in the dark; so that I
had not known of them, save for the telling of that book; though, in
truth, it had been always supposed that we lived in a great deep of the
world; but, indeed, it was rather held in belief that we abode in the
bed of some ancient sea, that did surely slope gradual away from us, and
not go up abrupt and savage.

And here let me make so clear as I may that the general peoples had no
clear thought upon any such matters; though there was something of it
taught in the schools; yet rather this and that, of diverse conclusions,
as it might be thinkings of the Teachers, after much study, and some
ponderings. For one man, having a lack of imagining, would scoff, and
another, maybe, to take it very staidly, but some would build Fancy upon
the tellings of the Records, and make foolish and fantastic that which
had groundings in Truth; and thus is it ever. But to the most Peoples of
the Pyramid, there was no deep conviction nor thought of any great hid
World afar in the darkness. For they gave attention and belief only to
that which lay to their view; nor could a great lot come to imagine that
there had been ever any other Condition.

And to them, it did seem right and meet that there should be strange
things, and fires from the earth, and an ever-abiding night, and
monsters, and matters hid and tangled much in mystery.

And very content were the most of them; though some had in them the
yeast of imaginings, or the pimples of fancy upon them, and to these
there seemed many possibilities; though the first to read out to sanity;
and the second, to expect and have speech towards much that was foolish
or to no purpose.

And of these vague believings of the peoples, have I made hint before,
and need not have much trouble to it now. Save that, with the children,
as is ever the way, those olden tales had much believing; and the
simplicity of the Wise did mate with the beliefs of the Young; and
between them did lie the Truth.

And so did I make speed towards the North, having a strong surety in my
heart and mind that there were but two ways to my search; for without of
the Valley, afar up in the dead lonesomeness of the hidden world, was a
cold that was shapen ready to Death, and a lacking, as I must believe,
of the sweet, needful air that yet did lie in plenty in that deep place
of the earth. So that, surely, the mighty Valley somewheres to hold that
other Redoubt.

Yet, as I have said, I went not direct to m