the coming race-第12章

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to　conceal　from　their　community　all　premature　opening　into　the　regions　lighted　by　the　sun；　both　were　humane；　and　shrunk　from　the　thought　of　annihilating　so　many　millions　of　creatures；　and　the　pictures　I　drew　of　our　life；　highly　coloured　as　they　were；　saddened　them。　　In　vain　I　boasted　of　our　great　men…　poets；　philosophers；　orators；　generals…　and　defied　the　Vril…ya　to　produce　their　equals。　　〃Alas；〃　said　Zee；　〃this　predominance　of　the　few　over　the　many　is　the　surest　and　most　fatal　sign　of　a　race　incorrigibly　savage。　　See　you　not　that　the　primary　condition　of　mortal　happiness　consists　in　the　extinction　of　that　strife　and　competition　between　individuals；　which；　no　matter　what　forms　of　government　they　adopt；　render　the　many　subordinate　to　the　few；　destroy　real　liberty　to　the　individual；　whatever　may　be　the　nominal　liberty　of　the　state；　and　annul　that　calm　of　existence；　without　which；　felicity；　mental　or　bodily；　cannot　be　attained？　Our　notion　is；　that　the　more　we　can　assimilate　life　to　the　existence　which　our　noblest　ideas　can　conceive　to　be　that　of　spirits　on　the　other　side　of　the　grave；　why；　the　more　we　approximate　to　a　divine　happiness　here；　and　the　more　easily　we　glide　into　the　conditions　of　being　hereafter。　　For；　surely；　all　we　can　imagine　of　the　life　of　gods；　or　of　blessed　immortals；　supposes　the　absence　of　self…made　cares　and　contentious　passions；　such　as　avarice　and　ambition。　　It　seems　to　us　that　it　must　be　a　life　of　serene　tranquility；　not　indeed　without　active　occupations　to　the　intellectual　or　spiritual　powers；　but　occupations；　of　whatsoever　nature　they　be；　congenial　to　the　idiosyncrasies　of　each；　not　forced　and　repugnant…　a　life　gladdened　by　the　untrammelled　interchange　of　gentle　affections；　in　which　the　moral　atmosphere　utterly　kills　hate　and　vengeance；　and　strife　and　rivalry。　　Such　is　the　political　state　to　which　68all　the　tribes　and　families　of　the　Vril…ya　seek　to　attain；　and　towards　that　goal　all　our　theories　of　government　are　shaped。　　You　see　how　utterly　opposed　is　such　a　progress　to　that　of　the　uncivilised　nations　from　which　you　come；　and　which　aim　at　a　systematic　perpetuity　of　troubles；　and　cares；　and　warring　passions　aggravated　more　and　more　as　their　progress　storms　its　way　onward。　　The　most　powerful　of　all　the　races　in　our　world；　beyond　the　pale　of　the　Vril…ya；　esteems　itself　the　best　governed　of　all　political　societies；　and　to　have　reached　in　that　respect　the　extreme　end　at　which　political　wisdom　can　arrive；　so　that　the　other　nations　should　tend　more　or　less　to　copy　it。　　It　has　established；　on　its　broadest　base；　the　Koom…Posh…　viz。；　the　government　of　the　ignorant　upon　the　principle　of　being　the　most　numerous。　　It　has　placed　the　supreme　bliss　in　the　vying　with　each　other　in　all　things；　so　that　the　evil　passions　are　never　in　repose…　vying　for　power；　for　wealth；　for　eminence　of　some　kind；　and　in　this　rivalry　it　is　horrible　to　hear　the　vituperation；　the　slanders；　and　calumnies　which　even　the　best　and　mildest　among　them　heap　on　each　other　without　remorse　or　shame。〃

〃Some　years　ago；〃　said　Aph…Lin；　〃I　visited　this　people；　and　their　misery　and　degradation　were　the　more　appalling　because　they　were　always　boasting　of　their　felicity　and　grandeur　as　compared　with　the　rest　of　their　species。　　And　there　is　no　hope　that　this　people；　which　evidently　resembles　your　own；　can　improve；　because　all　their　notions　tend　to　further　deterioration。　　They　desire　to　enlarge　their　dominion　more　and　more；　in　direct　antagonism　to　the　truth　that；　beyond　a　very　limited　range；　it　is　impossible　to　secure　to　a　community　the　happiness　which　belongs　to　a　well…ordered　family；　and　the　more　they　mature　a　system　by　which　a　few　individuals　are　heated　and　　swollen　to　a　size　above　the　standard　slenderness　of　the　millions；　　the　more　they　chuckle　and　exact；　and　cry　out；　'See　by　what　great　　exceptions　to　the　common　littleness　of　our　race　we　prove　the　　magnificent　results　of　our　system！'〃　69　〃In　fact；〃　resumed　Zee；　〃if　the　wisdom　of　human　life　be　to　　approximate　to　the　serene　equality　of　immortals；　there　can　be　no　　more　direct　flying　off　into　the　opposite　direction　than　a　system　　which　aims　at　carrying　to　the　utmost　the　inequalities　and　　turbulences　of　mortals。　　Nor　do　I　see　how；　by　any　forms　of　　religious　belief；　mortals；　so　acting；　could　fit　themselves　even　to　　appreciate　the　joys　of　immortals　to　which　they　still　expect　to　be　　transferred　by　the　mere　act　of　dying。　　On　the　contrary；　minds　　accustomed　to　place　happiness　in　things　so　much　the　reverse　of　　godlike；　would　find　the　happiness　of　gods　exceedingly　dull；　and　　would　long　to　get　back　to　a　world　in　which　they　could　quarrel　with　　each　other。〃　


Chapter　XVI。


I　have　spoken　so　much　of　the　Vril　Staff　that　my　reader　may　expect　me　to　describe　it。　　This　I　cannot　do　accurately；　for　I　was　never　allowed　to　handle　it　for　fear　of　some　terrible　accident　occasioned　by　my　ignorance　of　its　use；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　it　requires　much　skill　and　practice　in　the　exercise　of　its　various　powers。　　It　is　hollow；　and　has　in　the　handle　several　stops；　keys；　or　springs　by　which　its　force　can　be　altered；　modified；　or　directed…　so　that　by　one　process　it　destroys；　by　another　it　heals…　by　one　it　can　rend　the　rock；　by　another　disperse　the　vapour…　by　one　it　affects　bodies；　by　another　it　can　exercise　a　certain　influence　over　minds。　　It　is　usually　carried　in　the　convenient　size　of　a　walking…staff；　but　it　has　slides　by　which　it　can　be　lengthened　or　shortened　at　will。　　When　used　for　special　purposes；　the　upper　part　rests　in　the　hollow　of　the　palm　with　the　fore　and　middle　fingers　protruded。　　I　was　assured；　however；　that　its　power　was　not　equal　in　all；　but　proportioned　to　the　amount　of　certain　vril　70properties　in　the　wearer　in　affinity；　or　'rapport'　with　the　purposes　to　be　effected。　　Some　were　more　potent　to　destroy；　others　to　heal；　&c。；　much　also　depended　on　the　calm　and　steadiness　of　volition　in　the　manipulator。　　They　assert　that　the　full　exercise　of　vril　power　can　only　be　acquired　by　the　constitutional　temperament…　i。e。；　by　hereditarily　transmitted　organisation…　and　that　a　female　infant　of　four　years　old　belonging　to　the　Vril…ya　races　can　accomplish　feats　which　a　life　spent　in　its　practice　would　not　enable　the　strongest　and　most　skilled　mechanician；　born　out　of　the　pale　of　the　Vril…ya　to　achieve。　　All　these　wands　are　not　equally　complicated；　those　intrusted　to　children　are　much　simpler　than　those　borne　by　sages　of　either　sex；　and　constructed　with　a　view　to　the　special　object　on　which　the　children　are　employed；　which　as　I　have　before　said；　is　among　the　youngest　children　the　most　destructive。　　In　the　wands　of　wives　and　mothers　the　correlative　destroying　force　is　usually　abstracted；　the　healing　power　fully　charged。　　I　wish　I　could　say　more　in　detail　of　this　singular　conductor　of　the　vril　fluid；　but　its　machinery　is　as　exquisite　as　its　effects　are　marvellous。

I　should　say；　however；　that　this　people　have　invented　certain　tubes　by　which　the　vril　fluid　can　be　conducted　towards　the　object　it　is　meant　to　destroy；　throughout　a　distance　almost　indefinite；　at　least　I　put　it　modestly　when　I　say　from　500　to　600　miles。　　And　their　mathematical　science　as　applied　to　such　purpose　is　so　nicely　accurate；　that　on　the　report　of　some　observer　in　an　air…boat；　any　member　of　the　vril　department　can　estimate　unerringly　the　nature　of　intervening　obstacles；　the　height　to　which　the　projectile　instrument　should　be　raised；　and　the　extent　to　which　it　should　be　charged；　so　as　to　reduce　to　ashes　within　a　space　of　time　too　short　for　me　to　venture　to　specify　it；　a　capital　twice　as　vast　as　London。

Certainly　these　Ana　are　wonderful　mathematicians…　wonderful　for　the　adaptation　of　the　inventive　faculty　to　practical　uses。　71　I　went　with　my　host　and　his　daughter　Zee　over　the　great　public　museum；　which　occupies　a　wing　in　the　College　of　Sages；　and　in　which　are　hoarded；　as　curious　specimens　of　the　ignorant　and　blundering　experiments　of　ancient　times；　many　contrivances　on　which　we　pride　ourselves　as　recent　achievements。　　In　one　department；　carelessly　thrown　aside　as　obsolete　lumber；　are　tubes　for　destroying　life　by　metallic　balls　and　an　inflammable　powder；　on　the　principle　of　our　cannons　and　catapults；　and　even　still　more　murderous　than　our　latest　improvements。

My　host　spoke　of　these　with　a　smile　of　contempt；　such　as　an　artillery　officer　might　bestow　on　the　bows　and　arrows　of　the　Chinese。　　In　another　department　there　were　models　of　vehicles　and　vessels　worked　by　steam；　and　of　an　air…balloon　which　might　have　been　constructed　by　Montgolfier。　　〃Such；〃　said　Zee；　with　an　air　of　meditative　wisdom…　〃such　were　the　feeble　triflings　with　nature　of　our　savage　forefathers；　ere　they　had　even　a　glimmering　perception　of　the　properties　of　vril！〃

This　young　Gy　was　a　magnificent　specimen　of　the　muscular　force　to　which　the　females　of　her　country　attain。　　Her　features　were　beautiful；　like　those　of　all　her　race：　never　in　the　upper　world　have　I　seen　a　face　so　grand　and　so　faultless；　but　her　devotion　to　the　severer　studies　had　given　to　her　countenance　an　expression　of　abstract　thought　which　rendered　it　somewhat　stern　when　in　repose；　and　such　a　sternness　became　formidable　when　observed　in　connection　with　her　ample　shoulders　and　lofty　stature。　　She　was　tall　even　for　a　Gy；　and　I　saw　her　lift　up　a　cannon　as　easily　as　I　could　lift　a　pocket…pistol。　　Zee　inspired　me　with　a　profound　terror…　a　terror　which　increased　when　we　came　into　a　department　of　the　museum　appropriated　to　models　of　contrivances　worked　by　the　agency　of　vril；　for　here；　merely　by　a　certain　play　of　her　vril　staff；　she　herself　standing　at　a　distance；　she　put　into　movement　large　and　weighty　substances。　　She　seemed　to　endow　them　with　intelligence；　and　to　make　them　72comprehend　and　obey　her　command。　　She　set　complicated　pieces　of　machinery　into　movement；　arrested　the　movement　or　continued　it；　until；　within　an　incredibly　short　time；　various　kinds　of　raw　material　were　reproduced　as　symmetrical　works　of　art；　complete　and　perfect。　　Whatever　effect　mesmerism　or　electro…biology　produces　over　the　nerves　and　muscles　of　animated　objects；　this　young　Gy　produced　by　the　motions　of　her　slender　rod　over　the　springs　and　wheels　of　lifeless　mechanism。

When　I　mentioned　to　my　companions　my　astonishment　at　this　influence　over　inanimate　matter…　while　owning　that；　in　our　world；　I　had　witnessed　phenomena　which　showed　that　over　certain　living　organisations　certain　other　living　organisations　could　establish　an　influence　genuine　in　itself；　but　often　exaggerated　by　credulity　or　craft…　Zee；　who　was　more　interested　in　such　subjects　than　her　father；　bade　me　stretch　forth　my　hand；　and　then；　placing　it　beside　her　own；　she　called　my　attention　to　certain　distinctions　of　type　and　character。　　In　the　first　place；　the　thumb　of　the　Gy　（and；　as　I　afterwards　noticed；　of　all　that　race；　male　or　female）　was　much　larger；　at　once　longer　and　more　massive；　than　is　found　with　our　species　above　ground。　　There　is　almost；　in　this；　as　great　a　difference　as　there　is　between　the　thumb　of　a　man　and　that　of　a　gorilla。　　Secondly；　the　palm　is　proportionally　thicker　than　ours…　the　texture　of　the　skin　infinitely　finer　and　softer…　its　average　warmth　is　greater。　　More　remarkable　than　all　this；　is　a　visible　nerve；　perceptible　under　the　skin；　which　starts　from　the　wrist　skirting　the　ball　of　the　thumb；　and　branch