And so in the end, we to be come very nigh to the dance of the monstrous
flame; and did be half stunned by the noise, which did be now an utter and
furious roaring, as you shall remember; and the Maid and I did stand as
but two lonesome strangers in the mouth-part of that deep and desolate
Gorge, and did stare voiceless unto the great flaw; and mine arm did be
about the Maid, and she to stand very nigh to me; and neither to speak;
and surely, how should we anywise; for the noise did be so huge. And after that we had stared a great while, we turned that we look each
at the other; and we kist very sober, there in the light from the
monster flame. And afterward, we did stare again at the Flame, and soon
turned, and lookt all ways, and did marvel to see the great throw of the
light go blue and spreading and strange unto great distances. And a while we did be watching the way that the far-off side of the
Gorge did come plain to sight, when that the Flame did leap; and, truly,
that did seem a far and lonesome Place, as that a lost and forgot world
of desolate mountains did be there. And lo! we now to look that we should see somewhat of the way that our
journey to go; and surely naught to be clear shown save when the Flame
did rise oddwhiles to a monstrous height; and this to be because of the
huge rocks that did stand about the Flame. Yet something I was abled to
show the Maid of the bottom part of the Mighty and Utter Monster Slope
that did be the last way of our journey, ere we were come to the Night
Land. And we then to go onward for about a good mile, that we be not so
deafened by the noise of the Gas Fountain; and it did be now beyond the
seventeenth hour; so that we eat and drunk, and made our rest in a
secure place among the great boulders. And lo! when that we waked, we eat and drunk again, and did be something
silent, as we to gaze at the Flame dancing monstrous, and lonesome and
all set about with the stark and mighty Rocks, which did be like unto
giants of silence that did watch forever. And presently, we had our gear
upon us, and we went forward toward the utter dark of the Mighty Slope;
and we began that huge climb, that should last through days in an
eternity of night. And oft in the first hours did we turn about from our blind stumblings,
and gaze downward out of the long height, unto the loom of the Flame,
that did shudder far below in the night, and made a quaking light in
that far darkness. And so did we leave it to dance forever through
Eternity in that deep and lost place of the world; and we bent all our
will and our strength unto the climb. And this way went we stumbling for sixteen great hours; and by that time
had come to a pace proper for that task, and to be something numbed, and
seeming grown unreal, because of the affecting of the Darkness. And lo! for eight days then did we go upward forever through that most
dreadful night. And after the first day, we crept alway upon our hands
and our knees, and I to go in the front, and had the Diskos ready upon
my hip. And I took two of the straps from the pouch and the scrip, and
so had a certain length; and I set them from the waist-belt of the Maid
unto mine own belt, and so did know ever that she came close after me. And we made journeys sixteen hours long, and did eat and drink at the
sixth and the twelfth hours, and likewise we eat and drank ere we slept,
and again upon our wakings; and our slumber-time to go alway somewheres
about eight good hours; for thus did I be heedful that we have all our
strength for that dreadness of the journey, which did be yet before us,
across the fear and horrid terror of the Night Land. And oft, at this time and that, I was utter sickened and a-wearied of
reaching forward and upward forever, and making blind fumblings that I
find a way about great boulders and the rocks and holes that did be in
our path in the dark; for it to seem that we went lost from all life and
knowing, in a blackness that should be never slackened from about us. And I, these times, to make a pause, and to call softly unto Mine Own
that she creep up nigh unto me; and I then to take her into mine arms,
out of the utter blackness of that night. And so to give and to have
comfort. And surely, Mine Own did whisper once unto me, that she did be stunned
with love and wonder in the heart; for she to never cease to know that I
did adventure through this great night, that I find her. And this thing
did make me very warm in my heart, as you shall think; but yet I to stop
her speech with a gentle kiss; and she then to know that she be dumb
concerning her thought in this matter; yet she never to cease from
remembering it, and did be the more stirred with the trouble of her
lovely secret worship; for, in verity, she to have me to be for her
hero; and this to make me in the same moment both something shamed and
greatly proud. And so we to be together, and after such pause, to go forward again,
with a new courage. And surely it did be a great comfort to me to think that, because we to
go upward and not downward, we be not like to fall over any hid cliff in
the night; for I to have now some little knowing of the Slope, from mine
outward journey; yet to remember upon that monstrous pit that I then to
escape, and so to go with care. And, indeed, upon the second day, I had Mine Own to creep more nigh with
me, and I then to have but one strap between us, and the other I set a
stone into, and did cast the stone alway before us, as upon the outward
way. And you to mind you of this, if you but to think a little minute. And oft in those weary days in the Darkness, did I make gentle
whisperings through the blackness, unto Mine Own, that I give cheer unto
her; and she alway to answer, very sweet and loving; yet ever husht, as
I did be; and in verity, it did be as that we could not set our voices
loud upon that Mighty Slope, lest some enchantment come upon us, as it
might be said. And, indeed, each time that I cast the stone, the noise
of the stone to make a little trouble and dismalness in mine ears; for
all did be so quiet and desolate and lost in night, that it to make us
to need to be likewise so quiet, and to desire that we might go upward
so silent as shadows. Now, surely, I must tell here how that the Maid to have alway at waking
that same awaredness that I did have upon the Outward Way, that somewhat
did be nigh to us, and to seem to have been concerned with our waking;
and I likewise to have also the same knowledge, as before. And oft as we
did go, I to feel that somewhat did go near to us. And this to put
something of a fear upon me, because that I was ever anxious for Mine
Own; and I to have her to be alway the more nigh to me, and did set the
strap from her to me, even when that she slept; so that she not to be
touched, and I to lack to know.