Now, about the fourteenth hour of that journeying, I saw before us, in
the far distance, the rock upon which did be the olden flying ship, that
you shall remember. And presently, as we came more nigh, I lookt oft to
Mine Own; and I saw that she did be staring that way, and to be in
wonder; but yet to say naught to me. And soon, as we came very close, I did want that I tell her about the
ship, and of mine adventuring there, and of the wonder of that olden
ship, set there through Eternity. But in the first, I hesitated, as you shall think, because of her way;
but truly, my heart knew that her heart did be proper unto me; and,
moreover, I should be small in my nature, if that I let any pettiness
put a silence upon me; though, in verity, if that the Maid had not been
inwardly loving to me, I had been that I had told her no word; and this
to be very natural, whether it be of smallness or not. And when that we were come beside the great uprising rock, I made halt,
and the Maid to halt with me; and I showed her how that the thing upon
the rock did be an olden flying ship from the Mighty Pyramid. And in the
first, she askt no questions; but did be quiet and but to show with
little noddings that she did be greatly interest. And I to show to her how that this olden ship did be there mayhap an
hundred thousand years; and to have been there, as it did seem to us
(that were of that age) since the beginnings of the world; though, in
verity, our two spirits did know that the beginnings of That Age, did be
truly the ending of This, as you also to know. And much I told Mine Own, and afterward concerning the two Humpt Men
that did come after me; and she alway to be silent, until that I spoke
of the fight; but then to come round upon me very swift, and with a dear
light in her eyes; and had askt, before she did wot, whether they did
hurt me. And surely, this to have been the first thing of her olden sweet
naturalness that she did say for a great while, and I to be so in
delight, that I had her into mine arms, and kist her very loving, all
in a moment, and she to submit with a nice gladness, and to nestle unto
me, and all unwitting that she did be gone from her waywardness. Yet, in verity, she did be a naughty Maid; for she minded in an instant
that she did forget her pose unto me; and lo, her lips did be no more to
search unto mine, but to be as that they did be kist only of my will,
and she to have no more live nestling unto me, but only to be quiet in
mine arms. And I lookt into her face, and her lids to be down somewhat
over her pretty eyes, and she did look very husht and demure; so that
truly, I knew not whether to shake her or again to kiss her. But in the end I loost her, and made then that we go forward; yet,
indeed, she did rather stay awhile, to hark further concerning the olden
ship and of mine adventurings; but she did then to mind that she obey as
a slave shall obey; and truly, I did punish her, in that I told her no
more; but went forward at a good pace, and had some natural wonder how
that I deal with such a Maid, if that I spare to shake her. And surely, I thought then again that I leave her be, and so to have her
presently again to her old and natural way. Now, in a while, I lifted the Maid into mine arms, that I carry her, as
ever, through the last part of each journey, and so to have her never
over-tired for the morrow. And she for a moment to resist; but instantly
to give unto me, and to lie quiet in mine arms, as that she had no
saying in aught that did be done, but must alway obey. And, indeed, you
to see how dearly perverse she did be. And I went on then through four hours from that time, and lookt oft upon
every side, and walkt quietly; for truly we were come now into a part of
the Country where I did feel that there might be near some of the Humpt
Men. But I saw nowhere anything to put me in dread. And alway as we journeyed, there did seem a great stillness in all the
Country near about; and afar off the low mutter of the Great Fire-Hills,
in this place and that, and a drowse as of life and warmth about us, and
everywhere the air very rich and plentiful. And presently, when that we did be come down from that high place where
did be set the rock and the olden ship, we came in among the trees that
came very nigh to the shore for a great way; and oft as we did go, there
were clumpings of small fire-hills that did cast fire and noise; and oft
the roaring of monstrous springs a-boil; and then again the smell of the
woods about us, and oft still in odd places the low near sound of a
little fire-hill, that did burn, lonesome, in some clear space of the
woods, in this place and that; and afterward we to be gone onward again
into the dull low mutter that did be in all the air of that Country, and
that did but make a seeming of silence, because that it did be so far
and constant. Now, about the eighteenth hour I to note that the noise of the Great
Fire-Hills grew more loud; and I saw presently over the trees, afar
upward in the great night and gloom that did lie above, those two mighty
Fire-Hills that I did feel to make the earth tremble, in that part, upon
mine outward way. And surely I have told something of this before; and
you to remember, if that you but think a little moment. Now, it may appear strange that I speak thiswise of seeing the two Hills
of fire; as that I had perceived them sudden. But, indeed, I had been
long abled to see them both, yet to have had no attention to them,
because that they did be a great way off, and because they did be but
two Hills of fire, in a Country that did be plentiful with such. And, truly, I not to have said aught about them, only that our path did
take us now by their feet, and I to see them, as it were, newly; and to
have nice ease of heart to perceive how that they did be a wonder unto
the spirit and the brain for all time. For it did be as that the earth had a constant shaking within miles of
them, and that a monstrous force of nature did be in that place. But yet
there to be no desolation around, as you should think; but in all parts
a wondrous growing of trees and great plants in abundance. And the trees to grow upward upon the shoulders of the mountain; and
there to be no falling of hot rocks and ash, as you to think; but all
very sweet and wholesome, as that the mighty valley made a chimney to
the mountain, and mayhap to others, so that their waste, if that they
had such, did go free. But, indeed, you shall take no heed of this
explaining, save as an odd thinking that hath come to me, and to be
without foundation. And there to be no surety of the reason to this;
only that there did be no falling of ash in that part, as I do know. Yet
in other parts of that Country the Fire-Hills did make new mountains of
the matter that did come from them; but this not to be alway so; and
there to seem to my knowledge no cause to order why this did not be
constant; save that my guessings to be right, or naught to be blown from
some.