when the world shook-第31节

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for　I　saw　her　sigh　in　relief。　No　wonder；　for　he　was　conveying　his

decision　to　spare　our　lives　and　admit　us　to　their　fellowship。



After　this　again　they　talked；　but　in　quite　a　different　tone　and

manner。　Then　the　Glittering　Lady　said　to　me　in　her　slow　and

archaic　Orofenan：



〃We　go　to　rest。　You　must　not　follow。　We　come　back　perhaps

tonight；　perhaps　next　night。　We　are　quite　safe。　You　are　quite

safe　under　the　beard　of　Oro。　Spirit　of　Oro　watch　you。　You

understand？〃



I　said　I　understood；　whereon　she　answered：



〃Good…bye；　O　Humfe…ry。〃



〃Good…bye；　O　Yva；〃　I　replied；　bowing。



Thereon　they　turned　and　refusing　all　assistance　from　us；

vanished　into　the　darkness　of　the　cave　leaning　upon　each　other

and　walking　slowly。







Chapter　XII



Two　Hundred　and　Fifty　Thousand　Years！





〃You　seem　to　have　made　the　best　of　your　time；　old　fellow；〃　said

Bickley　in　rather　a　sour　voice。



〃I　never　knew　people　begin　to　call　each　other　by　their

Christian　names　so　soon；〃　added　Bastin；　looking　at　me　with　a

suspicious　eye。



〃I　know　no　other；〃　I　said。



〃Perhaps　not；　but　at　any　rate　you　have　another；　though　you

don't　seem　to　have　told　it　to　her。　Anyway；　I　am　glad　they　are

gone；　for　I　was　getting　tired　of　being　ordered　by　everybody　to

carry　about　wood　and　water　for　them。　Also　I　am　terribly　hungry　as

I　can't　eat　before　it　is　light。　They　have　taken　most　of　the　best

fruit　to　which　I　was　looking　forward；　but　thank　goodness　they　do

not　seem　to　care　for　pork。〃



〃So　am　I；〃　said　Bickley；　who　really　looked　exhausted。　〃Get　the

food；　there's　a　good　fellow。　We'll　talk　afterwards。〃



When　we　had　eaten；　somewhat　silently；　I　asked　Bickley　what　he

made　of　the　business；　also　whither　he　thought　the　sleepers　had

gone。



〃I　think　I　can　answer　the　last　question；〃　interrupted　Bastin。

〃I　expect　it　is　to　a　place　well　known　to　students　of　the　Bible

which　even　Bickley　mentions　sometimes　when　he　is　angry。　At　any

rate；　they　seem　to　be　very　fond　of　heat；　for　they　wouldn't　part

from　it　even　in　their　coffins；　and　you　will　admit　that　they　are

not　quite　natural；　although　that　Glittering　Lady　is　so　attractive

as　regards　her　exterior。〃



Bickley　waved　these　remarks　aside　and　addressed　himself　to　me。



〃I　don't　know　what　to　think　of　it；〃　he　said；　〃but　as　the

experience　is　not　natural　and　everything　in　the　Universe；　so　far

as　we　know　it；　has　a　natural　explanation；　I　am　inclined　to　the

belief　that　we　are　suffering　from　hallucinations；　which　in　their

way　are　also　quite　natural。　It　does　not　seem　possible　that　two

people　can　really　have　been　asleep　for　an　unknown　length　of　time

enclosed　in　vessels　of　glass　or　crystal；　kept　warm　by　radium　or

some　such　substance；　and　then　emerge　from　them　comparatively

strong　and　well。　It　is　contrary　to　natural　law。〃



〃How　about　microbes？〃　I　asked。　〃They　are　said　to　last

practically　for　ever；　and　they　are　living　things。　So　in　their

case　your　natural　law　breaks　down。〃



〃That　is　true；〃　he　answered。　〃Some　microbes　in　a　sealed　tube

and　under　certain　conditions　do　appear　to　possess　indefinite

powers　of　life。　Also　radium　has　an　indefinite　life；　but　that　is　a

mineral。　Only　these　people　are　not　microbes　nor　are　they

minerals。　Also；　experience　tells　us　that　they　could　not　have

lived　for　more　than　a　few　months　at　the　outside　in　such

circumstances　as　we　seemed　to　find　them。〃



〃Then　what　do　you　suggest？〃



〃I　suggest　that　we　did　not　really　find　them　at　all；　that　we

have　all　been　dreaming。　You　know　that　there　are　certain　gases

which　produce　illusions；　laughing　gas　is　one　of　them；　and　that

these　gases　are　sometimes　met　with　in　caves。　Now　there　were　very

peculiar　odours　in　that　place　under　the　statue；　which　may　have

worked　upon　our　imaginations　in　some　such　way。　Otherwise　we　are

up　against　a　miracle；　and；　as　you　know；　I　do　not　believe　in

miracles。〃



〃I　do；〃　said　Bastin　calmly。　〃You'll　find　all　about　it　in　the

Bible　if　you　will　only　take　the　trouble　to　read。　Why　do　you　talk

such　rubbish　about　gases？〃



〃Because　only　gas；　or　something　of　the　sort；　could　have　made　us

imagine　them。〃



〃Nonsense；　Bickley！　Those　people　were　here　right　enough。　Didn't

they　eat　our　fruit　and　drink　the　water　I　brought　them　without

ever　saying　thank　you？　Only；　they　are　not　human。　They　are　evil

spirits；　and　for　my　part　I　don't　want　to　see　any　more　of　them；

though　I　have　no　doubt　Arbuthnot　does；　as　that　Glittering　Lady

threw　her　arms　round　his　neck　when　she　woke　up；　and　already　he　is

calling　her　by　her　Christian　name；　if　the　word　Christian　can　be

used　in　connection　with　her。　The　old　fellow　had　the　impudence　to

tell　us　that　he　was　a　god；　and　it　is　remarkable　that　he　should

have　called　himself　Oro；　seeing　that　the　devil　they　worship　on

the　island　is　also　called　Oro　and　the　place　itself　is　named

Orofena。〃



〃As　to　where　they　have　gone；〃　continued　Bickley；　taking　no

notice　of　Bastin；　〃I　really　don't　know。　My　expectation　is；

however；　that　when　we　go　to　look　tomorrow　morningand　I　suggest

that　we　should　not　do　so　before　then　in　order　that　we　may　give

our　minds　time　to　clearwe　shall　find　that　sepulchre　place　quite

empty；　even　perhaps　without　the　crystal　coffins　we　have　imagined

to　stand　there。〃



〃Perhaps　we　shall　find　that　there　isn't　a　cave　at　all　and　that

we　are　not　sitting　on　a　flat　rock　outside　of　it；〃　suggested

Bastin　with　heavy　sarcasm；　adding；　〃You　are　clever　in　your　way；

Bickley；　but　you　can　talk　more　rubbish　than　any　man　I　ever　knew。〃



〃They　told　us　they　would　come　back　tonight　or　tomorrow；〃　I

said。　〃If　they　do；　what　will　you　say　then；　Bickley？〃



〃I　will　wait　till　they　come　to　answer　that　question。　Now　let　us

go　for　a　walk　and　try　to　change　our　thoughts。　We　are　all

over…strained　and　scarcely　know　what　we　are　saying。〃



〃One　more　question；〃　I　said　as　we　rose　to　start。　〃Did　Tommy

suffer　from　hallucinations　as　well　as　ourselves？〃



〃Why　not？〃　answered　Bickley。　〃He　is　an　animal　just　as　we　are；

or　perhaps　we　thought　we　saw　Tommy　do　the　things　he　did。〃



〃When　you　found　that　basket　of　fruit；　Bastin；　which　the　natives

brought　over　in　the　canoe；　was　there　a　bough　covered　with　red

flowers　lying　on　the　top　of　it？〃



〃Yes；　Arbuthnot；　one　bough　only；　I　threw　it　down　on　the　rock　as

it　got　in　the　way　when　I　was　carrying　the　basket。〃



〃Which　flowering　bough　we　all　thought　we　saw　the　Sleeper　Oro

carry　away　after　Tommy　had　brought　it　to　him。〃



〃Yes；　he　made　me　pick　it　up　and　give　it　to　him；〃　said　Bastin。



〃Well；　if　we　did　not　see　this　it　should　still　be　lying　on　the

rock；　as　there　has　been　no　wind　and　there　are　no　animals　here　to

carry　it　away。　You　will　admit　that；　Bickley？〃



He　nodded。



〃Then　if　it　has　gone　you　will　admit　also　that　the　presumption

is　that　we　saw　what　we　thought　we　did　see？〃



〃I　do　not　know　how　that　conclusion　can　be　avoided；　at　any　rate

so　far　as　the　incident　of　the　bough　is　concerned；〃　replied

Bickley　with　caution。



Then；　without　more　words；　we　started　to　look。　At　the　spot　where

the　bough　should　have　been；　there　was　no　bough；　but　on　the　rock

lay　several　of　the　red　flowers；　bitten　off；　I　suppose；　by　Tommy

while　he　was　carrying　it。　Nor　was　this　all。　I　think　I　have

mentioned　that　the　Glittering　Lady　wore　sandals　which　were

fastened　with　red　studs　that　looked　like　rubies　or　carbuncles。　On

the　rock　lay　one　of　these　studs。　I　picked　it　up　and　we　examined

it。　It　had　been　sewn　to　the　sandal…strap　with　golden　thread　or

silk。　Some　of　this　substance　hung　from　the　hole　drilled　in　the

stone　which　served　for　an　eye。　It　was　as　rotten　as　tinder；

apparently　with　extreme　age。　Moreover；　the　hard　gem　itself　was

pitted　as　though　the　passage　of　time　had　taken　effect　upon　it；

though　this　may　have　been　caused　by　other　agencies；　such　as　the

action　of　the　radium　rays。　I　smiled　at　Bickley　who　looked

disconcerted　and　even　sad。　In　a　way　it　is　painful　to　see　the

effect　upon　an　able　and　earnest　man　of　the　upsetting　of　his

lifelong　theories。



We　went　for　our　walk；　keeping　to　the　flat　lands　at　the　foot　of

the　volcano　cone；　for　we　seemed　to　have　had　enough　of　wonders　and

to　desire　to　reassure　ourselves；　as　it　were；　by　the　study　of

natural　and　familiar　things。　As　it　chanced；　too；　we　were　rewarded

by　sundry　useful　discoveries。　Thus　we　found　a　place　where　the

bread…tree　and　other　fruits；　most　of　them　now　ripe；　grew　in

abundance；　as　did　the　yam。　Also；　we　came　to　an　inlet　that　we

noticed　was　crowded　with　large　and　beautiful　fish　from　the　lake；

which　seemed　to　find　it　a　favourite　spot。　Perhaps　this　was

because　a　little　stream　of　excellent　water　ran　in　here；

overflowing　from　the　great　pool　or　mere　which　filled　the　crater

above。



At　these　finds　we　rejoiced　greatly；　for　now　we　knew　that　we

need　not　fear　starvation　even　should　our　supply　of　food　from　the

main　island　be　cut　off。　Indeed；　by　help　of　some　palm…leaf　stalks

which　we　wove　together　roughly；　Bastin；　who　was　rather　clever　at

this　kind