He turned and looked for a moment at the town of Punon that he had left behind, and was appalled to see its gloom. He had never realized its darkness to such an extent before. He could hear the faint sound of revelry, and caught a distant sight of its flickering torch-lights, but he shivered as he looked at it, and turned again with joy to face the East, in which direction the Radiant City lay. He shouted for very gladness of heart. He felt as if he had wings, and imagined that the journey to the City could be nothing but joy. The way looked easy and beautiful. No rough stones or rocky passes could he see, and every step he took seemed to bring him higher, and the breezes blew fresher.
Suddenly he became conscious of the presence of the Ambassador.
"My lad," he said, "you will need a guide book to show you the way. It must be your constant companion. There will be enemies on the road who will make every effort to take it from you, but you must lose anything rather than the Book. If you give up the Book you are lost, and will never find your way to the City. It is your most precious possession."
Amer eagerly took the Book from the Ambassador's hand, and opened its pages at once to read.
He was surprised at the words that met his eyes. They spoke of a great enemy that he would meet, and of the necessity of wearing armour so as to be able to wrestle against "'principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.'" It spoke also of the "'fiery darts of the wicked.'"
Amer looked up into the Ambassador's face with a look of perplexity on his own.
"I do not understand the Guide Book," he said, "It speaks of enemies, and I see none."
"The first part of the way is often easy," answered the Ambassador. "There was once a people who started on a journey to a land flowing with milk and honey, and the Great King to whom they belonged led them a long way round, in order that they might not meet the enemy too soon, and so be discouraged and turn back. But you never know when the enemy will be upon you, and you must be clad in the King's armour."
"Where is it to be had?"
"It is lying at your feet," answered the Ambassador.