the coming race-第32章

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ting　their　artful　chorus。　　The　Gy　seated　herself　on　one　of　the　divans；　and　I　placed　myself　at　her　side。　　〃Taee　tells　me；〃　she　said；　〃that　Aph…Lin　has　made　it　the　law*　of　his　house　that　you　are　not　to　be　questioned　as　to　the　country　you　come　from　or　the　reason　why　you　visit　us。　　Is　it　so？〃

*　Literally　〃has　said；　In　this　house　be　it　requested。〃　Words　synonymous　with　law；　as　implying　forcible　obligation；　are　　avoided　by　this　singular　people。　　Even　had　it　been　decreed　by　　the　Tur　that　his　College　of　Sages　should　dissect　me；　the　decree　　would　have　ran　blandly　thus；…　〃Be　it　requested　that；　for　the　　good　of　the　community；　the　carnivorous　Tish　be　requested　to　　submit　himself　to　dissection。〃

〃It　is。〃

〃May　I；　at　least；　without　sinning　against　that　law；　ask　at　least　if　the　Gy…ei　in　your　country　are　of　the　same　pale　colour　as　yourself；　and　no　taller？〃

〃I　do　not　think；　O　beautiful　Gy；　that　I　infringe　the　law　of　Aph…Lin；　which　is　more　binding　on　myself　than　any　one；　if　I　133answer　questions　so　innocent。　　The　Gy…ei　in　my　country　are　much　fairer　of　hue　than　I　am；　and　their　average　height　is　at　least　a　head　shorter　than　mine。〃

〃They　cannot　then　be　so　strong　as　the　Ana　amongst　you？　　But　I　suppose　their　superior　vril　force　makes　up　for　such　extraordinary　disadvantage　of　size？〃

〃They　do　not　profess　the　vril　force　as　you　know　it。　　But　still　they　are　very　powerful　in　my　country；　and　an　An　has　small　chance　of　a　happy　life　if　he　be　not　more　or　less　governed　by　his　Gy。〃

〃You　speak　feelingly；〃　said　Taee's　sister；　in　a　tone　of　voice　half　sad；　half　petulant。　　〃You　are　married；　of　course。〃

〃No…　certainly　not。〃

〃Nor　betrothed？〃

〃Nor　betrothed。〃

〃Is　it　possible　that　no　Gy　has　proposed　to　you？〃　

〃In　my　country　the　Gy　does　not　propose；　the　An　speaks　first。〃

〃What　a　strange　reversal　of　the　laws　of　nature！〃　said　the　maiden；　〃and　what　want　of　modesty　in　your　sex！　　But　have　you　never　proposed；　never　loved　one　Gy　more　than　another？〃

I　felt　embarrassed　by　these　ingenious　questionings；　and　said；　〃Pardon　me；　but　I　think　we　are　beginning　to　infringe　upon　Aph…Lin's　injunction。　　This　much　only　will　I　answer；　and　then；　I　implore　you；　ask　no　more。　　I　did　once　feel　the　preference　you　speak　of；　I　did　propose；　and　the　Gy　would　willingly　have　accepted　me；　but　her　parents　refused　their　consent。〃

〃Parents！　Do　you　mean　seriously　to　tell　me　that　parents　can　interfere　with　the　choice　of　their　daughters？〃

〃Indeed　they　can；　and　do　very　often。〃

〃I　should　not　like　to　live　in　that　country；　said　the　Gy　simply；　〃but　I　hope　you　will　never　go　back　to　it。〃

I　bowed　my　head　in　silence。　　The　Gy　gently　raised　my　face　with　her　right　hand；　and　looked　into　it　tenderly。　　〃Stay　with　us；〃　she　said；　〃stay　with　us；　and　be　loved。〃　134　What　I　might　have　answered；　what　dangers　of　becoming　a　cinder　I　might　have　encountered；　I　still　trouble　to　think；　when　the　light　of　the　naphtha　fountain　was　obscured　by　the　shadow　of　wings；　and　Zee；　flying　though　the　open　roof；　alighted　beside　us。　　She　said　not　a　word；　but；　taking　my　arm　with　her　mighty　hand；　she　drew　me　away；　as　a　mother　draws　a　naughty　child；　and　led　me　through　the　apartments　to　one　of　the　corridors；　on　which；　by　the　mechanism　they　generally　prefer　to　stairs；　we　ascended　to　my　own　room。　　This　gained；　Zee　breathed　on　my　forehead；　touched　my　breast　with　her　staff；　and　I　was　instantly　plunged　into　a　profound　sleep。

When　I　awoke　some　hours　later；　and　heard　the　songs　of　the　birds　in　the　adjoining　aviary；　the　remembrance　of　Taee's　sister；　her　gentle　looks　and　caressing　words；　vividly　returned　to　me；　and　so　impossible　is　it　for　one　born　and　reared　in　our　upper　world's　state　of　society　to　divest　himself　of　ideas　dictated　by　vanity　and　ambition；　that　I　found　myself　instinctively　building　proud　castles　in　the　air。

〃Tish　though　I　be；〃　thus　ran　my　meditations…　〃Tish　though　I　be；　it　is　then　clear　that　Zee　is　not　the　only　Gy　whom　my　appearance　can　captivate。　　Evidently　I　am　loved　by　A　PRINCESS；　the　first　maiden　of　this　land；　the　daughter　of　the　absolute　Monarch　whose　autocracy　they　so　idly　seek　to　disguise　by　the　republican　title　of　chief　magistrate。　　But　for　the　sudden　swoop　of　that　horrible　Zee；　this　Royal　Lady　would　have　formally　proposed　to　me；　and　though　it　may　be　very　well　for　Aph…Lin；　who　is　only　a　subordinate　minister；　a　mere　Commissioner　of　Light；　to　threaten　me　with　destruction　if　I　accept　his　daughter's　hand；　yet　a　Sovereign；　whose　word　is　law；　could　compel　the　community　to　abrogate　any　custom　that　forbids　intermarriage　with　one　of　a　strange　race；　and　which　in　itself　is　a　contradiction　to　their　boasted　equality　of　ranks。

〃It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　his　daughter；　who　spoke　with　such　incredulous　scorn　of　the　interference　of　parents；　would　135not　have　sufficient　influence　with　her　Royal　Father　to　save　me　from　the　combustion　to　which　Aph…Lin　would　condemn　my　form。　　And　if　I　were　exalted　by　such　an　alliance；　who　knows　but　what　the　Monarch　might　elect　me　as　his　successor？　Why　not？　Few　among　this　indolent　race　of　philosophers　like　the　burden　of　such　greatness。　　All　might　be　pleased　to　see　the　supreme　power　lodged　in　the　hands　of　an　accomplished　stranger　who　has　experience　of　other　and　livelier　forms　of　existence；　and　once　chosen；　what　reforms　I　would　institute！　What　additions　to　the　really　pleasant　but　too　monotonous　life　of　this　realm　my　familiarity　with　the　civilised　nations　above　ground　would　effect！　I　am　fond　of　the　sports　of　the　field。　　Next　to　war；　is　not　the　chase　a　king's　pastime？　In　what　varieties　of　strange　game　does　this　nether　world　abound？　How　interesting　to　strike　down　creatures　that　were　known　above　ground　before　the　Deluge！　But　how？　By　that　terrible　vril；　in　which；　from　want　of　hereditary　transmission；　I　could　never　be　a　proficient？　No；　but　by　a　civilised　handy　breech…loader；　which　these　ingenious　mechanicians　could　not　only　make；　but　no　doubt　improve；　nay；　surely　I　saw　one　in　the　Museum。　　Indeed；　as　absolute　king；　I　should　discountenance　vril　altogether；　except　in　cases　of　war。　　Apropos　of　war；　it　is　perfectly　absurd　to　stint　a　people　so　intelligent；　so　rich；　so　well　armed；　to　a　petty　limit　of　territory　sufficing　for　10；000　or　12；000　families。　　Is　not　this　restriction　a　mere　philosophical　crotchet；　at　variance　with　the　aspiring　element　in　human　nature；　such　as　has　been　partially；　and　with　complete　failure；　tried　in　the　upper　world　by　the　late　Mr。　　Robert　Owen？　Of　course　one　would　not　go　to　war　with　the　neighbouring　nations　as　well　armed　as　one's　own　subjects；　but　then；　what　of　those　regions　inhabited　by　races　unacquainted　with　vril；　and　apparently　resembling；　in　their　democratic　institutions；　my　American　countrymen？　One　might　invade　them　without　offence　to　the　vril　nations；　our　allies；　appropriate　their　territories；　extending；　perhaps；　to　the　most　distant　136regions　of　the　nether　earth；　and　thus　rule　over　an　empire　in　which　the　sun　never　sets。　　（I　forgot；　in　my　enthusiasm；　that　over　those　regions　there　was　no　sun　to　set）。　　As　for　the　fantastical　notion　against　conceding　fame　or　renown　to　an　eminent　individual；　because；　forsooth；　bestowal　of　honours　insures　contest　in　the　pursuit　of　them；　stimulates　angry　passions；　and　mars　the　felicity　of　peace…　it　is　opposed　to　the　very　elements；　not　only　of　the　human；　but　of　the　brute　creation；　which　are　all；　if　tamable；　participators　in　the　sentiment　of　praise　and　emulation。　　What　renown　would　be　given　to　a　king　who　thus　extended　his　empire！　I　should　be　deemed　a　demigod。〃　Thinking　of　that；　the　other　fanatical　notion　of　regulating　this　life　by　reference　to　one　which；　no　doubt；　we　Christians　firmly　believe　in；　but　never　take　into　consideration；　I　resolved　that　enlightened　philosophy　compelled　me　to　abolish　a　heathen　religion　so　superstitiously　at　variance　with　modern　thought　and　practical　action。　　Musing　over　these　various　projects；　I　felt　how　much　I　should　have　liked　at　that　moment　to　brighten　my　wits　by　a　good　glass　of　whiskey…and…water。　Not　that　I　am　habitually　a　spirit…drinker；　but　certainly　there　are　times　when　a　little　stimulant　of　alcoholic　nature；　taken　with　a　cigar；　enlivens　the　imagination。　　Yes；　certainly　among　these　herbs　and　fruits　there　would　be　a　liquid　from　which　one　could　extract　a　pleasant　vinous　alcohol；　and　with　a　steak　cut　off　one　of　t