look
upon the face of son and son.

And the kin of the watchers brought to them food, and tended them, so
that they had no need to cease from their watching; and beds were made
in the embrasures, rough and resourceful, that they might sleep quickly
a little; yet be ever ready, if those cruel Monsters without made
discovery of those their children.

Thrice in those three days of journeying to the Northward, did the
Youths sleep, and we perceived that some kept a watch, and so knew that
there was a kind of order and leadership among them; also, they had each
his weapon upon his hip, and this gave to us a further plea to hope.

And concerning this same carrying of weapons, I can but set out here
that no healthful male or female in all the Mighty Pyramid but possessed
such a weapon, and was trained to it from childhood; so that a ripe and
extraordinary skill in the use thereof was common to most. Yet some
breaking of Rule had there been, that the Youths had each achieved to be
armed; for the weapons were stored in every tenth house of the cities,
in the care of the charging-masters.

And here I must make known that these weapons did not shoot; but had a
disk of grey metal, sharp and wonderful, that spun in the end of a rod
of grey metal, and were someways charged by the Earth-Current, so that
were any but stricken thereby, they were cut in twain so easy as aught.
And the weapons were contrived to the repelling of any Army of Monsters
that might make to win entrance to the Redoubt. And to the eye they had
somewhat the look of strange battle-axes, and might be lengthened by the
pulling out of the handles.

Now, the Youths made, as I have told, to the Northward; but had first to
keep a long way to the North-East, that they might come clear of the
Vale of Red Fire. And this wise they journeyed, and kept the Vale about
seven miles to the North-West of them, and so were presently beyond the
Watcher of the North-East, and going with a greater freedom, and having
less care to hide.

And this way, it may be, certain of the giants, wandering, perceived
them, and went swiftly to make attack and destroy them. But some order
went about among the youths, and they made a long line, with a certain
space between each, because of the terror of their weapon, and
immediately, it seemed, the Giants were upon them, a score and seven
they were, and seeming to be haired like to mighty crabs, as I saw with
the Great Spy-Glass, when the great