the virgin of the sun-第4节

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foregather　with　a　woman　who　wore　such　robes　and　ornaments　as　these？
And　that　sword　hilt；　worn　smooth　by　handling　and　with　an　amber　knob？
Whence　came　it？　To　my　mindthis　was　before　expert　examination
confirmed　my　viewit　looked　very　Norse。　I　had　read　the　Sagas　and　I
remembered　a　tale　recovered　in　them　of　some　bold　Norsemen　who　about
the　years　eight　or　nine　hundred　had　wandered　to　the　coast　of　what　is
known　now　to　be　AmericaI　think　a　certain　Eric　was　their　captain。
Could　the　fair…haired　man　in　the　grave　have　been　one　of　these？

Thus　I　speculated　before　I　looked　at　the　pile　of　parchments　so
evidently　prepared　from　sheep　skins　by　one　who　had　only　a　very
rudimentary　knowledge　of　how　to　work　such　stuff；　not　knowing　that　in
those　parchments　was　hid　the　answer　to　many　of　my　questions。　To　these
I　turned　last　of　all；　for　we　all　shrink　from　parchments；　their
contents　are　generally　so　dull。　There　was　a　great　bundle　of　them　that
had　been　lashed　together　with　a　kind　of　straw　rope；　fine　straw　that
reminded　me　of　that　used　to　make　Panama　hats。　But　this　had　rotted
underneath　together　with　all　the　bottom　part　of　the　parchments；　many
sheets　of　them；　of　which　only　fragments　remained；　covered　with　dry
mould　and　crumbling。　Therefore　the　rope　was　easy　to　remove　and　beneath
it；　holding　the　sheets　in　place；　was　only　some　stout　and　comparatively
modern　stringit　had　a　red　thread　in　it　that　marked　it　as　navy　cord
of　an　old　pattern。

I　slipped　these　fastenings　off　and　lifted　a　blank　piece　of　skin　set
upon　the　top。　Beneath　appeared　the　first　sheet　of　parchment；　closely；
very　closely　covered　with　small　〃black…letter〃　writing；　so　faint　and
faded　that　even　if　I　were　able　to　read　black…letter；　which　I　cannot；
of　it　I　could　have　made　nothing　at　all。　The　thing　was　hopeless。
Doubtless　in　that　writing　lay　the　key　to　the　mystery；　but　it　could
never　be　deciphered　by　me　or　any　one　else。　The　lady　with　the　eyes　like
a　deer　had　appeared　to　old　Potts　in　vain；　in　vain　had　she　bidden　him
to　hand　over　this　manuscript　to　me。

So　I　thought　at　the　time；　not　knowing　the　resources　of　science。
Afterwards；　however；　I　took　that　huge　bundle　to　a　friend；　a　learned
friend　whose　business　in　life　it　was　and　is；　to　deal　with　and　to
decipher　old　manuscripts。

〃Looks　pretty　hopeless；〃　he　said；　after　staring　at　these。　〃Still；
let's　have　a　try；　one　never　knows　till　one　tries。〃

Then　he　went　to　a　cupboard　in　his　muniment　room　and　produced　a　bottle
full　of　some　straw…coloured　fluid　into　which　he　dipped　an　ordinary
painting　brush。　This　charged　brush　he　rubbed　backwards　and　forwards
over　the　first　lines　of　the　writing　and　waited。　Within　a　minute；
before　my　astonished　eyes；　that　faint；　indistinguishable　script　turned
coal…black；　as　black　as　though　it　had　been　written　with　the　best
modern　ink　yesterday。

〃It's　all　right；〃　he　said　triumphantly；　〃it's　vegetable　ink；　and　this
stuff　has　the　power　to　bring　it　up　as　it　was　on　the　day　when　it　was
used。　It　will　stay　like　that　for　a　fortnight　and　then　fade　away　again。
Your　manuscript　is　pretty　ancient；　my　friend；　time　of　Richard　II；　I
should　say；　but　I　can　read　it　easily　enough。　Look；　it　begins；　'I；
Hubert　de　Hastings；　write　this　in　the　land　of　Tavantinsuyu；　far　from
England　where　I　was　born；　whither　I　shall　never　more　return；　being　a
wanderer　as　the　rune　upon　the　sword　of　my　ancestor；　Thorgrimmer；
foretold　that　I　should　be；　which　sword　my　mother　gave　me　on　the　day　of
the　burning　of　Hastings　by　the　French；'　and　so　on。〃　Here　he　stopped。

〃Then　for　heaven's　sake；　do　read　it；〃　I　said。

〃My　dear　friend；〃　he　answered；　〃it　looks　to　me　as　though　it　would　mean
several　months'　work；　and　forgive　me　for　saying　that　I　am　paid　a
salary　for　my　time。　Now　I'll　tell　you　what　you　have　to　do。　All　this
stuff　must　be　treated；　sheet　by　sheet；　and　when　it　turns　black　it　must
be　photographed　before　the　writing　fades　once　more。　Then　a　skilled
personso…and…so；　or　so…and…so；　are　two　names　that　occur　to　memust
be　employed　to　decipher　it　again；　sheet　by　sheet。　It　will　cost　you
money；　but　I　should　say　that　it　was　worth　while。　Where　the　devil　is；
or　was；　the　land　of　Tavantinsuyu？〃

〃I　know；〃　I　answered；　glad　to　be　able　to　show　myself　superior　to　my
learned　friend　in　one　humble　instance。　〃Tavantinsuyu　was　the　native
name　for　the　Empire　of　Peru　before　the　Spanish　Invasion。　But　how　did
this　Hubert　get　there　in　the　time　of　Richard　II？　That　is　some
centuries　earlier　than　Pizarro　set　foot　upon　its　shores。〃

〃Go　and　find　out；〃　he　answered。　〃It　will　amuse　you　for　quite　a　long
while　and　perhaps　the　results　may　meet　the　expenses　of　decipherment；
if　they　are　worth　publishing。　I　expect　they　are　not；　but　then；　I　have
read　so　many　old　manuscripts　and　found　most　of　them　so　jolly　dull。〃

Well；　that　business　was　accomplished　at　a　cost　that　I　do　not　like　to
record；　and　here　are　the　results；　more　or　less　modernised；　since　often
Hubert　of　Hastings　expressed　himself　in　a　queer　and　archaic　fashion。
Also　sometimes　he　used　Indian　words　as　though　he　had　talked　the　tongue
of　these　Peruvians；　or　rather　the　Chanca　variety　of　it；　so　long　that
he　had　begun　to　forget　his　own　language。　Myself　I　have　found　his　story
very　romantic　and　interesting；　and　I　hope　that　some　others　will　be　of
the　same　opinion。　Let　them　judge。

But　oh；　I　do　wonder　what　was　the　end　of　it；　some　of　which　doubtless
was　recorded　on　the　rotted　sheets　though　of　course　there　can　have　been
no　account　of　the　great　battle　in　which　he　fell；　since　Quilla　could
not　write　at　all；　least　of　all　in　English；　though　I　suppose　she
survived　it　and　him。

The　only　hint　of　that　end　is　to　be　found　in　old　Potts's　dream　or
vision；　and　what　is　the　worth　of　dreams　and　visions？







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　I



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　I

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SWORD　AND　THE　RING

I；　Hubert　of　Hastings；　write　this　in　the　land　of　Tavantinsuyu；　far
from　England；　where　I　was　born；　whither　I　shall　never　more　return；
being　a　wanderer　as　the　rune　upon　the　sword　of　my　ancestor；
Thorgrimmer；　foretold　that　I　should　be；　which　sword　my　mother　gave　me
on　the　day　of　the　burning　of　Hastings　by　the　French。　I　write　it　with　a
pen　that　I　have　shaped　from　a　wing　feather　of　the　great　eagle　of　the
mountains；　with　ink　that　I　have　made　from　the　juices　of　certain　herbs
which　I　discovered；　and　on　parchment　that　I　have　split　from　the　skins
of　native　sheep；　with　my　own　hands；　but　badly　I　fear；　though　I　have
seen　that　art　practised　when　I　was　a　merchant　of　the　Cheap　in　London
Town。

I　will　begin　at　the　beginning。

I　am　the　son　of　a　fishing…boat　owner　and　was　a　trader　in　the　ancient
town　of　Hastings；　and　my　father　was　drowned　while　following　his　trade
at　sea。　Afterwards；　being　the　only　child　left　of　his；　I　took　on　his
business；　and　on　a　certain　day　went　out　to　sea　to　net　fish　with　two　of
my　serving　men。　I　was　then　a　young　man　of　about　three　and　twenty　years
of　age　and　not　uncomely。　My　hair；　which　I　wore　long；　was　fair　in
colour　and　curled。　My　eyes；　set　wide　apart；　were　and　still　are　large
and　blue；　although　they　have　darkened　somewhat　and　sunk　into　the　head
in　this　land　of　heat　and　sunshine。　My　nose　was　wide…nostrilled　and
large；　my　mouth　also　was　over…large；　although　my　mother　and　some
others　used　to　think　it　well…shaped。　In　truth；　I　was　large　all　over
though　not　so　tall；　being　burly；　with　a　great　breadth　of　chest　and
uncommon　thickness　through　the　body；　and　very　strong；　so　strong　that
there　were　few　who　could　throw　me　when　I　was　young。

For　the　rest；　like　King　David；　I；　who　am　now　so　tanned　and　weather
worn　that　at　a　little　distance　were　my　hair　and　beard　hidden　I　might
almost　be　taken　for　one　of　the　Indian　chiefs　about　me；　was　of　a　ruddy
and　a　pleasant　countenance；　perhaps　because　of　my　wonderful　health；
who　had　never　known　a　day　of　sickness；　and　of　an　easy　nature　that
often　goes　with　health。　I　will　add　this；　for　why　should　I　notthat　I
was　no　fool；　but　one　of　those　who　succeed　in　that　upon　which　they　set
their　minds。　Had　I　been　a　fool　I　should　not　to…day　be　the　king　of　a
great　people　and　the　husband　of　their　queen；　indeed；　I　should　not　be
alive。

But　enough　of　myself　and　my　appearance　in　those　years　that　seem　as　far
off　as　though　they　had　never　been　save　in　the　land　of　dreams。

Now　I　and　my　two　serving　men；　sailors　both　of　them　like　myself　and
most　of　the　folk　of　Hastings　set　out　upon　a　summer　eve；　purposing　to
fish　all　night　and　return　at　dawn。　We　came　to　our　chosen　ground　and
cast　out　the　net；　meeting　with　wonderful　fortune　since　by　three　in　the
morning　the　big　boat　was　full　of　every　kind　of　fish。　Never　before；
indeed；　had　we　made　so　large　a　haul。

Looking　back　at　that　great　catch；　as　here　in　this　far　land　it　is　my
habit　to　do　upon　everything；　however　small；　that　happened　to　me　in　my
youth　before　I　became　a　wanderer　and　an　exile；　I　seem　to　see　in　it　an
omen。　For　has　it　not　always　been　my　lot　in　life　to　be　kissed　of
fortune　and　to　gather　great　store；　and　then　of　a　sudden　to　lose　it　all
as　I　was　to　lose　that　rich　multitude　of　fishes？

To…day；　when　I　write　this；　once　more　I　have　great　wealth　of　pomp　and
love　and　power；　of　gold　also；　more　than　I　can　count。　When　I　go　forth；
my　armies；　who　still　look　on　me　as　half