The Night Land - William Hope Hodgson
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And a great time I stayed there in the gap, waiting and watching
hopelessly. And lo! sudden there came something against me, touching my
thigh very soft; and when I looked down, it was one of the boar-hounds,
so that my heart leaped, near frightened; for truly My Lady was come
somewhere nigh, as I did think.
And, as I waited, very hushed and watchful; yet with an utter beating
heart; surely I heard a faint and low singing among the trees, so utter
sad. And lo! it was Mirdath singing a broken love song, and a-wander
there in the dark alone, save for her great dogs.
And I harked, with strange pain in me, that she did be so in pain; and I
ached to bring her ease; yet moved not, but was very still there in the
gap; save that my being was all in turmoil.
And presently, as I harked, there came a slim white figure out from
among the trees; and the figure cried out something, and came to a quick
pause, as I could see in the half-dark. And lo! in that moment, there
came a sudden and unreasoned hope into me; and I came up out of the gap,
and was come to Mirdath in a moment, calling very low and passionate and
eager: "Mirdath! Mirdath! Mirdath!"
And this way I came to her; and her great dog that was with me, to bound
beside me, in thought, mayhap, that it was some game. And when I came to
the Lady Mirdath, I held out my hands to her, not knowing what I did;
but only the telling of my heart that needed her so utter, and craved to
ease her of her pain. And lo! she put out her arms to me, and came into
mine arms with a little run. And there she bode, weeping strangely; but
yet with rest upon her; even as rest was come sudden and wondrous upon
me.
And sudden, she moved in mine arms, and slipt her hands to me, very
dear, and held her lips up to me, like some sweet child, that I kiss
her; but, indeed, she was also a true woman, and in honest and dear love
of me.
And this to be the way of our betrothal; and simple and wordless it was;
yet sufficient, only that there is no sufficiency in Love.
Now, presently, she loosed herself out of mine arms, and we walked
homeward through the woods, very quiet, and holding hands, as children
do. And I then in a while to ask her about the man of the Court; and she
laughed very sweet into the silence of the wood; but gave me no answer,
save that I wait until we were come to the Hall.
And when we were come there, she took me into the great hall, and made a
very dainty and impudent bow, mocking me. And so made me known to
another lady, who sat there, upon her task of embroidering, which she
did very demure, and as that she had also a dainty Mischief lurking in
her.
And truly, the Lady Mirdath never to be done of naughty laughter, that
made her dearly breathless with delight, and to sway a little, and set
the trembling of pretty sounds in her throat; and surely she must pull
down two great pistols from an arm-rack, that I fight a duel to the
death with the lady of the embroidering, who held her face down over her
work, and shook likewise with the wickedness of her laughter that she
could not hide.
And in the end, the Lady of the Embroidering looked up sudden into my
face; and I then to see somewhat of the mischief in a moment; for she
had the face of the man of the Court suit, that had been lover to
Mirdath.
And the Lady Mirdath then to explain to me how that Mistress Alison
(which was her name) was a dear and bosom friend, and she it was that
had been drest in the Court suit to play a prank for a wager with a
certain young man who would be lover to her, an he might. And I then to
come along, and so speedy to offence that truly I never saw her face
plain, because that I was so utter jealous. And so the Lady Mirdath had
been more justly in anger than I supposed, because that I had put hands
upon her friend, as I have told.
And this to be all of it, save that they had planned to punish me, and
had met every evening at the gap, to play at lovers, perchance I should
pass, so that I should have greater cause for my jealousy, and truly
they to have a good revenge upon me; for I had suffered very great a
long while because of it.
Yet, as you do mind, when I came upon them, the Lady Mirdath had a
half-regret, that was very natural, because even then she was in love of
me, as I of her; and because of this, she drew away, as you shall
remember, being--as she confessed--suddenly and strangely troubled and
to want me; but afterwards as much set again to my punishment, because
that I bowed so cold and went away. And indeed well I might.
Yet, truly, all was safe ended now, and I utter thankful and with a mad
delight in the heart; so that I caught up Mirdath, and we danced very
slow and stately around the great hall, the while that Mistress Alison
whistled us a tune with her mouth, which she could very clever, as many
another thing, I wot.
And each day and all day after this Gladness, Mirdath and I could never
be apart; but must go a-wander always together, here and there, in an
unending joy of our togetherness.
And in a thousand things were we at one in delight; for we had both of
us that nature which doth love the blue of eternity which gathers beyond
the wings of the sunset; and the invisible sound of the starlight
falling upon the world; and the quiet of grey evenings when the Towers
of Sleep are builded unto the mystery of the Dusk; and the solemn green
of strange pastures in the moonlight; and the speech of the sycamore
unto the beech; and the slow way of the sea when it doth mood; and the
soft rustling of the night clouds. And likewise had we eyes to see the
Dancer of the Sunset, casting her mighty robes so strange; and ears to
know that there shakes a silent thunder over the Face of Dawn; and much
else that we knew and saw and understood together in our utter joy.
Now, there happened to us about this time a certain adventure that came
near to cause the death of Mirdath the Beautiful; for one day as we
wandered, as ever, like two children in our contentment, I made remark
to Mirdath that there went only two of the great boar-hounds with us;
and she then told me that the third was to the kennels, being sick.
Yet, scarce had she told me so much; ere she cried out something and
pointed; and lo! I saw that the third hound came towards us, at a run,
yet very strange-seeming in his going. And in a moment, Mirdath cried
out that the hound was mad; and truly, I saw then that the brute
slavered as he came running.
And in a moment he was upon us, and made never a sound; but leaped at me
in one instant of time; all before I had any thought of such intent. But
surely, My Beautiful One had a dreadful love for me, for she cast
herself at the dog, to save me, calling to the other hounds. And she was
bitten in a moment by the brute, as she strove to hold him off from me.
But I to have him instant by the neck and the body, and brake him, so
that he died at once; and I cast him to the earth, and gave help to
Mirdath, that I draw the poison from the wounds.
And this I did so well as I might, despite that she would have me stop.
And afterwards, I took her into mine arms, and ran very fierce all the
long and weary way to the Hall, and with hot skewers I burned the
wounds; so that when the doctor came, he to say I have saved her by my
care, if indeed she to be saved. But, truly, she had saved me in any
wise, as you shall think; so that I could never be done of honour to
her.
And she very pale; but yet to laugh at my fears, and to say that she
soon to have her health, and the wounds healed very speedy; but, indeed,
it was a long and bitter time before they were proper healed, and she so
well as ever. Yet, in time, so it was; and an utter weight off my heart.
And when Mirdath was grown full strong again, we set our wedding day.
And well do I mind how she stood there in her bridal dress, on that day,
so slender and lovely as may Love have stood in the Dawn of Life; and
the beauty of her eyes that had such sober sweetness in them, despite
the dear mischief of her nature; and the way of her little feet, and the
loveliness of her hair; and the dainty rogue-grace of her movements; and
her mouth an enticement, as that a child and a woman smiled out of the
one face. And this to be no more than but an hint of the loveliness of
My Beautiful One.
And so we were married.
Mirdath, My Beautiful One, lay dying, and I had no power to hold Death
backward from such dread intent. In another room, I heard the little
wail of the child; and the wail of the child waked my wife back into
this life, so that her hands fluttered white and desperately needful
upon the coverlid.
I kneeled beside My Beautiful One, and reached out and took her hands
very gentle into mine; but still they fluttered so needful; and she
looked at me, dumbly; but her eyes beseeching.
Then I went out of the room, and called gently to the Nurse; and the
Nurse brought in the child, wrapped very softly in a long, white robe.
And I saw the eyes of My Beautiful One grow clearer with a strange,
lovely light; and I beckoned to the Nurse to bring the babe near.
My wife moved her hands very weakly upon the coverlid, and I knew that
she craved to touch her child; and I signed to the Nurse, and took my
child in mine arms; and the Nurse went out from the room, and so we
three were alone together.
Then I sat very gentle upon the bed; and I held the babe near to My
Beautiful One, so that the wee cheek of the babe touched the white cheek
of my dying wife; but the weight of the child I kept off from her.
And presently, I knew that Mirdath, My Wife, strove dumbly to reach for
the hands of the babe; and I turned the child more towards her, and
slipped the hands of the child into the weak hands of My Beautiful One.
And I held the babe above my wife, with an utter care; so that the eyes
of my dying One, looked into the young eyes of the child. And presently,
in but a few moments of time; though it had been someways an eternity,
My Beautiful One closed her eyes and lay very quiet. And I took away the
child to the Nurse, who stood beyond the door. And I closed the door,
and came back to Mine Own, that we have those last instants alone
together.
And the hands of my wife lay very still and white; but presently they
began to move softly and weakly, searching for somewhat; and I put out
my great hands to her, and took her hands with an utter care; and so a
little time passed.
Then her eyes opened, quiet and grey, and a little dazed seeming; and
she rolled her head on the pillow and saw me; and the pain of
forgetfulness went out of her eyes, and she looked at me with a look
that grew in strength, unto a sweetness of tenderness and full
understanding.
And I bent a little to her; and her eyes told me to take her into mine
arms for those last minutes. Then I went very gentle upon the bed, and
lifted her with an utter and tender care, so that she lay suddenly
strangely restful against my breast; for Love gave me skill to hold her,
and Love gave My Beautiful One a sweetness of ease in that little time
that was left to us.
And so we twain were together; and Love seemed that it had made a truce
with Death in the air about us, that we be undisturbed; for there came a
drowse of rest even upon my tense heart, that had known nothing but a
dreadful pain through the weary hours.
And I whispered my love silently to My Beautiful One, and her eyes
answered; and the strangely beautiful and terrible moments passed by
into the hush of eternity.
And suddenly, Mirdath My Beautiful One, spoke,--whispering something.
And I stooped gently to hark; and Mine Own spoke again; and lo! it was
to call me by the olden Love Name that had been mine through all the
utter lovely months of our togetherness.
And I began again to tell her of my love, that should pass beyond death;
and lo! in that one moment of time, the light went out of her eyes; and
My Beautiful One lay dead in mine arms ... My Beautiful One....
II
THE LAST REDOUBT
Since Mirdath, My Beautiful One, died and left me lonely in this world,
I have suffered an anguish, and an utter and dreadful pain of longing,
such as truly no words shall ever tell; for, in truth, I that had all
the world through her sweet love and companionship, and knew all the joy
and gladness of Life, have known such lonesome misery as doth stun me to
think upon.
Yet am I to my pen again; for of late a wondrous hope has grown in me,
in that I have, at night in my sleep, waked into the future of this
world, and seen strange things and utter marvels, and known once more
the gladness of life; for I have learned the promise of the future, and
have visited in my dreams those places where in the womb of Time, she
and I shall come together, and part, and again come together--breaking
asunder most drearly in pain, and again reuniting after strange ages, in
a glad and mighty wonder.
And this is the utter strange story of that which I have seen, and
which, truly, I must set out, if the task be not too great; so that, in
the setting out thereof, I may gain a little ease of the heart; and
likewise, mayhap, give ease of hope to some other poor human, that doth
suffer, even as I have suffered so dreadful with longing for Mine Own
that is dead.
And some shall read and say that this thing was not, and some shall
dispute with them; but to them all I say naught, save "Read!" And having
read that which I set down, then shall one and all have looked towards
Eternity with me--unto its very portals. And so to my telling:
To me, in this last time of my visions, of which I would tell, it was
not as if I _dreamed_; but, as it were, that I _waked_ there into the
dark, _in the future of this world_. And the sun had died; and for me
thus newly waked into that Future, to look back upon this, our Present
Age, was to look back into dreams that my soul knew to be of reality;
but which to those newly-seeing eyes of mine, appeared but as a far
vision, strangely hallowed with peacefulness and light.
Always, it seemed to me when I awaked into the Future, into the
Everlasting Night that lapped this world, that I saw near to me, and
girdling me all about, a blurred greyness. And presently this, the
greyness, would clear and fade from about me, even as a dusky cloud, and
I would look out upon a world of darkness, lit here and there with
strange sights. And with my waking into that Future, I waked not to
ignorance; but to a full knowledge of those things which lit the Night
Land; even as a man wakes from sleep each morning, and knows immediately
he wakes, the names and knowledge of the Time which has bred him, and in
which he lives. And the same while, a knowledge I had, as it were
sub-conscious, of this Present--this early life, which now I live so
utterly alone.
In my earliest knowledge of _that_ place, I was a youth, seventeen years
grown, and my memory tells me that when first I waked, or came, as it
might be said, to myself, in that Future, I stood in one of the
embrasures of the Last Redoubt--that great Pyramid of grey metal which
held the last millions of this world from the Powers of the Slayers.
And so full am I of the knowledge of that Place, that scarce can I
believe that none here know; and because I have such difficulty, it may
be that I speak over familiarly of those things of which I know; and
heed not to explain much that it is needful that I should explain to
those who must read here, in this our present day. For there, as I stood
and looked out, I was less the man of years of _this_ age, than the
youth of _that_, with the natural knowledge of _that_ life which I had
gathered by living all my seventeen years of life there; though, until
that my first vision, I (of this Age) knew not of that other and Future
Existence; yet woke to it so naturally as may a man wake here in his bed
to the shining of the morning sun, and know it by name, and the meaning
of aught else. And yet, as I stood there in the vast embrasure, I had
also a knowledge, or memory, of this present life of ours, deep down
within me; but touched with a halo of dreams, and yet with a conscious
longing for One, known even there in a half memory as Mirdath.
As I have said, in my earliest memory, I mind that I stood in an
embrasure, high up in the side of the Pyramid, and looked outwards
through a queer spy-glass to the North-West. Aye, full of youth and with
an adventurous and yet half-fearful heart.
And in my brain was, as I have told, the knowledge that had come to me
in all the years of my life in the Redoubt; and yet until that moment,
this _Man of this Present Time_ had no knowledge of that future
existence; and now I stood and had suddenly the knowledge of a life
already spent in that strange land, and deeper within me the misty
knowings of this our present Age, and, maybe, also of some others.
To the North-West I looked through the queer spy-glass, and saw a
landscape that I had looked upon and pored upon through all the years of
that life, so that I knew how to name this thing and that thing, and
give the very distances of each and every one from the "Centre-Point" of
the Pyramid, which was that which had neither length nor breadth, and
was made of polished metal in the Room of Mathematics, where I went
daily to my studies.
To the North-West I looked, and in the wide field of my glass, saw plain
the bright glare of the fire from the Red Pit, shine upwards against the
underside of the vast chin of the North-West Watcher--The Watching Thing
of the North-West.... "That which hath Watched from the Beginning, and
until the opening of the Gateway of Eternity" came into my thoughts, as
I looked through the glass ... the words of Aesworpth, the _Ancient_
Poet (though incredibly _future_ to this our time). And suddenly they
seemed at fault; for I looked deep down into my being, and saw, as
dreams are seen, the sunlight and splendour of _this_ our Present Age.
And I was amazed.
And here I must make it clear to all that, even as I waked from _this_
Age, suddenly into _that_ life, so must I--_that_ youth there in the
embrasure--have awakened then to the knowledge of _this_ far-back life
of ours--seeming to him a vision of the very beginnings of eternity, in
the dawn of the world. Oh! I do but dread I make it not sufficient clear
that I and he were both _I_--the same soul. He of that far date seeing
vaguely the life that _was_ (that I do now live in this present Age);
and I of this time beholding the life that I yet shall live. How utterly
strange!
And yet, I do not know that I speak holy truth to say that I, in that
future time, had _no_ knowledge of _this_ life and Age, before that
awakening; for I woke to find that I was one who stood apart from the
other youths, in that I had a dim knowledge--visionary, as it were, of
the past, which confounded, whilst yet it angered, those who were the
men of learning of that age; though of this matter, more anon. But this
I do know, that from that time, onwards, my knowledge and assuredness of
the Past was tenfold; for this my memory of that life told me.
And so to further my telling. Yet before I pass onwards, one other thing
is there of which I shall speak--In the moment in which I waked out of
that youthfulness, into the assured awaredness of _this_ our Age, in
that moment the hunger of this my love flew to me across the ages; so
that what had been but a memory-dream, grew to the pain of _Reality_,
and I knew suddenly that I _lacked_; and from that time onwards, I went,
listening, as even now my life is spent.
And so it was that I (fresh-born in that future time) hungered strangely
for My Beautiful One with all the strength of that new life, knowing
that she had been mine, and might live again, even as I. And so, as I
have said, I hungered, and found that I listened.
And now, to go back from my digression, it was, as I have said, I had
amazement at perceiving, in memory, the unknowable sunshine and
splendour of this age breaking so clear through my hitherto most vague
and hazy visions; so that the ignorance of, Aesworpth was shouted to me
by the things which now I _knew_.
And from that time, onward, for a little space, I was stunned with all
that I knew and guessed and felt; and all of a long while the hunger
grew for that one I had lost in the early days--she who had sung to me
in those faery days of light, that _had been_ in verity. And the
especial thoughts of that age looked back with a keen, regretful wonder
into the gulf of forgetfulness.
But, presently, I turned from the haze and pain of my dream-memories,
once more to the inconceivable mystery of the Night Land, which I viewed
through the great embrasure. For on none did it ever come with weariness
to look out upon all the hideous mysteries; so that old and young
watched, from early years to death, the black monstrosity of the Night
Land, which this our last refuge of humanity held at bay.
To the right of the Red Pit there lay a long, sinuous glare, which I
knew as the Vale of Red Fire, and beyond that for many dreary miles the
blackness of the Night Land; across which came the coldness of the light
from the Plain of Blue Fire.
And then, on the very borders of the Unknown Lands, there lay a range of
low volcanoes, which lit up, far away in the outer darkness, the Black
Hills, where shone the Seven Lights, which neither twinkled nor moved
nor faltered through Eternity; and of which even the great spy-glass
could make no understanding; nor had any adventurer from the Pyramid
ever come back to tell us aught of them. And here let me say, that down
in the Great Library of the Redoubt, were the histories of all those,
with their discoveries, who had ventured out into the monstrousness of
the Night Land, risking not the life only, but the spirit of life.
And surely it is all so strange and wonderful to set out, that I could
almost despair with the contemplation of that which I must achieve; for
there is so much to tell, and so few words given to man by which he may
make clear that which lies beyond the sight and the present and general
knowings of Peoples.
How shall you ever know, as I know in verity, of the greatness and
reality and terror of the thing that I would tell plain to all; for we,
with our puny span of recorded life must have great histories to tell,
but the few bare details we know concerning years that are but a few
thousands in all; and I must set out to you in the short pages of this
my life there, a sufficiency of the life that had been, and the life
that was, both within and without that mighty Pyramid, to make clear to
those who may read, the truth of that which I would tell; and the
histories of that great Redoubt dealt not with odd thousands of years;
but with very millions; aye, away back into what they of that Age
conceived to be the early days of the earth, when the sun, maybe, still
gloomed dully in the night sky of the world. But of all that went
before, nothing, save as myths, and matters to be taken most cautiously,
and believed not by men of sanity and proved wisdom.
And I, ...how shall I make all this clear to you who may read? The thing
cannot be; and yet I must tell my history; for to be silent before so
much wonder would be to suffer of too full a heart; and I must even ease
my spirit by this my struggle to tell to all how it was with me, and how
it will be. Aye, even to the memories which were the possession of that
far future youth, who was indeed I, of his childhood's days, when his
nurse of that Age swung him, and crooned impossible lullabies of this
mythical sun which, according to those future fairy-tales, had once
passed across the blackness that now lay above the Pyramid.
Such is the monstrous futureness of this which I have seen through the
body of that far-off youth.
And so back to my telling. To my right, which was to the North, there
stood, very far away, the House of Silence, upon a low hill. And in that
House were many lights, and no sound. And so had it been through an
uncountable Eternity of Years. Always those steady lights, and no
whisper of sound--not even such as our distance-microphones could have
discovered. And the danger of this House was accounted the greatest
danger of all those Lands.
And round by the House of Silence, wound the Road Where The Silent Ones
Walk. And concerning this Road, which passed out of the Unknown Lands,
nigh by the Place of the Ab-humans, where was always the green, luminous
mist, nothing was known; save that it was held that, of all the works
about the Mighty Pyramid, it was, alone, the one that was bred, long
ages past, of healthy human toil and labour. And on this point alone,
had a thousand books, and more, been writ; and all contrary, and so to
no end, as is ever the way in such matters.
And as it was with the Road Where The Silent Ones Walk, so it was with
all those other monstrous things ... whole libraries had there been made
upon this and upon that; and many a thousand million mouldered into the
forgotten dust of the earlier world.