Now, after this, they made certain new rules and Laws concerning the
order of Watching, and made tests of the lesser instruments of the
inward Pyramid, nightly, upon the coming of the Sleep-Time, which was,
even in that strange age, by tradition called the Night, as I have given
hint; though hitherto, until the way of my story was known, I have used
a word for the sleep hours that was yet not of that time; but somewhat
an invention to make this history free from the confusion of "night" and
"day," when, in truth, it was always night without upon the world. Yet,
after this, shall I keep to mine use the luxury of the true names of
that time; and yet, how strange is it that the truth should be of so
little to our thinking. And so to go forward with my telling; for, though all this care were now
taken, it had no force until afterward; and at this moment were those
poor foolish youths out in all the danger of the Night Land, and no way
by which they might be succoured, or called back; save that Fear or
Wisdom should come to them quickly, that they cease from so wild an
attempt. For it was to make rescue of those in that other, unknown
Pyramid, out in all the darkness of the World's Night that was their
intent, as we had speedy knowledge from those boon friends that had been
in the secret of their plot, which had seemed to them great and heroic;
and was so, in verity, but that neither they who went, nor they who
stayed, had a true awaredness of the danger they had dealing with, being
all naught but raw and crude youths; yet, doubtless, with the makings of
many fine and great men among them. And because some had thus abetted that which they knew to be against the
Law, which was framed to the well-being and safety of all, there were
certain floggings, which might the better help their memories in the
future as to the properness of their actions and wisdom. Moreover, they who returned, if any, would be flogged, as seemed proper,
after due examination. And though the news of their beatings might help
all others to hesitation, ere they did foolishly, in like fashion, yet
was the principle of the flogging not on this base, which would be both
improper and unjust; but only that the one in question be corrected to
the best advantage for his own well-being; for it is not meet that any
principle of correction should shape to the making of human signposts of
pain for the benefit of others; for in verity, this were to make one pay
the cost of many's learning; and each should owe to pay only so much as
shall suffice for the teaching of his own body and spirit. And if others
profit thereby, this is but accident, however helpful. And this is
wisdom, and denoteth now that a sound Principle shall prevent Practice
from becoming monstrous. Yet, now I must hasten that I set down how it fared with those five
hundred youths that had made so sad an adventure of their lives and
unprepared souls; and were beyond our aid to help them, who might not
so much as make any calling to them, to bid them to return; for to do
this would have been to tell to all the Monsters of the Land that humans
were abroad from the Mighty Pyramid. And this would have been to cause the monsters to search the youths out
to their destruction, and maybe even to awaken the Forces to work them
some dread Spiritual harm, which was the chief Fear. Now, presently, through all the cities of the Great Redoubt, the news
had gone how that five hundred foolish Youths had adventured out into
the despair of the Night Land; and the whole Pyramid waked to life, and
the Peoples of the South came to the Northern sides, for the Great Gate
lay in the North-West side; and the Youths had made from there, not
straightly outwards, but towards the North; and so were to be seen from
the North-East embrasures, and from those within the North-West wall. And thus, in a while were they watched by all the mighty multitudes of
the Great Pyramid, through millions of spy-glasses; for each human had a
spying-glass, as may be thought; and some were an hundred years old, and
some, maybe ten thousand, and handed down through many generations; and
some but newly made, and very strange. But all those people had some
instrument by which they might spy out upon the wonder of the Night
Land; for so had it been ever through all the eternity of darkness, and
a great diversion and wonder of life was it to behold the monsters about
their work; and to know that they plotted always to our destruction; yet
were ever foiled. And never did all that great and terrible Land grow stale upon the soul
of any, from birth until death; and by this you shall know the constant
wonder of it, and that _sense of enemies in the night about us,_ which
ever filled the heart and spirit of all Beholders; so that never were
the embrasures utterly empty. Yet, many beheld not the Land from the embrasures; but sat about the
View-Tables, which were set properly in certain places throughout the
cities, and so beheld the Night Land, without undue cranings, or poising
of spy-glasses, though less plain-seen. And these same tables were some
form of that which we of this age name Camera Obscura; but made very
great, and with inventions, and low to the floor, so that ten thousand
people might sit about them in the raised galleries, and have
comfortable sight. Yet this attracted not the young people, save they
were lovers; and then, in truth, were they comfortable seats for
quietness and gentle whisperings. Yet now, as may be supposed, with all the Peoples of the Mighty Pyramid
grown eager to look towards one part of the Night Land, the embrasures
were hid in the crowds; and such as could gain no view therethrough,
thronged about the View-Tables. And so was it in all the hours of
leisure; so that women had scarce patience to attend their children; but
must hasten to watch again, that lonesome band of foolish youths making
so blind and unshaped a trial to come upon that unknown Lesser Redoubt,
somewhere out in all the night of the world. And in this wise passed three days and nights; yet both in the
sleep-time and the time of waking did great multitudes cease not to
watch; so that many went hungry for sleep, as in truth did I. And
sometimes we saw those Youths with plainness; but other times they were
lost to our sight in the utter shadows of the Night Land. Yet, by the
telling of our instruments, and the sense of my hearing, there was no
awaredness among the Monsters, and the Forces of Evil, that any were
abroad from the Pyramid; so that a little hope came into our hearts that
yet there might be no tragedy. And times, would they cease from their way, and sit about in circles
among the shadows and the grey moss-bushes, which grew hardly here or
there about. And we knew that they had food with them to eat; for this
could we see with plainness, as some odd, grim flare of light from the
infernal fires struck upon one or another strangely, and passed, and
left them in the darkness.