The Night Land

And here I must make known that these weapons did not shoot; but had a

disk of grey metal, sharp and wonderful, that spun in the end of a rod

of grey metal, and were someways charged by the Earth-Current, so that

were any but stricken thereby, they were cut in twain so easy as aught.

And the weapons were contrived to the repelling of any Army of Monsters

that might make to win entrance to the Redoubt. And to the eye they had

somewhat the look of strange battle-axes, and might be lengthened by the

pulling out of the handles.

Now, the Youths made, as I have told, to the Northward; but had first to

keep a long way to the North-East, that they might come clear of the

Vale of Red Fire. And this wise they journeyed, and kept the Vale about

seven miles to the North-West of them, and so were presently beyond the

Watcher of the North-East, and going with a greater freedom, and having

less care to hide. And this way, it may be, certain of the giants, wandering, perceived

them, and went swiftly to make attack and destroy them. But some order

went about among the youths, and they made a long line, with a certain

space between each, because of the terror of their weapon, and

immediately, it seemed, the Giants were upon them, a score and seven

they were, and seeming to be haired like to mighty crabs, as I saw with

the Great Spy-Glass, when the great flares of far and mighty fires threw

their fierce light across the Dark Lands.

And there was a very great and horrid fight; for the Youths broke into

circles about each of the Giants, and many of those young men were torn

in pieces; but they smote the Monsters from behind and upon every side,

and we of the Mighty Pyramid could behold at times the grey, strange

gleam of their weapons; and the jether was stirred about me by the

passing of those that died; yet, by reason of the great miles, their

screams came not to us, neither heard we the roars of the Monsters; but

into our hearts, even from that great distance and safety, there stole

the terror of those awesome Brutes; and in the Great Spy-Glass I could

behold the great joints and limbs and e'en, I thought, the foul sweat of

them; and their size and brutishness was like to that of odd and

monstrous animals of the olden world; yet part human. And it must be

borne to mind that the Fathers and the Mothers of those Youths beheld

all this dread fight from the embrasures, and their other kin likewise

watched, and a very drear sight was it to their hearts and their human,

natural feelings, and like to breed old age, ere its due.