the red one-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　monkey　cage　at　the　Zoo；　as　if　the　Sermon　on　the　Mount　had　been

preached　in　a　roaring　bedlam　of　lunatics。





The　slow　weeks　passed。　　The　nights；　by　election；　Bassett　spent　on

the　ashen　floor　of　the　devil…devil　house；　beneath　the　ever…

swinging；　slow…curing　heads。　　His　reason　for　this　was　that　it　was

taboo　to　the　lesser　sex　of　woman；　and　therefore；　a　refuge　for　him

from　Balatta；　who　grew　more　persecutingly　and　perilously　loverly　as

the　Southern　Cross　rode　higher　in　the　sky　and　marked　the　imminence

of　her　nuptials。　　His　days　Bassett　spent　in　a　hammock　swung　under

the　shade　of　the　great　breadfruit　tree　before　the　devil…devil

house。　　There　were　breaks　in　this　programme；　when；　in　the　comas　of

his　devastating　fever…attacks；　he　lay　for　days　and　nights　in　the

house　of　heads。　　Ever　he　struggled　to　combat　the　fever；　to　live；　to

continue　to　live；　to　grow　strong　and　stronger　against　the　day　when

he　would　be　strong　enough　to　dare　the　grass…lands　and　the　belted

jungle　beyond；　and　win　to　the　beach；　and　to　some　labour…recruiting；

black…birding　ketch　or　schooner；　and　on　to　civilization　and　the　men

of　civilization；　to　whom　he　could　give　news　of　the　message　from

other　worlds　that　lay；　darkly　worshipped　by　beastmen；　in　the　black

heart　of　Guadalcanal's　midmost　centre。



On　the　other　nights；　lying　late　under　the　breadfruit　tree；　Bassett

spent　long　hours　watching　the　slow　setting　of　the　western　stars

beyond　the　black　wall　of　jungle　where　it　had　been　thrust　back　by

the　clearing　for　the　village。　　Possessed　of　more　than　a　cursory

knowledge　of　astronomy；　he　took　a　sick　man's　pleasure　in

speculating　as　to　the　dwellers　on　the　unseen　worlds　of　those

incredibly　remote　suns；　to　haunt　whose　houses　of　light；　life　came

forth；　a　shy　visitant；　from　the　rayless　crypts　of　matter。　　He　could

no　more　apprehend　limits　to　time　than　bounds　to　space。　　No

subversive　radium　speculations　had　shaken　his　steady　scientific

faith　in　the　conservation　of　energy　and　the　indestructibility　of

matter。　　Always　and　forever　must　there　have　been　stars。　　And

surely；　in　that　cosmic　ferment；　all　must　be　comparatively　alike；

comparatively　of　the　same　substance；　or　substances；　save　for　the

freaks　of　the　ferment。　　All　must　obey；　or　compose；　the　same　laws

that　ran　without　infraction　through　the　entire　experience　of　man。

Therefore；　he　argued　and　agreed；　must　worlds　and　life　be　appanages

to　all　the　suns　as　they　were　appanages　to　the　particular　of　his　own

solar　system。



Even　as　he　lay　here；　under　the　breadfruit　tree；　an　intelligence

that　stared　across　the　starry　gulfs；　so　must　all　the　universe　be

exposed　to　the　ceaseless　scrutiny　of　innumerable　eyes；　like　his；

though　grantedly　different；　with　behind　them；　by　the　same　token；

intelligences　that　questioned　and　sought　the　meaning　and　the

construction　of　the　whole。　　So　reasoning；　he　felt　his　soul　go　forth

in　kinship　with　that　august　company；　that　multitude　whose　gaze　was

forever　upon　the　arras　of　infinity。



Who　were　they；　what　were　they；　those　far　distant　and　superior　ones

who　had　bridged　the　sky　with　their　gigantic；　red…iridescent；

heaven…singing　message？　　Surely；　and　long　since；　had　they；　too；

trod　the　path　on　which　man　had　so　recently；　by　the　calendar　of　the

cosmos；　set　his　feet。　　And　to　be　able　to　send　a　message　across　the

pit　of　space；　surely　they　had　reached　those　heights　to　which　man；

in　tears　and　travail　and　bloody　sweat；　in　darkness　and　confusion　of

many　counsels；　was　so　slowly　struggling。　　And　what　were　they　on

their　heights？　　Had　they　won　Brotherhood？　　Or　had　they　learned　that

the　law　of　love　imposed　the　penalty　of　weakness　and　decay？　　Was

strife；　life？　　Was　the　rule　of　all　the　universe　the　pitiless　rule

of　natural　selection？　　And；　and　most　immediately　and　poignantly；

were　their　far　conclusions；　their　long…won　wisdoms；　shut　even　then

in　the　huge；　metallic　heart　of　the　Red　One；　waiting　for　the　first

earth…man　to　read？　　Of　one　thing　he　was　certain：　　No　drop　of　red

dew　shaken　from　the　lion…mane　of　some　sun　in　torment；　was　the

sounding　sphere。　　It　was　of　design；　not　chance；　and　it　contained

the　speech　and　wisdom　of　the　stars。



What　engines　and　elements　and　mastered　forces；　what　lore　and

mysteries　and　destiny…controls；　might　be　there！　　Undoubtedly；　since

so　much　could　be　enclosed　in　so　little　a　thing　as　the　foundation

stone　of　a　public　building；　this　enormous　sphere　should　contain

vast　histories；　profounds　of　research　achieved　beyond　man's　wildest

guesses；　laws　and　formulae　that；　easily　mastered；　would　make　man's

life　on　earth；　individual　and　collective；　spring　up　from　its

present　mire　to　inconceivable　heights　of　purity　and　power。　　It　was

Time's　greatest　gift　to　blindfold；　insatiable；　and　sky…aspiring

man。　　And　to　him；　Bassett；　had　been　vouchsafed　the　lordly　fortune

to　be　the　first　to　receive　this　message　from　man's　interstellar

kin！



　No　white　man；　much　less　no　outland　man　of　the　other　bush…tribes；

had　gazed　upon　the　Red　One　and　lived。　　Such　the　law　expounded　by

Ngurn　to　Bassett。　　There　was　such　a　thing　as　blood　brotherhood。

Bassett；　in　return；　had　often　argued　in　the　past。　　But　Ngurn　had

stated　solemnly　no。　　Even　the　blood　brotherhood　was　outside　the

favour　of　the　Red　One。　　Only　a　man　born　within　the　tribe　could　look

upon　the　Red　One　and　live。　　But　now；　his　guilty　secret　known　only

to　Balatta；　whose　fear　of　immolation　before　the　Red　One　fast…sealed

her　lips；　the　situation　was　different。　　What　he　had　to　do　was　to

recover　from　the　abominable　fevers　that　weakened　him；　and　gain　to

civilization。　　Then　would　he　lead　an　expedition　back；　and；　although

the　entire　population　of　Guadalcanal　he　destroyed；　extract　from　the

heart　of　the　Red　One　the　message　of　the　world　from　other　worlds。



But　Bassett's　relapses　grew　more　frequent；　his　brief　convalescences

less　and　less　vigorous；　his　periods　of　coma　longer；　until　he　came

to　know；　beyond　the　last　promptings　of　the　optimism　inherent　in　so

tremendous　a　constitution　as　his　own；　that　he　would　never　live　to

cross　the　grass　lands；　perforate　the　perilous　coast　jungle；　and

reach　the　sea。　　He　faded　as　the　Southern　Cross　rose　higher　in　the

sky；　till　even　Balatta　knew　that　he　would　be　dead　ere　the　nuptial

date　determined　by　his　taboo。　　Ngurn　made　pilgrimage　personally　and

gathered　the　smoke　materials　for　the　curing　of　Bassett's　head；　and

to　him　made　proud　announcement　and　exhibition　of　the　artistic

perfectness　of　his　intention　when　Bassett　should　be　dead。　　As　for

himself；　Bassett　was　not　shocked。　　Too　long　and　too　deeply　had　life

ebbed　down　in　him　to　bite　him　with　fear　of　its　impending

extinction。　　He　continued　to　persist；　alternating　periods　of

unconsciousness　with　periods　of　semi…consciousness；　dreamy　and

unreal；　in　which　he　idly　wondered　whether　he　had　ever　truly　beheld

the　Red　One　or　whether　it　was　a　nightmare　fancy　of　delirium。



Came　the　day　when　all　mists　and　cob…webs　dissolved；　when　he　found

his　brain　clear　as　a　bell；　and　took　just　appraisement　of　his　body's

weakness。　　Neither　hand　nor　foot　could　he　lift。　　So　little　control

of　his　body　did　he　have；　that　he　was　scarcely　aware　of　possessing

one。　　Lightly　indeed　his　flesh　sat　upon　his　soul；　and　his　soul；　in

its　briefness　of　clarity；　knew　by　its　very　clarity　that　the　black

of　cessation　was　near。　　He　knew　the　end　was　close；　knew　that　in　all

truth　he　had　with　his　eyes　beheld　the　Red　One；　the　messenger

between　the　worlds；　knew　that　he　would　never　live　to　carry　that

message　to　the　world　…　that　message；　for　aught　to　the　contrary；

which　might　already　have　waited　man's　hearing　in　the　heart　of

Guadalcanal　for　ten　thousand　years。　　And　Bassett　stirred　with

resolve；　calling　Ngurn　to　him；　out　under　the　shade　of　the

breadfruit　tree；　and　with　the　old　devil…devil　doctor　discussing　the

terms　and　arrangements　of　his　last　life　effort；　his　final　adventure

in　the　quick　of　the　flesh。



〃I　know　the　law；　O　Ngurn；〃　he　concluded　the　matter。　　〃Whoso　is　not

of　the　folk　may　not　look　upon　the　Red　One　and　live。　　I　shall　not

live　anyway。　　Your　young　men　shall　carry　me　before　the　face　of　the

Red　One；　and　I　shall　look　upon　him；　and　hear　his　voice；　and

thereupon　die；　under　your　hand；　O　Ngurn。　　Thus　will　the　three

things　be　satisfied：　　the　law；　my　desire；　and　your　quicker

possession　of　my　head　for　which　all　your　preparations　wait。〃



To　which　Ngurn　consented；　adding：



〃It　is　better　so。　　A　sick　man　who　cannot　get　well　is　foolish　to

live　on　for　so　little　a　while。　　Also　is　it　better　for　the　living

that　he　should　go。　　You　have　been　much　in　the　way　of　late。　　Not　but

what　it　was　good　for　me　to　talk　to　such　a　wise　one。　　But　for　moons

of　days　we　have　held　little　talk。　　Instead；　you　have　taken　up　room

in　the　house　of　heads；　making　noises　like　a　dying　pig；　or　talking

much　and　loudly　in　your　own　language　which　I　do　not　understand。

This　has　been　a　confusion　to　me；　for　I　like　to　think　on　the　great

things　of　the　light　and　dark　as　I　turn　the　heads　in　the　smoke。

Your　much　noise　has　thus　been　a　disturbance　to　the　long…learning

and　hatching　of　the　final　wisdom　that　will　be　mine　before　I　die。

As　for　you；　upon　whom　the　dark　has　already　brooded；　it　is　well　that

you　die　now。　　And　I　promise　you；　in　the　long　days　to　come　when　I

turn　your　head　in　the　smoke；　no　man　of　the　tribe　shall　come　in　to

disturb　us。　　And　I　will　tell　you　many　secrets；　for　I　am　an　old　man

and　very　wise；　and　I　shall　be　adding　wisdom　to　wisdom　as　I　turn

your　head　in　the　smoke。〃



So　a　litter　was　made；　and；　borne　on　the　shoulders　of　half　a　dozen

of　the　men；　Bassett　departed　on　the　last　little　adventure　that　was

to　cap　the　total　adventure；　for　him；　of　living。　　With　a　body　of

which　he　was　scarcely　aware；　for　even　the　pain　had　been　exhausted

out　of　it；　and　with　a　bright　clear　brain　that　accommodated　him　to　a

quiet　ecstasy　of　sheer　lucidness　of　thought；　he　lay　back　on　the

lurching　litter　and　watched　the　fading　of　the　passing　world；

beholding　for　the　last　time　the　breadfruit　tree　before　the　devil…

devil　house；　the　dim　day　beneath　the　matted　jungle　roof；　the　gloomy

gorge　between　the　shouldering　mountains；　the　saddle　of　raw

limestone；　and　the　mesa　of　black　volcanic　sand。



Down　the　spiral　path　of　the　pit　they　bore　him；　encircling　the

sheening；　glowing　Red　One　that　seemed　ever　imminent　to　iridesce

from　colour　and　light　into　sweet　singing　and　thunder。　　And　over

bones　and　logs　of　immolated　men　and　gods　they　bore　him；　past　the

horrors　of　other　immolated　ones　that　yet　lived；　to　the　three…king…

post　tripod　and　the　huge　king…post　striker。



Here　Bassett；　helped　by　Ngurn　and　Balatta；　weakly　sat　up；　swaying

weakly　from　the　hips；　and　with　clear；　unfaltering；　all…seeing　eyes

gazed　upon　the　Red　One。



〃Once；　O　Ngurn；〃　he　said；　not　taking　his　eyes　from　the　sheening；

vibrating　surface　whereon　and　wherein　all　the　shades　of　cherry…red

played　unceasingly；　ever　a…quiver　to　change　into　sound；　to　become

silken　rustlings；　silvery　whisperings；　golden　thrummings