And my heart stood quiet with fear, and the utter terror of this
Monster, which I knew to be surely one of the Great Forces of Evil of
that Land, and had power, without doubt, to destroy the spirit. And the
Master Monstruwacan leapt towards the Home-Call, and sent the great
Sound down to the Ten-thousand, that they might attend, and immediately,
he signalled to them to Beware. Yet, already I perceived that they knew
of this Utter Danger that was upon them; for I saw them slay the Youths
quickly, that their spirits might not be lost; for they were Unprepared.
But the men, being Prepared, had the Capsule, and would die swiftly in
the last moment.
I looked again towards the Hump, and saw that it came like a Hill of
Blackness in the Land, and was almost anigh. Then there happened a
wonder; for in that moment when all had else gone quickly, that they
might save their souls, out of the earth there rose a little Light, like
to the crescent of the young moon of this early day. And the crescent
rose up into an arch of bright and cold fire, glowing but little; and it
spanned above the Ten-thousand and the dead; and the Hump stood still,
and went backwards and was presently lost.
And the men came swiftly towards the Mighty Pyramid. Yet, ere they were
come to safety, the Baying of the Hounds sounded close upon them, and
they faced to the danger; yet, as I could know, without despair, because
that they yet lived after so enormous a peril.
And the Hounds were very nigh, as now I beheld with the Great Spy-Glass;
and I counted five score, running with mighty heads low, and in a pack.
And lo! as the Hounds came at them, the Ten-thousand drew apart, and had
a space between the men, that they might have full use of that terrible
Diskos; and they fought with the handles at length, and I saw the disks
spin and glisten and send out fire.
Then was there a very great battle; for the Light that arched above
them, and held away The Power from their souls, made not to protect them
from this danger of the lesser monsters. And at an hundred thousand
embrasures within the Mighty Pyramid, the women cried and sobbed, and
looked again. And in the lower cities it was told, after, that the
Peoples could hear the crash and splinter of the armour, as the Hounds
ran to and fro, slaying; aye, even the sound of the armour between their
teeth.
Yet, the Ten-thousand ceased not to smite with the Diskos; and they
hewed the Hounds in pieces; but of the men that went forth, there were a
thousand and seven hundred slain by the Hounds, ere the men won to
victory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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