Under Yggdrasil

Poul Anderson, Operation Luna (New York, 2000), Chapter 40, pp. 352-353:

a descending passage;
clay floor;
snaky, dead-white roots;
water dripping and puddling;
darkness;
a carpet-like cobweb;
a dog-sized spider;
further down, rock;
underground chill;
a huge cavern;
blue light from the rock;
black moss around silver water in the well;
a square, rune-carved, man-high stone block with a ramp to the well;
on the block, Mimir's embalmed, revivified head -

white hair and beard;
tight livid skin;
jutting bones;
deep dark eyes -

- and that is eerie enough for tonight. It is past midnight here.