[Crandall] Toosday the 6th of July, 1802
We slumbered most contentedly last Nite & having ritely adjudged the friendly Tenour of our Hosts we was left unmolested all of the Nite. With the Don some Olde Womyn came in & prepared some Darksome Porridge for Us which possessed a rather sweet taste & then Paco reappeared to wish us a good day along with the diminutive Medicinal Mann who with drew moore Herbs from his Crotch Area & cooked up a Concoction which once againe was applicated to my Comred Murry’s wound & inserted in to his Mouth. Murry I was gladdsome to see was semicoherent this Mourning & his swelling had receded considerably which was an emmense Relief for I had fretted much over him. Paco then invited me to take a Tour of his Village which I immediately excepted1 of but the Boyz wanted to come along as well, so I started to object but Paco witnessing the Men’s Enthusiasm insisted that they also accompany us which irritated me for I have all ways loathed to be a parte of Tour Groups. For Tour Groups can’t help but resemble a cumbersomme, dumb Herd of Lifestock & their continual inane Bantour & Boerish Behaviour can’t help but despoliate2 the Experience. But I had no Other Opcion so clamourous the Corpse was to explore the Metropolice, so the Ten of Us begun to shuffle thru the narrow labourynthine thorofare’s of the Village as we strained to hear what Paco was imparting to Us about the architecture & the undergirding filosophy behind it. It was all quite fascinating but since the sound of his voice along with Cutlier’s Interpretation’s was oddly stifled & muted & did not carrie well at all despite the cavernousness of our Surrounding’s the Men begun to justle one an Other & curse one an Other in ordure to jockey for a Better Position which resulted in Other’s admonishing them to Shush which seamed to be much louder & carry much further then our Host’s Orations: which created a physickal & auditory Confusion which I had to at Time’s to quell with vociferous shout’s & fearsome fascial Expression’s, & I even went so far as to withdraw my Pistole in ordure to shut them up but I did not end up fyring it but just brandished it backed up with verbal Threats—which could not of failed to create a rather pour Impression in the Eye’s of our Guide. And in Deed it ’twas not till after our Tour had concluded that I realised that I had been so distracted & upset by the Corpse’s behaviour that I had not managed to remember hardly any Thing which Paco showed us or said unto us. Hardly any Thing that is accept3 for our dissent4 in to the Bowelz of the Earth which was the Last Stop on our Grand Tour—for Paco leading us thru a Largish Fisher5 in the Rock way back at the Rear of the Village we then proceeded down a narrow stairway leading down deeper & deeper till the Light from which we had emerged appeared to be but a pinpricke behind us. The Steppe’s was not uniformly fashioned so that one lost one’s footing easily plus it was slippary with condensation as was the Wallz which was damp & cool to the touche as one tried to use them as a support whilst one was slipping but they was of little Help since they was in addition to being wet smoothe as well. Of coerce none of us had thought to bring any type of Lanthorne or Taper with us & as we fallowed Paco’s Voice in the complete obscurescence we begun to waxx most trepidatious. In Deed half of the Men could tolerate it no longer & retreated back to the Topp with much adieu & commotion & cursing as they tried to get past us amongst whom was Hu who rather violently pushing his Corpse Men aside bellowed, “Hu for One has had enuff! If you dipshite’s want to continuate on to your Demize that you’re Business! But count Hu out!” And it was Danielle who also screamed (doing his best Impression of the Searess perhap’s subconsciencely) “Guyz! Guyz! Are you out of you’re Mindz! Seriously! If you’ve got any regard for your own physickal sanity & mental health you’ll follow me out of here, pronto!” But a few of us Determined Few determined to continue on despite all the hobbob amongst whom was me, & once the Cowards had retreated far up above us I begun to undergo an uncanny feeling of not displeasaunt Holey Dred which the Darkness & Coolness & Closeness of our surroundings all conduced to. As did our helpless state—for it of coarse occurred unto me that this was some how a Trapp: perhap’s we was being led into these Autochthones’s version of Hades in ordure to be offered up to their version of Plutoe, relegating all Strangers to a Fate similar to that as depicted in Euripides’s Ephegenia at Aeolus6. So far had we come till not even the distant lite of the Entrance up above could be descried for all one’s straining & it appeared we really was dissenting in to Hades & I must confess I begun to commence to entertain Thought’s of retreating back from whence we’d come with all dew Haste as the Other’s had done so grate was my Nerviosity. But my Curiosity was grater so I persevered on deeper in to the Mystery—but soon of a sodden our Toure Guide stopped & bade us wait for a Moment & than commenced to incite a small Lanthorne with some sparques created by the stryking of some Rox he apparently had carried about his Parson7, & this being done we first saw his grinning visage in the dim flickering Lite looking most ghoolish & he let out a chuggle. Then bending downward’s & gesturing with a sweeping gesture rather dramatickally he revealed unto us a Pool of crystalline waters. “El Agua!” he rasped. “Nuestra Vida! Nuestro Salvador! El Agua es la Vida! Pruebanselo, pruebanselo!” And with this he shined his Lite upon some drinking receptacles which rested in little Nooks carved out of the Rock which we took up with alacritie & dipping them in to the Liquidity partook of it’s sweet savour, & in Deed it tasted even better then that which we’d been treated to up above: it tasted like Aeternitie. ’Twas difficult to detect the exact Demention’s of this Pool, but the Rock ceiling hung rather low over it & even tho it appeared to possess no Currant I surmised that it must be connected to the River who’s Name currantly escape’s me8 which we witnessed vanish in to the Bowelz of the Earth some Day’s back. Beneath all this barren dryness there must be vast Reserve’s of Liquidity just sitting there selfresplendant in it’s cool dark majesty totally untroubled by the heet & desolation up above. So enamoured I was with this Poole that I was about to dip my entire Head in to it so as to refreshen my Self but I was restrained by Paco who admonished me thus: “No podemos lavarnos en este Agua. Es sagrado. Podemos beberlo, si, pero no podemos contaminarlo con nuestra suciedad & grasa. Es prohibido, es prohibido.” I then begged his pardon & after we had drunk a cup or three more we set the Receptacles back in Place & fallowed Paco up to the top. On our assent he kept his Lanthorne alit while mean while us Few who had had the Coerage to venture all the way to the Bottom formed a Cabal amongst our Selves promising one an Other that we would udder not one syballel about what we had seen or done at the Bottom for those that had fled from Fear did not deserve to be in the know—for they would pay dearly for their Cowardise with Aeternall Ignourance. So we swore a Compact amongst our Selves (my Self, Colteir, Delancey, Gunn, & Francis Kaye) to udder not a syballel but in Stead to just smile wanley should any Body enquire. Upon our Returnance we was greeted by Hu who said, “So you survived after all, eh?” & then immediately enquired what we had seen down there, &c., &c., & I along with the Other’s just smiled wanley as per our Compact & then I enquired after my Comred Murry, who to my emmense Delite was feeling & appearing much better since last we’d left him. But Hu along with the Other Coward’s who’d abandoned us down in that darkesome Tunnel after affirming our Happiness that their Captain had seemed to have recovered inevitabley begun to harp once againe upon what they’d missed down there, if we had decided to eventuallistickally turn back as they had done or if we had reached the Bottom & if so what we had seen Down There. But once again each of Us just flashed that same wan Smile which but of coerce just further stoked the Fyres of their Curiosities. Luncheon soon being served this distracted the Corpse for a while till as they was slurping up the last Bit’s of the simple Soup flecked with bits of Reptile Flesh & Herbs they once againe recommenced their Assault, Daniel Kaye taking the lead by saying, “But seriously Guyz, what did you see down there? Obviously you’re being all coy about it but come on, seriously, just tell us. Enuff z’nuff!” But we continuated to play coyish & Jean mean while turning the Tablette’s on them enquired what they all had been up to while we was gone for ’twas selfevident that all their Enquiries was just covering up some Thing which had transpired whilst we was deep down in the Bowelz of the Earth & that they was attempting to distract us with Hollow Lines of questioning but their Shiftey Look’s indicated that they was harbouring a Secret from Us which is why we was maintaining Psilence regarding our own recent Experiences. This flabbergasted them to the Extreme chiefly amongst whom was Hu who stammered, “Why… why… Grate Ceisure’s Salad! This out Archimedeses Archimedes!” & he appeared as if he wanted to smash some One’s face in not excluding his own. “Guyz! Guyz!” cried Daniel. “This isn’t funny! Tell us what you saw down there—tell us rite now!” & it looked like he might even start to cry. But we held fast & said that we had no Thing of Note to relate which aggravated them to no End & we maintained our Psilence on this Matter the Remains of the Day despite occasionall furious Sortie’s on our Opponent’s Parts. In Deed in the late After Noone I witnessed Daniel talking devilishly ernestly with his Brother Francis over in the Coroner, touching his Twin’s fourarm repeatedlie as a Testemant to said ernestness, but Francis goode mann that he is you could tell withstood these hartfeldt remonstrances from his Twin for eventually Danielle turned & walked away the vary Portraiture of Frustration & Sorrow. As the day waxxed latesome we was invited on yet an Other excursion by Paco & every One was most eagre to partake even my Cumred Mury who had vastly improved due to the ministrations of the Medicinall Mann. We was told to bring a Matt or perhaps even our Bison Robe’s along with us for we would be expending the entire Nite where we was going which rather intrigued us. So taking up Bison Robes we fallowed Paco & rounding around some of the Edifices we started to assend a Stair Casement which skirted the Edge of the Giant Rock in which this Village was ensconced. As we rose higher & higher it waxxed narrower & narrower & the Steppes extremely uneven—& the drop down off to our immediate rite downrite dizzying & the fear of falling & plommeting to one’s Doom lay heavy upon each of our Chest’s. And as we hiked on the same Missgiving’s which we had undergone when dissenting downe into the Bowelz of the Earth earlier on in the day prayed upon us now: that we was being led in to a Trapp, that Paco’s kindliness had all been a Ruse & that we was now being led to our Aeternal Doomz. In Deed I did not dare look down but just kept my gase locked on the Steppes below me hugging the Wall of Rock to my immediate Left while mean while Paco appeared most disconcerned & strode up the Steppes with the alacrity of a Montaigne Gote every once & awhile turning unto us with bemused Grin wordlessly wondering what was taking us so long. Eventually we reached the Topp & found it to be more or less flattsome up there with a Wunderfull View of the Surrounding Land’s that surpasseth all Tong to tell of. For sprawling out in all Direction’s was the Dessert with it’s varietal Rox intrasparsing the Barrenness—some Small, some Gigantick—like lonely wasted Sole’s9 drifting alongst the surface of Tartarus, their lonesome dissfigurated Shadow’s waxing longer & longer as the Son waned in the West. And as we stood there thus transfixiated a Purplish Hase begun to form out there in the West which soon spread across the hole skye & then slowly dyed out. Which was our cew to lay down our Bed Clothes & get ready for our Slumberz—but then the Starz appeared & slowly waxxed briter & multiplied in to a rich Tapestry the like of which we had not been treated to before. All tho the Mesa upon which we currantly was could not of been moore then Five Hundered Anglickan Feat in Elevation yet we felt our Selves much closer to the Starz then we had previously been way up in the Montaigne’s & as the Heavenly Bodies shimmered & twinkled up above us with an unudderable beauty we stared up at them till our Necks pained us till we figured out that we could have just as good a view & eminently moore comfortable too if we just lay upon our Back’s which is what we all eventually did. My Comred Murry lay his Self down next unto me & we agreed that it was Moment’s like these that had made us sign up for this Expedition in the First Place: these Moment’s of Rapturous Contact with untrammeled Nature in Alien Landz the dangers & trials of which only heightening our Excstasies which set the Sole alit. As we lay there a short Meteor Shower was enacted as if expressly for our own private Enjoyment, far outsurpassing any artificial Fyrewerks—for as Cleosiddarthos says, “No Thing that the Hand of Mann has made can hold a candel to what Dame Nature furnishes us gratis.10” Paco expended the Nite with us up there & all tho we did not missdoubt his trustworthiness we yet as per Militaristick Protocall’s set a series of Watch Men thru out the Nite. But we could of just as well of saved the Men the Trouble for I found with the Presence of these Starz & the bold fresh Aire which wafted upon these Heighths that I could not slumber at all. Venturing out to the outskirts of the Mesa I encountered Paco there also not asleep but standing near the Edge of the Rock gazing out upon the Terrain like a Secondary Alexandros the Grate beholding all the Landz he had conquered. Calling out to him he turned round & grinned & bowed & I said unto him, “Es una noche buena, no?” to which he respondated “Claro que si. Buenissima.” We then talked of his Religion & like all Autochthone’s he adhere’s to Monotheism & abhour’s our Pantheism thinking it such Chaos that various Deities have their different Sphere’s but some Times collide in Stead of one Master Mind comptrolling All. Plus in his Opinionation such separate Spheres of Influences amongst our Godz implied a certain Abrogation of Pourers11 which in his Filosophie Devinity simply didn’t admit of: for either God was all pourerfull or else little better then us Mortalz. It was a most intriguing Conversation especially with such a backdrop for it was as if the Universe had handselected us Two to debate these Cosmick Matter’s & try & settle them once & for all. But yet I could not keep my Mind upon it: for so close was we to the Edge of the Mesa that my Parverse Imp reemerged & here I thought I had been doing so goode & had all most started to entertain Thought’s that I had finally been ridd of him for ever. But no: for as I looked upon the kindly aged Face of Old Paco bearly perceptible in the Shadow’s of the Nite I begun to bethink unto my Self that with one vigourous Push I could send this Goode Olde Mann with all his Hospitality & Kindley Intention’s careening down to his Doom with only a Few Second’s to ponder why he had been so perfidiouslie dealt with & also what breed of Maniack’s this Alien Amerikaan Nation produceth. Which would be the penultimate Betrayal given how infernally Hospitable toward’s us he has been but with this Darkness I could of coarse lye & say the Old Mann had fallen over & I think all would believe it accept12 for my Commred Maury of coarse who being well acquaintanced with my propensities toward’s Madness would suspect the Truth. But then of coarse there are the Natiramas’s them Selve’s who knowing Paco for the agile & lithe Fellow (despite his Age) that he is would never swallow my Tail but probably try & detain us if not outrite kill us—& even if I confessed that the Crime lay upon my Head & my Head only they would no doubt attempt to wreck Vengeance upon the Corpse collectivistickally. Most likely how ever we would be abel to shoot our way out with perhap’s the Loss of a Few Corpse Member’s, but surely these People being Masters of the Dessert would hound us & hector us in the Desolation till we expired either thru sneek attaque or starvation or thirst. So as per usual upon pondering all these Tragickal Possibilties the most Logickal Thing to do were I to murther Paco would be to join him by flinging my Self off the Rock in a murther suicide which would no doubt leave the Corpse perplexxed accept for my Comrad Murry of coerce. But even if I were to fling my Self over the Edge joining Fates with the One whom I had so cruelly killed this mite still arouse the Furry[13] of the Natiramas’s who mite still try to detain or wreck Veangeance on the Head’s of the Corpse—so once again the clearest Path froward appeared to be for me to fling my Self over the Edge before doing any harm to Paco thus saving Ton’s of Trouble. But I was jettisoned from these Micawber13 Reverie’s by the stolid visage of Paco who had apparently been stairing at me the Hole Time & when my Eye’s met his he said (as if he could read my innermost Thought’s), “Eres hombre extrano. Hombre bueno pero extrano,” & then walked away from the Ledge leaving me alone.
[Murray] Whens-Day the 7th of July, 1802
What a Nite sleeping up-there so close to the Starz. Finally feeling back to my old-self after ailing under that Snake-Bite for a few day’s. Thought I was going to die but due to the Ministration’s of the Natiramas Medicinal-Man I have been salvaged. Descended-down from the Top of the Table-Land which we’d expended the Night upon & then was treated to Break-Fast. The few Thing’s which we had not carried-up with us yester-night remained un-touched just as we’d left them. A True-Tribute to these People’s trust-worthiness. Over Brake-Fast we engaged in more talk with Paco & some of his Confederates. Quizzed them about the Lay of the Land particularly north by north-west of here. But dis-fortunately they had wondrous-little information to impart. For by long-held Tradition their People was circum-scribed with-in a certain Area. And past a Certain-Pointe they dare not venture lest they incur the Wrath of their One Lonely Deity. Which was a certain Barren Flat-Lands to the north of here not but one Sleep away. Two at most. Which Paco & a few Other’s would be happy to escort us to but beyond which they dare not stray. And so we agreed to set-out this very Day in the early-evening. For tho we would per-hap’s like to linger a little longer here amongst these People we simply must push for-ward’s brooking no further Delay’s. For after-all Daniel Kaye has got to return his Library-Booke. I like these Natiramases not-only because they healed me but also because they don’t make no Biggish-Deal concerning the Colour of my Skin nor the Texture of my Hair. Per-hap’s be-cause more than a few of these Folkes are nearly as dark as me due-to being baked by the Sun-Light around these Region’s. After a Spartan-Supper headed-out just-before Dusk accompanied by Paco & a Quartette of strapping young-men who graciously carried Water for us. For obvious-reasons we have stocked up heavily on Water, as much as we can possibly carry with us. They also gifted us with what Food-Stuff’s they could spare. Mostly dried Reptile-Meat & some wondrous-coarse Bread. Soon Night fell & ’twas darksome as Hades & like Blind-Men we followed the Autochthones’s lead. They could of easily of led us in-to an Ambush but we place much Trust in them & in that have not yet been disappointed. Trudged on thru-out the Evening in Silence till round about mid-night half the Corpse started to harp-upon the Secret that they felt the Other Half was keeping from them regarding what they had seen deep-down in the Earth back at the Village. It began as an innocent-enough Line of Questioning on Hu’s & Daniel’s parte but then waxed more heated till the Boy’s appeared to just about be on the Verge of Blow’s. Paco enquired what in Hades the Matter was & my Co-Capt. Capt. Crandall enformed him as he did me. But he swore us to Secrecy for he wished to see how it all played-out despite my Objection’s. For he greatly delight’s in Pranks such as these. The stiff-argumentation continuated the Rest of the Night. At time’s the Debater’s got so wrapped-up in their Discussion’s that they halted in their Trax when countering a Pointe made by their Bretheren. So we had to prod them on-ward’s telling them to just drop it. Which they would do for a while till some-body got it started againe & the whole dammed Vicious-Cycle would repeat it’s-self. This continuated on till Dawn which is when we lay us down to rest at the Base of a Biggish-Rock.
[Murray] Thors-Day the 8th of July, 1802
Yester-night (or Day rather) I could not sleep so-well due-to my sleeping-pattern’s being screwed-up. So seeing as my Attempt’s to cloze my Eye’s was in-vain & seeing that Paco was sitting off by his-self I joined him & offered him a Cigarette. Which he gladly accepted of & en-rolling one for my-self we enjoyed them in Mutual-Silence. For I am not well-aquainted with the Kastillian-Tung let alone the Natiramas-One. Just as I had begun the Process of en-rolling another Cigarette for him he stood-up & sniffed the Aire & scanned the Region’s all about him whilst applicating his Hand to his Brow in-order to shade his Vision. Axed him what was up & he shushed me pre-emptorally. Then he crept-over to where his Younger-Compatriot’s was slumbering & genitally awakening them whispered some-thing unto them. In reaction to which they carefully a-rose & grasped their Arrow’s & their Bow’s & crept out stealthily out into the Desert-Landz. Started to follow them but Paco waved me away. Evidentally he thought I’d only be a Hinderance. They soon brought-back some dead Desert-Hyena’s which they begun to slice-up. And we made a hardy Break-Fast of them tho they tasted terrible. And so setting-out at Dusk with Full-Stomach’s we hiked on further toward’s the North. The Men engaged in more argumentation regarding what had been seen down there in the Bowelz of the Natiramas-Village till I thought a brawl was gonna break-out. Francis & Daniel Kaye in-particular got all heated-up with one-another all the restored Amity brokered by the Priestess now seemingly set-aside. Old-Scar’s that had been thought totally healed-up was ripped-open a-fresh. Cissy Pringel’s Name was bandied-about. Allegation’s of Adoption was dredged-up. Charges of Attempted-Murther too. Begged my Co-Captain Captain to reveal the Truth because Thing’s was getting Out-of-Hand. Which he was wondrous-hesitant to-do since he appeared to be delighted by all this Ado concerning No-Thing. It was only when Daniel with Tear’s in his Eye’s sparkling like the Starz in the Skye’s with-drew his Dagger & in a fit of sheer-perversity he applied the Point of it to his own Breast & declared: “That he must hear the Truth once & for-all about what lay at the Bottom of that Darksome Stair-Case or he would end his own Life then-&-there.” And I knew he was not play-acting for if ever there was some-one who would auto-suicide his-self over such a Trifle it would be Daniel Kaye. So not being able to take it no longer I shouted: “It was just Water! A Pool of Water! A Well, was what it was! What else could it of been, you Idiot’s! Where-else do you think the Auto-Chthone’s got their Water from?!” But Daniel yet held the Dagger to his Breast saying: “With all due respect, Cap’n, you weren’t down-there.” So I then looked toward’s my Co-Capt. Captain & axed him to affirm that which I’d said. Who promptley affirmed it with a Nod as did the Other’s. But incredibly Daniel neither None of the Other’s even-after these Affirmation’s would take any Creedance to them. Hu bellowed: “Obfuscation’s & Red-Harring’s! Obfuscation’s & Red-Harring’s, I say! A Well?! That’s too Pat! That’s just too, too Pat! Hu don’t believe it even for a fraction of a milli-second! You’re all still hiding some-thing! I can just see it in the Recession’s of your Eye’s!” And going up to several of Us still puffing & huffing he stared us squarely in the Eyez as if he could read some-thing in them. He did not deign to do so with me nor Crandall out of Respect for our Station’s but he did so with the Otherz, getting right-up in their Face’s till the Tip’s of their Noses all-most touched. And gasing into Francis’s for an in-ordinate Quantity of Time Francis got understandably dis-comfortable, commencing to twitch, his Eyez not being able to meet the single Cyclopean Eye of Hu for so long. Soon he broke-down & burrying his Face in his Handz appeared the very-portrait of Guilt. “Hah!” erupted Hu who swung-round toward’s us holding up his Stump in triumph. “I knew Francis would break! Now let’s have the Truth! We know it wasn’t no Well—so what was it? What was it?!” And so sincere & vehement he was that little Fleck’s of Foam could be seen leaping from out his Mouth. So we had no re-course but to drag poor Paco in-to this. We requested him to aver that what he had brought us down to see was just a Pool of Water. Which he obligingley acceded-to but Hu would have none of it as neither would Daniel nor East-Broadway nor Essex neither. This being the Scenario I then called upon Harkness to swear to the Truth of what we was all attesting to, thinking that he being a Reverend & all that his Word’s would have more Weight with the Men. For surely they would take the Word of a Clergy-Man. But they declared that Harkness had recused his-self by renouncing his Faith. No-offense intended but when a Man of the Cloth goe’s back on his Word to serve & protect the Holy Tenants14 of Religion with which he’s been imbued that’s an Indication of having no inner-compass by very definition. Old Harkness in his Defense then stepped-up & said: “Let me explain some-thing to you Fellowz. First of all, it isn’t necessary to believe in the Godz to be a Moral Person or possess Ethix. That’s where you’ve got it all wrong. Would rape & murther be okay were the Godz to sanction them?! Of-course not! Morality comes from the Socialistick-Nature of the Humane-Animal & not from any Law’s handed-down from On-High.” They granted him that he had a Pointe there. That they had never looked at it in this Way before & they had to admit he had a Pointe. But that lying was a different matter in-deed for surely an Atheist would admit that some-times lying if it was for the quote-unquote Right-Reason was permissible. Old Harkness being an Honest-Man had to concede that there was some Truth to that. But he said that in this Case he was not lying. “But may-be you’re lying about not-lying, no-offense intended!” replied the Men. And Harkness well he had to self-admit that they had a Pointe there. So there we was left back at Square-One. So we just told them that obviously they would not believe us no-matter what we said. Which they admitted to which only re-ignited the Debate, all of the Old-Point’s & Argument’s being re-hashed a-new with double the Fury. Till Jean obviously having had enough screamed: “So we’ll sware a Solemn Oath, is that what you want?! Because I for One will do it just to shut you all the Hades up! What do you want me to sware on?! What do you want me to sware on?!” But the Corpse as a whole remained silent for she was wondrous-vehement & her Eye’s appeared crased. She then thrust her right-hand skye-ward’s while the Other clutched her Breast about where her Heart was & said: “I sware upon the immortal-soul of my Dead-Baby that it was just a Well down there, just a Pool of Water! And if I lie may the Soul of my Dead-Baby be subjected to Aeternal-Torture’s so help me the Godz! There—are you happy now?! Are you satisfied?!” The Men just stood there a-bashed & I thought my Heart would burst with-in me & I begun to curse the Men for their Skepticism. Mean-while Old Paco just stood there gods-smacked by all this doubt-less deeming us all Crazy-People. Proceeded-on in Silence but we did not continuate our Trek much-longer. For encountering a Large Mono-Lith which might provide some Shade unto us plus all of us feeling exhausted both physickally & emotionally we decided to call it a Proverbial-Day. But before striking the Satchel it occurred to us that we had clean-forgot to celebrate the 5th of July which is Amerikan Independence-Day. The Corpse being wondrous-suprastitious took this as a Bad-Sign. Suggested setting-off our Piece’s & treating the Corpse to a Dram of Whiskey a-piece to observe the Holy-Day belatedley but the Men felt that this would be in-appropriate & perhap’s just conjure-up more Bad-Luck. Better just to let it be, which was fine with me. Must of come may-be 20 Anglickan-Mile’s this Day (Night).
[Murray] Frye-Day the 9th of July, 1802
Our Slumber was but fitt-full & in the late after-noon we awoke sombre & deadened in Mind & Spirit. Paco & his Clan’s-Men how-ever had arisen earlier then we & managed to slay more Desert-Hyena’s which they was frying up. After dining-upon the Flesh of these Wilde-Dogs we packed-up our Thing’s & set off once-againe. The Moon waxed full-some & the sudden-introduction of Fresh-Meat enlivened our Steps so that by round-about Mid-Night we had reached the Pointe at which our Guide’s could guide us no further. For stretching way-out in to the Distance was a wondrous-flat Plain made-up of cracked parched earth with not even the Hint of any vegetation or any Sort of Life-Form dwelling upon it. It was as vast & unvaried a Desolation as I’d ever seen. Paco then declared that it was made-up of dried-salt. Took a taste & sure-enough it was a Huge Salt-Flats the like of which I think the World has not here-to-fore seen. Paco then bade us a warm good-bye & we in vain begged him to lead us further. But he repeated that his People are not allowed to pass over these Salt-Flatt’s for fear of incurring Devine-Wrath. Or may-be that was just an Excuse. In any case, we thanked him for his Generosity & they gave us all the Water & Food-Stuffs they had carried with them for our Net-Benefit. We protested at-first but they insistated that we take it for thus dis-encumbered they could expect to make it back-home in no-time at-all. Axed how far these Salt-Flatt’s might stretch but old Paco professed utter-ignorance. For this was the very Edge of the Known-World to him & his People. A goodley People whom we shall not soon forget. So we proceeded-on to the north-westward’s the Remainder of the Night with-out stint, the Moon-Light making the ground beneath our Feet to glint.
Illustration by De Robles
Accepted
Spoil
Except
Descent
Fissure
Iphigenia in Aulis; but actually Crandall is referring to the sacrifice of foreigners in Euripides’ other play, Iphigenia in Tauris.
Person
The Ollirazal River
Souls
The Analects of Kleosiddarthos 7.2.35
Powers
See above.
Macabre
Tenets