“Isthereanyonethatyouhate？“saidDanaDa。TheEnglishmansaidthattherewereseveralmenwhomhehateddeeply。
“Verygood，“saidDanaDa，uponwhomthewhiskyandtheopiumwerebeginningtotell。“Onlygivemetheirnames，andIwilldispatchaSendingtothemandkillthem。“
NowaSendingisahorriblearrangement，firstinvented，theysay，inIceland。Itisathingsentbyawizard，andmaytakeanyform，butmostgenerallywandersaboutthelandintheshapeofalittlepurplecloudtillitfindsthesendee，andhimitkillsbychangingintotheformofahorse，oracat，oramanwithoutaface。Itisnotstrictlyanativepatent，thoughchamarscan，ifirritated，dispatchaSendingwhichsitsonthebreastoftheirenemybynightandnearlykillshim。Veryfewnativescaretoirritatechamarsforthisreason。
“LetmedispatchaSending，“saidDanaDa；“Iamnearlydeadnowwithwant，anddrink，andopium；butIshouldliketokillamanbeforeIdie。IcansendaSendinganywhereyouchoose，andinanyformexceptintheshapeofaman。“
TheEnglishmanhadnofriendsthathewishedtokill，butpartlytosootheDanaDa，whoseeyeswererolling，andpartlytoseewhatwouldbedone，heaskedwhetheramodifiedSendingcouldnotbearrangedfor——suchaSendingasshouldmakeaman’slifeaburdentohim，andyetdohimnoharm。Ifthiswerepossible，henotifiedhiswillingnesstogiveDanaDatenrupeesforthejob。
“IamnotwhatIwasonce，“saidDanaDa，“andImusttakethemoneybecauseIampoor。TowhatEnglishmanshallIsendit？“
“SendaSendingtoLoneSahib，“saidtheEnglishman，namingamanwhohadbeenmostbitterinrebukinghimforhisapostasyfromtheTeacupCreed。DanaDalaughedandnodded。
“Icouldhavechosennobettermanmyself，“saidhe。“IwillseethathefindstheSendingabouthispathandabouthisbed。“
Helaydownonthehearthrug，turnedupthewhitesofhiseyes，shiveredallover，andbegantosnort。Thiswasmagic，oropium，ortheSending，orallthree。WhenheopenedhiseyeshevowedthattheSendinghadstarteduponthewarpath，andwasatthatmomentflyinguptothetownwhereLoneSahiblives。
“Givememytenrupees，“saidDanaDa，wearily，“andwritealettertoLoneSahib，tellinghim，andallwhobelievewithhim，thatyouandafriendareusingapowergreaterthantheirs。Theywillseethatyouarespeakingthetruth。“
Hedepartedunsteadily，withthepromiseofsomemorerupeesifanythingcameoftheSending。
TheEnglishmansentalettertoLoneSahib，couchedinwhatherememberedoftheterminologyofthecreed。Hewrote:“Ialso，inthedaysofwhatyouheldtobemybacksliding，haveobtainedenlightenment，andwithenlightenmenthascomepower。“Thenhegrewsodeeplymysteriousthattherecipientofthelettercouldmakeneitherheadnortailofit，andwasproportionatelyimpressed；forhefanciedthathisfriendhadbecomea“fifthrounder。“Whenamanisa“fifthrounder“hecandomorethanSladeandHoudincombined。
LoneSahibreadtheletterinfivedifferentfashions，andwasbeginningasixthinterpretation，whenhisbearerdashedinwiththenewsthattherewasacatonthebed。Now，iftherewasonethingthatLoneSahibhatedmorethananotheritwasacat。Heratedthebearerfornotturningitoutofthehouse。Thebearersaidthathewasafraid。Allthedoorsofthebedroomhadbeenshutthroughoutthemorning，andnorealcatcouldpossiblyhaveenteredtheroom。Hewouldprefernottomeddlewiththecreature。
LoneSahibenteredtheroomgingerly，andthere，onthepillowofhisbed，sprawledandwhimperedaweewhitekitten，notajumpsome，friskylittlebeast，butasluglikecrawlerwithitseyesbarelyopenedanditspawslackingstrengthordirection——akittenthatoughttohavebeeninabasketwithitsmamma。LoneSahibcaughtitbythescruffofitsneck，handeditovertothesweepertobedrowned，andfinedthebearerfourannas。
Thatevening，ashewasreadinginhisroom，hefanciedthathesawsomethingmovingaboutonthehearthrug，outsidethecircleoflightfromhisreadinglamp。Whenthethingbegantomyowl，herealizedthatitwasakitten——aweewhitekitten，nearlyblindandverymiserable。Hewasseriouslyangry，andspokebitterlytohisbearer，whosaidthattherewasnokittenintheroomwhenhebroughtinthelamp，andrealkittensoftenderagegenerallyhadmothercatsinattendance。
“IfthePresencewillgooutintotheverandaandlisten，“saidthebearer，“hewillhearnocats。How，therefore，canthekittenonthebedandthekittenonthehearthrugberealkittens？“
LoneSahibwentouttolisten，andthebearerfollowedhim，buttherewasnosoundofRachelmewingforherchildren。Hereturnedtohisroom，havinghurledthekittendownthehillside，andwroteouttheincidentsofthedayforthebenefitofhiscoreligionists。
Thosepeopleweresoabsolutelyfreefromsuperstitionthattheyascribedanythingalittleoutofthecommontoagencies。Asitwastheirbusinesstoknowallabouttheagencies，theywereontermsofalmostindecentfamiliaritywithmanifestationsofeverykind。Theirlettersdroppedfromtheceiling——un-stamped——andspiritsusedtosquatterupanddowntheirstaircasesallnight。
Buttheyhadnevercomeintocontactwithkittens。LoneSahibwroteoutthefacts，notingthehourandtheminute，aseverypsychicalobserverisboundtodo，andappendingtheEnglishman’sletterbecauseitwasthemostmysteriousdocumentandmighthavehadabearinguponanythinginthisworldorthenext。Anoutsiderwouldhavetranslatedallthetanglethus:“Lookout！Youlaughedatmeonce，andnowIamgoingtomakeyousitup。“
LoneSahib’scoreligionistsfoundthatmeaninginit；buttheirtranslationwasrefinedandfulloffour-syllablewords。Theyheldasederunt，andwerefilledwithtremulousjoy，for，inspiteoftheirfamiliaritywithalltheotherworldsandcycles，theyhadaveryhumanaweofthingssentfromghostland。TheymetinLoneSahib’sroominshroudedandsepulchralgloom，andtheirconclavewasbrokenupbyaclinkingamongthephotoframesonthemantelpiece。Aweewhitekitten，nearlyblind，wasloopingandwrithingitselfbetweentheclockandthecandlesticks。Thatstoppedallinvestigationsordoubtings。Herewasthemanifestationintheflesh。Itwas，sofarascouldbeseen，devoidofpurpose，butitwasamanifestationofundoubtedauthenticity。
TheydraftedaroundrobintotheEnglishman，thebacksliderofolddays，adjuringhimintheinterestsofthecreedtoexplainwhethertherewasanyconnectionbetweentheembodimentofsomeEgyptiangodorotherIhaveforgottenthenameandhiscommunication。
TheycalledthekittenRa，orToth，orShem，orNoah，orsomething；
andwhenLoneSahibconfessedthatthefirstonehad，athismostmisguidedinstance，beendrownedbythesweeper，theysaidconsolinglythatinhisnextlifehewouldbea“bounder，“andnotevena“rounder“ofthelowestgrade。Thesewordsmaynotbequitecorrect，buttheyexpressthesenseofthehouseaccurately。
WhentheEnglishmanreceivedtheroundrobin——itcamebypost——hewasstartledandbewildered。HesentintothebazaarforDanaDa，whoreadtheletterandlaughed。“ThatismySending，“saidhe。
“ItoldyouIwouldworkwell。Nowgivemeanothertenrupees。“
“ButwhatintheworldisthisgibberishaboutEgyptiangods？“
askedtheEnglishman。
“Cats，“saidDanaDa，withahiccough，forhehaddiscoveredtheEnglishman’swhiskybottle。“Catsandcatsandcats！NeverwassuchaSending。Ahundredofcats。NowgivemetenmorerupeesandwriteasIdictate。“
DanaDa’sletterwasacuriosity。ItboretheEnglishman’ssignature，andhintedatcats——ataSendingofcats。Themerewordsonpaperwerecreepyanduncannytobehold。
“Whathaveyoudone，though？“saidtheEnglishman；“Iamasmuchinthedarkasever。DoyoumeantosaythatyoucanactuallysendthisabsurdSendingyoutalkabout？“
“Judgeforyourself，“saidDanaDa。“Whatdoesthatlettermean？
Inalittletimetheywillallbeatmyfeetandyours，andI，oh，glory！willbedruggedordrunkalldaylong。“
DanaDaknewhispeople。
Whenamanwhohatescatswakesupinthemorningandfindsalittlesquirmingkittenonhisbreast，orputshishandintohisulsterpocketandfindsalittlehalf-deadkittenwherehisglovesshouldbe，oropenshistrunkandfindsavilekittenamonghisdressshirts，orgoesforalongridewithhismackintoshstrappedonhissaddle-bowandshakesalittlesprawlingkittenfromitsfoldswhenheopensit，orgoesouttodinnerandfindsalittleblindkittenunderhischair，orstaysathomeandfindsawrithingkittenunderthequilt，orwrigglingamonghisboots，orhanging，headdownward，inhistobaccojar，orbeingmangledbyhisterrierintheveranda——whensuchamanfindsonekitten，neithermorenorless，onceadayinaplacewherenokittenrightlycouldorshouldbe，heisnaturallyupset。Whenhedarenotmurderhisdailytrovebecausehebelievesittobeamanifestation，anemissary，anembodiment，andhalfadozenotherthingsalloutoftheregularcourseofnature，heismorethanupset。Heisactuallydistressed。SomeofLoneSahib’scoreligioniststhoughtthathewasahighlyfavoredindividual；butmanysaidthatifhehadtreatedthefirstkittenwithproperrespect——assuitedaToth-RaTum-SennacheribEmbodiment——allhistroublewouldhavebeenaverted。TheycomparedhimtotheAncientMariner，butnonethelesstheywereproudofhimandproudoftheEnglishmanwhohadsentthemanifestation。TheydidnotcallitaSendingbecauseIcelandicmagicwasnotintheirprogramme。
Aftersixteenkittens——thatistosay，afteronefortnight，fortherewerethreekittensonthefirstdaytoimpressthefactoftheSending，thewholecampwasupliftedbyaletter——itcameflyingthroughawindow——fromtheOldManoftheMountains——theheadofallthecreed——explainingthemanifestationinthemostbeautifullanguageandsoakingupallthecreditofitforhimself。
TheEnglishman，saidtheletter，wasnotthereatall。Hewasabacksliderwithoutpowerorasceticism，whocouldn’tevenraiseatablebyforceofvolition，muchlessprojectanarmyofkittensthroughspace。Theentirearrangement，saidtheletter，wasstrictlyorthodox，workedandsanctionedbythehighestauthoritieswithinthepaleofthecreed。Therewasgreatjoyatthis，forsomeoftheweakerbrethrenseeingthatanoutsiderwhohadbeenworkingonindependentlinescouldcreatekittens，whereastheirownrulershadnevergonebeyondcrockery——andbrokenatthat——wereshowingadesiretobreaklineontheirowntrail。Infact，therewasthepromiseofaschism。AsecondroundrobinwasdraftedtotheEnglishman，beginning:“Oh，Scoffer，“andendingwithaselectionofcursesfromtheritesofMizraimandMemphisandtheComminationofJugana；whowasa“fifthrounder，“uponwhosenameanupstart“thirdrounder“oncetraded。Apapalexcommunicationisabillet-douxcomparedtotheComminationofJugana。TheEnglishmanhadbeenprovedunderthehandandsealoftheOldManoftheMountainstohaveappropriatedvirtueandpretendedtohavepowerwhich，inreality，belongedonlytothesupremehead。