And, for the rest, I was not spoiled, as the saying goes; for I had my
work to do; moreover, I was always busied Listening, and having speech
through the darkness. Though if any saw me so, they would question; and
because of this, I kept much to the Tower of Observation, where was the
Master Monstruwacan, and a greater discipline. And then began a fresh matter; though but an old enough trick; for I
speak now of the days that followed that re-opening of the talk between
the Pyramids. Oft would speech come to us out of the night; and there
would be tales of the sore need of the Lesser Redoubt, and callings for
help. Yet, when I sent the Master-Word abroad, there would be no
answering. And so I feared that the Monsters and Forces of Evil _knew_. Yet, at times, the Master-Word would answer to us, beating steadily in
the night; and when we questioned afresh, we knew that they in the
Lesser Redoubt had caught the beat of the Master-Word, and so made
reply; though it had not been they who had made the previous talk, which
we had sought to test by the Word. And then they would make
contradiction of all that had been spoken so cunningly; so that we knew
the Monsters and Forces had sought to tempt some from the safety of the
Redoubt. Yet, was this no new thing, as I have made to hint; saving that
it grew now to a greater persistence, and there was a loathsome cunning
in the using of this new knowledge to the making of wicked and false
messages by those evil things of the Night Land. And it told to us, as I
have made remark, how that those Monsters and Forces had a full
awaredness of the speech between the Pyramids; yet could they have no
power to say the Master-Word; so had we some test left, and a way to
sure knowledge of what made talk in the night. And all that I have told should bring to those of this Age something of
the yet unbegotten terror of that; and a quiet and sound thankfulness to
God, that we suffer not as humanity shall yet suffer. But, for all this, let it not be thought that they of that Age accounted
it as suffering; but as no more than the usual of human existence. And
by this may we know that we can meet all circumstances, and use
ourselves to them and live through them wisely, if we be but prudent and
consider means of invention. And through all the Night Land there was an extraordinary awakening
among the Monsters and Forces; so that the instruments made constant
note of greater powers at work out there in the darkness; and the
Monstruwacans were busied recording, and keeping a very strict watch. And so was there at all that time a sense of difference and awakening,
and of wonders about, and to come. And from The Country Whence Comes The Great Laughter, the Laughter
sounded constant ... as it were an uncomfortable and heart-shaking
voice-thunder rolling thence over the Lands, out from the unknown East. And the Pit of the Red Smoke filled all the Deep Valley with redness, so
that the smoke rose above the edge, and hid the bases of the Towers upon
the far side. And the Giants could be seen plentiful around the Kilns to the East; and
from the Kilns great belches of fire; though the meaning of it, as of
all else, we could not say; but only the cause. And from the Mountain Of The Voice, which rose to the South-East of the
South-East Watcher, and of which I have made no telling hitherto, in
this faulty setting-out, I heard for the first time in that life, the
calling of the Voice. And though the Records made mention of it; yet not
often was it heard. And the calling was shrill, and very peculiar and
distressful and horrible; as though a giant-woman, hungering strangely,
shouted unknown words across the night. And this was how it seemed to
me; and many thought this to describe the sound. And, by all this, may you perceive how that Land was awakened. And other tricks there were to entice us into the Night Land; and once a
call came thrilling in the aether, and told to us that certain humans
had escaped from the Lesser Redoubt, and drew nigh to us; but were faint
for food, and craved succour. Yet, when we sent the Master-Word into the
night, the creatures without could make no reply; which was a very happy
thing for our souls; for we had been all mightily exercised in our
hearts by this one message; and now had proof that it was but a trap. And constantly, and at all hours, I would have speech with Naani of the
Lesser Redoubt; for I had taught her how she might send her thoughts
through the night, with her brain-elements; but not to over-use this
power; for it exhausts the body and the powers of the mind, if it be
abused by exceeding usage. Yet, despite that I had taught her the use of her brain-elements, she
sent her message always without strength, save when she had use of the
instrument; and this I set to the cause that she had not the health
force needful; but, apart from this, she had the Night-Hearing very
keen; though less than mine. And so, with many times of speech, and constant tellings of our doings
and thoughts, we drew near in the spirit to one another; and had always
a feeling in our hearts that we had been given previous acquaintance. And this, as may be thought, thrilled my heart very strangely. IV

THE HUSHING OF THE VOICE


    ("Dearest, thine own feet tread the world at night--
        Treading, as moon-flakes step across a dark--
      Kissing the very dew to holier light ...
        Thy Voice a song past mountains, which to hark
      Frightens my soul with an utter lost delight.") Now, one night, towards the end of the sixteenth hour, as I made ready
to sleep, there came all about me the thrilling of the aether, as
happened oft in those days; but the thrilling had a strange power in it;
and in my soul the voice of Naani sounded plain, all within and about
me. Yet, though I knew it to be the voice of Naani, I answered not
immediately; save to send the sure question of the Master-Word into the
night. And, directly, I heard the answer, the Master-Word beating
steadily in the night; and I questioned Naani why she had speech with me
by the Instrument at that time, when all were sleeping, and the watch
set among the Monstruwacans; for they in the little Pyramid had their
sleep-time to commence at the eleventh hour; so that by this it was five
hours advanced towards the time of waking; and Naani should have slept;
nor have been abroad to the Tower of Observation, apart from her father. For I supposed that she spoke by the Instrument, her voice sounding very
clear in my brain. Yet, to this question, she made no answer in kind;
but gave a certain thing into my spirit, which set me trembling; for she
said certain words, that began:

"Dearest, thine own feet tread the world at night--"

And it well may be that she set me to tremble; for as the words grew
about me, there wakened a memory-dream how that I had made these same
words to Mirdath the Beautiful in the long-gone Eternity of this our
Age, when she had died and left me alone in all the world.