The Night Land

And my heart was very full; yet my soul but the stronger for it. And

then, behold, I was aware of a murmur in the night, coming to me, dim

and from afar off; and I saw the little shapes of the Peoples in the

lower embrasures, in constant movement; and I knew upon the instant that

the Multitudes did take that salute unto themselves, and cried out and

waved to me their farewells, or to come back--as may be.

And, indeed, I was but a lonesome person looking up at that great

mountain of metal and Life. And I knew that I had danger to realise my

plight; and I stayed no more; but did raise the Diskos, reversed, as was

but meet from one young man unto all the Millions.

And I looked swiftly upward through those eight great miles of night,

unto that Final Light which did shine in the black heavens; so that my

friend should know that I thought of him that was beyond my sight, in

that last moment. And it may be that the invisible millions that were

far up in the night, in the Upper Cities, did take that also to be a

meaning of farewell to themselves; for there came down out of the

monstrous height, a far, faint murmur of sound, as of a vague wind up in

the night. Then did I lower the Diskos, and turn me about. And I breasted strangely

against the Air Clog, and stept forward across the Circle, into the

lonesomeness of the Night Land. And I looked no more behind; for that

which was my Home did weaken my heart somewhat, to behold; so that I

made determination that I look not again to my back, for a great while.

Yet, about me as I went, there was constant surging in the aether of the

world; and it did tell unto me how that those, my people and kin, had

continual mind of me, both in prayer and wishings, and in a perpetual

watching. And the same gave to me a feeling as of being something

companied; yet, in a time, it came to me that this disturbance of the

aether should tell to some Evil Force how that I was there abroad in the

Land. But how to stop this thing, who should have power? For, of truth,

had I been among them to make a full explaining of the danger, they had

been yet powerless to cease; for but to have such great multitudes

a-think upon one matter, was to set a disturbance about, as should be

most clear to all. Now, at the beginning, I did walk outwards into the Night Land, somewhat

blindly, and without sure direction; being intent only to put a good

space to my back, that I might cure somewhat the ache which did weaken

my heart at the first. But, in awhile, I ceased somewhat from my overswiftness, and did put

thought to my going. And I came quickly to reason that I should try a

new way through the Land; for it might be that there was an

over-watchfulness in that part which had been trod by the Youths.