The Night Land

And I began therewith to set this thought to the practice; and went not

direct towards the North; but to the North and West; and so in the end

to mean to circle around to the back of the North-West Watcher, and

thence to the North of the Plain Of Blue Fire; and afterwards, as might

be, have a true and straightway to the North; and by this planning come

a long way clear of that House of Silence, which did put more fear upon

me than all else that was horrid in the Land.

Yet, as all will see, this made to me a greater journey; though, in

verity, it were better to go slowly and win to success, than to make a

greater haste towards Destruction; which was, indeed, surely to be mine

end, did I not go warily. Now it may be thought upon with wonder, that I did go so assuredly to

the North; but I went thiswise, part by an inward Knowing, and part come

upon by much latter studying, within the Pyramid, of olden books; and by

reasoning upon all things that I did observe, that had seemings of

verity in them.

And because of this constant searching upon one matter, I had come, but

a while back, upon a little book of metal, very strange and ancient,

that had lain forgot in a hid place in the Great Library through ten

hundred thousand years, maybe, or less or more, for all that I had

knowing. And much that was writ in the book was common knowledge, and set mostly

to the count of fairy-tales and suchlike, even as we of this our age

take not over-surely any belief in Myths of olden times. Yet had I

always much liking for such matters, perceiving behind that outer shell

which did win always so much unbelief, the kernel of ancient truths and

happenings.

And thus was it, concerning this little book which I had made discovery

of; for it told again, that which oft I had heard (even as we in this

age, read of the Deluge) how that once, in a time monstrous far back

from that, but utter future to this age of ours, the world did brake

upwards in a vast earth-quaking, that did rend the world for a thousand

miles. And there came a mighty chasm, so deep that none might see the bottom

thereof; and there rushed therein an ocean, and the earth did burst

afresh with a sound that did shake all the cities of the world; and a

great mist lay upon the earth for many days, and there was a mighty

rain. And, indeed, this was just so set in certain Histories of the Ancient

World. Also, there was made reference to it, within some olden Records.

Yet nowise to be taken with a serious mind, to the seeming of the

peoples of the Mighty Pyramid; but only as a quaint study for the

Students, and to be set out in little tales that did entertain the

nurseries; or, as it might be, wise men and the general.