ently to blacken into the night. And I
lookt to the right and to the left, and it was plain that the black
cliffs did stretch out both ways, and did go downward ever into that
monstrous sea of slow fire. And there were great headlands that went out
into the fire, as into a sea; and the fire did lap very quiet about
these, and where the fire lapt about them, there did shine and spirt out
green flames and vapours at diverse times.

And, indeed, as I did perceive, I was come to an upward sea of fire, as
it were the deep inwards of a low and utter monstrous volcano, that was
flat of the top and utter big across. And, in verity, I did look
downward into the fires of the inward earth, and a very wondrous sight
was it, to stand there alone upon the cliffs of that everlasting sea.
And a great heat came upward from the dull and grim fire of that gloomy
sea, and a reek of sulphur; so that I was like to be choked, and did go
backward from the edge of the cliff.

And surely, I was come to the end of that Dark Land upon that side, and
had nowhere perceived the Lesser Pyramid in all the night of my travel.
And a new despair came upon me; for, indeed, it seemed I was come all
astray in the night of the World, and did nowise have any knowing
whether I stood near to the Country of the Lesser Redoubt, or whether
that I was gone half across the World unto a strange place.

And, then, as the despair troubled my spirit and dulled the beating of
my heart, a sudden thought did light up a fresh hope within me; for,
indeed, as you do know, I was come upward of a great height, and did
surely have a huge view over all that Land; and mayhaps the Lesser
Pyramid did lie somewhere in a valley, if, in verity, it did be
anywheres at all in that Country. And I turned me from the cliffs, and
lookt backward over all the night of the Land; but there was nowhere in
all that Country the shining of the Lights of the Lesser Pyramid.

And lo! of a sudden I did know that there was something in the night.
And I stared, with a very keen and anxious look. And behold, there was
the black shape of a great pyramid afar off in the night, that did show
against the shining of the distant light; for it did stand between me
and the far-off fires. But until I was come to that place, whence I did
look, I had not stood to have it plain against the shining upon the
other side of that Land.

And how I did feel in that moment, I have no words to set out unto you.
But surely