noon
A little further she went , and yet a little further , and no change there was in the land ; and yet she went on and found nothing ; and she wended her ways southward by the sun , and the day was windless . At last she had gone a long way and had no sight of water south of the isle , nor had she seen any hill , nay , not so much as an ant-heap , whence she might look further around ; and it seemed to her that she might go on for ever , and reach the heart of Nowhither at last . Wherefore she thought she would turn back and depart this ugly isle , and that no other adventure abided her therein . And by now it was high noon ; and she turned about and took a few steps on the backward road . But even therewith it seemed as if the sun , which heretofore had been shining brightly in the heavens , went out as a burnt-down candle , and all was become dull grey over head , as all under foot was a dull dun . But Birdalone deemed she could follow a straight course back again , and so walked on sturdily . Hour after hour she went and stayed not , but saw before her no glimpse of the northern shore , and no change in the aspect of the ground about her .