"I can understand plain English, if that would do."

"You can make it do, but it doesn't do very well. It's really one of
those things that require what the primitive Christians called an
unknown tongue. Since we haven't got that as a means of communication--"
He broke off, stroking his long beard with a big handsome hand, but
presently began again.

"Some people call it a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by
night. Some people have described it by other figures of speech. The
description isn't of importance--it's the _Thing_."

She waited a minute, before saying in a tone that had some awe in it, as
well as some impatience: "Oh, but I've never seen anything like that. I
never expect to."

"That's a pity; because it's there."

"There? Where?"

"Just where one would look for it--if one looked at all. When it moves,"
he went on, his hand suiting the action to the word, on a level with his
eyes, "when it moves, you follow it, and when it rests, you wait. It's
possible--I don't know--I merely throw out the suggestion--no one can
really _know_ but yourself, because no one but yourself can see it--but
it's possible that at this moment--for you--it's standing still."

"I don't know what I gain either by its moving or its standing still, so
long as I don't see it."