And the Vale of Red Fire did be soon afar off unto my right, and the
bulk of the Watcher of the North-East to be somewise unto my left,
before me; and the great back to be toward me. And truly, I lookt at the
Brute-Force, and it did be as that I drew nigh unto a Mountain of
Watchfulness; and above it in the everlasting night did be the blue
shining of the luminous ring, and the ring shed a light downward over
the Monster-Force; and the shoulders did be huge and humpt, even as two
small hills, and it lookt forever from me through eternity unto the
Pyramid. And this to be plain, though I did be a great way off from it. And sudden, as I went, there came Somewhat out of a bush unto my left,
and rose up at me, very long and tall; and surely it did be some kind of
a man, and came at me. And my fury and my despair came inward upon me in
a moment, so that I troubled not to set down the Maid, but leaped at the
thing, where it did be yet half hid in the dark. And lo! it died in
pieces, and the Diskos did roar to content my heart an instant. And I
then onward again the more savage, so that my heart did be a dreadful
thing within me. And a great while I went then, and do have a vague remembering that this
time and that there came things at me from out of the dark; but surely
they to have died very speedy, that I not to remember more. And the hours did pass in spaces of time that did be made of terror and
numbness and an utter and evergrowing fury of despair. And I did be at
last as that I did burn inward with a grim and dreadful energy, and to
seem to grow the less tired, and to come over the Land with a stronger
ease and somewhat as that I did desire things to come unto me, that I
have something to ease my heart; for lo! Mine Own Maid did be dying in
mine arms as I carried her; and I to be in a bleak and sickened dread,
so that I lacked all courage now to listen unto her heart, as I have
told; and went burning, and dry and hot in the eyes. And ever there sounded the roarings across the Land; and there did be
added presently lower and more horrid and dread noises. And later I
heard a far thudding of the earth; and in a little there went past me a
great Man, running so heavy that he did make a shaking as he past me;
yet, in verity, by a sweet mercy, he saw me not, and was gone onward in
a moment and lost utter into the night. And the aether of the world to
be full of the trouble of the Peoples, as the Man past me; and afterward
there to be a stirring of glad thankfulness. And truly, alway my spirit
did know strangely as in a dream, that the Millions set their sympathy
and pity and help about me, and did girt me about with Human love and
with encouragement and with uplifted thoughts. Yet, in verity, did all
be as water beside the fierce wine of my love and despair, which did
urge me onward in a natural lacking of all dread, save for Mine Own. And
truly this doth be the way of Love, and shall make fearless the heart of
the weakest. And there to be prayers in the night, and all the aether to
be surged with the spiritual trouble and callings and cryings of the
Millions; so that, indeed, if that my spirit so to hear these things, it
to be conceived that these do pass outward into the Everlasting, and to
break upon the Shore of Eternity in an anguish, even as a visible foam
of supplication. And surely the unity of love of the Millions did make a natural Force
about me; for, in verity, the Force that did come from the House to seem
to be somewhat eased from the Maid; yet there to be no surety in this;
for all did be desperation and turmoil in my heart, and I to have but
one thought in my brain, that I bring Mine Own swift across the Land
unto the Mighty Pyramid, and so unto the Doctors. And lo! there stole presently from afar the deep and dreadful baying of
the Hounds; so that I knew we did be surely dead, save that a miracle
should happen. And I askt in my heart in a fierce and mad fashion why
that they did not to rig one of the olden shooting weapons, that they
shoot from the Pyramid, and so to give me some aid in mine extremity. And behold, even as I did be so bitter, there went afar upward in the
everlasting night, where did shine the Last Light, the sharp flashings
of the Set Speech; and I did warm in my heart a little with hope; for
the Master Monstruwacan did see that I was now all discovered, and there
to be no more use for silence, and did speak straight and helpful unto
me. And I made to read the Set Speech, but mine eyes had been mad and
near blinded with lost hope. But in a moment I saw clear. And behold,
the dear Master Monstruwacan bid me to keep good my courage, for that
they did have made ready three of the olden weapons; and moreover, they
to save me, even if that they have to turn loose the Earth-Current over
the Land. And he commended me with Honour, and that I strive forward yet
a little while; for that an Hundred Thousand Men did be Prepared, and
did even then go downward in their armour by the Lifts. And surely, as you shall think, my heart eased a little in me, and there
burned somewhat of a hope in my spirit that I yet to bring Mine Own
unto the Doctors, ere it be too late. And the baying of the Hounds did grow nearer in the night; and there to
grow ever the roarings over the Land; and a sense of Evil and
monstrousness to be abroad in all the night. And lo! I to have come by this so that the Watcher of the North-East did
be backward upon my left; and I lookt keen and fearful now at the
Monster-Force; and behold, the great bell-ear did quiver continually, so
that I saw the Monster made somewhat known unto all the Land. And the
Monster did look as ever, unto the Pyramid; and did be a great and
silent Hill of Life that did lean toward the Pyramid; and the light from
the Ring came downward upon the monstrous hide, which did be set in vast
folds and wrinkles upon it. And the Monster to know of me; yet never to
move, neither to show life, save that the ear did quiver so horridly. And I knew that they made some great preparation in the Pyramid for our
defence; for all the night did begin now to shake and to quiver with the
mighty beat of the Earth-Current. XVI

IN THE COUNTRY OF SILENCE


And lo! I did be come something nigh unto the Mighty Pyramid; and my
great Home went up vast into the everlasting night, as a very Mountain
of sweet Life and Safety, and had surely amazed me afresh with the utter
Bigness of it, only that despair and weariness did have too grim an hold
upon my heart for me to care of aught, save to have Mine Own Maid within
the safe wonder of the huge Refuge. And it did be still afar off from
me. And I to go forward across the Land with a strong going; and lo! as I
past a hollow place where did burn a fire-hole, there came something out
of the hollow. And the thing gat upward from crawling, and did be a
great and haired Man. And the Man lookt at me, and afterward came unto
me, and did put his hands forward, very eager, as he came.