And in all the Pyramid was there a great silence; for the bellowing of
the Home-Call bred a quietness, because of that which it did portend;
and it was swiftly known by the millions that the Master Monstruwacan
did plead for the souls of the Youths; and there went forth,
unknowingly, a counter-force from the Mighty Pyramid, by reason of the
prayers and soul-wishings of the countless millions. And the counter-force was plain to my inward hearing, and beat all the
aether of the world into a surge of supplication; so that it stunned my
spirit with the great power of it. And it seemed to me, as it were,
that there was a vast spiritual-noise in all the night; and I spied
tremblingly through the Great Spy-Glass, and lo! the Youths did cease
from their swift running, and were come together in a crowd, and had a
seeming to be confused; as might some who have waked suddenly from
sleep, to find that they walked in their sleep, and had come to a
strange place. Then came there a great roar from all the millions that spied from the
embrasures--from nigh five hundred thousand embrasures they did look,
and I count not the great View-Tables. And the shouting rose up like to
the roaring of a mighty wind of triumph, yet was it over-early to sound
for victory. For the counter-force which came from the intensity of so
many wills blent to one intent, was brake, and the Evil Force which came
forth out of the House did draw the Youths again; so that they heeded
not their salvation; but turned once again to their running. And the Mighty Pyramid was full of a shaken silence, and immediately of
lamentation and sorrow and horror at this thing. But in that moment
there did happen a fresh wonder; for there grew suddenly before those
poor Youths, billows of mist--as it had been of pure white fire, shining
very chill; yet giving no light upon them. And the mist of cold fire stayed their way, so that we had knowledge
that there fought for the souls of them, one of those sweet Powers of
Goodness, which we had belief did strive to ward our spirits at all
times from those Forces of Evil and Destruction. And all the millions
saw the thing; but some with a great clearness, and many doubtful; yet
were all advanced more in spiritual sight and hearing than the normal
Peoples of this Age. But of them all, none had the Night-Hearing, to know a soul having
speech in the aether half across the world. Yet, as I have said, some
there had been aforetime who were thus given the Hearing, even as was I. And there came a Monstruwacan to the Master Monstruwacan to make report
that the Influence had ceased to work upon the Instruments; and by this
thing we knew that in verity the Force which proceeded out from the
House of Silence was cut off from us, and from those Youths; and we had
assurance that there fought a very mighty Power for the salvation of the
souls of the Youths. And all the Peoples were silent, save for an underbreath of wonder and
talk; for all were utter stirred with hope and fear, perceiving that the
Youths had some chance given unto them to return. And whilst the Youths yet wavered in their minds, as I perceived with
the Great Spy-Glass, and the knowledge of my soul, and of my natural
wit, lo! the Master Monstruwacan sent once more the great Voice of the
Home-Call abroad into the Land; and immediately besought those Youths
for the sake of their souls and the love which their Mothers had for
them, to come swiftly Homewards, whilst they had yet this great Power
to shield them, and allow them sweet sanity. And I thought that some did look towards the Pyramid, as that they
answered to the mighty Voice of the Home-Call, and did read the message
which the Master Monstruwacan made to them. But in a moment they faced
about, seeming to have a good obedience to one who did always lead; and
of whom I had inquired, and found to be one named Aschoff, who was a
great athlete of the Nine-Hundredth-City. And this same Aschoff, out of
the boldness and bravery of his heart, did make, unwitting, to destroy
the souls of them all; for he went forward and leapt into the billows of
the bright shining fire that made a Barrier in the way of their
Destruction. And immediately the fire ceased from its shining, and gave way and sank
and grew to a nothingness; and Aschoff of the Nine-Hundredth-City began
again to run towards the House of Silence; and all they that were with
him, did follow faithfully, and ceased not to run. And they came presently to the low Hill whereon was that horrid House;
and they went up swiftly--and they were two hundred and fifty, and
wholesome of heart, and innocent; save for a natural waywardness of
spirit. And they came to the great open doorway that "hath been open since the
Beginning," and through which the cold steadfast light and the
inscrutable silence of Evil "hath made for ever a silence that may be
felt in all the Land." And the great, uncased windows gave out the
silence and the light--aye, the utter silence of an unholy desolation. And Aschoff ran in through the great doorway of silence, and they that
followed. And they nevermore came out or were seen by any human. And it must be known that the Mothers and the Fathers of those Youths
looked out into the Night Land, and saw that thing which came to pass. And all the people were silent; but some said presently that the Youths
would come forth again; yet the people knew in their hearts that the
young men had gone in to Destruction; for, in truth, there was that in
the night which spoke horror to the souls of all, and a sudden utter
quiet in all the Land. But unto me (that had the Night-Hearing) there came a great Fear of that
which might be whispered into my spirit, out of the Quietness of the
night--of the agony of those young men. Yet there came no sound, to the
hearing of the soul; neither then nor in all the years that were to
come; for, in verity, had those Youths passed into a Silence of which
the heart cannot think. And here will I tell how that the strange Quiet which did fill all the
Land, seeming to brood within the night, was horrid beyond all the
roarings which had passed over the darkness in the time that went
before; so that it had given my spirit some rest and assurance to hear
but the far-echoing, low thunder of the Great Laughter, or the whining
which was used at times to sound in the night from the South-East, where
were the Silver-fire Holes that opened before the Thing that Nods. Or
the Baying of the Hounds, or the Roaring of the Giants, or any of those
dreadful sounds that did often pass through the night. For they could
not have offended me as did that time of silence; and so shall you judge
how dreadful was that quiet, which did hold so much of horror. And surely it will be known that none had thinkings now, even in idle
speech, that any should have power to succour the Peoples of the Lesser
Redoubt. Neither, as I have said, had any the knowledge of the place
where it did stand.