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strangely angered, and her anger mixt with hidden acknowledgement that I did
be her master, and half to be minded that she move not from where she did
stand, and part to be reasonable and fearful of the hidden Beast; and in part
also to thrill in her womanhood unto the man that did be so masterful unto
her. And all to pass in a little moment, and we to be to the Gorge side, and
busied very eager to the climb.
And the Maid to be first, as I did heed, and I to follow, and have constant
looking to the task and to her safety, and alway to be bitter anxious for our
speed to be good, and to be anxious the more then, lest that Mine Own should
slip; for there did be an horrid wetness upon the sides of the Gorge, as you
shall have guessed, and horrid growths that blotched the great rocks mightily,
and made an utter slipperiness, if that they did be trod upon; and we to have
to come so clear of all such matters, as we might, and yet to be speedy for
our lives, and likewise to lack no care and thought to the setting of our
hands and of our feet in places fitted to the lifting of our weight.
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And truly you shall see that we went very desperate, and I to give word to the
Maid that she look not downward, the which I was urgent upon, lest that she
come giddy in the heart. But I, as you shall think, could scarce to keep from
fearful peerings below, so that I learn speedy whether the Pursuer did come
yet into the light of the firehole, beneath.
And presently, the Maid did gasp very weak and troubled with the soreness of
the climb; and I came higher, and set mine arm about her, as we did be there
upon the face of the cliff; and she stopt very still a little while, and an
ease did come to her, and an assurance of safety. And surely, I kist her there
where we did be in that upward place, and her lips did tremble unto mine; and
her courage and strength to come back into her, so that in a minute she did
make once more to the climbing.
And we came presently to a place where a great ledge did be, that jutted out
from the mighty cliff, and was surely a huge way above the Gorge bottom. And
the ledge sloped, and there were on the ledge, great stones and boulders that
did make lodgement there through eternity.
And I lookt very careful to our way, and saw that we did be in the path of a
mighty rock that was overnigh unto the edge of the shelfplace, and did put
fear upon me, in that it seemed that it should come down with great thundering
upon us, if that we but shook the place where it did be.
The Night Land
XII. DOWNWARD OF THE GORGE
158
And I caught the Maid very swift and gentle, and shaped our path unto one side
of that great rock, and did presently lose my fear, when that we did come safe
from under it.
And in a minute after, we were come upward upon the ledge, and a very safe
place it did seem, and surely as that no monster should be abled to come
upward upon us. And this I did try to make for comfort unto ourselves; but
that we both to know how that the great Slugs could lie up against the sides
of the Gorge, and surely it did be like that they should be able to come
upward clear of the Gorge, and so to the place where we made to have safety.
And I had no thought to deny this thing, when that it was clear to my brain;
but set rather that we should have some way to fight the Monster, if that we
did be discovered.
And I thought in a moment upon the stones that did be about; and the Maid in
the same moment cried out that we should push the big rock down upon the Slug
that we believed to have chase of us, and indeed, the rock to be a great
weapon, if we could but stir it, as you shall think.
And alway, as we talked, very hushed, we lookt downward into the deepness of
the Gorge, unto the upward end of the firelight; but there came no thing yet
unto our knowledge, only that the stinking did rise up to us through that
great distance.
And the firepit to seem now a very small burning, and to give no great light
up to us; and we neither to be abled to see very clear of the Gorge bottom, in
that the haze of the fumes and the smoke was in the air of the
Gorge, and made uncertainty; and we to be nowise proper free of the smoke,
even where we did be.
And we watched, very set with anxiousness and fearful expecting of the
monster; and did be both yet lost of breath, and the Maid that she made her
words something broken for a little while.
And lo! in a moment, Naani cried out very low and sharp that the thing did
come; and I to see a moving of somewhat, in the same instant, in the Gorge
that lay upon the upward side of the firepit.
And immediately I saw the great and monster head of the Beast come forward
into the shine from the pit; and the head did be of a blotched white, and to
have the eyes upon great stalks that came from the forward part of the head;
and the stalks to be set downward, so that the eyes lookt upon the bottom
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parts of the Gorge. And surely this doth be very horridseeming to the mind of
this age, but yet to have a less strangeness unto the two of us that had seen
many horrid sights, as you do know.
And as the Monster came forward the more into the light, I saw that the great
and utter mighty bulk did be all of that same whiteness, that did be so set
over with blotchings and a seeming of unhealth. But, truly the colour was
proper to a creature that did abide in so great a darkness, as you shall say,
yet had those Slugs that we did see, been black and shining, for the most, as
I have told; and this to be as I saw, and I not to heed here that I
try unto explainings in this place; else should I be never eased of my task,
as you do see.
And the Monster Slug came onward, and as it did go, it set the stalks of the
eyes in among the boulders, as that it did search; swayed now this way and now
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