And I had the scrip from my back very speedy, and some of the water to
fizz, and I dashed the water upon her face and upon her throat; and
surely there did be a little quivering and an answering of her body. And I strove with her for a while more; and she came unto her life
again; and in the first, she was all a-lack, as you may think; and
immediately she began that she remembered, and she then to shake. And I told her how that the Four-Armed Man was surely dead and could
harm her no more; and she then to weep, because that she had been put
to such shock and horror, and held by so brutish a thing. But I took her
into mine arms, and so she did come presently to an ease; and I
perceived in all my being that she was as a little ship that doth lie in
harbour; for she did cling and nestle unto me; and did be safe with me
in all her heart and body and belief. And surely she was Mine Own, and I
to have glory in that knowing. And presently, I put her from mine arms, to lie; yet so that she might
not perceive the body of the Yellow Beast-Man. And I made clean the
Diskos, from her sight, and afterward I put on the scrip; and I took the
Maid to mine arms again, and had the Diskos in my hand beside her. And she made protest that she should truly walk; for that I was all
a-weary, and she come to her strength again. And, indeed, I carried her
a certain way, and did then put her down to her feet; and truly her
knees did so tremble that she had not stood, let be to walk! And I
caught her up again; and I kist her, and I told her that I did be surely
her Master, in verity, and she mine own Baby-Slave. And truly you shall
not laugh upon me; for I was so human as any; and a man doth talk this
way with his maid. And she did be quiet and sweet and to obey wisely; for she was gone very
weak. And thiswise we did go; and I to say loving words, in the first;
but afterward I did heed more of my going, now that she was something
eased and at rest within mine arms. And I did peer everywhere about,
lest that some other evil thing come outward of the bushes, to have at
us ere I did ware. And, truly, the bushes grew here and there in that
place, very plentiful, in great dumpings. And presently I was come to the top part of the ridge; and lo! a great
gladness took me, and some amazement; for there did be the lights that
did be in the mouth of the Upward Gorge, and they did show me that I was
come anigh to that place. Yet had I feared that we were surely a dozen
great miles off; and now I to learn that we did be scarce of two or
maybe three, as I did judge. And I told this thing to the Maid; and she rejoiced in mine arms, with a
deep and quiet thankfulness. And I set forward then at so good a pace as
I might; and I was come into the mouth-part of the Upward Gorge in about
an hour; and surely I did be very weary, for it was beyond six and
thirty hours that we had gone since last we did sleep; and there had
been sore labour and terror to our share in that time, as I have told. And I turned in the mouth of the Gorge, and told Mine Own, very gentle,
that we did take our last look upon that Land. And she askt that I put
her down to her feet; and I put her down. And therewith we stood in that
place, and mine arm about her; and so did I support the Maid, the while
that she lookt silent over the dark of the Land. And presently she askt me in a very husht voice, whether that I knew
where the Lesser Pyramid did be in all that Darkness; for she was all
adrift of her bearings, and was as a stranger, because that she had
never lookt upon the Land from that place, before then. And I showed her
where I thought the Pyramid to stand hid in the everlasting night; and
she nodded, very quiet, as that she did think thatwise, also. And so a time did pass, and I knew that Naani said good-bye forever unto
all that she had known of the world in all her life; and she did be
whispering a goodbye in her soul unto her Dead. And I was very husht, and deeply sorrowful for the Maid, and did
understand; for in verity, there should no other human look upon that
Land of terror through all the quiet of eternity; and the Maid did lose
all her young life into that blackness, and the Father that was her
Father; and the grave of her Mother; and the friends of all her years. And there went death in the Land, even then, after those that did live. And Mine Own shook a little within mine arm; so that I knew she strove
that she be brave, to weep not; but afterward, she made not to cease
from her tears; and truly I was there, to be her understanding; and she
did be sweet and natural ever with me; for she was Mine Own, and did be
hourly the more so. And presently, I moved a little, to sign that we go downward of the
Gorge; and she stayed me one moment, that she look once more over all
that Land; and afterward, she submitted, and turned with me, and did
break into very bitter sobbing as she did go stumbling beside me; for
the sorrow of memory did fill her; and she was truly a very lonesome
Maid in that moment, and had come through much dreadfulness. And in a minute, I stoopt and lifted her; and she wept in mine arms
against mine armour; and I very silent and tender with her; and carried
her downward of the Gorge for a great hour more. And presently she was
grown calm, and I knew that she slept in mine arms. And in thiswise we made farewell of that dark Land, and left it unto
Eternity. XII

DOWNWARD OF THE GORGE


Now I carried the Maid an hour downward of the Gorge, as I did say; and
I was then grown so weary that I near fell, as I walked, and stumbled
everywhile, because that I had lost somewhat of guiding in my feet, the
which did show mine utter alackness. And I saw that I must come very swift to a place for slumber, or that I
did be like to fall headlong with the Maid; for I nigh slept as I walkt. And I began that I give attention to the sides of the Gorge; and surely
I had gone that hour all in a dream; for I was fresh-waked, as it were,
in that I did give my will to perceive aught; and when I did come to
have power to attend, I knew that I had gone, even as a sleep-walker;
for the Gorge did seem a fresh matter unto me, and as that I had come
awake sudden to find myself a-walk in that strange and narrow place. And presently, I saw somewhat where I did be; for I minded the memory of
mine outward journey, and truly I have a good power to know and remember
a way that I have gone. And I saw that there was a great and ruddy
fire-hole anigh to me; and I was all sure that I had perceived certain
caves in the wall of the Gorge, near to that fire, as I past it on mine
upward way; and I had been given a mighty longing of heart at that time,
that it be given to me that I should bring safe Mine Own out of the
peril that beset her, and have her unto just such a place for her
slumber, on the way of our journey backward.