when the world shook-第41节

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Bickley　that　must　have　penetrated　him　like　a　searchlight。　Then　he

opened　the　map　of　Europe　and　with　his　finger　indicated　Germany

and　Austria…Hungary。　〃I　know　nothing　of　the　peoples　of　these

lands；〃　he　added；　〃but　as　you　belong　to　one　of　them　and　are　my

guests；　I　trust　that　yours　may　succeed　in　the　war。〃



〃What　way？〃　we　asked　with　one　voice。



〃Since　Bickley　is　so　clever；　surely　he　should　know　better　than

an　illusion　such　as　I。　All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　I　have　learned

that　there　is　war　between　this　country　and　that；〃　and　he　pointed

to　Great　Britain　and　to　Germany　upon　the　map；　〃also　between

others。〃



〃It　is　quite　possible；〃　I　said；　remembering　many　things。　〃But

how　do　you　know？〃



〃If　I　told　you；　Humphrey；　Bickley　would　not　believe；　so　I　will

not　tell。　Perhaps　I　saw　it　in　that　crystal；　as　did　the

necromancers　of　the　early　world。　Or　perhaps　the　crystal　serves

some　different　purpose　and　I　saw　it　otherwisewith　my　soul。　At

least　what　I　say　is　true。〃



〃Then　who　will　win？〃　asked　Bastin。



〃I　cannot　read　the　future；　Preacher。　If　I　could；　should　I　ask

you　to　expound　to　me　your　religion　which　probably　is　of　no　more

worth　than　a　score　of　others　I　have　studied；　just　because　it

tells　of　the　future？　If　I　could　read　the　future　I　should　be　a　god

instead　of　only　an　earth…lord。〃



〃Your　daughter　called　you　a　god　and　you　said　that　you　knew　we

were　coming　to　wake　you　up；　which　is　reading　the　future；〃

answered　Bastin。



〃Every　father　is　a　god　to　his　daughter；　or　should　be；　also　in

my　day　millions　named　me　a　god　because　I　saw　further　and　struck

harder　than　they　could。　As　for　the　rest；　it　came　to　me　in　a

vision。　Oh！　Bickley；　if　you　were　wiser　than　you　think　you　are；

you　would　know　that　all　things　to　come　are　born　elsewhere　and

travel　hither　like　the　light　from　stars。　Sometimes　they　come

faster　before　their　day　into　a　single　mind；　and　that　is　what　men

call　prophecy。　But　this　is　a　gift　which　cannot　be　commanded；　even

by　me。　Also　I　did　not　know　that　you　would　come。　I　knew　only　that

we　should　awaken　and　by　the　help　of　men；　for　if　none　had　been

present　at　that　destined　hour　we　must　have　died　for　lack　of

warmth　and　sustenance。〃



〃I　deny　your　hypothesis　in　toto；〃　exclaimed　Bickley；　but　nobody

paid　any　attention　to　him。



〃My　father；〃　said　Yva；　rising　and　bowing　before　him　with　her

swan…like　grace；　〃I　have　noted　your　commands。　But　do　you　permit

that　I　show　the　temple　to　these　strangers；　also　something　of　our

past？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said。　〃It　will　save　much　talk　in　a　savage　tongue

that　is　difficult　to　me。　But　bring　them　here　no　more　without　my

command；　save　Bastin　only。　When　the　sun　is　four　hours　high　in　the

upper　world；　let　him　come　tomorrow　to　teach　me；　and　afterwards　if

so　I　desire。　Or　if　he　wills；　he　can　sleep　here。〃



〃I　think　I　would　rather　not；〃　said　Bastin　hurriedly。　〃I　make　no

pretense　to　being　particular；　but　this　place　does　not　appeal　to

me　as　a　bedroom。　There　are　degrees　in　the　pleasures　of　solitude

and；　in　short；　I　will　not　disturb　your　privacy　at　night。〃



Oro　waved　his　hand　and　we　departed　down　that　awful　and　most

dreary　hall。



〃I　hope　you　will　spend　a　pleasant　time　here；　Bastin；〃　I　said；

looking　back　from　the　doorway　at　its　cold；　illuminated　vastness。



〃I　don't　expect　to；〃　he　answered；　〃but　duty　is　duty；　and　if　I

can　drag　that　old　sinner　back　from　the　pit　that　awaits　him；　it

will　be　worth　doing。　Only　I　have　my　doubts　about　him。　To　me　he

seems　to　bear　a　strong　family　resemblance　to　Beelzebub；　and　he's

a　bad　companion　week　in　and　week　out。〃



We　went　through　the　portico；　Yva　leading　us；　and　passed　the

fountain　of　Life…water；　of　which　she　cautioned　us　to　drink　no

more　at　present；　and　to　prevent　him　from　doing　so；　dragged　Tommy

past　it　by　his　collar。　Bickley；　however；　lingered　under　the

pretence　of　making　a　further　examination　of　the　statue。　As　I　had

seen　him　emptying　into　his　pocket　the　contents　of　a　corked　bottle

of　quinine　tabloids　which　he　always　carried　with　him；　I　guessed

very　well　that　his　object　was　to　procure　a　sample　of　this　water

for　future　analysis。　Of　course　I　said　nothing；　and　Yva　and　Bastin

took　no　note　of　what　he　was　doing。



When　we　were　clear　of　the　palace；　of　which　we　had　only　seen　one

hall；　we　walked　across　an　open　space　made　unutterably　dreary　by

the　absence　of　any　vegetation　or　other　sign　of　life；　towards　a

huge　building　of　glorious　proportions　that　was　constructed　of

black　stone　or　marble。　It　is　impossible　for　me　to　give　any　idea

of　the　frightful　solemnity　of　this　doomed　edifice；　for　as　I　think

I　have　said；　it　alone　had　a　roof；　standing　there　in　the　midst　of

that　brilliant；　unvarying　and　most　unnatural　illumination　which

came　from　nowhere　and　yet　was　everywhere。　Thus；　when　one　lifted　a

foot；　there　it　was　between　the　sole　of　the　boot　and　the　floor；　or

to　express　it　better；　the　boot　threw　no　shadow。　I　think　this

absence　of　shadows　was　perhaps　the　most　terrifying　circumstance

connected　with　that　universal　and　pervading　light。　Through　it　we

walked　on　to　the　temple。　We　passed　three　courts；　pillared　all　of

them；　and　came　to　the　building　which　was　larger　than　St。　Paul's

in　London。　We　entered　through　huge　doors　which　still　stood　open；

and　presently　found　ourselves　beneath　the　towering　dome。　There

were　no　windows；　why　should　there　be　in　a　place　that　was　full　of

light？　There　was　no　ornamentation；　there　was　nothing　except　black

walls。　And　yet　the　general　effect　was　magnificent　in　its　majestic

grace。



〃In　this　place；〃　said　Yva；　and　her　sweet　voice　went　whispering

round　the　walls　and　the　arching　dome；　〃were　buried　the　Kings　of

the　Sons　of　Wisdom。　They　lie　beneath；　each　in　his　sepulchre。　Its

entrance　is　yonder；〃　and　she　pointed　to　what　seemed　to　be　a

chapel　on　the　right。　〃Would　you　wish　to　see　them？〃



〃Somehow　I　don't　care　to；〃　said　Bastin。　〃The　place　is　dreary

enough　as　it　is　without　the　company　of　a　lot　of　dead　kings。〃



〃I　should　like　to　dissect　one　of　them；　but　I　suppose　that　would

not　be　allowed；〃　said　Bickley。



〃No；〃　she　answered。　〃I　think　that　the　Lord　Oro　would　not　wish

you　to　cut　up　his　forefathers。〃



〃When　you　and　he　went　to　sleep；　why　did　you　not　choose　the

family　vault？〃　asked　Bastin。



〃Would　you　have　found　us　there？〃　she　queried　by　way　of　answer。

Then；　understanding　that　the　invitation　was　refused　by　general

consent；　though　personally　I　should　have　liked　to　accept　it；　and

have　never　ceased　regretting　that　I　did　not；　she　moved　towards　a

colossal　object　which　stood　beneath　the　centre　of　the　dome。



On　a　stepped　base；　not　very　different　from　that　in　the　cave　but

much　larger；　sat　a　figure；　draped　in　a　cloak　on　which　was　graved

a　number　of　stars；　doubtless　to　symbolise　the　heavens。　The

fastening　of　the　cloak　was　shaped　like　the　crescent　moon；　and　the

foot…stool　on　which　rested　the　figure's　feet　was　fashioned　to

suggest　the　orb　of　the　sun。　This　was　of　gold　or　some　such　metal；

the　only　spot　of　brightness　in　all　that　temple。　It　was　impossible

to　say　whether　the　figure　were　male　or　female；　for　the　cloak

falling　in　long；　straight　folds　hid　its　outlines。　Nor　did　the

head　tell　us；　for　the　hair　also　was　hidden　beneath　the　mantle　and

the　face　might　have　been　that　of　either　man　or　woman。　It　was

terrible　in　its　solemnity　and　calm；　and　its　expression　was　as

remote　and　mystic　as　that　of　Buddha。　only　more　stern。　Also

without　doubt　it　was　blind；　it　was　impossible　to　mistake　the

sightlessness　of　those　staring　orbs。　Across　the　knees　lay　a　naked

sword　and　beneath　the　cloak　the　arms　were　hidden。　In　its　complete

simplicity　the　thing　was　marvelous。



On　either　side　upon　the　pedestal　knelt　a　figure　of　the　size　of

life。　One　was　an　old　and　withered　man　with　death　stamped　upon　his

face；　the　other　was　a　beautiful；　naked　woman；　her　hands　clasped

in　the　attitude　of　prayer　and　with　vague　terror　written　on　her

vivid　features。



Such　was　this　glorious　group　of　which　the　meaning　could　not　be

mistaken。　It　was　Fate　throned　upon　the　sun；　wearing　the

constellations　as　his　garment；　armed　with　the　sword　of　Destiny

and　worshipped　by　Life　and　Death。　This　interpretation　I　set　out

to　the　others。



Yva　knelt　before　the　statue　for　a　little　while；　bowing　her　head

in　prayer；　and　really　I　felt　inclined　to　follow　her　example；

though　in　the　end　I　compromised；　as　did　Bickley；　by　taking　off　my

hat；　which；　like　the　others；　I　still　wore　from　force　of　habit；

though　in　this　place　none　were　needed。　Only　Bastin　remained

covered。



〃Behold　the　god　of　my　people；〃　said　Yva。　〃Have　you　no　reverence

for　it；　O　Bastin？〃



〃Not　much；〃　he　answered；　〃except　as　a　work　of　art。　You　see　I

worship　Fate's　Master。　I　might　add　that　your　god　doesn't　seem　to

have　done　much　for　you；　Lady　Yva；　as　out　of　all　your　greatness

there's　nothing　left　but　two　people　and　a　lot　of　old　walls　and

caves。〃



At　first　she　was　inclined　to　be　angry；　for　I　saw　her　start。

Then　her　mood　changed；　and　she　said　with　a　si