when the world shook-第39章

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have　mastered　all　things；　to　find　that　after　all　they　are　quite

ignorant。　I　am　sorry　for　him；　and　I　like　him　very　much。〃



〃Then　you　would　be　sorry　for　me　also；　Lady　Yva？〃



〃Why？〃　she　asked　with　a　dazzling　smile；　〃when　your　heart　is

athirst　for　knowledge；　gaping　for　it　like　a　fledgling's　mouth　for

food；　and；　as　it　chances；　though　I　am　not　very　wise；　I　can

satisfy　something　of　your　soul…hunger。〃



〃Not　very　wise！〃　I　repeated。



〃No；　Humphrey。　I　think　that　Bastin；　who　in　many　ways　is　so

stupid；　has　more　true　wisdom　than　I　have；　because　he　can　believe

and　accept　without　question。　After　all；　the　wisdom　of　my　people

is　all　of　the　universe　and　its　wonders。　What　you　think　magic　is

not　magic；　it　is　only　gathered　knowledge　and　the　finding　out　of

secrets。　Bickley　will　tell　you　the　same；　although　as　yet　he　does

not　believe　that　the　mind　of　man　can　stretch　so　far。〃



〃You　mean　that　your　wisdom　has　in　it　nothing　of　the　spirit？〃



〃Yes；　Humphrey；　that　is　what　I　mean。　I　do　not　even　know　if

there　is　such　a　thing　as　spirit。　Our　god　was　Fate；　Bastin's　god

is　a　spirit；　and　I　think　yours　also。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Therefore；　I　wish　you　and　Bastin　to　teach　me　of　your　god；　as

does　Oro；　my　father。　I　wantoh！　so　much；　Humphrey；　to　learn

whether　we　live　after　death。〃



〃You！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃You　who；　according　to　the　story；　have

slept　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years！　You；　who　have；

unless　I　mistake；　hinted　that　during　that　sleep　you　may　have

lived　in　other　shapes！　Do　you　doubt　whether　we　can　live　after

death？〃



〃Yes。　Sleep　induced　by　secret　arts　is　not　death；　and　during

that　sleep　the　I　within　might　wander　and　inhabit　other　shapes；

because　it　is　forbidden　to　be　idle。　Moreover；　what　seems　to　be

death　may　not　be　death；　only　another　form　of　sleep　from　which　the

I　awakes　again　upon　the　world。　But　at　last　comes　the　real　death；

when　the　I　is　extinguished　to　the　world。　That　much　I　know；

because　my　people　learned　it。〃



〃You　mean；　you　know　that　men　and　women　may　live　again　and　again

upon　the　world？〃



〃Yes；　Humphrey；　I　do。　For　in　the　world　there　is　only　a　certain

store　of　life　which　in　many　forms　travels　on　and　on；　till　the　lot

of　each　I　is　fulfilled。　Then　comes　the　real　death；　and　after

thatwhat；　oh！what？〃



〃You　must　ask　Bastin；〃　I　said　humbly。　〃I　cannot　dare　to　teach

of　such　matters。〃



〃No；　but　you　can　and　do　believe；　and　that　helps　me；　Humphrey；

who　am　in　tune　with　you。　Yes；　it　helps　me　much　more　than　do

Bastin　and　his　new　religion；　because　such　is　woman's　way。　Now；　I

think　Bickley　will　soon　return；　so　let　us　talk　of　other　matters。

Tell　me　of　the　history　of　your　people；　Humphrey；　that　my　father

says　are　now　at　war。〃







Chapter　XVIII



The　Accident





Bickley　did　return；　having　recovered　his　temper；　since　after

all　it　was　impossible　for　anyone　to　remain　angry　with　the　Lady

Yva　for　long；　and　we　spent　a　very　happy　time　together。　We

instructed　and　she　was　the　humble　pupil。



How　swift　and　nimble　was　her　intelligence！　In　that　one　morning

she　learned　all　our　alphabet　and　how　to　write　our　letters。　It

appeared　that　among　her　people；　at　any　rate　in　their　later

periods；　the　only　form　of　writing　that　was　used　was　a　highly

concentrated　shorthand　which　saved　labour。　They　had　no　journals；

since　news　which　arrived　telepathically　or　by　some　form　of

wireless　was　proclaimed　to　those　who　cared　to　listen；　and　on　it

all　formed　their　own　judgments。　In　the　same　way　poems　and　even

romances　were　repeated；　as　in　Homer's　day　or　in　the　time　of　the

Norse　sagas；　by　word　of　mouth。　None　of　their　secret　knowledge　was

written　down。　Like　the　ritual　of　Freemasonry　it　was　considered

too　sacred。



Moreover；　when　men　lived　for　hundreds　of　years　this　was　not　so

necessary；　especially　as　their　great　fear　was　lest　it　should　fall

into　the　hands　of　the　outside　nations；　whom　they　called

Barbarians。　For；　be　it　remembered；　these　Sons　of　Wisdom　were

always　a　very　small　people　who　ruled　by　the　weight　of　their

intelligence　and　the　strength　of　their　accumulated　lore。　Indeed；

they　could　scarcely　be　called　a　people；　rather　were　they　a　few

families；　all　of　them　more　or　less　connected　with　the　original

ruling　Dynasty　which　considered　itself　half　divine。　These

families　were　waited　upon　by　a　multitude　of　servants　or　slaves

drawn　from　the　subject　nations；　for　the　most　part　skilled　in　one

art　or　another；　or　perhaps；　remarkable　for　their　personal　beauty。

Still　they　remained　outside　the　pale。



The　Sons　of　Wisdom　did　not　intermarry　with　them　or　teach　them

their　learning；　or　even　allow　them　to　drink　of　their　Life…water。

They　ruled　them　as　men　rule　dogs；　treating　them　with　kindness；

but　no　more；　and　as　many　dogs　run　their　course　and　die　in　the

lifetime　of　one　master；　so　did　many　of　these　slaves　in　that　of

one　of　the　Sons　of　Wisdom。　Therefore；　the　slaves　came　to　regard

their　lords　not　as　men；　but　gods。　They　lived　but　three　score

years　and　ten　like　the　rest　of　us；　and　went　their　way；　they；

whose　great…great…grandfathers　had　served　the　same　master　and

whose　great…great…great…grandchildren　would　still　serve　him。　What

should　we　think　of　a　lord　who　we　knew　was　already　adult　in　the

time　of　William　the　Conqueror；　and　who　remained　still　vigorous

and　all…powerful　in　that　of　George　V？　One；　moreover；　who

commanded　almost　infinite　knowledge　to　which　we　were　denied　the

key？　We　might　tremble　before　him　and　look　upon　him　as　half…

divine；　but　should　we　not　long　to　kill　him　and　possess　his

knowledge　and　thereby　prolong　our　own　existence　to　his　wondrous

measure？



Such；　said　Yva；　was　the　case　with　their　slaves　and　the　peoples

from　whence　these　sprang。　They　grew　mad　with　jealous　hate；　till

at　length　came　the　end　we　knew。



Thus　we　talked　on　for　hours　till　the　time　came　for　us　to　eat。

As　before　Yva　partook　of　fruit　and　we　of　such　meats　as　we　had　at

hand。　These；　we　noticed；　disgusted　her；　because；　as　she

explained；　the　Children　of　Wisdom；　unless　driven　thereto　by

necessity；　touched　no　flesh；　but　lived　on　the　fruits　of　the　earth

and　wine　alone。　Only　the　slaves　and　the　Barbarians　ate　flesh。　In

these　views　Bickley　for　once　agreed　with　her；　that　is；　except　as

regards　the　wine；　for　in　theory；　if　not　in　practicehe　was　a

vegetarian。



〃I　will　bring　you　more　of　the　Life…water；〃　she　said；　〃and　then

you　will　grow　to　hate　these　dead　things；　as　I　do。　And　now

farewell。　My　father　calls　me。　I　hear　him　though　you　do　not。　To…

morrow　I　cannot　come；　but　the　day　after　I　will　come　and　bring　you

the　Life…water。　Nay；　accompany　me　not；　but　as　I　see　he　wishes　it；

let　Tommy　go　with　me。　I　will　care　for　him；　and　he　is　a　friend　in

all　that　lonely　place。〃



So　she　went；　and　with　her　Tommy；　rejoicing。



〃Ungrateful　little　devil！〃　said　Bickley。　〃Here　we've　fed　and

petted　him　from　puppyhood；　or　at　least　you　have；　and　yet　he　skips

off　with　the　first　stranger。　I　never　saw　him　behave　like　that　to

any　woman；　except　your　poor　wife。〃



〃I　know；〃　I　answered。　〃I　cannot　understand　it。　Hullo！　here

comes　Bastin。〃



Bastin　it　was；　dishevelled　and　looking　much　the　worse　for　wear；

also　minus　his　Bible　in　the　native　tongue。



〃Well；　how　have　you　been　getting　on？〃　said　Bickley。



〃I　should　like　some　tea；　also　anything　there　is　to　eat。〃



We　supplied　him　with　these　necessaries；　and　after　a　while　he

said　slowly　and　solemnly：



〃I　cannot　help　thinking　of　a　childish　story　which　Bickley　told

or　invented　one　night　at　your　house　at　home。　I　remember　he　had　an

argument　with　my　wife；　which　he　said　put　him　in　mind　of　it；　I　am

sure　I　don't　know　why。　It　was　about　a　monkey　and　a　parrot　that

were　left　together　under　a　sofa　for　a　long　while；　where　they　were

so　quiet　that　everybody　forgot　them。　Then　the　parrot　came　out

with　only　one　feather　left　in　its　tail　and　none　at　all　on　its

body；　saying；　'I've　had　no　end　of　a　time！'　after　which　it　dropped

down　and　died。　Do　you　know；　I　feel　just　like　that　parrot；　only　I

don't　mean　to　die；　and　I　think　I　gave　the　monkey　quite　as　good　as

he　gave　me！〃



〃What　happened？〃　I　asked；　intensely　interested。



〃Oh！　the　Glittering　Lady　took　me　into　that　palace　hall　where

Oro　was　sitting　like　a　spider　in　a　web；　and　left　me　there。　I　got

to　work　at　once。　He　was　much　interested　in　the　Old　Testament

stories　and　said　there　were　points　of　truth　about　them；　although

they　had　evidently　come　down　to　the　modern　writerhe　called　him

a　modern　writerin　a　legendary　form。　I　thought　his　remarks

impertinent　and　with　difficulty　refrained　from　saying　so。　Leaving

the　story　of　the　Deluge　and　all　that；　I　spoke　of　other　matters；

telling　him　of　eternal　life　and　Heaven　and　Hell；　of　which　the

poor　benighted　man　had　never　heard。　I　pointed　out　especially　that

unless　he　repented；　his　life；　by　all　accounts；　had　been　so

wicked；　that　he　was　certainly　destined　to　the　latter　place。〃



〃What　did　he　say　to　that？〃　I　asked。



〃Do　you　know；　I　think　it　frightened　him；　if　one　could　imagine

Oro　being　frightened。　At　any　rate　he　remarked　that　the　truth　or

falsity　of　what　I　said　was　an　urgent　matter　for　him；　as　he　could

not　expect　to　live　more　than　a　few　hundred　years　longer；　though

perhaps　he　might　prolong　the　period　by　another　spell　of　sleep。

Then　he　asked　me　why　I　thought　him　so　wicked。　I　replied　because

he　himself　said　that　he　had　drowned　millions　of　people；　which

showed　an　evil　heart　and　intention　even　if　it　were　not　a　fact。　He

thought　a　long　while　and　asked　what　could　be　done　in　the

circumstances。　I　replied　that　repentance　and　reparation　were　the

only　courses　open　to　him。〃



〃Reparation！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Yes；　reparation　was　what　I　said；　though　I　think　I　made　a

mistake　there；　as　you　will　see。　As　nearly　as　I　can　remember；　he

answered　that　he　was　beginning　to　repent；　as　from　all　he　had

learned　from　us；　he　gathered　that　the　races　which　had　arisen　as　a

consequence　of　his　action；　were　worse　than　those　which　he　had

destroyed。　As　regards　reparation；　what　he　had　done　once　he　could

do　again。　He　would　think　the　matter　over　seriously；　and　see　if　it

were　possible　and　advisable　to　raise　those　parts　of　the　world

which　had　been　sunk；　and　sink　those　which　had　been　raised。　If　so；

he　thought　that　would　make　very　handsome　amends　to　the　departed

nations　and　set　him　quite　right　with　any　superior　Power；　if　such

a　thing　existed。　What　are　you　laughing　at；　Bickley？　I　don't　think

it　a　laughing　matter；　since　such　remarks　do　not　seem　to　me　to

indicate　any　real　change　in　Oro's　heart；　which　is　what　I　was

trying　to　effect。〃



Bickley；　who　was　convulsed　with　merriment；　wiped　his　eyes　and

said：



〃You　dear　old　donkey；　don't　you　see　what　you　have　done；　or

rather　would　have　done　if　there　were　a　word　of　truth　in　all　this

ridiculous　story　about　a　deluge？　You　would　be　in　the　way　of

making　your　precious　pupil；　who　certainly　is　the　most　masterly

old　liar　in　the　world；　repeat　his　offence　and　send　Europe　to　the

bottom　of　the　sea。〃