From here to Eternity

About ten minutes outside of the silver castle the Guardians came across a thick tangle of jungle that stretched in both directions as far as the eye could see. According to the map Mephisto had given them, Galactus lied just beyond the glen. The trees and leaves alike were all various shades of black, and seemed to twist and snare in ever-increasing numerous directions.  There was only a single path that led through the choking tangle of vegetation and shrubbery, and the thought of plodding along blindly was a nervous one. In fact, rustling was already heard in the treetops overhead, as if someone was calling out to them.

The further the Guardians went, more clarion the calling seemed to become. It called to each of the Guardians by name. Just after everyone became aware of the voice, a thin, bald man dressed in loose white robe crawled down out of the trees behind them and addressed them in a friendly but unidentifiable voice. "Fear not, my friends. I am no enemy; I am here to help you. I am a friend of Uatu the Watcher. So far, you have done very well, you near your goal and should be reaching Galactus quite soon--Though I believe it is rather unlikely that your quests will end in the immediate future. Before you continue on, Uatu asked me to make sure that you have given a little thought to the broader issues at hand. Why is it, for instance, Death asked that Galactus remain imprisoned in its realms in the first place? Why has Death placed its prisoner in Mephisto's realm? And, what exactly, does Death wish to accomplish using Mephisto's newfound power? There is quite obviously some more sinister scheme at work behind all of this. I am afraid I can only provide one very brief piece of advice. Listen very carefully, my friends: Very soon you will find yourselves in a library of darkness. On the 3rd shelf from the top, on the west wall, 3 books from the left you will find a tome entitled 'Nature & Being'. Look to page 42 of this work for the answers to all these and many more questions. Oh, and a warning: Mephisto is not necessarily your greatest adversary in this conflict. Death's decision to place Galactus in Mephisto's realm has upset the delicate infernal balance and made so many other so-called 'Death Gods' very envious of Mephisto's power. They too, will almost certainly, be out to obtain Galactus for themselves, as are a few other inhabitants of the various Dark Dimensions. Expect these marauders to appear when they are least expected."

After the old man had finished chatting with the heroes, he suddenly vanished into thin air, allowing the Guardians to continue on towards Galactus, who lied an hour away just outside the forest in a shallow valley.