when the world shook-第51节

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he　asked。　'Know　that　if　you　will　not　swear；　the　man　dies。'



〃'I　swear；'　I　answeredfor　your　sake；　Humphreythough　I　did

not　love　the　oath。



〃Then　he　gave　me　a　certain　medicine　to　mix　with　the　Life…water；

and　when　you　were　almost　gone　that　medicine　cured　you；　though

Bickley　does　not　know　it；　as　nothing　else　could　have　done。　Now　I

have　told　you　the　truth；　for　your　own　ear　only；　Humphrey。〃



〃Yva；〃　I　asked；　〃why　did　you　do　all　this　for　me？〃



〃Humphrey；　I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　think　because　I

must。　Now　sleep　a　while。〃







Chapter　XIX



The　Proposals　of　Bastin　and　Bickley





So　far　as　my　body　was　concerned　I　grew　well　with　great

rapidity；　though　it　was　long　before　I　got　back　my　strength。　Thus

I　could　not　walk　far　or　endure　any　sustained　exertion。　With　my

mind　it　was　otherwise。　I　can　not　explain　what　had　happened　to　it；

indeed　I　do　not　know；　but　in　a　sense　it　seemed　to　have　become

detached　and　to　have　assumed　a　kind　of　personality　of　its　own。　At

times　it　felt　as　though　it　were　no　longer　an　inhabitant　of　the

body；　but　rather　its　more　or　less　independent　partner。　I　was

perfectly　clear…headed　and　of　insanity　I　experienced　no　symptoms。

Yet　my　mind；　I　use　that　term　from　lack　of　a　better；　was　not

entirely　under　my　control。　For　one　thing；　at　night　it　appeared　to

wander　far　away；　though　whither　it　went　and　what　it　saw　there　I

could　never　remember。



I　record　this　because　possibly　it　explains　certain　mysterious

events；　if　they　were　events　and　not　dreams；　which　shortly　I　must

set　out。　I　spoke　to　Bickley　about　the　matter。　He　put　it　by

lightly；　saying　that　it　was　only　a　result　of　my　long　and　most

severe　illness　and　that　I　should　steady　down　in　time；　especially

if　we　could　escape　from　that　island　and　its　unnatural　atmosphere。

Yet　as　he　spoke　he　glanced　at　me　shrewdly　with　his　quick　eyes；

and　when　he　turned　to　go　away　I　heard　him　mutter　something　to

himself　about　〃unholy　influences〃　and　〃that　confounded　old　Oro。〃



The　words　were　spoken　to　himself　and　quite　beneath　his　breath；

and　of　course　not　meant　to　reach　me。　But　one　of　the　curious

concomitants　of　my　state　was　that　all　my　senses；　and　especially

my　hearing；　had　become　most　abnormally　acute。　A　whisper　far　away

was　now　to　me　like　a　loud　remark　made　in　a　room。



Bickley's　reflection；　for　I　can　scarcely　call　it　more；　set　me

thinking。　Yva　had　said　that　Oro　sent　me　medicine　which　was

administered　to　me　without　Bickley's　knowledge；　and　as　she

believed；　saved　my　life；　or　certainly　my　reason。　What　was　in　it？

I　wondered。　Then　there　was　that　Life…water　which　Yva　brought　and

insisted　upon　my　drinking　every　day。　Undoubtedly　it　was　a

marvelous　tonic　and　did　me　good。　But　it　had　other　effects　also。

Thus；　as　she　said　would　be　the　case；　after　a　course　of　it　I

conceived　the　greatest　dislike；　which　I　may　add　has　never

entirely　left　me；　of　any　form　of　meat；　also　of　alcohol。　All　I

seemed　to　want　was　this　water　with　fruit；　or　such　native

vegetables　as　there　were。　Bickley　disapproved　and　made　me　eat

fish　occasionally；　but　even　this　revolted　me；　and　since　I　gained

steadily　in　weight；　as　we　found　out　by　a　simple　contrivance；　and

remained　healthy　in　every　other　way；　soon　he　allowed　me　to　choose

my　own　diet。



About　this　time　Oro　began　to　pay　me　frequent　visits。　He　always

came　at　night；　and　what　is　more　I　knew　when　he　was　coming；

although　he　never　gave　me　warning。　Here　I　should　explain　that

during　my　illness　Bastin；　who　was　so　ingenious　in　such　matters；

had　built　another　hut　in　which　he　and　Bickley　slept；　of　course

when　they　were　not　watching　me；　leaving　our　old　bed…chamber　to

myself。



Well；　I　would　wake　up　and　be　aware　that　Oro　was　coming。　Then　he

appeared　in　a　silent　and　mysterious　way；　as　though　he　had

materialised　in　the　room；　for　I　never　saw　him　pass　the　doorway。

In　the　moonlight；　or　the　starlight；　which　flowed　through　the

entrance　and　the　side　of　the　hut　that　was　only　enclosed　with

latticework；　I　perceived　him　seat　himself　upon　a　certain　stool；

looking　like　a　most　majestic　ghost　with　his　flowing　robes；　long

white　beard；　hooked　nose　and　hawk　eyes。　In　the　day…time　he　much

resembled　the　late　General　Booth　whom　I　had　often　seen；　except

for　certain　added　qualities　of　height　and　classic　beauty　of

countenance。　At　night；　however；　he　resembled　no　one　but　himself；

indeed　there　was　something　mighty　and　godlike　in　his　appearance；

something　that　made　one　feel　that　he　was　not　as　are　other　men。



For　a　while　he　would　sit　and　look　at　me。　Then　he　began　to　speak

in　a　low；　vibrant　voice。　What　did　he　speak　of？　Well；　many

matters。　It　was　as　though　he　were　unburdening　that　hoary　soul　of

his　because　it　could　no　longer　endure　the　grandeur　of　its　own

loneliness。　Amongst　sundry　secret　things；　he　told　me　of　the　past

history　of　this　world　of　ours；　and　of　the　mighty　civilisations

which　for　uncounted　ages　he　and　his　forefathers　had　ruled　by　the

strength　of　their　will　and　knowledge；　of　the　dwindling　of　their

race　and　of　the　final　destruction　of　its　enemies；　although　I

noticed　that　now　he　no　longer　said　that　this　was　his　work　alone。

One　night　I　asked　him　if　he　did　not　miss　all　such　pomp　and　power。



Then　suddenly　he　broke　out；　and　for　the　first　time　I　really

learned　what　ambition　can　be　when　it　utterly　possesses　the　soul

of　man。



〃Are　you　mad；〃　he　asked；　〃that　you　suppose　that　I；　Oro；　the

King　of　kings；　can　be　content　to　dwell　solitary　in　a　great　cave

with　none　but　the　shadows　of　the　dead　to　serve　me？　Nay；　I　must

rule　again　and　be　even　greater　than　before；　or　else　I　too　will

die。　Better　to　face　the　future；　even　if　it　means　oblivion；　than

to　remain　thus　a　relic　of　a　glorious　past；　still　living　and　yet

dead；　like　that　statue　of　the　great　god　Fate　which　you　saw　in　the

temple　of　my　worship。〃



〃Bastin　does　not　think　that　the　future　means　oblivion；〃　I

remarked。



〃I　know　it。　I　have　studied　his　faith　and　find　it　too　humble　for

my　taste；　also　too　new。　Shall　I；　Oro；　creep　a　suppliant　before

any　Power；　and　confess　what　Bastin　is　pleased　to　call　my　sins？

Nay；　I　who　am　great　will　be　the　equal　of　all　greatness；　or

nothing。〃



He　paused　a　while；　then　went　on：



〃Bastin　speaks　of　'eternity。'　Where　and　what　then　is　this

eternity　which　if　it　has　no　end　can　have　had　no　beginning？　I　know

the　secret　of　the　suns　and　their　attendant　worlds；　and　they　are

no　more　eternal　than　the　insect　which　glitters　for　an　hour。　Out

of　shapeless；　rushing　gases　they　gathered　to　live　their　day；　and

into　gases　at　last　they　dissolve　again　with　all　they　bore。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃but　they　reform　into　new　worlds。〃



〃That　have　no　part　with　the　old。　This　world；　too；　will　melt；

departing　to　whence　it　came；　as　your　sacred　writings　say；　and

what　then　of　those　who　dwelt　and　dwell　thereon？　No；　Man　of

today；　give　me　Time　in　which　I　rule　and　keep　your　dreams　of　an

Eternity　that　is　not；　and　in　which　you　must　still　crawl　and

serve；　even　if　it　were。　Yet；　if　I　might；　I　confess　it；　I　would

live　on　for　ever；　but　as　Master　not　as　Slave。〃





On　another　night　he　began　to　tempt　me；　very　subtly。　〃I　see　a

spark　of　greatness　in　you；　Humphrey；〃　he　said；　〃and　it　comes　into

my　heart　that　you；　too；　might　learn　to　rule。　With　Yva；　the　last

of　my　blood；　it　is　otherwise。　She　is　the　child　of　my　age　and　of　a

race　outworn；　too　gentle；　too　much　all　womanly。　The　soul　that

triumphs　must　shine　like　steel　in　the　sun；　and　cut　if　need　be；

not　merely　be　beauteous　and　shed　perfume　like　a　lily　in　the

shade。　Yet　she　is　very　wise　and　fair；〃　here　he　looked　at　me；

〃perchance　of　her　might　come　children　such　as　were　their

forefathers；　who　again　would　wield　the　sceptre　of　the　dominion　of

the　earth。〃



I　made　no　answer；　wondering　what　he　meant　exactly　and　thinking

it　wisest　to　be　silent。



〃You　are　of　the　short…lived　races；〃　he　went　on；　〃yet　very　much

a　man；　not　without　intelligence；　and　by　the　arts　I　have　I　can　so

strengthen　your　frame　that　it　will　endure　the　shocks　of　time　for

three　such　lives　as　yours；　or　perchance　for　more；　and　then〃



Again　he　paused　and　went　on：



〃The　Daughter　of　kings　likes　you　also；　perhaps　because　you

resemble〃　here　he　fixed　me　with　his　piercing　eyes；　〃a　certain

kinglet　of　base　blood　whom　once　she　also　liked；　but　whom　it　was

my　duty　to　destroy。　Well；　I　must　think。　I　must　study　this　world

of　yours　also　and　therein　you　may　help　me。　Perhaps　afterwards　I

will　tell　you　how。　Now　sleep。〃



In　another　moment　he　was　gone；　but　notwithstanding　his　powerful

command；　for　a　while　I　could　not　sleep。　I　understood　that　he　was

offering　Yva　to　me；　but　upon　what　terms？　That　was　the　question。

With　her　was　to　go　great　dominion　over　the　kingdoms　of　the　earth。

I　could　not　help　remembering　that　always　this　has　been　and　still

is　Satan's　favourite　bait。　To　me　it　did　not　particularly　appeal。

I　had　been　ambitious　in　my　timewho　is　not　that　is　worth　his

salt？　I　could　have　wished　to　excel　in　something；　literature　or

art；　or　wh