o the fire, with monstrous knees
drawn upward unto his chin. And the nose was great and bent downward;
and the eyes very large, and did shine with the light from the
fire-hole, and moved, watching, always this way and that, so that the
white parts did show, now this side and now that. But it was not
properly a man.

And I went away very quiet from that place, and looked oft backward,
until that I was sure of safety; for it was a very horrid Monster, and
had that place to be for a Lair, as I did judge from the smell thereof.

And when the eighteenth hour was come, I looked about for a safe place
to my sleep; and I kept away now from the fire-holes; for I did always
find the more life there. Yet, when I came to my rest, I was lacking of
warmth, by reason of this care; and could scarce sleep at all, because
that I was so cold. Yet managed something of slumber after a while; but
woke very stiff, and was glad to beat my hands and bestir myself that I
should come to some warmth of life.

And after that I had eat and drunk, I put my gear upon me, and took the
Diskos in my hand, and went forward again upon my journey. And here I
should tell that I was come soon unto the North-West border of the Plain
of Blue Fire. And presently, I was but a little way off from it, and did
go direct to the North; so that the Plain was always upon my right.

Now this Plain was a strange and fearsome place, as you shall see; for
it was as that a blue void did rise upward from the earth in all the
country of that Plain. For, surely, the Plain did not lumber with flame;
but was hid with a strange and inburning light, as of a shining
atmosphere of a cold blue colour. And it did throw no sure light upon
the Night Land, as had seemed proper; but was a very dreadful, cold
shining, as of a luminous and blue void. And the moss-bushes grew nigh
to the edge of the plain, and did show to me black and strange against
that horrid gloom of light.

And you shall know that I could not see into the plain; for it was as
that the cold blue light was a void that swallowed all within it; and
gave no power to the eye that aught should be perceived. And it stood
between me and the Mighty Pyramid, and I could nowise see across. And I
know not whether I do make all this matter clear unto you; for surely it
is no easy task.

And presently I had gone very quiet upon my hands and knees through the
moss-bushes; and I came near upon the edge of the Plain, and hid there