"Why should we go there? But if you were going on farther, it might be
worth your while to pay a visit to the top. It commands the whole land
as far as the Sinking Sea and Swaylone's Island--and beyond. You can
also see Alppain from it."

"That's a sight I mean to see before I have finished."

"Do you, Maskull?" She turned around and put her hand on his wrist.
"Stay with me, and one day we'll go to Disscourn together."

He grunted unintelligibly.

There were no signs of human existence in the country under their feet.
While Maskull was still grimly regarding it, a large tract of forest not
far ahead, bearing many trees and rocks, suddenly subsided with an awful
roar and crashed down into an invisible gulf. What was solid land one
minute became a clean-cut chasm the next. He jumped violently up with
the shock. "This is frightful."

Oceaxe remained unmoved.

"Why, life here must be absolutely impossible," he went on, when he had
somewhat recovered himself. "A man would need nerves of steel.... Is
there no means at all of foreseeing a catastrophe like this?"

"Oh, I suppose we wouldn't be alive if there weren't," replied Oceaxe,
with composure. "We are more or less clever at it--but that doesn't
prevent our often getting caught."

"You had better teach me the signs."

"We'll have many things to go over together. And among them, I expect,
will be whether we are to stay in the land at all.... But first let us
get home."

"How far is it now?"

"It is right in front of you," said Oceaxe, pointing with her
forefinger. "You can see it."

He followed the direction of the finger and, after a few questions, made
out the spot she was indicating. It was a broad peninsula, about two
miles distant. Three of its sides rose sheer out of a lake of air, the
bottom of which was invisible; its fourth was a bottleneck, joining it
to the mainland. It was overgrown with bright vegetation, distinct in
the brilliant atmosphere. A single tall tree, shooting up in the middle
of the peninsula, dwarfed everything else; it was wide and shady with
sea-green leaves.

"I wonder if Crimtyphon is there," remarked Oceaxe. "Can I see two
figures, or am I mistaken?"

"I also see something," said Maskull.

In twenty minutes they were directly above the peninsula, at a height of
about fifty feet. The shrowk slackened speed, and came to earth on
the mainland, exactly at the gateway of the isthmus. They both
descended--Maskull with aching th