The Night Land Read online

  IV

  THE HUSHING OF THE VOICE

  ("Dearest, thine own feet tread the world at night-- Treading, as moon-flakes step across a dark-- Kissing the very dew to holier light ... Thy Voice a song past mountains, which to hark Frightens my soul with an utter lost delight.")

  Now, one night, towards the end of the sixteenth hour, as I made readyto sleep, there came all about me the thrilling of the aether, ashappened oft in those days; but the thrilling had a strange power in it;and in my soul the voice of Naani sounded plain, all within and aboutme.

  Yet, though I knew it to be the voice of Naani, I answered notimmediately; save to send the sure question of the Master-Word into thenight. And, directly, I heard the answer, the Master-Word beatingsteadily in the night; and I questioned Naani why she had speech with meby the Instrument at that time, when all were sleeping, and the watchset among the Monstruwacans; for they in the little Pyramid had theirsleep-time to commence at the eleventh hour; so that by this it was fivehours advanced towards the time of waking; and Naani should have slept;nor have been abroad to the Tower of Observation, apart from her father.For I supposed that she spoke by the Instrument, her voice sounding veryclear in my brain. Yet, to this question, she made no answer in kind;but gave a certain thing into my spirit, which set me trembling; for shesaid certain words, that began:

  "Dearest, thine own feet tread the world at night--"

  And it well may be that she set me to tremble; for as the words grewabout me, there wakened a memory-dream how that I had made these samewords to Mirdath the Beautiful in the long-gone Eternity of this ourAge, when she had died and left me alone in all the world. And I wasweak a little with the tumult and force of my emotion; but in a moment Icalled eagerly with my brain-elements to Naani to give some explainingof this thing that she had spoken to the utter troubling of my heart.

  Yet, once more she made no direct answer; but spoke the words again tome across all the dark of the world. And it came to me suddenly, that itwas not Naani that spoke; but Mirdath the Beautiful, from out of all theeverlasting night. And I called: "Mirdath! Mirdath," with mybrain-elements, into the night; and lo! the far, faint voice spoke againto my spirit through all the darkness of eternity, saying again thosewords. Yet, though the voice was the voice of Mirdath the Beautiful, itwas also the voice of Naani; and I knew in all my heart that this thingwas in verity; and that it had been given to me to be birthed once moreinto this world in the living-time of that Only One, with whom my spiritand essence hath mated in all ages through the everlasting. And I calledwith my brain-elements and all my strength to Naani; but there came noanswer; neither sign of hearing, though through hours I called.

  And thus at last I came to an utter exhaustion; but neither could bequiet, nor sleep. Yet, presently, I slept.

  And when I waked, my first memory was of the wondrous thing which hadbefallen in the sleep-time; for none in all this world could have knownthose words; save it had been the spirit of Mirdath, my Beautiful One,looking from above my shoulder in that utter-lost time, as I made thosewords to her, out of an aching and a broken heart. And the voice hadbeen the voice of Mirdath; and the voice of Mirdath had been the voiceof Naani. And what shall any say to this, save that which I had in myheart.

  And immediately I called to Naani, once, and again twice; and in alittle moment there came all about me the throbbing of the Master-Word,beating solemnly in the night; and I sent the Master-Word to giveassurance, and immediately the voice of Naani, a little weak as was italways when she had not the Instrument, but sent the message with herbrain-elements.

  And I answered her, and questioned her eagerly concerning her sayings ofthe past time of sleep; but she disclaimed, and made clear to me thatshe had no knowledge of having spoken; but had slept through all thattime of which I made to tell; and, indeed, had dreamed a very strangedream.

  And for a little while I was confused, and meditated, not knowing whatto think; but came suddenly again to a knowledge that Naani's far voicewas thrilling the aether all about; and that she would tell to me herdream; which had set strong upon her mind.

  And she told the dream to me, and in the dream she had seen a tall, darkman, built very big, and dressed in unfamiliar clothing. And the man hadbeen in a little room, and very sorrowful, and lonesome; and in herdream she had gone nigh to him.

  And presently the man made to write, that he might ease him by givingexpression to his sorrow; and Naani had been able to read the words thathe wrote; though to her waking spirit the language in which they werewrit was strange and unknown. Yet she could not remember what he hadwrit, save but one short line, and this she had mind of in that he hadwrit the word Mirdath above. And she spoke of the strangeness of thisthing, that she should dream of this name; but supposed that I had fixedit upon her, by my first callings.

  And then did I, with something of a tremble in my spirit, ask Naani totell me what she remembered of the writing of that big, sorrowfulstranger. And, in a little moment, her far voice said these words allabout me:

  "Dearest, thine own feet tread the world at night--"

  But no more had she memory of. Yet it was a sufficiency, and I, maybewith a mad, strange triumph in my soul, said unto her with mybrain-elements that which remained of those words. And my spirit feltthem strike upon the spirit of Naani, and awake her memory, as with theviolence of a blow. And for a little while she stumbled, dumb before somuch newness and certainly. And her spirit then to waken, and she nearwept with the fright and the sudden, new wonder of this thing.

  And immediately, all about me there came her voice thrilling, and thevoice was the voice of Mirdath, and the voice of Naani; and I heard thetears of her spirit make pure and wonderful the bewildered and growinggladness of her far voice. And she asked me, as one who had suddenlyopened the Gates of Memory, whether she might be truly Mirdath. And I,utter weak and shaken strangely because of this splendour of fulfilment,could make no instant answer. And she asked again, but using mine oldlove-name, and with a sureness in her far voice. And still I was sostrangely dumb, and the blood to thud peculiar in mine ears; and this topass; and speech to come swift.

  And this way to be that meeting of our spirits, across all theeverlasting night.

  And you shall have for a memory-picture, how that Naani stood there inthe world in that far eternity, and, with her spirit having speech withmine, looked back through the part-opened gates of her memory, into thepast of this our life and Age. Yet more than this she saw, and more thanwas given to me in that Age; for she had memory now and sight of otherinstances, and of other comings together, which had some confusion andbut half-meanings to me. Yet of this our present Age and life, we spokeas of some yesterday; but very hallowed.

  Now, as may be conceived, the wonder of this surety which had come intomy life stirred me fiercely to its completion; for all my heart andspirit cried out to be with that one who was Mirdath, and now spoke withthe voice of Naani.

  Yet, how should this be won; for none among all the learned men of thatMighty Pyramid knew the position of the Lesser Redoubt; neither couldthe Records and Histories of the World give us that knowledge; only thatthere was a general thought among the Students and the Monstruwacansthat it lay between the North-West and the North-East. But no man hadany surety; neither could any conceive of the distance from us of thatRefuge.

  And counting all this, there was yet the incredible danger and peril ofthe Night Land, and the hunger and desolation of the Outer Lands, whichwere sometimes named the Unknown Lands.

  And I spoke much with Naani concerning this matter of their position;yet neither she nor her father, the Master Monstruwacan of that Refuge,had any knowing either of our position; only that the Builder of theLesser Redoubt had come out of the Southward World in the Beginning, asthey had knowledge of by the Records.

  Also, the father of Naani set that ancient Compass to bear; for, as hemade explanation to us through the Instrument, so great a power of theEarth-Current must be ours that, pe
rchance it was our force which didaffect the pointer from steadfastness. For, indeed, the needle did swingin an arc, as we heard, that held between the North and the South;within the Westward arc; but this it had done ever with them, and so wasa very helpless guide; save that, maybe, as we had thought, the force ofthe Earth-Current that was with us, had in truth some power to pull theneedle towards us. And if this were so of verity, we made a reckoningthat set the Lesser Redoubt to the North; and they did likewise, and putus to the South; yet was it all built upon the sand of guess-work; andnothing to adventure the life and soul upon.

  Now we, of curiosity; though a million times had it been done in thepast ages, set the compass before us, having it from the Great Museum.But, as ever in that age, it did spin if we but stirred the needle, andwould stop nowheres with surety, for the flow of the Earth-Current fromthe "Crack" beneath the Pyramid had a power to affect it away from theNorth, and to set it wandering. And this may seem very strange to thispresent Age; yet to that, it was most true to the seeming nature ofthings; and harder to believe that ever it did once point steadfastly,to prove a guide of sureness, and unfailing.

  For, be it known, we knew the positions of the Land by tradition, comingfrom that ancient time when, in the Half-Gloom they had builded thePyramid; they having known the use of that ancient compass, and withsight of the Sun had named the Positions; though we of that far futureday had forgotten the very beginnings of those Names of Direction; andused them but because our fathers did a million years and more. Andlikewise we did the same with the names of the day and the night and theweeks and the months and the years; though of the visible markings ofthese there was nothing but only and always the everlasting night; yetthe same seeming very natural to that people.

  Now, Naani, having heed to my constant questions, craved with an utterkeen hunger that I might come to her; but yet forbade it, in that itwere better to live and commune in the spirit, than to risk my soul, andmayhaps die, in the foolishness of trying to find her in all thedarkness of the dead world. Yet, no heed had I taken of her commands,had I but known of a surety the _direction_ in which she might bediscovered; and gained some knowledge of the space between, for thismight be named by thousands of miles, or but by hundreds; though a greatdistance it was surely.

  Yet, one other thing there was, that has point in this place; for when Isent my speech out into the night, using my brain-elements, I came toknow that, whether I had a knowledge of the North, or no knowledge atthe moment, yet did I turn oft with a sure instinction to thatDirection. And of this, the Master Monstruwacan took very great note,and had me to experiment many a time and way, and so enclosed about withscreens, or with bandages across mine eyes, that I could not, save bythat inward Knowing, have any knowledge to point me the way. Yet would Iturn Northwards very frequent, by a certain feeling; and seemed unableof speech, if I were turned otherwise by force.

  But when we asked Naani whether she had an unusualness in this matter,she could discover none; and we could but take note curiously of thatwhich affected my habits; and which truly I set to the attracting of herspirit; for I had mind that she did be somewheres out that way in thedarkness of the world; but yet was this no more than to suppose, as youperceive.

  And the Master Monstruwacan wrote a study of this matter of theNorthwardness of my turning; and it was set out in the Hour-Slips of theTower of Observation; and so it came to be copied by the Hour-Slips ofthe great cities, and made much comment, and much calling up to methrough the home instruments; so that with this, and the speech thatwent about concerning my powers to hear, I was much in talk, anddiversely pleased and oft angered by overmuch attention and importunity.

  And now, whilst I pondered this matter in all my spirit and being, howthat I should some way come to Naani, there befell a very terriblething. And in this wise must I tell it:

  It was at the seventeenth hour, when all the millions of the MightyPyramid slept, that I was with the Master Monstruwacan in the Tower ofObservation taking my due turn. And sudden, I heard the thrilling of theaether all about me, and the voice of Naani in my soul, speaking. And Isent the Master-Word into the darkness of the world, and presently, Iheard the solemn answer beating steadfastly in the night; andimmediately I called to Naani with my brain-elements, to know what thingtroubled her in her sleep.

  And her voice came into my spirit, weak and far and faint, and so thatscarce I could make to hear the words. Yet, in a while I gathered thatall the peoples of the Lesser Redoubt were in very deadly trouble; forthat the Earth-Current had failed suddenly and mightily; and they hadcalled her from her sleep, that she might listen whether we answeredtheir callings by the Instrument; but, indeed, no calling had come tous.

  And they who had been of late so joyful, were now grown old with sorrowin but an hour or two; for they feared that the fresh coming of theEarth-Current had been but the final flicker and outburst before theend. And, even in this short while of our speech, did it seem to me thatthe voice of Naani grew further off from me; and I felt like to havebroken my heart with the trouble of this thing.

  And through all that remained of that sleep-time, did I converse withNaani, as might two lovers who shall presently part forever. And whenthe cities awoke, the news went throughout them, and all our millionswere in sorrow and trouble.

  And thus was it for, maybe, a little month; and in that time had thevoice of Naani grown so weak and far-off that even I that had theNight-Hearing, could scarce make real its meaning. And every word was tome a treasure and a touch upon my soul; and my grief and trouble beforethis certain parting drove me that I could not eat, neither have rest;and this did the Master Monstruwacan take upon him to chide and correct;for that, if any were to help, how should it be done if I that had theNight-Hearing, and heard even now that the recording Instruments weredumb, came to ill-health.

  And because of this, and such wisdom as was mine, I made to eat andorder my life that I might have my full powers. Yet was this beyond allmy strength; for, presently, I knew that the people of the LesserPyramid were threatened by the monsters that beset them; and later I hadknowledge from faint, far words whispered in my brain, that there hadbeen a fight with an outside Force that had harmed many in their minds;so that in madness they had opened the gate and had run from the LesserPyramid, out into the darkness of the Lands about them; and there hadtheir physical bodies fallen to the monsters of those Lands; but oftheir souls who may know?

  And this, we set assuredly to the failure of the Earth-Current, whichhad robbed them of all force and power; so that, in those few weeks alllife and joy of living had left them; and neither hunger nor thirst hadthey, much, nor any great desire to live; but yet a new and mighty fearof death. And this doth seem very strange.

  And, as may be thought, all this made the Peoples of the Great Redoubtthink newly of the Earth-Current that issued from the "Crack" beneaththe Pyramid; and of their latter end; so that much was writ in theHour-Slips concerning this matter; yet in the main to assure us that weourselves might each be free from a disturbed heart; though some wentfoolishly to the other event, and spoke of a speedy danger to us,likewise; as is ever the way. But the truth of our own case lay, maybe,somewhere between.

  And all the Hour-Slips were full also of imaginings of the terror ofthose poor humans out in the darkness of the world, facing that endwhich must come upon all, even upon our mighty Pyramid; though, as mostwould believe, so far away in some future eternity, that we have nocause to trouble.

  And there were sad poems writ to the peoples of that Lesser Redoubt, andfoolish plans set about to rescue them; but none to put them to effect;and no way by which so great a thing might be done; and doth but showhow loosely people will speak out of an over-security. Yet to me, therehad come a certain knowledge that I must make the adventure, though Iachieved naught save mine own end. Yet, it were better to cease quickly,than that I should feel, as now I did feel.

  That same night, in the Eighteenth Hour, there was a great disturbancein the aether about the Mighty Pyramid; an
d I was awakened suddenly bythe Master Monstruwacan; that I might use my gift of the Night-Hearingto hearken for the throbbing of the Master-Word, which they had thoughtto come vaguely through the Instruments; but no one of the Monstruwacanswas sensitive enough of soul to account truly whether this was so.

  And lo! as I sat up in the bed, there came the sound of the Master-Word,beating in the night about the Pyramid. And immediately there was acrying in the aether all about me: "We are coming! We are coming!"

  And mine inwards leaped and sickened me a moment, so shaken was I with asudden belief; for the message seemed some ways to come to me from verynear to the Great Redoubt; as that they who sent it were nigh to hand.

  And, forthwith, I called the Master-Word into the night; but no answerdid there come for a while, and then a faint thrilling of the aetherabout me, and the weak pulse of the Master-Word in the night, sent by afar voice, strangely distant. And I knew that the voice was the voice ofNaani; and I put a question through all the darkness of the dead world,whether she were within the Lesser Redoubt, and safe thus far.

  And presently, there came a faint disturbance about me, and a smallvoice in my soul, speaking weakly and out of an infinite distance; and Iknew that far away through the night Naani spoke feebly, with herbrain-elements; and that she abode within the Lesser Pyramid; but thatshe too had heard that strange pulse of the Master-Word in the night,and that message: "We are coming! We are coming!" And vastly had thisthing disturbed her, waking her within her sleep; so that she knew notwhat to think; save that we were devising some method to come to them.But this I removed from doubt, saying that she must not build on vainhoping; for I would not have her doubly tortured by the vanity of suchbelieving. And, thereafter, having said such things as I might, thoughfew they were, to comfort her, I bade her, gently, to sleep; and turnedtherewith to the Master Monstruwacan, who waited in quiet patience; andhad no knowledge of that which I had heard and sent; for his hearing wasbut the normal; though his brain and heart were such as made me to lovehim.

  And I told the Master Monstruwacan many things as I put my clothingabout me; how that there had indeed been the calling of the Master-Word;but not by any of that Lesser Redoubt; but that, to my belief, it hadcome from nigh about the Great Pyramid. Moreover, it was sent by noinstrument; as I wotted that he did guess; but, as it seemed to me, bythe brain-elements of many, calling in unison.

  And all this did I set out to the Master Monstruwacan; and withsomething uncertain of fear and trouble in my heart; yet with a blindexpectation; as, indeed, who would not. Though, no longer was I shakenby that first thought of Her nearness.

  And I said to the Master Monstruwacan that we should go to the Tower ofObservation, and search the Night Lands with the great spy-glass.

  And we did this, and lo! presently, we saw a great number of men passover the Electric Circle that went about the Pyramid; yet they came not_to_ us; but went outwards towards the blackness and the strange firesand hideous mysteries of the Night Land. And we ceased from spying, andlooked swiftly at one another, and knew in our hearts that some had leftthe Mighty Pyramid in the Sleep-Time.

  Then the Master Monstruwacan sent word to the Master Watchman that hiswardership had been outraged, and that people left the great Pyramid inthe Sleep-Time; for this was against the Law; and none ever went outinto the Night Land, save the Full Watch were posted to the Great Door;and at a due time, when all were wakeful; for the Opening Of The Doorwas made known to all the Millions of the Great Redoubt; so that allmight be aware; and know that no foolishness was done without theirwotting.

  Moreover, ere any had power to leave the Pyramid, they must pass TheExamination, and Be Prepared; and some of this have I set out already.And so stern was the framing of the Law, that there were yet the metalpegs upon the inner side of the Great Gate, where had been stretched theskin of one who disobeyed; and was flayed and his hide set there to be awarning in the Early Days. Yet the tradition was remembered; for, as Imight say it, we lived very close about the place; and Memory had noroom whereby she might escape.

  Now the Master Watchman, when he heard that which the MasterMonstruwacan had to tell, went hastily with some of the Central Watchfrom the Watch-Dome, to the Great Gate; and he found the men of theSleep-Time Watch, with the Warder of the Gate, all bound, and stopt inthe mouth, so that none could make outcry.

  And he freed them, and learned that nigh five hundred young men, fromthe Upper Cities, by the bigness of their chests, had come upon themsuddenly, and bound them, and escaped into the night through theEye-Gate in the top of the Great Gate.

  And the Master Watchman was angry, and demanded why that none had calledby the instruments of the Watch House; but lo! some had made to callthus, and found them unable to wake the recorders which lay in thecentral Watch-Dome; for there had been tampering.

  Now, after this, they made certain new rules and Laws concerning theorder of Watching, and made tests of the lesser instruments of theinward Pyramid, nightly, upon the coming of the Sleep-Time, which was,even in that strange age, by tradition called the Night, as I have givenhint; though hitherto, until the way of my story was known, I have useda word for the sleep hours that was yet not of that time; but somewhatan invention to make this history free from the confusion of "night" and"day," when, in truth, it was always night without upon the world. Yet,after this, shall I keep to mine use the luxury of the true names ofthat time; and yet, how strange is it that the truth should be of solittle to our thinking.

  And so to go forward with my telling; for, though all this care were nowtaken, it had no force until afterward; and at this moment were thosepoor foolish youths out in all the danger of the Night Land, and no wayby which they might be succoured, or called back; save that Fear orWisdom should come to them quickly, that they cease from so wild anattempt. For it was to make rescue of those in that other, unknownPyramid, out in all the darkness of the World's Night that was theirintent, as we had speedy knowledge from those boon friends that had beenin the secret of their plot, which had seemed to them great and heroic;and was so, in verity, but that neither they who went, nor they whostayed, had a true awaredness of the danger they had dealing with, beingall naught but raw and crude youths; yet, doubtless, with the makings ofmany fine and great men among them.

  And because some had thus abetted that which they knew to be against theLaw, which was framed to the well-being and safety of all, there werecertain floggings, which might the better help their memories in thefuture as to the properness of their actions and wisdom.

  Moreover, they who returned, if any, would be flogged, as seemed proper,after due examination. And though the news of their beatings might helpall others to hesitation, ere they did foolishly, in like fashion, yetwas the principle of the flogging not on this base, which would be bothimproper and unjust; but only that the one in question be corrected tothe best advantage for his own well-being; for it is not meet that anyprinciple of correction should shape to the making of human signposts ofpain for the benefit of others; for in verity, this were to make one paythe cost of many's learning; and each should owe to pay only so much asshall suffice for the teaching of his own body and spirit. And if othersprofit thereby, this is but accident, however helpful. And this iswisdom, and denoteth now that a sound Principle shall prevent Practicefrom becoming monstrous.

  Yet, now I must hasten that I set down how it fared with those fivehundred youths that had made so sad an adventure of their lives andunprepared souls; and were beyond our aid to help them, who might notso much as make any calling to them, to bid them to return; for to dothis would have been to tell to all the Monsters of the Land that humanswere abroad from the Mighty Pyramid.

  And this would have been to cause the monsters to search the youths outto their destruction, and maybe even to awaken the Forces to work themsome dread Spiritual harm, which was the chief Fear.

  Now, presently, through all the cities of the Great Redoubt, the newshad gone how that five hundred foolish Youths had adventured out intothe d
espair of the Night Land; and the whole Pyramid waked to life, andthe Peoples of the South came to the Northern sides, for the Great Gatelay in the North-West side; and the Youths had made from there, notstraightly outwards, but towards the North; and so were to be seen fromthe North-East embrasures, and from those within the North-West wall.

  And thus, in a while were they watched by all the mighty multitudes ofthe Great Pyramid, through millions of spy-glasses; for each human had aspying-glass, as may be thought; and some were an hundred years old, andsome, maybe ten thousand, and handed down through many generations; andsome but newly made, and very strange. But all those people had someinstrument by which they might spy out upon the wonder of the NightLand; for so had it been ever through all the eternity of darkness, anda great diversion and wonder of life was it to behold the monsters abouttheir work; and to know that they plotted always to our destruction; yetwere ever foiled.

  And never did all that great and terrible Land grow stale upon the soulof any, from birth until death; and by this you shall know the constantwonder of it, and that _sense of enemies in the night about us,_ whichever filled the heart and spirit of all Beholders; so that never werethe embrasures utterly empty.

  Yet, many beheld not the Land from the embrasures; but sat about theView-Tables, which were set properly in certain places throughout thecities, and so beheld the Night Land, without undue cranings, or poisingof spy-glasses, though less plain-seen. And these same tables were someform of that which we of this age name Camera Obscura; but made verygreat, and with inventions, and low to the floor, so that ten thousandpeople might sit about them in the raised galleries, and havecomfortable sight. Yet this attracted not the young people, save theywere lovers; and then, in truth, were they comfortable seats forquietness and gentle whisperings.

  Yet now, as may be supposed, with all the Peoples of the Mighty Pyramidgrown eager to look towards one part of the Night Land, the embrasureswere hid in the crowds; and such as could gain no view therethrough,thronged about the View-Tables. And so was it in all the hours ofleisure; so that women had scarce patience to attend their children; butmust hasten to watch again, that lonesome band of foolish youths makingso blind and unshaped a trial to come upon that unknown Lesser Redoubt,somewhere out in all the night of the world.

  And in this wise passed three days and nights; yet both in thesleep-time and the time of waking did great multitudes cease not towatch; so that many went hungry for sleep, as in truth did I. Andsometimes we saw those Youths with plainness; but other times they werelost to our sight in the utter shadows of the Night Land. Yet, by thetelling of our instruments, and the sense of my hearing, there was noawaredness among the Monsters, and the Forces of Evil, that any wereabroad from the Pyramid; so that a little hope came into our hearts thatyet there might be no tragedy.

  And times, would they cease from their way, and sit about in circlesamong the shadows and the grey moss-bushes, which grew hardly here orthere about. And we knew that they had food with them to eat; for thiscould we see with plainness, as some odd, grim flare of light from theinfernal fires struck upon one or another strangely, and passed, andleft them in the darkness.

  And who of you shall conceive what was in the hearts of the fathers, andthe mothers that bore the youths, and who never ceased away from theNorthward embrasures; but spied out in terror and in tears, and maybeoft with so good glasses as did show them the very features and lookupon the face of son and son.

  And the kin of the watchers brought to them food, and tended them, sothat they had no need to cease from their watching; and beds were madein the embrasures, rough and resourceful, that they might sleep quicklya little; yet be ever ready, if those cruel Monsters without madediscovery of those their children.

  Thrice in those three days of journeying to the Northward, did theYouths sleep, and we perceived that some kept a watch, and so knew thatthere was a kind of order and leadership among them; also, they had eachhis weapon upon his hip, and this gave to us a further plea to hope.

  And concerning this same carrying of weapons, I can but set out herethat no healthful male or female in all the Mighty Pyramid but possessedsuch a weapon, and was trained to it from childhood; so that a ripe andextraordinary skill in the use thereof was common to most. Yet somebreaking of Rule had there been, that the Youths had each achieved to bearmed; for the weapons were stored in every tenth house of the cities,in the care of the charging-masters.

  And here I must make known that these weapons did not shoot; but had adisk of grey metal, sharp and wonderful, that spun in the end of a rodof grey metal, and were someways charged by the Earth-Current, so thatwere any but stricken thereby, they were cut in twain so easy as aught.And the weapons were contrived to the repelling of any Army of Monstersthat might make to win entrance to the Redoubt. And to the eye they hadsomewhat the look of strange battle-axes, and might be lengthened by thepulling out of the handles.

  Now, the Youths made, as I have told, to the Northward; but had first tokeep a long way to the North-East, that they might come clear of theVale of Red Fire. And this wise they journeyed, and kept the Vale aboutseven miles to the North-West of them, and so were presently beyond theWatcher of the North-East, and going with a greater freedom, and havingless care to hide.

  And this way, it may be, certain of the giants, wandering, perceivedthem, and went swiftly to make attack and destroy them. But some orderwent about among the youths, and they made a long line, with a certainspace between each, because of the terror of their weapon, andimmediately, it seemed, the Giants were upon them, a score and seventhey were, and seeming to be haired like to mighty crabs, as I saw withthe Great Spy-Glass, when the great flares of far and mighty fires threwtheir fierce light across the Dark Lands.

  And there was a very great and horrid fight; for the Youths broke intocircles about each of the Giants, and many of those young men were tornin pieces; but they smote the Monsters from behind and upon every side,and we of the Mighty Pyramid could behold at times the grey, strangegleam of their weapons; and the jether was stirred about me by thepassing of those that died; yet, by reason of the great miles, theirscreams came not to us, neither heard we the roars of the Monsters; butinto our hearts, even from that great distance and safety, there stolethe terror of those awesome Brutes; and in the Great Spy-Glass I couldbehold the great joints and limbs and e'en, I thought, the foul sweat ofthem; and their size and brutishness was like to that of odd andmonstrous animals of the olden world; yet part human. And it must beborne to mind that the Fathers and the Mothers of those Youths beheldall this dread fight from the embrasures, and their other kin likewisewatched, and a very drear sight was it to their hearts and their human,natural feelings, and like to breed old age, ere its due.

  Then, in a time, the fight ceased; for of those seven and twenty GiantBrutes there remained none; only that there cumbered the ground sevenand twenty lumbering hillocks, dreadful and grim. For the lesser dead wecould not see proper.

  And we that were within the Pyramid saw the Youths sorted together bytheir leaders, all in the dim twilight of that place; and with the GreatSpy-Glass I made a rough count, and found that there lived of them,three hundred; and by this shall you know the power of those fewmonstrous things, which had slain full two hundred, though each youthwas armed with so wondrous a weapon. And I set the word through thePyramid, that all might have some knowledge of the number that haddied; for it was better to know, than to be in doubt. And no spy-glasshad the power of The Great Spy-Glass.

  After this fight, the youths spent a time having a care to their bodiesand wounds; and some were made separate from the others, and of these Icounted upon fifty; and whilst the others made to continue their marchtowards the Road Where The Silent Ones Walk, these were constrained byone who was the Leader, to return to the Pyramid. And in a little, I sawthat they came towards us, wearily and with many a halt, as that theysuffered great wounds and harm of the fight.

  But those others (maybe two hundred and fifty Youths) went onwards intothe
Night Land; and though we sorrowed at this thing; yet was there comea huge pride into our hearts that those raw ones, who yesterday were butchildren, had so held themselves in the battle, and done a great deedthat day. And I wot that whilst their mothers wept, easeless, theirfathers' hearts swelled within them, and held somewhat of their Painaway from them for a time.

  And all this while, those wounded Youths came slowly, and rested, andcame on again, the better helping the worse; and a great excitement andtrouble there was in all the Mighty Pyramid, to learn which were theythat came, and they that went, and who lay out there quietly among theslain. But none might say anything with surety; for, even with thatgreat spy-glass in the Tower of Observation, they were not overplain;save when some light from the fires of the Land flared high, and litthem. For they stood not up into the glare of the fires, as had theGiants. And though I saw them with clearness, yet I knew them not; forthere was so mighty a multitude in that Vast Redoubt, that none mightever know the half even of their rulers.

  And about this time, there came a fresh matter of trouble to our minds;for one of the Monstruwacans made report that the instruments wererecording an influence abroad in the night; so that we had knowledgethat one of the Evil Forces was Out. And to me there came an awarednessthat a strange unquiet stole over the Land; yet I knew it not with mineears; but my spirit heard, and it was as though trouble and anexpectation of horror did swarm about me.

  And once, listening, I heard the Master-Word beating strangely low, andI knew the aether to thrill about me, and a faint stirring was there inmy soul, as of a faint voice, speaking; and I knew that Naani called tome some message across the night of the world; yet weak and comingwithout clear meaning; so that I was tormented and could but sendcomfort to her, with my brain-elements. And presently I knew that sheceased to speak.

  And, later, I heard that there was a new matter forward in the Redoubt;for ten thousand men had assembled to attend the Room of Preparationfor the Short Preparation; and by this we knew that those poor Youthswho stumbled towards us through the dark, were presently to have help.

  And through all that Sleep-Time, there went forward the Spiritual andthe Physical Preparation of the ten thousand; and upon the morrow theyslept, whilst an hundred thousand made ready their arms.

  And in this space of time the two hundred and fifty Youths that wenttowards the Road Where The Silent Ones Walk, had come very nigh thereto;having gone very warily and with some slowness, because, as may be, ofthe lesson of the Giants.

  And to us in the Pyramid, the instruments made known constantly thatInfluence which was abroad, and which all those of the Tower ofObservation thought to proceed from the House of Silence. Yet, nothingcould we see with the Great Spy-Glass, and so could come to no sureknowing; but only to fear and wonder.

  And, presently, the Youths were upon the Great Road, and turned to theNorthward. And beyond them, a great way, stood the House of Silence,upon a low hill at a certain distance to the right of the Road.

  By now, they that were wounded had come to within, maybe, fifteen milesof the Great Redoubt; and the news went through all the Cities, that theten thousand men that were Prepared, made to arm themselves. And I wentdown by the Tower Lift, and saw them come down by thousands from theRoom of Preparation; and none might go nigh to them, or cause them tospeak; for they were made Ready, and were, as it might be, holy.

  And all the millions of the Mighty Pyramid stood in their cities aboutcertain of the Main Lifts, and watched those thousands go downwards, allin their armour of grey metal, and each one armed with the Diskos, whichwas that same very terrible weapon, which all had training to.

  And I doubt not but that the Young Men of the Pyramid looked, withlonging in their hearts, that they might have been among those that wentforth to succour. Yet, the older men had graver thoughts in theirhearts; for the blood ran more soberly in them, and they had knowledgeand memory of the Peril. And by this, I would make clear that I speakless of the peril of the body, which is common to every state of life;but of the peril of the spirit.

  And it may be thought by those of this age, that it was most strangethat they of that, having all the knowledge of eternity to aid them, hadno weapon by which to shoot, and kill at a distance.

  But, indeed, this had not been so in the past; as our Histories didshow; for some wondrous weapons there had been, that might slay withoutsound or flash at a full score miles and more; and some we had wholewithin the Great Museum; and of others but the parts in decay; for theyhad been foolish things, and reckless to use; for we of that GreatPyramid, wanted not to kill a few of the Monsters that lay at a greatdistance; but only those which came nigh, to harm us.

  And concerning those same weapons that killed silently at a greatdistance, we had now little knowledge, save that they did waste theEarth-Current; and no practice had we concerning their workings; for itwas, maybe, an hundred thousand years gone that they had been used, andfound to be of no great worth in a close attack, and harmful otherwiseto the peace, in that they angered, unneedful, the Forces of that land,slaying wantonly those monsters which did no more than beset the MightyRedoubt at a great distance. For, as may be seen by a little thought, wedid very gladly keep a reasonable quietness, and refrained from aughtthat should wake that Land; for we were born to the custom of thatstrange life, and lived and died in peace, for the most part; and werevery content to have security, and to be neutral in all things that didnot overbear us; but, as it were, always armed, and ready.

  But concerning the great and Evil Forces that were abroad in the NightLand, these we had no power to harm; nor could we hope for more thanthat we had security from them, which indeed we had; but the hugeness oftheir power was about us, and we dared not to wake it; save through suchextremity as had come to pass by this folly of the Youths; though, evennow, we had no thought to attack aught; but only to succour thosewounded ones.

  And concerning this simplicity of weapons, which excites somewhat evenmy wonder in this our present age, it may be that the powers ofchemistry were someways quaintly limited by conditions in that age; andthere to be always a need to spare the Earth-Current; and hence, by thiscause and by that, we were brought, by the extreme, nigh to thesimplicity of the early world; yet with a strange and mighty difference,as all may know who have read.

  Now, presently, the Word was sent to every City throughout the GreatRedoubt--as was the Law--that the Great Gate should be opened; and eachcity sent its Master, to form the Full Watch, as was the Law. And eachwent clad in grey armour, and carrying the Diskos. And the Full Watchnumbered, two thousand; for there were also the Watchmen.

  Then the lights in the Great Causeway were made dim; so that the openingof the Gate should cast no great glare from within into the Night Land,to tell the Watcher of the North-West, and all the Monsters, thatcertain humans went out from the Mighty Pyramid. But whether the vastand hidden Forces of Evil had knowledge, we knew not; and they who wentmust but chance it, remembering that they were Prepared, and had theCapsule.

  And the ten thousand that were Prepared, went out through the GreatGateway, into the night; and the Full Watch stood back from them, andspoke no word, but saluted silently with the Diskos; and they that went,raised each the Diskos a little, and passed out into the dark.

  Then the Great Gate was shut; and we made to wait and to watch, withtrouble and expectation within our hearts. And at the embrasures manydid comfort the women of those men.

  And I went back, upwards by miles, until I came to the Tower ofObservation; and I looked out from there into the Night Land, and sawthat the ten thousand halted at the Circle, and made arrangement ofthemselves, and sent some before and upon either hand, and so wentforward into the Night Land.

  And after that, I went to the Great Spy-Glass, and turned it towards thetwo hundred and fifty Youths that were far off, upon the Road Where TheSilent Ones Walk; yet for awhile I could not perceive them, for all theRoad seemed empty. But afterward I saw them, and they were clamberingback into the Road, having gone asi
de, as I thought, because of thepassing of one of those Silent Ones, that I saw now at a distance to theSouthward of them.

  There passed then, some three hours; and in that time I varied mywatching between those far-off Youths, and the Ten-thousand that wentforward to succour the wounded, that were now, maybe, scarce nine milesdistant from the Mighty Pyramid, and the Ten-thousand came very close tothem. And, in truth, in a little while, they spied one the other, and Igathered, in spirit, something of the rejoicing of those youths; yetweak and troubled were they, because of their wounds, and theirknowledge of failure, and their disobedience of the Law.

  And, presently, they were surrounded by the Ten-thousand, and carriedupon slings; and all that body swung round towards the Pyramid, and cameback at a great pace.

  And, in the same time, I heard the sound that made them so swift tohasten; for there smote up through the night the Baying of the Hounds;and we knew that they were discovered. And I swept the Great Spy-Glassover the Land, towards the Valley Of The Hounds, that I might discoverthem quickly; and I saw them come lumbering, at a strange gallop, andgreat as horses, and it might be only ten miles to the East.

  And I looked once upon the Watcher of the North-East, and I saw andmarvelled that the great bell-ear quivered constantly; and I knew thatit had knowledge, and gave signal to all the Land. Then did one of theMonstruwacans report that a new and terrible Influence was abroad in theLand; and by the instrument, we had knowledge that it approached; andsome of the Monstruwacans called foolishly with weak voices to theTen-thousand to haste; forgetting, and desiring only their safety fromthat which came near.

  Then, looking with the Great Spy-Glass, I saw that there moved acrossthe Land, from the direction of the Plain of Blue Fire, a mighty Hump,seeming of Black Mist, and came with prodigious swiftness. And I calledto the Master Monstruwacan, that he come and look through one of theeye-pieces that were about the Great Spy-Glass; and he came quickly, andwhen he had looked a while, he called to the Monstruwacan that had madereport. And the Monstruwacan answered, and replied that the Influencedrew nearer, by the reading of the instrument; yet of the thing itselfthe man had no sight.

  And I ceased not to look, and in a little while, the Humped thing passeddownwards into the Vale of Red Fire, which lay across the Land that way.But I watched steadfastly, and presently I saw the black Hump climb upfrom the Vale of Red Fire upon this side, and come through the night, sothat in scarce a minute it had come halfway across that part of theNight Land.

  And my heart stood quiet with fear, and the utter terror of thisMonster, which I knew to be surely one of the Great Forces of Evil ofthat Land, and had power, without doubt, to destroy the spirit. And theMaster Monstruwacan leapt towards the Home-Call, and sent the greatSound down to the Ten-thousand, that they might attend, and immediately,he signalled to them to Beware. Yet, already I perceived that they knewof this Utter Danger that was upon them; for I saw them slay the Youthsquickly, that their spirits might not be lost; for they were Unprepared.But the men, being Prepared, had the Capsule, and would die swiftly inthe last moment.

  I looked again towards the Hump, and saw that it came like a Hill ofBlackness in the Land, and was almost anigh. Then there happened awonder; for in that moment when all had else gone quickly, that theymight save their souls, out of the earth there rose a little Light, liketo the crescent of the young moon of this early day. And the crescentrose up into an arch of bright and cold fire, glowing but little; and itspanned above the Ten-thousand and the dead; and the Hump stood still,and went backwards and was presently lost.

  And the men came swiftly towards the Mighty Pyramid. Yet, ere they werecome to safety, the Baying of the Hounds sounded close upon them, andthey faced to the danger; yet, as I could know, without despair, becausethat they yet lived after so enormous a peril.

  And the Hounds were very nigh, as now I beheld with the Great Spy-Glass;and I counted five score, running with mighty heads low, and in a pack.And lo! as the Hounds came at them, the Ten-thousand drew apart, and hada space between the men, that they might have full use of that terribleDiskos; and they fought with the handles at length, and I saw the disksspin and glisten and send out fire.

  Then was there a very great battle; for the Light that arched abovethem, and held away The Power from their souls, made not to protect themfrom this danger of the lesser monsters. And at an hundred thousandembrasures within the Mighty Pyramid, the women cried and sobbed, andlooked again. And in the lower cities it was told, after, that thePeoples could hear the crash and splinter of the armour, as the Houndsran to and fro, slaying; aye, even the sound of the armour between theirteeth.

  Yet, the Ten-thousand ceased not to smite with the Diskos; and theyhewed the Hounds in pieces; but of the men that went forth, there were athousand and seven hundred slain by the Hounds, ere the men won tovictory.

  Then came that wearied band of heroes back to the home shelter of theVast Redoubt; and they bore their dead with them, and the Youths thatthey slew. And they were received with great honour, and with exceedinggrief, and in a great silence; for the thing admitted not of words,until a time had passed. And in the cities of the Pyramid there wasmourning; for there had been no sorrow like unto this through, mayhap,an hundred thousand years.

  And they bore the Youths to their Mothers and to their Fathers; and theFather of each made thanks to the men that they had saved the soul ofhis son; but the women were silent. Yet, neither to the Father nor tothe Mother, was ever made known the name of the slayers; for this mightnot be; as all shall see with a little thought.

  And some did remember that, in verity, all was due to the unwisdom ofthose Youths, who had heeded not the Law and their life-teachings. Yethad they paid to the uttermost, and passed outwards; and the account oftheir Deeds was closed.

  And all this while did great numbers spy toward the Road Where TheSilent Ones Walk, that they might watch that band of Youths afar in theNight Land, who went forward amid those horrid dangers. Yet, when thedead Youths had been brought in, many had ceased to look out for a timeand had turned to questioning, and some had made inspection that theymight know which had come back, and which lay out there where the Giantshad slain them, or went forward to more dreadful matters.

  But who of those that were abroad, were slain, or still went onward, wehad but indifferent knowledge; though the men of the Ten-thousand knewsomewhat, having had speech with the wounded Youths, ere they slew them.And, as may be thought, these men were sorely questioned by the Mothersand the Fathers of those Youths that were not accounted of; yet I doubtthat few had much knowledge wherewith to console them.

  Now there was presently, in the Garden of Silence, which was thelowermost of all the Underground Fields, the Ending of those seventeenhundred heroes, and of the Youths that they saved and slew. And theGarden was a great country, and an hundred miles every way, and the roofthereof was three great miles above, and shaped to a mighty dome; as ithad been that the Builders and Makers thereof did remember in theirspirits the visible sky of this our present age.

  And the making of that Country was all set out in a single History ofseven thousand and seventy Volumes. And there were likewise seventhousand and seventy years spent to the making of that Country; so thatthere had unremembered generations lived and laboured and died, and seennot the end of their labour. And Love had shaped it and hallowed it; sothat of all the wonders of the world, there has been none that shallever come anigh to that Country of Silence--an hundred miles every wayof Silence to the Dead.

  And there were in that roof seven moons set in a mighty circle, and litby the Earth-Current; and the circle was sixty miles across, so that allthat Country of Quiet was visible; yet to no great glare, but a sweetand holy light; so that I did always feel in my heart that a man mightweep there, and be unashamed.

  And in the midst of that silent Country, there was a great hill, andupon the hill a vast Dome. And the Dome was full of a Light that mightbe seen in all that Country, which was the Garden of Silence. Andbeneath the Dome w
as the "Crack," and within it the glory of theEarth-Current, from which all had life and light and safety. And in theDome, at the North, there was a gateway; and a narrow road went upwardto the gateway; and the Road was named The Last Road; and the Gatewaywas named by no name, but known to all as The Gateway.

  And there were in that mighty Country, long roadways, and hidden methodsto help travel; and constant temples of rest along the miles; andgroves; and the charm of water, falling. And everywhere the Statues ofMemory, and the Tablets of Memory; and the whole of that GreatUnderground Country full of an echo of Eternity and of Memory and Loveand Greatness; so that to walk alone in that Land was to grow back tothe wonder and mystery of Childhood; and presently to go upwards againto the Cities of the Mighty Pyramid, purified and sweetened of soul andmind.

  And in my boyhood, I have wandered oft a week of days in that Country ofSilence, and had my food with me, and slept quietly amid the memories;and gone on again, wrapped about with the quiet of the Everlasting. Andthe man-soul within would be drawn mightily to those places where theGreat Ones of the past Eternity of the World had their Memory named; butthere was that within me which ever drew me, in the ending, to the Hillsof the Babes; those little hills where might be heard amid thelonesomeness of an utter quiet, a strange and wondrous echo, as of alittle child calling over the hills. But how this was I know not, saveby the sweet cunning of some dead Maker in the forgotten years.

  And here, mayhaps by reason of this Voice of Pathos, were to be foundthe countless Tokens of Memory to all the babes of the Mighty Pyramid,through a thousand ages. And, odd whiles, would I come upon someMother, sitting there lonely, or mayhaps companied by others. And bythis little telling shall you know somewhat of the quietness and thewonder and the holiness of that great Country hallowed to all Memory andto Eternity and to our Dead.

  And it was here, into the Country of Silence, that they brought down theDead to their Burial. And there came down into the Country of Silence,maybe an Hundred Million, out of the Cities of the Pyramid, to bepresent, and to do Honour.

  Now they that had charge of the Dead, did lay them upon the road whichran up unto The Gateway, even that same road which was named The LastRoad. And the Road moved upwards slowly with the Dead; and the Dead wentinward through The Gateway; first the poor Youths, and afterward theythat had given up life that they might save them.

  And as the Dead went upwards, there was a very great Silence over allthe miles of the Country of Silence. But in a little while there camefrom afar off, a sound as of a wind wailing; and it came onwards out ofthe distance, and passed over the Hills of the Babes, which were a greatway off. And so came anigh to the place where I stood. Even as theblowing of a sorrowful wind did it come; and I knew that all the greatmultitudes did sing quietly; and the singing passed onwards, and leftbehind it an utter silence; even as the wind doth rustle the corn, andpass onwards, and all fall to a greater seeming quietness than before.And the Dead passed inward through The Gateway, into the great light andsilence of the Dome; and came out no more.

  And again from beyond the far Hills of the Babes there was that sound ofthe millions singing; and there rose up out of the earth beneath, thevoices of the underground organs; and the noise of the sorrow passedover me, and went again into the distance, and left all hushed.

  And lo! as there passed inward to the silence of the Dome the last ofthose dead Heroes, there came again the sound from beyond the Hills ofthe Babes; and as it came more nigh, I knew that it was the Song ofHonour, loud and triumphant, and sung by countless multitudes. And theVoices of the Organs rose up into thunder from the deep earth. And therewas a great Honour done to the glory of the Dead. And afterwards, oncemore a silence.

  Then did the Peoples of the Cities arrange themselves so that from everycity whence had come a Hero, were the People of that City gatheredtogether. And when they were so gathered, they set up Tokens of Memoryto the Dead of their City. But afterwards did charge Artists to themaking of sculpture great and beautiful to that same end; and now didbut place Tablets against that time.

  And afterwards the People did wander over that Country of Silence, andmade visit and honour to their Ancestors, if such were deserving.

  And presently, the mighty lifts did raise them all to the Cities of thePyramid; and thereafter there was something more of usualness; save thatever the embrasures were full of those that watched the Youths afar uponthe Great Road. And in this place I to remember how that our spy-glasseshad surely some power of the Earth-Current to make greater the impulseof the light upon the eye. And they were like no spy-glass that ever youdid see; but oddly shaped and to touch both the forehead and the eyes;and gave wonderful sight of the Land. But the Great Spy-Glass to bebeyond all this; for it had the Eyes of it upon every side of The MightyPyramid, and did be truly an Huge Machine.

  And to me, as I went about my duties, or peered forth through the GreatSpy-Glass at the Youths upon the Road Where The Silent Ones Walk, therecame at times a far faint thrilling of the aether; so that sometimes Iwas aware that there was the beating of the Master-Word in the night;but so strange and weak, that the Instruments had no wotting of it. Andwhen this came, then would I call back through all the everlasting nightto Naani, who was indeed Mirdath; and I would send the Master-Word withmy brain-elements; and afterwards such comfort as I might.

  Yet hard and bitter was the truth of my helplessness and weakness, andthe utter terror and might of the Evil Forces and Monsters of the NightLand. So that I was like to have brake my heart with pondering.

  And the silence would come again; and anon the weak thrilling of theAether; but no more the far voice speaking in my soul.