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"Welcome to Barey, Maskull! Let's hope you'll forget your sorrows here, you over-tested man." Maskull stared at him, not without friendliness. "What made you expect me, and how do you know my name?" The stranger smiled, which made his face very handsome. "I'm Gangnet. I know most things."
"We'll take a closer peep at them presently. Beyond the mountains is Barey, is it not?" "Yes." "And then the Ocean. But what is the name of that Ocean?" "That is told only to those who die beside it." "Is the secret so precious, Corpang?" Branchspell was nearing the horizon in the west; there were more than two hours of daylight remaining. The air all around them became murky.
Neither Sarclash nor Adage was visible. The saddle of the Pass was five hundred feet above him; he had descended that distance overnight. The landslip continued downward, like a huge flying staircase, to the upper slopes of Barey, which lay perhaps fifteen hundred feet beneath. The surface of the Pass was rough, and the angle was excessively steep, though not precipitous.
"What lies beyond Lichstorm?" asked Maskull, after a minute or two. "Barey, where you have two suns instead of one but beyond that fact I know nothing about it.... Then comes the ocean." "And what's on the other side of the ocean?" "That you must find out for yourself, for I doubt if anybody has ever crossed it and come back." Maskull was silent for a little while.
All his desires were gone forever; he wished to go nowhere, and to do nothing. He thought he would go to Barey. He went to the warm pool, to wash the sleep out of his eyes. Sitting beside it, watching the bubbles, was Krag. Maskull thought that he was dreaming. The man was clothed in a skin shirt and breeches. His face was stem, yellow, and ugly. He eyed Maskull without smiling or getting up.
When he had reached the boulder overlooking the landslip, on which they had sat together, he lowered his burden, and, placing the dead girl on the stone, seated himself beside her for a time, gazing over toward Barey. After that, he commenced his descent of the Mornstab Pass. The day had already dawned, but it was not yet sunrise when Maskull awoke from his miserable sleep.
Between Sarclash and Adage there is a long ridge very difficult in places. About halfway along the ridge, at the lowest point, lies the top of the Mornstab Pass, which goes through to Barey. Now you know the lay of the land." "Does the woman Sullenbode live near here?" "Near enough." Haunte grinned.
From where they stood they were unable to see the sides of the ridge, or what lay underneath. On the right hand, which was north, the landscape was blurred and indistinct. There were no peaks there; it was the distant, low-lying land of Barey. But on the left hand appeared a whole forest of mighty pinnacles, near and far, as far as the eye could see in moonlight.
A series of huge broken terraces of earth and rock descended toward Barey. They were overgrown with stunted vegetation. It was quite possible to get down to the lowlands that way, but rather difficult. On either side of the landslip, to cast and west, the ridge came down in a long line of sheer, terrific cliffs. A low haze concealed Barey from view.
"So Gangnet thinks!" jeered Krag. They came to the end of the wood, and found themselves overlooking a little cliff. At the foot of it, about fifty feet below, a fresh series of lakes and forests commenced. Barey appeared to be one big mountain slope, built by nature into terraces.
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