And truly it was a great journey, and in it I met with many, whom to
know was to love; but whom never could I see again; for life has not
space enough; and each must to his duty to the security and well-being
of the Redoubt. Yet, for all that I have set down, we travelled much,
always; but there were so many millions, and so few years. And, as I have said, everywhere I went there was the same story of this
other Place of Refuge; and in such of the Libraries of those cities as I
had time to search, there were great numbers of works upon the existence
of this other Refuge; and some, far back in the years, made assertion
with confidence that such a Place was in verity; and, indeed, no doubt
did there seem in those by-gone ages; but now these very Records were
read only by Scholars, who doubted, even whilst they read. And so is it
ever. But of the reality of this Refuge, I had never a sound doubt, from the
day of my hearing concerning it from our Master Monstruwacan, who with
all his assistants occupied the Tower of Observation in the apex of the
Pyramid. And here let me tell that he and I had always an affinity and
close friendship one for the other; though he was full grown, and I but
a youth; yet so it was; and thus, when I had come to an age of
twenty-one years of life, he opened to me a post within the Tower of
Observation; and this was a most wondrous good fortune to me; for in all
the vast Redoubt, to be appointed to the Tower of Observation was the
most desired; for thereby, even as in these days doth Astronomy, was the
natural curiosity of Man eased somewhat, even while thwarted. Now, let me tell here also, lest it be thought that I was unduly
favoured because of my friendship with the Master Monstruwacan, that
there was a sound justification for his choice, in that to me had been
given that strange gift of hearing, which we called Night-Hearing;
though this was but a fanciful name, and meant little. Yet the peculiar
gift was rare, and in all the millions of the Pyramid, there was none
with the gift to a great degree, saving only myself. And I, because of this gift, could hear the "invisible vibrations" of
the aether; so that, without harking to the calling of our recording
instruments, I could take the messages which came continually through
the eternal darkness; aye, even better than they. And now, it may be the
better understood, how much was to be counted that I had grown to listen
for a voice that had not rung in mine ears for an eternity, and yet
which sang sweet and clear in my memory-dreams; so that it seemed to me
that Mirdath the Beautiful slept within my soul, and whispered to me out
of all the ages. And then, one day, at the fifteenth hour, when began the Sleep-Time, I
had been pondering this love of mine that lived with me still; and
marvelling that my memory-dreams held the voice of a love that _had
been_ in so remote an age. And pondering and dreaming thus, as a young
man may, I could fancy this aeon-lost One were whispering beauty into
my ears, in verity; so clear had my memory grown, and so much had I
pondered. And lo! as I stood there, harking and communing with my thoughts, I
thrilled suddenly, as if I had been smitten; for out of all the
everlasting night a whisper was thrilling and thrilling upon my more
subtile hearing. Through four long years had I listened, since that awakening in the
embrasure, when but a youth of seventeen; and now out of the
world-darkness and all the eternal years of that lost life, which now I
live in this Present Age of ours, was the whisper come; for I knew it
upon that instant; and yet, because I was so taught to wisdom, I
answered by no name; but sent the Master-Word through the night--sending
it with my brain-elements, as I could, and as all may, much or little,
as may be, if they be not clods. And, moreover, I knew that she who
called quietly would have the power to hear without instruments, if
indeed it were she; and if it were but one of the false callings of the
Evil Forces, or more cunning monsters, or as was sometimes thought
concerning these callings, the House of Silence, meddling with our
souls, then would they have no power to say the Master-Word; for this
had been proven through all the Everlasting. And lo! as I stood, trembling and striving not to be tense, which
destroys the receptivity, there came thrilling round and round my
spiritual essence the throb of the Master-Word, beating steadily in the
night, as doth that marvellous sound. And then, with all that was sweet
in my spirit, I called with my brain elements: "Mirdath! Mirdath! Mirdath!" And at that instant the Master Monstruwacan entered that part
of the Tower of Observation, where I stood; and, seeing my face, stood
very quiet; for though he had not the power of Night-Hearing, he was
wise and thoughtful, and took much account of my gift; more-over, he had
but come from the Receiving Instrument, and thought vaguely to have
caught the throb of the Master-Word, though too faint to come proper
through the Instrument, so that he searched for me, in that I, who had
the Hearing, might listen for it, I being, as I have said, gifted in
that wise. And to him I told something of my story and my thoughts and my memories,
and of that awakening; and thus up to this present happening, and he
hearkened with sympathy and a troubled and wondering heart; for in that
age a man might talk sanely upon that which, in this age of ours would
be accounted foolishness and maybe the breathings of insanity; for
there, by the refinement of arts of mentality and the results of strange
experiments and the accomplishment of learning, men were abled to
conceive of matters now closed to our conceptions, even as we of this
day may haply give a calm ear to talk, that in the days of our fathers
would have been surely set to the count of lunacy. And this is very
clear. And all the while that I told my story, I listened with my spirit; but
save for a sense of faint, happy laughter that wrapped about me, I heard
naught. And nothing more all that day. Here let me put down that, because of my memories and half memories, I
would time and again dispute with our learned men; they being in doubt
as to the verity of that olden story of the Days of Light, and the
existence of the Sun; though something of all this was set out, as of
_truth_, in our oldest records; but I, remembering, told them many tales
that seemed fairy-like to them, and entranced their hearts, even whilst
I angered their brains, which refused to take seriously and as verity
that which their hearts accepted gladly, even as we receive the wonder
of poetry into our souls. But the Master Monstruwacan would listen to
aught I had to tell; aye! though I spoke through hours; and so it would
be, odd times, that having talked long, drawing my stories from my
Memory-Dreams, I would come back again into the present of that Future;
and lo!