the land of the changing sun-第12节

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〃No；　that　would　be　impossible；　those　who　are　pronounced　physically　unfit　are　obliged　to　die。　It　has　been　a　law　for　a　long　time；　you　must　not　count　on　that。　I　have；　however；　another　plan；　but　I　cannot　tell　you　of　it　now；　for　they　may　miss　me　and　wonder　where　I　am；　and　then；　too；　my　father　may　be　looking　for　you。　He　will　naturally　desire　to　see　you　soon　again。〃

Bowing；　she　turned　away　and　passed　on　toward　the　apartments　of　the　king；　which　the　Englishman　now　recognized　in　the　distance。　Thorndyke　went　into　the　bathing…room　to　watch　those　remaining　in　the　great　pool　of　rose…colored　water。　The　sight　was　beautiful。　The　waves　which　lapped　against　the　shelving　shores　of　white　marble　were　pink　and　white；　and　the　deeper　water　was　as　red　as　coral。

The　Englishman　was　at　once　troubled　over　the　fate　of　Johnston　and　elated　over　having　won　Bernardino's　regard。　Thoughtfully　he　strolled　away　from　the　bathers　into　a　great　picture…gallery。　Here　hung　on　the　walls　and　stood　on　pedestals　some　of　the　rarest　works　of　art　he　had　ever　seen。　He　passed　through　this　room　and　was　entering　a　shady　retreat　where　plants；　flowers　and　umbrageous　trees　grew　thickly；　when　he　heard　a　step　behind　him　and　the　rustling　of　a　silken　skirt　against　the　plants。

It　was　Bernardino。

〃We　can　be　unobserved　here；〃　she　said；　taking　off　her　thick　veil　and　arranging　her　luxuriant　hair。　〃I　hasten　back。　The　king　thinks；　so　my　maid　tells　me；　that　I　am　asleep　in　my　chamber。　He　is　busy　with　an　audience　of　police　from　a　neighboring　town　and　will　not　think　of　us。〃

She　sat　down　on　a　sofa　upholstered　in　leather；　and　he　took　a　seat　beside　her。　〃I　am　glad　that　we　can　talk　alone；〃　he　said；　〃for　I　have　much　to　ask　you。　First；　tell　me　where　we　are；where　this　strange　country　is　on　the　map　of　the　world。〃

〃It　is　a　long　story；〃　she　replied；　〃and　it　would　greatly　incense　the　king　if　he　should　find　out　that　I　had　told　you；　for　one　of　his　chief　pleasures　is　to　note　the　surprise　and　admiration　of　new…　comers　over　what　they　see　here。　But　if　you　will　promise　to　gratify　his　vanity　in　this　particular　I　will　try　to　explain　it　all。〃

〃I　promise；　and　you　can　depend　on　my　not　getting　you　into　trouble；〃　replied　Thorndyke。　〃I　never　was　so　puzzled　in　my　life；　with　that　sullen　sky　overhead；　the　wonderful　changing　sunlight；　and　the　remarkable　atmosphere。　I　am　both　bewildered　and　entranced。　Every　moment　I　see　something　new　and　startling。　Where　are　we？〃

〃Far　beneath　the　ocean　and　the　surface　of　the　earth。　I　only　know　what　the　king　has　let　fall　in　my　hearing　in　his　conferences　with　his　men　of　science　and　inventors；　but　I　shall　try　to　make　you　understand　how　it　all　came　about。〃

〃It　was　a　long　time　ago；　two　hundred　years　back；　I　suppose；　that　one　of　my　ancestors　discovered　a　little　isolated　island　in　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　He　was　forced　in　a　storm　to　land　there　with　his　ship　and　crew　to　make　some　repairs　in　his　vessel。　In　wandering　about　over　the　island　he　discovered　a　narrow　entrance　to　a　cave；　and；　with　two　or　three　of　his　men；　he　began　to　explore　it。　When　they　had　gone　for　a　mile　or　two　down　into　the　interior　of　the　cavern；　which　seemed　to　lead　straight　down　toward　the　centre　of　the　earth；　they　began　to　find　small　pieces　of　gold。　The　further　they　went　the　more　they　found；　till　at　last　the　very　cavern　walls　seemed　lined　with　it。

〃They　were　at　first　wildly　excited　over　their　sudden　good　fortune　and　were　about　to　load　their　ship　with　it　and　return　to　Europe　at　once；　but　the　better　judgment　of　my　ancestor　prevailed。　He　explained　that；　if　the　world　were　informed　of　the　discovery　of　such　an　inexhaustible　mine　of　gold；　that　the　value　of　the　precious　metal　would　decline　till　it　would　be　worth　little　more　than　some　grosser　metal；　and　that　if　they　would　only　keep　their　secret　to　themselves　they　could　in　time　control　the　finances　of　the　world。　So；　acting　on　this　suggestion；　they　only　dug　out　a　few　thousand　pounds　and　took　part　of　it　to　Europe　and　part　of　it　to　America　and　turned　it　into　money。

〃Then；　to　curtail　my　story；　they　elected　my　ancestor　as　ruler；　and；　with　ships　loaded　with　every　available　convenience　that　inexhaustible　wealth　could　procure　and　a　colony　of　carefully　chosen　men；　they　returned　to　the　island。

〃After　the　men　and　their　families　had　settled　in　the　great　roomy　mouth　of　the　cavern　my　ancestor　supplied　himself　with　several　strong　men　and　food　and　lights；　and　sought　to　explore　the　entire　cavern。

〃To　their　astonishment　they　found　that　it　was　practically　endless。　When　they　had　gone　down　about　sixty　or　seventy　miles　below　the　sea　level　they　found　themselves　on　a　vast；　undulating　plain；　the　soil　of　which　was　dark　and　rich；　with　the　black　roof　of　the　cavern　arching　overhead　like　the　bottom　of　a　great　inverted　bowl。　And　when　they　had　travelled　about　ten　days　and　reached　the　other　side　my　ancestor　calculated　that　the　cave　must　be　over　one　hundred　miles　in　diameter　and　almost　circular　in　shape。　But　what　elated　and　surprised　them　most　was　the　remarkable　salubrity　of　the　atmosphere。　In　all　parts　of　the　cave　it　was　exactly　the　same　temperature；　and　they　found　that　they　scarcely　felt　any　fatigue　from　their　journey；　and　that　they　had　little　desire　to　eat　the　provisions　with　which　they　were　supplied。　Indeed；　the　very　air　seemed　permeated　with　a　subtle　quality　that　gave　them　strength　and　energy　of　mind　and　body。

〃Finally；　when；　after　a　month　had　passed；　and　they　returned　to　their　anxious　friends；　these　people　overwhelmed　them　with　exclamations　of　surprise　over　their　appearance。　And　in　the　light　of　day　the　explorers　looked　at　one　another　in　astonishment；　for；　in　the　dim　light　of　the　lanterns　they　had　carried；　they　had　not　noticed　the　great　change　that　had　come　over　them。　They　had　all　become　the　finest　specimens　of　physical　health　that　could　be　imagined。　Their　bodies　had　filled　out；　they　were　remarkably　strong；　their　skins　shone　with　healthful　color　and　their　eyes　sparkled　with　intellectual　energy；　and　their　minds；　even　to　the　humblest　burden…carrier；　were　astonishingly　acute　and　active。

〃My　ancestor　was　a　remarkable　man；　and　he　had　hitherto　shown　much　inventive　ability；　but　in　that　month　in　the　cave　he　had　developed　into　an　intellectual　giant。　After　mature　deliberation；　he　proposed　a　prodigious　scheme　to　his　followers。　He　explained　that；　while　they　might；　by　using　the　utmost　discretion；　hold　the　financial　world　in　their　power　by　means　of　their　inexhaustible　wealth；　that　the　laws　and　restrictions　of　different　countries　prevented　men　of　vast　wealth　from　really　enjoying　more　privileges　than　men　of　moderate　means。　He　grew　eloquent　in　speaking　of　the　underground　atmosphere；　and　proposed　that　they　light　the　great　cavern　from　end　to　end　and　make　it　an　ideal　place　where　they　could　live　as　it　suited　them。

〃I　see　that　you　guess　the　end。　My　ancestor　was　a　great　student　of　the　sciences　and　had　already　thought　of　putting　electricity　to　practical　use。　You　are　surprised？　Yes；　it　has　been　applied　to　our　purposes　for　two　hundred　years；　while　your　people　have　understood　its　use　such　a　short　time。〃

〃Great　heavens！〃　exclaimed　the　Englishman。　〃I　see　it　all；　the　sun　is　an　electric　one！〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　it　runs　mechanically　over　its　great　course　as　regularly　as　clock…work。〃

〃More　accurately；　I　assure　you；　but　there　probably　never　was　a　greater　mathematical　problem　than　they　solved　in　deciding　on　the　size　the　sun　should　be　and　amount　of　light　necessary　to　fill　up　all　the　recesses　of　the　great　vacancy。　It　was　all　very　crude　at　the　start；　for　years　a　great　electric　light　was　simply　suspended　in　the　centre　of　the　cavern's　roof　and　the　light　did　not　vary　in　color。　A　son　of　the　first　king　suggested　the　plan　of　giving　the　sun　diurnal　movement　and　the　changing　light。　The　moon　and　stars　were　a　later　development。　They　found；　too；　that　the　light　could　not　be　made　to　reach　certain　recesses　in　the　cavern　where　the　roof　approached　the　earth；　so　they　finally　built　a　great　wall　to　keep　the　inhabitants　within　proscribed　boundaries；　and　to　prevent　them　from　understanding　the　machinery　of　the　heavens。〃

〃Wonderful！〃　exclaimed　Thorndyke。　〃But　the　temperature　of　the　atmosphere；　how　does　that　happen　to　be　so　delightful　and　beneficial？〃

〃I　believe　they　do　not　themselves　thoroughly　comprehend　that。　The　heat　comes　from　the　internal　fires；　and　the　fresh　air　from　without　in　some　mysterious　way。　At　first；　in　a　few　places；　the　heat　was　too　severe；　but　the　scientific　men　among　the　first　settlers　obviated　this　difficulty　by　closing　up　the　hottest　of　the　fissures　and　opening　others　in　the　cooler　parts　of　the　cavern。〃

〃And　the　people；　where　did　they　come　from？〃

〃From　all　parts　of　the　earth。　We　had　agents　outside　who　selected　such　men　and　women　that　were　willing　to　come；　and　who　filled　all　the　requirements；　mentally　and　physically。〃

〃But　why　do　they　desire　to　live　here　instead　of　out　in　the　world；　when　they　have　all　the　wealth　that　they　need　to　assure　every　advantage。〃

〃They　dread　death；　and　it　is　undoubtedly　true　that　life　is　prolonged　here；　our　medical　men　declare　that　the　longevity　of　every　generation　is　improved。〃

〃Is　it　possible？　But　tell　me　about　the　sun；　when　it　sets；　what　becomes　of　it？〃

〃It　goes　back　to　its　place　of　rising　through　a　great　tunnel　beneath　us。〃

Thorndyke　sat　in　deep　thought　for　a　moment；　then　he