The Night Land, a Story Retold

by James Stoddard

  Despite the length of my previous day's journey, I awoke six hours later as I had told myself I would do, though I was so drowsy I could scarcely drag myself from my den. Although I ached from exhaustion, I was soon on my way again, walking numbly through the gloom.

  I made good time, pressing forward at a pace just below a run, certain I would soon reach my beloved. That day, I traveled thirty hours, stopping to eat and drink every six. A spider the size of a mastiff inhabited the rock ledge I chose as my bed that night; it sat half-in and half-out of a hole in the cliff, watching me with yellow eyes. Not feeling particularly neighborly, I killed it with a swift stroke. Searching about, I found no other dangers.

  For the first time since leaving the Country of the Seas, I noticed the air growing thinner and had to wrap my cloak around me for warmth. I fell asleep a short distance from the corpse, slumbering as soundly as my dead companion, and woke eight hours later, thankful that nothing had seized me while I slept.

  During the day's journey, water began dripping on me even if I walked in the middle of the gorge. The air grew fetid and damp, and I realized the walls on either side must have closed together, forming a ceiling. The rocks became slippery with splotched, reeking growths stinking of decay. The fire-holes became less prominent; what few there were burned dully, their choking, sulphurous fumes turning the darkness even darker.

  I had to walk more slowly, stumbling as I went, half-sick from the smell. Worse, as I passed one of the fire-holes, I saw the flames reflecting off an enormous swaying form on the far side of the fire. Having seen no living thing as large since leaving the Night Land, I hid at once among the rocks.

  As it passed the fire-hole, I saw it more clearly, a black, slimy creature like a giant slug, long as a warship, with waving eye-stalks, so huge its upper parts were lost in the darkness. It made no sound as it slid along and I remained in my place until it passed down the gorge. Since I could not carry my diskos and keep my balance as I made my way over the slippery rocks, I unfastened the weapon and left it swinging freely at my hip.

  Because of the lack of fire-holes, most of the time I found myself walking through almost total darkness, always aiming for the distant flames, little brighter than stars, that speckled the length of the gorge. In one such lightless region I noticed something moving between me and the fires. I hid again, and after a time smelled a graveyard stench, as if something was drifting past me. When the smell subsided, I continued on my way, not knowing what the creature had been.

  Three hours passed before I reached a fire-hole large enough to produce much light. As I glanced around, I became aware of the utter silence of the place, the only sound the dripping of water along the canyon's length. I wondered how many centuries it had remained that way, the silence, the dripping, the strange, quiet creatures passing back and forth.

  I drew up short, perceiving another slug attached to the side of the gorge, so much like the rocks I had nearly missed it. Its head faced the floor and its tail curved so far toward the ceiling that it was lost in the darkness.

  The sight of the creature filled me with loathing. I watched it a time, and when it did not move, I crawled on hands and knees among the dank rocks until I left it behind.

  Three more times other slugs must have passed me in the darkness, for though I could not see them, their stench was unmistakable. Every time I drew near a fire-hole I invariably discovered at least one of the beasts lying against the cliffside. Though I doubted their speed, I still feared them, and often crawled on my belly from boulder to boulder to avoid whatever sight they might possess.

  I passed a fire-hole and saw the gaping maw of a cave on the right side of the gorge. I wondered how many such caverns there were along the passage, and whether they were the breeding grounds of the slugs.

  I cleared the darkness, the stench, and the dripping water after twelve hours. The air grew fresh; the fires, which became plentiful once more, burned bright and clean, their fumes venting skyward again instead of collecting at the ceiling. With the moisture gone, I stopped seeing any more of the slugs, and could hurry along at a good pace, grateful to leave that region behind.

  Three hours later, thirty-three hours into the day's journey, I looked for a place to rest. One of the difficult things about my trek was never getting enough sleep—time just seemed to go on and on—but the last few days had been the worst, for I had gone more than a hundred hours with little slumber.

  I soon found a small, uninhabited cave lit by a meager fire-pit not far from its mouth. Despite my exhaustion, I no sooner sat down to eat than I realized my reeking clothing made rest impossible.

  As was often the case in that part of the gorge, water flowed from a boiling spring near the fire-pit, filling a hollow in the rocks. After testing its temperature, I washed myself and my gear in it and dried with a cloth from my pouch. I then returned to the mouth of the cave, where I sat eating, my diskos beside me. I remember that moment as somewhat peaceful. Perhaps I was too weary for anything else, but I felt almost content.

  Presently, several creatures, similar to rats but far larger, slipped out of holes in the rocks. Some lay around the fire-hole while others hunted among the boulders. One presently dove between the stones and came up holding a snake by the neck. It sat complacently eating its dinner, though the serpent fought until it was almost completely devoured. The display both fascinated and repulsed me. Despite my aversion, I was glad to see predators helping to control the snakes' numbers.

  When the hunter finished, it drank hot water from the spring, then returned to the fire and lay down close to the edge. Wistfully, I guessed its stomach was far more full than my own.

  Several more of the rats appeared; I saw them scampering among the distant shadows, killing the snakes wherever they found them. They played as well, staging mock battles and chasing one another over the rocks. I laughed at their antics, pleased that animals could find joy even in such darkness. My good humor soon passed, however, replaced by a sorrow that brought me nearly to tears. At first, I could not understand the cause, until I realized I mourned the extinction of the many wonderful creatures who had once inhabited the earth, beasts so long forgotten that their memory had not survived. With a terrible yearning, I remembered lions and bears, elephants and antelopes, hawks and sparrows, sea gulls and swans. I remembered dolphins and great whales. Most of all I remembered our finest friends, the loyal dogs and proud horses. So Andros lamented what Andrew had lost.

  Not wanting to become part of the rats' provisions, I blocked the cave entrance with large stones. Once secure, I fell into a melancholy sleep, filled with dreams of riding stallions through tall grass with Mirdath.

  Six hours later I rose, still fatigued, but ready to continue. Though I ate my breakfast at the cave mouth, I did not see any more of the rats.

  When I say the gorge continued to be light and cheerful it shows how my perspective changed during my journey. It would seem a dreadful place to someone thrust suddenly into the canyon, but armored as I was and inured to the hardships, I found its shining fires, hot pools, and massive, misshapen boulders cozy enough, the silence broken by occasional hissing steam, the black walls lost in the upper shadows. After the slugs and slime, it seemed almost pleasant.

  Eight hours later I halted, thinking I perceived the Master Word, though again it was so faint I could not be certain whether I had heard it at all. It ceased immediately, leaving me in doubt, but giving me hope as well. I strode forward, renewed, prepared to face any terror, carelessly leaping over the boulders barring my path, certain my quest would soon be over.

  Two hours later the ground became level and the walls on either side abruptly vanished. I had reached the end of the gorge. I trembled with excitement.

  Before me lay a new region, a second Night Land. Surely I had reached Naani's country! I peered all around, expecting to see the lights of the Lesser Pyramid shining through the darkness. To my disappointment, I found only strange fires and peculiar glows.

  A
heaviness suddenly filled my chest, and I had to reassure myself that even if I could not see it, the pyramid might still be nearby. It was a large country, and Naani's home was small compared to the Last Redoubt. It might be hidden in a valley or concealed by crags.

  The enormity of the land intimidated me, and for a time I could not decide the best course. I took out the compass; it pointed steadily to the north. This, too, puzzled and disturbed me, for I had hoped it would indicate the pyramid's direction.

  I went forward almost blindly, searching for a sign to guide my way. At first, I traveled straight ahead toward a large glaring illumination, the first of a series of lights burning in a long line to the left of the gorge's mouth. The country, which was rocky and sprinkled with moss bushes like the region around the Great Pyramid, seemed quite familiar, and I made good speed. Within a few hours, I reached the illumination. I approached it cautiously, remembering I was once more in a land of not just monsters but of entities capable of destroying the spirit.

  As I drew near, the shining seemed to rise from the depths of a rift stretching for many miles, but I may have been mistaken since I could not see it clearly due to its mysterious, misty quality. It may not have been as deep, or as large, as I thought. I did not continue toward it, but hid myself among the bushes, overtaken by a sudden disquietude. Lying upon my belly, I parted the vegetation and observed it for a long while. The light swept to and fro, like shining smoke drifting on the wind, sometimes clear, other whiles obscured. Eventually, I thought I detected a monstrous head, but it immediately vanished. In a moment more, I saw it again, though whether it was an entity similar to the Watchers of the Great Pyramid or no more than a carved mountain of rock, I could not tell. Neither did I intend to find out. I went on hands and knees through the bushes until I was far from that place.

  Once I was clear, I rose to my feet and surveyed my surroundings. The mouth of the gorge lay at my back, for I could see the fire-pits shining within it. To its left stood the blank darkness of the black mountains; to its right, along the mountains' feet, ran scores of low volcanoes with lights that illuminated the lower slopes. The shining area from which I had just escaped extended before me and far to the gorge's left. If it had produced a proper kind of lighting, it would have lit the entire countryside. As it was, it left only a dull glow in the distance.

  Since Naani had never mentioned the pyramid being close to a glowing valley, I turned to the right, where darkness lay fragmented by shining fire-holes. It struck me then just how immense this country was, a land as great as my own. I thought of all the dangers within the Night Land, terrors of which I was somewhat familiar. Here, I did not know the perils; I had no guide on how they might manifest themselves, and I wondered if I would search until some monstrosity murdered me.

  Having no other choice than to explore, I thrust my despair aside and marched to the right, keeping parallel with the rows of distant volcanoes. I continued in that direction for ten hours, agitated, hopeless and hopeful, nearly beside myself with anticipation, too concerned with searching to bother with food or rest. Eventually, my relentless pace left me lightheaded, forcing me to sit long enough to eat four tablets and drink some water. I rested only a moment before going on, however, for I could not bear to sleep with the thought of Naani so close.

  After another ten hours, I tottered on my feet, heedless of my own safety, more like a man stumbling through the desert than a hunter seeking a prize. I had gone forty hours without respite, driven by the hope of topping a hill and seeing the lights of the Lesser Redoubt.

  With the intention of resting only a moment, I finally lay down among the stones, but fell asleep at once. Twelve hours later, I woke, shivering and stiff, having failed to cover myself with my cloak. Only good fortune kept a predator from finding me lying unprotected.

  After breakfast I set off again, aching with stiffness, cursing the cold. Seeing how foolish I had been, I vowed to act more prudently, and after six hours forced myself to eat and drink. For once I was glad the tablets could be chewed quickly, for I would have been too impatient to sit and eat a real meal. I hurried as fast as I could, probably too quickly for caution, but I did not care.

  A red shining rose before me at the tenth hour, as if from a large pit. Slowing my pace, I slipped forward until I spotted tremendous figures silhouetted against the crimson light. I concealed myself in the bushes and watched them until I was certain they were like the giants of the Night Land, then I crept away into a dark region with only a few scattered fire-holes.

  After that, I realized I had no right to be so reckless if I intended to live long enough to find Naani. From that moment, I kept my diskos firmly in hand and returned to eating my meals on schedule, but could not bring myself to keep to an eighteen hour day.

  The land soon began to descend and the ground grew soft beneath my feet. The moss bushes died away and the fire-holes vanished. I dropped to my knees, removed my gloves, and felt the earth, which was covered with smooth stones and sea shells. I laughed aloud in delight, for Naani had told me the Lesser Redoubt stood close to the shores of an ancient, dry seabed. Seeing no sign of the pyramid upon this side, I assumed I would have to cross to the other shore.

  I was so excited that I journeyed across the empty sea for thirty hours, but did not find my goal. Toward the end of the day, remembering Naani had never mentioned the size of the sea, I became discouraged. For all I knew it might takes weeks to reach the far side.

  In order to avoid walking in circles, I kept the volcanoes behind me and to the right, and checked the compass often. To my distress, I began to hear the sounds of creatures running back and forth through the darkness, and a horrible, animal scream once raised the hackles on the back of my neck. Since I knew nothing about the region, I could not say what was normal or abnormal, nor could I imagine what the brutes hunted.

  I heard a tremendous bellowing and the pounding of enormous feet drawing near. I dropped to the ground, holding my diskos before me, wondering if it would be better to stand and fight since there was nowhere to hide. The earth shook from the footfalls; I clutched my weapon, my whole body quivering in anticipation of battle. But the noise passed me by and died away.

  As I rose, a single, distant scream pierced the night, startling me so that I raised my arm above my head as if to repel a blow. A shiver ran down my spine. Undoubtedly, a giant had caught its unfortunate prey.

  I walked forty-one hours that day before reaching the far side of the ancient seabed, but when I arrived I could not see any sign of the Lesser Redoubt. Bewildered, too weary for anything but despair, I sat at the edge of the sea, staring out, not knowing what to think, overwhelmed by the enormity of the region, the vastness of the Rift, the immensity of the whole world. What a fool I had been, thinking I could find one girl in the midst of it all.

  At last I roused myself, ate my supper, and made my bed among a clump of bushes. My quest seemed as far from ending as ever, and I escaped from my heartache into the oblivion of sleep.

  When I woke six hours later, I found that rest had restored my courage, and I rose and paced along the shoreline of the dead sea, mentally reciting algebraic equations to keep myself alert.

  My desperation returned as I walked, however, for the vastness of the land left me not knowing which way to turn. After a time I noticed a weak shining a long way off, as if faint fires spread a glow across the countryside before me and to my left. Lacking any other course, I set out toward the illumination, hoping it might be caused by the lights of the Lesser Redoubt shining up from a hidden valley.

  I journeyed eighteen hours, forcing myself to eat even when the tablets gagged me, for worry had soured my stomach. My thoughts turned constantly to Mirdath walking in the woods with her hounds, or sitting in the parlor, or dancing with me at country parties, or dying the night she gave birth. I had lost her once; if I did not find again I would surely die myself.

  Three times during that journey I heard running feet and screams of terror. Each time I hid,
never knowing the character of either the hunter or the prey, or what balances nature had created in that country.

  The shining, which had a deep red color, grew more clear, and the odor of sulphur filled my nostrils. About that time, the land began to slope upward. After several hours the ground leveled off, and I heard a low rumbling unlike any noise I had ever known before.

  The roar grew ever louder as I went, until I finally came to the edge of a towering cliff. Far below me spread a sea of dull fire. The far side was hidden by the smoke rising from the sea and the smoke itself glowed crimson. Headlands wound their way out of the black cliffs into the blaze and the flames lapped quietly about them, spitting out intermittent green flames and vapors wherever they touched the land.

  Clearly, this was the edge of a deep volcano, flat on the top and covering all that portion of the country. I stood, awed and dumbfounded; its fires glowed red against my face, its fumes burned my lungs. I had reached the boundary of that region without finding my goal.

  I backed away from the scorching fumes, filled with despair, astray in the night of the world, no longer certain whether I was near Naani's home, or whether it remained half a world away.

  Glancing up, I realized that I now stood high above the whole countryside and might be able to view it more clearly. I scanned the area, but saw no sign of the redoubt's lights. I sat down, as close to tears as I had ever been through all my long journey.

  From my new position, I suddenly became aware of something standing in the night. I blinked my eyes, straining to see, and finally recognized the black shape of a distant pyramid, barely illuminated by remote fires.

  No words could possibly express my feelings at that moment. I shouted Naani's name across that dark night, and my voice echoed against the volcanic cliffs. I sprinted down the slope, heedless of anything save the end of my quest. Naturally, I stumbled and fell headlong, and for a few moments the pain was so great I thought I had broken my neck. I had to lie there several minutes, helpless and moaning, unable to rise.