And presently I had more assuredness that naught did make harm about me;
and I sat me up in the dark, and reached for my scrip, and did eat and
drink, there in that utter night; and fumbled somewhat, as you shall
think. Yet I was done in a while, and got my gear upon me, and the
Diskos into my hand, and so to my feet and forward. Now all that day, I did have a strange unease of the spirit, so that I
stopt oft to listen, as that my soul told of something nigh unto me that
did follow very quiet. Yet did mine ears perceive nothing; and so I
alway to go downward again into the night that held the slope. And here should I tell how that in the early part of the seventh hour,
after I had eat and drunk, and went forward as ever, upon my journey
down the Mighty Slope, I did have a very sore tumble against a sharp
rock; for I put my foot sudden into a small hole, and this did make me
to pitch. And I was utter shaked by the fall and lay very quiet for a
time; for the rock had surely ript my body, but for the armour. And after that I was something renewed of strength and spirit, I made
that I should go no more upon my feet, but upon my hands and knees; and
thus should I feel the way that I went, and have a less need of the
Diskos, which had not overmuch use to light my way, in that I shone it
not often, and did guess more than I did perceive, as you may think. And so I crept all that day, which was a bitter way of travel; yet had I
done many a sore mile thus through the Night Land. And when that I had
gone downward for eighteen hours, and eat and drunk thrice, I ceased
from my labour, and did feel about in the darkness, that I come to a
level place for my rest; and so did find presently, a place not so bad,
and did push and cast away such small boulders as had been like to irk
me. Then did I eat and drink, and afterward composed me to my sleep, and had
many a thought of Naani, as I did drift unto slumber; yet also had I
memories of the strange half-fear that had been with me all that day, as
though something went constantly near me in the Dark. And because of
this, twice did I rise unto mine elbow, and listen; but heard no sound
to trouble me, and afterward did trust that I did but fancy; and so came
at last unto slumber, that yet was not over-restful, for truly I did
listen even as I slept. And when I had been asleep scarce six hours, I waked again very sudden,
as I had done before, and had belief that something did be anigh unto
me; and I gript the Diskos, and did hearken; yet was there no sound that
mine ears did wot of; neither aught that had power to be surely known of
the spirit. And all that day was as the day before; save that about the eighth hour
I came near to fall into some monstrous pit in the Great Slope; but did
only fall with my breast upon the edge, and so drew back, and presently
did crawl all around it in the dark, and come safe unto the lower side;
yet shaken and put more in trouble of spirit than before, and fearful
how I should go; for I knew not whether I had come among such things, or
whether I had but few to sorrow me. And so you shall perceive that I went over-cautious for a great while in
all that utter dark; but did think at last upon a plan to go with more
surety and speed. But to this I did need a cord, and surely I had no
cord upon me; and if a boy be no boy that hath none such about him,
shall not the same be said of any man! And this I did think, as I
searched me; for the sayings of that day had many that were like to
this. Yet in the end I did compass my plan; for I did buckle the scrip and the
pouch together, and took one of the straps from the pouch; and this
strap was long and thin, and well suited unto my purpose. Then I fixt a
stone into the end of the strap, and buckled it there, and after that, I
cast the stone before me, as I went upon my hands and knees; and I did
hold to the hither end of the strap, and so was abled to have something
of knowledge whether there lay any great deepness immediately before me,
and thiswise to strive that I fall not down some monstrous cliff in the
night. And so did I go, casting the stone continually to my front, down the
slope; and this you shall think to be a cumbersome fashion of travel;
yet was I in better case than in all the time since I had begun to go
downward of the Mighty Slope in the everlasting darkness. And at the eighteenth hour I did sleep; and was waked strangely before
the sixth hour, even as I had waked before. And this did put always
upon me a new wonder and unease. Yet did no harm seem to come unto me,
and I did strive that I have no needful trouble of mind. But that
something was always nigh unto me in the dark, I do truly believe; yet
have I no knowing that it was evil; for it harmed not me. And three days more I journeyed thus, and did never cease to creep
downward weariful upon my hands and knees; and the Diskos I had to my
hip, and so shall you know how I carried it. And by this, as you do
know, I had been on the Great Slope six days of utter Dark; and did have
no wotting but that I went unto some dire and dreadful place; for,
surely, I had gone for ever downward a monstrous way. And here, before I tell further, I must set down how that the cold was
much gone from out of the air upon the slope; and the air was grown, as
it did seem, very heavy unto my chest. And concerning this matter I
should say something. For, if I do mind me, I have said not overmuch
concerning the air of the Night Land and the Mighty Pyramid; for truly I
have been so set to tell my story of all that I did truly see and
adventure upon. Yet, though I have said but little, you will surely have
perceived that the air of that far and chill time was not as the air of
this; but was thin and keen within the Night Land, and lay not, as I do
think, to a great height above the land, but only nigh to the earth. And as you do know through my tellings, there was a wondrous difference
between the air within the Mighty Pyramid, and that which lay without
around the base; for upward beyond that, I did understand that there was
no outward air that any should breathe; and so was all the Pyramid
sealed in certain wise in all the upper Cities for ever; and whether it
was sealed _utterly_ from the outward air at the base, I do not surely
remember, if, in truth that I did ever bother my head to such matters. Yet, if I be set proper in memory and understanding, we did draw air
from the Underground Fields; but whether they gat any change or newness
of air from the Night Land, I have no knowledge; and do lament that I
have no sure knowing. Yet, as you shall believe, I could surely write an
hundred books upon that Wonder of the Future, and be still lacking in
the half of all that there is to be told; and so do I try to have
courage to this my task, and to have no over-trouble, because that I do
tell but a little of a Great Tale.