the mysterious stranger-第3章

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mixing　the　mortar　and　carrying　it　up　the　scaffoldings　in　pails　on　their
heads；　just　as　our　work…women　have　always　done；　and　the　men　laying　the
courses　of　masonryfive　hundred　of　these　toy　people　swarming　briskly
about　and　working　diligently　and　wiping　the　sweat　off　their　faces　as
natural　as　life。　　In　the　absorbing　interest　of　watching　those　five
hundred　little　people　make　the　castle　grow　step　by　step　and　course　by
course；　and　take　shape　and　symmetry；　that　feeling　and　awe　soon　passed
away　and　we　were　quite　comfortable　and　at　home　again。　　We　asked　if　we
might　make　some　people；　and　he　said　yes；　and　told　Seppi　to　make　some
cannon　for　the　walls；　and　told　Nikolaus　to　make　some　halberdiers；　with
breastplates　and　greaves　and　helmets；　and　I　was　to　make　some　cavalry；
with　horses；　and　in　allotting　these　tasks　he　called　us　by　our　names；　but
did　not　say　how　he　knew　them。　　Then　Seppi　asked　him　what　his　own　name
was；　and　he　said；　tranquilly；　〃Satan；〃　and　held　out　a　chip　and　caught　a
little　woman　on　it　who　was　falling　from　the　scaffolding　and　put　her　back
where　she　belonged；　and　said；　〃She　is　an　idiot　to　step　backward　like　that
and　not　notice　what　she　is　about。〃

It　caught　us　suddenly；　that　name　did；　and　our　work　dropped　out　of　our
hands　and　broke　to　piecesa　cannon；　a　halberdier；　and　a　horse。　　Satan
laughed；　and　asked　what　was　the　matter。　　I　said；　〃Nothing；　only　it　seemed
a　strange　name　for　an　angel。〃　He　asked　why。

〃Because　it'sit'swell；　it's　his　name；　you　know。〃

〃Yeshe　is　my　uncle。〃

He　said　it　placidly；　but　it　took　our　breath　for　a　moment　and　made　our
hearts　beat。　　He　did　not　seem　to　notice　that；　but　mended　our　halberdiers
and　things　with　a　touch；　handing　them　to　us　finished；　and　said；　〃Don't
you　remember？　he　was　an　angel　himself；　once。〃

〃Yesit's　true；〃　said　Seppi；　〃I　didn't　think　of　that。〃

〃Before　the　Fall　he　was　blameless。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Nikolaus；　〃he　was　without　sin。〃

〃It　is　a　good　familyours；〃　said　Satan；　〃there　is　not　a　better。　　He　is
the　only　member　of　it　that　has　ever　sinned。〃

I　should　not　be　able　to　make　any　one　understand　how　exciting　it　all　was。
You　know　that　kind　of　quiver　that　trembles　around　through　you　when　you
are　seeing　something　so　strange　and　enchanting　and　wonderful　that　it　is
just　a　fearful　joy　to　be　alive　and　look　at　it；　and　you　know　how　you　gaze；
and　your　lips　turn　dry　and　your　breath　comes　short；　but　you　wouldn't　be
anywhere　but　there；　not　for　the　world。　　I　was　bursting　to　ask　one
questionI　had　it　on　my　tongue's　end　and　could　hardly　hold　it　backbut
I　was　ashamed　to　ask　it；　it　might　be　a　rudeness。　　Satan　set　an　ox　down
that　he　had　been　making；　and　smiled　up　at　me　and　said：

〃It　wouldn't　be　a　rudeness；　and　I　should　forgive　it　if　it　was。　　Have　I
seen　him？　　Millions　of　times。　　From　the　time　that　I　was　a　little　child　a
thousand　years　old　I　was　his　second　favorite　among　the　nursery　angels　of
our　blood　and　lineageto　use　a　human　phraseyes；　from　that　time　until
the　Fall；　eight　thousand　years；　measured　as　you　count　time。〃

〃Eightthousand！〃

〃Yes。〃　He　turned　to　Seppi；　and　went　on　as　if　answering　something　that　was
in　Seppi's　mind：　〃Why；　naturally　I　look　like　a　boy；　for　that　is　what　I
am。　　With　us　what　you　call　time　is　a　spacious　thing；　it　takes　a　long
stretch　of　it　to　grow　an　angel　to　full　age。〃　　There　was　a　question　in　my
mind；　and　he　turned　to　me　and　answered　it；　〃I　am　sixteen　thousand　years
oldcounting　as　you　count。〃　　Then　he　turned　to　Nikolaus　and　said：　〃No；
the　Fall　did　not　affect　me　nor　the　rest　of　the　relationship。　　It　was　only
he　that　I　was　named　for　who　ate　of　the　fruit　of　the　tree　and　then
beguiled　the　man　and　the　woman　with　it。　　We　others　are　still　ignorant　of
sin；　we　are　not　able　to　commit　it；　we　are　without　blemish；　and　shall
abide　in　that　estate　always。　　We〃　Two　of　the　little　workmen　were
quarreling；　and　in　buzzing　little　bumblebee　voices　they　were　cursing　and
swearing　at　each　other；　now　came　blows　and　blood；　then　they　locked
themselves　together　in　a　life…and…death　struggle。　　Satan　reached　out　his
hand　and　crushed　the　life　out　of　them　with　his　fingers；　threw　them　away；
wiped　the　red　from　his　fingers　on　his　handkerchief；　and　went　on　talking
where　he　had　left　off：　〃We　cannot　do　wrong；　neither　have　we　any
disposition　to　do　it；　for　we　do　not　know　what　it　is。〃

It　seemed　a　strange　speech；　in　the　circumstances；　but　we　barely　noticed
that；　we　were　so　shocked　and　grieved　at　the　wanton　murder　he　had
committedfor　murder　it　was；　that　was　its　true　name；　and　it　was　without
palliation　or　excuse；　for　the　men　had　not　wronged　him　in　any　way。　　It
made　us　miserable；　for　we　loved　him；　and　had　thought　him　so　noble　and　so
beautiful　and　gracious；　and　had　honestly　believed　he　was　an　angel；　and　to
have　him　do　this　cruel　thingah；　it　lowered　him　so；　and　we　had　had　such
pride　in　him。　　He　went　right　on　talking；　just　as　if　nothing　had　happened；
telling　about　his　travels；　and　the　interesting　things　he　had　seen　in　the
big　worlds　of　our　solar　systems　and　of　other　solar　systems　far　away　in
the　remotenesses　of　space；　and　about　the　customs　of　the　immortals　that
inhabit　them；　somehow　fascinating　us；　enchanting　us；　charming　us　in　spite
of　the　pitiful　scene　that　was　now　under　our　eyes；　for　the　wives　of　the
little　dead　men　had　found　the　crushed　and　shapeless　bodies　and　were
crying　over　them；　and　sobbing　and　lamenting；　and　a　priest　was　kneeling
there　with　his　hands　crossed　upon　his　breast；　praying；　and　crowds　and
crowds　of　pitying　friends　were　massed　about　them；　reverently　uncovered；
with　their　bare　heads　bowed；　and　many　with　the　tears　running　downa
scene　which　Satan　paid　no　attention　to　until　the　small　noise　of　the
weeping　and　praying　began　to　annoy　him；　then　he　reached　out　and　took　the
heavy　board　seat　out　of　our　swing　and　brought　it　down　and　mashed　all
those　people　into　the　earth　just　as　if　they　had　been　flies；　and　went　on
talking　just　the　same。

An　angel；　and　kill　a　priest！　　An　angel　who　did　not　know　how　to　do　wrong；
and　yet　destroys　in　cold　blood　hundreds　of　helpless　poor　men　and　women
who　had　never　done　him　any　harm！　　It　made　us　sick　to　see　that　awful　deed；
and　to　think　that　none　of　those　poor　creatures　was　prepared　except　the
priest；　for　none　of　them　had　ever　heard　a　mass　or　seen　a　church。　　And　we
were　witnesses；　we　had　seen　these　murders　done　and　it　was　our　duty　to
tell；　and　let　the　law　take　its　course。

But　he　went　on　talking　right　along；　and　worked　his　enchantments　upon　us
again　with　that　fatal　music　of　his　voice。　　He　made　us　forget　everything；
we　could　only　listen　to　him；　and　love　him；　and　be　his　slaves；　to　do　with
us　as　he　would。　　He　made　us　drunk　with　the　joy　of　being　with　him；　and　of
looking　into　the　heaven　of　his　eyes；　and　of　feeling　the　ecstasy　that
thrilled　along　our　veins　from　the　touch　of　his　hand。




Chapter　3

The　Stranger　had　seen　everything；　he　had　been　everywhere；　he　knew
everything；　and　he　forgot　nothing。　　What　another　must　study；　he　learned
at　a　glance；　there　were　no　difficulties　for　him。　　And　he　made　things　live
before　you　when　he　told　about　them。　　He　saw　the　world　made；　he　saw　Adam
created；　he　saw　Samson　surge　against　the　pillars　and　bring　the　temple
down　in　ruins　about　him；　he　saw　Caesar's　death；　he　told　of　the　daily　life
in　heaven；　he　had　seen　the　damned　writhing　in　the　red　waves　of　hell；　and
he　made　us　see　all　these　things；　and　it　was　as　if　we　were　on　the　spot　and
looking　at　them　with　our　own　eyes。　　And　we　felt　them；　too；　but　there　was
no　sign　that　they　were　anything　to　him　beyond　mere　entertainments。　　Those
visions　of　hell；　those　poor　babes　and　women　and　girls　and　lads　and　men
shrieking　and　supplicating　in　anguishwhy；　we　could　hardly　bear　it；　but
he　was　as　bland　about　it　as　if　it　had　been　so　many　imitation　rats　in　an
artificial　fire。

And　always　when　he　was　talking　about　men　and　women　here　on　the　earth　and
their　doingseven　their　grandest　and　sublimestwe　were　secretly
ashamed；　for　his　manner　showed　that　to　him　they　and　their　doings　were　of
paltry　poor　consequence；　often　you　would　think　he　was　talking　about
flies；　if　you　didn't　know。　　Once　he　even　said；　in　so　many　words；　that　our
people　down　here　were　quite　interesting　to　him；　notwithstanding　they　were
so　dull　and　ignorant　and　trivial　and