THE NIGHT OF DEPARTURE
When they returned to the house, the windows were all in darkness and the door was ajar, just as they had left it; Krag presumably was not there. Maskull went all over the house, striking matches in every room - at the end of the examination he was ready to swear that the man they were expecting had not even stuck his nose inside the premises. Groping their way into the library, they sat down in the total darkness to wait, for nothing else remained to be done.
Maskull lit his pipe, and began to drink the remainder of the whisky.
Through the open window sounded in their ears the trainlike grinding of the sea at the foot of the cliffs.
"Krag must be in the tower after all," remarked Maskull, breaking the silence.
"Yes, he is getting ready."
"I hope he doesn't expect us to join him there. It was beyond my powers - but why, heaven knows. The stairs must have a magnetic pull of some sort.""It is Tormantic gravity," muttered Nightspore.
"I understand you - or, rather, I don't - but it doesn't matter."He went on smoking in silence, occasionally taking a mouthful of the neat liquor. "Who is Surtur?" he demanded abruptly.
"We others are gropers and bunglers, but he is a master."Maskull digested this. "I fancy you are right, for though I know nothing about him his mere name has an exciting effect on me.. .. Are you personally acquainted with him?""I must be ... I forget ... " replied Nightspore in a choking voice.
Maskull looked up, surprised, but could make nothing out in the blackness of the room.
"Do you know so many extraordinary men that you can forget some of them? ... Perhaps you can tell me this. - , will we meet him, where we are going?""You will meet death, Maskull.... Ask me no more questions - I can't answer them.""Then let us go on waiting for Krag," said Maskull coldly.
Ten minutes later the front door slammed, and a light, quick footstep was heard running up the stairs. Maskull got up, with a beating heart.
Krag appeared on the threshold of the door, bearing in his hand a feebly glimmering lantern. A hat was on his head, and he looked stern and forbidding. After scrutinising the two friends for a moment or so, he strode into the room and thrust the lantern on the table. Its light hardly served to illuminate the walls.
"You have got here, then, Maskull?"
"So it seems - but I shan't thank you for your hospitality, for it has been conspicuous by its absence."Krag ignored the remark. "Are you ready to start?""By all means - when you are. It is not. so entertaining here."Krag surveyed him critically. "I heard you stumbling about in the tower. You couldn't get up, it seems.""It looks like an obstacle, for Nightspore informs me that the start takes place from the top.""But your other doubts are all removed?"
"So far, Krag, that I now possess an open mind. I am quite willing to see what you can do.""Nothing more is asked.... But this tower business. You know that until you are able to climb to the top you are unfit to stand the gravitation of Tormance?""Then I repeat, it's an awkward obstacle, for I certainly can't get up."Krag hunted about in his pockets, and at length produced a clasp knife.
"Remove you coat, and roll up your shirt sleeve," he directed.
"Do you propose to make an incision with that?""Yes, and don't start difficulties, because the effect is certain, but you can't possibly understand it beforehand.""Still, a cut with a pocket-knife - " began Maskull, laughing.
"It will answer, Maskull," interrupted Nightspore.
"Then bare your arm too, you aristocrat of the universe," said Krag.
"Let us see what your blood is made of."
Nightspore obeyed.
Krag pulled out the big blade of the knife, and made a careless and almost savage slash at Maskull's upper arm. The wound was deep, and blood flowed freely.
"Do I bind it up?" asked Maskull, scowling with pain.
Krag spat on the wound 'Pull your shirt down. it won't bleed any more."He then turned his attention to Nightspore, who endured his operation with grim indifference. Krag threw the knife on the floor.
An awful agony, emanating from the wound, started to run through Maskull's body, and he began to doubt whether he would not have to faint, but it subsided almost immediately, and then he felt nothing but a gnawing ache in the injured arm, just strong enough to make life one long discomfort.
"That's finished," said Krag. "Now you can follow me."Picking up the lantern, he walked toward the door. The others hastened after him, to take advantage of the light, and a moment later their footsteps, clattering down the uncarpeted stairs, resounded through the deserted house. Krag waited till they were out, and then banged the front door after them with such violence that the windows shook.
While they were walking swiftly across to the tower, Maskull caught his arm. "I heard a voice up those stairs.""What did it say?"
"That I am to go, but Nightspore is to return."Krag smiled. "The journey is getting notorious," he remarked, after a pause. "There must be ill - wishers about.... Well, do you want to return?""I don't know what I want. But I thought the thing was curious enough to be mentioned.""It is not a bad thing to hear voices," said Krag, "but you mustn't for a minute imagine that all is wise that comes to you out of the night world."When they had arrived at the open gateway of the tower, he immediately set foot on the bottom step of the spiral staircase and ran nimbly up, bearing the lantern. Maskull followed him with some trepidation, in view of his previous painful experience on these stairs, but when, after the first half - dozen steps, he discovered that he was still breathing freely, his dread changed to relief and astonishment, and he could have chattered like a girl.
At the lowest window Krag went straight ahead without stepping, but Maskull clambered into the embrasure, in order to renew his acquaintance with the miraculous spectacle of the Arcturian group.
The lens had lost its magic property. It had become a common sheet of glass, through which the ordinary sky field appeared.
