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speedy; and he called softly to the men that did be to my back, and he signed
to them that some to support me, and some to lift Mine Own Maid, and bear her
unto the Great Gateway. And he lookt keen at me; and I to fight a little that
I breathe; and afterward did make with my hands, that the men not to come near
me, neither to touch Mine Own. And the Master Doctor to understand that I did
be truly strong until I die, and did beckon the men from me, and from the
Maid.
And I stoopt, in a little, and I lifted Mine Own Maid into mine arms for that
last journeying.
And I came down the mighty lane of the Hundred Thousand, all in their grey
armour. And they did make silent salute with the Diskos reversed, each man as
I passed him, and did be utter silent. And I scarce to wot of aught, save that
all the world did be quiet and emptied, and my task to have failed, and Mine
Own to lie dead in mine arms. Yet, truly, did it to have failed utter? for I
had surely saved Mine Own from the terror of the
Second Night Land, and she not to have come alone and with madness unto her
death; but to have died in mine arms; and she surely to have been comforted
within her spirit, because that my love did be so utter about her. And I to
think vaguely and terribly on an hundred sweet love actions that she to have
shown unto me; and sudden I did remember with a dreadful pain how that I never
to have waked to discover Mine Own Maid kissing me in my sleep, as I to have
meant. And a madness of anguish did flash sudden through the numbness upon my
brain; so that I did be blinded a little, and surely went crooked in my walk;
for I to know, sudden, that the Master Doctor steadied mine elbow for a
moment; but afterward did leave me be, as I to have again control of my
spirit.
And lo! as I drew nigh unto the Great Gateway, the lights of the Pyramid to
begin to glow again more strong, and the machinery of the Lifts and the Air
Pumps to work, because that now the EarthCurrent did grow once more to natural
strength. And they to have power now to open the Great Gate, which did be done
by great machines.
And there to come forth to meet me a number of the Masters of the Mighty
Pyramid; and the dear Master
Monstruwacan did come before them all, so eager as that he did be mine own
Father. And he to have heard
The Night Land
XVI. IN THE COUNTRY OF SILENCE
239
Page 257
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somewhat, vaguely, that there to have been a fear for the life of the maid
that I did bring.
And surely, he did be told by one near to the Gateway, that the Maid did be
dead in mine arms; for he and all the Masters did pause and stand silent for
me to go by, and did reverse each his Diskos; and this to have been an Honour
shown, than which there did be scarce any greater.
And there went a constant murmuring up in the night, which did be the speech
of the Millions, questioning.
And the news that the Maid did be dead, went upward through the miles. And my
spirit to know, as in a dream, of the spiritual noise which did go outward
through all space, and did be the grief of the Multitudes, as they did hear
this thing. Yet, truly, there did nothing comfort me anywise; neither I proper
yet to know the verity of my loss; for I did go stunned.
And I came in through the Great Gateway, and the Full Watch did stand there
silent in their armour; and they made the Salute of Honour. And I went onward
with the dead Maid that I did bring out of Eternity.
And presently, they that were around, did guide me, with the Maid in mine
arms, unto the Great Lift. And I
took Mine Own Maid into the Great Lift; and the Masters came with me, and did
be in their armour; and none did speak to me. And the Master Monstruwacan and
the Master of the Doctors stood silent to the side of me.
And there did be everywhere great Multitudes, that I did see vaguely; but my
spirit not to wot of them.
And lo! I stood very quiet and dumb as we did go upward through the miles; and
the Millions of the Cities stood about the Great Lift, and there did be a
great silence upward and downward through the strange miles;
save for the weeping of women in dear sympathy, that did sound far and low and
constant.
And presently I to know that the Master Monstruwacan and the Master of the
Doctors did look one to the other; and I to be aware sudden that I stood in my
blood; for I did be wounded in an hundred parts, and the blood to go alway
from me. Yet did the Master Doctor be slow to do aught for me, because that he
to perceive that I did be slain in the heart; and there to be no pain so
dreadful as that he should be like to wake me unto, if that he went hastily.
Yet, presently, there did come whirlings into my head; and someone did surely
make to ease Mine Own Maid from mine arms. But I held her, dumbly; and the
blood to go the more from me; and they not to know what should be done. And I
to look at them. And the dear Master Monstruwacan did be saying somewhat unto
me, that I did have no power to hear; but only to know that his face did be
very human. And there went a strange noise all about me; and the Master
Monstruwacan to seem to hold me up, and to beckon to some that did be to my
back. And lo! there came a blackness, and the gentleness of arms about mine
armour....
And I to come presently to quietness and to halfdreams; and did alway to seem
that I carried Mine Own
Maid in mine arms. But truly there did pass three great days, whilst that I
did be thus. And I all that while to be laid quiet, and to be tended by the
Master Doctor, and aided by all knowledge that did be known of
Humans.
And on the third day, as it might be called, I to come full unto my senses;
and the pain to take me in the breast; and the Master of the Doctors did be
with me, and they that nurst me; and the Master Doctor watched me very keen
and gentle.
And I did be in a bed of the Health Room of mine own city. And I gat from the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]