And because some had thus abetted that which they knew to be against the
Law, which was framed to the well-being and safety of all, there were
certain floggings, which might the better help their memories in the
future as to the properness of their actions and wisdom.
Moreover, they who returned, if any, would be flogged, as seemed proper,
after due examination. And though the news of their beatings might help
all others to hesitation, ere they did foolishly, in like fashion, yet
was the principle of the flogging not on this base, which would be both
improper and unjust; but only that the one in question be corrected to
the best advantage for his own well-being; for it is not meet that any
principle of correction should shape to the making of human signposts of
pain for the benefit of others; for in verity, this were to make one pay
the cost of many's learning; and each should owe to pay only so much as
shall suffice for the teaching of his own body and spirit. And if others
profit thereby, this is but accident, however helpful. And this is
wisdom, and denoteth now that a sound Principle shall prevent Practice
from becoming monstrous.
Yet, now I must hasten that I set down how it fared with those five
hundred youths that had made so sad an adventure of their lives and
unprepared souls; and were beyond our aid to help them, who might not
so much as make any calling to them, to bid them to return; for to do
this would have been to tell to all the Monsters of the Land that humans
were abroad from the Mighty Pyramid.
And this would have been to cause the monsters to search the youths out
to their destruction, and maybe even to awaken the Forces to work them
some dread Spiritual harm, which was the chief Fear.
Now, presently, through all the cities of the Great Redoubt, the news
had gone how that five hundred foolish Youths had adventured out into
the despair of the Night Land; and the whole Pyramid waked to life, and
the Peoples of the South came to the Northern sides, for the Great Gate
lay in the North-West side; and the Youths had made from there, not
straightly outwards, but towards the North; and so were to be seen from
the North-East embrasures, and from those within the North-West wall.
And thus, in a while were they watched by all the mighty multitudes of
the Great Pyramid, through millions of spy-glasses; for each human had a
spying-glass, as may be thought; and some were an hundred years old, and
some, maybe ten thousand, and handed down through many generations; and
some but newly made, and very strange. But all those people had some
instrument by which they might spy out upon the wonder of the Night
Land; for so had it been ever through all the eternity of darkness, and
a great diversion and wonder of life was it to behold the monsters about
their work; and to know that they plotted always to our destruction; yet
were ever foiled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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