all the Monstruwacans would have left their instruments and
observations and recording, and be gathered about me; and the Master so
sunken in interest that he not to have discovered them; neither had I
noticed, being so full of the things which had been. But when the Master came back to knowledge of that present, he would
rouse and chide, and they, all those lesser ones, would fly swiftly and
guiltily to their various works; and yet, so I have thought since, each
with a muddled and bewildered and thoughtful air upon him; and hungry
they were for more, and ever wondering and setting questions about. And so it was also with those others--those learned ones who were not of
the Tower of Observation, and who disbelieved even whilst they hungered. Listen would they, though I talked from the first hour, which was the
"dawn," to the fifteenth hour, which was the beginning of the "night";
for the Sleep-Time was set thus, after other usage and experiment. And,
odd whiles, I found that there were among them, men of extraordinary
learning who upheld my tellings as tales of verity; and so there was a
faction; but, later, there grew more to believe; and whether they
believed, or not, all were ready to listen; so that I might have spended
my days in talk; only that I had my work to do. But the Master Monstruwacan believed from the beginning, and was wise
always to understand; so that I loved him for this, as for many another
dear quality. And so, as may be conceived, among all those millions I was singled out
to be known; for the stories that I told went downward through a
thousand cities; and, presently, in the lowest tier of the Underground
Fields, an hundred miles deep in the earth below the Redoubt, I found
that the very ploughboys knew something concerning my tellings; and
gathered about me one time and another when the Master Monstruwacan and
I had gone down, regarding some matter that dealt with the Earth-Current
and our Instruments. And of the Underground Fields (though in that age we called them no more
than "The Fields") I should set down a little; for they were the
mightiest work of this world; so that even the Last Redoubt was but a
small thing beside them. An hundred miles deep lay the lowest of the
Underground Fields, and was an hundred miles from side to side, every
way; and above it there were three hundred and six fields, each one less
in area than that beneath; and in this wise they tapered, until the
topmost field which lay direct beneath the lowermost floor of the Great
Redoubt, was but four miles every way. And thus it will be seen that these fields, lying one beneath the other,
formed a mighty and incredible Pyramid of Country Lands in the deep
earth, an hundred miles from the base unto the topmost field. And the whole was sheathed-in at the sides with the grey metal of which
the Redoubt was builded; and each field was pillared, and floored
beneath the soil, with this same compound of wonder; and so was it
secure, and the monsters could not dig into that mighty garden from
without. And all of that Underground Land was lit, where needed, by the
Earth-Current, and that same life-stream fructified the soil, and gave
life and blood to the plants and to the trees, and to every bush and
natural thing. And the making of those Fields had taken maybe a million years, and the
"dump" thereof had been cast into the "Crack," whence came the
Earth-Current, and which had bottom beyond all soundings. And this
Underground Country had its own winds and air-currents; so that, to my
memory, it was in no ways connected to the monstrous air-shafts of the
Pyramid; but in this I may be mistaken; for it has not been given to me
to know all that is to be known concerning that vast Redoubt; nor by any
one man could so much knowledge be achieved. Yet that there were wise and justly promoted winds in that Underground
Country, I do know; for healthful and sweet they were, and in the
corn-fields there was the sweet rustle of grain, and the glad, silken
laughter of poppies, all beneath a warm and happy light. And here, did
the millions walk and take excursion, and go orderly or not, even as in
these days. And all this have I seen, and the talk of a thousand lovers in the
gardens of that place, comes back to me; and with it all the memory of
my dear one; and of a faint calling that would seem to whisper about me
at times; but so faint and attenuated, that even I, who had the
Night-Hearing, could not catch its import; and so went, listening ever
the more intently. And oft times calling. Now there was a Law in the Pyramid, tried and healthful, which held that
no male should have freedom to adventure into the Night Land, before the
age of twenty-two; _and no female ever_. Yet that, after such age, if a
youth desired greatly to make the adventure, he should receive three
lectures upon the dangers of which we had knowledge, and a strict
account of the mutilatings and horrid deeds done to those who had so
adventured. And if, after this had passed over him, he still desired,
and if he were accounted healthful and sane; then should he be allowed
to make the adventure; and it was accounted honour to the youth who
should add to the knowledge of the Pyramid. But to all such as went forth into the danger of the Night Land, there
was set beneath the skin of the inner side of the left forearm, a small
capsule, and when the wound had healed, then might the youth make the
adventure. And the wherefore of this, was that the spirit of the youth might be
saved, if he were entrapped; for then, upon the honour of his soul, must
he bite forth the capsule, and immediately his spirit would have safety
in death. And by this shall you know somewhat the grim and horrid danger
of the Dark Land. And this I have set down because later I was to make huge adventure into
those Lands; and even at this time, some thought of the same had come to
me; for always I went listening for that quiet calling; and twice I sent
the Master-Word throbbing solemnly through the everlasting night; yet
this I did no more, without certainty; for the Word must not be used
lightly. But often would I say with my brain-elements "Mirdath! Mirdath!" --sending the name out into the darkness; and sometimes would I
seem to hear the faint thrilling of the aether around me; as though one
answered; but weakly, as it were with a weakened spirit, or by
instrument that lacked of its earth-force. And thus, for a great while there was no certainty; but only a strange
anxiousness and no clear answer. Then, one day as I stood by the instruments in the Tower of Observation,
at the thirteenth hour there came the thrilling of beaten aether all
about me, as it were that all the void was disturbed. And I made the
Sign for Silence; so that the men moved not in all the Tower; but bowed
over their breathing-bells, that all disturbance might cease.