the virgin of the sun-第32章

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when　first　I've　taught　you　how　to　love　as　star　or　woman　never　loved
before。〃

〃Hush！〃　said　Kari　in　a　grave　voice；　when　he　had　listened　to　this　mad
stuff　that　burst　through　my　lips　from　the　spring　of　a　mind　distraught
by　misery　and　despair。

〃Why　should　I　hush？〃　I　asked。　〃Is　it　not　pleasant　to　think　of　the　moon
wearing　a　lovely　woman's　shape　and　descending　to　give　a　lonely　mortal
love　and　comfort？〃

〃Because；　Master；　to　me　and　my　people　the　moon　is　a　goddess　who　hears
prayer　and　answers　it。　Suppose；　then；　that　she　heard　you　and　answered
you　and　came　to　you　and　claimed　your　love；　what　then？〃

〃Why；　then；　friend　Kari；〃　I　raved　on；　〃then　I　should　welcome　her；　for
love　goes　a　begging；　ready　as　ripe　fruit　to　be　plucked　by　the　first
hand　if　it　be　fair　enough；　ready　to　melt　beneath　the　first　lips　if
they　be　warm　enough。　'Tis　said　that　it　is　the　man　who　loves　and　the
woman　who　accepts　the　love。　But　that　is　not　true。　It　is　the　man；　Kari；
who　waits　to　be　loved　and　pays　back　just　as　much　as　is　given　to　him；
and　no　more；　like　an　honest　merchant；　for　if　he　does　otherwise；　then
he　suffers　for　it；　as　I　have　learned。　Therefore；　come；　Quilla；　and
love　as　a　Celestial　can　and　I　swear　that　step　by　step　I'll　keep　pace
with　you　in　flesh　and　spirit　through　Heaven；　or　through　Hell；　since
love　I　must　have；　or　death。〃

〃I　pray　you；　talk　not　so；〃　said　Kari　again；　in　a　frightened　voice；
〃since　those　words　of　yours　come　from　the　heart　and　will　be　heard。　The
goddess　is　a　woman；　too；　and　what　woman　will　turn　from　such　a　bait？〃

〃Let　her　take　it；　then。　Why　not？〃

〃Because；　O　friend；　because　/Quilla/　is　wed　to　/Yuti/；　the　Moon　is　the
Sun's　wife；　and　if　the　Sun　grows　jealous　what　will　happen　to　the　man
who　has　robbed　the　greatest　of　the　world's　gods？〃

〃I　do　not　know　and　I　do　not　care。　If　Quilla　would　but　come　and　love
me；　I'd　take　my　chance　of　Yuti　whom　as　a　Christian　I　defy。〃

Kari　shuddered　at　this　blasphemy；　then　having　once　more　scanned　that
silver　pathway　on　the　waters；　but　without　avail　for　the　great　fish　or
drifting　tree　or　whatever　he　had　seen；　was　gone；　prayed　after　his
fashion　at　night；　to　Pachacamac；　Spirit　of　the　Universe；　or　to　the　Sun
his　servant；　god　of　the　world；　I　know　not　which；　and　rolling　himself
in　his　rug　of　skins；　crept　into　our　little　hut　to　sleep。

But　as　yet　I　did　not　sleep；　for　though　Kari　hated　both；　this　talk　of
love　and　women　had　stirred　my　blood　and　made　me　wakeful。　So　I　took　a
rough　comb　that　I　had　fashioned　from　the　shell　of　a　turtle；　and
dragged　it　through　my　long　fair　beard；　which；　growing　fast；　now　hung
down　far　upon　my　breast；　and　through　the　curling　hair　that　lay　upon　my
shoulders；　for　I　had　become　as　other　wild　men　are；　and　sang　to　myself
there　by　the　little　fire　which　we　kept　burning　day　and　night　and　tried
to　think　of　happy　things　that　never　should　I　know　again。

At　length　the　fit　passed　and　I　grew　weary　and　laid　myself　down　by　the
fire；　for　the　night　being　so　fine　and　warm　I　would　not　go　into　the
hut；　and　there　sleep　found　me。

I　dreamed　in　my　sleep。　I　dreamed　that　a　very　beautiful　woman　who　wore
upon　her　naked　breast　the　emblem　of　the　moon　fashioned　in　crystal；
stood　over　me；　looking　down　upon　me　with　large　dark　eyes。　And　as　she
looked　she　sighed。　Thrice　she　sighed；　each　time　more　deeply　than　the
last。　Then　she　knelt　down　by　meor　so　it　seemed　in　my　dream；　and　laid
a　tress　of　her　long　dark　hair　against　my　yellow　locks；　as　though　she
would　match　them　together。　She　did　more；　indeedin　my　dreamfor
lifting　that　tress　of　fragrant　hair；　she　let　it　fall　like　thistledown
across　my　face　and　mouth；　and　then　kissed　the　hair；　for　I　felt　her
breath　reach　me　through　its　strands。

The　dream　ended　thus；　though　I　wished　very　much　that　it　would　go　on；
and　I　felt　as　though　it　had　gone　away　as　such　visions　do。　Awhile
later；　as　I　suppose；　I　awoke　quite　suddenly；　and　opened　my　eyes。
There；　near　to　me；　glittering　in　the　full　light　of　the　brilliant　moon；
stood　the　woman　of　my　dream；　only　now　her　naked　breast　was　covered
with　a　splendid　cloak　broidered　with　silver；　and　on　her　dark　locks　was
a　feathered　headdress　in　front　of　which　rose　the　crescent　of　the　moon；
likewise　fashioned　in　silver。　Also　in　her　hand　she　held　a　little
silver　spear。

I　stared　at　her；　for　move　I　could　not。　Then　remembering　my　crazy　talk
with　Kari；　uttered　one　word；　only　one。　It　was/Quilla/。

She　bowed　her　head　and　answered　in　a　voice　soft　as　the　murmur　of　the
wind　through　rushes；　speaking　in　the　rich　language　called　Quichua　that
Kari　had　taught　me。　In　this　tongue；　as　I　have　told；　we　talked　together
for　practice　during　our　journeys　and　on　the　island。　So　that　now　I　knew
it　well。

〃So　indeed　am　I　named　after　my　mother；　the　'Moon；'〃　she　said。　〃But　how
did　you　know　it；　O　Wanderer；　whose　skin　is　white　as　the　foam　of　the
sea　and　whose　hair　is　yellow　as　the　fine　gold　in　the　temples？〃

〃I　think　you　must　have　told　me　when　you　knelt　over　me　just　now；〃　I
said。

I　saw　the　red　blood　run　to　her　brow；　but　she　only　shook　her　head；　and
answered：

〃Nay；　my　mother；　the　Moon；　must　have　told　you；　or　perchance　you
learned　it　in　the　spirit。　At　least；　Quilla　am　I　named　and　you　called
me　aright。〃

Now　I　stood　up　and　stared　at　her；　overcome　by　the　strangeness　of　the
business；　and　she　stared　at　me。　A　marvellously　beautiful　woman　she　was
in　her　dazzling　robe　and　headdress；　and　lighter　coloured　than　any
native　I　had　seen；　almost　white；　indeed；　in　the　moonlight　save　for　the
copper　tinge　that　marked　her　race；　tall；　too；　yet　not　over…tall；　slim
and　straight　as　an　arrow；　but　high…breasted　and　round…limbed；　and　with
a　wild　grace　in　her　movements　like　to　that　of　a　hawk　upon　the　wing。
Also　to　my　fancy　in　her　face　there　was　something　more　than　common
youthful　beauty；　something　spiritual；　such　as　great　artists　show　upon
the　carven　countenances　of　saints。

Indeed　she　might　well　have　been　one　whose　human　blood　was　mixed　with
some　other　alien　strainas　she　had　called　herself；　a　daughter　of　the
Moon。

A　question　rose　to　my　lips　and　burst　from　them；　it　was：

〃Tell　me；　O　Quilla；　are　you　wife　or　maid？〃

〃Maid　am　I；〃　she　answered；　〃yet　one　who　is　promised　as　a　wife；〃　and
she　sighed；　then　went　on　quickly　as　though　this　matter　were　something
of　which　she　did　not　wish　to　talk；　〃And　tell　me；　O　Wanderer；　are　you
god　or　man？〃

Now　I　grew　cunning　and　answered；

〃I　am　a　Son　of　the　Sea　as　you　are　a　Daughter　of　the　Moon。〃

She　turned　her　head　and　glanced　at　the　radiance　which　lay　upon　the
face　of　the　deep；　then　said　as　though　to　herself：

〃The　moon　shines　upon　the　sea　and　the　sea　mirrors　back　the　moon；　yet
they　are　far　apart　and　never　may　draw　near。〃

〃Not　so；　O　Quilla。　Out　of　the　sea　does　the　moon　rise　and；　her　course
run；　into　the　sea's　white　arms　she　sinks　to　sleep　at　last。〃

Again　the　red　blood　ran　to　her　brow　and　her　great　eyes　fell；　those
eyes　of　which　never　before　had　I　seen　the　like。

〃It　seems　that　they　speak　our　tongue　in　the　sea；　and　prettily；〃　she
murmured；　adding；　〃But　is　it　not　from　and　into　Heaven　that　the　Moon
rises　and　departs？〃

At　that　moment　to　my　grief　our　talk　came　to　an　end；　for　out　of　the　hut
crept　Kari。　He　rose　to　his　feet　and　stood　there　as　ever　calm　and
dignified；　looking　first　at　Quilla　and　then　at　me。

〃What　did　I　tell　you；　Master？〃　he　said　in　English。　〃Did　I　not　say　that
prayers　such　as　yours　are　answered？　Lo！　here　is　that　Child　of　the　Moon
for　whom　you　sought；　clothed　in　beauty　and　bringing　her　gifts　of　love
and　woe。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃and　I　am　glad　that　she　is　here。　For　the　rest；
were　she　but　mine；　I　think　I　should　not　grudge　her　price　whate'er　it
be。〃

Quilla　looked　at　Kari　frowning　over　the　spear　that　when　he　appeared
she　had　lifted；　as　though　to　defend　herself；　which　in　my　case　she　had
not　thought　needful。

〃So　the　sea　breeds　men　of　my　own　race　also；〃　she　said；　addressing　him。
〃Tell　me；　O　Stranger；　how　did　you　and　yonder　white　god　come　to　this
isle？〃

〃Riding　on　the　ocean　billows；　riding　for　thousands　of　leagues；〃　he
answered。　〃And　you；　O　Lady；　how　did　you　come　to　this　isle？〃

〃Riding　on　the　moonbeams；〃　she　replied；　smiling；　〃I；　the　daughter　of
the　Moon；　who　am　named　Moon　and　wear　her　symbol　on　my　brow。〃

〃Did　I　not　tell　you　so？