when the world shook-第69节

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〃Miserable　fool！〃　he　said。　〃I　warn　you　to　keep　a　watch　upon

your　words。　Yesterday　you　would　have　slain　me　with　your　toy。

Today　you　stab　me　with　your　ill…omened　tongue。　Be　fearful　lest　I

silence　it　for　ever。〃



〃I　am　not　in　the　least　fearful；　Oro；　since　I　am　sure　that　you

can't　hurt　me　at　all　any　more　than　I　could　hurt　you　last　night

because；　you　see；　it　wasn't　permitted。　When　the　time　comes　for　me

to　die；　I　shall　go；　but　you　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　that。　To

tell　the　truth；　I　am　very　sorry　for　you；　as　with　all　your

greatness；　your　soul　is　of　the　earth；　earthy；　also　sensual　and

devilish；　as　the　Apostle　said；　and；　I　am　afraid；　very　malignant；

and　you　will　have　a　great　deal　to　answer　for　shortly。　Yours　won't

be　a　happy　deathbed；　Oro；　because；　you　see；　you　glory　in　your

sins　and　don't　know　what　repentance　means。〃



I　must　add　that　when　I　heard　these　words　I　was　filled　with　the

most　unbounded　admiration　for　Bastin's　fearless　courage　which

enabled　him　thus　to　beard　this　super…tyrant　in　his　den。　So　indeed

were　we　all；　for　I　read　it　in　Yva's　face　and　heard　Bickley

mutter：



〃Bravo！　Splendid！　After　all　there　is　something　in　faith！〃



Even　Oro　appreciated　it　with　his　intellect；　if　not　with　his

heart；　for　he　stared　at　the　man　and　made　no　answer。　In　the

language　of　the　ring；　he　was　quite　〃knocked　out〃　and；　almost

humbly；　changed　the　subject。



〃We　have　yet　a　little　while；〃　he　said；　〃before　that　happens

which　I　have　decreed。　Come；　Humphrey；　that　I　may　show　you　some　of

the　marvels　of　this　bubble　blown　in　the　bowels　of　the　world；〃　and

he　motioned　to　us　to　pick　up　the　lanterns。



Then　he　led　us　away　from　the　wall　of　the　cavern；　if　such　it

was；　for　a　distance　of　perhaps　six　or　seven　hundred　paces。　Here

suddenly　we　came　to　a　great　groove　in　the　rocky　floor；　as　broad

as　a　very　wide　roadway；　and　mayhap　four　feet　in　depth。　The　bottom

of　this　groove　was　polished　and　glittered；　indeed　it　gave　us　the

impression　of　being　iron；　or　other　ore　which　had　been　welded

together　beneath　the　grinding　of　some　immeasurable　weight。　Just

at　the　spot　where　we　struck　the　groove；　it　divided　into　two；　for

this　reason。



In　its　centre　the　floor　of　iron；　or　whatever　it　may　have　been；

rose；　the　fraction　of　an　inch　at　first；　but　afterwards　more

sharply；　and　this　at　a　spot　where　the　groove　had　a　somewhat　steep

downward　dip　which　appeared　to　extend　onwards　I　know　not　how　far。



Following　along　this　central　rise　for　a　great　way；　nearly　a

mile；　I　should　think；　we　observed　that　it　became　ever　more

pronounced；　till　at　length　it　ended　in　a　razor…edge　cliff　which

stretched　up　higher　than　we　could　see；　even　by　the　light　of　the

electrical　discharges。　Standing　against　the　edge　of　this　cliff；

we　perceived　that　at　a　distance　from　it　there　were　now　two

grooves　of　about　equal　width。　One　of　these　ran　away　into　the

darkness　on　our　right　as　we　faced　the　sharp　edge；　and　at　an　ever…

widening　angle；　while　the　other；　at　a　similar　angle；　ran　into　the

darkness　to　the　left　of　the　knife　of　cliff。　That　was　all。



No；　there　were　two　more　notable　things。　Neither　of　the　grooves

now　lay　within　hundreds　of　yards　of　the　cliff；　perhaps　a　quarter

of　a　mile；　for　be　it　remembered　we　had　followed　the　rising　rock

between　them。　To　put　it　quite　clearly；　it　was　exactly　as　though

one　line　of　rails　had　separated　into　two　lines　of　rails；　as　often

enough　they　do；　and　an　observer　standing　on　high　ground　between

could　see　them　both　vanishing　into　tunnels　to　the　right　and　left；

but　far　apart。



The　second　notable　thing　was　that　the　right…hand　groove；　where

first　we　saw　it　at　the　point　of　separation；　was　not　polished　like

the　left…hand　groove；　although　at　some　time　or　other　it　seemed　to

have　been　subjected　to　the　pressure　of　the　same　terrific　weight

which　cut　its　fellow　out　of　the　bed　of　rock　or　iron；　as　the　sharp

wheels　of　a　heavily　laden　wagon　sink　ruts　into　a　roadway。



〃What　does　it　all　mean；　Lord　Oro？〃　I　asked　when　he　had　led　us

back　to　the　spot　where　the　one　groove　began　to　be　two　grooves；

that　is；　a　mile　or　so　away　from　the　razor…edged　cliff。



〃This；　Humphrey；〃　he　answered。　〃That　which　travels　along　yonder

road；　when　it　reaches　this　spot　on　which　we　stand；　follows　the

left…hand　path　which　is　made　bright　with　its　passage。　Yet；　could

a　giant　at　that　moment　of　its　touching　this　exact　spot　on　which　I

lay　my　hand；　thrust　it　with　sufficient　strength；　it　would　leave

the　left…hand　road　and　take　the　right…hand　road。〃



〃And　if　it　did；　what　then；　Lord　Oro？〃



〃Then　within　an　hour　or　so；　when　it　had　travelled　far　enough

upon　its　way；　the　balance　of　the　earth　would　be　changed；　and

great　things　would　happen　in　the　world　above；　as　once　they

happened　in　bygone　days。　Now　do　you　understand；　Humphrey？〃



〃Good　Heavens！　Yes；　I　understand　now；〃　I　answered。　〃But

fortunately　there　is　no　such　giant。〃



Oro　broke　into　a　mocking　laugh　and　his　grey　old　face　lit　up

with　a　fiendish　exultation；　as　he　cried：



〃Fool！　I；　Oro；　am　that　giant。　Once　in　the　dead　days　I　turned

the　balance　of　the　world　from　the　right…hand　road　which　now　is

dull　with　disuse；　to　the　left…hand　road　which　glitters　so

brightly　to　your　eyes；　and　the　face　of　the　earth　was　changed。　Now

again　I　will　turn　it　from　the　left…hand　road　to　the　right…hand

road　in　which　for　millions　of　years　it　was　wont　to　run；　and　once

more　the　face　of　the　earth　shall　change；　and　those　who　are　left

living　upon　the　earth；　or　who　in　the　course　of　ages　shall　come　to

live　upon　the　new　earth；　must　bow　down　to　Oro　and　take　him　and

his　seed　to　be　their　gods　and　kings。〃



When　I　heard　this　I　was　overwhelmed　and　could　not　answer。　Also

I　remembered　a　certain　confused　picture　which　Yva　had　shown　to　us

in　the　Temple　of　Nyo。　But　supported　by　his　disbelief；　Bickley

asked：



〃And　how　often　does　the　balance　of　which　you　speak　come　this

way；　Lord　Oro？〃



〃Once　only　in　many　years；　the　number　is　my　secret；　Bickley；〃　he

replied。



〃Then　there　is　every　reason　to　hope　that　it　will　not　trouble

us；〃　remarked　Bickley　with　a　suspicion　of　mockery　in　his　voice。



〃Do　you　think　so；　you　learned　Bickley？〃　asked　Oro。　〃If　so；　I　do

not。　Unless　my　skill　has　failed　me　and　my　calculations　have　gone

awry；　that　Traveller　of　which　I　tell　should　presently　be　with　us。

Hearken　now！　What　is　that　sound　we　hear？〃



As　he　spoke　there　reached　our　ears　the　first；　far…off　murmurs

of　a　dreadful　music。　I　cannot　describe　it　in　words　because　that

is　impossible；　but　it　was　something　like　to　the　buzz　of　a

thousand　humming…tops　such　as　are　loved　by　children　because　of

their　weird　song。



〃Back　to　the　wall！〃　cried　Oro　triumphantly。　〃The　time　is

short！〃



So　back　we　went；　Oro　pausing　a　while　behind　and　overtaking　us

with　long；　determined　strides。　Yva　led　us；　gliding　at　my　side

and；　as　I　thought；　now　and　again　glanced　at　my　face　with　a　look

that　was　half　anxious　and　half　pitiful。　Also　twice　she　stooped

and　patted　Tommy。



We　reached　the　wall；　though　not　quite　at　the　spot　whence　we　had

started　to　examine　the　grooved　roads。　at　least　I　think　this　was

so；　since　now　for　the　first　time　observed　a　kind　of　little　window

in　its　rocky　face。　It　stood　about　five　feet　from　its　floor　level；

and　was　perhaps　ten　inches　square；　not　more。　In　short；　except　for

its　shape　it　resembled　a　ship's　porthole　rather　than　a　window。

Its　substance　appeared　to　be　talc；　or　some　such　material；　and

inches　thick；　yet　through　it；　after　Oro　had　cast　aside　some　sort

of　covering；　came　a　glare　like　that　of　a　search…light。　In　fact　it

was　a　search…light　so　far　as　concerned　one　of　its　purposes。



By　this　window　or　porthole　lay　a　pile　of　cloaks；　also　four

objects　which　looked　like　Zulu　battle　shields　cut　in　some　unknown

metal　or　material。　Very　deftly；　very　quietly；　Yva　lifted　these

cloaks　and　wrapped　one　of　them　about　each　of　us；　and　while　she

was　thus　employed　I　noticed　that　they　were　of　a　substance　very

similar　to　that　of　the　gown　she　wore；　which　I　have　described；　but

harder。　Next　she　gave　one　of　the　metal…like　shields　to　each　of

us；　bidding　us　hold　them　in　front　of　our　bodies　and　heads；　and

only　to　look　through　certain　slits　in　them　in　which　were

eyepieces　that　appeared　to　be　of　the　same　horny　stuff　as　the

searchlight　window。　Further；　she　commanded　us　to　stand　in　a　row

with　our　backs　against　the　rock　wall；　at　certain　spots　which　she

indicated　with　great　precision；　and　whatever　we　saw　or　heard　on

no　account　to　move。



So　there　we　stood；　Bickley　next　to　me；　and　beyond　him　Bastin。

Then　Yva　took　the　fourth　shield；　as　I　noted　a　much　larger　one

than　ours；　and　placed　herself　between　me　and　the　search…light　or

porthole。　On　the　other　side　of　this　was　Oro　who　had　no　shield。



These　arrangements　took　some　minutes　and　during　that　time

occupied　all　our　attention。　When　they　were　completed；　however；

our　curiosity　and　fear　began　to　reassert　themselves。　I　looked

about　me　and　perceived　that　Oro　had　his　right　hand　upon　wha