And, in verity, I did stare with a fierce eagerness unto the far-off
place in the middle part of the Night Land, where did be the Mighty
Pyramid; and surely it there to shine in the midst of the land, and did
be mine Home, where never had I dared hope I should return. And I set
mine arm very swift and eager about the Maid, and pointed, so that she
see quickly the wonder and safe Mightiness of that which did be our
Refuge for all our life to come, if but that we to win unto it. And the
Maid to look with a great and earnest soberness and a lovely gladness
and utter soul and heart interest, unto that Place that bare me, and
where I to have come from, and now to take her. And long and long she lookt; and sudden came round unto me, and set her
arms quick about my neck, and burst unto a strange and happy weeping. And I to hold her gentle to me, and let her cry very natural, until that
she was something unpent. And lo! when that she was eased, she to stand close beside me, and to
look again unto the Mighty Pyramid; and afterward, as she to steady, she
to ask an hundred questions, so utter eager and so to thrill with joy
and excitement, as that she did be a glad child. And an hundred
questions I answered, and showed her new things and Wonders uncounted. And of all strangeness that she then to see, there did none so to shake
her in the spirit with terror as did that dreadful and Horrid House,
which did be the House of Silence. And it was as that her very being did
know and be repulsed of some Horror that did concern and be in that
House; so that she to want to hide in the bushes that did be anigh to
the Road; and truly, I to think this wise, and to remember and to be
ware suddenly that we did be indeed come now into the Power of
Monstrosity which did be utter and forever abroad in that Land. And surely, we went then in among the bushes that did grow clumpt upon
the side of the Road, as you to remember; and afterward, I calmed this
new fear that had come so quick upon Mine Own; and she then to peer
forth with me from the bushes, and to have renewed sight over the Land. And the House of Silence to stand upon that low hill of which you do
know; and did not be a very great way off, somewise toward the right. Yet, as you shall have remembering, it did take me some long and bitter
hours upon mine outward way, ere I did be come from under the shadow of
it, as we do say, unto the top-part of the Mighty Slope. But this to have been in the main, because of the utter care that I did
need to bring me safe past the House; for I to have gone long and weary
upon my hands and knees among the bushes, as you remember; and oft to
pause, and to be so still as Death, lest that the Power of the House to
have become aware of my passing. And truly, we to need again so utter a
care, when that we make to go past, unto our Mighty Home; and this to be
heavy upon my heart, and I to be in the same moment anxious that we have
haste to the trial, and yet very willing, if it might be, that we not
make it forever. And, indeed, after that we had peered a good while from the bushes, I to
consider that we do well to eat now, and afterward to have a safe place
for our slumber, so that we go fresh to the horrid dangers and
dreadfulness that did be before us upon our way. And we then to look about, and soon to find a great boulder that did be
set with the bushes. And we made our place for sleep against the
boulder, and the bushes went all around, so that we did be complete hid. And, in verity, we to be very cold, as we had been those two past days,
whilst that we made toward the top of the Mighty Slope. And now we to
have the full chill of the Night Land, and did be very glad to have the
cloak, so that we eat and drank whilst that we sat together, and the
cloak round us. And afterward, the Maid set the cloak about us for our
sleep; and we then to kiss very sober, and I with anxiousness in the
heart; but she with less, because she to have rest in me. And so we lay down to our sleep, and the Diskos ready in my hand; and my
spirit wakeful against any terror that should come anigh to us in our
slumber; and the Maid I warned to be likewise wary. And surely we slept and waked, and there had gone eight good hours, and
naught was come anigh to us to harm us. And we eat and drank, and did
hark oft, and lookt out from among the bushes; but there did be naught
abroad to set dread upon our spirits; and so we did be more content, and
well rest and a-ready for the further journeying. Now I had the Maid to wear the cloak, because of the chill of the Land;
but she in the first to refuse, save I also to have it in my turn; but
truly, I did feel that it should smother me, and that I need all my
freedom of my body, lest there come any thing sudden upon us; and all
this I showed Mine Own, and also that we should have weary work, and to
creep much, so that I should be warm by my labour of going, and she
likewise, mayhap. And she then to consent, because she saw that I did be
earnest and to burn with anxiousness; yet had me to promise that I take
the cloak, if that the chill of the Land gat me anywise bitter. Now we made a pause, when that we have our gear upon us, and we lookt
well out over the Land; and surely alway our eyes did gaze in the ending
upon that far Wonder of Light and Safeness, which did be the Mighty
Pyramid; and I to be never ceased from telling Mine Own this thing and
that thing concerning the Great Refuge; and she to be constant stunned
unto silence and delight of wonder, and anon shaken unto a multitude of
questionings, so that truly we did be as that we never to have done
making known one unto the other. Now, as you have knowledge, the House of Silence stood upon a low hill,
and the Road did bend about the bottom of the hill; and this way did I
come, when that I was on mine outward way. Yet now there to be a new plan of journeying come into my mind; for, as
you do remember, I did take somewise of eleven great days from the
Pyramid unto the top-part of the Mighty Slope, because that I had gone
diversely and round about to the North-West of the Plain of Blue Fire. And surely, as now I lookt, it did seem that we should try a short
passage, and thereby be come free out of all danger in but a space of
four or five days, if only we to succeed. And I stood a good while very
husht and anxious, and did consider this new way, and did presently
point it out to the Maid, how that we saw the Mighty Redoubt straight to
the back of the low hill where stood the House of Silence, and mayhap we
might chance to find a safe going that way, and that I did ponder
thatwise. For, indeed, as you do know, we must go _nigh_ past the House,
even did we return by the long journeying, and this to be because that
the bushes did make a cover only near to the Road, and all to be a
country of bare rock beyond the bushes on that side of the Road, which
did be to the North and West.