Page:Heroes of the dawn.djvu/277

 then another, but the skin did not move at all, and its eyes glared steadily and horribly at me the whole time. In all the years of my life before I had never known fear, but now a trembling and faintness came over me.

"'Is there no other way to your land except by these islands filled with evil beings?' I asked Niav.

"'They are but shadows of things which have been,' she replied, 'and if your courage does not falter they cannot harm you. All who go to my country must pass by the Islands of Shades.'

"We rode on, passing many other islands. From one, overhung by dark mists, came the sound of weeping and lamentation; from another came the sound of laughter, and I saw that its inhabitants were wandering aimlessly about, laughing continually as they moved. I thought they were a senseless people, to laugh without any apparent reason, but Niav said they were shadows also.

"Now the sky darkened with heavy masses of clouds, and a strong hot wind swept out of the south upon us. Not a gleam of light was