The Night Land

And already, as I came to know later, was the news passing

downward from City to City through all the vast Pyramid; so that the

Hour-Slips were full of the news; and every City eager and excited, and

waiting. And I better known in that one moment, than in all my life

before. For that previous calling, had been but vaguely put about; and

then set to the count of a nature, blown upon over-easily by

spirit-winds of the half-memory of dreams. Though it is indeed true, as

I have set down before this, that my tales concerning the early days of

the world, when the sun was visible, and full of light, had gone down

through all the cities, and had much comment and setting forth in the

Hour-Slips, and were a cause for speech and argument

. Now concerning the voice of this girl coming to us through the darkness

of the world, I will set out that which she had to tell; and this,

indeed, but verified the tellings of our most ancient Records, which had

so long been treated over lightly: There was, it would seem, somewhere

out in the lonesome dark of the Outer Lands, but at what distance none

could ever discover, a second Redoubt; that was a three-sided Pyramid,

and moderate small; being no more than a mile in height, and scarce

three quarters of a mile along the bases.

When this Redoubt was first builded, it had been upon the far shore of a

sea, where now was no sea; and it had been raised by those wandering

humans who had grown weary of wandering, and weary of the danger of

night attacks by the tribes of half-human monsters which began to

inhabit the earth even so early as the days when the half-gloom was upon

the world. And he that had made the plan upon which it was builded, was

one who had seen the Great Redoubt, having lived there in the beginning,

but escaped because of a correction set upon him for his spirit of

irresponsibility, which had made him to cause disturbance among the

orderly ones in the lowest city of the Great Redoubt.

Yet, in time, he too had come to be tamed by the weight of fear of the

ever-growing hordes of monsters, and the Forces that were abroad. And so

he, being a master-spirit, planned and builded the smaller Redoubt,

being aided thereto by four millions, who also were weary of the harass

of the monsters; but until then had been wanderers, because of the

restlessness of their blood.

And they had chosen that place, because there they had discovered a sign

of the Earth-Current in a great valley which led to the shore; for

without the Earth-Current no Refuge could have existence. And whilst

many builded and guarded, and cared for the Great Camp in which all

lived, others worked within a great shaft; and in ten years had made

this to a distance of many miles, and therewith they tapt the

Earth-Current; but not a great stream; yet a sufficiency, as was

believed. And, presently, after many years, they had builded the Pyramid, and

taken up their refuge there, and made them instruments, and ordained

Monstruwacans; so that they had speech daily with the Great Pyramid; and

thus for many long ages.