gulliver of mars-第14节

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　So　it　happened　I　took　her　into　my　heart　and　gave　her　the　answer　she　asked　for。

For　a　long　time　we　sat　in　the　dusky　grandeur　of　the　royal　library；　my　mind　revolving　between　wonder　and　ad…　miration　of　the　neglected　knowledge　all　about；　and　the　stir…　rings　of　a　new　love；　while　Heru　herself；　lapsed　again　into　Martian　calm；　lay　half　sleeping　on　my　shoulder；　but　pre…　sently；　unwinding　her　arms；　I　put　her　down。

〃There；　sweetheart；〃　I　whispered；　〃enough　of　this　for　the　moment；　tonight；　perhaps；　some　more；　but　while　we　are　here　amongst　all　this　lordly　litter；　I　can　think　of　nothing　else。〃　Again　I　bid　her　turn　the　pages；　noting　as　she　did　so　how　each　chapter　was　headed　by　the　coloured　configuration　of　a　world。　　Page　by　page　we　turned　of　crackling　parchment；　until　by　chance；　at　the　top　of　one；　my　eye　caught　a　coloured　round　I　could　not　fail　to　recognise'twas　the　spinning　but…　ton　on　the　blue　breast　of　the　immeasurable　that　yesterday　I　inhabited。　　〃Read　here；〃　I　cried；　clapping　my　finger　upon　the　page　midway　down；　where　there　were　some　signs　looking　like　Egyptian　writing。　　〃Says　this　quaint　dabbler　in　all　knowledge　anything　of　Isis；　anything　of　Phra；　of　Am…　mon；　of　Ammon　Top？〃

〃And　who　was　Isis？　who　Ammon　Top？〃　asked　the　lady。

〃Nay；　read；〃　I　answered；　and　down　the　page　her　slender　fingers　went　awandering　till　at　a　spot　of　knotted　signs　they　stopped。　　〃Why；　here　is　something　about　thy　Isis；〃　ex…　claimed　Heru；　as　though　amused　at　my　perspicuity。　　〃Here；　halfway　down　this　chapter　of　earth…history；　it　says；〃　and　putting　one　pink　knee　across　the　other　to　better　prop　the　book　she　read：

〃And　the　priests　of　Thebes　were　gone；　the　sand　stood　un…　trampled　on　the　temple　steps　a　thousand　years；　the　wild　bees　sang　the　song　of　desolation　in　the　ears　of　Isis；　the　wild　cats　littered　in　the　stony　lap　of　Ammon；　ay；　another　thou…　sand　years　went　by；　and　earth　was　tilled　of　unseen　hands　and　sown　with　yellow　grain　from　Paradise；　and　the　thin　veil　that　separates　the　known　from　the　unknown　was　rent；　and　men　walked　to　and　fro。〃

〃Go　on；〃　I　said。

〃Nay；〃　laughed　the　other；　〃the　little　mice　in　their　eager…　ness　have　been　before　yousee；　all　this　corner　is　gnawed　away。〃

〃Read　on　again；〃　I　said；　〃where　the　page　is　whole；　those　sips　of　knowledge　you　have　given　make　me　thirsty　for　more。　There；　begin　where　this　blazonry　of　initialed　red　and　gold　looks　so　like　the　carpet　spread　by　the　scribe　for　the　feet　of　a　sovereign　truthwhat　says　he　here？〃　　And　she；　half　pouting　to　be　set　back　once　more　to　that　task；　half　won…　dering　as　she　gazed　on　those　magic　letters；　let　her　eyes　run　down　the　page；　then　began：

〃And　it　was　the　Beginning；　and　in　the　centre　void　pres…　ently　there　came　a　nucleus　of　light：　and　the　light　brightened　in　the　grey　primeval　morning　and　became　definite　and　articulate。　　And　from　the　midst　of　that　natal　splendour；　behind　which　was　the　Unknowable；　the　life　came　hitherward；　from　the　midst　of　that　nucleus　undescribed；　undescribable；　there　issued　presently　the　primeval　sigh　that　breathed　the　breath　of　life　into　all　things。　　And　that　sigh　thrilled　through　the　empty　spaces　of　the　illimitable：　it　breathed　the　breath　of　promise　over　the　frozen　hills　of　the　outside　planets　where　the　night…frost　had　lasted　without　beginning：　and　the　waters　of　ten　thousand　nameless　oceans；　girding　nameless　planets；　were　stirred；　trembling　into　their　depth。　　It　crossed　the　il…　limitable　spaces　where　the　herding　aerolites　swirl　forever　through　space　in　the　wake　of　careering　world；　and　all　their　whistling　wings　answered　to　it。　　It　reverberated　through　the　grey　wastes　of　vacuity；　and　crossed　the　dark　oceans　of　the　Outside；　even　to　the　black　shores　of　the　eternal　night　beyond。

〃And　hardly　had　echo　of　that　breath　died　away　in　the　hollow　of　the　heavens　and　the　empty　wombs　of　a　million　barren　worlds；　when　the　light　brightened　again；　and　draw…　ing　in　upon　itself　became　definite　and　took　form；　and　therefrom；　at　the　moment　of　primitive　conception；　there　came〃

And　just　then；　as　she　had　read　so　far　as　that；　when　all　my　faculties　were　aching　to　know　what　came　next　whether　this　were　but　the　idle　scribbling　of　a　vacuous　fool；　or　something　elsethere　rose　the　sound　of　soft　flutes　and　tinkling　bells　in　the　corridors；　as　seneschals　wandered　pip…　ing　round　the　palace　to　call　folk　to　meals；　a　smell　of　roast　meat　and　grilling　fish　as　that　procession　lifted　the　curtains　between　the　halls；　and

〃Dinner！〃　shouted　my　sweet　Martian；　slapping　the　cov…　ers　of　The　Secret　of　the　Gods　together　and　pushing　the　stately　tome　headlong　from　the　table。　　〃Dinner！　　'Tis　worth　a　hundred　thousand　planets　to　the　hungry！〃

Nothing　I　could　say　would　keep　her；　and；　scarcely　know…　ing　whether　to　laugh　or　to　be　angry　at　so　unseemly　an　interruption；　but　both　being　purposeless　I　dug　my　hands　into　my　pockets；　and　somewhat　sulkily　refusing　Heru's　invita…　tion　to　luncheon　in　the　corridor　（Navy　rations　had　not　fitted　my　stomach　for　these　constant　debauches　of　gos…　samer　food）；　strolled　into　the　town　again　in　no　very　pleasant　frame　of　mind。




CHAPTER　VII

It　was　only　at　moments　like　these　I　had　any　time　to　reflect　on　my　circumstances　or　that　giddy　chance　which　had　shot　me　into　space　in　this　fashion；　and；　frankly；　the　opportunities；　when　they　did　come；　brought　such　an　extraordinary　de…　pressing　train　of　thought；　I　by　no　means　invited　them。　Even　with　the　time　available　the　occasion　was　always　awry　for　such　reflection。　　These　dainty　triflers　made　sulking　as　impossible　amongst　them　as　philosophy　in　a　ballroom。　　When　I　stalked　out　like　that　from　the　library　in　fine　mood　to　moralise　and　apostrophise　heaven　in　a　way　that　would　no　doubt　have　looked　fine　upon　these　pages；　one　sprightly　dam…　sel；　just　as　the　gloomy　rhetoric　was　bursting　from　my　lips；　thrust　a　flower　under　my　nose　whose　scent　brought　on　a　violent　attack　of　sneezing；　her　companions　joining　hands　and　dancing　round　me　while　they　imitated　my　agony。　　Then；　when　I　burst　away　from　them　and　rushed　down　a　nar…　row　arcade　of　crumbling　mansions；　another　stopped　me　in　mid…career；　and　taking　the　honey…stick　she　was　sucking　from　her　lips；　put　it　to　mine；　like　a　pretty；　playful　child。　　An…　other　asked　me　to　dance；　another　to　drink　pink　oblivion　with　her；　and　so　on。　　How　could　one　lament　amongst　all　this　irritating　cheerfulness？

An　might　have　helped　me；　for　poor　An　was　intelligent　for　a　Martian；　but　she　had　disappeared；　and　the　terrible　vacu…　ity　of　life　in　the　planet　was　forced　upon　me　when　I　realised　that　possessing　no　cognomen；　no　fixed　address；　or　rating；　it　would　be　the　merest　chance　if　I　ever　came　across　her　again。

Looking　for　my　friendly　guide　and　getting　more　and　more　at　sea　amongst　a　maze　of　comely　but　similar　faces；　I　made　chance　acquaintance　with　another　of　her　kind　who　cheerfully　drank　my　health　at　the　Government's　expense；　and　chatted　on　things　Martian。　　She　took　me　to　see　a　funeral　by　way　of　amusement；　and　I　found　these　people　floated　their　dead　off　on　flower…decked　rafts　instead　of　burying　them；　the　send…offs　all　taking　place　upon　a　certain　swift…flowing　stream；　which　carried　the　dead　away　into　the　vast　region　of　northern　ice；　but　more　exactly　whither　my　informant　seemed　to　have　no　idea。　　The　voyager　on　this　occasion　was　old；　and　this　brought　to　my　mind　the　curious　fact　that　I　had　observed　few　children　in　the　city；　and　no　elders；　all；　except　perhaps　Hath；　being　in　a　state　of　sleek　youthfulness。　My　new　friend　explained　the　peculiarity　by　declaring　Mar…　tians　ripened　with　extraordinary　rapidity　from　infancy　to　the　equivalent　of　about　twenty…five　years　of　age；　with　us；　and　then　remained　at　that　period　however　long　they　might　live；　Only　when　they　died　did　their　accumulated　seasons　come　upon　them；　the　girl　turning　pale；　and　wringing　her　pret…　ty　hands　in　sympathetic　concern　when　I　told　her　there　was　a　land　where　decrepitude　was　not　so　happily　postponed。　　The　Martians；　she　said；　arranged　their　calendar　by　the　varying　colours　of　the　seasons；　and　loved　blue　as　an　antidote　to　the　generally　red　and　rusty　character　of　their　soil。

Discussing　such　things　as　these　we　lightly　squandered　the　day　away；　and　I　know　of　nothing　more　to　note　until　the　evening　was　come　again：　that　wonderful　purple　evening　which　creeps　over　the　outer　worlds　at　sunset；　a　seductive　darkness　gemmed　with　ten　thousand　stars　riding　so　low　in　the　heaven　they　seem　scarcely　more　than　mast　high。　　When　that　hour　was　come　my　friend　tiptoed　again　to　my　cheek；　and　then；　pointing　to　the　palace　and　laughingly　hoping　fate　would　send　me　a　bride　〃as　soft　as　catkin　and　as　sweet　as　honey；〃　slipped　away　into　the　darkness。

Then　I　remembered　all　on　a　sudden　this　was　the　con…　nubial　evening　of　my　sprightly　friendsthe　occasion　when；　as　An　had　told　me；　the　Government　constituted　itself　into　a　gigantic　matrimonial　agency；　and；　with　the　cheerful　care…　lessness　of　the　place；　shuffled　the　matrimonial　pack　anew；　and　dealt　a　fresh　hand　to　all　the　players。　　Now　I　had　no　wish　to　avail　myself　of　a　sailor's　privilege　of　a　bride　in　every　port；　but　surely　this　game　would　be　interesting　enough　to　see；　even　if　I　were　but　a　disinterested　spectator。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　I　was　something　more　than　that；　and　had　been　thinking　a　good　deal　of　Heru　during　the　day。　　I　do　not　know　whether　I　actually　aspired　to　her　handthat　were　a　large