Against the Fall of Night
“Then the old man spoke—and the three machines echoed his voice for a moment until something switched them off.
“So you are from the North, and your people have already forgotten Shalmirane.”
“Oh, no!” said Theon quickly, “we’ve not forgotten. But we weren’t sure that anyone still lived here, and we certainly didn’t know that you wished to be left alone.”
The old man did not reply. Moving with a slowness that was painful to watch, he hobbled through the doorway and disappeared, the three machines floating silently after him. Alvin and Theon looked at each other in surprise: they did not like to follow, but their dismissal—if dismissal it was—had certainly been brusque. They were starting to argue the matter when one of the machines suddenly reappeared.
“What are you waiting for? Come along!” it ordered. Then it vanished again.
Alvin shrugged his shoulders.
“We appear to be invited. I think our host’s a little eccentric, but he seems friendly.”
From the opening in the wall a wide spiral... stairway led downwards for a score of feet.MoreLess
“So you are from the North, and your people have already forgotten Shalmirane.”
“Oh, no!” said Theon quickly, “we’ve not forgotten. But we weren’t sure that anyone still lived here, and we certainly didn’t know that you wished to be left alone.”
The old man did not reply. Moving with a slowness that was painful to watch, he hobbled through the doorway and disappeared, the three machines floating silently after him. Alvin and Theon looked at each other in surprise: they did not like to follow, but their dismissal—if dismissal it was—had certainly been brusque. They were starting to argue the matter when one of the machines suddenly reappeared.
“What are you waiting for? Come along!” it ordered. Then it vanished again.
Alvin shrugged his shoulders.
“We appear to be invited. I think our host’s a little eccentric, but he seems friendly.”
From the opening in the wall a wide spiral... stairway led downwards for a score of feet.MoreLess
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