The sand-hills, trees, and flowers had vanished. He was in a small dimly-lighted room; outside, as far as he could see, there were houses, and more houses, dingy and grey, in long dull rows. Smoke rose from every one of them in thick wreaths, and made a sort of brown fog in the streets. And along those streets men were hurrying, like great black ants. A mingled, dull clamour came up from the throng without ceasing. 'Look, Johannes,' said Pluizer. 'Now is not that a fine sight? Those are men, and all the houses, whichever way you look, and as far as you can see--even beyond the blue towers there--are full of men--quite full from top to bottom. Is not that wonderful? That is rather different from a sand-hill!' Johannes listened with alarmed curiosity, as though some huge and hideous monster had risen up before him. He felt as if he stood on the creature's back, and could see the black blood flowing through its great arteries, and the murky breath streaming from its hundred nostrils. And the portentous hum of that terrible voice filled him with fears. 'Look how fast the men walk,' Pluizer went on. 'You can see that they are in a hurry and are seeking something, cannot you? But the amusing thing is, that not one of them knows exactly what he is seeking. When they have been seeking for some little time, some one comes to meet them--his name is Hein.' 'Who is he?' asked Johannes. 'Oh, a very good friend of mine. I will introduce you to him some day. Then Hein says to them, "Are you looking for me?" To which most of them reply, "Oh no. I do not want you!" But then Hein says again, "But there is nothing to be found but me." So they have to be satisfied with Hein.' Johannes understood that he meant death. 'And is it always, always so?' 'To be sure, always. And yet, day after day, a new crowd come on, who begin forthwith to seek they know not what, and they seek and seek till at last they find Hein. This has been going on for a good while already, and so it will continue for some time yet.' 'And shall I never find anything, Pluizer--nothing but--?' 'Ay, you will find Hein some day, sure enough! but that does not matter; seek all the same--for ever be seeking.' 'But the Book, Pluizer, you were to make me find the Book.' 'Well who knows? I have not taken back my word. We must seek it diligently. At any rate we know where to look for it; Wistik taught us that. And there are folks who spend all their lives in the search without even knowing so much as that. Those are the men of science, Johannes. But then Hein comes and it is all over with their search.' 'That is horrible, Pluizer!' 'Oh no, not at all! Hein is a very kind creature; but he is misunderstood.' Some one was heard on the staircase outside the bedroom door. Tramp, tramp, up the wooden steps--tramp, tramp,--nearer and nearer. Then some one tapped at the door, and it was as though iron rapped against the panel.