And this would have been to cause the monsters to search the youths out
to their destruction, and maybe even to awaken the Forces to work them
some dread Spiritual harm, which was the chief Fear.
Now, presently, through all the cities of the Great Redoubt, the news
had gone how that five hundred foolish Youths had adventured out into
the despair of the Night Land; and the whole Pyramid waked to life, and
the Peoples of the South came to the Northern sides, for the Great Gate
lay in the North-West side; and the Youths had made from there, not
straightly outwards, but towards the North; and so were to be seen from
the North-East embrasures, and from those within the North-West wall.
And thus, in a while were they watched by all the mighty multitudes of
the Great Pyramid, through millions of spy-glasses; for each human had a
spying-glass, as may be thought; and some were an hundred years old, and
some, maybe ten thousand, and handed down through many generations; and
some but newly made, and very strange. But all those people had some
instrument by which they might spy out upon the wonder of the Night
Land; for so had it been ever through all the eternity of darkness, and
a great diversion and wonder of life was it to behold the monsters about
their work; and to know that they plotted always to our destruction; yet
were ever foiled.
And never did all that great and terrible Land grow stale upon the soul
of any, from birth until death; and by this you shall know the constant
wonder of it, and that sense of enemies in the night about us, which
ever filled the heart and spirit of all Beholders; so that never were
the embrasures utterly empty.
Yet, many beheld not the Land from the embrasures; but sat about the
View-Tables, which were set properly in certain places throughout the
cities, and so beheld the Night Land, without undue cranings, or poising
of spy-glasses, though less plain-seen. And these same tables were some
form of that which we of this age name Camera Obscura; but made very
great, and with inventions, and low to the floor, so that ten thousand
people might sit about them in the raised galleries, and have
comfortable sight. Yet this attracted not the young people, save they
were lovers; and then, in truth, were they comfortable seats for
quietness and gentle whisperings.
Yet now, as may be supposed, with all the Peoples of the Mighty Pyramid
grown eager to look towards one part of the Night Land, the embrasures
were 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 of
leisure; so that women had scarce patience to attend their children; but
must hasten to watch again, that lonesome band of foolish youths making
so blind and unshaped a trial to come upon that unknown Lesser Redoubt,
somewhere out in all the night of the world.