ut the thrilling had a strange power in it;
and in my soul the voice of Naani sounded plain, all within and about
me.

Yet, though I knew it to be the voice of Naani, I answered not
immediately; save to send the sure question of the Master-Word into the
night. And, directly, I heard the answer, the Master-Word beating
steadily in the night; and I questioned Naani why she had speech with me
by the Instrument at that time, when all were sleeping, and the watch
set among the Monstruwacans; for they in the little Pyramid had their
sleep-time to commence at the eleventh hour; so that by this it was five
hours advanced towards the time of waking; and Naani should have slept;
nor have been abroad to the Tower of Observation, apart from her father.
For I supposed that she spoke by the Instrument, her voice sounding very
clear in my brain. Yet, to this question, she made no answer in kind;
but gave a certain thing into my spirit, which set me trembling; for she
said certain words, that began:

"Dearest, thine own feet tread the world at night--"

And it well may be that she set me to tremble; for as the words grew
about me, there wakened a memory-dream how that I had made these same
words to Mirdath the Beautiful in the long-gone Eternity of this our
Age, when she had died and left me alone in all the world. And I was
weak a little with the tumult and force of my emotion; but in a moment I
called eagerly with my brain-elements to Naani to give some explaining
of this thing that she had spoken to the utter troubling of my heart.

Yet, once more she made no direct answer; but spoke the words again to
me across all the dark of the world. And it came to me suddenly, that it
was not Naani that spoke; but Mirdath the Beautiful, from out of all the
everlasting night. And I called: "Mirdath! Mirdath," with my
brain-elements, into the night; and lo! the far, faint voice spoke again
to my spirit through all the darkness of eternity, saying again those
words. Yet, though the voice was the voice of Mirdath the Beautiful, it
was also the voice of Naani; and I knew in all my heart that this thing
was in verity; and that it had been given to me to be birthed once more
into this world in the living-time of that Only One, with whom my spirit
and essence hath mated in all ages through the everlasting. And I called
with my brain-elements and all my strength to Naani; but there came no
answer; neither sign of hearing, though through hours I call