She had not finished speaking, when everything around the Children changed. The wonderful temple, the dazzling flowers, the splendid gardens vanished to make way for a poor little country cemetery, which lay in the soft moonlight. Near the Children were a number of graves, grassy mounds, wooden crosses and tombstones. Tyltyl and Mytyl were seized with terror and hugged each other:
"I am never frightened," stammered Tyltyl, who was shaking with fear, but did not like to say so.
"I say," asked Mytyl, "are the Dead wicked?"
"Why, no," said Tyltyl, "they're not alive!..."
"Yes, once, long ago, when I was very young...."
"Quite white, very still and very cold; and it didn't talk...."
Tyltyl shuddered at this question and made an unsuccessful effort to steady his voice as he answered:
Tyltyl cast a frightened look around him, for the Children had not dared to stir since they were alone:
"The Dead are here," he said, "under the grass or under those big stones."
"Are those the doors of their houses?" asked Mytyl, pointing to the tombstones.
"Because they are in their night-shirts."
Tyltyl stopped to think, before answering. As Mytyl's big brother, he felt it his duty to know everything; but her questions often puzzled him. Then he reflected that, as the Dead live under ground, they can hardly eat anything that is above it; and so he answered very positively:
Mytyl was quite satisfied and returned to the great question that was occupying her little mind:
"Of course," said Tyltyl, "we see everything when I turn the diamond."
"They will say nothing, as they don't talk."
"Because they have nothing to say," said Tyltyl, more cross and perplexed than ever.
This time, the little big brother lost all patience. He shrugged his shoulders, gave Mytyl a push and shouted angrily:
Mytyl was greatly upset and confused. She sucked her thumb and resolved to hold her tongue for ever after, as she had been so badly treated! But a breath of wind made the leaves of the trees whisper and suddenly recalled the Children to their fears and their sense of loneliness. They hugged each other tight and began to talk again, so as not to hear the horrible silence:
"When will you turn the diamond?" asked Mytyl.
"You heard Light say that I was to wait until midnight, because that disturbs them less; it is when they come out to take the air...."