when the world shook-第24节

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Between　the　folds　of　the　wrappings　on　the　back　sprang　two　other

wings；　enormous　wings　bent　like　those　of　a　bird　about　to　take

flight。　Indeed　the　whole　attitude　of　the　figure　suggested　that　it

was　springing　from　earth　to　air。　It　was　executed　in　black　basalt

or　some　stone　of　the　sort；　and　very　highly　finished。　For

instance；　on　the　bare　feet　and　the　arm　which　held　the　torch　could

be　felt　every　muscle　and　even　some　of　the　veins。　In　the　same　way

the　details　of　the　skull　were　perfectly　perceptible　to　the　touch；

although　at　first　sight　not　visible　on　the　marble　surface。　This

was　ascertained　by　climbing　on　the　pedestal　and　feeling　the　face

with　our　hands。



Here　I　may　say　that　its　modelling　as　well　as　that　of　the　feet

and　the　arm　filled　Bickley；　who；　of　course；　was　a　highly　trained

anatomist；　with　absolute　amazement。　He　said　that　he　would　never

have　thought　it　possible　that　such　accuracy　could　have　been

reached　by　an　artist　working　in　so　hard　a　material。



When　the　others　had　arrived　we　studied　this　relic　as　closely　as

our　two　candles　would　allow；　and　in　turn　expressed　our　opinions

of　its　significance。　Bastin　thought　that　if　those　things　down

there　were　really　the　remains　of　aeroplanes；　which　he　did　not

believe；　the　statue　had　something　to　do　with　flying；　as　was　shown

by　the　fact　that　it　had　wings　on　its　head　and　shoulders。　Also；　he

added；　after　examining　the　face；　the　head　was　uncommonly　like

that　of　the　idol　that　he　had　blown　up。　It　had　the　same　long　nose

and　severe　shut　mouth。　If　he　was　right；　this　was　probably　another

effigy　of　Oro　which　we　should　do　well　to　destroy　at　once　before

the　islanders　came　to　worship　it。



Bickley　ground　his　teeth　as　he　listened　to　him。



〃Destroy　that！〃　he　gasped。　〃Destroy！　Oh！　you；　youearly

Christian。〃



Here　I　may　state　that　Bastin　was　quite　right；　as　we　proved

subsequently　when　we　compared　the　head　of　the　fetish；　which；　as

it　will　be　remembered；　he　had　brought　away　with　him；　with　that　of

the　statue。　Allowing　for　an　enormous　debasement　of　art；　they　were

essentially　identical　in　the　facial　characteristics。　This　would

suggest　the　descent　of　a　tradition　through　countless　generations。

Or　of　course　it　may　have　been　accidental。　I　am　sure　I　do　not

know；　but　I　think　it　possible　that　for　unknown　centuries　other

old　statues　may　have　existed　in　Orofena　from　which　the　idol　was

copied。　Or　some　daring　and　impious　spirit　may　have　found　his　way

to　the　cave　in　past　ages　and　fashioned　the　local　god　upon　this

ancient　model。



Bickley　was　struck　at　once；　as　I　had　been；　with　the　resemblance

of　the　figure　to　that　of　the　Egyptian　Osiris。　Of　course　there

were　differences。　For　instance；　instead　of　the　crook　and　the

scourge；　this　divinity　held　a　torch。　Again；　in　place　of　the　crown

of　Egypt　it　wore　a　winged　head…dress；　though　it　is　true　this　was

not　very　far　removed　from　the　winged　disc　of　that　country。　The

wings　that　sprang　from　its　shoulders；　however；　suggested

Babylonia　rather　than　Egypt；　or　the　Assyrian　bulls　that　are

similarly　adorned。　All　of　these　symbolical　ideas　might　have　been

taken　from　that　figure。　But　what　was　it？　What　was　it？



In　a　flash　the　answer　came　to　me。　A　representation　of　the

spirit　of　Death！　Neither　more　nor　less。　There　was　the　shroud；

there　the　cold；　inscrutable　countenance　suggesting　mysteries　that

it　hid。　But　the　torch　and　the　wings？　Well；　the　torch　was　that

which　lighted　souls　to　the　other　world；　and　on　the　wings　they

flew　thither。　Whoever　fashioned　that　statue　hoped　for　another

life；　or　so　I　was　convinced。



I　explained　my　ideas。　Bastin　thought　them　fanciful　and

preferred　his　notion　of　a　flying　man；　since　by　constitution　he

was　unable　to　discover　anything　spiritual　in　any　religion　except

his　own。　Bickley　agreed　that　it　was　probably　an　allegorical

representation　of　death　but　sniffed　at　my　interpretation　of　the

wings　and　the　torch；　since　by　constitution　he　could　not　believe

that　the　folly　of　a　belief　in　immortality　could　have　developed　so

early　in　the　world；　that　is；　among　a　highly　civilised　people　such

as　must　have　produced　this　statue。



What　we　could　none　of　us　understand　was　why　this　ominous　image

with　its　dead；　cold　face　should　have　been　placed　in　an　aerodrome；

nor　in　fact　did　we　ever　discover。　Possibly　it　was　there　long

before　the　cave　was　put　to　this　use。　At　first　the　place　may　have

been　a　temple　and　have　so　remained　until　circumstances　forced　the

worshippers　to　change　their　habits；　or　even　their　Faith。



We　examined　this　wondrous　work　and　the　pedestal　on　which　it

stood　as　closely　as　we　were　able　by　the　dim　light　of　our　candles。

I　was　anxious　to　go　further　and　see　what　lay　beyond　it；　indeed　we

did　walk　a　few　paces；　twenty　perhaps；　onward　into　the　recesses　of

the　cave。



Then　Bickley　discovered　something　that　looked　like　the　mouth　of

a　well　down　which　he　nearly　tumbled；　and　Bastin　began　to　complain

that　he　was　hot　and　very　thirsty；　also　to　point　out　that　he

wished　for　no　more　caves　and　idols　at　present。



〃Look　here；　Arbuthnot；〃　said　Bickley；　〃these　candles　are

burning　low　and　we　don't　want　to　use　up　more　if　we　can　prevent

it；　for　we　may　need　what　we　have　got　very　badly　later　on。　Now；

according　to　my　pocket　compass　the　mouth　of　this　cave　points　due

east；　probably　at　the　beginning　it　was　orientated　to　the　rising

sun　for　purposes　of　astronomical　observation　or　of　worship　at

certain　periods　of　the　year。　From　the　position　of　the　sun　when　we

landed　on　the　rock　this　morning　I　imagine　that　just　now　it　rises

almost　exactly　opposite　to　the　mouth　of　the　cave。　If　this　is　so；

to…morrow　at　dawn；　for　a　time　at　least；　the　light　should

penetrate　as　far　as　the　statue；　and　perhaps　further。　What　I

suggest　is　that　we　should　walt　till　then　to　explore。〃



I　agreed　with　him；　especially　as　I　was　feeling　tired；　being

exhausted　by　wonder；　and　wanted　time　to　think。　So　we　turned　back。

As　we　did　so　I　missed　Tommy　and　inquired　anxiously　where　he　was；

being　afraid　lest　he　might　have　tumbled　down　the　well…like　hole。



〃He's　all　right；〃　said　Bastin。　〃I　saw　him　sniffing　at　the　base

of　that　statue。　I　expect　there　is　a　rat　in　there；　or　perhaps　a

snake。〃



Sure　enough　when　we　reached　it　there　was　Tommy　with　his　black

nose　pressed　against　the　lowest　of　the　tiers　that　formed　the　base

of　the　statue；　and　sniffing　loudly。　Also　he　was　scratching　in　the

dust　as　a　dog　does　when　he　has　winded　a　rabbit　in　a　hole。　So

engrossed　was　he　in　this　occupation　that　it　was　with　difficulty

that　I　coaxed　him　to　leave　the　place。



I　did　not　think　much　of　the　incident　at　that　time；　but

afterwards　it　came　back　to　me；　and　I　determined　to　investigate

those　stones　at　the　first　opportunity。



Passing　the　wrecks　of　the　machines；　we　emerged　on　to　the

causeway　without　accident。　After　we　had　rested　and　washed　we　set

to　work　to　draw　our　canoe　with　its　precious　burden　of　food　right

into　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　where　we　hid　it　as　well　as　we　could。



This　done　we　went　for　a　walk　round　the　base　of　the　peak。　This

proved　to　be　a　great　deal　larger　than　we　had　imagined；　over　two

miles　in　circumference　indeed。　All　about　it　was　a　belt　of　fertile

land；　as　I　suppose　deposited　there　by　the　waters　of　the　great

lake　and　resulting　from　the　decay　of　vegetation。　Much　of　this

belt　was　covered　with　ancient　forest　ending　in　mud　flats　that

appeared　to　have　been　thrown　up　recently；　perhaps　at　the　time　of

the　tidal　wave　which　bore　us　to　Orofena。　On　the　higher　part　of

the　belt　were　many　of　the　extraordinary　crater…like　holes　that　I

have　mentioned　as　being　prevalent　on　the　main　island；　indeed　the

place　had　all　the　appearance　of　having　been　subjected　to　a

terrific　and　continuous　bombardment。



When　we　had　completed　its　circuit　we　set　to　work　to　climb　the

peak　in　order　to　explore　the　terraces　of　which　I　have　spoken　and

the　ruins　which　I　had　seen　through　my　field…glasses。　It　was　quite

true；　they　were　terraces　cut　with　infinite　labour　out　of　the

solid　rock；　and　on　them　had　once　stood　a　city；　now　pounded　into

dust　and　fragments。　We　struggled　over　the　broken　blocks　of　stone

to　what　we　had　taken　for　a　temple；　which　stood　near　the　lip　of

the　crater；　for　without　doubt　this　mound　was　an　extinct　volcano；

or　rather　its　crest。　All　we　could　make　out　when　we　arrived　was

that　here　had　once　stood　some　great　building；　for　its　courts

could　still　be　traced；　also　there　lay　about　fragments　of　steps

and　pillars。



Apparently　the　latter　had　once　been　carved；　but　the　passage　of

innumerable　ages　had　obliterated　the　work　and　we　could　not　turn

these　great　blocks　over　to　discover　if　any　remained　beneath。　It

was　as　though　the　god　Thor　had　broken　up　the　edifice　with　his

hammer；　or　Jove　had　shattered　it　with　his　thunderbolts；　nothing

else　would　account　for　that　utter　wreck；　except；　as　Bickley

remarked　significantly；　the　scientific　use　of　high　explosives。



Following　the　line　of　what　seemed　to　have　been　a　road；　we　came

to　the　edge　of　the　volcano　and　found；　as　w