uilt
very strongly and fairly of good ashlar: its door was shut, and on the
jamb thereof hung a slug-horn. The damsel, who seemed to know what to
do, set her mouth to the horn, and blew a blast; and in a little while
the door was opened, and a big man clad in red scarlet stood therein: he
had no weapons, but was somewhat surly of aspect: he spake not, but stood
abiding the word: so the damsel took it up and said: "Art thou not the
Warden of the Uttermost House?"

He said: "I am."

Said the damsel: "May we guest here to-night?"

He said: "The house lieth open to you with all that it hath of victual
and plenishing: take what ye will, and use what ye will."

They thanked him; but he heeded not their thanks, and withdrew him from
them. So they entered and found the table laid in a fair hall of stone
carven and painted very goodly; so they ate and drank therein, and
Hallblithe was of good heart, and the Sea-eagle and his mate were merry,
though they looked softly and shyly on Hallblithe because of the
sundering anigh; and they saw no man in the house save the man in
scarlet, who went and came about his business, paying no heed to them. So
when the night was deep they lay down in the shut-bed off the hall, and
slept, and the hours were tidingless to them until they woke in the
morning.

On the morrow they arose and broke their fast, and thereafter the damsel
spake to the man in scarlet and said: "May we fill our wallets with
victual for the way?"

Said the Warden: "There lieth the meat."

So they filled their wallets, while the man looked on; and they came to
the door when they were ready, and he unlocked it to them, saying no
word. But when they turned their faces towards the mountains he spake at
last, and stayed them at the first step. Quoth he: "Whither away? Ye
take the wrong road!"

Said Hallblithe: "Nay, for we go toward the mountains and the edge of the
Glittering Plain."

"Ye shall do ill to go thither," said the Warden, "and I bid you
forbear."

"O Warden of the Uttermost House, wherefore should we forbear?" said the
Sea-eagle.

Said the scarlet man: "Because my charge is to further those who would go
inward to the King, and to stay those who would go outward from the
King."

"How then if we go outward despite thy bidding?" said the Sea-eagle,
"wilt thou then hinder us perforce?"

"How may I," said the man, "since thy fellow hath weapons?"

"Go we forth, then," said the Sea-eagle.

"Yea,"