XVI
IN THE COUNTRY OF SILENCE
And lo! I did be come something nigh unto the Mighty Pyramid; and mygreat Home went up vast into the everlasting night, as a very Mountainof sweet Life and Safety, and had surely amazed me afresh with the utterBigness of it, only that despair and weariness did have too grim an holdupon my heart for me to care of aught, save to have Mine Own Maid withinthe safe wonder of the huge Refuge. And it did be still afar off fromme.
And I to go forward across the Land with a strong going; and lo! as Ipast a hollow place where did burn a fire-hole, there came something outof the hollow. And the thing gat upward from crawling, and did be agreat and haired Man. And the Man lookt at me, and afterward came untome, and did put his hands forward, very eager, as he came. And I did seethe hands plain in the light from the fire-hole, and the hands weremonstrous, and did be armed brutish with horrid claws, so that the Manshould have been able to rip aught, even as a wild beast.
And I put Mine Own very swift to the earth; and surely, I cared not forlife or aught; for this thing did make to delay me, and I to be fiercewith despair that aught should halt me. And lo! I leaped very furiousand with cold anger at the giant; and I smote at the monstrous brute;but he unto the side in an instant of time, and so escaped the blow. Andhe flung forth his monstrous arm out of the half-dark of a shadow thatdid be cast by the dance of the fire-hole, and caught my head-piece andpluckt it from me so strong and brutish that he cast me nigh a dozenfeet on to my back. Yet I was not harmed in the life, but only soreshaked and bruised; and I to be up in a moment, and came in upon thegiant, and the Diskos did roar and blaze in my hands as I swung theweapon. And I gat the giant above the middle part, and the Diskos didglut itself, and went through the giant as that he did be naught, thoughso huge and monstrous and girt with strength. And he to have surelyturned his shoulders as he died; for the upper part of the giant-manwent horrid to the earth, and the legs and the trunk stood plain in thelight of the fire-hole, and the blood went upward as a fountain in thenight.
And I made no pause, but leaped unto the Maid, and had her in a momentto mine arms, and onward again past that dead thing, that did only thento fall with an horrid sound. And surely the night did be full of anastonishment and upliftedness of the Millions, so that their spiritualcryings did go all about me, and did tell me that they had perceivedthis thing, and did cast their love and delight unto me, and a vastexcitement to be upon them.
And lo! I scarce to have gone a great mile more, but there came twovague things out of a dark place, where certain rocks did upstand; and Ismote them with the Diskos, and went onward; but what they did be, Inever to know.
And surely, after that, I did seem to go smiting forever; for there tocome, time and oft, strange things out from the bushes and the rocks, asthat all the Land did be a-crawl with foul and monstrous life, and I togo smiting, as in a dream, and to speed forward ever with a more fiercedespair; for surely the end of our lives did be come, and I not to begiven power to save Mine Own Maid.
And all the Land did be full of grim and monstrous roarings, andodd-wise lower sounds, very deadly. And once I did hear the noise ofgiants running. And all the night to be Evil. And, in verity, how I didnot be slain by some dread Force, I not to know, unless that I did beburned free of all weakness that an Evil Power should have chance toharm me through; for, indeed, I had been dealt a bitter training amonstrous time.
And lo! there to be again the deep and dreadful baying of theNight-Hounds unto the South-East, and to be nearer; and I to know nowthat no strength of mine should serve to protect Mine Own.
And lo! from the upwardness of the night, where did be the Last Light,there sudden to come downward a strange blue flash, that smote downwardinto the Land unto the South-East. And again the flash to come, andmayhap a score times after; and there to come down out of the height apeculiar crackling sound, that did be less than the thunder of this age,yet more loud than any other sound that you ever to hear. And lo! I knewthat the Humans did begin to fight for me, that I bring Mine Own safeunto Home.
And behold! it did be as that all the wakefulness of the Land that hadbeen, did be but as sleep, beside the wakefulness that now to come; forsurely the Night now to seem to rock with the roarings of the Monsters,and with the be-stirring of Great Forces. And ever there to go over theLand the yowling of that strange and dreadful Laughter, which did comefrom that hid Country in the night of the lost East.
And lo! there arose constant now the hoarse and dreadful bayings of theHounds, and made known that a mighty pack did be out. And they to seemto be no more, maybe, than a good mile unto the South-East; and I to beall alone, save for the dying Maid that I held in mine arms. And I looktvainly and with despair for the Hundred Thousand that did be Prepared,and had come downward, as you do know, unto mine aid. But truly, theredid be naught to see anywheres, save the strange lights and shadows ofthe Land; and the movement of monstrous life in this place and thatplace. And the Hounds to come nearer with every moment of time; so thatindeed, I knew that death did be very nigh.
And I ceased not from my stride; but went forward, and did begin to run;for the Pyramid was not a huge way off in the night; and the shine ofthe Circle about it, to be plain seen, save here and there, where it didbe hid strangely. And I to have a despairing hope that I come yet withMine Own into the safety of the Circle.
And the baying of the Hounds to come ever the more near; and surely itdid be a doubly hideous bitter thing that I lose My Dear One, so nighunto Home; and the great Mountain of my Home to go upward before me intothe night, and to seem so near that surely I did be almost there; butyet, mayhap, two great miles off, even then. And, behold, I called outin vain despair and to no end, why that none come to give me aid in thisextremity; for the Hounds did bay now but the half of a great mile, uponmy left, and did surely have scent of me, by the way of their dreadfulbaying.
And, truly, the Millions to have an anguish of sympathy for me; for thespiritual noise of their emotion did be plain unto my spirit; and theysurely to have seen and to have interpreted the way that I did lookabout me and appear to call out in despair; for there came all about mein a moment the companioning of a great and sweet spiritual force, whichdid be bred of their quick going with me in their understanding andlove; and they to have perceived how that I did be unto the end of hope;and the Hounds to be almost upon me.
And in this moment, there came afresh to my hearing the shaking beat ofthe Earth-Current; so that I knew the Humans to take desperate means tosave. And there came to my view a vast pack of the Hounds unto my left,and they came running at a great pace, and their heads did be low, andthey to be so great as horses; and seen plain, and again in shadow, allin the same moment, as they did come.
And, in verity, I knew that we two to be dead indeed ere a minute begone, if that the Humans not to haste. And I stood where I did be; forthere was no more use to run; and I lookt from the Hounds unto theMighty Pyramid, and again to the Hounds. And again I lookt with my hopegone, unto the Pyramid; for the Hounds did be scarce two hundred fathomsoff from me; and there did be hundreds of the mighty beasts. And lo!even as I lookt that last time unto the Pyramid, there brake out amonstrous bursting flame, that did rush downward from the Sealed lowerpart of the Mighty Pyramid. And the flame smote downward upon the Landwhere the Hounds did run, and all the Night to be lost from my sight inthe brightness and strangeness of that mighty flame; so that I saw nomore the Pyramid, or aught; but only the shining and dreadful glory ofthat flame. And the Flame made a blast in the Night, and a hotness thatdid seem to wither me, even where I did be from it. And I perceived thatthe Humans had truly turned loose the Earth-Current upon the Hounds,that I be saved. And there went a constant great thundering over theLand, because that the Earth-Force did rend and split the air, and didtear up the earth. And the roaring of the Monsters did be husht and lostin that mighty sound; and I to see no place where the Hounds did be; butonly flames and broken lands where the Earth-Force did strike; and greatrocks did be
hurled all whithers, with a vast noise; and truly it did bea mercy that I was not slain an hundred times, if this might be, by thefailings and burstings of great rocks and boulders.
And lo! in a moment the Humans did cut off the Earth-Force, and had itagain to their control. And there to seem now a great silence upon theLand, and an utter dark; save that flames and noise came from that partwhere the Current did strike. And I very speedy to come free of thedazedness that had me, and made again to my running; for, in truth, itto seem now that I should yet be let to win unto safety with Mine Own.
And mine eyes did grow presently unto their accustomed using; and I tolook all ways about me, lest there come somewhat upon me even then towork our deaths. And for a good time there to be naught that I did seeanywheres, neither there to be the wakeful sounds of the Land, save onlythe grim and horrid Laughter from afar in the dead East.
And oft as I did run, I to stare hungry hearted upward at the MightyPyramid; and surely it alway now to seem to be less bright than before.And in the first, I to set this to the count that mine eyes did be yetdazed by the great Flame of the Earth-Force; but soon I to perceive thatit did be otherwise; and that there did be truly a less brightness ofthe light that did shine throughout all the Mighty Redoubt. And thislack I conceived had owing to that great using of the force and power ofthe Earth-Current that had been loosed to save us. And I to have thisnew thing cold upon my heart; for, truly, if that the Force of theCurrent to be made over low, there to be a danger for all the Humansthat did live, even for all the great Millions of the Mighty Refuge. Andthis, did be surely known by the Masters; and they to have no more powerto aid me with the Current, until it flow strong again, lest that theydestroy all the Peoples of the Earth. And all this to be plain to me ina moment, as I ran; and I to be but the more desperate to come untoinstant safety with the Maid.
And surely, I to be yet in expecting of the Hundred Thousand to comeunto me; but they not to come. And all about me the Land to begin againto give out the noises of the Monsters; and to send forth new andpeculiar noises, as that there did be more awaked in the Land than didbe ever heard by me before. And presently, I saw that there went livingthings, creeping, between me and the light of the Circle. And I to knowthat I yet to have to fight bitter, if that I would bring the Maid safe.And I swung the Diskos free, and ran on.
And sudden my Spirit to know that I did be warned of some new peril; andI to look upward into the night, that the Master Monstruwacan shouldmayhap to tell me the danger, by the Set Speech. But, in truth, therecame not the quick flashings of the Set Speech; but only an upwardstillness, and a dimness of the lights of the Mighty Pyramid. Andafterward, I to learn that the dear Master Monstruwacan made to warn meof danger; but that all the instruments of the Tower of Observation tofail to work, and likewise all the machinery of the Pyramid to cease,even unto the moving of the great lifts, and the moan of the Air Pumps;and all to have been this way for nigh a great hour, until that theEarth-Current did flow again more full. And surely, this doth show thatDeath did nigh to come unto all the Millions, because of the great trialthat did be made to save us.
But, truly, my spirit did be warned by the trouble of the Millions, andbecause the Master Monstruwacan called vaguely with his brain-elements;so that I went ever more warily, and did look all ways. And lo! suddenI to stare above me into the night; and there to be a pale circle, veryquiet and steadfast that did go alway over the twain of us. And I sawthat this did be surely one of those sweet Powers of Holiness, that didstand between our souls and some dread Power that came anigh to work ourDestruction. And I to have no over-fear; but did put my trust in theForce of Holiness, and went forward, running warily.
And surely, I came mayhap so nigh as to within four hundred paces of theCircle; and I to think that I yet to win Mine Own safe and undelayedwithin the guarding of the Circle. And the light of the Circle did burndim; so that I had sudden fear whether that it be any more use for aGuard, until that the Earth-Current to come more free. And all this as Iran, swift and wary and utter anxious.
And lo! in that moment in a dim place there rose up three beast-men fromthe earth, and came at me, growling. And the first did be so close thatI had no room to the Diskos; but beat in the head of the man with thehaft-part. And I leaped unto the side then, and swung the Diskos, anddid be utter mad, yet chill, with fury; so that the Maid did be no morethan a babe in the crook of mine arm. And I came in sudden to meet thetwo beast-men as they ran at me; and I cut quick and light with thegreat Weapon, and did have that anger upon me which doth make the hearta place of cold and deadly intent; so that I had a wondrous and brutaljudgement to the slaying. And, truly, I slew them as that they had beenno more than mice; and I had no harm, neither so much as a touch fromthem. And, behold! in that moment there came a great Shout of wonder andof welcome from within the Circle. And I lookt swiftly, and began againto run; for there did be men in grey armour all within the Circle; yetcame they not to mine aid.
And lo! in a moment I knew why that the Hundred Thousand did have heldoff from me in mine extremity; for, behold! there did be monstrous BlackMounds all along without of the Circle, and did rock and sway with aforce of strange life that did set an horror into my soul as I ran; fortruly they did be the visible signs of monstrous Forces of Evil. And didany Human have ventured outward beyond the Circle, then had that manbeen Destroyed in the Spirit, and lost utterly; so that none had daredto come; neither had it been of use if any had made themselves to be asacrifice to aid me; for, truly, they to have been of no use, when dead,as you shall say.
And there came a constant shouting from the Hundred Thousand to me, thatI haste, and indeed to haste. And truly I did haste with all mystrength. And I lookt unto the dear Circle of Holiness that did be aboveus twain; and it to go steadfast over us; so that I saw we to be surelysaved.
And lo! I to be no more than an hundred paces now from the glowing ofthe Circle. And behold! even in that instant, there must come brutalthings to destroy us; for there came an herd of squat and brutish menall about me in a moment from the shadows, where they had been hid. Andthey caught at me, and caught at the Maid to tear her from mine arm. Andtruly, it did be as that they surely to have success; for I could nowisein a moment free myself, and yet to guard the Maid and to use theDiskos. And lo! I kickt with my metal boots, and gave from them, andturned all ways in a moment, and wrenched free; and I leaped back; andthe herd of horrid brutes after me.
And now I to have space for the Diskos, and a grimness in my heart; andI came round very sudden, and ran in among the men, smiting. And I hitvery swift both from the right and the left, and to and fro with aconstant quick circling. And the Diskos did spin and roar, and made astrange light upon the faces of the men, and they to have tusks like tothe tusks of pigs. And surely I did rage through them, smiting. And theyto strike me a thousand times with great stones, so that mine armourrang, and was all fresh burst, and I near to sicken under the blows andnew wounds; but they not to harm the Maid, for I carried her above theirsquat and brutish reach.
And the brute-men to seem without end. But I made alway forward unto theglowing of the Circle; and the night to be full in that place of thefierce shoutings of the Hundred Thousand; and many--as I did learn--tohave tried to come unto me, but that their comrades held them from souseless a dying.
And, in verity, I to be now scarce fifty paces from the glowing of theCircle; and did be nigh to fall; for I did be so utter dazed and woundedwith the fight, and ill with a vast weariness and the despair andmadness of my journey, and moreover, as you do know, I not to haveslept, but to have carried the Maid forever through days and nights, andto have fought oft.
And lo! the Hundred Thousand stood just within the Circle, and they thatwere to the front did swing each man the Diskos; and they hurled eachthe Diskos in among the herd of the tuskt men that did make to slay me.And surely this to save me; for the herd did thin to my front; and I togather my strength, and to charge with despair, and to smite and neverbe ceased of smiting; so that
there did be dead creatures all about. Andbehold! I brake through the herd, with Mine Own, and did be upon theCircle. And lo! I stept over the Circle, that did scarce now to give outa Resistance; and a thousand hands did come forward to give me help; yetdid none touch me, but gave back from me; for there did be that about mewhich held them off, as with a little awe; for I to be strange untothem.
And I stood there in a great silence, and the Diskos in my hand ranblood to the haft. And maybe I rockt as I stood; for many again did putout their hands, as to hold me, and again drew back, and were silent.
And I lookt unto them, and they lookt back at me; and I did gaspawhile, and was strangely dazed, and did try to tell them that I hadneed of the Doctors for the Life of Mine Own Maid, that did be dying inmine arms. And behold, in that moment, there did be a sound of giantsrunning, out in the night. And some then to cry out different matters,to aid me, and to beware of the giants, and to bring the Doctors toattend me on the instant.
And other voices did call that the Holy Light was gone from above; andlikewise the Black Mounds from the outer part of the Circle. And theredid be a monstrous noise of roarings in the Land, and all to comebewildered unto my brain, which did surely fail now with the grim andutter stress which had been mine so long.
And there to be also a constant noise that came from near and fromupward; and truly I to know, as in a dream, that it did be made of theshouting of the great Millions, that did make an eternal and vagueroaring-sound upward in the night, that did come down from the upperheights, no more loud than a strange and continual murmuring out of thelofty miles.
And surely, I to find my voice in a little minute, and did ask a nearman whether there be any Doctors with the men. And in that moment therecame forward a Master of the Diskos, which doth be as a Commander ofthis age. And he made the Salute of Honour with the Diskos, and wouldhave eased the Maid from me; but I to ask again, very slow, whether thatthere was a Doctor a-near. And he on the instant to give an order; andthe great thousands to begin to shape, and did make a mighty lane untothe Great Gateway of the Mighty Pyramid.
And the Master of the Diskos made a sign to certain that did be near;and they stood about me, as I to know dully, lest I fall; but they notto touch me; for I did be as that I must not be laid hand upon; for Idid near to choke with despair lest I to have come Home too late; andsurely, also, the men to seem as that I did be strange unto them.
And there went orders swift and constant this way and that; and lo! in alittle while, there came two big men of the Upward Cities, running; andthey had a little man between them upon a sling. And the little man didbe a Master of the Doctors; and he aided me gentle to lay Mine Own Maidupon the earth. And the Master of the Diskos made a sign, and the menthat did be near, turned each his back; and the Doctor to makeexamination for the life of Mine Own.
And there to come about that time a seeming of silence in the land. Andtruly the Hundred Thousand did be utter quiet; and a great quiet in theMighty Pyramid; for, in truth, all to know, by this, that there to be afear that the Maid I did bring out of the night, did be slain by theEvil Forces.
And sudden the little man that did be the Master Doctor, lookt up quietand piteous at me; so that I knew in a moment that Mine Own Maid did bedead. And he to see that I knew; and he covered the face of Mine Own,and stood up very speedy; and he called softly to the men that did be tomy back, and he signed to them that some to support me, and some to liftMine Own Maid, and bear her unto the Great Gateway. And he lookt keen atme; and I to fight a little that I breathe; and afterward did make withmy hands, that the men not to come near me, neither to touch Mine Own.And the Master Doctor to understand that I did be truly strong until Idie, and did beckon the men from me, and from the Maid.
And I stoopt, in a little, and I lifted Mine Own Maid into mine arms forthat last journeying.
And I came down the mighty lane of the Hundred Thousand, all in theirgrey armour. And they did make silent salute with the Diskos reversed,each man as I passed him, and did be utter silent. And I scarce to wotof aught, save that all the world did be quiet and emptied, and my taskto have failed, and Mine Own to lie dead in mine arms. Yet, truly, didit to have failed utter? for I had surely saved Mine Own from the terrorof the Second Night Land, and she not to have come alone and withmadness unto her death; but to have died in mine arms; and she surely tohave been comforted within her spirit, because that my love did be soutter about her. And I to think vaguely and terribly on an hundred sweetlove actions that she to have shown unto me; and sudden I did rememberwith a dreadful pain how that I never to have waked to discover Mine OwnMaid kissing me in my sleep, as I to have meant. And a madness ofanguish did flash sudden through the numbness upon my brain; so that Idid be blinded a little, and surely went crooked in my walk; for I toknow, sudden, that the Master Doctor steadied mine elbow for a moment;but afterward did leave me be, as I to have again control of my spirit.
And lo! as I drew nigh unto the Great Gateway, the lights of the Pyramidto begin to glow again more strong, and the machinery of the Lifts andthe Air Pumps to work, because that now the Earth-Current did grow oncemore to natural strength. And they to have power now to open the GreatGate, which did be done by great machines.
And there to come forth to meet me a number of the Masters of the MightyPyramid; and the dear Master Monstruwacan did come before them all, soeager as that he did be mine own Father. And he to have heard somewhat,vaguely, that there to have been a fear for the life of the maid that Idid bring.
And surely, he did be told by one near to the Gateway, that the Maid didbe dead in mine arms; for he and all the Masters did pause and standsilent for me to go by, and did reverse each his Diskos; and this tohave been an Honour shown, than which there did be scarce any greater.
And there went a constant murmuring up in the night, which did be thespeech of the Millions, questioning. And the news that the Maid did bedead, went upward through the miles. And my spirit to know, as in adream, of the spiritual noise which did go outward through all space,and did be the grief of the Multitudes, as they did hear this thing.Yet, truly, there did nothing comfort me anywise; neither I proper yetto know the verity of my loss; for I did go stunned.
And I came in through the Great Gateway, and the Full Watch did standthere silent in their armour; and they made the Salute of Honour. And Iwent onward with the dead Maid that I did bring out of Eternity.
And presently, they that were around, did guide me, with the Maid inmine arms, unto the Great Lift. And I took Mine Own Maid into the GreatLift; and the Masters came with me, and did be in their armour; and nonedid speak to me. And the Master Monstruwacan and the Master of theDoctors stood silent to the side of me. And there did be everywheregreat Multitudes, that I did see vaguely; but my spirit not to wot ofthem.
And lo! I stood very quiet and dumb as we did go upward through themiles; and the Millions of the Cities stood about the Great Lift, andthere did be a great silence upward and downward through the strangemiles; save for the weeping of women in dear sympathy, that did soundfar and low and constant.
And presently I to know that the Master Monstruwacan and the Master ofthe Doctors did look one to the other; and I to be aware sudden that Istood in my blood; for I did be wounded in an hundred parts, and theblood to go alway from me. Yet did the Master Doctor be slow to do aughtfor me, because that he to perceive that I did be slain in the heart;and there to be no pain so dreadful as that he should be like to wake meunto, if that he went hastily.
Yet, presently, there did come whirlings into my head; and someone didsurely make to ease Mine Own Maid from mine arms. But I held her,dumbly; and the blood to go the more from me; and they not to know whatshould be done. And I to look at them. And the dear Master Monstruwacandid be saying somewhat unto me, that I did have no power to hear; butonly to know that his face did be very human. And there went a strangenoise all about me; and the Master Monstruwacan to seem to hold me up,and to beckon to some that did be to my back. And lo! there came ablackness, and the
gentleness of arms about mine armour....
And I to come presently to quietness and to half-dreams; and did alwayto seem that I carried Mine Own Maid in mine arms. But truly there didpass three great days, whilst that I did be thus. And I all that whileto be laid quiet, and to be tended by the Master Doctor, and aided byall knowledge that did be known of Humans.
And on the third day, as it might be called, I to come full unto mysenses; and the pain to take me in the breast; and the Master of theDoctors did be with me, and they that nurst me; and the Master Doctorwatched me very keen and gentle.
And I did be in a bed of the Health Room of mine own city. And I gatfrom the bed, and the Doctor to say naught; but only to watch me. And Iwalkt to and fro a little, and he alway to watch me; and presently hegave me somewhat to drink; and I drank. And I was gone soon from allknowledge.
And I to come again unto a knowing that I yet to live; and there went acertain strength in my body. And lo! the first that I did see, was theMaster of the Doctors; and I to perceive in a moment that he had wakenedme, and had nurst my strength for that moment, that I live through theBurial. For he to be very wise, and to have known from that first seeingof me, that I not to live after that Mine Own did die.
And there was brought to me a loose garment; but I to refuse thegarment, dumbly, and did look about me very troubled and forgetting. Andthe Master Doctor lookt alway at me; and lo! in a moment he called one,and gave an order. And there was brought in then my broken armour, and agarment to wear below. And I then to know that I did be content in thismatter; and the Doctor alway to watch me. And they drest me in my brokenarmour.
And surely, as they drest me, my spirit to hear the sorrow and sympathyof the Multitudes, and did know that they went downward by millions,unto the Country of Silence.
And lo! in that moment when I near to be in mine armour, I to mindsudden again that I never to have waked to discover Mine Own Maidkissing me in my sleep. And the Pain gat me in the breast, so that I hadsurely ended then, but that the Master Doctor set somewhat to my breath,that eased me, and gave something of dullness unto my senses for awhile.
And I did be carried then in a sling unto the Great Lift, and there didbe a bed in the lift, and the Doctor to have me to lie upon the bed; andI to know that he also to know that I never to need a bed any more;neither should I ever to come upward again in the Lift.
And truly the Mighty Pyramid did be an emptyness; for there did seem tobe left only the Stress Masters that did arrange the moving of theMillions. And the Stress Masters did stand about the Lift, as we droptdownward through the great miles unto the Underground Fields. And wecame downward in the last unto the Country of Silence, which did lie anhundred miles deep in the world, and did be an hundred miles every wayof Silence unto the Dead.
And they that were with me, gat me from the Lift, and did mean to carryme in the sling unto The Last Road. But I stood upon my feet, and madethat I should walk, and I held out my hand for the Diskos, which one didcarry. And the Master Doctor signed that they should obey me, as myspirit to know. And I walkt very steadfast down the Way that did leadunto The Last Road; and the Master Doctor walkt behind me, a littlespace off.
And surely, there did be all the Peoples of the World in that greatCountry; and the Peoples did be spread out forever, so far as my seeingdid go; and they to have sight of me; and all the aether did be stirredwith the humanness of their sorrow and their kind sympathy. And theregrew a murmur, which did be like to a low rolling thunder, and did bethe voices of the Peoples. And the rolling of that great husht Soundwent to and fro across that mighty Country of Quiet; and there to beafterward an utter silence.
And I saw below me the place of the Last Rest, where did be thebeginning of The Last Road; and there did lie there a little figure,covered with a white robe, that did glimmer with the beauteous work ofwomen that had stitcht love and honour into that Last Garment. Andsurely, I to rock upon my feet, and to steady myself with the Diskos;and the Master Doctor to be unto my side in a moment, and gave me againsomething that I breathe-in. But, indeed, I to refuse, after that I hadtaken one breath of the drug; for I to be able to bear my pain thelittle time that I now to have to live; and I to mean that I have nodimness of my senses for those short minutes that I should have yet nearunto Mine Own. And truly the Master Doctor did not press me anywise, buthad a perfect understanding, and went quiet again to the rearward.
And I came soon to that place where Mine Own Dead One did lie; and theMaster Monstruwacan stood to her feet, and did be clothed in greyarmour, and had the Diskos reversed; and this to be for an Honour untoMy Dead Maid.
And there kneeled two maids in white, one to the right and one to theleft of Mine Own, and they to be for Faithfulness, and did be maids,because that they watched by a maid; and had likewise been matrons, ifthat the Dead had been wife unto any.
And the place at the Head of the Last Rest did be empty, and did be forme; and he that stood to the head, did be for Love; for it did be thechief, and did hold dominion over and did make to live both Faithfulnessand Honour. And this to be the way of the Burial alway.
And lo! I took my courage into my heart; and I stood to the head of MineOwn Maid; and I lookt down upon the wondrous white glory of the garment,which did be white because that Mine Own did be a Maid; yet did beworked with yellow Flowers of Weeping, as we did call them, because thatshe had died in love. And I to know that no hand had toucht thatwonderful garment, save the hands of maidens.
And behold! as I stood there, from far away over the Land, there didcome a far and faint sound; and the sound did come more nigh, so that Iknew that afar off, beyond the Hills of the Babes, the Millions didbegin to sing the Calling Song, where Million did call husht untoMillion, and the sound did come onward toward where we did be, and didgo over us, and pass onward in a husht and wondrous breathing of sound,as that all the Love that did be ever in this world, did call in a lowanguish unto a lost Beloved. And the sound to pass away and away overthat mighty Country in the deep Earth, and did hush and hush unto agreat and utter silence, save for a faint murmur of countless womenweeping, that did be in the air of that Land of Quiet.
And there to be a space of silence, and again the silence to be brokenby a far sound; and there to come again from beyond the far Hills of theBabes a strange and low sound, and did be as of a wind wandering throughdamp forests. And the sound grew, and came across the Hills of theBabes, and did be breathed forth by Million after Million, so that in alittle I to hear the Song of Weeping sung very low and sorrowful by themultitudes. And the Song came onward over all that great Country, andpast over us, and went onward into the far Land beyond the Dome, and didbe caught by the voices of Millions that did be hid in great distances,and so to go onward forever, and to die at last unto a mighty silence.
And the Master Monstruwacan lookt at me from the feet of Mine Own Maid,and I to know that the moment did be come when I to part from the MaidNaani forever and forever, even though I to live in some strange future,and to find her soul in some other sweet child. And I stoopt and laidthe Diskos beside Mine Own Maid there upon the Last Rest; and the twomaids drew back the light wonder of the Garment, and showed me the faceof Mine Own, and she to sleep there forever so sweet and husht as achild, and as oft I to have seen her to sleep. And I lookt a littlewhile, and the pain of my heart did be sufficient, so that I knew I diedas I lookt. And once more I lookt, and I set my soul about Mine Own. AndI fought with myself, and stood upward, and the maids did cover the faceof Mine Own Maid.
And the Master Monstruwacan commended Naani unto Eternity. And he raisedthe Diskos reversed; and lo! the Road did begin to move upward unto theDome, and Mine Own Maid did be upon the Road; and I to fight that I keepbreathing; so that I not to die before she be lost utter to my sight.
And there did rise now a sound from all that Country that had no orderin it; and did be like to a low moaning that did fill all the air ofthe Land; and there to be also a constant sound, as of a littlewhistling dree wind that did be in all that
Country of Quiet; and trulythis to be more than any singing; for it to be the true weeping ofmultitudes, that did sorrow from the heart, with the grief of this thingthat did be.
And I stood utter still, and did draw my breath very even, and looktunto that small form that did be now afar off where it did lie upon themoving Roadway. And I gazed, as that my soul and all my being did haveno power else, even as a man that dies, doth set all his strength to alast movement. And I not to wot that the Master Monstruwacan and the twomaids did hold me up, because they to perceive that I did be dying; forI only to see Mine Own Little One lying afar off upon the moving of theLast Road.
And the Maid in that moment to come to the place where the Road did passinto the strange and luminous vapour of the Earth-Current, which did lieall about the base of the Dome; and the vapour to be only as a faintshining smoke, scarce seen, yet to be enough to give something ofuncertainty to the Dead, when that they did have past inward of it.
And I stared, with all that did be left of my strength; for Mine Own tobe gone utter and forever in but a little minute. And the uncertainty ofthe luminous vapour did cling about her, and to make her to seem unrealto my gaze; for the vapour did be in constant movement, and to give aseeming of shifting to and fro of all that did be in it.
And behold! as I did stare, with my dreadful pain, there did be sudden astrange hoarse noise from the nearer Millions. And lo! in an instantthere came a mighty Shout out of all that Country; and the shout did bemade again, and did grow into a mighty hoarse roaring from the Millions,so that all that great Country did be filled with the monstrous sound.And, in verity, I to have seen the thing, likewise; but to have set itto the madness of longing of my heart and to that desperate and dreadfulpain which did make me to be crazed and lost from all sane thinking.
And the thing that I did see, had been that the Maid did seem to move,there upon the Last Road, where she did lie; but indeed, this to haveappeared only to be the stirring of the luminous vapour of theEarth-Current, which did seem to make things shift, as I have told.
And lo! I now to see truly that the Maid did move where she was laidafar off upon the Road; and I now to know, and to believe that she didindeed live. And my life came into me with a bounding; yet did my heartseem to be a moment stilled in my breast. And the Master Monstruwacan tohave signed already that the Roadway be stopt, and brought backward; butI to be now upon the Last Road, and did run as a madman, shouting vainlyupon the name of Mine Own. And I to learn afterward that there to havebeen a dreadful peril that all the near Millions to rush toward the LastRoad, and so, mayhap, to have caused the death of many, and to havebeen like to have crusht Mine Own. But this danger to have been eased,because that the Watch Master did act very prompt, and set the greatregiments of his men to keep back the Millions, and did send a signalabroad over all the Country, that there to be calmness, for that theMaid should be succoured. And alway, whilst this to be, I did runstaggering most strangely upward of the Last Road; and surely that greatroof did ring and boom with the constant and mighty shoutings of theMillions.
And there did run others also along the Road, to my back; but I to havebeen the first, and to make a good speed, though I did stagger and rockso strange upon my feet; and the Road alway to be moving backward underme; and so I to be come wonderful soon unto where the Maid did be. Andshe to be upon her back, and to have pusht the Garment from her face,and did be lying with her eyes open, and a look of gentle wondermentupon her dear face. And she then to see me, and her eyes did smile atme, very glad and quiet; for there to be yet an utter weakness upon her.
And lo! I came with a falling beside her, and I gat upon my knees andupon my hands, and my heart did shake my lips to dry whisperings. Andshe to look weak and steadfast unto me, and I to look forever at her;and I did alway try to say things unto her; but my mouth to refuse me.
And understanding did come into her, as a light; and she to know in thatinstant that she to be truly come into the Mighty Pyramid, and I to havegat her there somewise; and she to wake sudden in her body, and set herhands forth all a-trembling from the Garment, and in dreadful trouble.And I to see then that the blood did go from me, constant; and the Maidto have perceived this thing, so that she was waked the more proper in amoment from her death-swoon.
And surely, I did bleed very dreadful; for all my wounds did be openedwith my running. And I to have sudden power with my lips, and did sayunto her, very simple, that I loved her. And she to be all in an hazefrom me; and I to know that she to have come likewise unto her knees,and did have my head upon her breast; and there to be an utter shakingof the air with some great sound, and a mighty spiritual stirring of theaether of the world.
And there to be then the voice of the Master Monstruwacan very dull inmine ears; and the low voice of the Master Doctor; but I never to hearwhat they did be saying; and did know only that Mine Own Maid did live;and I not to mean to die, but to fight unto living. And even whilst thatI made this resolving, I was gone into an utter blackness.
The Night Land Page 16