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.