Yet, as you shall know, I did pause a little in the beginning, and peer
to every side for any close danger; and then did look more abroad of
that place; but could nowhere see any matter to have me to immediate
fear. And afterwards, I looked a little while at the monstrous humped
back of the Watcher of the North-West; and it did grow to me how
steadfast that thing did look toward the Mighty Pyramid; and this set me
to new hatred and horror of the Monster, as you shall conceive and
believe. And presently, I looked beyond the Watcher, unto the vast Mountain of
the Great Redoubt; and I was still seeming close upon it; yet, in truth,
gone a long and weariful distance. But this you shall understand was by
the greatness and utter height and bulk of that shining Mountain of
Life. And strange and wonderful it was to me to think that even in that one
moment, it might be that the dear Master Monstruwacan did look upon my
face, through the Great Spy-Glass. And I should not seem utter far to
him, by reason of the power of the big Glass. But to me, as I did look
upward through the Night, unto that far and utmost light in the upper
blackness of the everlasting gloom, it did seem doubly to me that I was
afar off and lost forever from mine Home. And this thinking did breed in
me such a great and lonesome feeling, and a weakness of the heart and
spirit, that forthwith I took my courage close unto me, and did turn
away quickly; and went onward to the North and West, as I have told. Now I walked for twelve hours, and in that time, did eat and drink
twice; and made onward again very steadfast, and happy that all did go
so quiet with me; so that it was as if I had at last come to a part of
the Land that was given over to quietness, and lacking of monsters. Yet, in truth was I come to a worse place than any, maybe; for as I went
forward, striding very strong, and making a good speed, I did hear
presently a little noise upward in the night, and someways unto my left,
that had seeming as that it were a strange low sound that did come down
to me out of an hidden doorway above; for, indeed, though the sound did
come from very nigh, as it did seem no more than a score feet above my
head, yet was it a noise that did come out of a great and mighty
distance, and out of a Foreign Place. And I did know the Sound; though
never, as you may suppose, could I have heard it in all my life. Yet had
I read in one of the Records, and again in a second and a third, how
that certain of all they that had adventured from the Pyramid into the
Night Land to seek for knowledge, had chanced to hear a queer and
improper noise above them in the Night; and the noise had been strange,
and did come from but a little way upward in the darkness; yet was also
from a great and monstrous distance; and did seem to moan and hum
quietly, and to have a different sounding from all noises of earth. And
in the Records it was set forth that these were those same Doorways In
The Night, which were told of in an ancient and half-doubted Tale of the
World, that was much in favour of the children of the Pyramid, and not
disdained by certain of our wiser men, and had been thus through all the
latter ages. And I did seem to know the sound upon the moment; for my heart grew
swift to understand. And it was a very dread uncomfortable sound; and
you shall know how it did seem, if you will conceive of a strange noise
that doth happen far away in the Country, and the same noise to seem to
come to you through an opened door near by. And this is but a poor way
to put it; yet how shall I make the thing more known to you? So that I
must even trust unto your wit and true sympathy that you shall conceive
of the fullness of my meaning. Now, in all the Histories of those that had adventured into the Night
Land, there were but three sure Records that did concern this Sound; and
each did tell of a Great Horror; and of them that did hear the Sound
there had died the most part, out in the Night Land. And the Records did
make always that they had come upon Destruction, and not simply unto
Death; but were destroyed by a strange and Invisible Evil Power from the
Night. And of those that came alive unto the Pyramid, they had all one strange
tale to tell, how that there were secret and horrid Doorways In The
Night. Yet how this thing could be plain to them, who may know truly;
save it be that the eyes of their spirits did behold that which was hid
to the eyes of the flesh. And there was afterwards writ a proper and careful treatise, and did set
out that there did be ruptures of the Aether, the which did constitute
doorways, as those more fanciful ones did name them; and through these
shatterings, which might be likened unto openings--there being no better
word to their naming--there did come into this Particular Condition Of
Life, those Monstrous Forces Of Evil, that did dominate the Night, and
which many did hold surely to have been given this improper entrance
through the foolish and unwise wisdom of those olden men of learning,
that did meddle overfar with matters that did reach in the end beyond
their understanding. And this thing have I told before, and it doth seem
proper unto my belief; for it is always thus, and I have that same taint
within me, as must all that have the zest of life. Now, by this that I have set down swiftly, to make a little clear the
sure horridness of this Sound, you shall know, even with me, the great
horror that did come immediately upon my Spirit; and I did know that my
Search was surely like to have an end in that moment; and I bared mine
arm, for my teeth, where the Capsule did lie below the skin; and so was
ready to an instant Death, if that Destruction did come upon me. And in
the same moment, I did fall silent, inward among the moss-bushes, and
did begin to creep very quiet toward the right; for, as you will mind, I
had heard the Sound over beyond my left. And all that time, as I did
creep, there was a great sickness upon me, and it did seem that my mouth
had weakened unto water; so that I could scarce hold my teeth tightly
from unseemly clitterings. And I crept always very silent, and did often stare quick and painful
over my shoulder, upwards, and this way and that; but did never see
anything; neither could I hear now the Sound. And I went thiswise for a great hour, and was like to faint through the
effort of my care and the soreness of my going. But upon the end of that
long while, I grew something easier in the Spirit, and did perceive that
I was saved from the Destruction that I had come so dreadful anigh. And
this thing, it may be, was because that I did chance to hear it, whilst
yet it was beyond, and before I did come right unto it, to pass below. Yet may I be wrong in this thought, and do but make a guessing. But, as
I shall here explain; after that time, I kept mine ears newly keen unto
hearing; and did chide my Spirit, for that it had not taken account of
that Sound a great while earlier.