when the sleeper wakes-第27节

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compliment　to　the　attendant；　apologised　for　not

accompanying　them；　on　account　of　the　present　

pressure　of　administrative　work。



Higher　even　than　the　most　gigantic　wind…wheels

hung　this　crow's　nest；　a　clear　thousand　feet　above　the

roofs；　a　little　disc…shaped　speck　on　a　spear　of　metallic

filigree；　cable　stayed。　To　its　summit　Graham　was

drawn　in　a　little　wire…hung　cradle。　Halfway　down

the　frail…seeming　stem　was　a　light　gallery　about　which

hung　a　cluster　of　tubesminute　they　looked　from

aboverotating　slowly　on　the　ring　of　its　outer　rail。

These　were　the　specula；　__en　rapport__　with　the　wind…vane

keeper's　mirrors；　in　one　of　which　Ostrog　had　shown

him　the　coming　of　his　rule。　His　Japanese　attendant

ascended　before　him　and　they　spent　nearly　an　hour

asking　and　answering　questions。



It　was　a　day　full　of　the　promise　and　quality　of

spring。　The　touch　of　the　wind　warmed。　The　sky

was　an　intense　blue　and　the　vast　expanse　of　London

shone　dazzling　under　the　morning　sun。　The　air　was

clear　of　smoke　and　haze；　sweet　as　the　air　of　a　mountain

glen。



Save　for　the　irregular　oval　of　ruins　about　the　House

of　the　Council　and　the　black　flag　of　the　surrender　that

fluttered　there；　the　mighty　city　seen　from　above

showed　few　signs　of　the　swift　revolution　that　had；　to

his　imagination；　in　one　night　and　one　day；　changed

the　destinies　of　the　world。　A　multitude　of　people　still

swarmed　over　these　ruins；　and　the　huge　openwork

stagings　in　the　distance　from　which　started　in　times　of

peace　the　service　of　aeroplanes　to　the　various　great

cities　of　Europe　and　America；　were　also　black　with

the　victors。　Across　a　narrow　way　of　planking　raised

on　trestles　that　crossed　the　ruins　a　crowd　of　workmen

were　busy　restoring　the　connection　between　the　cables

and　wires　of　the　Council　House　and　the　rest　of　the

city；　preparatory　to　the　transfer　thither　of　Ostrog's

headquarters　from　the　Wind…Vane　buildings。



For　the　rest　the　luminous　expanse　was　undisturbed。

So　vast　was　its　serenity　in　comparison　with　the　areas

of　disturbance；　that　presently　Graham；　looking　beyond

them；　could　almost　forget　the　thousands　of　men　Iying

out　of　sight　in　the　artificial　glare　within　the　

quasi…subterranean　labyrinth；　dead　or　dying　of　the　overnight

wounds；　forget　the　improvised　wards　with　the　hosts　of

surgeons；　nurses；　and　bearers　feverishly　busy；　forget；

indeed；'　all　the　wonder；　consternation　and　novelty

under　the　electric　lights。　Down　there　in　the　hidden

ways　of　the　anthill　he　knew　that　the　revolution　

triumphed；　that　black　everywhere　carried　the　day；　black

favours；　black　banners；　black　festoons　across　the

streets。　And　out　here；　under　the　fresh　sunlight；

beyond　the　crater　of　the　fight；　as　if　nothing　had　

happened　to　the　earth；　the　forest　of　Wind　Vanes　that　had

grown　from　one　or　two　while　the　Council　had　ruled；

roared　peacefully　upon　their　incessant　duty。



Far　away；　spiked；　jagged　and　indented　by　the　wind

vanes；　the　Surrey　Hills　rose　blue　and　faint；　to　the

north　and　nearer；　the　sharp　contours　of　Highgate　and

Muswell　Hill　were　similarly　jagged。　And　all　over　the

countryside；　he　knew；　on　every　crest　and　hill；　where

once　the　hedges　had　interlaced；　and　cottages；　churches；

inns；　and　farmhouses　had　nestled　among　their　trees；

wind　wheels　similar　to　those　he　saw　and　bearing　like

vast　advertisements；　gaunt　and　distinctive　

symbols　of　the　new　age；　cast　their　whirling　shadows　and

stored　incessantly　the　energy　that　flowed　away　

incessantly　through　all　the　arteries　of　the　city。　And　

underneath　these　wandered　the　countless　flocks　and　herds

of　the　British　Food　Trust　with　their　lonely　guards　and

keepers。



Not　a　familiar　outline　anywhere　broke　the　cluster

of　gigantic　shapes　below。　St。　Paul's　he　knew

survived；　and　many　of　the　old　buildings　in　Westminster；

embedded　out　of　sight；　arched　over　and　covered　in

among　the　giant　growths　of　this　great　age。　The

Themes；　too；　made　no　fall　and　gleam　of　silver

to　break　the　wilderness　of　the　city；　the　thirsty

water　mains　drank　up　every　drop　of　its　waters

before　they　reached　the　walls。　Its　bed　and　estuary

scoured　and　sunken；　was　now　a　canal　of　sea　water

and　a　race　of　grimy　bargemen　brought　the　heavy

materials　of　trade　from　the　Pool　thereby　beneath　the

very　feet　of　the　workers。　Faint　and　dim　in　the　

eastward　between　earth　and　sky　hung　the　clustering　masts

of　the　colossal　shipping　in　the　Pool。　For　all　the

heavy　traffic；　for　which　there　was　no　need　of　haste；

came　in　gigantic　sailing　ships　from　the　ends　of　the

earth；　and　the　heavy　goods　for　which　there　was

urgency　in　mechanical　ships　of　a　smaller　swifter　sort。



And　to　the　south　over　the　hills；　came　vast　aqueducts

with　sea　water　for　the　sewers　and　in　three　separate

directions；　ran　pallid　linesthe　roads；　stippled　with

moving　grey　specks。　On　the　first　occasion　that　offered

he　was　determined　to　go　out　and　see　these　roads。

That　would　come　after　the　flying　ship　he　was　presently

to　try。　His　attendant　officer　described　them　as　a　pair

of　gently　curving　surfaces　a　hundred　yards　wide；　each

one　for　the　traffic　going　in　one　direction；　and　made　of

a　substance　called　Eadhamitean　artificial　substance；。

so　far　as　he　could　gather；　resembling　toughened　glass。

Along　this　shot　a　strange　traffic　of　narrow　rubber…shod

vehicles；　great　single　wheels；　two　and　four　wheeled

vehicles；　sweeping　along　at　velocities　of　from　one　to

six　miles　a　minute。　Railroads　had　vanished；　a　few

embankments　remained　as　rust…crowned　trenches　here

and　there。　Some　few　formed　the　cores　of　Eadhamite

ways。



Among　the　first　things　to　strike　his　attention　had

been　the　great　fleets　of　advertisement　balloons　and

kites　that　receded　in　irregular　vistas　northward　and

southward　along　the　lines　of　the　aeroplane　journeys。

No　aeroplanes　were　to　be　seen。　Their　passages　had

ceased；　and　only　one　little…seeming　aeropile　circled

high　in　the　blue　distance　above　the　Surrey　Hills；　an

unimpressive　soaring　speck。



A　thing　Graham　had　already　learnt；　and　which　he

found　very　hard　to　imagine；　was　that　nearly　all　the

towns　in　the　country；　and　almost　all　the　villages；　had

disappeared。　Here　and　there　only；　he　understood；

some　gigantic　hotel…like　edifice　stood　amid　square

miles　of　some　single　cultivation　and　preserved　the

name　of　a　townas　Bournemouth；　Wareham；　or

Swanage。　Yet　the　officer　had　speedily　convinced　him

how　inevitable　such　a　change　had　been。　The　old

order　had　dotted　the　country　with　farmhouses；　and

every　two　or　three　miles　was　the　ruling　landlord's

estate；　and　the　place　of　the　inn　and　cobbler；　the　

grocer's　shop　and　churchthe　village。　Every　eight

miles　or　so　was　the　country　town；　where　lawyer；　corn

merchant；　wool…stapler；　saddler；　veterinary　surgeon；

doctor；　draper；　milliner　and　so　forth　lived。　Every

eight　milessimply　because　that　eight　mile　marketing　

journey；　four　there　and　back；　was　as　much　as　was

comfortable　for　the　farmer。　But　directly　the　railways

came　into　play；　and　after　them　the　light　railways；　and

all　the　swift　new　motor　cars　that　had　replaced　waggons

and　horses；　and　so　soon　as　the　high　roads　began　to

be　made　of　wood；　and　rubber；　and　Eadhamite；　and

all　sorts　of　elastic　durable　substancesthe　necessity

of　having　such　frequent　market　towns　disappeared。

And　the　big　towns　grew。　They　drew　the　worker　with

the　gravitational　force　of　seemingly　endless　work；　the

employer　with　their　suggestions　of　an　infinite　ocean　of

labour。



And　as　the　standard　of　comfort　rose；　as　the　complexity　

of　the　mechanism　of　living　increased　life　in

the　country　had　become　more　and　more　costly；　or

narrow　and　impossible。　The　disappearance　of　vicar

and　squire；　the　extinction　of　the　general　practitioner

by　the　city　specialist；　had　robbed　the　village　of　its　last

touch　of　culture。　After　telephone；　kinematograph

and　phonograph　had　replaced　newspaper；　book；

schoolmaster；　and　letter；　to　live　outside　the　range　of

the　electric　cables　was　to　live　an　isolated　savage。　In

the　country　were　neither　means　of　being　clothed　nor

fed　（according　to　the　refined　conceptions　of　the　time）；

no　efficient　doctors　for　an　emergency；　no　company

and　no　pursuits。



Moreover；　mechanical　appliances　in　agriculture

made　one　engineer　the　equivalent　of　thirty　labourers。

So；　inverting　the　condition　of　the　city　clerk　in　the

days　when　London　was　scarce　inhabitable　because　of

the　coaly　foulness　of　its　air；　the　labourers　now　came

hurrying　by　road　or　air　to　the　city　and　its　life　and

delights　at　night　to　leave　it　again　in　the　morning。

The　city　had　swallowed　up　humanity；　man　had　entered

upon　a　new　stage　in　his　development。　First　had　come

the　nomad；　the　hunter；　then　had　followed　the　agriculturist　

of　the　agricultural　state；　whose　towns　and　cities

and　ports　were　but　the　headquarters　and　markets　of

the　countryside。　And　now；　logical　consequence　of

an　epoch　of　invention；　was　this　huge　new　aggregation

of　men。　Save　London；　there　were　only　four　other

cities　in　Britain　　Ed