And after that I had considered a while, I did know somewhat where the
Gorge should be, and perceived that I should go unto my left; but not
overmuch, for indeed I saw the red-shining of the giants' hole that lay
at a great space that way; and surely I must go so that I missed the
place of the giants so much as I might, and in the same going, come not
overnear unto the blue-shining that lay before me, across all the far
part of that Country; for, in verity, I Mistrusted the place where that
shining did be.
Now when I had gained somewhat of knowledge where should be found the
Mouth of the Upward Gorge, I put mine arm about the Maid, where she did
stand so nigh to me, and very husht, the while that I had lookt about. And
I pointed outward over the dark Land unto my left, and told her that the
Gorge did be somewhere that way, a great distance off; yet utter out of my
sight, and only to be known that it did be somewise there by the things
that I did mind of, concerning my way after I came into the Land.
Now the Maid, having stood very quiet, had lookt all that time about
her; and so had come to some knowing of the place where she did be in the
Land, for she to know the land someways, as you shall think. And she askt
me how I did mind to go; and truly I said, so straight as we might; but yet
so that we come neither too nigh to the shining nor to the great red
fire-pit of the Giants.
And the Maid bade me to look in the way that I did mind to go; and I
lookt, but yet there was nothing save, as they did seem, certain
fire-holes that had a green-shining about them. And she set out unto me
then, how that there did go a tract of bad gas in that part of the
Land, that should be utter poisonous unto any; and this had been well
known in the Lesser Redoubt, by the reading of their instruments. And
where the gas did go, there was there a green-shining about the
fire-holes.
And she showed me how that the Place of the Gas went a great way unto
the North-West, so that I learned now somewhat how the land did lie, as we
do say in these days. And it was in all the North-West that the great
blue-shining did burn. And I askt Naani how they named this, and she told
me by no name, save but The Shine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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