The Night Land

Now, when that I gat back unto life, I to know that I went upward in the

Lift, and did be upon that same bed, where I to think I never to need a

bed any more, neither to come upward again from out of the Country of

Silence.

And I to know vague and strange, that there rose up from out of the

mighty depths of the world, the deep thunder of the Underground Organs,

and did sound as that they made a strange and utter distant music beyond

death; and there to go alway a rolling chaunting, as that multitudes did

sing beyond far mountains, and the sound to be somewhiles as a

far-blowing wind, low in the Deep; and again to come clear, and to be

that great olden melody of the Song of Honour.

And I knew, as in a dream, that the Millions in that deep Country made an Honour and a

Rejoicing over this Wonder of Joy which did be come. But yet all to be

faint and half hid from me, and mine eyes to be as that they had no

power to open, and I to seem to be lifting alway upon strange waters of

unrealness.

And there to be sweet and lovely odours, and these to be of

reality, and to come from the great Fields, where the flowers did alway

to grow about the passage ways of the Lifts; for the Lift even then to

be going upward through the great miles.

And mayhap I moved a little; for there came the voice of the Master

Doctor low and gentle to me; and bid me rest; for that all did be well

with the Maid. And surely, afterward, I did be gone into an haze, and

there to be then a seeming of days in which I half to live and half to

sleep, and to wonder without trouble whether I did be dead.

And then there to come days when I lay very quiet, and had no thought of

aught; and the Master Doctor oft to bend over me in this hour and that

hour, and to look keen into my face. And in the end, after strange

spaces, there bent over me another, and there lookt down upon me the

dear and lovely face of Mine Own, and the eyes did speak love into my

soul; yet did she be calm and husht. And I to begin again to live in my

body, and I made, mayhap, a little fumbling with my hands; for she to

take and to hold them; and life to come from her to me; and she to be

ever wordless and gentle; and contentment to grow in me, and presently a

natural slumber.

And there came a day when I did be let rise, and they that tended me,

carried me to one of the Quiet Gardens of the Pyramid; and they set me

there, and did seem to leave me alone. And there came One then around a

bush, and lookt at me a moment, as with an half shyness; only that the

love that did shine in her eyes, made the shyness to be a little thing.

And, truly, I knew that it did be Mine Own Maid; but I never before to

have seen Naani drest pretty as a maid. And I lookt to her, and knew

that she did be more dainty than even I to have known. And sudden I made

that I rise to come unto her; but she to run quick to me, that she stop

me of this natural foolishness; and she then to sit beside me, and to

take my head against her breast, and she not to deny me her lips; but to

be both a maid and a mother to me in the same moment.

And afterward, she had me to be very still; and we to sit there in an

utter dumb happiness, until they that did attend me, were come again.

And the Master of the Doctors did be with them, and I to see that there

went something of satisfaction in his face.

And after that day I saw Mine Own Maid every day; and I gat better unto

health with a wondrous quickness; for Love did mend me. And soon I did

be let go downward unto the Fields; but yet to go by private ways,

because that the Multitudes should be like to follow me alway; and I to

need to be quiet.

And the Maid to be with me; for the Master Monstruwacan and the Master

of the Doctors did agree upon this matter, and had an Officer of

Marriage to wed us; and we to be married very quiet and simple; for I

yet to be over-weak for the Public Marriage, which we to have later;

when, truly, the Millions made us a Guard of Honour eight miles high,

from the top unto the bottom of the Mighty Pyramid. But this to have

been later, as I do tell, and did be a Ceremonial of the Peoples,

because that they not to be denied that they give me an Honour.

And surely the Maid to be with me alway, and did be now my wife, and my

strength to come alway upon me, and Mine Own to grow again unto a

perfect health. And, in verity, we did be now in the Love Days which do

be the most beauteous, if that the Love to be True.

And we did wander through the mighty Fields at our will, and walkt in

the Love Paths of the Fields, which did be alway anear to those places

where did be the villages. And I to hide our name, lest we to be beset

by any, out of natural curiousness and kindliness; for we to need to be

utter together and quiet.

And we to chose those places for our slumber where beauty of flowers did

be most wondrous; and we to carry somewhat of food with us; but also to

eat when we came unto the villages which did be here and there in the

Fields, which were truly so huge as Countries. And Mine Own did make

good her promise an hundred times, as you shall say, and did prepare me

a great and hearty meal; and did tease me utter that I did be a glutton,

as I did eat, and kist me, lest that I have ever a chance to say aught

in mine own defence. And truly, she did be all that my heart and my

spirit did desire; and she to have companioned me with Love, and to have

entered my spirit into Joy.

And once we to go downward unto the Country of Silence; but not to stay

very long at that time; because that my Memory did return upon me. Yet

in the after time, we to wander there oft with Memory, and Holiness of

great Thinkings, and with Love which doth hold all.

And as we to leave that Country, I to tell Mine Own how that when she

had been suspend of her life by the Horrid Force of the House, I to have

minded me with a dreadful pain that I never to have waked to discover

her kissing me when that I did sleep. And surely Mine Own Dear One did

blush most lovely, and had never known that I did be aware of her sweet

naughtiness; and she then to have all thought for mine agony, when that

she did be dead, ere the Vapour of life of the Earth-Force did set her

spirit free of the Silence.

And she to come unto me in dear understanding.

And she then to tell me that the Doctors to say that she had been, as it

were, stunned and froze of the Spirit, and all her Being and Life

suspend; and the great life-force of the Earth-Current to have waked her

spirit, and her body then to live and her blood to flow proper again.

And the Doctors had talkt much and searched much of late in the olden

Records of their Work; and they to have found somewhat of one such

happening in the olden time; but truly, naught such to have been ever

through a mighty age of years.

And whilst that we to wander and to rest in the Fields, I oft to tell

Mine Own of this matter and that matter; and I to know that she had

learned somewhat of odd things, ere I did be come to health; but not

overmuch; for she also to have been utter alack, as you shall think; and

to have come from her bed, when that I did lie so still; for the Master

Doctor to have ordained this, because he to fear that I to be going

truly to die, if that he not to do somewhat to awaken my spirit. And in

verity, you shall think upon the deepness of my Love as I to know that

she did have held my hands so brave and gentle, whilst that she to have

scarce power to her feet. And I to say a little holy praise of Mine Own.

And so do I come to mine ending; and have but one more thing that I

tell. And this to happen a while later; after that Mine Own and I had

gone through the second marriage which did be the Public Marriage. For

it did be, that one day My Wife, that did be Mine Own, did take me with

a sweet cunning unto the Hall of Honour. And surely, when I was come

there, I to see that many of the Peoples did be in that great Hall, and

did stand about in a silence; yet as that they had no meaning to do

aught; but yet to be that they did wait upon somewhat.

And My Wife did go forward with me unto the centre place of the Hall;

and sudden I saw why that she did bring me so cunning sweet; for there

did stand in the midst of the Hall of Honour, in the Place of Honour, a

Statue of a man in broken armour, that did carry a maid forever.

And I did be dumb; and how of this Age shall you to know the Honour that

this to mean in that; for it did be an Honour that was given only to the

Great Dead; and I to be but a young man, and did be so utter far off

from greatness; save that I to love with all my heart and with all my

spirit, and therefore death to be but a little thing before love. And

you to know how Love doth make sweet and brave the heart; and to have

understanding with me in my humbleness and my wonder and my natural

pride that there did any so think to honour me.

And Mine Own did be weeping with joy and honest pride of her man, beside

me. And there to be an utter silence of dear sympathy in all the great

Hall of Honour. And they that did be there, to let me go in quietness,

with Mine Own, which did be a lovely thing of understanding.

And I to go loving and thoughtful with Mine Own Wife; and she to be very

nigh to me.

And I to have gained Honour; yet to have learned that Honour doth be but

as the ash of Life, if that you not to have Love. And I to have Love.

And to have Love is to have all; for that which doth be truly LOVE

doth mother Honour and Faithfulness; and they three to build the House

of Joy.