when the world shook-第50部分

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Oro　was　approaching。　He　appeared　like　a　ghost　in　the　bright

moonlight；　greeted　me；　and　said：



〃Tonight；　Humphrey；　we　must　make　another　journey。　I　would　visit

the　seat　of　the　war。〃



〃I　do　not　wish　to　go；〃　I　said　feebly。



〃What　you　wish　does　not　matter；〃　he　replied。　〃I　wish　that　you

should　go；　and　therefore　you　must。〃



〃Listen；　Oro；〃　I　exclaimed。　〃I　do　not　like　this　business；　it

seems　dangerous　to　me。〃



〃There　is　no　danger　if　you　are　obedient；　Humphrey。〃



〃I　think　there　is。　I　do　not　understand　what　happens。　Do　you

make　use　of　what　the　Lady　Yva　called　the　Fourth　Dimension；　so

that　our　bodies　pass　over　the　seas　and　through　mountains；　like

the　vibrations　of　our　Wireless；　of　which　I　was　speaking　to　you？〃



〃No；　Humphrey。　That　method　is　good　and　easy；　but　I　do　not　use

it　because　if　I　did　we　should　be　visible　in　the　places　which　we

visit；　since　there　all　the　atoms　that　make　a　man　would　collect

together　again　and　be　a　man。〃



〃What；　then；　do　you　do？〃　I　asked；　exasperated。



〃Man；　Humphrey；　is　not　one；　he　is　many。　Thus；　amongst　other

things　he　has　a　Double；　which　can　see　and　hear；　as　he　can　in　the

flesh；　if　it　is　separated　from　the　flesh。〃



〃The　old　Egyptians　believed　that；〃　I　said。



〃Did　they？　Doubtless　they　inherited　the　knowledge　from　us；　the

Sons　of　Wisdom。　The　cup　of　our　learning　was　so　full　that；　keep　it

secret　as　we　would；　from　time　to　time　some　of　it　overflowed　among

the　vulgar；　and　doubtless　thus　the　light　of　our　knowledge　still

burns　feebly　in　the　world。〃



I　reflected　to　myself　that　whatever　might　be　their　other

characteristics；　the　Sons　of　Wisdom　had　lost　that　of　modesty；　but

I　only　asked　how　he　used　his　Double；　supposing　that　it　existed。



〃Very　easily；〃　he　answered。　〃In　sleep　it　can　be　drawn　from　the

body　and　sent　upon　its　mission　by　one　that　is　its　master。〃



〃Then　while　you　were　asleep　for　all　those　thousands　of　years

your　Double　must　have　made　many　journeys。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　he　replied　quietly；　〃and　my　spirit　also；　which　is

another　part　of　me　that　may　have　dwelt　in　the　bodies　of　other

men。　But　unhappily；　if　so　I　forget；　and　that　is　why　I　have　so

much　to　learn　and　must　even　make　use　of　such　poor　instruments　as

you；　Humphrey。〃



〃Then　if　I　sleep　and　you　distil　my　Double　out　of　me；　I　suppose

that　you　sleep　too。　In　that　case　who　distils　your　Double　out　of

you；　Lord　Oro？〃



He　grew　angry　and　answered：



〃Ask　no　more　questions；　blind　and　ignorant　as　you　are。　It　is

your　part　not　to　examine；　but　to　obey。　Sleep　now；〃　and　again　he

waved　his　hand　over　me。





In　an　instant；　as　it　seemed；　we　were　standing　in　a　grey　old

town　that　I　judged　from　its　appearance　must　be　either　in　northern

France　or　Belgium。　It　was　much　shattered　by　bombardment；　the

church；　for　instance；　was　a　ruin；　also　many　of　the　houses　had

been　burnt。　Now；　however；　no　firing　was　going　on　for　the　town　had

been　taken。　The　streets　were　full　of　armed　men　wearing　the　German

uniform　and　helmet。　We　passed　down　them　and　were　able　to　see　into

the　houses。　In　some　of　these　were　German　soldiers　engaged　in

looting　and　in　other　things　so　horrible　that　even　the　unmoved　Oro

turned　away　his　head。



We　came　to　the　market…place。　It　was　crowded　with　German　troops；

also　with　a　great　number　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　town；　most　of

them　elderly　men　and　women　with　children；　who　had　fallen　into

their　power。　The　Germans；　under　the　command　of　officers；　were

dragging　the　men　from　the　arms　of　their　wives　and　children　to　one

side；　and　with　rifle…butts　beating　back　the　screaming　women。　Among

the　men　I　noticed　two　or　three　priests　who　were　doing　their　best

to　soothe　their　companions　and　even　giving　them　absolution　in

hurried　whispers。



At　length　the　separation　was　effected；　whereon　at　a　hoarse　word

of　command；　a　company　of　soldiers　began　to　fire　at　the　men　and

continued　doing　so　until　all　had　fallen。　Then　petty　officers　went

among　the　slaughtered　and　with　pistols　blew　out　the　brains　of　any

who　still　moved。



〃These　butchers；　you　say；　are　Germans？〃　asked　Oro　of　me。



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　sick　with　horror；　for　though　I　was　in　the

mind　and　not　in　the　body；　I　could　feel　as　the　mind　does。　Had　I

been　in　the　body　also；　I　should　have　fainted。



〃Then　we　need　not　waste　time　in　visiting　their　country。　It　is

enough；　let　us　go　on。〃



We　passed　out　into　the　open　land　and　came　to　a　village。　It　was

in　the　occupation　of　German　cavalry。　Two　of　them　held　a　little

girl　of　nine　or　ten；　one　by　her　body；　the　other　by　her　right

hand。　An　officer　stood　between　them　with　a　drawn　sword　fronting

the　terrified　child。　He　was　a　horrible；　coarse…faced　man　who

looked　to　me　as　though　he　had　been　drinking。



〃I'll　teach　the　young　devil　to　show　us　the　wrong　road　and　let

those　French　swine　escape；〃　he　shouted；　and　struck　with　the

sword。　The　girl's　right　hand　fell　to　the　ground。



〃War　as　practised　by　the　Germans！〃　remarked　Oro。　Then　he

stepped；　or　seemed　to　step　up　to　the　man　and　whispered；　or　seemed

to　whisper；　in　his　ear。



I　do　not　know　what　tongue　or　what　spirit　speech　he　used；　or

what　he　said；　but　the　bloated…faced　brute　turned　pale。　Yes；　he

drew　sick　with　fear。



〃I　think　there　are　spirits　in　this　place；〃　he　said　with　a

German　oath。　〃I　could　have　sworn　that　something　told　me　that　I

was　going　to　die。　Mount！〃



　The　Uhlans　mounted　and　began　to　ride　away。



〃Watch；〃　said　Oro。



As　he　spoke　out　of　a　dark　cloud　appeared　an　aeroplane。　Its

pilot　saw　the　band　of　Germans　beneath　and　dropped　a　bomb。　The　aim

was　good；　for　the　missile　exploded　in　the　midst　of　them；　causing

a　great　cloud　of　dust　from　which　arose　the　screams　of　men　and

horses。



〃Come　and　see；〃　said　Oro。



We　were　there。　Out　of　the　cloud　of　dust　appeared　one　man

galloping　furiously。　He　was　a　young　fellow　who；　as　I　noted；　had

turned　his　head　away　and　hidden　his　eyes　with　his　hand　when　the

horror　was　done　yonder。　All　the　others　were　dead　except　the

officer　who　had　worked　the　deed。　He　was　still　living；　but　both

his　hands　and　one　of　his　feet　had　been　blown　away。　Presently　he

died；　screaming　to　God　for　mercy。



We　passed　on　and　came　to　a　barn　with　wide　doors　that　swung　a

little　in　the　wind；　causing　the　rusted　hinges　to　scream　like　a

creature　in　pain。　On　each　of　these　doors　hung　a　dead　man

crucified。　The　hat　of　one　of　them　lay　upon　the　ground；　and　I　knew

from　the　shape　of　it　that　he　was　a　Colonial　soldier。



〃Did　you　not　tell　me；〃　said　Oro　after　surveying　them；　〃that

these　Germans　are　of　your　Christian　faith？〃



〃Yes；　and　the　Name　of　God　is　always　on　their　ruler's　lips。〃



〃Ah！〃　he　said；　〃I　am　glad　that　I　worship　Fate。　Bastin　the

priest　need　trouble　me　no　more。〃



〃There　is　something　behind　Fate；〃　I　said；　quoting　Bastin

himself。



〃Perhaps。　So　indeed　I　have　always　held；　but　after　much　study　I

cannot　understand　the　manner　of　its　working。　Fate　is　enough　for

me。〃



We　went　on　and　came　to　a　flat　country　that　was　lined　with

ditches；　all　of　them　full　of　men；　Germans　on　one　side；　English

and　French　upon　the　other。　A　terrible　bombardment　shook　the

earth；　the　shells　raining　upon　the　ditches。　Presently　that　from

the　English　guns　ceased　and　out　of　the　trenches　in　front　of　them

thousands　of　men　were　vomited；　who　ran　forward　through　a　hail　of

fire　in　which　scores　and　hundreds　fell；　across　an　open　piece　of

ground　that　was　pitted　with　shell　craters。　They　came　to　barbed

wire　defenses；　or　what　remained　of　them；　cut　the　wire　with

nippers　and　pulled　up　the　posts。　Then　through　the　gaps　they

surged　in；　shouting　and　hurling　hand　grenades。　They　reached　the

German　trenches；　they　leapt　into　them　and　from　those　holes　arose

a　hellish　din。　Pistols　were　fired　and　everywhere　bayonets

flashed。



Behind　them　rushed　a　horde　of　little；　dark…skinned　men；　Indians

who　carried　great　knives　in　their　hands。　Those　leapt　over　the

first　trench　and　running　on　with　wild　yells；　dived　into　the

second；　those　who　were　left　of　them；　and　there　began　hacking　with

their　knives　at　the　defenders　and　the　soldiers　who　worked　the

spitting　maxim　guns。　In　twenty　minutes　it　was　over；　those　lines

of　trenches　were　taken；　and　once　more　from　either　side　the　guns

began　to　boom。



〃War　again；〃　said　Oro；　〃clean；　honest　war；　such　as　the　god　I

call　Fate　decrees　for　man。　I　have　seen　enough。　Now　I　would　visit

those　whom　you　call　Turks。　I　understand　they　have　another　worship

and　perhaps　they　are　nobler　than　these　Christians。〃



We　came　to　a　hilly　country　which　I　recognised　as　Armenia；　for

once　I　travelled　there；　and　stopped　on　an　seashore。　Here　were　the

Turks　in　thousands。　They　were　engaged　in　driving　before　them　mobs

of　men；　women　and　children　in　countless　numbers。　On　and　on　they

drove　them　till　they　reached　the　shore。　There　they　massacred　them

with　bayonets；　with　bullets；　or　by　drowning。　I　remember　a

dreadful　scene　of　a　poor　woman　standing　up　to　her　waist　in　the

water。　Three　children　were　clinging　to　herbut　I　cannot　go　on；

really　I　cannot　go　on。　In　the　end　a　Turk　waded　out　and　bayoneted

her　while　she　strove　to　protect　the　last　living　child　with　her

poor　body　whence　it　sprang。



〃These；　I　understand；〃　said　Oro；　pointing　to　the　Turkish

soldiers；　〃worship　a　prophet　who　they　say　is　the　voice　of　God。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃and　therefore　they　massacre　these　who　are

Christians　because　they　worship　God　without　a　prophet。〃



〃And　what　do　the　Christians　massacre　each　other　for？〃



〃Power　and　the　wealth　and　territories　that　are　power。　That　is；

the　King　of　the　Germans　wishes　to　rule　the　world；　but　the　other

Nations　do　not　desire　his　dominion。　Therefore　they　fight　for

Liberty　and　Justice。〃



〃As　it　was；　so　it　is　and　shall　be；〃　remarked　Oro；　〃only　with

this　difference。　In　the　old　world　some　were　wise；　but　here〃　and

he　stopped；　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　Armenian　woman　struggling　in

her　death　agony　while　the　murderer　drowned　her　child；　then　added：

〃Let　us　go。〃