A long time went by, and I became aware that I was nearer to the orbs, than I had been.  At this, I grew uneasy; though I was less in fear of those strange globules, than I had been, before seeing their sorrowful inhabitants; for sympathy had tempered my fear.

Later, there was no doubt but that I was being carried closer to the red spheres, and, presently, I floated among them.  In awhile, I perceived one bearing down upon me.  I was helpless to move from its path.  In a minute, it seemed, it was upon me, and I was submerged in a deep red mist.  This cleared, and I stared, confusedly, across the immense breadth of the Plain of Silence.  It appeared just as I had first seen it.  I was moving forward, steadily, across its surface.  Away ahead, shone the vast, blood-red ring [l5] that lit the place.  All around, was spread the extraordinary desolation of stillness, that had so impressed me during my previous wanderings across its starkness.

Presently, I saw, rising up into the ruddy gloom, the distant peaks of the mighty amphitheatre of mountains, where, untold ages before, I had been shown my first glimpse of the terrors that underlie many things; and where, vast and silent, watched by a thousand mute gods, stands the replica of this house of mysteries—­this house that I had seen swallowed up in that hell-fire, ere the earth had kissed the sun, and vanished for ever.

Though I could see the crests of the mountain-amphitheatre, yet it was a great while before their lower portions became visible.  Possibly, this was due to the strange, ruddy haze, that seemed to cling to the surface of the Plain.  However, be this as it may, I saw them at last.

In a still further space of time, I had come so close to the mountains, that they appeared to overhang me.  Presently, I saw the great rift, open before me, and I drifted into it; without volition on my part.

Later, I came out upon the breadth of the enormous arena.  There, at an apparent distance of some five miles, stood the House, huge, monstrous and silent—­lying in the very center of that stupendous amphitheatre.  So far as I could see, it had not altered in any way; but looked as though it were only yesterday that I had seen it.  Around, the grim, dark mountains frowned down upon me from their lofty silences.

Far to my right, away up among inaccessible peaks, loomed the enormous bulk of the great Beast-god.  Higher, I saw the hideous form of the dread goddess, rising up through the red gloom, thousands of fathoms above me.  To the left, I made out the monstrous Eyeless-Thing, grey and inscrutable.  Further off, reclining on its lofty ledge, the livid Ghoul-Shape showed—­a splash of sinister color, among the dark mountains.

Slowly, I moved out across the great arena—­floating.  As I went, I made out the dim forms of many of the other lurking Horrors that peopled those supreme heights.

Gradually, I neared the House, and my thoughts flashed back across the abyss of years.  I remembered the dread Specter of the Place.  A short while passed, and I saw that I was being wafted directly toward the enormous mass of that silent building.