when the world shook-第30部分

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and　I　hurt　my　feet　kicking　at　those　poor　fellows　who　appear　to

have　come　to　a　bad　end；　how；　I　do　not　exactly　understand。

Personally；　I　think　that　more　allowances　should　have　been　made

for　them；　as　I　hope　will　be　the　case　elsewhere；　since　after　all

they　only　acted　according　to　their　lights。〃



〃Curse　their　lights！〃　ejaculated　Bickley；　feeling　his　throat

which　was　bruised。　〃I'm　glad　they　are　out。〃



Bastin　limped　away　in　search　of　his　boots；　but　Bickley　and　I

stood　where　we　were　contemplating　the　awakened　Sleeper。　All

recollection　of　the　recent　tumultuous　scene　seemed　to　have　passed

from　his　mind；　for　he　was　engaged　in　a　study　of　the　heavens。　They

were　wonderfully　brilliant　now　that　the　moon　was　down；　brilliant

as　they　only　can　be　in　the　tropics　when　the　sky　is　clear。



Something　caused　me　to　look　round；　and　there；　coming　towards

us；　was　she　who　said　her　name　was　Yva。　Evidently　all　her　weakness

had　departed　also；　for　now　she　needed　no　support；　but　walked　with

a　peculiar　gliding　motion　that　reminded　me　of　a　swan　floating

forward　on　the　water。　Well　had　we　named　her　the　Glittering　Lady；

for　in　the　starlight　literally　she　seemed　to　glitter。　I　suppose

the　effect　came　from　her　golden　raiment；　which；　however；　I

noticed；　as　in　her　father's　case；　was　not　the　same　that　she　had

worn　in　the　coffin；　also　from　her　hair　that　seemed　to　give　out　a

light　of　its　own。　At　least；　she　shimmered　as　she　came；　her　tall

shape　swaying　at　every　step　like　a　willow　in　the　wind。　She　drew

near；　and　I　saw　that　her　face；　too；　had　filled　out　and　now　was

that　of　one　in　perfect　health　and　vigour；　while　her　eyes　shone

softly　and　seemed　wondrous　large。



In　her　hands　she　carried　those　two　plates　of　metal　which　I　had

seen　lying　in　the　coffin　of　the　Sleeper　Oro。　These　she　gave　to

him；　then　fell　back　out　of　his　hearingif　it　were　ever　possible

to　do　this；　a　point　on　which　I　am　not　sureand　began　to　talk　to

me。　I　noted　at　once　that　in　the　few　hours　during　which　she　was

absent；　her　knowledge　of　the　Orofenan　tongue　seemed　to　have

improved　greatly　as　though　she　had　drunk　deeply　from　some　hidden

fount　of　memory。　Now　she　spoke　it　with　readiness；　as　Oro　had　done

when　he　addressed　the　sorcerers；　although　many　of　the　words　she

used　were　not　known　to　me；　and　the　general　form　of　her　language

appeared　archaic；　as　for　instance　that　of　Spenser　is　compared

with　modern　English。　When　she　saw　I　did　not　comprehend　her；

however；　she　would　stop　and　cast　her　sentences　in　a　different

shape；　till　at　length　I　caught　her　meaning。　Now　I　give　the

substance　of　what　she　said。



〃You　are　safe；〃　she　began；　glancing　first　at　the　palm　ropes

that　lay　upon　the　rock　and　then　at　my　wrists；　one　of　which　was

cut。



〃Yes；　Lady　Yva；　thanks　to　your　father。〃



〃You　should　say　thanks　to　me。　My　father　was　thinking　of　other

things；　but　I　was　thinking　of　you　strangers；　and　from　where　I　was

I　saw　those　wicked　ones　coming　to　kill　you。〃



〃Oh！　from　the　top　of　the　mountain；　I　suppose。〃



She　shook　her　head　and　smiled　but　vouchsafed　no　further

explanation；　unless　her　following　words　can　be　so　called。　These

were：



〃I　can　see　otherwise　than　with　my　eyes；　if　I　choose。〃　A

statement　that　caused　Bickley；　who　was　listening；　to　mutter：



〃Impossible！　What　the　deuce　can　she　mean？　Telepathy；　perhaps。〃



〃I　saw；〃　she　continued；　〃and　told　the　Lord；　my　father。　He　came

forth。　Did　he　kill　them？　I　did　not　look　to　learn。〃



〃Yes。　They　lie　in　the　lake；　all　except　three　whom　he

sent　away　as　messengers。〃



〃I　thought　so。　Death　is　terrible；　O　Humphrey；　but　it　is　a　sword

which　those；　who　rule　must　use　to　smite　the　wicked　and　the

savage。



Not　wishing　to　pursue　this　subject；　I　asked　her　what　her　father

was　doing　with　the　metal　plates。



〃He　reads　the　stars；〃　she　answered；　〃to　learn　how　long　we　have

been　asleep。　Before　we　went　to　sleep　he　made　two　pictures　of

them；　as　they　were　then　and　as　they　should　be　at　the　time　he　had

set　for　our　awakening。〃



〃We　set　that　time；〃　interrupted　Bickley。



〃Not　so。　O　Bickley；〃　she　answered；　smiling　again。　〃In　the

divine　Oro's　head　was　the　time　set。　You　were　the　hand　that

executed　his　decree。〃



When　Bickley　heard　this　I　really　thought　he　would　have　burst。

However；　he　controlled　himself　nobly；　being　anxious　to　hear　the

end　of　this　mysterious　fib。



〃How　long　was　the　time　that　the　lord　Oro　set　apart　for　sleep？〃

I　asked。



She　paused　as　though　puzzled　to　find　words　to　express　her

meaning；　then　held　up　her　hands　and　said：



〃Ten；〃　nodding　at　her　fingers。　By　second　thoughts　she　took

Bickley's　hands；　not　mine；　and　counted　his　ten　fingers。



〃Ten　years；〃　said　Bickley。　〃Well；　of　course；　it　is　impossible；

but　perhaps〃　and　he　paused。



〃Ten　tens；〃　she　went　on　with　a　deepening　smile；　〃one　hundred。〃



〃O！〃　said　Bickley。



〃Ten　hundreds；　one　thousand。〃



〃I　say！〃　said　Bickley。



〃Ten　times　ten　thousand；　one　hundred　thousand。〃



Bickley　became　silent。



〃Twice　one　hundred　thousand　and　half　a　hundred　thousand；　two

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years。　That　was　the　space　of　time

which　the　lord　Oro；　my　father；　set　for　our　sleep。　Whether　it　has

been　fulfilled　he　will　know　presently　when　he　has　read　the　book

of　the　stars　and　made　comparison　of　it　with　what　he　wrote　before

we　laid　us　down　to　rest；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　metal　plates

which　the　Ancient　was　studying。



Bickley　walked　away；　making　sounds　as　though　he　were　going　to

be　ill　and　looking　so　absurd　in　his　indignation　that　I　nearly

laughed。　The　Lady　Yva　actually　did　laugh；　and　very　musical　was

that　laugh。



〃He　does　not　believe；〃　she　said。　〃He　is　so　clever　he　knows

everything。　But　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　ago　we

should　have　thought　him　quite　stupid。　Then　we　could　read　the

stars　and　calculate　their　movements　for　ever。〃



〃So　can　we；〃　I　answered；　rather　nettled。



〃I　am　glad；　O　Humphrey；　since　you　will　be　able　to　show　my

father　if　in　one　of　them　he　is　wrong。〃



Secretly　I　hoped　that　this　task　would　not　be　laid　on　me。

Indeed；　I　thought　it　well　to　change　the　subject　for　the

edification　of　Bickley　who　had　recovered　and　was　drawn　back　by

his　eager　curiosity。　Just　then；　too；　Bastin　joined　us；　happy　in

his　regained　boots。



〃You　tell　us；　Lady　Yva；〃　I　said；　〃that　you　slept；　or　should

have　slept　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years。〃　Here　Bastin

opened　his　eyes。　〃If　that　was　so；　where　was　your　mind　all　this

time？〃



〃If　by　my　mind　you　mean　spirit；　O　Humphrey；　I　have　to　answer

that　at　present　I　do　not　know　for　certain。　I　think；　however；　that

it　dwelt　elsewhere；　perhaps　in　other　bodies　on　the　earth；　or　some

different　earth。　At　least；　I　know　that　my　heart　is　very　full　of

memories　which　as　yet　I　cannot　unroll　and　read。〃



〃Great　heavens；　this　is　madness！〃　said　Bickley。



〃In　the　great　heavens；〃　she　answered　slowly；　〃there　are　many

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　mo