id give back a little, unthinking
of what I did; but having upon me the sudden imagining of that which
might come out of the Dark, beyond.

And I to stand a little moment, and presently had grown free in my heart
to have courage of farewell; and so did turn me at last to the viewing
of that wondrous Home of the Last Millions of this World. And the sight
was an astonishment and an uplifting, that indeed there was so mighty a
thing in all the earth.

And well might be that there were Monsters and Forces gathered together
about that Hill of Life, out of all the Darkness of the World; for the
thing was as a Mighty Mountain that went up measureless into the night;
and spread out upon the earth to the right and to the left of me, so
that it did seem to hold all the world with its might.

And in the nearer slope were there three hundred thousand great
embrasures, as well I did know; there being in all the four sides of the
Redoubt, twelve hundred thousand embrasures, as was set out in the books
of the schools, and upon the cover of Atlas-books as they still quaintly
to be called, and many another place, as might be supposed.

And half a mile upward was the lowest tier of those great window-places,
and above that, countless other tiers. And a great light came out from
them into the darkness; so that I looked up into the night many miles,
and yet did see them in shining rows; and did make separate each
embrasure from its fellow for a great way. But there grew yet more,
above in the mighty distance, so that they were lost in the upward space
of the night, and did seem to me presently but as a constant, glimmering
fire, that did shape a shining Peak into the blackness of the heavens,
dwindling into the utmost height. And thus was that Everlasting
Monument.

Then did it come to me that those little things, which I did see to
cluster against the embrasures, were in truth the countless millions of
the Mighty Redoubt; and this I could make out with some plainness in
those lower embrasures, which were the more near to me than they above;
for the Peoples were set against the light within, yet were as small
things like unto insects, in that distance, and within so Huge a Bulk.

And I knew that they looked out upon me, and did watch through their
spy-glasses. And I sent my gaze upwards again along that great Slope of
grey metal, aye! upward again to where it strode glimmering into the
Blackness, and so at last to the little star tha