when the world shook-第30章

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〃I　am　a　king　who　once　ruled　most　of　the　world　as　it　was　in　my

day；　though　it　is　true　that　much　of　it　rebelled　against　me；　my

councillors　and　servants。　Therefore　I　destroyed　the　world　as　it

was　then；　save　only　certain　portions　whence　life　might　spread　to

the　new　countries　that　I　raised　up。　Having　done　this　I　put　myself

and　my　daughter　to　sleep　for　a　space　of　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years；　that　there　might　be　time　for　fresh　civilisations

to　arise。　Now　I　begin　to　think　that　I　did　not　allot　a　sufficiency

of　ages；　since　I　perceive　from　what　you　tell　me；　that　the

learning　of　the　new　races　is　as　yet　but　small。〃



Bickley　and　I　looked　at　each　other　and　were　silent。　Mentally　we

had　collapsed。　Who　could　begin　to　discuss　statements　built　upon

such　a　foundation　of　gigantic　and　paralysing　falsehoods？



Well；　Bastin　could　for　one。　With　no　more　surprise　in　his　voice

than　if　he　were　talking　about　last　night's　dinner；　he　said：



〃There　must　be　a　mistake　somewhere；　or　perhaps　I　misunderstand

you。　It　is　obvious　that　you；　being　a　man；　could　not　have

destroyed　the　world。　That　could　only　be　done　by　the　Power　which

made　it　and　you。〃



I　trembled　for　the　results　of　Bastin's　methods　of　setting　out

the　truth。　To　my　astonishment；　however；　Oro　replied：



〃You　speak　wisely；　Priest；　but　the　Power　you　name　may　use

instruments　to　accomplish　its　decrees。　I　am　such　an　instrument。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　said　Bastin；　〃just　like　anybody　else。　You　have　more

knowledge　of　the　truth　than　I　thought。　But　pray；　how　did　you

destroy　the　world？〃



〃Using　my　wisdom　to　direct　the　forces　that　are　at　work　in　the

heart　of　this　great　globe；　I　drowned　it　with　a　deluge；　causing

one　part　to　sink　and　another　to　rise；　also　changes　of　climate

which　completed　the　work。〃



〃That's　quite　right；〃　exclaimed　Bastin　delightedly。　〃We　know

all　about　the　Deluge；　only　you　are　not　mentioned　in　connection

with　the　matter。　A　man；　Noah；　had　to　do　with　it　when　he　was　six

hundred　years　old。〃



〃Six　hundred？〃　said　Oro。　〃That　is　not　very　old。　I　myself　had

seen　more　than　a　thousand　years　when　I　lay　down　to　sleep。〃



〃A　thousand！〃　remarked　Bastin；　mildly　interested。　〃That　is

unusual；　though　some　of　these　mighty　men　of　renown　we　know　lived

over　nine　hundred。〃



Here　Bickley　snorted　and　exclaimed：



〃Nine　hundred　moons；〃　he　means。



〃I　did　not　know　Noah；〃　went　on　Oro。　〃Perhaps　he　lived　after　my

time　and　caused　some　other　local　deluge。　Is　there　anything　else

you　wish　to　ask　me　before　I　leave　you　that　I　may　study　this　map

writing？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Bastin。　〃Why　were　you　allowed　to　drown　your　world？〃



〃Because　it　was　evil；　Priest；　and　disobeyed　me　and　the　Power　I

serve。〃



〃Oh！　thank　you；〃　said　Bastin；　〃that　fits　in　exactly。　It　was

just　the　same　in　Noah's　time。〃



〃I　pray　that　it　is　not　just　the　same　now；〃　said　Oro；　rising。

〃To…morrow　we　will　return；　or　if　I　do　not　who　have　much　that　I

must　do；　the　lady　my　daughter　will　return　and　speak　with　you

further。〃



He　departed　into　the　cave；　Yva　following　at　a　little　distance。



I　accompanied　her　as　far　as　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　as　did

Tommy；　who　all　this　time　had　been　sitting　contentedly　upon　the

hem　of　her　gorgeous　robe；　quite　careless　of　its　immemorial　age；

if　it　was　immemorial　and　not　woven　yesterday；　a　point　on　which　I

had　no　information。



〃Lady　Yva；〃　I　said；　〃did　I　rightly　understand　the　Lord　Oro　to

say　that　he　was　a　thousand　years　old？〃



〃Yes；　O　Humphrey；　and　really　he　is　more；　or　so　I　think。〃



〃Then　are　you　a　thousand　years　old　also？〃　I　asked；　aghast。



〃No；　no；〃　she　replied；　shaking　her　head；　〃I　am　young；　quite

young；　for　I　do　not　count　my　time　of　sleep。〃



〃Certainly　you　look　it；〃　I　said。　〃But　what；　Lady　Yva；　do　you

mean　by　young？〃



She　answered　my　question　by　another。



〃What　age　are　your　women　when　they　are　as　I　am？〃



〃None　of　our　women　were　ever　quite　like　you；　Lady　Yva。　Yet；　say

from　twenty…five　to　thirty　years　of　age。〃



〃Ah！　I　have　been　counting　and　now　I　remember。　When　my　father

sent　me　to　sleep　I　was　twenty…seven　years　old。　No；　I　will　not

deceive　you；　I　was　twenty…seven　years　and　three　moons。〃　Then；

saying　something　to　the　effect　that　she　would　return；　she

departed；　laughing　a　little　in　a　mischievous　way；　and；　although　I

did　not　observe　this　till　afterwards；　Tommy　departed　with　her。



When　I　repeated　what　she　had　said　to　Bastin　and　Bickley；　who

were　standing　at　a　distance　straining　their　ears　and　somewhat

aggrieved；　the　former　remarked：



〃If　she　is　twenty…seven　her　father　must　have　married　late　in

life；　though　of　course　it　may　have　been　a　long　while　before　he

had　children。〃



Then　Bickley；　who　had　been　suppressing　himself　all　this　while；

went　off　like　a　bomb。



〃Do　you　tell　us；　Bastin；〃　he　asked；　〃that　you　believe　one　word

of　all　this　ghastly　rubbish？　I　mean　as　to　that　antique　charlatan

being　a　thousand　years　old　and　having　caused　the　Flood　and　the

rest？〃



〃If　you　ask　me；　Bickley；　I　see　no　particular　reason　to　doubt　it

at　present。　A　person　who　can　go　to　sleep　in　a　glass　coffin　kept

warm　by　a　pocketful　of　radium　together　with　very　accurate　maps　of

the　constellations　at　the　time　he　wakes　up；　can；　I　imagine；　do

most　things。〃



〃Even　cause　the　Deluge；〃　jeered　Bickley。



〃I　don't　know　about　the　Deluge；　but　perhaps　he　may　have　been

permitted　to　cause　a　deluge。　Why　not？　You　can't　look　at　things

from　far　enough　off；　Bickley。　And　if　something　seems　big　to　you；

you　conclude　that　therefore　it　is　impossible。　The　same　Power

which　gives　you　skill　to　succeed　in　an　operation；　that　hitherto

was　held　impracticable；　as　I　know　you　have　done　once　or　twice；

may　have　given　that　old　fellow　power　to　cause　a　deluge。　You

should　measure　the　universe　and　its　possibilities　by　worlds　and

not　by　acres；　Bickley。〃



〃And　believe；　I　suppose；　that　a　man　can　live　a　thousand　years；

whereas　we　know　well　that　he　cannot　live　more　than　about　a

hundred。〃



〃You　don't　know　anything　of　the　sort；　Bickley。　All　you　know　is

that　over　the　brief　period　of　history　with　which　we　are

acquainted；　say　ten　thousand　years　at　most；　men　have　only　lived

to　about　a　hundred。　But　the　very　rocks　which　you　are　so　fond　of

talking　about；　tell　us　that　even　this　planet　is　millions　upon

millions　of　years　of　age。　Who　knows　then　but　that　at　some　time　in

its　history；　men　did　not　live　for　a　thousand　years；　and　that　lost

civilisations　did　not　exist　of　which　this　Oro　and　his　daughter

may　be　two　survivors？〃



〃There　is　no　proof　of　anything　of　the　sort；〃　said　Bickley。



〃I　don't　know　about　proof；　as　you　understand　it；　though　I　have

read　in　Plato　of　a　continent　called　Atlantis　that　was　submerged；

according　to　the　story　of　old　Egyptian　priests。　But　personally　I

have　every　proof；　for　it　is　all　written　down　in　the　Bible　at

which　you　turn　tip　your　nose；　and　I　am　very　glad　that　I　have　been

lucky　enough　to　come　across　this　unexpected　confirmation　of　the

story。　Not　that　it　matters　much；　since　I　should　have　learned　all

about　it　when　it　pleases　Providence　to　remove　me　to　a　better

world；　which　in　our　circumstances　may　happen　any　day。　Now　I　must

change　my　clothes　before　I　see　to　the　cooking　and　other　things。〃



〃I　am　bound　to　admit；〃　said　Bickley；　looking　after　him；　〃that

old　Bastin　is　not　so　stupid　as　he　seems。　From　his　point　of　view

the　arguments　he　advances　are　quite　logical。　Moreover　I　think　he

is　right　when　he　says　that　we　look　at　things　through　the　wrong

end　of　the　telescope。　After　all　the　universe　is　very　big　and　who

knows　what　may　happen　there？　Who　knows　even　what　may　have

happened　on　this　little　earth　during　the　aeons　of　its　existence；

whenever　its　balance　chanced　to　shift；　as　the　Ice　Ages　show　us　it

has　often　done？　Still　I　believe　that　old　Oro　to　be　a　Prince　of

Liars。〃



〃That　remains　to　be　proved；〃　I　answered　cautiously。　〃All　I　know

is　that　he　is　a　wonderfully　learned　person　of　most　remarkable

appearance；　and　that　his　daughter　is　the　loveliest　creature　I

ever　saw。〃



〃There　I　agree；〃　said　Bickley　decidedly；　〃and　as　brilliant　as

she　is　lovely。　If　she　belongs　to　a　past　civilisation；　it　is　a

pity　that　it　ever　became　extinct。　Now　let's　go　and　have　a　nap。

Bastin　will　call　us　when　supper　is　ready。〃







Chapter　XIV



The　Under…world





That　night　we　slept　well　and　without　fear；　being　quite　certain

that　after　their　previous　experience　the　Orofenans　would　make　no

further　attempts　upon　us。　Indeed　our　only　anxiety　was　for　Tommy；

whom　we　could　not　find　when　the　time　came　to　give　him　his　supper。

Bastin；　however；　seemed　to　remember　having　seen　him　following　the

Glittering　Lady　into　the　cave。　This；　of　course；　was　possible；　as

certainly　he　had　taken　an　enormous　fancy　to　her　and　sat　himself

down　as　close　to　her　as　he　could　on　every　occasion。　He　even

seemed　to　like　the　ancient　Oro；　and　was　not　afraid　to　jump　up　and

plant　his　dirty　paws　upon　that　terrific　person's　gorgeous　robe。

Moreover　Oro　liked　him；　for　several　times　I　observed　him　pat　the

dog　upon　the　head；　as　I　think　I　have　said；　the　only　human　touch

that　I　had　perceived　about　him。　So　we　gave　up　searching　and

calling　in　the　hope　that　he　was　safe　with　our　supernatural

friends。



The　next　morning　quite　early　the　Lady　Yva　appeared　alone；　no；

not　alone；　for　with　her　came　our　lost　Tommy　looking　extremely

spry　and　well　at　ease。　The　faithless　little　wretch　just　greeted

us　in　a　casual　fashion　and　then　went　and　sat　by　Yva。　In　fact　when

the　awkward　Bastin　managed　to　stumble　over　the　end　of　her　dress

Tommy　growled　at　him　and　showed　his　teeth。　Moreover　the　do　was

changed。　He　was　blessed　with　a　shiny　black　coat；　but　now　this

coat　sparkled　in　the　sunlight；　like　the　Lady　Yva's　hair。



〃The　Glittering　Lady　is　all　very　well；　but　I'm　not　sure　that　I

care　for　a　glittering　dog。　It　doesn't　look　quite　natural；〃　said

Bastin；　contemplating　him。



〃Why　does　Tommy　shine；　Lady？〃　I　asked。



〃Because　I　washed　him　in　certain　waters　that　we　have；　so　that

now　he　looks　beautiful　and　smells　sweet；〃　she　answered；　laughing。



It　was　true；　the　dog　did　smell　sweet；　which　I　may　add　had　not

always　been　the　case　with　him；　especially　when　there　were　dead

fish　about。　Also　he　appeared　to　have　been　fed；　for　he　turned　up

his　nose　at　the　bits　we　had　saved　for　his　breakfast。



〃He　has　drunk　of　the　Life…water；〃　explained　Yva；　〃and　will　want

no　food　for　two　days。〃



Bickley　pricked　up　his　ears　at　this　statement　and　looked

incredulous。



〃You　do　not　believe；　O　Bickley；〃　she　said；　studying　him

gravely。　〃Indeed；　you　believe　nothing。　You　think　my　father　and　I

tell　you　many　lies。　Bastin　there；　he　believes　all。　Humphrey？　He

is　not　sure；　he　thinks　to　himself；　I　will　wait　and　find　out

whether　or　ho　these　funny　people　cheat　me。〃



Bickley　coloured　and　made　some　remark　about　things　which　were

contrary　to　experience；　also　that　Tommy　in　a　general　way　was

rather　a　greedy　little　dog。