when the world shook-第58节

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〃If　you　lived　as　long　as　those　stars；　the　end　would　be　the

same；　Oro。〃



〃Yes；　but　the　life　of　the　stars　is　very　long；　millions　of

millions　of　years；　also；　after　death；　they　reform；　as　other

stars。　But　shall　I　reform　as　another　Oro？　With　all　my　wisdom；　I

do　not　know。　It　is　known　to　Fate　onlyFate…the　master　of　worlds

and　men　and　the　gods　they　worshipFate；　whom　it　may　please　to

spill　my　gathered　knowledge；　to　be　lost　in　the　sands　of　Time。〃



〃It　seems　that　you　are　great；〃　I　said；　〃and　have　lived　long　and

learned　much。　Yet　the　end　of　it　is　that　your　lot　is　neither　worse

nor　better　than　that　of　us　creatures　of　an　hour。〃



〃It　is　so；　Humphrey。　Presently　you　will　die；　and　within　a　few

centuries　I　shall　die　also　and　be　as　you　are。　You　believe　that

you　will　live　again　eternally。　It　may　be　so　because　you　do

believe；　since　Fate　allows　Faith　to　shape　the　future；　if　only　for

a　little　while。　But　in　me　Wisdom　has　destroyed　Faith　and

therefore　I　must　die。　Even　if　I　sleep　again　for　tens　of　thousands

of　years；　what　will　it　help　me；　seeing　that　sleep　is

unconsciousness　and　that　I　shall　only　wake　again　to　die；　since

sleep　does　not　restore　to　us　our　youth？〃



He　ceased；　and　walked　up　and　down　the　rock　with　a　troubled

mien。　Then　he　stood　in　front　of　me　and　said　in　a　triumphant

voice：



〃At　least；　while　I　live　I　will　rule；　and　then　let　come　what　may

come。　I　know　that　you　do　not　believe；　and　the　first　victory　of

this　new　day　of　mine　shall　be　to　make　you　believe。　I　have　great

powers　and　you　shall　see　them　at　work；　and　afterwards；　if　things

go　right；　rule　with　me　for　a　little　while；　perhaps；　as　the　first

of　my　subjects。　Hearken　now；　in　one　small　matter　my　calculations；

made　so　long　ago；　have　gone　wrong。　They　showed　me　that　at　this

time　a　day　of　earthquakes；　such　as　those　that　again　and　again

have　rocked　and　split　the　world；　would　recur。　But　now　it　seems

that　there　is　an　error；　a　tiny　error　of　eleven　hundred　years；

which　must　go　by　before　those　earthquakes　come。〃



〃Are　you　sure；〃　I　suggested　humbly；　〃that　there　is　not　also　an

error　in　those　star…maps　you　hold？〃



〃I　am　sure；　Humphrey。　Some　day；　who　knows？　You　may　return　to

your　world　of　modern　men　who；　I　gather；　have　knowledge　of　the

great　science　of　astronomy。　Take　now　these　maps　with　which　I　have

done；　and　submit　them　to　the　most　learned　of　those　men；　and　let

them　tell　you　whether　I　was　right　or　wrong　in　what　I　wrote　upon

this　metal　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　ago。　Whatever

else　is　false；　at　least　the　stars　in　their　motions　can　never

die。〃



Then　he　handed　me　the　maps　and　was　gone。　I　have　them　today；　and

if　ever　this　book　is　published；　they　will　appear　with　it；　that

those　who　are　qualified　may　judge　of　them　and　of　the　truth　or

otherwise　of　Oro's　words。



From　that　night　forward　for　quite　a　long　time　I　saw　Oro　no

more。　Nor　indeed　did　any　of　us；　since　for　some　reason　of　his　own

he　forbade　us　to　visit　the　under　ground　city　of　Nyo。　Oddly

enough；　however；　he　commanded　Yva　to　bring　down　the　spaniel；

Tommy；　to　be　with　him　from　time　to　time。　When　I　asked　her　why；

she　said　it　was　because　he　was　lonely　and　desired　the　dog's

companionship。　It　seemed　to　us　very　strange　that　this　super…man；

who　had　the　wisdom　of　ten　Solomons　gathered　in　one　within　his

breast；　should　yet　desire　the　company　of　a　little　dog。　What　then

was　the　worth　of　learning　and　long　life；　or；　indeed；　of　anything？

Well；　Solomon　himself　asked　the　question　ages　since；　and　could

give　no　answer　save　that　all　is　vanity。



I　noted　about　this　time　that　Yva　began　to　grow　very　sad　and

troubled；　indeed；　looking　at　her　suddenly　on　two　or　three

occasions；　I　saw　that　her　beautiful　eyes　were　aswim　with　tears。

Also；　I　noted　that　always　as　she　grew　sadder　she　became；　in　a

sense；　more　human。　In　the　beginning　she　was；　as　it　were；　far

away。　One　could　never　forget　that　she　was　the　child　of　some　alien

race　whose　eyes　had　looked　upon　the　world　when；　by　comparison；

humanity　was　young；　at　times；　indeed；　she　might　have　been　the

denizen　of　another　planet；　strayed　to　earth。　Although　she　never

flaunted　it；　one　felt　that　her　simplest　word　hid　secret　wisdom；

that　to　her　books　were　open　in　which　we　could　not　read。　Moreover；

as　I　have　said；　occasionally　power　flamed　out　of　her；　power　that

was　beyond　our　ken　and　understanding。



Yet　with　all　this　there　was　nothing　elfish　about　her；　nothing

uncanny。　She　was　always　kind；　and；　as　we　could　feel；　innately

good　and　gentle…hearted；　just　a　woman　made　half…divine　by　gifts

and　experience　that　others　lack。　She　did　not；　even　make　use　of

her　wondrous　beauty　to　madden　men；　as　she　might　well　have　done

had　she　been　so　minded。　It　is　true　that　both　Bastin　and　Bickley

fell　in　love　with　her；　but　that　was　only　because　all　with　whom

she　had　to　do　must　love　her；　and　then；　when　she　told　them　that　it

might　not　be；　it　was　in　such　a　fashion　that　no　soreness　was　left

behind。　They　went　on　loving　her；　that　was　all；　but　as　men　love

their　sisters　or　their　daughters；　as　we　conceive　that　they　may

love　in　that　land　where　there　is　no　marrying　or　giving　in

marriage。



But　now；　in　her　sadness；　she　drew　ever　nearer　to　us；　and

especially　to　myself；　more　in　tune　with　our　age　and　thought。　In

truth；　save　for　her　royal　and　glittering　loveliness　in　which

there　was　some　quality　which　proclaimed　her　of　another　blood；　and

for　that　reserve　of　hidden　power　which　at　times　would　look　out　of

her　eyes　or　break　through　her　words；　she　might　in　most　ways　have

been　some　singularly　gifted　and　beautiful　modern　woman。



The　time　has　come　when　I　must　speak　of　my　relations　with　Yva

and　of　their　climax。　As　may　have　been　guessed；　from　the　first　I

began　to　love　her。　While　the　weeks　went　on　that　love　grew　and

grew；　until　it　utterly　possessed　me；　although　for　a　certain

reason　connected　with　one　dead；　at　first　I　fought　against　it。　Yet

it　did　not　develop　quite　in　the　fashion　that　might　have　been

expected。　There　was　no　blazing　up　of　passion's　fire；　rather　was

there　an　ever…increasing　glow　of　the　holiest　affection；　till　at

last　it　became　a　lamp　by　which　I　must　guide　my　feet　through　life

and　death。　This　love　of　mine　seemed　not　of　earth　but　from　the

stars。　As　yet　I　had　said　nothing　to　her　of　it　because　in　some　way

I　felt　that　she　did　not　wish　me　to　do　so；　felt　also　that　she　was

well　aware　of　all　that　passed　within　my　heart；　and　desired；　as　it

were；　to　give　it　time　to　ripen　there。　Then　one　day　there　came　a

change；　and　though　no　glance　or　touch　of　Yva's　told　me　so；　I　knew

that　the　bars　were　taken　down　and　that　I　might　speak。





It　was　a　night　of　full　moon。　All　that　afternoon　she　had　been

talking　to　Bastin　apart；　I　suppose　about　religion；　for　I　saw　that

he　had　some　books　in　his　hand　from　which　he　was　expounding

something　to　her　in　his　slow；　earnest　way。　Then　she　came　and　sat

with　us　while　we　took　our　evening　meal。　I　remember　that　mine

consisted　of　some　of　the　Life…water　which　she　had　brought　with　her

and　fruit；　for；　as　I　think　I　have　said；　I　had　acquired　her

dislike　to　meat；　also　that　she　ate　some　plantains；　throwing　the

skins　for　Tommy　to　fetch　and　laughing　at　his　play。　When　it　was

over；　Bastin　and　Bickley　went　away　together；　whether　by　chance　or

design　I　do　not　know；　and　she　said　to　me　suddenly：



〃Humphrey；　you　have　often　asked　me　about　the　city　Pani；　of

which　a　little　portion　of　the　ruins　remains　upon　this　island；　the

rest　being　buried　beneath　the　waters。　If　you　wish　I　will　show　you

where　our　royal　palace　was　before　the　barbarians　destroyed　it

with　their　airships。　The　moon　is　very　bright；　and　by　it　we　can

see。〃



I　nodded；　for；　knowing　what　she　meant；　somehow　I　could　not

answer　her；　and　we　began　the　ascent　of　the　hill。　She　explained　to

me　the　plan　of　the　palace　when　we　reached　the　ruins；　showing　me

where　her　own　apartments　had　been；　and　the　rest。　It　was　very

strange　to　hear　her　quietly　telling　of　buildings　which　had　stood

and　of　things　that　had　happened　over　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years　before；　much　as　any　modern　lady　might　do　of　a

house　that　had　been　destroyed　a　month　ago　by　an　earthquake　or　a

Zeppelin　bomb；　while　she　described　the　details　of　a　disaster

which　now　frightened　her　no　more。　I　think　it　was　then　that　for

the　first　time　I　really　began　to　believe　that　in　fact　Yva　had

lived　all　those　aeons　since　and　been　as　she　still　appeared。



We　passed　from　the　palace　to　the　ruins　of　the　temple；　through

what；　as　she　said；　had　been　a　pleasure…garden；　pointing　out　where

a　certain　avenue　of　rare　palms　had　grown；　down　which　once　it　was

her　habit　to　walk　in　the　cool　of　the　day。　Or；　rather；　there　were

two　terraced　temples；　one　dedicated　to　Fate　like　that　in　the

underground　city　of　Nyo；　and　the　other　to　Love。　Of　the　temple　to

Fate　she　told　me　her　father　had　been　the　High　Priest；　and　of　the

temple　to　Love　she　was　the　High　Priestess。



Then　it　was　that　I　understood　why　she　had　brought　me　here。



She　led　the　way　to　a　marble　block　c