in a moment I did wake, and the Maid in the
same instant of time; and there was a great screaming and crying out in
the night, that surely affrighted us both; yet did hurt our hearts the
more; for it did be the utter cryings and terror of poor humans in the
night of that Land. Yet might I do naught; but only wait that I learn
more of the matter; for my duty was unto Mine Own, and I had no leave of
rashness any more. Yet, as you do suppose, I was all shaken to go downward of the rock, and
afterward to climb out from the hollow, that I should give some help
unto they that did need help; but yet might I not leave the Maid. And immediately, there was a great roaring in one part of the night, and
again another roaring in another part of the night; and lo! in a moment
the roarings did be answered; and the roarings were the sounds of big
and husky voices; so that it did seem that we harked to men so big as
houses that did run and shout in the night. And the Maid did begin to shake, and I put mine arm about her, and drew
her backward into the hole so that she did be into the shadow; and she
to tremble like one that was broken in courage; for, truly, she had
heard those sounds oft in the night in all the long and dreadful month
that she had wandered. And, indeed, I was all shaken in my courage; for it did be the shouting
of giants that I heard; and you do know somewhat of the utter horror and
terror that did be alway in the heart that did harken unto those
monstrous voices, for you do know my tale. And there came in a moment, a dreadful screaming out in the night, and
the screaming did be the screaming of a young maid that doth be slain
very brutal. And my heart sickened, because of Mine Own; but my spirit
did swell with a strange and utter anger, as that it should burst my
body. And the Maid to my side broke into an utter sobbing. And the screaming of the maid afar off in the dark did end very sudden;
but in a moment there did be other screamings in diverse places, and the
hoarse shoutings of the great men and the thudding of mighty feet that
ran this way and that, a-chase. And the cryings of the humans came nearer, and the thuddings of the
great feet. And, in verity, in a little minute, it did seem unto me that
the sounds did be right upon the hollow; and I crept forward, and peered
out. And I felt the night to be full of people running; and immediately
there passed by the hollow a clustering of humans that ran ever, and
screamed and gasped and wept, panting, as they ran. And the shining of
the fire-hole made them plain seen and clear, and they did be both men
and women, and were but in rags or utter naked, and all torn by the
rocks and the bushes, and did seem, indeed, as that they had been wild
things that did go by so swift and lost. And mine heart troubled me with the pain and longing that it did know;
so that I had gone in a moment after those people, but that I should
leave Mine Own and put her to peril. And even while that I felt so utter
in this thing, there came a great thudding of monstrous feet; and there
ran four great men out of the night, and went past the hollow very
quick. And three did be dull coloured and seeming much haired and
brutish; but the other did be an horrid white, and livid-blotched; so
that it did seem to my spirit that there went by, a thing that did be a
very man-monster filled of unwholesome life. And surely they did be gone
from out of the shine of the fire, in one moment, as we do say; and
again into the night to their dreadful chasing. And when the thudding of their feet had gone a long way off over the
Land, I heard them bellowing, and afterward a far away screaming, that
did have a death note in it; and I knew that those dreadful brute-men
did be taking the life from some poor wild humans; and afterward there
did be the silence again. And, surely, it did come to me with a fierce impatience of sorrow, that
those people did be without spirit of courage; else had they turned them
upon the giants, and slain them with their hands, even if that all had
died to compass that slaying; for, truly, they should all die anywise by
the giant-men; and they had died then with somewhat to comfort their
hate. Yet, as I do know, the Peoples of the Lesser Redoubt had long been born
of parents that were starved of the Earth-Current through an
hundred-thousand years and more, and because of this thing, they did
surely lack somewhat in all ways. Yet was Naani otherwise; but this not
to prove aught, save the rule, as we do say. Now, sudden, as I stooped very husht and troubled in the mouth of the
little cave, I knew that Mine Own sobbed dryly in the back part of the
cave. And I had gone to comfort her, but that in the same moment, I saw
a naked maid run very swift over the edge of the hollow, and did look
over her shoulder, as she ran. And she came to the bottom, and crept in
under a ledge of rock that did be in that place; and she did seem utter
worn, and gone of the spirit, and desperate. And I perceived in the same
instant why that she did go stealthy and swift in that fashion, and to
cower, as for her very life; for there came a squat, haired man, so
broad as a bullock, who did come silent down into the hollow, looking
this way and that, even as a wild beast doth peer, very sudden. And the Squat Man had instant knowing of the place where the maid did
be; and ran in upon her, with no sound. And I paused not; but leaped all the great way unto the bottom of the
hollow, which did be, mayhaps, twenty good feet and more; for mine anger
was upon me, and I did mean that I save that one, though I did be
powerless to give succour unto those others. And I fell strong upon my feet, and had no harm of my limbs, for all
that the leap did be so high. And in that moment, before that I had time
to save the maid, the Squat Man ript her; and she cried out once with a
very dreadful scream, and was suddenly dead in the hands of the
Brute-Man. And my heart made my blood to burn with wrath in mine eyes, so that I
had scarce power in that instant to see the Squat Man, as I ran upon
him. And the roar of the Diskos filled all the hollow, as I made it to
spin, as that it did rage with an anger, and to be glut of the Man. And the Man came round upon me; and thought, mayhaps, to deal with me,
as it had dealt with that poor maid, but not all thatwise, as you must
know. And I swung the Diskos, and it did seem to sing and to cry eager
in my hands. And I smote at the Squat Man, even as it did leap silent
upon me, as a tiger doth leap, making no sound. But I gat not home the
blow; for the Man dropt sudden down upon the hands, and the blow went
overwards. And the Brute-Man caught me by the legs, to rip me; and I cut
quick with the Diskos, and it did have but one monstrous talon left unto
it. And immediately, it cast me with the other, half across the hollow,
and I fell with mine armour clanging mightily, and the Diskos did ring
like a bell.