And did
any Human have ventured outward beyond the Circle, then had that man
been Destroyed in the Spirit, and lost utterly; so that none had dared
to come; neither had it been of use if any had made themselves to be a
sacrifice to aid me; for, truly, they to have been of no use, when dead,
as you shall say. And there came a constant shouting from the Hundred Thousand to me, that
I haste, and indeed to haste. And truly I did haste with all my
strength. And I lookt unto the dear Circle of Holiness that did be above
us twain; and it to go steadfast over us; so that I saw we to be surely
saved. And lo! I to be no more than an hundred paces now from the glowing of
the Circle. And behold! even in that instant, there must come brutal
things to destroy us; for there came an herd of squat and brutish men
all about me in a moment from the shadows, where they had been hid. And
they caught at me, and caught at the Maid to tear her from mine arm. And
truly, it did be as that they surely to have success; for I could nowise
in a moment free myself, and yet to guard the Maid and to use the
Diskos. And lo! I kickt with my metal boots, and gave from them, and
turned all ways in a moment, and wrenched free; and I leaped back; and
the herd of horrid brutes after me. And now I to have space for the Diskos, and a grimness in my heart; and
I came round very sudden, and ran in among the men, smiting. And I hit
very swift both from the right and the left, and to and fro with a
constant quick circling. And the Diskos did spin and roar, and made a
strange light upon the faces of the men, and they to have tusks like to
the tusks of pigs. And surely I did rage through them, smiting. And they
to strike me a thousand times with great stones, so that mine armour
rang, and was all fresh burst, and I near to sicken under the blows and
new wounds; but they not to harm the Maid, for I carried her above their
squat and brutish reach. And the brute-men to seem without end. But I made alway forward unto the
glowing of the Circle; and the night to be full in that place of the
fierce shoutings of the Hundred Thousand; and many--as I did learn--to
have tried to come unto me, but that their comrades held them from so
useless a dying. And, in verity, I to be now scarce fifty paces from the glowing of the
Circle; and did be nigh to fall; for I did be so utter dazed and wounded
with the fight, and ill with a vast weariness and the despair and
madness of my journey, and moreover, as you do know, I not to have
slept, but to have carried the Maid forever through days and nights, and
to have fought oft. And lo! the Hundred Thousand stood just within the Circle, and they that
were to the front did swing each man the Diskos; and they hurled each
the Diskos in among the herd of the tuskt men that did make to slay me. And surely this to save me; for the herd did thin to my front; and I to
gather my strength, and to charge with despair, and to smite and never
be ceased of smiting; so that there did be dead creatures all about. And
behold! I brake through the herd, with Mine Own, and did be upon the
Circle. And lo! I stept over the Circle, that did scarce now to give out
a Resistance; and a thousand hands did come forward to give me help; yet
did none touch me, but gave back from me; for there did be that about me
which held them off, as with a little awe; for I to be strange unto
them. And I stood there in a great silence, and the Diskos in my hand ran
blood to the haft. And maybe I rockt as I stood; for many again did put
out their hands, as to hold me, and again drew back, and were silent. And I lookt unto them, and they lookt back at me; and I did gasp
awhile, and was strangely dazed, and did try to tell them that I had
need of the Doctors for the Life of Mine Own Maid, that did be dying in
mine arms. And behold, in that moment, there did be a sound of giants
running, out in the night. And some then to cry out different matters,
to aid me, and to beware of the giants, and to bring the Doctors to
attend me on the instant. And other voices did call that the Holy Light was gone from above; and
likewise the Black Mounds from the outer part of the Circle. And there
did be a monstrous noise of roarings in the Land, and all to come
bewildered unto my brain, which did surely fail now with the grim and
utter stress which had been mine so long. And there to be also a constant noise that came from near and from
upward; and truly I to know, as in a dream, that it did be made of the
shouting of the great Millions, that did make an eternal and vague
roaring-sound upward in the night, that did come down from the upper
heights, no more loud than a strange and continual murmuring out of the
lofty miles. And surely, I to find my voice in a little minute, and did ask a near
man whether there be any Doctors with the men. And in that moment there
came forward a Master of the Diskos, which doth be as a Commander of
this age. And he made the Salute of Honour with the Diskos, and would
have eased the Maid from me; but I to ask again, very slow, whether that
there was a Doctor a-near. And he on the instant to give an order; and
the great thousands to begin to shape, and did make a mighty lane unto
the Great Gateway of the Mighty Pyramid. And the Master of the Diskos made a sign to certain that did be near;
and they stood about me, as I to know dully, lest I fall; but they not
to touch me; for I did be as that I must not be laid hand upon; for I
did near to choke with despair lest I to have come Home too late; and
surely, also, the men to seem as that I did be strange unto them. And there went orders swift and constant this way and that; and lo! in a
little while, there came two big men of the Upward Cities, running; and
they had a little man between them upon a sling. And the little man did
be a Master of the Doctors; and he aided me gentle to lay Mine Own Maid
upon the earth. And the Master of the Diskos made a sign, and the men
that did be near, turned each his back; and the Doctor to make
examination for the life of Mine Own. And there to come about that time a seeming of silence in the land. And
truly the Hundred Thousand did be utter quiet; and a great quiet in the
Mighty Pyramid; for, in truth, all to know, by this, that there to be a
fear that the Maid I did bring out of the night, did be slain by the
Evil Forces. And sudden the little man that did be the Master Doctor, lookt up quiet
and piteous at me; so that I knew in a moment that Mine Own Maid did be
dead. And he to see that I knew; and he covered the face of Mine Own,
and stood up very speedy; and he called softly to the men that did be to
my back, and he signed to them that some to support me, and some to lift
Mine Own Maid, and bear her unto the Great Gateway. And he lookt keen at
me; and I to fight a little that I breathe; and afterward did make with
my hands, that the men not to come near me, neither to touch Mine Own.