when the world shook-第36节

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〃We　are　from　the　country　called　England　and　a　great　storm

shipwrecked　us　here；　that；　I　think；　which　raised　the　mouth　of　the

cave　above　the　level　of　this　rock；〃　I　answered。



〃The　time　appointed　having　come　when　it　should　be　raised；〃　said

Oro　as　though　to　himself。



〃Where　is　England？〃　asked　Yva。



Now　among　the　books　we　had　with　us　was　a　pocket　atlas；　quite　a

good　one　of　its　sort。　By　way　of　answer　I　opened　it　at　the　map　of

the　world　and　showed　her　England。　Also　I　showed；　to　within　a

thousand　miles　or　so；　that　spot　on　the　earth's　surface　where　we

spoke　together。



The　sight　of　this　atlas　excited　the　pair　greatly。　They　had　not

the　slightest　difficulty　in　understanding　everything　about　it　and

the　shape　of　the　world　with　its　division　into　hemispheres　seemed

to　be　quite　familiar　to　them。　What　appeared　chiefly　to　interest

them；　and　especially　Oro；　were　the　relative　areas　and　positions

of　land　and　sea。



〃Of　this；　Strangers；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　map；　〃I　shall

have　much　to　say　to　you　when　I　have　studied　the　pictures　of　your

book　and　compared　them　with　others　of　my　own。〃



〃So　he　has　got　maps；〃　said　Bickley　in　English；　〃as　well　as　star

charts。　I　wonder　where　he　keeps　them。〃



〃With　his　clothes；　I　expect；〃　suggested　Bastin。



Meanwhile　Oro　had　hidden　the　atlas　in　his　ample　robe　and

motioned　to　his　daughter　to　proceed。



〃Why　do　you　come　here　from　England　so　far　away？〃　the　Lady　Yva

asked；　a　question　to　which　each　of　us　had　an　answer。



〃To　see　new　countries；〃　I　said。



〃Because　the　cyclone　brought　us；〃　said　Bickley。



〃To　convert　the　heathen　to　my　own　Christian　religion；〃　said

Bastin；　which　was　not　strictly　true。



It　was　on　this。　last　reply　that　she　fixed。



〃What　does　your　religion　teach？〃　she　asked。



〃It　teaches　that　those　who　accept　it　and　obey　its　commands　will

live　again　after　death　for　ever　in　a　better　world　where　is

neither　sorrow　nor　sin；〃　he　answered。



When　he　heard　this　saying　I　saw　Oro　start　as　though　struck　by　a

new　thought　and　look　at　Bastin　with　a　curious　intentness。



〃Who　are　the　heathen？〃　Yva　asked　again　after　a　pause；　for　she

also　seemed　to　be　impressed。



〃All　who　do　not　agree　with　Bastin's　spiritual　views；〃　answered

Bickley。



〃Those　who；　whether　from　lack　of　instruction　or　from　hardness

of　heart；　do　not　follow　the　true　faith。　For　instance；　I　suppose

that　your　father　and　you　are　heathen；〃　replied　Bastin　stoutly。



This　seemed　to　astonish　them；　but　presently　Yva　caught　his

meaning　and　smiled；　while　Oro　said：



〃Of　this　great　matter　of　faith　we　will　talk　later。　It　is　an　old

question　in　the　world。〃



〃Why；〃　went　on　Yva；　〃if　you　wished　to　travel　so　far　did　you

come　in　a　ship　that　so　easily　is　wrecked？　Why　did　you　not　journey

through　the　air；　or　better　still；　pass　through　space；　leaving

your　bodies　asleep；　as；　being　instructed；　doubtless　you　can　do？〃



〃As　regards　your　first　question；〃　I　answered；　〃there　are　no

aircraft　known　that　can　make　so　long　a　journey。〃



〃And　as　regards　the　second；〃　broke　in　Bickley；　〃we　did　not　do

so　because　it　is　impossible　for　men　to　transfer　themselves　to

other　places　through　space　either　with　or　without　their　bodies。〃。



At　this　information　the　Glittering　Lady　lifted　her　arched

eyebrows　and　smiled　a　little；　while　Oro　said：



〃I　perceive　that　the　new　world　has　advanced　but　a　little　way　on

the　road　of　knowledge。〃



Fearing　that　Bastin　was　about　to　commence　an　argument；　I　began

to　ask　questions　in　my　turn。



〃Lord　Oro　and　Lady　Yva；〃　I　said；　〃we　have　told　you　something　of

ourselves　and　will　tell　you　more　when　you　desire　it。　But　pardon

us　if　first　we　pray　you　to　tell　us　what　we　burn　to　know。　Who　are

you？　Of　what　race　and　country？　And　how　came　it　that　we　found　you

sleeping　yonder？〃



〃If　it　be　your　pleasure；　answer；　my　Father；〃　said　Yva。



Oro　thought　a　moment；　then　replied　in　a　calm　voice：



〃I　am　a　king　who　once　ruled　most　of　the　world　as　it　was　in　my

day；　though　it　is　true　that　much　of　it　rebelled　against　me；　my

councillors　and　servants。　Therefore　I　destroyed　the　world　as　it

was　then；　save　only　certain　portions　whence　life　might　spread　to

the　new　countries　that　I　raised　up。　Having　done　this　I　put　myself

and　my　daughter　to　sleep　for　a　space　of　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years；　that　there　might　be　time　for　fresh　civilisations

to　arise。　Now　I　begin　to　think　that　I　did　not　allot　a　sufficiency

of　ages；　since　I　perceive　from　what　you　tell　me；　that　the

learning　of　the　new　races　is　as　yet　but　small。〃



Bickley　and　I　looked　at　each　other　and　were　silent。　Mentally　we

had　collapsed。　Who　could　begin　to　discuss　statements　built　upon

such　a　foundation　of　gigantic　and　paralysing　falsehoods？



Well；　Bastin　could　for　one。　With　no　more　surprise　in　his　voice

than　if　he　were　talking　about　last　night's　dinner；　he　said：



〃There　must　be　a　mistake　somewhere；　or　perhaps　I　misunderstand

you。　It　is　obvious　that　you；　being　a　man；　could　not　have

destroyed　the　world。　That　could　only　be　done　by　the　Power　which

made　it　and　you。〃



I　trembled　for　the　results　of　Bastin's　methods　of　setting　out

the　truth。　To　my　astonishment；　however；　Oro　replied：



〃You　speak　wisely；　Priest；　but　the　Power　you　name　may　use

instruments　to　accomplish　its　decrees。　I　am　such　an　instrument。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　said　Bastin；　〃just　like　anybody　else。　You　have　more

knowledge　of　the　truth　than　I　thought。　But　pray；　how　did　you

destroy　the　world？〃



〃Using　my　wisdom　to　direct　the　forces　that　are　at　work　in　the

heart　of　this　great　globe；　I　drowned　it　with　a　deluge；　causing

one　part　to　sink　and　another　to　rise；　also　changes　of　climate

which　completed　the　work。〃



〃That's　quite　right；〃　exclaimed　Bastin　delightedly。　〃We　know

all　about　the　Deluge；　only　you　are　not　mentioned　in　connection

with　the　matter。　A　man；　Noah；　had　to　do　with　it　when　he　was　six

hundred　years　old。〃



〃Six　hundred？〃　said　Oro。　〃That　is　not　very　old。　I　myself　had

seen　more　than　a　thousand　years　when　I　lay　down　to　sleep。〃



〃A　thousand！〃　remarked　Bastin；　mildly　interested。　〃That　is

unusual；　though　some　of　these　mighty　men　of　renown　we　know　lived

over　nine　hundred。〃



Here　Bickley　snorted　and　exclaimed：



〃Nine　hundred　moons；〃　he　means。



〃I　did　not　know　Noah；〃　went　on　Oro。　〃Perhaps　he　lived　after　my

time　and　caused　some　other　local　deluge。　Is　there　anything　else

you　wish　to　ask　me　before　I　leave　you　that　I　may　study　this　map

writing？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Bastin。　〃Why　were　you　allowed　to　drown　your　world？〃



〃Because　it　was　evil；　Priest；　and　disobeyed　me　and　the　Power　I

serve。〃



〃Oh！　thank　you；〃　said　Bastin；　〃that　fits　in　exactly。　It　was

just　the　same　in　Noah's　time。〃



〃I　pray　that　it　is　not　just　the　same　now；〃　said　Oro；　rising。

〃To…morrow　we　will　return；　or　if　I　do　not　who　have　much　that　I

must　do；　the　lady　my　daughter　will　return　and　speak　with　you

further。〃



He　departed　into　the　cave；　Yva　following　at　a　little　distance。



I　accompanied　her　as　far　as　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　as　did

Tommy；　who　all　this　time　had　been　sitting　contentedly　upon　the

hem　of　her　gorgeous　robe；　quite　careless　of　its　immemorial　age；

if　it　was　immemorial　and　not　woven　yesterday；　a　point　on　which　I

had　no　information。



〃Lady　Yva；〃　I　said；　〃did　I　rightly　understand　the　Lord　Oro　to

say　that　he　was　a　thousand　years　old？〃



〃Yes；　O　Humphrey；　and　really　he　is　more；　or　so　I　think。〃



〃Then　are　you　a　thousand　years　old　also？〃　I　asked；　aghast。



〃No；　no；〃　she　replied；　shaking　her　head；　〃I　am　young；　quite

young；　for　I　do　not　count　my　time　of　sleep。〃



〃Certainly　you　look　it；〃　I　said。　〃But　what；　Lady　Yva；　do　you

mean　by　young？〃



She　answered　my　question　by　another。



〃What　age　are　your　women　when　they　are　as　I　am？〃



〃None　of　our　women　were　ever　quite　like　you；　Lady　Yva。　Yet；　say

from　twenty…five　to　thirty　years　of　age。〃



〃Ah！　I　have　been　counting　and　now　I　remember。　When　my　father

sent　me　to　sleep　I　was　twenty…seven　years　old。　No；　I　will　not

deceive　you；　I　was　twenty…seven　years　and　three　moons。〃　Then；

saying　something　to　the　effect　that　she　would　return；　she

departed；　laughing　a　little　in　a　mischievous　way；　and；　although　I

did　not　observe　this　till　afterwards；　Tommy　departed　with　her。



When　I　repeated　what　she　had　said　to　Bastin　and　Bickley；　who

were　standing　at　a　distance　straining　their　ears　and　somewhat

aggrieved；　the　former　remarked：



〃If　she　is　twenty…seven　her　father　must　have　married　late　in

life；　though　of　course　it　may　have　been　a　long　while　before　he

had　children。〃



Then　Bickley；　who　had　been　suppressing　himself　all　this　while；

went　off　like　a　bomb。



〃Do　you　tell　us；　Bastin；〃　he　asked；　〃that　you　believe　one　word

of　all　this　ghastly　rubbish？　I　mean　as　to　that　antique　charlatan

being　a　thousand　years　old　and　having　caused　the　Flood　and　the

rest？〃



〃If　you　ask　me；　Bickley；　I　see　no　particular　reason　to　doubt　it

at　prese