And thereafter came a million years, maybe, of silence; with ever the
birthing and marrying and dying of those lonesome humans. And they grew
less; and some put this to the lack of the Earth-Current, which dwindled
slowly through the centuries of that Eternity. And once in a thousand years, maybe, one among them would be Sensitive,
and abled to hear beyond ordinary; and to these, at times, there would
seem to come the thrilling of the aether; so that such an one would go
listening; and sometimes seem to catch half messages; and so awaken a
great interest in all the Pyramid; and there would be turning up of old
Records, and many words and writings, and attempts to send the
Master-Word through the night; in which, doubtless sometimes they
succeeded; for there was set down in the Records of the Great Redoubt
certain occasions on which there had come the call of the Master-Word,
which had been arranged and made holy between the two Redoubts in the
early days of that second life of this world. Yet, now for an hundred thousand years, there had been none Sensitive;
and in that time the people of the Pyramid had become no more than ten
thousand; and the Earth-Current was weak and powerless to put the joy of
life into them; so that they went listlessly, but deemed it not strange,
because of so many aeons of usage. And then, to the wonder of all, the Earth-Current had put forth a new
power; so that young people ceased to be old over-soon; and there was
happiness and a certain joy in the living; and a strange birthing of
children, such as had not been through half a million years. And then came a new thing. Naani, the daughter of the Master
Monstruwacan of that Redoubt had shown to all that she was Sensitive;
for she had perceived odd vibrations afloat in the night; and concerning
these she told her father; and presently, because their blood moved
afresh in their bodies, they had heart to discover the plans of the
ancient instruments; for the instruments had long rusted, and been
forgotten. And so they builded them a new instrument to send forth a message; for
they had no memory at that time that the brain-elements had power to do
thus; though, mayhap, their brain-elements were weakened, through so
many ages of starvation of the Earth-Current, and could not have obeyed,
even had their masters known all that we of the Great Redoubt knew. And when the instrument was finished, to Naani was given the right to
call first across the dark to discover whether indeed, after that
million years of silence, they were yet companied upon this earth, or
whether they were in truth lonely--the last poor thousands of the
Humans. And a great and painful excitement came upon the people of the lesser
pyramid; for the loneliness of the world pressed upon them; and it was
to them as though we in this age called to a star across the abyss of
space. And because of the excitement and pain of the moment, Naani called only
vaguely with the instrument into the dark; and lo! in a moment, as it
seemed, there came all about her in the night the solemn throb of the
Master-Word, beating in the night. And Naani cried out that she was
answered, and, as may be thought, many of the people wept, and some
prayed, and some were silent; but others beseeched her that she call
again and quickly to have further speech with those of their kind. And Naani spoke the Master-Word into the night, and directly there came
a calling all about her: "Mirdath! Mirdath!" and the strange wonder of
it made her silent a moment; but when she would have made reply, the
instrument had ceased to work, and she could have no further speech at
that time. This, as may be thought, occasioned much distress; and constant work
they had between the instrument and the Earth-Current, to discover the
reason for this failing; but could not for a great while. And in that
time, oft did Naani hear the call of "Mirdath" thrilling about her; and
twice there came the solemn beat of the Master-Word in the night. Yet
never had she the power to answer. And all that while, as I learned in
time, was she stirred with a quaint ache at heart by the voice that
called "Mirdath!" as it might be the Spirit of Love, searching for its
mate; for this is how she put it. And thus it chanced, that the constant thrilling of this name about her,
woke her to memory of a book she had read in early years, and but half
understood; for it was ancient, and writ in an olden fashion, and it set
out the love of a man and a maid, and the maid's name was Mirdath. And
so, because she was full of this great awakening of those ages of
silence, and the calling of that name, she found the book again, and
read it many times, and grew to a sound love of the beauty of that tale. And, presently, when the instrument was made right, she called into the
night the name of that man within the book; and so it came about that I
had hoped too much; yet even now was I strangely unsure whether to cease
from hoping. And one other thing there is which I would make clear. Many and oft a
time had I heard a thrilling of sweet, faint laughter about me, and the
stirring of the aether by words too gentle to come clearly; and these I
make no doubt came from Naani, using her brain-elements unwittingly and
in ignorance; but very eager to answer my callings; and having no
knowledge that, far off across the blackness of the world, they thrilled
about me, constantly. And after Naani had made clear all that I have set out concerning the
Lesser Refuge, she told further how that food was not plentiful with
them; though, until the reawakening of the Earth-Current, they had gone
unknowing of this, being of small appetite, and caring little for aught;
but now wakened, and newly hungry, they savoured a lack of taste in all
that they ate; and this we could well conceive, from our reasonings and
theory; but happily not from our knowledge. And we said unto them, that the soil had lost its life, and the crops
therefrom were not vital; and a great while it would take for the earth
within their pyramid to receive back the life-elements. And we told them
certain ways by which they might bring a more speedy life to the soil;
and this they were eager to do, being freshly alive after so long a time
of half-life. And now, you must know that in all the great Redoubt the story went
downwards swiftly, and was published in all the Hour-Sheets, with many
comments; and the libraries were full of those who would look up the
olden Records, which for so long had been forgotten, or taken, as we of
this day would say, with a pinch of salt. And all the time I was pestered with questions; so that, had I not been
determined, I should scarce have been allowed to sleep; moreover, so
much was writ about me, and my power to hear, and divers stories
concerning tales of love, that I had been like to have grown mazed to
take note of it all; yet some note I did take, and much I found
pleasant; but some displeasing.