when the world shook-第34节

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things　which　you；　poor　man；　would　think　to　be　madness；　but　yet

are　truth　and　perfect　wisdom。　These　things；　or　some　of　them；　soon

I　shall　hope　to　show　you。〃



〃Do　if　you　can；〃　said　Bickley。



〃Why　not？〃　interrupted　Bastin。　〃I　think　the　lady's　remarks

quite　reasonable。　It　seems　to　me　highly　improbable　if　really　she

has　slept　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years；　which；　of

course；　I　can't　decide；　that　an　immortal　spirit　would　be　allowed

to　remain　idle　for　so　long。　That　would　be　wallowing　in　a　bed　of

idleness　and　shirking　its　duty　which　is　to　do　its　work。　Also；　as

she　tells　you；　Bickley；　you　are　not　half　so　clever　as　you　think

you　are　in　your　silly　scepticism；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　there

are　many　things　in　other　worlds　which　would　expose　your

ignorance；　if　only　you　could　see　them。〃



At　this　moment　Oro　turned　and　called　his　daughter。　She　went　at

once；　saying：



〃Come；　strangers；　and　you　shall　learn。〃



So　we　followed　her。



〃Daughter；〃　he　said；　speaking　in　Orofenan；　I　think　that　we

might　understand；　〃ask　these　strangers　to　bring　one　of　those

lamps　of　theirs　that　by　the　light　of　it　I　may　study　these

writings。〃



〃Perhaps　this　may　serve；〃　said　Bickley；　suddenly　producing　an

electric　torch　from　his　pocket　and　flashing　it　into　his　face。　It

was　his　form　of　repartee　for　all　he　had　suffered　at　the　hands　of

this　incomprehensible　pair。　Let　me　say　at　once　that　it　was

singularly　successful。　Perhaps　the　wisdom　of　the　ages　in　which

Oro　flourished　had　overlooked　so　small　a　matter　as　electric

torches；　or　perhaps　he　did　not　expect　to　meet　with　them　in　these

degenerate　days。　At　any　rate　for　the　first　and　last　time　in　my

intercourse　with　him　I　saw　the　god；　or　lordthe　native　word

bears　either　meaningOro　genuinely　astonished。　He　started　and

stepped　back；　and　for　a　moment　or　two　seemed　a　little　frightened。

Then　muttering　something　as　to　the　cleverness　of　this

light…producing　instrument；　he　motioned　to　his　daughter　to　take

it　from　Bickley　and　hold　it　in　a　certain　position。　She　obeyed；

and　in　its　illumination　he　began　to　study　the　engraved　plates；

holding　one　of　them　in　either　hand。



After　a　while　he　gave　me　one　of　the　plates　to　hold；　and　with

his　disengaged　hand　pointed　successively　to　the　constellation　of

Orion；　to　the　stars　Castor；　Pollux；　Aldebaran；　Rigel；　the

Pleiades；　Sirius　and　others　which　with　my　very　limited　knowledge

I　could　not　recognise　offhand。　Then　on　the　plate　which　I　held；　he

showed　us　those　same　stars　and　constellations；　checking　them　one

by　one。



Then　he　remarked　very　quietly　that　all　was　in　order；　and

handing　the　plate　he　held　to　Yva；　said：



〃The　calculations　made　so　long　ago　are　correct；　nor　have　the

stars　varied　in　their　proper　motions　during　what　is　after　all　but

an　hour　of　time。　If　you；　Stranger；　who；　I　understand；　are　named

Humphrey；　should　be；　as　I　gather；　a　heaven…master；　naturally　you

will　ask　me　how　I　could　fix　an　exact　date　by　the　stars　without　an

error　of；　let　us　say；　from　five　to　ten　thousand　years。　I　answer

you　that　by　the　proper　motion　of　the　stars　alone　it　would　have

been　difficult。　Therefore　I　remember　that　in　order　to　be　exact；　I

calculated　the　future　conjunctions　of　those　two　planets；〃　and　he

pointed　to　Saturn　and　Jupiter。　〃Finding　that　one　of　these

occurred　near　yonder　star；〃　and　he　indicated　the　bright　orb；

Spica；　〃at　a　certain　time；　I　determined　that　then　I　would　awake。

Behold！　There　are　the　stars　as　I　engraved　them　from　my

foreknowledge；　upon　this　chart；　and　there　those　two　great　planets

hang　in　conjunction。　Daughter　Yva；　my　wisdom　has　not　failed　me。

This　world　of　ours　has　travelled　round　the　sun　neither　less　nor

more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　times　since　we　laid

ourselves　down　to　sleep。　It　is　written　here；　and　yonder；〃　and　he

pointed；　first　to　the　engraved　plates　and　then　to　the　vast

expanse　of　the　starlit　heavens。



Awe　fell　on　me；　I　think　that　even　Bickley　and　Bastin　were　awed；

at　any　rate　for　the　moment。　It　was　a　terrible　thing　to　look　on　a

being；　to　all　appearance　more　or　less　human；　who　alleged　that　he

had　been　asleep　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years；　and

proceeded　to　prove　it　by　certain　ancient　star　charts。　Of　course

at　the　time　I　could　not　check　those　charts；　lacking　the　necessary

knowledge；　but　I　have　done　so　since　and　found　that　they　are　quite

accurate。　However　this　made　no　difference；　since　the

circumstances　and　something　in　his　manner　convinced　me　that　he

spoke　the　absolute　truth。



He　and　his　daughter　had　been　asleep　for　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years。　Oh！　Heavens；　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand

years！







Chapter　XIII



Oro　Speaks　and　Bastin　Argues





The　reader　of　what　I　have　written；　should　there　ever　be　such　a

person；　may　find　the　record　marvelous；　and　therefore　rashly

conclude　that　because　it　is　beyond　experience；　it　could　not　be。

It　is　not　a　wise　deduction；　as　I　think　Bickley　would　admit　today；

because　without　doubt　many　things　are　which　surpass　our　extremely

limited　experience。　However；　those　who　draw　the　veil　from　the

Unknown　and　reveal　the　New；　must　expect　incredulity；　and　accept

it　without　grumbling。　Was　that　not　the　fate；　for　instance；　of

those　who　in　the　Middle　Ages；　a　few　hundred　years　ago；

discovered；　or　rather　rediscovered　the　mighty　movements　of　those

constellations　which　served　Oro　for　an　almanac？



But　the　point　I　want　to　make　is　that　if　the　sceptic　plays　a

Bickleyan　part　as　regards　what　has　been　written；　it　seems

probable　that　his　attitude　will　be　accentuated　as　regards　that

which　it　still　remains　for　me　to　write。　If　so；　I　cannot　help　it；

and　must　decline　entirely　to　water　down　or　doctor　facts　and　thus

pander　to　his　prejudice　and　ignorance。　For　my　part　I　cannot

attempt　to　explain　these　occurrences；　I　only　know　that　they

happened　and　that　I　set　down　what　I　saw；　heard　and　felt；　neither

more　nor　less。



Immediately　after　Oro　had　triumphantly　vindicated　his　stellar

calculations　he　turned　and　departed　into　the　cave；　followed　by

his　daughter；　waving　to　us　to　remain　where　we　were。　As　she　passed

us；　however；　the　Glittering　Lady　whisperedthis　time　to　Bastin

that　he　would　see　them　again　in　a　few　hours；　adding：



〃We　have　much　to　learn　and　I　hope　that　then　you　who；　I

understand；　are　a　priest；　will　begin　to　teach　us　of　your　religion

and　other　matters。〃



Bastin　was　so　astonished　that　he　could　make　no　reply；　but　when

they　had　gone　he　said：



〃Which　of　you　told　her　that　I　was　a　priest？〃



We　shook　our　heads　for　neither　of　us　could　remember　having　done

so。



〃Well；　I　did　not；〃　continued　Bastin；　〃since　at　present　I　have

found　no　opportunity　of　saying　a　word　in　season。　So　I　suppose　she

must　have　gathered　it　from　my　attire；　though　as　a　matter　of　fact

I　haven't　been　wearing　a　collar；　and　those　men　who　wanted　to　cook

me；　pulled　off　my　white　tie　and　I　didn't　think　it　worth　while

dirtying　a　clean　one。〃



〃If；〃　said　Bickley；　〃you　imagine　that　you　look　like　the

minister　of　any　religion　ancient　or　modern　in　a　grubby　flannel

shirt；　a　battered　sun…helmet；　a　torn　green　and　white　umbrella　and

a　pair　of　ragged　duck　trousers；　you　are　mistaken；　Bastin；　that　is

all。〃



〃I　admit　that　the　costume　is　not　appropriate；　Bickley；　but　how

otherwise　could　she　have　learned　the　truth？〃



〃These　people　seem　to　have　ways　of　learning　a　good　many　things。

But　in　your　case；　Bastin；　the　cause　is　clear　enough。　You　have

been　walking　about　with　the　head　of　that　idol　and　always　keep　it

close　to　you。　No　doubt　they　believe　that　you　are　a　priest　of　the

worship　of　the　god　of　the　GroveBaal；　you　know；　or　something　of

that　sort。〃



When　he　heard　this　Bastin's　face　became　a　perfect　picture。

Never　before　did　I　see　it　so　full　of　horror　struggling　with

indignation。



〃I　must　undeceive　them　without　a　moment's　delay；〃　he　said；　and

was　starting　for　the　cave　when　we　caught　his　arms　and　held　him。



〃Better　wait　till　they　come　back；　old　fellow；〃　I　said；

laughing。　〃If　you　disobey　that　Lord　Oro　you　may　meet　with　another

experience　in　the　sacrifice　line。〃



〃Perhaps　you　are　right；　Arbuthnot。　I　will　occupy　the　interval

in　preparing　a　suitable　address。〃



〃Much　better　occupy　it　in　preparing　breakfast；〃　said　Bickley。

〃I　have　always　noticed　that　you　are　at　your　best　extempore。〃



In　the　end　he　did　prepare　breakfast　though　in　a　distrait

fashion；　indeed　I　found　him　beginning　to　make　tea　in　the

frying…pan。　Bastin　felt　that　his　opportunity　had　arrived；　and　was

making　ready　to　rise　to　the　occasion。



Also　we　felt；　all　three　of　us；　that　we　were　extremely　shabby…

looking　objects；　and　though　none　of　us　said　so；　each　did　his　best

to　improve　his　personal　appearance。　First　of　all　Bickley　cut

Bastin's　and　my　hair；　after　which　I　did　him　the　same　service。

Then　Bickley　who　was　normally　clean　shaven；　set　to　work　to　remove

a　beard　of　about　a　week's　growth；　and　I　who　wore　one　of　the

pointed　variety；　trimmed　up　mine　as