nd had made a great and brutish chase, and
had slain many; but some had escaped forth into the night.

And with these had come Naani, after that her father, the Master
Monstruwacan, had been slain by a shaggy man, very brutal and monstrous.
And there had been three maids with Naani, when that she made escape
into the night; but there had come certain creatures upon them, as they
did sleep among the bushes, and had stolen two, and the other maid had
run off, as did Naani, and they had neither met the other any more.

And this dreadful happening unto the Peoples of the Lesser Redoubt, had
been a great while gone, as it to seem to her; but she had no means to
tell me how long this time should be; for, in verity, how should she
make a count. Yet had it been a dread long while unto her; and I found
presently, that she had been lost through all that time that I did make
my journey unto her; for, indeed, this thing I discovered by asking
concerning my callings unto her. And she had heard none that did come to
her, in any time since she had escaped out of the Lost Refuge into this
dreadful Land.

Yet, in verity, oft had she callen unto me, until that her heart did
grow sick with the desolation of her lonesomeness and her utter
forsakeness. And her callings had told unto the Evil things of the Land
that she did be in this part and that; for there had come things and
beasts in search for her; but having the gift of the hearing, she had
known of their approach, most whiles, and had come free from them; yet
oft-times with piteous and fearful runnings and hiding among the rocks
and the bushes, so that she had grown afterward to make no calling unto
me, save odd whiles, lest she bring the monsters upon her. And, indeed,
as you do know, naught had come plain unto me, for she was so utter weak
that she had no power of her brain-elements to send the Word afar or the
tellings of her spirit.

And because that she was so sorely chased, she had come nigh to be
naked, even as I found her; for the bushes and the rocks had torn her
garments from her, and she had naught with which to make any proper
mending of them. And for food she had eat the moss upon the rocks, and
odd strange berries and growths, and had drunk of the waters of the hot
springs; and oft had she been made utter sick, because of the sulphur,
or somewhat, of the water and, maybe, the poison of odd plants. Yet, as
I did think, it was like that the first did save her life from