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Updated: May 29, 2025
"You came here on my account?" "Surely. On your account and Nightspore's. We three are to be fellow travellers." Maskull now lit his pipe and puffed away coolly for a few moments. "I'm sorry, Krag, but I must assume you are mad." Krag threw his head back, and gave a scraping laugh. "Am I mad, Nightspore?"
During those moments of anguish, all thoughts of Self the corruption of his life on Earth were scorched out of Nightspore's soul, perhaps not for the first time. After sitting a long time, he prepared to descend. Without warning, a strange, wailing cry swept over the face of the world.
Night had already fallen by the time they regained the tower. The black sky was glorious with liquid stars. Arcturus was a little way above the sea, directly opposite them, in the east. As they were passing the base of the tower, Maskull observed with a sudden shock that the gate was open. He caught hold of Nightspore's arm violently. "Look! Krag is back." "Yes, we must make haste to the house."
"And if I do, what will it imply?" demanded Maskull in amazement. "It bears its own message. Only try always to hear it more and more distinctly.... Now it's growing dark, and we must get back." Maskull pulled out his watch automatically, and looked at the time. It was past six.... But he was thinking of Nightspore's words, and not of the time.
"Why do you insist on this simile?" he asked. "Because it is apropos. Nightspore's quite right. That was Crystalman's face, and we are going to Crystalman's country." "And where is this mysterious country?" "Tormance." "That's a quaint name. But where is it?" Krag grinned, showing his yellow teeth in the light of the street lamp. "It is the residential suburb of Arcturus."
Almost before the words had left his mouth, Krag sprang back on to the island raft. Nightspore involuntarily started after him, but at once recovered himself and remained standing where he was. Krag was completely invisible; everything outside was black night. The moment he had gone, a feeling shot up in Nightspore's heart like a thousand trumpets.
The oblong patch of light grew much bigger; it burned, fierce and wild. The darkness above, below, and on either side of it, began to shape itself into the semblance of a huge, black wall, without bounds. "Is that really a wall we are coming to?" "You will soon find out. What you see is Muspel, and that light is the gate you have to enter." Nightspore's heart beat wildly.
This was the first time that Maskull had heard Nightspore's name since his arrival on the planet. He was so astonished that he could frame no more questions. "Eat this," said Dreamsinter. "Then we will chase the sound together." He picked something up from the ground and handed it to Maskull. He could not see distinctly, but it felt like a hard, round nut, of the size of a fist.
Maskull had no opportunity of examining through the crystal walls the rapidly changing panorama of the heavens. An extreme drowsiness oppressed him. He opened his eyes violently a dozen times, but on the thirteenth attempt he failed. From that time forward he slept heavily. The bored, hungry expression never left Nightspore's face.
I see no message." Nightspore's eyes wandered about the room, finally seeming to linger upon a glass-fronted wall cupboard, which contained a few old bottles on one of the shelves and nothing else. Maskull glanced at him and at the cupboard. Then, without a word, he got up to examine the bottles. There were four altogether, one of which was larger than the rest.
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