The path to the moon begins on the earth

Here one must leave behind all hesitation; here every cowardice must meet its death. Here sighs and lamentations and loud cries were echoing across the starless air. Strange utterances, horrible pronouncements, accents of anger, words of suffering, and voices shrill and faint, and beating hands — all went to make a tumult that will whirl forever through that turbid, timeless air, like sand that eddies when a whirlwind swirls.