when the world shook-第74节

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Then　as　the　breeze　began　to　blow　I　returned　to　the　boat　and　here

bade　adieu　to　Marama；　who　gave　me　his　feather　cloak　as　a　farewell

gift。



〃Good…bye；　Friend…from…the…Sea；〃　he　said　to　me。　〃We　are　glad　to

have　seen　you　and　thank　you　for　many　things。　But　we　do　not　wish

to　see　you　any　more。〃



〃Good…bye；　Marama；〃　I　answered。　〃What　you　say；　we　echo。　At

least　you　have　now　no　great　lump　upon　your　neck　and　we　have　rid

you　of　your　wizards。　But　beware　of　the　god　Oro　who　dwells　in　the

mountain；　for　if　you　anger　him　he　will　sink　your　island　beneath

the　sea。〃



〃And　remember　all　that　I　have　taught　you；〃　shouted　Bastin。



Marama　shivered；　though　whether　at　the　mention　of　the　god　Oro；

of　whose　powers　the　Orofenans　had　so　painful　a　recollection；　or

at　the　result　of　Bastin's　teachings；　I　do　not　know。　And　that　was

the　last　we　shall　ever　see　of　each　other　in　this　world。



The　island　faded　behind　us　and；　sore　at　heart　because　of　all

that　we　had　found　and　lost　again；　for　three　days　we　sailed

northward　with　a　fair　and　steady　wind。　On　the　fourth　evening　by

an　extraordinary　stroke　of　fortune；　we　fell　in　with　an　American

tramp　steamer；　trading　from　the　South　Sea　Islands　to　San

Francisco。　To　the　captain；　who　treated　us　very　kindly；　we　said

simply　that　we　were　a　party　of　Englishmen　whose　yacht　had　been

wrecked　on　a　small　island　several　hundreds　of　miles　away；　of

which　we　knew　neither　the　name；　if　it　had　one；　nor　the　position。



This　story　was　accepted　without　question；　for　such　things　often

happen　in　those　latitudes；　and　in　due　course　we　were　landed　at

San　Francisco；　where　we　made　certain　depositions　before　the

British　Consul　as　to　the　loss　of　the　yacht　Star　of　the　South。

Then　we　crossed　America；　having　obtained　funds　by　cable；　and

sailed　for　England　in　a　steamer　flying　the　flag　of　the　United

States。



Of　the　great　war　which　made　this　desirable　I　do　not　speak　since

it　has　nothing；　or　rather　little；　to　do　with　this　history。　In　the

end　we　arrived　safely　at　Liverpool；　and　thence　travelled　to　our

homes　in　Devonshire。





Thus　ended　the　history　of　our　dealings　with　Oro；　the　super…man

who　began　his　life　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years

ago；　and　with　his　daughter；　Yva；　whom　Bastin　still　often　calls

the　Glittering　Lady。







Chapter　XXVII



Bastin　Discovers　a　Resemblance





There　is　little　more　to　tell。



Shortly　after　our　return　Bickley；　like　a　patriotic　Englishman；

volunteered　for　service　at　the　front　and　departed　in　the　uniform

of　the　R。A。M。C。　Before　he　left　he　took　the　opportunity　of

explaining　to　Bastin　how　much　better　it　was　in　such　a　national

emergency　as　existed；　to　belong　to　a　profession　in　which　a　man

could　do　something　to　help　the　bodies　of　his　countrymen　that　had

been　broken　in　the　common　cause；　than　to　one　like　his　in　which　it

was　only　possible　to　pelt　them　with　vain　words。



〃You　think　that；　do　you；　Bickley？〃　answered　Bastin。　〃Well；　I

hold　that　it　is　better　to　heal　souls　than　bodies；　because；　as

even　you　will　have　learned　out　there　in　Orofena；　they　last　so

much　longer。〃



〃I　am　not　certain　that　I　learned　anything　of　the　sort；〃　said

Bickley；　〃or　even　that　Oro　was　more　than　an　ordinary　old　man。　He

said　that　he　had　lived　a　thousand　years；　but　what　was　there　to

prove　this　except　his　word；　which　is　worth　nothing？〃



〃There　was　the　Lady　Yva's　word　also；　which　is　worth　a　great

deal；　Bickley。〃



〃Yes；　but　she　may　have　meant　a　thousand　moons。　Further；　as

according　to　her　own　showing　she　was　still　quite　young；　how　could

she　know　her　father's　age？〃



〃Quite　so；　Bickley。　But　all　she　actually　said　was　that　she　was

of　the　same　age　as　one　of　our　women　of　twenty…seven；　which　may

have　meant　two　hundred　and　seventy　for　all　I　know。　However；

putting　that　aside　you　will　admit　that　they　had　both　slept　for

two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years。〃



〃I　admit　that　they　slept；　Bastin；　because　I　helped　to　awaken

them；　but　for　how　long　there　is　nothing　to　show；　except　those

star　maps　which　are　probably　quite　inaccurate。〃



〃They　are　not　inaccurate；〃　I　broke　in；　〃for　I　have　had　them

checked　by　leading　astronomers　who　say　that　they　show　a

marvelous　knowledge　of　the　heavens　as　these　were　two　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　years　ago；　and　are　today。〃



Here　I　should　state　that　those　two　metal　maps　and　the　ring

which　I　gave　to　Yva　and　found　again　after　the　catastrophe；　were

absolutely　the　only　things　connected　with　her　or　with　Oro　that　we

brought　away　with　us。　The　former　I　would　never　part　with；　feeling

their　value　as　evidence。　Therefore；　when　we　descended　to　the　city

Nyo　and　the　depths　beneath；　I　took　them　with　me　wrapped　in　cloth

in　my　pocket。　Thus　they　were　preserved。　Everything　else　went　when

the　Rock　of　Offerings　and　the　cave　mouth　sank　beneath　the　waters

of　the　lake。



This　may　have　happened　either　in　the　earth　tremor；　which　no

doubt　was　caused　by　the　advance　of　the　terrific　world…balance；　or

when　the　electric　power；　though　diffused　and　turned　by　Yva's

insulated　body；　struck　the　great　gyroscope's　travelling　foot　with

sufficient　strength；　not　to　shift　it　indeed　on　to　the　right…hand

path　as　Oro　had　designed；　but　still　to　cause　it　to　stagger　and

even　perhaps　to　halt　for　the　fraction　of　a　second。　Even　this

pause　may　have　been　enough　to　cause　convulsions　of　the　earth

above；　indeed；　I　gathered　from　Marama　and　other　Orofenans　that

such　convulsions　had　occurred　on　and　around　the　island　at　what

must　have　corresponded　with　that　moment　of　the　loosing　of　the

force。



This　loss　of　our　belongings　in　the　house　of　the　Rock　of

Offerings　was　the　more　grievous　because　among　them　were　some

Kodak　photographs　which　I　had　taken；　including　portraits　of　Oro

and　one　of　Yva　that　was　really　excellent；　to　say　nothing　of

pictures　of　the　mouth　of　the　cave　and　of　the　ruins　and　crater

lake　above。　How　bitterly　I　regret　that　I　did　not　keep　these

photographs　in　my　pocket　with　the　map…plates。



〃Even　if　the　star…maps　are　correct；　still　it　proves　nothing；〃

said　Bickley；　〃since　possibly　Oro's　astronomical　skill　might　have

enabled　him　to　draw　that　of　the　sky　at　any　period；　though　I　allow

this　is　impossible。〃



〃I　doubt　his　taking　so　much　trouble　merely　to　deceive　three

wanderers　who　lacked　the　knowledge　even　to　check　them；〃　I　said。

〃But　all　this　misses　the　point；　Bickley。　However　long　they　had

slept；　that　man　and　woman　did　arise　from　seeming　death。　They　did

dwell　in　those　marvelous　caves　with　their　evidences　of　departed

civilisations；　and　they　did　show　us　that　fearful；　world…wandering

gyroscope。　These　things　we　saw。〃



〃I　admit　that　we　saw　them；　Arbuthnot；　and　I　admit　that　they　are

one　and　all　beyond　human　comprehension。　To　that　extent　I　am

converted；　and；　I　may　add；　humbled；〃　said　Bickley。



〃So　you　ought　to　be；〃　exclaimed　Bastin；　〃seeing　that　you　always

swore　that　there　was　nothing　in　the　world　that　is　not　capable　of

a　perfectly　natural　explanation。〃



〃Of　which　all　these　things　may　be　capable；　Bastin；　if　only　we

held　the　key。〃



〃Very　well；　Bickley；　but　how　do　you　explain　what　the　Lady　Yva

did？　I　may　tell　you　now　what　she　commanded　me　to　conceal　at　the

time；　namely；　that　she　became　a　Christian；　so　much　so　that　by　her

own　will；　I　baptised　and　confirmed　her　on　the　very　morning　of　her

sacrifice。　Doubtless　it　was　this　that　changed　her　heart　so　much

that　she　became　willing；　of　course　without　my　knowledge；　to　leave

everything　she　cared　for；〃　here　he　looked　hard　at　me；　〃and　lay

down　her　life　to　save　the　world；　half　of　which　she　believed　was

about　to　be　drowned　by　Oro。　Now；　considering　her　history　and

upbringing；　I　call　this　a　spiritual　marvel；　much　greater　than　any

you　now　admit；　and　one　you　can't　explain；　Bickley。〃



〃No；　I　cannot　explain；　or；　at　any　rate；　I　will　not　try；〃　he

answered；　also　staring　hard　at　me。　〃Whatever　she　believed；　or　did

not　believe；　and　whatever　would　or　would　not　have　happened；　she

was　a　great　and　wonderful　woman　whose　memory　I　worship。〃



〃Quite　so；　Bickley；　and　now　perhaps　you　see　my　point；　that　what

you　describe　as　mere　vain　words　may　also　be　helpful　to　mankind；

more　so；　indeed；　than　your　surgical　instruments　and　pills。〃



〃You　couldn't　convert　Oro；　anyway；〃　exclaimed　Bickley；　with

irritation。



〃No；　Bickley；　but　then　I　have　always　understood　that　the　devil

is　beyond　conversion　because　he　is　beyond　repentance。　You　see；　I

think　that　if　that　old　scoundrel　was　not　the　devil　himself；　at

any　rate　he　was　a　bit　of　him；　and；　if　I　am　right；　I　am　not

ashamed　to　have　failed　in　his　case。〃



〃Even　Oro　was　not　utterly　bad；　Bastin；〃　I　said；　reflecting　on

certain　traits　of　mercy　that　he　had　shown；　or　that　I　dreamed　him

to　have　shown　in　the　course　of　our　mysterious　midnight　journeys

to　various　parts　of　the　earth。　Also　I　remembered　that　he　had

loved　Tommy　and　for　his　sake　had　spared　our　lives。　Lastly；　I　do

not　altogether　wonder　that　he　came　to　certain　hasty　conclusions

as　to　the　value