the bridge-builders-第7节

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up　his　long　wet　hair；　and　the　Parrot　fluttered　to　his　shoulder。



〃Fleeting　and　singing；　and　singing　and　fleeting；〃　hiccupped

Bhairon。　　〃Those　make　thee　late　for　the　council；　brother。〃



〃And　then？〃　said　Krishna；　with　a　laugh；　throwing　back　his　head。

〃Ye　can　do　little　without　me　or　Karma　here。〃　He　fondled　the

Parrot's　plumage　and　laughed　again。　　〃What　is　this　sitting　and

talking　together？　　I　heard　Mother　Gunga　roaring　in　the　dark；　and

so　came　quickly　from　a　hut　where　I　lay　warm。　　And　what　have　ye

done　to　Karma；　that　he　is　so　wet　and　silent？　　And　what　does　Mother

Gunga　here？　　Are　the　heavens　full　that　ye　must　come　paddling　in

the　mud　beast…wise？　　Karma；　what　do　they　do？〃



〃Gunga　has　prayed　for　a　vengeance　on　the　bridge…builders；　and

Kali　is　with　her。　　Now　she　bids　Hanuman　whelm　the　bridge；　that

her　honour　may　be　made　great；〃　cried　the　Parrot。　　〃I　waited　here；

knowing　that　thou　wouldst　come；　O　my　master！



〃And　the　Heavenly　Ones　said　nothing？　　Did　Gunga　and　the　Mother　of

Sorrows　out…talk　them？　　Did　none　speak　for　my　people？〃



〃Nay；〃　said　Ganesh；　moving　uneasily　from　foot　to　foot；　〃I　said　it

was　but　dirt　at　play；　and　why　should　we　stamp　it　flat？〃



〃I　was　content　to　let　them　toil　…well　content；〃　said　Hanuman。



〃What　had　I　to　do　with　Gunga's　anger？〃　said　the　Bull。



〃I　am　Bhairon　of　the　Common　Folk；　and　this　my　staff　is　Kotwal　of

all　Kashi。　　I　spoke　for　the　Common　People。〃



〃Thou？〃　The　young　God's　eyes　sparkled。



〃Am　I　not　the　first　of　the　Gods　in　their　mouths　to…day？〃　returned

Bhairon；　unabashed。　　〃For　the　sake　of　the　Common　People　I　said　…

very　many　wise　things　which　I　have　now　forgotten；　but　this　my　staff…〃



Krishna　turned　impatiently；　saw　the　Mugger　at　his　feet；　and　kneeling；

slipped　an　arm　round　the　cold　neck。　　〃Mother；〃　he　said　gently；

〃get　thee　to　thy　flood　again。　　The　matter　is　not　for　thee。

What　harm　shall　thy　honour　take　of　this　live　dirt？　　Thou　hast

given　them　their　fields　new　year　after　year；　and　by　thy

flood　they　are　made　strong。　　They　come　all　to　thee　at　the　last。　

What　need　to　slay　them　now？　　Have　pity；　mother；　for　a　little　…　and

it　is　only　for　a　little。〃



〃If　it　be　only　for　a　little；〃　the　slow　beast　began。







〃Are　they　Gods；　then？〃　Krishna　returned　with　a　laugh；　his　eyes

looking　into　the　dull　eyes　of　the　River。　　〃Be　certain　that　it　is

only　for　a　little。　　The　Heavenly　Ones　have　heard　thee；　and

presently　justice　will　be　done。　　Go　now；　mother；　to　the　flood

again。　　Men　and　cattle　are　thick　on　the　waters　…　the　banks　fall　…

the　villages　melt　because　of　thee。〃



〃But　the　bridge　…　the　bridge　stands。〃　The　Mugger　turned　grunting

into　the　undergrowth　as　Krishna　rose。



〃It　is　ended；〃　said　the　Tigress；　viciously。　　〃There　is　no　more

justice　from　the　Heavenly　Ones。　　Ye　have　made　shame　and　sport　of

Gunga；　who　asked　no　more　than　a　few　score　lives。〃



〃Of　my　people　…　who　lie　under　the　leaf…roofs　of　the　village

yonder　…　of　the　young　girls；　and　the　young　men　who　sing　to　them

in　the　dark　…of　the　child　that　will　be　born　next　morn　…　of　that

which　was　begotten　to…night；〃　said　Krishna。　　〃And　when　all　is

done；　what　profit？　　To…morrow　sees　them　at　work。　　Ay；　if　ye　swept

the　bridge　out　from　end　to　end　they　would　begin　anew。　　Hear　me！

Bhairon　is　drunk　always。　　Hanuman　mocks　his　people　with　new　riddles。〃



〃Nay；　but　they　are　very　old　ones；〃　the　Ape　said；　laughing。



〃Shiv　hears　the　talk　of　the　schools　and　the　dreams　of　the　holy

men；　Ganesh　thinks　only　of　his　fat　traders；　but　I　…　I　live　with

these　my　people；　asking　for　no　gifts；　and　so　receiving　them

hourly。〃



〃And　very　tender　art　thou　of　thy　people；〃　said　the　Tigress。



〃They　are　my　own。　　The　old　women　dream　of　me　turning　in　their

sleep；　the　maids　look　and　listen　for　me　when　they　go　to　fill

their　lotahs　by　the　river。　　I　walk　by　the　young　men　waiting

without　the　gates　at　dusk；　and　I　call　over　my　shoulder　to　the

white…beards。　　Ye　know；　Heavenly　Ones；　that　I　alone　of　us　all

walk　upon　the　earth　continually；　and　have　no　pleasure　in　our

heavens　so　long　as　a　green　blade　springs　here；　or　there　are　two

voices　at　twilight　in　the　standing　crops。　　Wise　are　ye；　but　ye

live　far　off；　forgetting　whence　ye　came。　　So　do　I　not　forget。　

And　the　fire…carriage　feeds　your　shrines；　ye　say？　　And　the　fire…

carriages　bring　a　thousand　pilgrims　where　but　ten　came　in　the　old

years？　　True。　　That　is　true；　to…day。〃



〃But　to…morrow　they　are　dead；　brother；〃　said　Ganesh。



〃Peace！〃　said　the　Bull；　as　Hanuman　leaned　forward　again。　　〃And

to…morrow；　beloved　…　what　of　to…morrow？〃



〃This　only。　　A　new　word　creeping　from　mouth　to　mouth　among　the

Common　Folk　…　a　word　that　neither　man　nor　God　can　lay　hold　of　…

an　evil　word　…　a　little　lazy　word　among　the　Common　Folk；

saying　（and　none　know　who　set　that　word　afoot）　that　they　weary　of

ye；　Heavenly　Ones。〃



The　Gods　laughed　together　softly。　　〃And　then；　beloved；〃　they　said。



〃And　to　cover　that　weariness　they；　my　people；　will　bring　to　thee；

Shiv；　and　to　thee；　Ganesh；　at　first　greater　offerings　and　a

louder　noise　of　worship。　　But　the　word　has　gone　abroad；　and；

after；　they　will　pay　fewer　dues　to　your　fat　Brahmins。　　Next　they

will　forget　your　altars；　but　so　slowly　that　no　man　can　say　how

his　forgetfulness　began。〃



〃I　knew　…　I　knew！　　I　spoke　this　also；　but　they　would　not　hear；〃

said　the　Tigress。　　〃We　should　have　slain…we　should　have　slain！〃



〃It　is　too　late　now。　　Ye　should　have　slain　at　the　beginning　when

the　men　from　across　the　water　had　taught　our　folk　nothing。　　Now

my　people　see　their　work；　and　go　away　thinking。　　They　do　not

think　of　the　Heavenly　Ones　altogether。　　They　think　of　the

fire…carriage　and　the　other　things　that　the　bridge…builders　have

done；　and　when　your　priests　thrust　forward　hands　asking　alms；

they　give　a　little　unwillingly。　　That　is　the　beginning；　among　one

or　two；　or　five　or　ten　…　for　I；　moving　among　my　people；　know　what

is　in　their　hearts。〃



〃And　the　end；　Jester　of　the　Gods？　　What　shall　the　end　be？〃　said　Ganesh。



〃The　end　shall　be　as　it　was　in　the　beginning；　O　slothful　son　of　Shiv！

The　flame　shall　die　upon　the　altars　and　the　prayer　upon　the

tongue　till　ye　become　little　Gods　again　…　Gods　of　the　jungle

…　names　that　the　hunters　of　rats　and　noosers　of　dogs　whisper　in

the　thicket　and　among　the　caves　…rag…Gods；　pot　Godlings　of　the

tree；　and　the　village…mark；　as　ye　were　at　the　beginning。　　That　is

the　end；　Ganesh；　for　thee；　and　for　Bhairon　…　Bhairon　of　the

Common　People。〃



〃It　is　very　far　away；〃　grunted　Bhairon。　　〃Also；　it　is　a　lie。〃



〃Many　women　have　kissed　Krishna。　　They　told　him　this　to　cheer

their　own　hearts　when　the　grey　hairs　came；　and　he　has　told　us　the

tale；〃　said　the　Bull；　below　his　breath。



〃Their　Gods　came；　and　we　changed　them。　　I　took　the　Woman　and　made

her　twelve…armed。　　So　shall　we　twist　all　their　Gods；〃　said　Hanuman。



〃Their　Gods！　　This　is　no　question　of　their　Gods　…　one　or　three　…

man　or　woman。　　The　matter　is　with　the　people。　　I　move；　and　not

the　Gods　of　the　bridge…builders；〃　said　Krishna。



〃So　be　it。　　I　have　made　a　man　worship　the　fire…carriage　as　it　stood

still　breathing　smoke；　and　he　knew　not　that　he　worshipped　me；〃

said　Hanuman　the　Ape。　　〃They　will　only　change　a　little　the　names

of　their　Gods。　　I　shall　lead　the　builders　of　the　bridges　as

of　old；　Shiv　shall　be　worshipped　in　the　schools　by　such　as　doubt

and　despise　their　fellows；　Ganesh　shall　have　his　mahajuns；

and　Bhairon　the　donkey…drivers；　the　pilgrims；　and　the　sellers

of　toys。　　Beloved；　they　will　do　no　more　than　change　the　names；

and　that　we　have　seen　a　thousand　times。〃



〃Surely　they　will　do　no　more　than　change　the　names；〃　echoed

Ganesh；　but　there　was　an　uneasy　movement　among　the　Gods。



〃They　will　change　more　than　the　names。　　Me　alone　they　cannot

kill；　so　long　as　a　maiden　and　a　man　meet　together　or　the　spring

follows　the　winter　rains。　　Heavenly　Ones；　not　for　nothing　have　I

walked　upon　the　earth。　　My　people　know　not　now　what　they　know；

but　I；　who　live　with　them；　I　read　their　hearts。　　Great　Kings；　the

beginning　of　the　end　is　born　already。　　The　fire…carriages　shout

the　names　of　new　Gods　that　are　not　the　old　under　new　names。　

Drink　now　and　eat　greatly！　　Bathe　your　faces　in　the　smoke　of　the

altars　before　they　grow　cold！　　Take　dues　and　listen　to　the　cymbals

and　the　drums；　Heavenly　Ones；　while　yet　there　are　flowers　and

songs。　　As　men　count　time　the　end　is　far　off；　but　as　we　who　know

reckon　it　is　to…day。　　I　have　spoken。〃



The　young　God　ceased；　and　his　brethren　looked　at　each　other　long

in　silence。



〃This　I　have　not　heard　before；〃　Peroo　whispered　in　his

companion's　ear。　　〃And　yet　sometimes；　when　I　oiled　the　brasses

in　the　engine…room　of　the　Goorkha；　I　have　wondered　if　our　priests

were　so　wise　…　so　wise。　　The　day　is　coming；　Sahib。　　They　will　be

gone　by　the　morning。〃



A　yellow　light　broadened　in　the　sky；　and　the　tone　of　the　river

changed　as　the　darkness　withdrew。



Suddenly　the　Elephant　trump