Гимн
Part Ten
Wefoundthesleepinghallandwestoodinaweuponitsthreshold.Foritwasasmallroomandtherewereonlytwobedsinit.Wefoundnootherbedsinthehouse,andthenweknewthatonlytwohadlivedhere,andthispassesunderstanding.Whatkindofworlddidtheyhave,themenoftheUnmentionableTimes?
Wefoundgarments,andtheGoldenOnegaspedatthesightofthem.Fortheywerenotwhitetunics,norwhitetogas;theywereofallcolors,notwoofthemalike.Somecrumbledtodustaswetouchedthem.Butotherswereofheaviercloth,andtheyfeltsoftandnewinourfingers.
Wefoundaroomwithwallsmadeofshelves,whichheldrowsofmanuscripts,fromthefloortotheceiling.Neverhadweseensuchanumberofthem,norofsuchstrangeshape.Theywerenotsoftandrolled,theyhadhardshellsofclothandleather;andthelettersontheirpagesweresosmallandsoeventhatwewonderedatthemenwhohadsuchhandwriting.Weglancedthroughthepages,andwesawthattheywerewritteninourlanguage,butwefoundmanywordswhichwecouldnotunderstand.Tomorrow,weshallbegintoreadthesescripts.
Whenwehadseenalltheroomsofthehouse,welookedattheGoldenOneandwebothknewthethoughtinourminds.
“Weshallneverleavethishouse,”wesaid,“norletitbetakenfromus.Thisisourhomeandtheendofourjourney.Thisisyourhouse,GoldenOne,andours,anditbelongstonoothermenwhateverasfarastheearthmaystretch.Weshallnotshareitwithothers,aswesharenotourjoywiththem,norourlove,norourhunger.Sobeittotheendofourdays.