The Night Land

And to them, it did seem right and meet that there should be strange

things, and fires from the earth, and an ever-abiding night, and

monsters, and matters hid and tangled much in mystery.

And very content were the most of them; though some had in them the

yeast of imaginings, or the pimples of fancy upon them, and to these

there seemed many possibilities; though the first to read out to sanity;

and the second, to expect and have speech towards much that was foolish

or to no purpose. And of these vague believings of the peoples, have I made hint before,

and need not have much trouble to it now. Save that, with the children,

as is ever the way, those olden tales had much believing; and the

simplicity of the Wise did mate with the beliefs of the Young; and

between them did lie the Truth.

And so did I make speed towards the North, having a strong surety in my

heart and mind that there were but two ways to my search; for without of

the Valley, afar up in the dead lonesomeness of the hidden world, was a

cold that was shapen ready to Death, and a lacking, as I must believe,

of the sweet, needful air that yet did lie in plenty in that deep place

of the earth. So that, surely, the mighty Valley somewheres to hold that

other Redoubt. Yet, as I have said, I went not direct to my journey, but otherwise, for

those sound reasons which I did set down a time back.