when the world shook-第42部分

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Yva；　and　tell　us　who　and　what　is　the　Lord　Oro；　and　who　and　what

are　you。〃



〃Have　we　not　done　so　already？　If　not；　I　will　repeat。　The　Lord

Oro　and　I　are　two　who　have　lived　on　from　the　old　time　when　the

world　was　different；　and　yet；　I　think；　the　same。　He　is　a　man　and

not　a　god；　and　I　am　a　woman。　His　powers　are　great　because　of　his

knowledge；　which　he　has　gathered　from　his　forefathers　and　in　a

life　of　a　thousand　years　before　he　went　to　sleep。　He　can　do

things　you　cannot　do。　Thus；　he　can　pass　through　space　and　take

others　with　him；　and　return　again。　He　can　learn　what　is　happening

in　far…off　parts　of　the　world；　as　he　did　when　he　told　you　of　the

war　in　which　your　country　is　concerned。　He　has　terrible　powers；

for　instance；　he　can　kill；　as　he　killed　those　savages。　Also；　he

knows　the　secrets　of　the　earth；　and；　if　it　pleases　him；　can

change　its　turning　so　that　earthquakes　happen　and　sea　becomes

land；　and　land　sea；　and　the　places　that　were　hot　grow　cold；　and

those　that　were　cold　grow　hot。〃



〃All　of　which　things　have　happened　many　time　in　the　history　of

the　globe；〃　said　Bickley；　〃without　the　help　of　the　Lord　Oro。〃



〃Others　had　knowledge　before　my　father；　and　others　doubtless

will　have　knowledge　after　him。　Even　I；　Yva；　have　some　knowledge；

and　knowledge　is　strength。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　interposed；　〃but　such　powers　as　you　attribute　to　your

father　are　not　given　to　man。〃



〃You　mean　to　man　as　you　know　him；　man　like　Bickley；　who　thinks

that　he　has　learned　everything　that　was　ever　learned。　But　it　is

not　so。　Hundreds　of　thousands　of　years　ago　men　knew　more　than　it

seems　they　do　today；　ten　times　more；　as　they　lived　ten　times

longer；　or　so　you　tell　me。〃



〃Men？〃　I　said。



〃Yes；　men；　not　gods　or　spirits；　as　the　uninstructed　nations

supposed　them　to　be。　My　father　is　a　man　subject　to　the　hopes　and

terrors　of　man。　He　desires　power　which　is　ambition；　and　when　the

world　refused　his　rule；　he　destroyed　that　part　of　it　which

rebelled；　which　is　revenge。　Moreover；　above　all　things　he　dreads

death；　which　is　fear。　That　is　why　he　suspended　life　in　himself

and　me　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years；　as　his　knowledge

gave　him　strength　to　do；　because　death　was　near　and　he　thought

that　sleep　was　better　than　death。〃



〃Why　should　he　dread　to　die；〃　asked　Bickley；　〃seeing　that　sleep

and　death　are　the　same？〃



〃Because　his　knowledge　tells　him　that　Sleep　and　Death　are　not

the　same；　as　you；　in　your　foolishness；　believe；　for　there　Bastin

is　wiser　than　you。　Because　for　all　his　wisdom　he　remains　ignorant

of　what　happens　to　man　when　the　Light　of　Life　is　blown　out　by　the

breath　of　Fate。　That　is　why　he　fears　to　die　and　why　he　talks　with

Bastin　the　Preacher；　who　says　he　has　the　secret　of　the　future。〃



〃And　do　you　fear　to　die？〃　I　asked。



〃No；　Humphrey；〃　she　answered　gently。　〃Because　I　think　that

there　is　no　death；　and；　having　done　no　wrong；　I　dread　no　evil。　I

had　dreams　while　I　was　asleep；　O　Humphrey；　and　it　seemed　to　me

that〃



Here　she　ceased　and　glanced　at　where　she　knew　the　miniature　was

hanging　upon　my　breast。



〃Now；〃　she　continued；　after　a　little　pause；　〃tell　me　of　your

world；　of　its　history；　of　its　languages；　of　what　happens　there；

for　I　long　to　know。〃



So　then　and　there；　assisted　by　Bickley；　I　began　the　education

of　the　Lady　Yva。　I　do　not　suppose　that　there　was　ever　a　more　apt

pupil　in　the　whole　earth。　To　begin　with；　she　was　better

acquainted　with　every　subject　on　which　I　touched　than　I　was

myself；　all　she　lacked　was　information　as　to　its　modern　aspect。

Her　knowledge　ended　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　ago；　at

which　date；　however；　it　would　seem　that　civilisation　had　already

touched　a　higher　water…mark　than　it　has　ever　since　attained。

Thus；　this　vanished　people　understood　astronomy；　natural

magnetism；　the　force　of　gravity；　steam；　also　electricity　to　some

subtle　use　of　which；　I　gathered；　the　lighting　of　their

underground　city　was　to　be　attributed。　They　had　mastered

architecture　and　the　arts；　as　their　buildings　and　statues　showed；

they　could　fly　through　the　air　better　than　we　have　learned　to　do

within　the　last　few　years。



More；　they；　or　some　of　them；　had　learned　the　use　of　the　Fourth

Dimension；　that　is　their　most　instructed　individuals；　could　move

through　opposing　things；　as　well　as　over　them；　up　into　them　and

across　them。　This　power　these　possessed　in　a　two…fold　form。　I

mean；　that　they　could　either　disintegrate　their　bodies　at　one

spot　and　cause　them　to　integrate　again　at　another；　or　they　could

project　what　the　old　Egyptians　called　the　Ka　or　Double；　and

modern　Theosophists　name　the　Astral　Shape；　to　any　distance。

Moreover；　this　Double；　or　Astral　Shape；　while　itself　invisible；

still；　so　to　speak；　had　the　use　of　its　senses。　It　could　see；　it

could　hear；　and　it　could　remember；　and；　on　returning　to　the　body；

it　could　avail　itself　of　the　experience　thus　acquired。



Thus；　at　least；　said　Yva；　while　Bickley　contemplated　her　with　a

cold　and　unbelieving　eye。　She　even　went　further　and　alleged　that

in　certain　instances；　individuals　of　her　extinct　race　had　been

able　to　pass　through　the　ether　and　to　visit　other　worlds　in　the

depths　of　space。



〃Have　you　ever　done　that？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃Once　or　twice　I　dreamed　that　I　did；〃　she　replied　quietly。



〃We　can　all　dream；〃　he　answered。



As　it　was　my　lot　to　make　acquaintance　with　this　strange　and

uncanny　power　at　a　later　date；　I　will　say　no　more　of　it　now。



Telepathy；　she　declared；　was　also　a　developed　gift　among　the

Sons　of　Wisdom；　indeed；　they　seem　to　have　used　it　as　we　use

wireless　messages。　Only；　in　their　case；　the　sending　and　receiving

stations　were　skilled　and　susceptible　human　beings　who　went　on

duty　for　so　many　hours　at　a　time。　Thus　intelligence　was

transmitted　with　accuracy　and　despatch。　Those　who　had　this

faculty　were；　she　said；　also　very　apt　at　reading　the　minds　of

others　and　therefore　not　easy　to　deceive。



〃Is　that　how　you　know　that　I　had　been　trying　to　analyse　your

Life…water？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　with　her　unvarying　smile。　〃At　the　moment　I

spoke　thereof　you　were　wondering　whether　my　father　would　be　angry

if　he　knew　that　you　had　taken　the　water　in　a　little　flask。〃　She

studied　him　for　a　moment；　then　added：　〃Now　you　are　wondering；

first；　whether　I　did　not　see　you　take　the　water　from　the　fountain

and　guess　the　purpose；　and；　secondly；　whether　perhaps　Bastin　did

not　tell　me　what　you　were　doing　with　it　when　we　met　in　the

sepulchre。〃



〃Look　here；〃　said　the　exasperated　Bickley；　〃I　admit　that

telepathy　and　thought…reading　are　possible　to　a　certain　limited

extent。　But　supposing　that　you　possess　those　powers；　as　I　think


in　English；　and　you　do　not　know　English；　how　can　you　interpret

what　is　passing　in　my　mind？〃



〃Perhaps　you　have　been　teaching　me　English　all　this　while

without　knowing　it；　Bickley。　In　any　case；　it　matters　little；

seeing　that　what　I　read　is　the　thought；　not　the　language　with

which　it　is　clothed。　The　thought　comes　from　your　mind　to　mine

that　is；　if　I　wish　it；　which　is　not　oftenand　I　interpret　it　in

my　own　or　other　tongues。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it　is　not　often；　Lady　Yva；　since　thoughts

are　generally　considered　private。〃



〃Yes；　and　therefore　I　will　read　yours　no　more。　Why　should　I；

when　they　are　so　full　of　disbelief　of　all　I　tell　you；　and

sometimes　of　other　things　about　myself　which　I　do　not　seek　to

know？〃



〃No　wonder　that；　according　to　the　story　in　the　pictures；　those

Nations；　whom　you　named　Barbarians；　made　an　end　of　your　people；

Lady　Yva。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　Bickley；　the　Lord　Oro　made　an　end　of　the

Nations；　though　against　my　prayer；〃　she　added　with　a　sigh



Then　Bickley　departed　in　a　rage；　and　did　not　appear　again　for

an　hour。



〃He　is　angry；〃　she　said；　looking　after　him；　〃nor　do　I　wonder。

It　is　hard　for　the　very　clever　like　Bickley；　who　think　that　they

have　mastered　all　things；　to　find　that　after　all　they　are　quite

ignorant。　I　am　sorry　for　him；　and　I　like　him　very　much。〃



〃Then　you　would　be　sorry　for　me　also；　Lady　Yva？〃



〃Why？〃　she　asked　with　a　dazzling　smile；　〃when　your　heart　is

athirst　for　knowledge；　gaping　for　it　like　a　fledgling's　mouth　for

food；　and；　as　it　chances；　though　I　am　not　very　wise；　I　can

satisfy　something　of　your　soul…hunger。〃



〃Not　very　wise！〃　I　repeated。



〃No；　Humphrey。　I　think　that　Bastin；　who　in　many　ways　is　so

stupid；　has　more　true　wisdom　than　I　have；　because　he　can　believe

and　accept　without　question。　After　all；　the　wisdom　of　my　people

is　all　of　the　universe　and　its　wonders。　What　you　think　magic　is

not　magic；　it　is　only　gathered　knowledge　and　the　finding　out　of

secrets。　Bickley　will　tell　you　the　same；　although　as　yet　he　does

not　believe　that　the　mind　of　man　can　stretch　so　far。〃



〃You　mean　that　your　wisdom　has　in　it　nothing　of　the　spirit？〃



〃Yes；　Humphrey；　that　is　what　I　mean。　I　do　not　even　know　if

there　is　such　a　thing　as　spirit。　Our　god　was　Fate；　Bastin's　god

is　a　spirit；　and　I　think　yours　also。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Therefore；　I　wish　you　and　Bastin　to　teach　me　of　your　god；　as

does　Oro；　my　father。　I　wantoh！　so　much；　Humphrey；　to　learn

whether　we　live　after　death。〃



〃You！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃You　who；　according　to　the　story；　have

slept　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years！　You；　who　have；

unless　I　mistake；　hinted　that　during　that　sleep　you　may　have

lived　in　other　shapes！　Do　you　doubt　whether　we　can　live　after

death？〃



〃Yes。　Sleep　induced　by　secret　arts　is　not　death；　and　during

that　sleep　the　I　within　might　wander　and　inhabit　other　shapes；

because　it　is　forbidden　to　be　idle。　Moreover；　what　seems　to　be

death　may　not　be　death；　only　another　form　of　sleep　from　which　the

I　awakes　again　upon　the　world。　But　at　last　comes　the　real　death；

when　the　I　is　extinguished　to　the　world。　That　much　I　know；

because　my　people　learned　it。〃



〃You　mean；　you　know　that　men　and　women　may　live　again　and　again

upon　the　wo