the virgin of the sun-第31章

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After　this　I　heard　no　more　of　him；　and　fell　to　thinking　with　such　wits
as　were　left　to　me　of　how　many　perils　we　had　passed　since　we　saw　the
shores　of　Thames；　and　that　it　seemed　sad　that　all　should　have　been　for
nothing；　since　it　would　have　been　better　to　die　at　the　beginning　than
now　at　the　end；　after　so　much　misery。　Then　the　glare　of　the　lightning
shone　upon　the　handle　of　the　sword　Wave…Flame；　which　was　still
strapped　about　me；　and　I　remembered　the　rune　written　upon　it　which　my
mother　had　rendered　to　me　upon　the　morning　of　the　fight　against　the
Frenchmen。　How　did　it　run？

　　He　who　lifts　Wave…Flame　on　high
　　In　love　shall　live　and　in　battle　die。
　　Storm…tossed　o'er　wide　seas　shall　roam
　　And　in　strange　lands　shall　make　his　home。
　　Conquering；　conquered　shall　he　be
　　And　far　away　shall　sleep　with　me。

It　fitted　well；　though　of　the　love　I　had　known　little　and　that　most
unhappy；　and　the　battle　in　which　I　must　die　was　one　with　water。　Also；
I　had　conquered　nothing　who　myself　was　conquered　by　Fate。　In　short；
the　thing　could　be　read　two　ways；　like　all　prophecies；　and　only　one
line　of　it　was　true　beyond　a　doubtnamely；　that　Wave…Flame　and　I
should　sleep　together。

Awhile　later　the　lightning　shone　awesomely；　like　to　the　swords　of　a
whole　army　of　destroying　angels；　so　that　the　sky　became　alive　with
fire。　In　its　light　for　an　instant　I　saw　ahead　of　us　great　breakers；
and　beyond　them　what　looked　like　a　dark　mass　of　land。　Now　we　were　in
them；　for　the　first　of　those　hungry；　curling　waves　got　a　hold　of　the
/balsa/　and　tossed　it　up　dizzily；　then　flung　it　down　into　a　deep
valley　of　water。　Another　came　and　another；　till　my　senses　reeled　and
went。　I　cried　to　St。　Hubert；　but　he　was　a　land　saint　and　could　not
help　me；　so　I　cried　to　Another　greater　than　he。

My　last　vision　was　of　myself　riding　a　huge　breaker　as　though　it　were　a
horse。　Then　there　came　a　crash　and　darkness。



Lo！　it　seemed　to　me　as　though　one　were　calling　me　back　from　the　depths
of　sleep。　With　trouble　I　opened　my　eyes　only　to　shut　them　again
because　of　the　glare　of　the　light。　Then　after　a　while　I　sat　up；　which
gave　me　pain；　for　I　felt　as　if　I　had　been　beaten　all　over；　and　looked
once　more。　Above　me　shone　the　sun　in　a　sky　of　deepest　blue；　before　me
was　the　sea　almost　calm；　while　around　were　rocks　and　sand；　among　which
crawled　great　reptiles　that　I　knew　for　turtles；　as　I　had　seen　many　of
them　in　our　wanderings。　Moreover；　kneeling　at　my　side；　with　the　sword
that　he　had　taken　from　the　body　of　Deleroy　still　strapped　about　him；
was　Kari；　who　bled　from　some　wound　and　was　almost　white　with　encrusted
salt；　but　otherwise　seemed　unharmed。　I　stared　at　him；　unable　to　open
my　mouth　from　amazement；　so　it　was　he　who　spoke　the　first；　saying；　in
a　voice　that　had　a　note　of　triumph　in　it：

〃Did　I　not　tell　you　that　the　gods　were　with　us？　Where　is　your　faith；　O
White　Man！　Look！　They　have　brought　me　back　to　the　land　of　which　I　am
Prince。〃

Now　there　was　that　in　Kari's　tone　which　in　my　weak　state　angered　me。
Why　did　he　scold　me　about　faith？　Why　did　he　address　me　as　〃White　Man〃
instead　of　〃Master〃？　Was　it　because　he　had　reached　a　country　where　he
was　great　and　I　was　nothing？　I　supposed　so；　and　answered；

〃And　are　these　your　subjects；　O　noble　Kari？〃　and　I　pointed　to　the
crawling　turtles。　〃And　is　this　the　rich　and　wondrous　land　where　gold
and　silver　are　as　mud？〃　and　I　pointed　to　the　barren　rocks　and　sand
around。

He　smiled　at　my　jest；　and　answered　more　humbly：

〃Nay；　Master；　yonder　is　my　land。〃

Then　I　looked；　following　his　glance；　and　saw　many　leagues　way　across
the　water　two　snowclad　peaks　rising　above　a　bank　of　clouds。

〃I　know　those　mountains；〃　he　went　on；　〃without　doubt　they　are　one　of
the　gateways　of　my　land。〃

〃Then　we　might　as　well　be　in　London　for　all　the　hope　we　have　of
passing　that　gate；　Kari。　But　tell　me　what　has　chanced。〃

〃This；　I　think。　A　very　great　wave　caught　us　and　threw　us　right　over
those　rocks　on　to　the　shore。　Lookthere　is　the　/balsa/；〃　and　he
pointed　to　a　broken　heap　of　reeds　and　pierced　skins。

With　his　help　I　rose　and　went　to　it。　Now　none　could　know　that　it　had
been　a　boat。　Still；　the　/balsa/　it　was　and　nothing　else；　and　tied　in
its　tangled　mass　still　remained　those　things　which　we　had　brought　with
us；　such　as　my　black　bow　and　armour；　though　all　the　jars　were　broken。

〃It　has　borne　us　well；　but　will　never　bear　us　again；〃　I　said。

〃That　is　so；　Master。　But　if　we　were　in　my　own　country　yonder　I　would
set　its　fragments　in　a　case　of　gold　and　place　them　in　the　Temple　of
the　Sun　as　a　memorial。〃

Then　we　went　to　a　pool　of　rainwater　that　lay　in　a　hollow　rock　near　by；
and　drank　our　fill；　for　we　were　very　thirsty。　Also　among　the　ruins　of
the　/balsa/　we　found　some　of　the　dried　fish　that　was　left　to　us；　and
having　washed　it；　filled　ourselves。　After　this　we　limped　to　the　crest
of　the　land　behind　and　perceived　that　we　were　on　a　little　island；
perhaps　two　hundred　English　acres　in　extent；　whereon　nothing　grew
except　some　coarse　grass。　This　island；　however；　was　the　haunt　of　great
numbers　of　seafowl　which　nested　there；　also　of　the　turtles　that　I　have
mentioned；　and　of　certain　beasts　like　seals　or　otters。

〃At　least　we　shall　not　starve；〃　I　said；　〃though　in　the　dry　season　we
may　die　of　thirst。〃



Now　there　on　that　island　we　remained　for　four　long　months。　For　food　we
ate　the　turtles；　which　we　cooked　over　fires　that　Kari　made　by
cunningly　twirling　a　pointed　piece　of　driftwood　in　the　hollow　of
another　piece　that　he　filled　with　the　dust　of　dried　grass。　Had　he
lacked　that　knowledge　we　must　have　starved　or　lived　on　raw　flesh。　As
it　was；　we　had　plenty　with　this　meat　and　that　of　birds　and　their　eggs；
also　of　fish　that　we　caught　in　the　pools　when　the　tide　was　down。　From
the　shells　of　the　turtles；　by　the　help　of　stones；　we　built　us　a　kind
of　hut　to　keep　off　the　sun　and　the　rain；　which　in　that　hot　place　was
sufficient　shelter；　also；　when　the　stench　was　out　of　them；　we　used
other　shells　in　which　to　catch　rainwater　that　we　stored　as　best　we
could　against　seasons　of　drought。　Lastly；　with　my　big　bow　which　was
saved　with　the　armour；　I　shot　sea…otters；　and　from　their　pelts　we　made
us　garments　after　rubbing　the　skins　with　turtle　fat　and　handling　them
to　make　them　soft。

Thus；　then；　we　lived　from　moon　to　moon　upon　that　desert　place；　till　I
thought　I　should　go　mad　with　loneliness　and　despair；　for　no　help　came
near　us。　There　were　the　mountains　of　the　mainland　far　away；　but
between　them　and　us　stretched　leagues　of　sea　that　we　could　not　swim；
nor　had　we　anything　of　which　to　make　a　boat。

〃Here　we　must　remain　until　we　die！〃　at　last　I　cried　in　my
wretchedness。

〃Nay；〃　answered　Kari；　〃our　gods　are　still　with　us　and　will　save　us　in
their　season。〃



This；　indeed；　they　did　in　a　strange　fashion。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　III

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　DAUGHTER　OF　THE　MOON

For　the　fourth　time　since　we　were　cast　away　on　this　island　the　huge
full　moon　shone　in　a　sky　of　wondrous　blue。　Kari　and　I　watched　it　rise
between　the　two　snow…clad　peaks　far　away　that　he　had　called　a　gateway
to　his　land；　which　was　so　near　to　us　and　yet　it　would　seem　more
distant　than　Heaven　itself。　Heaven　we　might　hope　to　reach　upon　the
wings　of　spirit　when　we　died；　but　to　that　country　how　could　we　come？

We　watched　that　great　moon　climb　higher　and　higher　up　a　ladder　of
little　bar…like　clouds；　till　wearying　we　let　our　eyes　fall　upon　the
glittering　pathway　which　its　light　made　upon　the　bosom　of　the　placid
sea。　Suddenly　Kari　stared　and　stared。

〃What　is　it？〃　I　asked　idly。

〃I　thought　I　saw　something　yonder　far　away　where　Quilla's　footsteps
make　the　waters　bright；〃　he　said；　speaking　in　his　own　language　in
which　now　we　often　talked　together。

〃Quilla's？〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Oh！　I　forgot：　that　is　the　lady　moon's　name
in　your　tongue；　is　it　not？　Well；　come；　Quilla；　and　I　will　wed　and
worship　you；　as　'tis　said　the　ancients　did；　and　never　turn　to　look
upon　another；　be　she　woman；　or　goddess；　or　both。　Only　come　and　take　me
from　this　accursed　isle　and　in　payment　I'll　die　for　you；　if　need　be；
when　first　I've　taught　you　how　to　love　as　star　or　woman　never　loved
before。〃

〃Hush！〃　said　Kari　in　a　grave　voice；　w