the coming race-第17章

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Koom…Posh；〃　said　the　child；　emphatically；　〃is　bad　enough；　still　it　has　brains；　though　at　the　back　of　its　head；　and　is　not　without　a　heart；　but　in　Glek…Nas　the　brain　and　heart　of　the　creatures　disappear；　and　they　become　all　jaws；　claws；　and　belly。〃

95〃You　express　yourself　strongly。　　Allow　me　to　inform　you　that　I　myself；　and　I　am　proud　to　say　it；　am　the　citizen　of　a　Koom…Posh。〃

〃I　no　longer；〃　answered　Taee；　〃wonder　to　see　you　here　so　far　from　your　home。　　What　was　the　condition　of　your　native　community　before　it　became　a　Koom…Posh？〃

〃A　settlement　of　emigrants…　like　those　settlements　which　your　tribe　sends　forth…　but　so　far　unlike　your　settlements；　that　it　was　dependent　on　the　state　from　which　it　came。　　It　shook　off　that　yoke；　and；　crowned　with　eternal　glory；　became　a　Koom…Posh。〃

〃Eternal　glory！　　How　long　has　the　Koom…Posh　lasted？〃

〃About　100　years。〃

〃The　length　of　an　An's　life…　a　very　young　community。　　In　much　less　than　another　100　years　your　Koom…Posh　will　be　a　Glek…Nas。〃

〃Nay；　the　oldest　states　in　the　world　I　come　from；　have　such　faith　in　its　duration；　that　they　are　all　gradually　shaping　their　institutions　so　as　to　melt　into　ours；　and　their　most　thoughtful　politicians　say　that；　whether　they　like　it　or　not；　the　inevitable　tendency　of　these　old　states　is　towards　Koom…Posh…erie。〃

〃The　old　states？〃

〃Yes；　the　old　states。〃

〃With　populations　very　small　in　proportion　to　the　area　of　productive　land？〃

〃On　the　contrary；　with　populations　very　large　in　proportion　to　that　area。〃

〃I　see！　old　states　indeed！…　so　old　as　to　become　drivelling　if　they　don't　pack　off　that　surplus　population　as　we　do　ours…　very　old　states！…　very；　very　old！　　Pray；　Tish；　do　you　think　it　wise　for　very　old　men　to　try　to　turn　head…over…heels　as　very　young　children　do？　　And　if　you　ask　them　why　they　attempted　such　antics；　should　you　not　laugh　if　they　answered　that　by　imitating　very　young　children　they　could　become　very　young　children　themselves？　　Ancient　history　abounds　with　instances　of　this　sort　a　great　many　thousand　years　ago…　and　in　every　instance　a　very　96old　state　that　played　at　Koom…Posh　soon　tumbled　into　Glek…Nas。　　Then；　in　horror　of　its　own　self；　it　cried　out　for　a　master；　as　an　old　man　in　his　dotage　cries　out　for　a　nurse；　and　after　a　succession　of　masters　or　nurses；　more　or　less　long；　that　very　old　state　died　out　of　history。　　A　very　old　state　attempting　Koom…Posh…erie　is　like　a　very　old　man　who　pulls　down　the　house　to　which　he　has　been　accustomed；　but　he　has　so　exhausted　his　vigour　in　pulling　down；　that　all　he　can　do　in　the　way　of　rebuilding　is　to　run　up　a　crazy　hut；　in　which　himself　and　his　successors　whine　out；　'How　the　wind　blows！　　How　the　walls　shake！'〃

〃My　dear　Taee；　I　make　all　excuse　for　your　unenlightened　prejudices；　which　every　schoolboy　educated　in　a　Koom…Posh　could　easily　controvert；　though　he　might　not　be　so　precociously　learned　in　ancient　history　as　you　appear　to　be。〃

〃I　learned！　not　a　bit　of　it。　　But　would　a　schoolboy；　educated　in　your　Koom…Posh；　ask　his　great…great…grandfather　or　great…great…grandmother　to　stand　on　his　or　her　head　with　the　feet　uppermost？　　And　if　the　poor　old　folks　hesitated…　say；　'What　do　you　fear？…　see　how　I　do　it！'〃

〃Taee；　I　disdain　to　argue　with　a　child　of　your　age。　　I　repeat；　I　make　allowances　for　your　want　of　that　culture　which　a　Koom…Posh　alone　can　bestow。〃

〃I；　in　my　turn；〃　answered　Taee；　with　an　air　of　the　suave　but　lofty　good　breeding　which　characterises　his　race；　〃not　only　make　allowances　for　you　as　not　educated　among　the　Vril…ya；　but　I　entreat　you　to　vouchsafe　me　your　pardon　for　the　insufficient　respect　to　the　habits　and　opinions　of　so　amiable　a　Tish！〃

I　ought　before　to　have　observed　that　I　was　commonly　called　Tish　by　my　host　and　his　family；　as　being　a　polite　and　indeed　a　pet　name；　literally　signifying　a　small　barbarian；　the　children　apply　it　endearingly　to　the　tame　species　of　Frog　which　they　keep　in　their　gardens。

We　had　now　reached　the　banks　of　a　lake；　and　Taee　here　paused　to　97point　out　to　me　the　ravages　made　in　fields　skirting　it。　　〃The　enemy　certainly　lies　within　these　waters；〃　said　Taee。　　〃Observe　what　shoals　of　fish　are　crowded　together　at　the　margin。　　Even　the　great　fishes　with　the　small　ones；　who　are　their　habitual　prey　and　who　generally　shun　them；　all　forget　their　instincts　in　the　presence　of　a　common　destroyer。　　This　reptile　certainly　must　belong　to　the　class　of　Krek…a；　which　are　more　devouring　than　any　other；　and　are　said　to　be　among　the　few　surviving　species　of　the　world's　dreadest　inhabitants　before　the　Ana　were　created。　　The　appetite　of　a　Krek　is　insatiable…　it　feeds　alike　upon　vegetable　and　animal　life；　but　for　the　swift…footed　creatures　of　the　elk　species　it　is　too　slow　in　its　movements。　　Its　favourite　dainty　is　an　An　when　it　can　catch　him　unawares；　and　hence　the　Ana　destroy　it　relentlessly　whenever　it　enters　their　dominion。　　I　have　heard　that　when　our　forefathers　first　cleared　this　country；　these　monsters；　and　others　like　them；　abounded；　and；　vril　being　then　undiscovered；　many　of　our　race　were　devoured。　　It　was　impossible　to　exterminate　them　wholly　till　that　discovery　which　constitutes　the　power　and　sustains　the　civilisation　of　our　race。　　But　after　the　uses　of　vril　became　familiar　to　us；　all　creatures　inimical　to　us　were　soon　annihilated。　　Still；　once　a…year　or　so；　one　of　these　enormous　creatures　wanders　from　the　unreclaimed　and　savage　districts　beyond；　and　within　my　memory　one　has　seized　upon　a　young　Gy　who　was　bathing　in　this　very　lake。　　Had　she　been　on　land　and　armed　with　her　staff；　it　would　not　have　dared　even　to　show　itself；　for；　like　all　savage　creatures；　the　reptile　has　a　marvellous　instinct；　which　warns　it　against　the　bearer　of　the　vril　wand。　　How　they　teach　their　young　to　avoid　him；　though　seen　for　the　first　time；　is　one　of　those　mysteries　which　you　may　ask　Zee　to　explain；　for　I　cannot。*

*　　The　reptile　in　this　instinct　does　but　resemble　our　wild　birds　and　animals；　which　will　not　come　in　reach　of　a　man　armed　with　a　gun。　　When　the　electric　wires　were　first　put　up；　partridges　struck　against　them　in　their　flight；　and　fell　down　wounded。　　No　younger　generations　of　partridges　meet　with　a　similar　accident。

98So　long　as　I　stand　here；　the　monster　will　not　stir　from　its　lurking…place；　but　we　must　now　decoy　it　forth。〃

〃Will　that　not　be　difficult？〃

〃Not　at　all。　　Seat　yourself　yonder　on　that　crag　（about　one　hundred　yards　from　the　bank）；　while　I　retire　to　a　distance。　　In　a　short　time　the　reptile　will　catch　sight　or　scent　of　you；　and　perceiving　that　you　are　no　vril…bearer；　will　come　forth　to　devour　you。　　As　soon　as　it　is　fairly　out　of　the　water；　it　becomes　my　prey。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　I　am　to　be　the　decoy　to　that　horrible　monster　which　could　engulf　me　within　its　jaws　in　a　second！　　I　beg　to　decline。〃

The　child　laughed。　　〃Fear　nothing；〃　said　he；　〃only　sit　still。〃

Instead　of　obeying　the　command；　I　made　a　bound；　and　was　about　to　take　fairly　to　my　heels；　when　Taee　touched　me　slightly　on　the　shoulder；　and；　fixing　his　eyes　steadily　on　mine；　I　was　rooted　to　the　spot。　　All　power　of　volition　left　me。　　Submissive　to　the　infant's　gesture；　I　followed　him　to　the　crag　he　had　indicated；　and　seated　myself　there　in　silence。　　Most　readers　have　seen　something　of　the　effects　of　electro…biology；　whether　genuine　or　spurious。　　No　professor　of　that　doubtful　craft　had　ever　been　able　to　influence　a　thought　or　a　movement　of　mine；　but　I　was　a　mere　machine　at　the　will　of　this　terrible　child。　　Meanwhile　he　expanded　his　wings；　soared　aloft；　and　alighted　amidst　a　copse　at　the　brow　of　a　hill　at　some　distance。

I　was　alone；　and　turning　my　eyes　with　an　indescribable　sensation　of　horror　towards　the　lake；　I　kept　them　fixed　on　its　water；　spell…bound。　　It　might　be　ten　or　fifteen　minutes；　to　me　it　seemed　ages；　before　the　still　surface；　gleaming　under　the　lamplight；　began　to　be　agitated　towards　the　centre。　　At　the　same　time　the　shoals　of　fish　near　the　margin　evinced　their　sense　of　the　enemy's　approach　by　splash　and　leap　and　bubbling　circle。　　I　could　detect　their　hurried　flight　hither　and　thither；　some　even　casting　themselves　ashore。　　A　long；　dark；　99undulous　furrow　came　moving　along　the　waters；　nearer　and　nearer；　till　the　vast　head　of　the　reptile　emerged…　its　jaws　bristling　with　fangs；　and　its　dull　eyes　fixing　themselves　hungrily　on　the　spot　where　I　sat　motionless。　　And　now　its　fore　feet　were　on　the　strand…　now　its　enormous　breast；　scaled　on　either　side　as　in　armour；　in　the　centre　showing　its　corrugated　skin　of　a　dull　venomous　yellow；　and　now　its　whole　length　was　on　the　land；　a　hundred　feet　or　more　from　the　jaw　to　the　tail。　　Another　stride　of　those　ghastly　feet　would　have　brought　it　to　the　spot　where　I　sat。　　There　was　but　a　moment　between　me　and　this　grim　form　of　death；　when　what　seemed　a　flash　of　lightning　shot　through　the　air；　smote；　and；　for　a　space　of　time　briefer　than　that　in　which　a　man　can　draw　his　breath；　enveloped　the　monster；　and　then；　as　the　flash　vanished；　there　lay　before　me　a　blackened；　charred；　smouldering　mass；　a　something　gigantic；　but　of　which　even　the　outlines　of　form　were　burned　away；　and　rapidly　crumbling　into　dust　and　ashes。　　I　remained　still　seated；　still　speechless；　ice…cold　with　a　new　sensation　of　dread；　what　had　been　horror　was　now　awe。

I　felt　the　child's　hand　on　my　head…　fear　left　me…　the　spell　was　broken…　I　rose　up。　　〃You　see　with　what　ease　the　Vril…ya　destroy　their　enemies；〃　said　Taee；　and　then；　moving　towards　the　bank；　he　contemplated　the　smouldering　relics　of　the　monster；　and　said　quietly；　〃I　have　destroyed　larger　creatures；　but　none　with　so　much　pleasure。　　Yes；　it　IS　a　Krek；　what　suffering　it　must　have　inflicted　while　it　lived！〃　Then　he　took　up　the　poor　fishes　that　had　flung　themselves　ashore；　and　restored　them　mercifully　to　their　native　element。


Chapter　XIX。


As　we　walked　back　to　the　town；　Taee　took　a　new　and　circuitous　way；　in　order　to　show　me　what；　to　use　a　familiar　term；　I　will　100call　the　'Station；'　from　which　emigrants　or　travellers　to　other　communities　commence　their　journeys。　　I　had；　on　a　former　occasion；　expressed　a　wish　to　see　their　vehicles。　　These　I　found　to　be　of　two　kinds；　one　for　land　journeys；　one　for　aerial　voyages：　the　former　were　of　all　sizes　and　forms；　some　not　larger　than　an　ordinary　carriage；　some　movable　houses　of　one　story　and　containing　several　rooms；　furnished　according　to　the　ideas　of　comfort　or　luxury　which　are　entertained　by　the　Vril…ya。　　The　aerial　vehicles　were　of　light　substances；　not　the　least　resembling　our　balloons；　but　rather　our　boats　and　pleasure…vessels；　with　helm　and　rudder；　with　large　wings　or　paddles；　and　a　central　machine　worked　by　vril。　　All　the　vehicles　both　for　land　or　air　were　indeed　worked　by　that　potent　and　mysterious　agency。

I　saw　a　convoy　set　out　on　its　journey；　but　it　had　few　passengers；　containing　chiefly　articles　of　merchandise；　and　was　bound　to　a　neighbouring　community；　for　among　all　the　tribes　of　the　Vril…ya　there　is　considerable　commercial　interchange。　　I　may　here　observe；　that　their　money　currency　does　not　consist　of　the　precious　metals；　which　are　too　common　among　them　for　that　purpose。　　The　smaller　coins　in　ordinary　use　are　manufactured　from　a　peculiar　fossil　shell；　the　comparatively　scarce　remnant　of　some　very　early　deluge；　or　other　convulsion　of　nature；　by　which　a　species　has　becom