the virgin of the sun-第36章

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me　I　think　that　it　means　death。　Yet；　not　untilnot　until〃　And　she
ceased。

At　that　moment　the　moon　appeared　from　behind　the　rain…clouds　and　shone
upon　her　upturned　face；　and　in　her　eyes　there　was　a　glory。



Now；　as　I　learned　afterwards；　these　words　of　its　most　famous　oracle
went　all　through　the　land　and　caused　great　talk　and　wonder　mixed　with
fear；　for　none　of　such　import　had　been　spoken　by　it　for　generations。
More；　they　shaped　my　own　fortunes；　for；　as　I　came　to　know；　Quismancu
and　his　people　had　determined　that　I　should　not　be　allowed　to　go　from
among　them。　Not　every　day　did　a　white　god　rise　from　the　sea；　and　they
desired　that　having　come　to　them；　there　he　should　bide　to　be　their
defence　and　boast；　and　with　him　that　hermit　named　Zapana；　to　whom；　as
they　believed；　he　had　appeared　upon　the　desert　isle。　But　after　Rimac
had　spoken　all　this　was　changed；　and　when　I　said　it　was　my　will　to
depart　and　accompany　Quilla　upon　her　journey　home　to　her　father；
Huaracha；　King　of　the　Chancas；　as　by　swift　messenger　this　King
invited　me　to　do；　Quismancu　answered　that　if　I　so　desired　I　must　be
obeyed　as　the　god　Rimac　had　commanded；　but　that　nevertheless　he　was
sure　that　we　should　meet　again。

Now；　thinking　these　things　over；　I　wondered　much　whether　that　oracle
came　out　of　the　golden　Rimac　or　perchance　from　the　heart　of　Quilla；　or
of　Kari；　or　of　both　of　them；　who　desired　that　I　should　leave　the
Yuncas　and　travel　to　the　Chancas　and　further。　I　did　not　know；　nor　was
I　ever　to　learn；　since　about　matters　to　do　with　their　gods　these
people　are　as　secret　as　the　grave。　I　asked　Kari　and　I　asked　Quilla；
but　both　of　them　stared　at　me　with　innocent　eyes；　and　replied　who　were
they　to　inspire　the　golden　tongue　of　Rimac？　Nor；　indeed；　did　I　ever
learn　whether　Rimac　the　Speaker　was　a　spirit　or　but　a　lump　of　metal
through　which　some　priest　talked。　All　I　know　is　that　from　one　end　of
Tavantinsuyu　to　the　other　he　was　believed　to　be　a　spirit　who　spoke　the
very　will　of　God　to　those　who　could　understand　his　words；　though　this
as　a　Christian　man　I　could　not　credit。

So　it　came　about　that　some　days　later；　with　Quilla　and　Kari　and
certain　old　men　who；　I　took　it；　were　priests　or　ambassadors；　or　both；
I　departed　on　our　journey。　As　we　went　the　people　wept　around　my　litter
for　sorrow；　real　or　feigned；　for　we　travelled　in　litters　guarded　by
some　two　hundred　soldiers　armed　with　axes　of　copper　and　bows；　and　cast
flowers　before　the　feet　of　the　bearers。　But　I　did　not　weep；　for　though
I　had　been　very　kindly　treated　there　and；　indeed；　worshipped；　glad　was
I　to　see　the　last　of　that　city　and　its　people　who　wearied　me。

Moreover；　I　felt　that　there　I　was　in　the　midst　of　plots；　though　of
what　these　were　I　knew　nothing；　save　that　Quilla；　who　to　the　outward
eye　was　but　a　lovely；　innocent　maiden；　had　a　hand　in　them。　Plots　there
were　indeed；　for；　as　I　came　to　understand　in　time；　they　were　nothing
less　than　the　preparing　of　a　great　war　which　the　Chancas　and　the
Yuncas　were　to　wage　against　their　over…lord；　the　Inca；　the　king　of　the
mighty　nation　of　the　Quichuas；　who　had　his　home　at　a　city　called　Cuzco
far　inland。　Indeed；　there　and　then　this　alliance　was　arranged；　and　by
QuillaQuilla；　who　proposed　to　sacrifice　herself　and　by　the　gift　of
her　person　to　his　heir；　to　throw　dust　in　the　eyes　of　the　Inca；　whose
dominion　her　father　planned　to　take　and　with　it　the　imperial　crown　of
Tavantinsuyu。



Leaving　the　coastland；　we　were　borne　forward　through　the　passes　of
great　mountains；　upon　a　wonderful　road　so　finely　made　that　never　had　I
seen　its　like　in　England。　At　times　we　crossed　rivers；　but　over　these
were　thrown　bridges　of　stone。　Or　mayhap　we　came　to　swamps；　yet　there
the　road　still　ran；　built　upon　deep　foundations　in　the　mud。　Never　did
it　turn　aside；　always　it　went　on；　conquering　every　hindrance；　for　this
was　one　of　the　Inca's　roads　that　pierced　Tavantinsuyu　from　end　to　end。
We　came　to　many　towns；　for　this　land　was　thickly　populated；　and　for
the　most　part　slept　in　one　of　them　each　night。　But　always　my　fame　had
gone　before　me；　and　the　/Curacas/；　or　chiefs　of　the　towns；　waited　upon
me　with　offerings　as　though　I　were　indeed　divine。

For　the　first　five　days　of　that　journey　I　saw　little　of　Quilla；　but　at
length　one　night　we　were　forced　to　camp　at　a　kind　of　rest…house　upon
the　top　of　a　high　mountain　pass；　where　it　was　very　cold；　for　the　deep
snow　lay　all　about。　At　this　place；　as　here　were　no　/Curacas/　to
trouble　me；　I　went　out　alone　when　Kari　was　elsewhere；　and　climbed　a
certain　peak　which　was　not　far　from　the　rest…house；　that　thence　I
might　see　the　sunset　and　think　in　quiet。

Very　glorious　was　the　scene　from　that　high　point。　All　round　me　stood
the　cold　crests　of　snow…clad　mountains　towering　to　the　very　skies；
while　between　them　lay　deep　valleys　where　rivers　ran　like　veins　of
silver。　So　immense　was　the　landscape　that　it　seemed　to　have　no　end；
and　so　grand　that　it　crushed　the　spirit；　while　above　arched　the
perfect　sky　in　whose　rich　blue　the　gorgeous　lights　of　evening　began　to
gather　as　the　great　sun　sank　behind　the　snowy　peaks。

Far　up　in　the　heavens　floated　one　wide…winged　bird；　the　eagle　of　the
mountains；　which　is　larger　than　any　other　fowl　that　I　have　ever　seen；
and　the　red　light　playing　on　it　turned　it　to　a　thing　of　fire。　I
watched　that　bird　and　wished　that　I　too　had　pinions　which　could　bear
me　far　away　to　the　sea　and　over　it。

And　yet　did　I　wish　to　go　who　had　no　home　left　on　all　the　earth　and　no
kind　heart　that　would　welcome　me？　Awhile　ago　I　should　have　answered；
〃Yes；　anywhere　out　of　this　loneliness；〃　but　now　I　was　not　so　sure。
Here　at　least　Kari　was　my　friend　if　a　jealous　one；　though　of　late；　as
I　could　see；　he　was　thinking　of　other　things　than　friendshipdark
plottings　and　high　ambitions　of　which　as　yet　he　said　little　to　me。

Then　there　was　that　strange　and　beautiful　woman；　Quilla；　to　whom　my
heart　went　out　and　not　only　because　she　was　beautiful；　and　who；　as　I
thought；　at　times　looked　kindly　on　me。　But　if　so；　what　did　it　avail；
seeing　that　she　was　promised　in　marriage　to　some　high…placed　native
man　who　would　be　a　king？　Surely　I　had　known　enough　of　women　who　were
promised　in　marriage　to　other　men；　and　should　do　well　to　let　her　be。

Thinking　thus；　desolation　took　hold　of　me　and　I　sat　myself　down　on　a
rock　and　covered　my　face　with　my　hands　that　I　might　not　see　the　tears；
which　I　knew　were　gathering　in　my　eyes；　as　they　fell　from　them。　Yes；
there　in　the　midst　of　that　awful　solitude；　I；　Hubert　of　Hastings；
whose　soul　it　filled；　sat　down　like　a　lost　child　and　wept。

Presently　I　felt　a　touch　upon　my　shoulder　and　let　fall　my　hands；
thinking　that　Kari　had　found　me　out；　to　hear　a　soft　voice；　the　voice
of　Quilla；　say：

〃So　it　seems　that　the　gods　can　weep。　Why　do　you　weep；　O　God…from…the…
Waves　who　here　are　named　Hurachi？〃

〃I　weep；〃　I　answered；　〃because　I　am　a　stranger　in　a　strange　land；　I
weep　because　I　have　not　wings　whereon　I　can　fly　away　like　that　great
bird　above　us。〃

She　looked　at　me　awhile；　then　said；　most　gently：

〃And　whither　would　you　fly；　O　God…from…the…Sea？　Back　into　the　sea？〃

〃Cease　to　call　me　a　god；〃　I　answered；　〃who；　as　you　know　well；　am　but　a
man　though　of　another　race　than　yours。〃

〃I　thought　it　but　I　did　not　know。　But　whither　would　you　fly；　O　Lord
Hurachi？〃

〃To　the　land　where　I　was　born；　Lady　Quilla；　the　land　that　I　shall
never　see　again。〃

〃Ah！　doubtless　there　you　have　wives　and　children　for　whom　your　heart
is　hungry。〃

〃Nay；　now　I　have　neither　wife　nor　child。〃

〃Then　once　you　had　a　wife。　Tell　me　of　that　wife。　Was　she　fair？〃

〃Why　should　I　tell　you　a　sad　story？　She　is　dead。〃

〃Dead　or　living；　you　still　love　her；　and　where　there　is　love　there　is
no　death。〃

〃Nay；　I　only　love　what　I　thought　she　was。〃

〃Was　she　false；　then？〃

〃Yes；　false　and　yet　true。　So　true　that　she　died　because　she　was
false。〃

〃How　can　a　woman　be　both　false　and　true？〃

〃Woman　can　be　all　things。　Ask　the　question　of　your　own　heart。　Can　you
not　perchance　be　both　false　and　true？〃

She　thought　awhile　and；　leaving　this　matter；　said：

〃So；　having　once　loved；　you　can　never　love　again。〃

〃Why　not？　Perchance　I　can　love　too　much。　But　what　would　be　the　use
when　more　love　would　b