when the world shook-第49章

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not　happen。〃



〃Why　not；　if　it　must？〃



〃Beloved；〃　she　whispered；　〃Bastin　has　expounded　to　me　a　new

faith　whereof　the　master…word　is　Sacrifice。　The　terrible　thing

will　not　happen　because　of　sacrifice！　Ask　me　no　more。〃



She　mused　a　while；　seated　there　in　the　moonlight　upon　the

ancient　altar　of　sacrifice；　the　veil　she　wore　falling　about　her

face　and　making　her　mysterious。　Then　she　threw　it　back；　showing

her　lovely　eyes　and　glittering　hair；　and　laughed。



〃We　have　still　an　earthly　hour；〃　she　said；　〃therefore　let　us

forget　the　far；　dead　past　and　the　eternities　to　come　and　be

joyful　in　that　hour。　Now　throw　your　arms　about　me　and　I　will　tell

you　strange　stories　of　lost　days；　and　you　shall　look　into　my　eyes

and　learn　wisdom；　and　you　shall　kiss　my　lips　and　taste　of　bliss

you；　who　were　and　are　and　shall　beyou；　the　beloved　of　Yva　from

the　beginning　to　the　end　of　Time。〃







Chapter　XXII



The　Command





I　think　that　both　Bastin　and　Bickley；　by　instinct　as　it　were；

knew　what　had　passed　between　Yva　and　myself　and　that　she　had

promised　herself　to　me。　They　showed　this　by　the　way　in　which　they

avoided　any　mention　of　her　name。　Also　they　began　to　talk　of　their

own　plans　for　the　future　as　matters　in　which　I　had　no　part。　Thus

I　heard　them　discussing　the　possibility　of　escape　from　the　island

whereof　suddenly　they　seemed　to　have　grown　weary；　and　whether　by

any　means　two　men　（two；　not　three）　could　manage　to　sail　and　steer

the　lifeboat　that　remained　upon　the　wreck。　In　short；　as　in　all

such　cases；　the　woman　had　come　between；　also　the　pressure　of　a

common　loss　caused　them　to　forget　their　differences　and　to　draw

closer　together。　I　who　had　succeeded　where　they　both　had　failed；

was；　they　seemed　to　think；　out　of　their　lives；　so　much　that　our

ancient　intimacy　had　ended。



This　attitude　hurt　me；　perhaps　because　in　many　respects　the

situation　was　awkward。　They　had；　it　is　true；　taken　their　failures

extremely　well；　still　the　fact　remained　that　both　of　them　had

fallen　in　love　with　the　wonderful　creature；　woman　and　yet　more

than　woman；　who　had　bound　herself　to　me。　How　then　could　we　go　on

living　together；　I　in　prospective　possession　of　the　object　that

all　had　desired；　and　they　without　the　pale？



Moreover；　they　were　jealous　in　another　and　quite　a　different

fashion　because　they　both　loved　me　in　their　own　ways　and　were

convinced　that　I　who　had　hitherto　loved　them；　henceforward　should

have　no　affection　left　to　spare；　since　surely　this　Glittering

Lady；　this　marvel　of　wisdom　and　physical　perfections　would　take

it　all。　Of　course　they　were　in　error；　since　even　if　I　could　have

been　so　base　and　selfish；　this　was　no　conduct　that　Yva　would　have

wished　or　even　suffered。　Still　that　was　their　thought。



Mastering　the　situation　I　reflected　a　little　while　and　then

spoke　straight　out　to　them。



〃My　friends；〃　I　said；　〃as　I　see　that　you　have　guessed；　Yva　and

I　are　affianced　to　each　other　and　love　each　other　perfectly。〃



〃Yes；　Arbuthnot；〃　said　Bastin；　〃we　saw　that　in　your　face；　and

in　hers　as　she　bade　us　good　night　before　she　went　into　the　cave；

and　we　congratulate　you　and　wish　you　every　happiness。〃



〃We　wish　you　every　happiness；　old　fellow；〃　chimed　in　Bickley。

He　paused　a　while；　then　added；　〃But　to　be　honest；　I　am　not　sure

that　I　congratulate　you。〃



〃Why　not；　Bickley？〃



〃Not　for　the　reason　that　you　may　suspect；　Arbuthnot；　I　mean　not

because　you　have　won　where　we　have　lost；　as　it　was　only　to　be

expected　that　you　would　do；　but　on　account　of　something　totally

different。　I　told　you　a　while　ago　and　repetition　is　useless　and

painful。　I　need　only　add　therefore　that　since　then　my　conviction

has　strengthened　and　I　am　sure；　sorry　as　I　am　to　say　it；　that　in

this　matter　you　must　prepare　for　disappointment　and　calamity。

That　woman；　if　woman　she　really　is；　will　never　be　the　wife　of

mortal　man。　Now　be　angry　with　me　if　you　like；　or　laugh　as　you

have　the　right　to　do；　seeing　that　like　Bastin　and　yourself；　I

also　asked　her　to　marry　me；　but　something　makes　me　speak　what　I

believe　to　be　the　truth。〃



〃Like　Cassandra；〃　I　suggested。



〃Yes；　like　Cassandra　who　was　not　a　popular　person。〃　At　first　I

was　inclined　to　resent　Bickley's　wordswho　would　not　have　been

in　the　circumstances？　Then　of　a　sudden　there　rushed　in　upon　my

mind　the　conviction　that　he　spoke　the　truth。　In　this　world　Yva

was　not　for　me　or　any　man。　Moreover　she　knew　it；　the　knowledge

peeped　out　of　every　word　she　spoke　in　our　passionate　love　scene

by　the　lake。　She　was　aware；　and　subconsciously　I　was　aware；　that

we　were　plighting　our　troth；　not　for　time　but　for　eternity。　With

time　we　had　little　left　to　do；　not　for　long　would　she　wear　the

ring　I　gave　her　on　that　holy　night。



Even　Bastin；　whose　perceptions　normally　were　not　acute；　felt

that　the　situation　was　strained　and　awkward　and　broke　in　with　a

curious　air　of　forced　satisfaction：



〃It's　uncommonly　lucky　for　you；　old　boy；　that　you　happen　to

have　a　clergyman　in　your　party；　as　I　shall　be　able　to　marry　you

in　a　respectable　fashion。　Of　course　I　can't　say　that　the

Glittering　Lady　is　as　yet　absolutely　converted　to　our　faith；　but

I　am　certain　that　she　has　absorbed　enough　of　its　principles　to

justify　me　in　uniting　her　in　Christian　wedlock。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃she　has　absorbed　its　principles；

she　told　me　as　much　herself。　Sacrifice；　for　instance；〃

and　as　I　spoke　the　word　my　eyes　filled　with　tears。



〃Sacrifice！〃　broke　in　Bickley　with　an　angry　snort；　for　he

needed　a　vent　to　his　mental　disturbance。　〃Rubbish。　Why　should

every　religion　demand　sacrifice　as　savages　do？　By　it　alone　they

stand　condemned。〃



〃Because　as　I　think；　sacrifice　is　the　law　of　life；　at　least　of

all　life　that　is　worth　the　living；〃　I　answered　sadly　enough。

〃Anyhow　I　believe　you　are　right；　Bickley；　and　that　Bastin　will

not　be　troubled　to　marry　us。〃



〃You　don't　mean；〃　broke　in　Bastin　with　a　horrified　air；　〃that

you　propose　to　dispense〃



〃No；　Bastin；　I　don't　mean　that。　What　I　mean　is　that　it　comes

upon　me　that　something　will　prevent　this　marriage。　Sacrifice；

perhaps；　though　in　what　shape　I　do　not　know。　And　now　good　night。

I　am　tired。〃





That　night　in　the　chill　dead　hour　before　the　dawn　Oro　came

again。　I　woke　up　to　see　him　seated　by　my　bed；　majestic；　and；　as

it　seemed　to　me；　lambent；　though　this　may　have　been　my

imagination。



〃You　take　strange　liberties　with　my　daughter；　Barbarian；　or　she

takes　strange　liberties　with　you；　it　does　not　matter　which；〃　he

said；　regarding　me　with　his　calm　and　terrible　eyes。



〃Why　do　you　presume　to　call　me　Barbarian？〃　I　asked；　avoiding

the　main　issue。



〃For　this　reason；　Humphrey。　All　men　are　the　same。　They　have　the

same　organs；　the　same　instincts；　the　same　desires；　which　in

essence　are　but　two；　food　and　rebirth　that　Nature　commands；

though　it　is　true　that　millions　of　years　before　I　was　born；　as　I

have　learned　from　the　records　of　the　Sons　of　Wisdom；　it　was　said

that　they　were　half　ape。　Yet　being　the　same　there　is　between　them

a　whole　sea　of　difference；　since　some　have　knowledge　and　others

none；　or　little。　Those　who　have　none　or　little；　among　whom　you

must　be　numbered；　are　Barbarians。　Those　who　have　much；　among　whom

my　daughter　and　I　are　the　sole　survivors；　are　the　Instructed。〃



〃There　are　nearly　two　thousand　millions　of　living　people　in

this　world；〃　I　said；　〃and　you　name　all　of　them　Barbarians？〃



〃All；　Humphrey；　excepting；　of　course；　myself　and　my　daughter

who　are　not　known　to　be　alive。　You　think　that　you　have　learned

much；　whereas　in　truth　you　are　most　ignorant。　The　commonest　of

the　outer　nations；　when　I　destroyed　them；　knew　more　than　your

wisest　know　today。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　Oro；　since　then　we　have　learned　something　of

the　soul。〃



〃Ah！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃that　interests　me　and　perhaps　it　is　true。

Also；　if　true　it　is　very　important；　as　I　have　told　you　beforeor

was　it　Bastin？　If　a　man　has　a　soul；　he　lives；　whereas　even　we

Sons　of　Wisdom　die；　and　in　Death　what　is　the　use　of　Wisdom？

Because　you　can　believe；　you　have　souls　and　are　therefore；

perhaps；　heirs　to　life；　foolish　and　ignorant　as　you　are　today。

Therefore　I　admit　you　and　Bastin　to　be　my　equals；　though　Bickley；

who　like　myself　believes　nothing；　is　but　a　common　chemist　and

doctor　of　disease。〃



〃Then　you　bow　to　Faith；　Oro？〃



〃Yes；　and　I　think　that　my　god　Fate　also　bows　to　Faith。　Perhaps；

indeed；　Faith　shapes　Fate；　not　Fate。　Faith。　But　whence　comes　that

faith　which　even　I　with　all　my　learning　cannot　command？　Why　is　it

denied　to　me　and　given　to　you　and　Bastin？〃



〃Because　as　Bastin　would　tell　you；　it　is　a　gift；　though　one

that　is　never　granted　to　the　proud　and　self…sufficient。　Become

humble　as　a　child；　Oro；　and　perchance　you　too　may　acquire　faith。〃



〃And　how　shall　I　become　humble？〃



〃By　putting　away　all　dreams　of　power　and　its　exercise；　if　such

you　have；　and　in　repentance　walking　quietly　to　the　Gates　of

Death；〃　I　replied。



〃For　you；　Humphrey；　who　have　little　or　none　of　these　things；

that　may　be　easy。　But　for　me　who　have　much；　if　not　all；　it　is

otherwise。　You　ask　me　to　abandon　the　certain　for　the　uncertain；

the　known　for　the　unknown；　and　from　a　half…god　communing　with　the

stars；　to　become　an　earthworm　crawling　in　mud　and　lifting　blind

eyes　towards　the　darkness　of　everlasting　night。〃



〃A　god　who　must　die　is　no　god；　half　or　whole；　Oro；　the

earthworm　that　lives　on　is　greater　than　he。〃



〃Mayhap。　Yet　while　I　endure　I　will　be　as　a　god；　so　that　when

night　comes；　if　come　it　must；　I　shall　have　played　my　part　and

left　my　mark　upon　this　little　world　of　ours。　Have　done！〃　he　added

with　a　burst　of　impatience。　〃What　will　you　of　my　daughter？〃



〃What　man　has　always　willed　of　womanherself；　body　and　soul。〃



〃Her　soul　perchance　is　yours；　if　she　has　one；　but　her　body　is

mine　to　give　or　withhold。　Yet　it　can　be　bought　at　a　price；〃　he

added　slowly。



〃So　she　told　me；　Oro。〃



〃I　can　guess　what　she　told　you。　Did　I　not　watch　you　yonder　by

the　lake　when　you　gave　her　a　ring　graved　with　the　signs　of　Life

and　Everlastingness？　The　question　is；　will　you　pay　the　price？〃



〃Not　so；　the　question　iswhat　is　the　price？〃



〃This；　to　enter　my　service　and　henceforth　do　my　willwithout

debate　or　cavil。〃



〃For　what　reward；　Oro？〃



〃Yva　and　the　dominion　of　the　earth　while　you　shall　live；

neither　more　nor　less。〃



〃And　what　is　your　will？〃



〃That　you　shall　learn　in　due　course。　On　the　second　night　from

this　I　command　the　three　of　you　to　wait　upon　me　at　sundown　in　the

buried　halls　of　Nyo。　Till　then　you　see　no　more　of　Yva；　for　I　do

not　trust　her。　She；　too；　has　powers；　though　as　yet　she　does　not

use　them；　and　perchance　she　would　forget　her　oaths；　and　following

some　new　star　of　love；　for　a　little　while　vanish　with　you　out　of

my　reach。　Be　in　the　sepulchre　at　the　hour　of　sundown　on　the

second　day　from　this；　all　three　of　you；　if　you　would　contin