And I to
have no answer, save that I shake her, very gentle, but indeed she to
kiss me very naughty on the mouth, in the midst of my shaking; and
truly, what shall a man do with such an one. And she then to want to be more sedate and to be set down upon the rock;
and she to make me to turn around, so that she should come at the pouch,
which did be upon my back. And she gat thence the comb that was a fitment, and did comb her pretty
hair, and I to sit and talk with her, and to jest, with a heart that did
be so light as it had not been for a great while; for though I did dread
the Humpt Men and the monstrous animals of the Country of Seas, I had
not any abiding horror of aught that I had seen in that Country; for
there seemed a naturalness in all things, so that I did have no
loathing; neither any fear of an Evil Force. And presently, when that the Maid had combed her hair, she to bind it
upon her head; but I to ask that she leave it upon her shoulders,
because that it did be so pretty; and she to smile at me, and to be
happy to my pleasuring. Now we did be truly sedate, and to set our gear together; and I to put
the boots upon the Maid; and afterward we to begin again to journey
downward into the Country of the Seas. And we went at a good pace; but not to bring us to any great weariness;
for it was mine intent that we rest for our slumber upon this side of
the place where did be the steam of the boilings, that was anigh to the
shore of the sea, as you shall mind. And we at this time to be passing along the feet of the mountains, unto
the place of the steam; and to go thiswise for six good hours, and still
to be a great hour off that part; for we went not so fierce as did be
the speed of mine outward way, which was utter strong, as you do mind,
that have gone with me in all my journey. And so, when we had walkt six hours, we did be gone something beyond the
eighteenth hour of that day's journeying; and to be very ready to our
slumber. Now, presently we found a tall rock, very hard to climb, that had a flat
top so great as may be twice my length everyways; and this to be very
good to our purpose. And when we were come safe to the top, we to eat
and drink, and presently to sleep, and to have the cloak under us, as
did be the will of the Maid; for the Country did be utter warm and nice,
so that we had no occasion for covering. And surely, we waked, both of us when that we had slept seven good
hours; and we sat upward, and lookt newly each at the other; and to be
as that we did each see the other anew in that good light, and to have a
fresh joy each in the look of the other. And she to come into mine arms,
and to kiss and to need that she be kist; and truly, we both to have our
need; but yet to be something the more hungry of the other, for the
having. And Mine Own then to make our breakfast; and the water to fizz very
strong and surprising; and we to eat and drink, and to be utter happy
each with the other, and to talk on this thing and that, and the Maid to
look about, as we eat; and she to look afar off at the wonders and the
newness of the Country to her knowledge; but I to look near, lest there
be any danger that might be anigh. And in a while, Mine Own to draw my gaze to the Mountains that the Gorge
came through. And, in verity, now that I did look in ease, I to see with
her how that they did be truly monstrous, even as a monstrous wall that
did go upward for ever until that they were gone out of the light of
that Country, into the dark night of the deathly Upper World, that did
be lost an eternity. And I to mind that I had some vague thoughts
thiswise, on the outward way; but now I to have ease, and the Maid to
speak with, and so to perceive odd matters the more. And I to tell you
this little thing, so that you shall perceive the way that restfulness
did be upon me, by compare with the Outward Going. And, truly, we had no great speed with our talk and with our eating; but
in the end did make somewhat to hurry, because that we did be conscious
that we leaned to slackness. And indeed, we came down then pretty speedy
from the rock where we did sleep; and had forward to our way at a good
pace. And when we had gone a while, we to begin to hear the far hissing of the
steam and the noise of the upward burstings of waters that did boil; and
the sound to be very strange; but I to have heard it before, as you do
know; so that it to trouble me the less than the Maid. And I to assure
her; and she to come nigh to me, and thiswise we to enter presently into
the steam. And we went then for more than three hours; and I had the Maid to my
back, that I should be the first; and this I did, that she have no
danger to walk into a boiling pool in the mazingness of the steam, which
was everywhere. And I to be something guided in my path by the shore of
the sea which did be unto our left alway; only that we could see neither
the sea nor otherwise, except that we go so close that we near into the
water. And, truly, the sea to seem to boil in parts, and there to be hot pools
in all places; so that who should say with ease whether we did go by one
of the great hot pools or by the true sea. And this, our constant
puzzle, shall be likewise to you; and you to perceive how that we did go
utter wary. And about us from every part there did come the strange burstings and
shriekings and whistlings of the boil of the waters breaking upward from
the deep world. And odd whiles the sounds to be as of great monsters;
and the earth to shake under us; and other-whiles there to be a hush and
only the steam about us, and somewhere in the distance and uncertainness
a low piping of some steam cranny, very strange and lonesome-sounding. And when it did be somewheres nigh upon the fourth hour, we came out of
the thick steam; and the pipings and the roarings to be to our rearward;
and soon the steam to be gone thin, as but a mist, and the noises to be
very far-seeming; and presently we to be come clear out into the air of
that Country. And the Maid now to perceive the trees, which did be in great forests
unto our right hand, while that the shore of the sea did go alway upon
our left. And she to be utter in wonder of the trees; and to need that
she pluck branches, and smell of them and look at each leaf; and so to
be all stirred; for never in that life did she to have seen such a
matter as those great trees did be; but yet to be all stirred by vague
memories that did seem no more than dreams. And you to think but a
moment, and to perceive how the thing did be with her; and you to have
been likewise stirred, if that you did be so strangely waked in a corner
part of the heart; though but a little matter to wake you. Now when the sixth hour did be full come, we made a halt in a wise
place, and had there our tablets and the water; and afterward, the Maid
bid me that I take her unto a warm pool that did be near by, and to ask
that I turn from her, but yet to be anigh for her Protector, as I did be
ever.