when the sleeper wakes-第24节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



save　only　just　a　few　aeronauts　and　about　half　the　red

police。　You　were　rescued；　and　their　own　police　of

the　Waysnot　half　of　them　could　be　massed　at　the

Council　Househave　been　broken　up；　disarmed　or

killed。　All　London　is　oursnow。　Only　the　Council　

House　remains。



〃Half　of　those　who　remain　to　them　of　the　red

police　were　lost　in　that　foolish　attempt　to　recapture

you。　They　lost　their　heads　when　they　lost　you。　They

flung　all　they　had　at　the　theatre。　We　cut　them　off

from　the　Council　House　there。　Truly　tonight　has

been　a　night　of　victory。　Everywhere　your　star　has

blazed。　A　day　agothe　White　Council　ruled　as　it

has　ruled　for　a　gross　of　years；　for　a　century　and　a　half

of　years；　and　then；　with　only　a　little　whispering；　a

covert　arming　here　and　there；　suddenlySo！〃



〃I　am　very　ignorant；〃　said　Graham。　〃I　suppose。　

I　do　not　clearly　understand　the　conditions

of　this　fighting。　If　you　could　explain。　Where　is　the

Council？　Where　is　the　fight？　〃



Ostrog　stepped　across　the　room；　something　clicked；

and　suddenly；　save　for　an　oval　glow；　they　were　in

darkness。　For　a　moment　Graham　was　puzzled。



Then　he　saw　that　the　cloudy　grey　disc　had　taken

depth　and　colour；　had　assumed　the　appearance　of　an

oval　window　looking　out　upon　a　strange　unfamiliar

scene。



At　the　first　glance　he　was　unable　to　guess　what　this

scene　might　be。　It　was　a　daylight　scene；　the　daylight

of　a　wintry　day；　grey　and　clear。　Across　the　picture

and　halfway　as　it　seemed　between　him　and　the　remoter

view；　a　stout　cable　of　twisted　white　wire　stretched

vertically。　Then　he　perceived　that　the　rows　of　great

windwheels　he　saw；　the　wide　intervals；　the　occasional

gulfs　of　darkness；　were　akin　to　those　through　which

he　had　fled　from　the　Council　House。　He　distinguished

an　orderly　file　of　red　figures　marching　across　an　open

space　between　files　of　men　in　black；　and　realised　before

Ostrog　spoke　that　he　was　looking　down　on　the　upper

surface　of　latter…day　London。　The　overnight　snows

had　gone。　He　judged　that　this　mirror　was　some　modern　

replacement　of　the　camera　obscura；　but　that

matter　was　not　explained　to　him。　He　saw　that　though

the　file　of　red　figures　was　trotting　from　left　to　right；

yet　they　were　passing　out　of　the　picture　to　the　left。

He　wondered　momentarily；　and　then　saw　that　the

picture　was　passing　slowly；　panorama　fashion；　across

the　oval。



〃In　a　moment　you　will　see　the　fighting；〃　said

Ostrog　at　his　elbow。　〃Those　fellows　in　red　you

notice　are　prisoners。　This　is　the　roof　space　of　

Londonall　the　houses　are　practically　continuous　now。

The　streets　and　public　squares　are　covered　in。　The

gaps　and　chasms　of　your　time　have　disappeared。〃



Something　out　of　focus　obliterated　half　the　picture。

Its　form　suggested　a　man。　There　was　a　gleam　of

metal；　a　flash；　something　that　swept　across　the　oval；

as　the　eyelid　of　a　bird　sweeps　across　its　eye；　and　the

picture　was　clear　again。　And　now　Graham　beheld

men　running　down　among　the　wind…wheels；　pointing

weapons　from　which　jetted　out　little　smoky　flashes。

They　swarmed　thicker　and　thicker　to　the　right；　

gesticulatingit　might　be　they　were　shouting；　but　of

that　the　picture　told　nothing。　They　and　the　

windwheels　passed　slowly　and　steadily　across　the　field　of

the　mirror。



〃Now；〃　said　Ostrog；　〃comes　the　Council　House；〃

and　slowly　a　black　edge　crept　into　view　and　gathered

Graham's　attention。　Soon　it　was　no　longer　an　edge

but　a　cavity；　a　huge　blackened　space　amidst　the　

clustering　edifices；　and　from　it　thin　spires　of　smoke　rose

into　the　pallid　winter　sky。　Gaunt　ruinous　masses　of

the　building；　mighty　truncated　piers　and　girders；　rose

dismally　out　of　this　cavernous　darkness。　And　over

these　vestiges　of　some　splendid　place；　countless　

minute　men　were　clambering；　leaping；　swarming。



〃This　is　the　Council　House；〃　said　Ostrog。　〃Their

last　stronghold。　And　the　fools　wasted　enough　

ammunition　to　hold　out　for　a　month　in　blowing　up　the

buildings　all　about　themto　stop　our　attack。　You

heard　the　smash？　It　shattered　half　the　brittle　glass

in　the　city。〃



And　while　he　spoke；　Graham　saw　that　beyond　this

sea　of　ruins；　overhanging　it　and　rising　to　a　great

height；　was　a　ragged　mass　of　white　building。　This

mass　had　been　isolated　by　the　ruthless　destruction　of

its　surroundings。　Black　gaps　marked　the　passages

the　disaster　had　torn　apart；　big　halls　had　been　slashed

open　and　the　decoration　of　their　interiors　showed　

dismally　in　the　wintry　dawn；　and　down　the　jagged　wall

hung　festoons　of　divided　cables　and　twisted　ends　of

lines　and　metallic　rods。　And　amidst　all　the　vast

details　moved　little　red　specks；　the　red…clothed　

defenders　of　the　Council。　Every　now　and　then　faint　flashes

illuminated　the　bleak　shadows。　At　the　first　sight　it

seemed　to　Graham　that　an　attack　upon　this　isolated

white　building　was　in　progress；　but　then　he　perceived

that　the　party　of　the　revolt　was　not　advancing；　but

sheltered　amidst　the　colossal　wreckage　that　encircled

this　last　ragged　stronghold　of　the　red…garbed　men；　was

keeping　up　a　fitful　firing。



And　not　ten　hours　ago　he　had　stood　beneath　the

ventilating　fans　in　a　little　chamber　within　that　remote

building　wondering　what　was　happening　in　the　world！



Looking　more　attentively　as　this　warlike　episode

moved　silently　across　the　centre　of　the　mirror；　Graham　

saw　that　the　white　building　was　surrounded　on

every　side　by　ruins；　and　Ostrog　proceeded　to　describe

in　concise　phrases　how　its　defenders　had　sought　by

such　destruction　to　isolate　themselves　from　a　storm。

He　spoke　of　the　loss　of　men　that　huge　downfall　had

entailed　in　an　indifferent　tone。　He　indicated　an　

improvised　mortuary　among　the　wreckage　showed

ambulances　swarming　like　cheese…mites　along　a　

ruinous　groove　that　had　once　been　a　street　of　moving　ways。

He　was　more　interested　in　pointing　out　the　parts　of

the　Council　House；　the　distribution　of　the　besiegers。

In　a　little　while　the　civil　contest　that　had　convulsed

London　was　no　longer　a　mystery　to　Graham。　It　was

no　tumultuous　revolt　had　occurred　that　night；　no

equal　warfare；　but　a　splendidly　organised　__coup　d'etat__。

Ostrog's　grasp　of　details　was　astonishing；　he　seemed

to　know　the　business　of　even　the　smallest　knot　of

black　and　red　specks　that　crawled　amidst　these　places。



He　stretched　a　huge　black　arm　across　the　luminous

picture；　and　showed　the　room　whence　Graham　had

escaped；　and　across　the　chasm　of　ruins　the　course　of

his　flight。　Graham　recognised　the　gulf　across　which

the　gutter　ran；　and　the　wind…wheels　where　he　had

crouched　from　the　flying　machine。　The　rest　of　his

path　had　succumbed　to　the　explosion。　He　looked

again　at　the　Council　House；　and　it　was　already　half

hidden；　and　on　the　right　a　hillside　with　a　cluster　of

domes　and　pinnacles；　hazy；　dim　and　distant；　was

gliding　into　view。



〃And　the　Council　is　really　overthrown？〃　he　said。



〃Overthrown；〃　said　Ostrog。



〃And　I。　Is　it　indeed　true　that　I？〃



〃You　are　Master　of　the　World。〃



〃But　that　white　flag〃



〃That　is　the　flag　of　the　Councilthe　flag　of　the

Rule　of　the　World。　It　will　fall。　The　fight　is　over。

Their　attack　on　the　theatre　was　their　last　frantic　

struggle。　They　have　only　a　thousand　men　or　so；　and　some

of　these　men　will　be　disloyal。　They　have　little　

ammunition。　And　we　are　reviving　the　ancient　arts。　We　are

casting　guns。〃



〃Buthelp。　Is　this　city　the　world？〃



〃　Practically　this　is　all　they　have　left　to　them　of

their　empire。　Abroad　the　cities　have　either　revolted

with　us　or　wait　the　issue。　Your　awakening　has　

perplexed　them；　paralysed　them。〃



〃But　haven't　the　Council　flying　machines？　Why

is　there　no　fighting　with　them？　〃



〃They　had。　But　the　greater　part　of　the　aeronauts

were　in　the　revolt　with　us。　They　wouldn't　take　the

risk　of　fighting　on　our　side；　but　they　would　not　stir

against　us。　We　had　to　get　a　pull　with　the　aeronauts。

Quite　half　were　with　us；　and　the　others　knew　it。

Directly　they　knew　you　had　got　away；　those　looking

for　you　dropped。　We　killed　the　man　who　shot　at

youan　hour　ago。　And　we　occupied　the　flying

stages　at　the　outset　in　every　city　we　could；　and　so

stopped　and　captured　the　airplanes；　and　as　for　the

little　flying　machines　that　turned　outfor　some　did

we　kept　up　too　straight　and　steady　a　fire　for　them　to

get　near　the　Council　House。　If　they　dropped　they

couldn't　rise　again；　because　there's　no　clear　space

about　there　for　them　to　get　up。　Several　we　have

smashed；　several　others　have　dropped　and　surrendered；

the　rest　have　gone　off　to　the　Continent　to　find　a

friendly　city　if　they　can　before　their　fuel　runs　out。

Most　of　these　men　were　only　too　glad　to　be　taken　

prisoner　and　kept　out　of　harm's　way。　Upsetting　in　a　

flying　machine　isn't　a　very　attractive　prospect。　There's

no　chance　for　the　Council　that　way。　Its　days　are

done。〃



He　laughed　and　turned　to　the　oval　reflection　again

to　show　Graham　what　he　meant　by　flying　stages。

Even　the　four　nearer　ones　were　remote　an