when the sleeper wakes-第21节

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〃I　know　a　few　things；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃I　know

a　thing　or　two。　But。　Hark！〃



The　two　men　became　silent；　listening。　There　was

heavy　thud；　a　concussion　that　made　their　seat　shiver。

The　passers…by　stopped；　shouted　to　one　another。　The

old　man　was　full　of　questions；　he　shouted　to　a　man

who　passed　near。　Graham；　emboldened　by　his　example；　

got　up　and　accosted　others。　None　knew　what　had

happened。



He　returned　to　the　seat　and　found　the　old　man

muttering　vague　interrogations　in　an　undertone。　For

a　while　they　said　nothing　to　one　another。



The　sense　of　this　gigantic　struggle；　so　near　and　yet

so　remote　oppressed　Graham's　imagination。　Was

this　old　man　right；　was　the　report　of　the　people　right；

and　were　the　revolutionaries　winning？　Or　were　they

all　in　error；　and　were　the　red　guards　driving　all　before

them？　At　any　time　the　flood　of　warfare　might　pour

into　this　silent　quarter　of　the　city　and　seize　upon　him

again。　It　behooved　him　to　learn　all　he　could　while

there　was　time。　He　turned　suddenly　to　the　old　man

with　a　question　and　left　it　unsaid。　But　his　motion

moved　the　old　man　to　speech　again。



〃Eh！　but　how　things　work　together！〃　said　the　old

man。〃　This　Sleeper　that　all　the　fools　put　their　trust

in！　I've　the　whole　history　of　itI　was　always　a　good

one　for　histories。　When　I　was　a　boy　…　I'm　that　old

I　used　to　read　printed　books。　You'd　hardly　think　it。

Likely　you've　seen　nonethey　rot　and　dust　soand

the　Sanitary　Company　burns　them　to　make　ashlarite。

But　they　were　convenient　in　their　dirty　way。　Oh　I

learnt　a　lot。　These　new…fangled　Babble　Machines

they　don't　seem　new…fangled　to　you；　eh？they're

easy　to　hear；　easy　to　forget。　But　I've　traced　all　the

Sleeper　business　from　the　first。〃



〃You　will　scarcely　believe　it；〃　said　Graham　slowly；

〃I'm　so　ignorantI've　been　so　preoccupied　in　my

own　little　affairs；　my　circumstances　have　been　so　odd

I　know　nothing　of　this　Sleeper's　history。　Who

was　he？〃



〃Eh！〃　said　the　old　man。　〃I　know。　I　know。　He

was　a　poor　nobody；　and　set　on　a　playful　woman；　poor

soul！　And　he　fell　into　a　trance。　There's　the　old

things　they　had；　those　brown　thingssilver　photo…

graphsstill　showing　him　as　he　lay；　a　gross　and　a

half　years　agoa　gross　and　a　half　of　years。〃



〃Set　on　a　playful　woman；　poor　soul；〃　said　Graham

softly　to　himself；　and　then　aloud；　〃Yeswell！　go　on。〃



〃You　must　know　he　had　a　cousin　named　Warming

a　solitary　man　without　children；　who　made　a　big　fortune　

speculating　in　roadsthe　first　Eadhamite　roads。

But　surely　you've　heard？　No？　Why？　He　bought

all　the　patent　rights　and　made　a　big　company。　In

those　days　there　were　grosses　of　grosses　of　separate

businesses　and　business　companies。　Grosses　of

grosses！　His　roads　killed　the　railroadsthe　old

thingsin　two　dozen　years；　he　bought　up　and　Eadhaillited'　

the　tracks。　And　because　he　didn't　want　to

break　up　his　great　property　or　let　in　shareholders；　he

left　it　all　to　the　Sleeper；　and　put　it　under　a　Board　of

Trustees　that　he　had　picked　and　trained。　He　knew

then　the　Sleeper　wouldn't　wake；　that　he　would　go　on

sleeping；　sleeping　till　he　died。　He　knew　that　quite

well！　And　plump！　a　man　in　the　United　States；　who

had　lost　two　sons　in　a　boat　accident；　followed　that　up

with　another　great　bequest。　His　trustees　found　themselves　

with　a　dozen　myriads　of　lions'…worth　or　more

of　property　at　the　very　beginning。〃



〃What　was　his　name？〃



〃Graham。〃



〃No；　I　meanthat　American's。〃



〃Isbister。〃



〃Isbister！〃　cried　Graham。　〃Why；　I　don't　even

know　the　name。〃



〃Of　course　not；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Of　course　not。

People　don't　learn　much　in　the　schools　nowadays。

But　I　know　all　about　him。　He　was　a　rich　American

who　went　from　England；　and　he　left　the　Sleeper　even

more　than　Warming。　How　he　made　it？　That　I　don't

know。　Something　about　pictures　by　machinery。　But

he　made　it　and　left　it；　and　so　the　Council　had　its　start。

It　was　just　a　council　of　trustees　at　first。〃



〃And　how　did　it　grow？〃



〃Eh！but　you're　not　up　to　things。　Money

attracts　moneyand　twelve　brains　are　better　than

one。　They　played　it　cleverly。　They　worked　politics　

with　money；　and　kept　on　adding　to　the　money　by

working　currency　and　tariffs。　They　grewthey

grew。　And　for　years　the　twelve　trustees　hid　the　

growing　of　the　Sleeper's　estate；　under　double　names　and

company　titles　and　all　that。　The　Council　spread　by

title　deed；　mortgage；　share；　every　political　party；

every　newspaper；　they　bought。　If　you　listen　to　the　old

stories　you　will　see　the　Council　growing　and　growing

Billions　and　billions　of　lions　at　lastthe　Sleeper's

estate。　And　all　growing　out　of　a　whimout　of　this

Warming's　will；　and　an　accident　to　Isbister's　sons。



〃Men　are　strange；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃The　strange；

thing　to　me　is　how　the　Council　worked　together　so

long。　As　many　as　twelve。　But　they　worked　in　cliques

from　the　first。　And　they've　slipped　back。　In　my

young　days　speaking　of　the　Council　was　like　an　ignorant　

man　speaking　of　God。　We　didn't　think　they　could

do　wrong。　We　didn't　know　of　their　women　and　all

that！　Or　else　I've　got　wiser。



〃Men　are　strange；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Here　are

you；　young　and　ignorant；　and　mesevendy　years　old；

and　I　might　reasonably　be　forgettingexplaining　it

all　to　you　short　and　clear。



〃Sevendy；〃　he　said；　〃sevendy；　and　I　hear　and　see

hear　better　than　I　see。　And　reason　clearly；　and　keep

myself　up　to　all　the　happenings　of　things。　Sevendy！



〃Life　is　strange。　I　was　twaindy　before　Ostrog　was

a　baby。　I　remember　him　long　before　he'd　pushed　his

way　to　the　head　of　the　Wind　Vanes　Control。　I've

seen　many　changes。　Eh！　I've　worn　the　blue。　And　at

last　I've　come　to　see　this　crush　and　darkness　and

tumult　and　dead　men　carried　by　in　heaps　on　the　ways。

And　all　his　doing！　All　his　doing！　〃



His　voice　died　away　in　scarcely　articulate　praises　of

Ostrog



Graham　thought。　〃Let　me　see；〃　he　said；　〃if　I　have

it　right。〃



He　extended　a　hand　and　ticked　off　points　upon　his

fingers。　〃The　Sleeper　has　been　asleep〃



〃Changed；〃　said　the　old　man。



〃Perhaps。　And　meanwhile　the　Sleeper's　property

grew　in　the　hands　of　Twelve　Trustees；　until　it

swallowed　up　nearly　all　the　great　ownership　of　the

world。　The　Twelve　Trusteesby　virtue　of　this　property　

have　become　virtually　masters　of　the　world。

Because　they　are　the　paying　powerjust　as　the　old

English　Parliament　used　to　be〃



〃Eh！〃　said　the　old　man。　〃That's　sothat's　a

good　comparison。　You're　not　so〃



〃And　now　this　Ostroghas　suddenly　revolutionised　

the　world　by　waking　the　Sleeperwhom　no　one

but　the　superstitious；　common　people　had　ever　dreamt

would　wake　againraising　the　Sleeper　to　claim　his

property　from　the　Council；　after　all　these　years。〃



The　old　man　endorsed　this　statement　with　a　cough。

〃It's　strange；〃　he　said；　〃to　meet　a　man　who　learns

these　things　for　the　first　time　tonight。〃



〃Aye；〃　said　Graham；　〃it's　strange。〃



〃Have　you　been　in　a　Pleasure　City？〃　said　the　old

man。　〃All　my　life　I've　longed〃　He　laughed。

〃Even　now；〃　he　said；　〃I　could　enjoy　a　little　fun。

Enjoy　seeing　things；　anyhow。　〃He　mumbled　a　

sentence　Graham　did　not　understand。



〃The　Sleeperwhen　did　he　awake？〃　said　Graham

suddenly。



〃Three　days　ago。〃



〃Where　is　he？　〃



〃Ostrog　has　him。　He　escaped　from　the　Council　not

four　hours　ago。　My　dear　sir；　where　were　you　at　the

time？　He　was　in　the　hall　of　the　marketswhere　the

fighting　has　been。　All　the　city　was　screaming　about

it。　All　the　Babble　Machines！　Everywhere　it　was

shouted。　Even　the　fools　who　speak　for　the　Council

were　admitting　it。　Everyone　was　rushing　off　to　see

himeveryone　was　getting　arms。　Were　you　drunk

or　asleep？　And　even　then！　But　you're　joking！

Surely　you're　pretending。　It　was　to　stop　the　shouting

of　the　Babble　Machines　and　prevent　the　people　gathering　

that　they　turned　off　the　electricityand　put　this

damned　darkness　upon　us。　Do　you　mean　to　say？　〃



〃I　had　heard　the　Sleeper　was　rescued；〃　said　Graham。

〃Butto　come　back　a　minute。　Are　you　sure

Ostrog　has　him？〃



〃He　won't　let　him　go；〃　said　the　old　man。



〃And　the　Sleeper。　Are　you　sure　he　is　not　genuine？

I　have　never　heard〃



〃So　all　the　fools　think。　So　they　think。　As　if　there

wasn't　a　thousand　things　that　were　never　heard。　I

know　Ostrog　too　well　for　that。　Did　I　tell　you？　In

a　way　I'm　a　sort　of　relation　of　Ostrog's。　A　sort　of

relation。　Through　my　daughter…in…law。〃



〃I　suppose〃



〃Well？　〃



〃I　suppose　there's　no　chance　of　this　Sleeper　asserting　

himself。　I　suppose　he's　certain　to　be　a　puppet

in　Ostrog's　hands　or　the　Council's；　as　soon　as　the

struggle　is　over。〃



〃In　Ostrog's　handscertainly。　Why　shouldn't　he

be　a　puppet？　Look　at　his　position。　Everything　done

for　him；　every　pleasure　possible。　Why　should　he　want

to　assert　himself？　〃



〃What　are　these　Pleasure　Cities？〃　said　Graham；

abruptly。



The　old　man　made　him　repeat　the　question。　When

at　last　he　was　assured　of　Graham's　w