The Night Land

And Great Beasts were there down in that far depth, that none might see

ever, save by a strong spy-glass. And such there were in the Early

World, and had now been bred in the Ending by those inward forces of

Nature which did make the Valley a place of Good Warmth; so that there

was, as it were, once more the Primal World born to give new birth unto

such olden Monsters, and to others, new and Peculiar to that Age and

Circumstance. And all this, indeed, did the book give also; but constrained and

difficult to take clearly to the heart, and not like to the wise plain

speech of the early tellings; so that I must even set it out here in

mine own speech.

And it did seem to me, by my reading, that Man had come at one time to a

great softness of Heart and Spirit through many ages of over-ease. But

that the World did come to coldness and unfriendliness, by reason of the

Sun's slow ceasing.

And there was presently, in naturalness, a Race upon the earth that were

hardy, and made to fight for their lives; and did perceive that the

Mighty Valley that cut the World in twain, was a place of Warmth and

Life; and so did make to adventure their bodies down that wondrous

Height; and were many Ages coming safe to the Bottom; but did find safe

places in the downward way where they built them Houses, and made to

live, and begot them children; and these grew up to that life of

constant and great climbings, and of hard workings upon The Road, which

was the One Intent of that People; so that the book did speak of them

always as The Road Makers.

And thus did they make downwards through the long years and the ages;

and many generations did live and die, and saw not the reaching of the

Road down into that Great Vale that lay so monstrous deep in the World.

But in the end they did come there with the Road; and they were very

Hardy; and they did fight with the Monsters and slay many; and they

built them many Cities, through great years in the Mighty Valley, and

did make the Road from City unto City along that Great Valley, even unto

the Bight of the Valley. And they found here a constant darkness and

Shadow; for that the Sun could not make a shining around that Great

Corner. Yet, even here they ceased not to make the Road; but took it

around, and a mighty way unto the North; passing it among strange Fires

and Pits that burned from out of the earth.