when the world shook-第60部分

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of　an　hour。　It　was　towards　the　end　of　this　time　that　in　the

intense　silence　I　heard　a　crash　from　the　direction　of　the　temple；

as　though　something　heavy　had　fallen　to　the　rocky　floor。　Bickley

also　heard　this　sound。　When　the　two　reappeared　I　noticed　that

though　still　quite　calm；　Yva　looked　radiant；　and；　if　I　may　say

so；　even　more　human　and　womanly　than　I　had　ever　seen　her；　while

Bastin　also　seemed　very　happy。



〃One　has　strange　experiences　in　life；　yes；　very　strange；〃　he

remarked；　apparently　addressing　the　air；　which　left　me　wondering

to　what　particular　experience　he　might　refer。　Well；　I　thought

that　I　could　guess。



〃Friends；〃　said　Yva；　〃it　is　time　for　us　to　be　going　and　I　am

your　guide。　You　will　meet　the　Lord　Oro　at　the　end　of　your

journey。　I　pray　you　to　bring　those　lamps　of　yours　with　you；　since

all　the　road　is　not　lightened　like　this　place。〃



〃I　should　like　to　ask；〃　said　Bickley；　〃whither　we　go　and　for

what　object；　points　on　which　up　to　the　present　we　have　had　no

definite　information。〃



〃We　go；　friend　Bickley；　deep　into　the　bowels　of　the　world；　far

deeper；　I　think；　than　any　mortal　men　have　gone　hitherto；　that　is；

of　your　race。〃



〃Then　we　shall　perish　of　heat；〃　said　Bickley；　〃for　with　every

thousand　feet　the　temperature　rises　many　degrees。〃



〃Not　so。　You　will　pass　through　a　zone　of　heat；　but　so　swiftly

that　if　you　hold　your　breath　you　will　not　suffer　overmuch。　Then

you　will　come　to　a　place　where　a　great　draught　blows　which　will

keep　you　cool；　and　thence　travel　on　to　the　end。〃



〃Yes；　but　to　what　end；　Lady　Yva？〃



〃That　you　will　see　for　yourselves；　and　with　it　other　wondrous

things。〃



Here　some　new　idea　seemed　to　strike　her；　and　after　a　little

hesitation　she　added：



〃Yet　why　should　you　go？　Oro　has　commanded　it；　it　is　true；　but　I

think　that　at　the　last　he　will　forget。　It　must　be　decided

swiftly。　There　is　yet　time。　I　can　place　you　in　safety　in　the

sepulchre　of　Sleep　where　you　found　us。　Thence　cross　to　the　main

island　and　sail　away　quickly　in　your　boat　out　into　the　great　sea；

where　I　believe　you　will　find　succour。　Know　that　after　disobeying

him；　you　must　meet　Oro　no　more　lest　it　should　be　the　worse　for

you。　If　that　be　your　will；　let　us　start。　What　say　you？〃



She　looked　at　me。



〃I　say；　Yva；　that　I　am　willing　to　go　if　you　come　with　us。　Not

otherwise。〃



〃I　say；〃　said　Bickley；　〃that　I　want　to　see　all　this

supernatural　rubbish　thoroughly　exploded；　and　that　therefore　I

should　prefer　to　go　on　with　the　business。〃



〃And　I　say；〃　said　Bastin；　〃that　my　most　earnest　desire　is　to　be

clear　of　the　whole　thing；　which　wearies　and　perplexes　me　more

than　I　can　tell。　Only　I　am　not　going　to　run　away；　unless　you

think　it　desirable　to　do　so　too；　Lady　Yva。　I　want　you　to

understand　that　I　am　not　in　the　least　afraid　of　the　Lord　Oro；　and

do　not　for　one　moment　believe　that　he　will　be　allowed　to　bring

about　disaster　to　the　world；　as　I　understand　is　his　wicked

object。　Therefore　on　the　whole　I　am　indifferent　and　quite

prepared　to　accept　any　decision　at　which　the　rest　of　you　may

arrive。〃



〃Be　it　understood；〃　said　Yva　with　a　little　smile　when　Bastin

had　finished　his　sermonette；　〃that　I　must　join　my　father　in　the

bowels　of　the　earth　for　a　reason　which　will　be　made　plain

afterwards。　Therefore；　if　you　go　we　part；　as　I　think　to　meet　no

more。　Still　my　advice　is　that　you　should　go。〃　*



（　*　It　is　fortunate　that　we　did　not　accept　Yva's　offer。　Had　we

done　so　we　should　have　found　ourselves　shut　in；　and　perished；　as

shall　be　told。腍。　A。　）





To　this　our　only　answer　was　to　attend　to　the　lighting　of　our

lamps　and　the　disposal　of　our　small　impedimenta；　such　as　our　tins

of　oil　and　water　bottles。　Yva　noted　this　and　laughed　outright。



〃Courage　did　not　die　with　the　Sons　of　Wisdom；〃　she　said。



Then　we　set　out；　Yva　walking　ahead　of　us　and　Tommy　frisking　at

her　side。



Our　road　led　us　through　the　temple。　As　we　passed　the　great

gates　I　started；　for　there；　in　the　centre　of　that　glorious

building；　I　perceived　a　change。　The　statue　of　Fate　was　no　more！

It　lay　broken　upon　the　pavement　among　those　fragments　of　its　two

worshippers　which　I　had　seen　shaken　down　some　hours　before。



〃What　does　this　mean？〃　I　whispered　to　Yva。　〃I　have　felt　no

other　earthquake。〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered；　〃or　if　I　know　I　may　not　say。　Yet

learn　that　no　god　can　live　on　without　a　single　worshipper；　and；

in　a　fashion；　that　idol　was　alive；　though　this　you　will　not

believe。〃



〃How　very　remarkable；〃　said　Bastin；　contemplating　the　ruin。　〃If

I　were　superstitious；　which　I　am　not；　I　should　say　that　this

occurrence　was　an　omen　indicating　the　final　fall　of　a　false　god。

At　any　rate　it　is　dead　now；　and　I　wonder　what　caused　it？〃



〃I　felt　an　earth　tremor　last　night；〃　said　Bickley；　〃though　it

is　odd　that　it　should　only　have　affected　this　particular　statue。

A　thousand　pities；　for　it　was　a　wonderful　work　of　art。〃



Then　I　remembered　and　reminded　Bickley　of　the　crash　which　we

had　heard　while　Yva　and　Bastin　were　absent　on　some　secret

business　in　the　chamber。



Walking　the　length　of　the　great　church；　if　so　it　could　be

called；　we　came　to　an　apse　at　the　head　of　it　where；　had　it　been

Christian；　the　altar　would　have　stood。　In　this　apse　was　a　little

open　door　through　which　we　passed。　Beyond　it　lay　a　space　of　rough

rock　that　looked　as　though　it　had　been　partially　prepared　for　the

erection　of　buildings　and　then　abandoned。　All　this　space　was

lighted；　however；　like　the　rest　of　the　City　of　Nyo；　and　in　the

same　mysterious　way。　Led　by　Yva；　we　threaded　our　path　between　the

rough　stones；　following　a　steep　downward　slope。　Thus　we　walked

for　perhaps　half　a　mile；　till　at　length　we　came　to　the　mouth　of　a

huge　pit　that　must；　I　imagine；　have　lain　quite　a　thousand　feet

below　the　level　of　the　temple。



I　looked　over　the　edge　of　this　pit　and　shrank　back　terrified。

It　seemed　to　be　bottomless。　Moreover；　a　great　wind　rushed　up　it

with　a　roaring　sound　like　to　that　of　an　angry　sea。　Or　rather

there　were　two　winds；　perhaps　draughts　would　be　a　better　term；　if

I　may　apply　it　to　an　air　movement　of　so　fierce　and　terrible　a

nature。　One　of　these　rushed　up　the　pit；　and　one　rushed　down。　Or

it　may　have　been　that　the　up　rush　alternated　with　the　down　rush。

Really　it　is　impossible　to　say。



〃What　is　this　place？〃　I　asked；　clinging　to　the　others　and

shrinking　back　in　alarm　from　its　sheer　edge　and　bottomless　depth；

for　that　this　was　enormous　we　could　see　by　the　shaft　of　light

which　flowed　downwards　farther　than　the　eye　could　follow。



〃It　is　a　vent　up　and　down　which　air　passes　from　and　to　the

central　hollows　of　the　earth；〃　Yva　answered。　〃Doubtless　in　the

beginning　through　it　travelled　that　mighty　force　which　blew　out

these　caves　in　the　heated　rocks；　as　the　craftsman　blows　out

glass。〃



〃I　understand；〃　said　Bastin。　〃Just　like　one　blows　out　a　bubble

on　a　pipe；　only　on　a　larger　scale。　Well；　it　is　very　interesting；

but　I　have　seen　enough　of　it。　Also　I　am　afraid　of　being　blown

away。〃



〃I　fear　that　you　must　see　more；〃　answered　Yva　with　a　smile；

〃since　we　are　about　to　descend　this　pit。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　we　are　to　go　down　that　hole；　and　if　so；　how？

I　don't　see　any　lift；　or　moving　staircase；　or　anything　of　that

sort。〃



〃Easily　and　safely　enough；　Bastin。　See。〃



As　she　spoke　a　great　flat　rock　of　the　size　of　a　small　room

appeared；　borne　upwards；　as　I　suppose；　by　the　terrific　draught

which　roared　past　us　on　its　upward　course。　When　it　reached　the

lip　of　the　shaft；　it　hung　a　little　while；　then　moved　across　and

began　to　descend　with　such　incredible　swiftness　that　in　a　few

seconds　it　had　vanished　from　view。



〃Oh！〃　said　Bastin；　with　his　eyes　almost　starting　out　of　his

head；　〃that's　the　lift；　is　it？　Well；　I　tell　you　at　once　I　don't

like　the　look　of　the　thing。　It　gives　me　the　creeps。　Suppose　it

tilted。〃



〃It　does　not　tilt；〃　answered　Yva；　still　smiling。　〃I　tell　you；

Bastin；　that　there　is　naught　to　fear。　Only　yesterday；　I　rode　this

rock　and　returned　unharmed。〃



〃That　is　all　very　well；　Lady　Yva；　but　you　may　know　how　to

balance　it；　also　when　to　get　on　and　off。〃



〃If　you　are　afraid；　Bastin；　remain　here　until　your　companions

return。　They；　I　think；　will　make　the　journey。〃



Bickley　and　I　intimated　that　we　would；　though　to　tell　the

truth；　if　less　frank　we　were　quite　as　alarmed　as　Bastin。



〃No；　I'll　come　too。　I　suppose　one　may　as　well　die　this　way　as

any　other；　and　if　anything　were　to　happen　to　them　and　I　were　left

alone；　it　would　be　worse　still。〃



〃Then　be　prepared；〃　said　Yva；　〃for　presently　this　air…chariot

of　ours　will　return。　When　it　appears　and　hangs　upon　the　edge；

step　on　to　it　and　throw　yourselves　upon　your　faces　and　all　will

be　well。　At　the　foot　of　the　shaft　the　motion　lessens　till　it

almost　stops；　and　it　is　easy　to　spring；　or　even　crawl　to　the　firm

earth。〃



Then　she　stooped　down　and　lifted　Tommy　who　was　sniffing

suspiciously　at　the　edge　of　the　pit；　his　long　ears　blown　straight

above　his　head；　holding　him　beneath　her　left　arm　and　under　her

cloak；　that　he　might　not　see　and　be　frightened。



We　waited　a　while　in　silence；　perhaps　for　five　or　six　minutes；

among　the　most　disagreeable；　I　think；　that　I　ever　passed。　Then

far　down　in　the　brightness　below　appeared　a　black　speck　that

seemed　to　grow　in　size　as　it　rushed　upwards。



〃It　comes；〃　said　Yva。　〃Prepare　and　do　as　I　do。　Do　not　spring；

or　run；　lest　you　should　go　too　far。　Step　gently　on　to　the　rock

and　to　its　centre；　and　there　lie　down。　Trust　in　me；　all　of　you。〃



〃There's　nothing　else　to　do；〃　groaned　Bastin。



The　great　stone　appeared　and；　as　before；　hung　at　the　edge　of

the　pit。　Yva　stepped　on　to　it　quietly；　as　she　did　so；　catching

hold　of　my　wrist　with　her　disengaged　hand。　I　followed　her　feeling

very　sick；　and　promptly　sat　down。　Then　came　Bickley　with　the　air

of　the　virtuous　hero　of　a　romance　walking　a　pirate's　plank；　and

also　s