And at the eighteenth
hour of each journey, I made a place for my slumber; and the first I did
manage under a thick bush; but the second was high upon the ledge of a
rock that grew upward in the night amid the bushes. And, save that I was
bitter cold there did no harm come to me. And in all that time of
journeying, I had no sight of the Mighty Pyramid; for the blind shining
of the Plain of Blue Fire was ever between. Now there had been certain little matters in my journey beside the Plain
of Blue Fire, which I have not set down; for they were of no account,
and do but repeat much that I have told before. And, indeed, there was
naught in that part of my journey, save that I did pass nineteen great
fire-holes, and four small; and did observe no life beside any, save
about one of the great holes that there was no hollow around, and here I
did happen to see some strange and ugly creatures so big as my head,
that did have a look of the scorpion of this Age; but proportioned more
squat and thick. Yet, though they were naught to remark upon in that
Land, they had been but woeful bedmates to any man; as you may think. And you shall know how it gave a rest to my spirit, that I did go so
long with no trouble of the Monsters of the Night, or the Evil Forces
thereof. And I grew bolder to my journeying, and made ever a greater
speed of going; and it was like that I took presently a less heed for my
safety, which was a wrong and foolish state. Yet there came no harm unto
me, in all that part of my travel. Then, it was in the sixteenth hour of the third day of my journey beside
the Plain, that I did come out beyond the end of it, and had fresh sight
of the Mighty Pyramid, afar in the night upon my Right. And I stopt
there in a bare place among the moss-bushes, and did in a weak moment
hold up the Diskos, so that I make a salute unto the Pyramid, Mine Home;
for truly was I so utter glad to behold it once more. And in a little while was I aware that there was a disturbance of the
aether of the world all about me; so that it did seem that there had
been one at the Great Spy-Glass to watch for my coming into their sight
from behind the shining of the Plain of Blue Fire. And it was like that news had gone downward through the Cities of the
Great Redoubt; so that they did print the word of it in the Hour-Slips;
and by this there would be many great Millions thinking upon me, and a
rushing unto the Embrasures, that they might spy out at me. Yet I doubt
that any glass might perceive me surely at so great a space, save the
power of the Great Spy-Glass in the Tower of Observation. But the
Emotion of the Millions to reach to me. And you shall know that it did seem homely and sweet unto me to hear all
about me the shaking of the aether of the world, and to be ware that so
many did think humanly upon me, and had prayers unto my safety. And it was a strange thing to stand so utter far off in the Night, and
to look back to that Everlasting Hill of Light, that was grown something
small by the distance, and to have surety that I was lookt upon through
the Great Spy-Glass, maybe by the kindly eye of my dear friend the
Master Monstruwacan, and so keenly that he could, it might be, make
almost to guess the look within mine eyes, as I did gaze backward unto
that Mine Home. Yet, though this dear and homely sympathy was a sweet and companionable
thing to my heart, it came swift to my thought that I was in a sore
danger, if that they ceased not quickly to think so onely upon me; for
surely was I not come over-near unto that _dreadful_ House of Silence;
and well might so much Emotion of the Millions tell unto the Horrid
Power that dwelt within, how that I was even anigh. And so shall you see
the mixt feelings that came upon me everyway. Yet, as it did chance, the aether was quieted in a little; for it did
need unity of the Millions (being that they were untrained to their
spiritual powers) to stir the aether. And so was I more easy of mind,
and went forward again upon my way. Now, as it did chance, at the eighteenth hour, I was come to a place
where I heard a noise of water; and I went to my left, that I might come
upon it; and there boiled a hot fountain that went up out of the rock of
that place. And the water rose upward in a column, and was, maybe, so
thick as my body; and it fell unto the North, for the water came not up
straightly, but did shoot out from the earth unto that way. And I saw
the thing plain; for there were many fire-holes all about, as you shall
have wotted from my telling; and so was there a certain and constant
light in that part of the Land. And I followed the water that ran from the fountain, and tried it with
mine hand; but found it to burn; and so did go further beside it; for
presently it should be no hotter than I did need. And it went onward,
winding among the moss-bushes, and sent up a constant steam, that hung
about it; and the steam made a red cloud about the way that it did go;
for the lights from the fire-holes made a shining upon it; and so was it
a wondrous pretty sight. Now, presently, I tried the stream again, and found it to be nicely
warm; and I sat upon a little rock, and took off my foot-gear, that I
might bathe my feet, which were gone something tender; moreover, I did
ache to have the sweetness of water about me. And I made that I should
bathe my feet, and afterwards find a place among the moss-bushes, and so
eat and drink, and have my slumber. Then, as I did sit there beside that warm stream, with my feet dabbled
therein, I heard sudden, afar off, the voice of a mighty Night-Hound,
baying in the night. And the sound came from the North-West of the Plain
of Blue Fire. And there was afterward a quiet; and you shall see me
sitting there upon the rock by the side of that smoking river, and the
steam all about me, and my feet within the lovely warmth of the water;
and I very still and frozen with a sudden fear; for, it did seem to me,
in an instant, that the Night-Hound might surely be upon the track of my
goings. And after that there had passed a little time, the while that I did
listen very keen, lo! there burst out in the night, as it did seem
scarce a mile off, the monstrous deep baying of the giant Hound. And I
knew surely that the Brute did track me, and a sick and utter horror did
fall upon me; so that I could scarce get my foot-gear upon me, once
more. Yet, in truth, I was not long to the matter, and was to my feet,
and did hold the Diskos ready; and very desperate I was to the heart;
for it is ever a fearsome thing to be put in chase, and the worse an
hundred times when there is a sure knowledge that a deathly Monster doth
be the pursuer. Now, I did stand there but a moment it did seem, to make an anxious
considering how that I might best assure me some chance to live through
this swift coming Danger.