midday
the sun comes , and time passes swiftly . '' The sun did indeed shine out now as some cloud passed , and I saw that its rays came slanting through the gap in the cliffs across the pool , passing the menhir without lighting on it , but falling now on the flat rock that was behind it , though not fully yet . Half thereof was still in the shadow thrown by the hills . Morfed glanced at that shadow , and his face changed , for I think that he knew the time for some midday rite which we might not see was near , and at that he seemed to make some resolve . He did not turn from us , but he lifted his voice in a strange chant , and said somewhat in Welsh that I could not understand , and as they heard it his two followers placed themselves on either side of the flat rock three paces behind him , and stood motionless . Then Morfed lifted his arm and began to sing softly , swinging the sickle in time to the song , with his eyes on us . I thought that maybe he would sing to us the end of Owen , as would Thorgils , but the tongue in which the words were spoken was not the Welsh that I knew .