when the world shook-第52部分

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that　it　contained　compressed　information　about　the　various

countries　of　the　world；　also　concerning　almost　every　other

matter。　My　belief　is　that　within　a　month　or　so　that　marvelous

old　man　not　only　read　this　stupendous　work　from　end　to　end；　but

that　he　remembered　everything　of　interest　which　it　contained。　At

least；　he　would　appear　and　show　the　fullest　acquaintance　with

certain　subjects　or　places；　seeking　further　light　from　me

concerning　them；　which　very　often　I　was　quite　unable　to　give　him。



An　accident；　as　it　chanced；　whereof　I　need　not　set　out　the

details；　caused　me　to　discover　that　his　remarkable　knowledge　was

limited。　Thus；　at　one　period；　he　knew　little　about　any　modern

topic　which　began　with　a　letter　later　in　the　alphabet　than；　let

us　say；　C。　A　few　days　afterwards　he　was　acquainted　with　those　up

to　F；　or　G；　and　so　on　till　he　reached　Z；　when　he　appeared　to　me

to　know　everything；　and　returned　the　book。　Now；　indeed；　he　was　a

monument　of　learning；　very　ancient　and　very　new；　and　with　some

Encyclopedia…garnered　facts　or　deductions　of　what　had　happened

between。



Moreover；　he　took　to　astronomical　research；　for　more　than　once

we　saw　him　standing　on　the　rock　at　night　studying　the　heavens。　On

one　of　these　occasions；　when　he　had　the　two　metal　plates；　of

which　I　have　spoken；　in　his　hands；　I　ventured　to　approach　and　ask

what　he　did。　He　replied　that　he　was　checking　his　calculations

that　he　found　to　be　quite　correct；　an　exact　period　of　two　hundred

and　fifty　thousand　years　having　gone　by　since　he　laid　himself

down　to　sleep。　Then；　by　aid　of　the　plates；　he　pointed　out　to　me

certain　alterations　that　had　happened　during　that　period　in　the

positions　of　some　of　the　stars。



For　instance；　he　showed　me　one　which；　by　help　of　my　glasses；　I

recognised　as　Sirius；　and　remarked　that　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years　ago　it　was　further　away　and　much　smaller。　Now　it

was　precisely　in　the　place　and　of　the　size　which　he　had

predicted；　and　he　pointed　to　it　on　his　prophetic　map。　Again　he

indicated　a　star　that　the　night…glass　told　me　was　Capella；　which；

I　suppose；　is　one　of　the　most　brilliant　stars　in　the　sky；　and

showed　me　that　on　the　map　he　had　made　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years　ago；　it　did　not　exist；　as　then　it　was　too　far

north　to　appear　thereon。　Still；　he　observed；　the　passage　of　this

vast　period　of　time　had　produced　but　little　effect　upon　the　face

of　the　heavens。　To　the　human　eye　the　majority　of　the　stars　had

not　moved　so　very　far。



〃And　yet　they　travel　fast；　O　Humphrey；〃　he　said。　〃Consider　then

how　great　is　their　journey　between　the　time　they　gather　and　that

day　when；　worn…out；　once　more　they　melt　to　vaporous　gas。　You

think　me　long…lived　who　compared　to　them　exist　but　a　tiny

fraction　of　a　second；　nearly　all　of　which　I　have　been　doomed　to

pass　in　sleep。　And；　Humphrey；　I　desire　to　liveI；　who　have　great

plans　and　would　shake　the　world。　But　my　day　draws　in；　a　few　brief

centuries　and　I　shall　be　gone；　andwhither；　whither？〃



〃If　you　lived　as　long　as　those　stars；　the　end　would　be　the

same；　Oro。〃



〃Yes；　but　the　life　of　the　stars　is　very　long；　millions　of

millions　of　years；　also；　after　death；　they　reform；　as　other

stars。　But　shall　I　reform　as　another　Oro？　With　all　my　wisdom；　I

do　not　know。　It　is　known　to　Fate　onlyFate…the　master　of　worlds

and　men　and　the　gods　they　worshipFate；　whom　it　may　please　to

spill　my　gathered　knowledge；　to　be　lost　in　the　sands　of　Time。〃



〃It　seems　that　you　are　great；〃　I　said；　〃and　have　lived　long　and

learned　much。　Yet　the　end　of　it　is　that　your　lot　is　neither　worse

nor　better　than　that　of　us　creatures　of　an　hour。〃



〃It　is　so；　Humphrey。　Presently　you　will　die；　and　within　a　few

centuries　I　shall　die　also　and　be　as　you　are。　You　believe　that

you　will　live　again　eternally。　It　may　be　so　because　you　do

believe；　since　Fate　allows　Faith　to　shape　the　future；　if　only　for

a　little　while。　But　in　me　Wisdom　has　destroyed　Faith　and

therefore　I　must　die。　Even　if　I　sleep　again　for　tens　of　thousands

of　years；　what　will　it　help　me；　seeing　that　sleep　is

unconsciousness　and　that　I　shall　only　wake　again　to　die；　since

sleep　does　not　restore　to　us　our　youth？〃



He　ceased；　and　walked　up　and　down　the　rock　with　a　troubled

mien。　Then　he　stood　in　front　of　me　and　said　in　a　triumphant

voice：



〃At　least；　while　I　live　I　will　rule；　and　then　let　come　what　may

come。　I　know　that　you　do　not　believe；　and　the　first　victory　of

this　new　day　of　mine　shall　be　to　make　you　believe。　I　have　great

powers　and　you　shall　see　them　at　work；　and　afterwards；　if　things

go　right；　rule　with　me　for　a　little　while；　perhaps；　as　the　first

of　my　subjects。　Hearken　now；　in　one　small　matter　my　calculations；

made　so　long　ago；　have　gone　wrong。　They　showed　me　that　at　this

time　a　day　of　earthquakes；　such　as　those　that　again　and　again

have　rocked　and　split　the　world；　would　recur。　But　now　it　seems

that　there　is　an　error；　a　tiny　error　of　eleven　hundred　years；

which　must　go　by　before　those　earthquakes　come。〃



〃Are　you　sure；〃　I　suggested　humbly；　〃that　there　is　not　also　an

error　in　those　star…maps　you　hold？〃



〃I　am　sure；　Humphrey。　Some　day；　who　knows？　You　may　return　to

your　world　of　modern　men　who；　I　gather；　have　knowledge　of　the

great　science　of　astronomy。　Take　now　these　maps　with　which　I　have

done；　and　submit　them　to　the　most　learned　of　those　men；　and　let

them　tell　you　whether　I　was　right　or　wrong　in　what　I　wrote　upon

this　metal　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　ago。　Whatever

else　is　false；　at　least　the　stars　in　their　motions　can　never

die。〃



Then　he　handed　me　the　maps　and　was　gone。　I　have　them　today；　and

if　ever　this　book　is　published；　they　will　appear　with　it；　that

those　who　are　qualified　may　judge　of　them　and　of　the　truth　or

otherwise　of　Oro's　words。



From　that　night　forward　for　quite　a　long　time　I　saw　Oro　no

more。　Nor　indeed　did　any　of　us；　since　for　some　reason　of　his　own

he　forbade　us　to　visit　the　under　ground　city　of　Nyo。　Oddly

enough；　however；　he　commanded　Yva　to　bring　down　the　spaniel；

Tommy；　to　be　with　him　from　time　to　time。　When　I　asked　her　why；

she　said　it　was　because　he　was　lonely　and　desired　the　dog's

companionship。　It　seemed　to　us　very　strange　that　this　super…man；

who　had　the　wisdom　of　ten　Solomons　gathered　in　one　within　his

breast；　should　yet　desire　the　company　of　a　little　dog。　What　then

was　the　worth　of　learning　and　long　life；　or；　indeed；　of　anything？

Well；　Solomon　himself　asked　the　question　ages　since；　and　could

give　no　answer　save　that　all　is　vanity。



I　noted　about　this　time　that　Yva　began　to　grow　very　sad　and

troubled；　indeed；　looking　at　her　suddenly　on　two　or　three

occasions；　I　saw　that　her　beautiful　eyes　were　aswim　with　tears。

Also；　I　noted　that　always　as　she　grew　sadder　she　became；　in　a

sense；　more　human。　In　the　beginning　she　was；　as　it　were；　far

away。　One　could　never　forget　that　she　was　the　child　of　some　alien

race　whose　eyes　had　looked　upon　the　world　when；　by　comparison；

humanity　was　young；　at　times；　indeed；　she　might　have　been　the

denizen　of　another　planet；　strayed　to　earth。　Although　she　never

flaunted　it；　one　felt　that　her　simplest　word　hid　secret　wisdom；

that　to　her　books　were　open　in　which　we　could　not　read。　Moreover；

as　I　have　said；　occasionally　power　flamed　out　of　her；　power　that

was　beyond　our　ken　and　understanding。



Yet　with　all　this　there　was　nothing　elfish　about　her；　nothing

uncanny。　She　was　always　kind；　and；　as　we　could　feel；　innately

good　and　gentle…hearted；　just　a　woman　made　half…divine　by　gifts

and　experience　that　others　lack。　She　did　not；　even　make　use　of

her　wondrous　beauty　to　madden　men；　as　she　might　well　have　done

had　she　been　so　minded。　It　is　true　that　both　Bastin　and　Bickley

fell　in　love　with　her；　but　that　was　only　because　all　with　whom

she　had　to　do　must　love　her；　and　then；　when　she　told　them　that　it

might　not　be；　it　was　in　such　a　fashion　that　no　soreness　was　left

behind。　They　went　on　loving　her；　that　was　all；　but　as　men　love

their　sisters　or　their　daughters；　as　we　conceive　that　they　may

love　in　that　land　where　there　is　no　marrying　or　giving　in

marriage。



But　now；　in　her　sadness；　she　drew　ever　nearer　to　us；　and

especially　to　myself；　more　in　tune　with　our　age　and　thought。　In

truth；　save　for　her　royal　and　glittering　loveliness　in　which

there　was　some　quality　which　proclaimed　her　of　another　blood；　and

for　that　reserve　of　hidden　power　which　at　times　would　look　out　of

her　eyes　or　break　through　her　words；　she　might　in　most　ways　have

been　some　singularly　gifted　and　beautiful　modern　woman。



The　time　has　come　when　I　must　speak　of　my　relations　with　Yva

and　of　their　climax。　As　may　have　been　guessed；　from　the　first　I

began　to　love　her。　While　the　weeks　went　on　that　love　grew　and

grew；　until　it　utterly　possessed　me；　although　for　a　certain

reason　connected　with　one　dead；　at　first　I　fought　against　it。　Yet

it　did　not　develop　quite　in　the　fashion　that　might　have　been

expected。　There　was　no　blazing　up　of　passion's　fire；　rather　was

there　an　ever…increasing　glow　of　the　holiest　affection；　till　at

last　it　became　a　lamp　by　which　I　must　guide　my　feet　through　life

and　death。　This　love　of　mine　seemed　not　of　earth　but　from　the

stars。　As　yet　I　had　said　nothing　to　her　of　it　because　in　some　way

I　felt　that　she　did　not　wish　me　to　do　so；　felt　also　that　she　was

well　aware　of　all　that　passed　within　my　heart；　and　desired；　as　it

were；　to　give　it　time　to　ripen　there。　Then　one　day　there　came　a

change；　and　though　no　glance　or　touch　of　Yva's　told　me　so；　I　knew

that　the　bars　were　taken　down　and　that　I　might　speak。





It　was　a　night　of　full　moon。　All　that　afternoon　she　had　been

talking　to　Bastin　apart；　I　suppose　about　religion；　for　I　saw　that

he　had　some　books　in　his　hand　from　which　he　was　expounding

something　to　her　in　his　slow；　earnest　way。　Then　she　came　and　sat

with　us　while　we　took　our　evening　meal。　I　remember　that　mine

consisted　of　some　of　the　Life…water　which　she　had　broug