next few days and weeks would be the real test whether or not he wanted to stay, their conversation now was just a formality to end, if he left or stayed was up to Gaplhanger. Like most things in her life nowadays she held hope, hope for his work in regeneration and treatment against disease would help them, his work would be the aid that her and the doctors there had been praying to their different Gods and different hearts to arrive.
Over the next few weeks Gaplhanger worked on his research and begun to integrate himself into the team, he rose early, like everyone, he begun his research and test with his plants and seeds, then he would go to work with the doctors and nurses to aid with the sick and injured, he worked with whoever needed his help, whether it was simply assisting or was working alone, he did everything without complaint or comment.
He knew everyone’s name, from Doctor to Nurse, from patient to their family, he talked to everyone, always checking on them knowing their likes and dislikes, always listening and taking in information from everyone.
Daisy watched him from time to time, when he was working or helping her and anyone else, he was a natural with people, warm and attentive, he wanted nothing from them, simply to help. Slowly she begun to like and trust him, she stopped noticing his odd looks at her and the way he liked to stand close to her when he spoke. The two even begun to have evening meals together every two days, organising their shift rotations to do so, the two talking about themselves and their lives, though Daisy tended to miss out the parts that included what had happened to her Father and sister, how they were/had been leading member in Nazi Death Cult and had tried to take over the world, tried to kill her and had been well, pretty bad people it turned out in the end.
Everyone liked Gaplhanger, everyone called him either Rich, R or Dick, he bought a smile to people’s face when he came in the room and greeted them with smooth mid-west accent. Everyone liked him except Rami Jaja, he never smiled back at him or gave into his small talk, he never ate with him and he never allowed Gaplhanger to work him with, always getting help elsewhere or doing it himself. Daisy had tried to a few times to try and get Rami to warm to Gaplhanger, but she couldn’t get him to even try, he would make a cross face and say something in another language, which she guessed was a swear word and walked away. Rami’s behaviour towards Gaplhanger meant that Daisy spent less time with him, she couldn’t help but try to get him to like Gaplhanger everytime they talked, continuously asking him why he didn’t like him.
When Rami did answer fully, he always said the same thing. “ The fool speaks, the wise man listens.” Which Daisy tried to understand, thinking maybe it was because Rami wasn’t used to someone with a personality like Gaplhanger but reasoned that his personality wasn’t that different to anyone else in the camp…Rami just didn’t like him point blank.
“Hey Daise.” Gaplhanger said as he sat beside Daisy by the fire, his face was dirty but eyes were clear and teeth bright and clean in the light of the fire.
Leaving her thoughts about Rami she smiled at Gaplhanger and moved slightly to the side to give him more room, so that their hips were as close as they could be. “Hi Rich. How’s it going?” Daisy pushing her overgrowing fringe to the side, to which it quickly moved back into the middle of forehead and ruining her sight.
Smiling he run his fingers through his hair. “It was great, I haven’t seen so many boils in my life on one person before but it was fun.”
Looking at him, she couldn't help but smile, she felt bad he was doing all the jobs medically that were the least interesting and grimmest but he was so happy doing. Jokingly she patted him on the shoulder. “You lucky bastard.”
Lowering his head he chuckled.
“How’s the research going?” Daisy asked, as she always did. “Need any help?”
Lifting up his head to look at her he smiled warmly. “Its going well, had a break-through yesterday, might need some help in a few days if my theory is right.”
“That’s great!” Daisy exclaimed.
Walking past them Rami looked at the two of them, his face twisted in a annoyed frown, he didn’t like that they were so close together.
Gaplhanger looked up at the stars above them, he gave a thoughtful exhale as he did. “So…is it time yet?”
Following his gaze up Daisy gave a small smirk. “No…not yet, two weeks and you’ll see the best view of Venus you’ll ever seen.”
Flicking his gaze back to Daisy and he gave that same odd intense look he always gave her, like he was taking her in, still. “Can’t wait.” He then looked to his left before Daisy looked away from the sky to face him.
That evening Gaplhanger walked back into his tent, went inside and did the usual things he had been doing for the last few weeks, mixing minerals and chemical together in tubes and petri dishes, then writing in his note books, then going to bed. This routine was the same, to anyone looking there was nothing out of the ordinary, he was doing his research but to Rami it was odd, because he never did anything different. After Gaplhanger had left his tent, Rami went inside, as he had done many times before and looked around, again there was nothing, his work always looked the same and there nothing new to take in.
Rami walked over to the notebook that Gaplhanger wrote in and, as usual, looked inside it, flicking through the pages, unable to read it as it was all in another language.
“Polish.” Gaplhanger had said one day when Rami asked, his answer simple, not explaining why he wrote in Polish. Looking at it Rami tried to see if he could see a pattern, but no, it was seemingly different and still unreadable.
Leaving the tent Rami felt that same pitter of worry in his stomach, he didn’t like Gaplhanger and didn’t want him there but he couldn’t simply tell everyone, he would look foolish. If only he had turned him away that first day, told him he was better off going back to Iowa and leaving them alone…if only.
The night arrived when Daisy and Gaplhanger were taking a jeep, going to the higher points of the land to get a better view of Venus at its biggest in 10-15 years. Everything had been worked out, they had checked there were not armoured bandits, no lions or animal life that could kill them, they checked they didn’t need supervision and they had made sure there shifts were covered.
Gaplhanger had talked about nothing about it for the whole week, he was giddy, he had done copious amounts of research about Venus, what it means for different cultures and all the different poems and sonnets that had been written about it over the years.
“What strong allurement draws, what spirit guides,
Thee, Vesper! brightening still, as if the nearer
Thou com'st to man's abode the spot grew dearer
Night after night? True is it Nature hides
Her treasures less and less. Man now presides
In power, where once he trembled in his weakness;
Science advances with gigantic strides…”
Gaplhanger said from memory as he unloaded boxes from the jeep that they didn’t need to take with them, the look of glee and joy on his face as he spoke. He went to continue, passing Daisy one of the kit box which she placed inside one of the tents when the voice of Rami Jaja calling Gaplhanger name as he begun to walk towards them, his expression unhappy and serious.
“Gaplhanger,” Jaja started as he stood in front of them, putting his hands on his hips and as he starred at Gaplhanger. “Where are you going? Your name is down to work the nightshift tonight!”
Frowning Gaplhanger put down the box he held onto to the ground. “What? Thats not possible, I’ve done three extra nights to make sure I had tonight off.” Looking over at Daisy he gave a smile. “We’re going to see Venus just to the West of the high planes.”
Shaking his head Rami Jaja said angrily. “This is not a summer fun camp for rich boys to play around in, this is-“
“Wait.” Daisy said stepping in front of Rami Jaja. “You must be mistaken, I did the ROTA, i made sure tonight was covered, everything has been set for the last 7weeks Rami.”
Looking down at his much shorter co-worker, Rami Jaja pressed his lips together and gave a very annoyed stern face. “Your shift is covered Doctor, but not his.” Rami Jaja gave Gaplhanger an angry look.
Pushing her messy damp wet sweaty overgrown fringe, Daisy gave a nod and declared. “Right!” Then stormed herself off into the direction of the Doctor’s Camp office, where mainly medical files and medical information was kept, but almost where she knew the ROTA was. For a split second both Rami Jaja and Gaplhanger looked at each other in angry confusion before they both followed after Daisy, Jaja following directly behind her.
Inside the Tent, the sound of the small radio was playing smooth cheesy jazz with heavy static through its speaker. Scanning the room, she looked for the ROTA, finding it pinned onto one of the wooden poles that kept the tent up, looking at it she leant it closely to get a better look.
“Rami,” Daisy said, her voice confused. “Tonight’s covered, everything is covered.” Turning away from the ROTA she looked back at Rami Jaja as he stood near the entrance, Gaplhanger behind him, looking at him angrily.
Pressing his lips together Rami Jaja gave an exhale. Not looking at Gaplhanger and looking at Daisy directly, a small bead of sweat running down the side of his face. “Doctor Pierce, can I please have a word in private with you?”
Standing next to him Gaplhanger had a look of pure anger and frustration, he spread his hands outwards as he if was about to shout and tell Rami Jaja a few things he wanted to get off his chest, but Daisy answered quickly. “Yes…we can talk.” Looking at Gaplhanger she said, a look of pleading and asking. “Rich, can you carry on unloading the jeep.”
Meeting her gaze Gaplhanger gave a frustrated exhale, then gave Rami Jaja a sharp look but nodding to Daisy and leaving the tent.
For a moment neither Daisy or Rami Jaja said anything.
“Daisy…” Rami Jaja started, a sad softness in his voice.
Looking at her friend she could see the worry that covered his face, he seemed of aged so much recently she hadn’t noticed, the bags and circles under his eyes, the way his skin looked waxed and worn more nowadays, how had she not noticed this changed in her friend and co-worker?
“Please forgive me for the lie.” Rami Jaja started. “But I had to…you shouldn't leave the camp with that Man tonight, it is not right.”
Frowning Daisy walked towards him. “Excuse me? Do you think we’re going off to go-“
“NO!” Rami Jaja said firmly. “That is not what I mean Daise…you have to listen to me when I say that that Man…he isn’t here for good intentions.”
Raising her eyebrows she simply looked at him for a moment. “He’s just here for sexy times?”
Rami Jaja rubbed his forehead, a look of exhausted covered his expression. Speaking in a gentle serious voice he said. “I feel inside of me that he not a honourable man Daisy, he in here for something and you could not be going with him…I don’t know how but you are in danger.”
Waving her hand Daisy said calmly. “Rami, we’ve done all the checks, we’ll be perfectly safe out there, nothing will happen to us.”
“Please…” Rami Jaja walked over in front of her and took her hand in his, a gentle gesture to prove his desperate need for her to understand. “you have to trust me Daise, I feel in my heart that this is not a good idea. Please stay…please.”
Looking at her friend directly in the eye she could see the sincerity there, she could see that he was desperate for her to listen and understand him. Though she had always trusted Rami Jaja, he always made very well informed decisions, he always weighed everything and was always fair to everyone, she couldn’t listen to him, she felt that he wrong. Placing her hand over his, as he held hers, she said. “Rami, I am going to go see Venus in the sky tonight with Rich and when we get back, you, me and Rich are going to sit down and we’re going to fix and sort out why you won’t give him a chance…this has gone on to long, enough is enough.”
Opening his mouth to talk Rami Jaja couldn’t find the words, he knew there was nothing he could say to convince Daisy, she was, logically making the right decision, there was no proof that Gaplhanger was up to something or anything, it was simply a gut feeling that he had that he could not explain to Daisy.
Giving his hand a gentle squeeze Daisy then left Rami Jaja alone in the tent, standing where he stood, looking hopeless and lost.
When Daisy Pierce and Gaplhanger were in the jeep and were setting off to the highest land point within 2 kilometre, where they would be safe, the two of them fell silent, she had not told him what Rami Jaja had said or what she wanted to happen when they returned. Sat in the passenger seat of the Jeep Gaplhanger had a thoughtful and almost angry face, he kept his face facing to the front but he made no effort to engage in conversation with Daisy, which was unusual, he was constantly always making conversation with Daisy.
“Hey,” Daisy said, in a cheery voice. “you still all pumped about seeing Venus tonight?”
“Yes.” Was the only answer she was given.
As they continued on in silence Daisy tried to think about what to talk about, surprising she found it hard. Instead she started to talk about when she had been in Nepal, helping out with an outbreak of man-made disease that had spread there, she told him how she had been working two solids days and she had gone to sleep that night but had woken up in the night because she had thought it was morning but instead found it was illumination of the moon coming in, when she had looked at it she had never seen it so big, it seemed to take up the whole sky.
When she had finished Gaplhanger said nothing but simply nodded at her.
Not long after they arrived at there location, they begun to unpack their blanket, their small but practical picnic of fruits and breads and they started to settle down looking up at the sky.
“Did you do much star-gazing in Iowa?” Daisy asked as she peeled an orange.
Looking up at the sky, Gaplhanger simply shook his head.
“Too much light pollution?” Daisy asked.
Turning away from the sky he looked at her, on his face was a look she hadn't seen before, he looked annoyed and tired but thoughtful, he leant his head to side and pressed his lips together.
“Doctor…” He said, his voice now different, not the tone but the accent, the comforting mid-west accent she had come to know was gone, instead it was something else. “I want to thank you now for all you have done for me.”
Daisy frowned at him, she put the orange she had been peeling down, she could feel her stomach twist as she begun to realise his accent was distinctive, it sounded Eastern European, maybe Russian or Germany, or something similar. “You’ve been lying to us?”
Nodding, giving a weak grimace he replied. “Yes. It was necessary. I needed to gain your trust and I…wanted to get to know you.”
Daisy looked at him in confusion. “I thought Hydra was done with me…I’m not any use to them, what they wanted of…it didn’t work.”
“I know.” He answered. “But I am not Hydra, I am here because I’ve been told you can give me back what was taken away from me.”
From where she had placed the orange she slide her hand to her side pocket and felt for swiss army knife, a tool she had come to find was a life saviour out there. “What?” Daisy asked.
“My wife.” He answered, his voice both sad and hopeful.
Pulling out the swiss army knife from her side she opened it and jumped on to her feet. “I’m not going to be your goddamn sex slave!”
Still sitting on the ground, he didn’t move, he simply looked up at her. “That’s not what I want Daisy. I want more than just your body.”
Stepping back, the blade of the swiss army knife still in front of her, she gave a sarcastic snort. “So you want to kill me and just have sex with my dead body…lovely.”
Still he sat down on the ground. “No…you’re not understanding me.” His voice was calm but on the verge of anger. “My wife is dead, she was killed, with my son and my father by the Avengers…her body is gone but through you, i can bring her soul back to me into your body.”
Stopping in her steps Daisy gasped. “What the fuc-“ Then she stopped, she put her hand over mouth as she realised something. “You…your Helmut Zemo…”
Giving a smile he replied. “You are clever Doctor. I was hoping you’d figure it out.”
Not waiting another second Daisy turned and run for the jeep, which was a few yards ahead of her, the swiss army knife still in her hand, the light from the moon reflecting in the blade. Jumping into the driver’s seat of the jeep she went to turn the key to start the engine but found it was gone.
“No.” She breathed, she looked down at her feet, to see if it had fallen on the floor.
Walking slow and steadily towards her came Zemo, in his hands the keys to the jeep, rattling in his hand. Looking over at him as she moved, she jumped out the jeep and begun to run away. Her legs responded to her and obeyed her depends of them to run for their lives, she run and didn’t look back. She run for a few minutes and stopped, she knew in the African desert that there was little to nowhere to hid, everywhere was open, this was why they had chosen that location to see Venus clearly, no interference from humans or wildlife. Taking deep breaths, she looked ahead into the pitch blackness in front of her.
From behind her she heard the sound of an engine coming nearer, she knew straight away that it was Zemo in the jeep, she begun to continue running, ignoring the pains in her feet and legs at her frantic running. She could feel him getting nearer and she could feel that he wasn’t even trying that hard in doing so, he was almost driving leisurely.
Out of nowhere her foot caught itself on a rock on the ground and she fell over, rolling as she did, she went down into the dirt and dust of the ground, taking it into her mouth as she did, causing her to cough as she did.
The jeep sped up and came towards her as she fell, then came to a halt.
Trying to get to feet, she realised she had dropped the swiss army knife in her tumble.
Just about standing on her feet now she went to begun running again, when arms came from behind and wrapped themselves around her.
“I am sorry for this Doctor, I truly am.” Zero said as he squeezed onto her and begun moving back to the jeep.
“You can’t do this!” She hissed as she kicked and tried to escape his wrestle like hold on her. “This is wrong!”
Zemo stopped moving for a second, he left out a breath against her neck as he did. “Daisy…I was never a bad man…all the things I’ve done have been because of what The Avengers did to me, what Tony Stark did to me.”
Stopping wriggling for a second she tried to speak as calmly as she could to him. “Zemo, please whatever happened this is not the answer…I haven’t done anything to you…please.”
Leaning closer to her, his breath hot on his ear. “You won’t die Daisy…you will be giving your body to my wife, you won’t die I promise…if you die, so will Vanessa.”
With that he begun to hold tighter on to her and move towards the jeep.
Daisy begun to fight and kick more, she used every part of her body to try to escape, to try and get out of his hold.
When they reached the jeep, Zemo, throw Daisy in the front sit, so she was stomach down on the chair, then he held on to her palms/hands behind her back, pressing his fingers tightly into the veins and muscle, so he could control them. How he was so strong it was a shock to her, he leant his body into her back as he begun to fiddle with something under the passenger seat. Daisy managed to get the briefest of glimpses as she saw a bottle she all to similar with from the Hospital Camp and cloth he held with it, something which they used because it was cheaper to buy and easy to use on the patients for treatments or help them sleep.
Chloroform.
XIV. To the Planet Venus,—An Evening Star
By William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
(Composed at Loch-Lomond)
THOUGH joy attend thee orient at the birth
Of dawn, it cheers the lofty spirit most
To watch thy course when daylight, fled from earth,
In the gray sky hath left his lingering ghost,
Perplexed, as if between a splendor lost
And splendor slowly mustering. Since the sun,
The absolute, the world-absorbing one,
Relinquished half his empire to the host,
Emboldened by thy guidance, holy star,
Holy as princely, who that looks on thee,
Touching, as now, in thy humility
The mountain borders of this seat of care,
Can question that thy countenance is bright,
Celestial Power! as much with love as light.