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Pegasus, v. 2, issue 1, Summer 1943
Page 7
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Pegasus In the season when the moon had commenced to wane these went to the Hill of Duorm, walking on dusty roads beneath the searing sun. And coming to the Hill, rising like the back of some monstrous tortoise from the plain, they approached the tower standing alone and remote from all other things, and mounted the spirally ascending steps which circled it. Hot upon them breathed the desert wind, so that they scarce could draw breath; and they climbed faintly, and came at last to the top: and they beheld there an arched portal in the side of the tower. As they entered the portal a coolness enwrapped them like the cold breath of a specter; and they shivered as with an ague, marvelling at this thing. At first, being dazzled by the glare and brightness of the sun, they could see naught in the gloom within; but anon they beheld in the center of the tower the black mouth of a well as broad as the height of four men; and around it, between the rim thereof and the wall of the tower, there went a narrow way whereon they stood. And none could see the bottom of the well by reason of the darkness; and Evos commanded certain of them to fetch torches and large baskets which might hold men, and ropes. When these were brought Evos bade the men descend into the well in the baskets: and they would not, for they were afraid. And Evos said: "How now; are ye men, and soldiers also? Or are ye children that go in fear of darkness? What imaginings have made you afraid?" And they said unto him: "This place is evil, and all men fear it. The wise men speak ill of it, and the legends of the people. Moreover it is not good that coldness should abide here alone when all other places are hot. We will not go down." And Evos said: "I am old, and my strength is gone from me: yet I, even I, will descend into the well. Make ready a basket, and ye shall see, O faint in spirit, whether the saying of the tellers of tales will harm me. And thou, Kadu, dost thou tremble at a tale heard in the night?" And Kadu replied: " I fear no thing. I will go with thee." And the twain took torches; and the men let them down in baskets fashioned of woven reeds. Now as Kadu and Evos descended they felt the coolness wax more and more; and lifting on high their torches they saw that the sides of the well glistened in the light like the slimy bodies of the great serpents of the river Amarthais seen in the moonlight; and anon they beheld clumps of pale moss growing in this place and that. And coming at length to the bottom of the well they stepped out of the baskets and the bottom was covered with moss, and they walked on it like a soft and clammy rug. And in the place dwelt an exceeding chill. And Evos bade Kadu scrape away the moss with his sword that they might see what lay beneath. And Kadu scraped and found rock beneath; and anon, when he had scraped a space where five men might stand, they 4
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Pegasus In the season when the moon had commenced to wane these went to the Hill of Duorm, walking on dusty roads beneath the searing sun. And coming to the Hill, rising like the back of some monstrous tortoise from the plain, they approached the tower standing alone and remote from all other things, and mounted the spirally ascending steps which circled it. Hot upon them breathed the desert wind, so that they scarce could draw breath; and they climbed faintly, and came at last to the top: and they beheld there an arched portal in the side of the tower. As they entered the portal a coolness enwrapped them like the cold breath of a specter; and they shivered as with an ague, marvelling at this thing. At first, being dazzled by the glare and brightness of the sun, they could see naught in the gloom within; but anon they beheld in the center of the tower the black mouth of a well as broad as the height of four men; and around it, between the rim thereof and the wall of the tower, there went a narrow way whereon they stood. And none could see the bottom of the well by reason of the darkness; and Evos commanded certain of them to fetch torches and large baskets which might hold men, and ropes. When these were brought Evos bade the men descend into the well in the baskets: and they would not, for they were afraid. And Evos said: "How now; are ye men, and soldiers also? Or are ye children that go in fear of darkness? What imaginings have made you afraid?" And they said unto him: "This place is evil, and all men fear it. The wise men speak ill of it, and the legends of the people. Moreover it is not good that coldness should abide here alone when all other places are hot. We will not go down." And Evos said: "I am old, and my strength is gone from me: yet I, even I, will descend into the well. Make ready a basket, and ye shall see, O faint in spirit, whether the saying of the tellers of tales will harm me. And thou, Kadu, dost thou tremble at a tale heard in the night?" And Kadu replied: " I fear no thing. I will go with thee." And the twain took torches; and the men let them down in baskets fashioned of woven reeds. Now as Kadu and Evos descended they felt the coolness wax more and more; and lifting on high their torches they saw that the sides of the well glistened in the light like the slimy bodies of the great serpents of the river Amarthais seen in the moonlight; and anon they beheld clumps of pale moss growing in this place and that. And coming at length to the bottom of the well they stepped out of the baskets and the bottom was covered with moss, and they walked on it like a soft and clammy rug. And in the place dwelt an exceeding chill. And Evos bade Kadu scrape away the moss with his sword that they might see what lay beneath. And Kadu scraped and found rock beneath; and anon, when he had scraped a space where five men might stand, they 4
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