The old gods live, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. This must be understood, or nothing wonderful can come from the story I am about to relate. They were born in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece; they arose in the Levant, Lascaux, and the Orient. They were born in the minds of pastoral peoples, of hunter-gatherers, and of warriors. They have names: Set, Mazda, Zeus, Spider, Yahweh, Quetzalcoatl. Our ancestors gave them Attributes and Authorities – that is to say, Powers. Some have disappeared; some remain. Of those that remain, some are stronger than others; some follow philosophies and creeds that are outdated, even repugnant. Some have taken on a life of their own as guardians of humanity, and especially of its younger, more vulnerable members.