at I did draw the nearer; and, moreover, I was the
more astonished at this viewing, than I had been to the front; for it
was so utter strange, and shapen so different from the Brute that did
hang in my memory.

And a great time I did lie there upon my belly; and shaken by a fear of
the Beast; yet emboldened, as you may conceive, by having come to the
side; and being hopeful in my heart that I was very secure within so
great a shadow and the thick sheltering of the moss-bushes.

And surely it was that I did creep more nigh, the while that I did look;
for presently I had a very plain seeing of the Great Monster; and did
know where I had gotten to, and thereby did acknowledge unto myself that
this was an utter foolishness; and like, for all that any might say, to
lead unto destruction. Yet, as all must know, there was the first fear,
and the ceasing of this fear, as I did wot that I was so little a thing
to heed out there in the shadows. And presently a gaining of courage,
and the prick of my Being that did crave to see clear this exceeding
Wonder. And so was I come close, more or less, having gone far upon my
hands and knees; yet sometimes to pause; but afterwards on again.

Now by this nearness, I was the more truly able to perceive how that the
Bulk of the Watcher did rise up into the Night, like a Hill; and the
colour was mostly black, save and indeed where it did face to the red
shine of the Pit; and concerning this I have done telling.

And so did I lie there, and stare a great while, parting a small hole in
the moss-bushes that I might spy through the same. And the thing was
squat there, and might have root within the earth, so it did seem to
mine imaginings, as I did stare with a dumb wonder. And there were
monstrous warts upon the thing, and indents and a mighty ruggedness and
lumpings; as it were that it did be pimpled with great boulders that
were inbred within that monstrous hide. And where the shine from the
Pit of Red Fire did strike upon these, they did stand out into the
darkness away from the skin, as you of this Age shall see mountains of
the moon catch a bright fire from the Sun, and show plain upon the night
of the moon.

Now, as I have set down, I did lie there and look a great while; and it
came presently to me that there was unease within the Mighty Pyramid,
among the Millions; for I did feel the aether of the world to be
disturbed by their distress; and so had a knowing that they had a
cunning