if you are wise and would stay in that land for ever, the terms are even
easier--a little powder shaken into a phial of water, a little piece of
lead no bigger than a pea, and a farthing's-worth of explosive fire, and
thus also you are in the Land of Heart's Desire for ever.

I dreamed last night that I stood on the blustering windy wharf, and the
dark ship was there. It was impatient, like all of us, to leave the
world. Its funnels belched black smoke, its engines throbbed against
the quay like arms that were eager to strike and be done, and a bell
was beating impatient summons to be gone. The dark captain stood ready
on the bridge, and he looked into each of our faces as we passed on
board. 'Is it for the long voyage?' he said. 'Yes! the long voyage,' I
said--and his stern eyes seemed to soften as I answered.

At last we were all aboard, and in the twinkling of an eye were out of
sight of land. Yet, once afloat, it seemed as though we should never
reach our port in the moon--so it seemed to me as I lay awake in my
little cabin, listening to the patient thud and throb of the great
screws, beating in the ship's side like a human heart.

Talking with my fellow-voyagers, I was surprised to find that we were
not all volunteers. Some, in fact, complained pitifully. They had, they
said, been going about their business a day or two before, and suddenly
a mysterious captain had laid hold of them, and pressed them to sail
this unknown sea. Thus, without a word of warning, they had been
compelled to leave behind them all they held dear. This, one felt, was a
little hard of the captain; but those of us whose position was exactly
the reverse, who had friends on the other side, all whose hopes indeed
were invested there, were too selfishly expectant of port to be severe
on the captain who was taking us thither.