And the Master Doctor to understand that I did be truly strong until I
die, and did beckon the men from me, and from the Maid. And I stoopt, in a little, and I lifted Mine Own Maid into mine arms for
that last journeying. And I came down the mighty lane of the Hundred Thousand, all in their
grey armour. And they did make silent salute with the Diskos reversed,
each man as I passed him, and did be utter silent. And I scarce to wot
of aught, save that all the world did be quiet and emptied, and my task
to have failed, and Mine Own to lie dead in mine arms. Yet, truly, did
it to have failed utter? for I had surely saved Mine Own from the terror
of the Second Night Land, and she not to have come alone and with
madness unto her death; but to have died in mine arms; and she surely to
have been comforted within her spirit, because that my love did be so
utter about her. And I to think vaguely and terribly on an hundred sweet
love actions that she to have shown unto me; and sudden I did remember
with a dreadful pain how that I never to have waked to discover Mine Own
Maid kissing me in my sleep, as I to have meant. And a madness of
anguish did flash sudden through the numbness upon my brain; so that I
did be blinded a little, and surely went crooked in my walk; for I to
know, sudden, that the Master Doctor steadied mine elbow for a moment;
but afterward did leave me be, as I to have again control of my spirit. And lo! as I drew nigh unto the Great Gateway, the lights of the Pyramid
to begin to glow again more strong, and the machinery of the Lifts and
the Air Pumps to work, because that now the Earth-Current did grow once
more to natural strength. And they to have power now to open the Great
Gate, which did be done by great machines. And there to come forth to meet me a number of the Masters of the Mighty
Pyramid; and the dear Master Monstruwacan did come before them all, so
eager as that he did be mine own Father. And he to have heard somewhat,
vaguely, that there to have been a fear for the life of the maid that I
did bring. And surely, he did be told by one near to the Gateway, that the Maid did
be dead in mine arms; for he and all the Masters did pause and stand
silent for me to go by, and did reverse each his Diskos; and this to
have been an Honour shown, than which there did be scarce any greater. And there went a constant murmuring up in the night, which did be the
speech of the Millions, questioning. And the news that the Maid did be
dead, went upward through the miles. And my spirit to know, as in a
dream, of the spiritual noise which did go outward through all space,
and did be the grief of the Multitudes, as they did hear this thing. Yet, truly, there did nothing comfort me anywise; neither I proper yet
to know the verity of my loss; for I did go stunned. And I came in through the Great Gateway, and the Full Watch did stand
there silent in their armour; and they made the Salute of Honour. And I
went onward with the dead Maid that I did bring out of Eternity. And presently, they that were around, did guide me, with the Maid in
mine arms, unto the Great Lift. And I took Mine Own Maid into the Great
Lift; and the Masters came with me, and did be in their armour; and none
did speak to me. And the Master Monstruwacan and the Master of the
Doctors stood silent to the side of me. And there did be everywhere
great Multitudes, that I did see vaguely; but my spirit not to wot of
them. And lo! I stood very quiet and dumb as we did go upward through the
miles; and the Millions of the Cities stood about the Great Lift, and
there did be a great silence upward and downward through the strange
miles; save for the weeping of women in dear sympathy, that did sound
far and low and constant. And presently I to know that the Master Monstruwacan and the Master of
the Doctors did look one to the other; and I to be aware sudden that I
stood in my blood; for I did be wounded in an hundred parts, and the
blood to go alway from me. Yet did the Master Doctor be slow to do aught
for me, because that he to perceive that I did be slain in the heart;
and there to be no pain so dreadful as that he should be like to wake me
unto, if that he went hastily. Yet, presently, there did come whirlings into my head; and someone did
surely make to ease Mine Own Maid from mine arms. But I held her,
dumbly; and the blood to go the more from me; and they not to know what
should be done. And I to look at them. And the dear Master Monstruwacan
did be saying somewhat unto me, that I did have no power to hear; but
only to know that his face did be very human. And there went a strange
noise all about me; and the Master Monstruwacan to seem to hold me up,
and to beckon to some that did be to my back. And lo! there came a
blackness, and the gentleness of arms about mine armour....

And I to come presently to quietness and to half-dreams; and did alway
to seem that I carried Mine Own Maid in mine arms. But truly there did
pass three great days, whilst that I did be thus. And I all that while
to be laid quiet, and to be tended by the Master Doctor, and aided by
all knowledge that did be known of Humans. And on the third day, as it might be called, I to come full unto my
senses; and the pain to take me in the breast; and the Master of the
Doctors did be with me, and they that nurst me; and the Master Doctor
watched me very keen and gentle. And I did be in a bed of the Health Room of mine own city. And I gat
from the bed, and the Doctor to say naught; but only to watch me. And I
walkt to and fro a little, and he alway to watch me; and presently he
gave me somewhat to drink; and I drank. And I was gone soon from all
knowledge. And I to come again unto a knowing that I yet to live; and there went a
certain strength in my body. And lo! the first that I did see, was the
Master of the Doctors; and I to perceive in a moment that he had wakened
me, and had nurst my strength for that moment, that I live through the
Burial. For he to be very wise, and to have known from that first seeing
of me, that I not to live after that Mine Own did die. And there was brought to me a loose garment; but I to refuse the
garment, dumbly, and did look about me very troubled and forgetting. And
the Master Doctor lookt alway at me; and lo! in a moment he called one,
and gave an order. And there was brought in then my broken armour, and a
garment to wear below. And I then to know that I did be content in this
matter; and the Doctor alway to watch me. And they drest me in my broken
armour. And surely, as they drest me, my spirit to hear the sorrow and sympathy
of the Multitudes, and did know that they went downward by millions,
unto the Country of Silence. And lo! in that moment when I near to be in mine armour, I to mind
sudden again that I never to have waked to discover Mine Own Maid
kissing me in my sleep.