And I found the ground of that Land to be very fair for my feet, and to
have in this place and that certain bushes, even as it did seem to me,
of the kind that we named moss-bushes in the Night Land, as you do know. And I made a very good speed, and went thus until I had gone for maybe
six long hours. And by that time, I was come anigh to the glowing of
light; and did keep now a strong caution to my going; for truly, as I
did know from the tellings of the Maid, there were very horrid and
dreadful Powers in that Land, and I did well to remember that I was come
again to parts where might be the destruction of the spirit. Now I made
a pause, and lookt toward the glowing light; and it seemed to me that
for a monstrous way unto the right and unto the left, there did be
surely a great, hid valley in the earth before me. For the shining did
seem as that it came up from out of a valley, as that there burned a
deep light in such a place; but yet was I all unsure, and had no proper
knowing whether indeed there did be any valley there, but only a strange
and luminous shining that did come upward from the earth. And I made no great haste now to go unto that place; but went down
sudden into the bushes, and lay upon my belly, and had a new great fear
upon my spirit. And presently, I parted the bushes a little, and made a
place for spying. And I looked a great time unto the place of the light, and now to this
part and now to that. And sudden, I saw, as it did seem, a monstrous
head within the glowing; for the glowing did seem at whiles as that it
swept to and fore, as should a shining smoke that went obedient to a
quiet wind: and so to hide and again to uncover. And in a moment I lost
the great face, and was all unsure that ever I had seen aught. And lo! in a little minute, I did see it again; but whether it did be
the shape of some utter monster of eternity--even as the Watchers about
the Mighty Pyramid--or whether it did be no more than a carven mountain
of rock, shaped unto the dire picturing of a Monster, I did have no
knowing. But I made that I should get hence very quick, and I did turn
me about in the bushes, and went upon my hands and knees; and so came at
last a great way off. Now, presently, I came again upon my feet, and did take a new look
around that Land. And I had the mouth of the Gorge to my back, and this
I perceived by the shining of the fire-pits that made the place shown to
me. And to the left of the Gorge was an utter blackness, as I did conceive
of black and monstrous mountains, through which the Gorge did come. And
to the right side of the Gorge there were many low volcanoes, that went
always along the feet of the great mountains that made the right wall of
the Gorge. And I saw the feet of these dark mountains, because that the
light from the little volcanoes made a glare upon the lower slopes. And so shall you have some knowing of that part of this second Land of
Night. And a good way off, was the shining that I had journeyed unto, and the
shining went into a distant light through a part of the Land that lay
afar to my left, for it stretched a great and strange way toward me, out
of the leftward gloom, and came unto my front, and so away into an utter
distance. Yet, though it was so great, you shall not think that it made
any huge light in the Land; but was rather as that it had a shining made
unto other ends; for it made not a great lightness in the Land. And you do now perceive something roughly how the Land did seem to my
back part and unto my left, and somewhat before my face. And because
that I did think to have no profit to my search, if that I went to the
left, I made attention unto the Right. And here there was much of
darkness; yet oft the shining of fire-holes in this place and that amid
the darkness. And, as I did look, it grew very plain upon me how great
was the spread and drear wideness of that Country of Night; and how
that I did be an utter lonesome person in all that dark. And so shall
you be with me in sympathy of the utter greatness of my task, and know
of the fear that did breed, odd whiles, that I should search until I
die, and never find. And you to give me good human understanding. Now I made no more to delay, but went unto the right, and did keep the
chain of the little volcanoes something level to my course; though a
great way off. And I went thus with a strange growing of hope, and an
excitement, for ten hours, and had eat not then for more than twenty
hours, and surely not since the sixth hour of that day and this because
that I was so utter shaken from my calmness of going. And at the tenth hour, I went utter weak, and did seem surely as that I
must swoon. And lo! I bethought me how that I was gone so long without
aught for my belly. And surely, when I was quiet a time, I eat four of
the tablets, and in a good while did feel all renewed, and would rest no
more, after that I had drunk some of the water, but went onward; for, in
verity, my spirit did be as that it had slain me, if that I had lain
down at that time. And this because hope was so fierce in me; for I to
feel indeed that I was come near to the Maid. And I went ten hours more, until that I did truly totter upon my feet,
with utter and dreadful weariness; for I had gone now through someways
of forty great hours, and had been foolish in mine eating and drinking,
as you have perceived; but yet was this to be forgiven; for I was as
that I should come any little minute upon the wonder of the Lesser
Pyramid, shining afar in the night. Yet, truly, there was nowhere
anything that might be likened unto it. And I lay down there, just as I did be, and with no proper heed to my
safety. And I was gone asleep in one moment, as it did seem; and waked
not for twelve hours; and then did come suddenly unto knowledge; and
thankful was I in the heart that no monster had come upon me in that
dead-time of slumbering. And I eat four of the tablets, as was surely
due unto me, and drank some of the water, and so gat forward again into
the night. And truly I was mortal stiff and did ache for a great while, and this
did be in part because that I had wrapped not the cloak about me, ere I
slept; for the Land was bitter cold and did make the blood very chill. Now when I had gone onward through six hours, I ate and drank; for I did
mind now to be wise and keep my strength good within me. And I went
onward again at a very great speed, and full of an excitement. And
surely, I did be glad at last that the tablets were so easy gone in the
mouth, and unfilling to the belly; for I had been without power and
patience to eat proper victual. And at the tenth hour, I saw that there rose a red-shining out of the
Land before me, as that it came upward from a mighty pit. And I made
slow my way, and so, when I was gone on for two great hours more, I saw
that monstrous figures went about, against the red glare of the shining. And I gat me down into the bushes which were very plentiful in that
part.