a journey in other worlds-第46章
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brought freedom; my work in the flesh was ended; I was indeed
alive。
〃'O Death; where is thy sting? O Grave; where is thy victory?'
In my dying moments I had forgotten what I had so often
preached'Thou fool; that which thou sowest is not quickened
except it die。' In a moment my life lay before me like a valley
or an open page。 All along its paths and waysides I saw the
little seeds of word and deed that I had sown extending and
bearing fruit forever for good or evil。 I then saw things as
they were; and realized the faultiness of my former conclusions;
based as they had been on the incomplete knowledge obtained
through embryonic senses。 I also saw the Divine purpose in life
as the design in a piece of tapestry; whereas before I had seen
but the wrong side。 It is not till we have lost the life in the
flesh that we realize its dignity and value; for every hour gives
us opportunities of helping or elevating some human being it
may be ourselvesof doing something in His service。
〃Now that time is past; the books are closed; and we can do
nothing further ourselves to alter our status for eternity;
however much we may wish to。 It is on this account; and not
merely to save you from death; which in itself is nothing; that I
now tell you to run to the Callisto; seal the doors hermetically;
and come not forth till a sudden rush of air that you will see on
the trees has passed。 A gust in which even birds drop dead; if
they are unable to escape; will be here when you reach safety。
Do not delay to take this food; and eat none of it when you
return; for it will be filled with poisonous germs。〃
〃How can we find you? 〃 asked Ayrault; grasping his hand。 〃You
must not leave us till we know how we can see you again。〃
〃Think hard and steadfastly of me; you three;〃 replied the
spirit; 〃if you want me; and I shall feel your thought〃; saying
which; he vanished before their eyes; and the three friends ran
to the Callisto。
CHAPTER III。
DOUBTS AND PHILOSOPHY。
On reaching it; they climbed the ladder leading to the
second…story opening; and entering through this; they closed the
door; screwing it tightly in place。
〃Now;〃 said Cortlandt; 〃we can see what changes; if any; this
wonderful gust will effect。〃
〃He made no strictures on our senses; such as they are;〃 said
Bearwarden; 〃but implied that evolution would be carried much
further in us; from which I suppose we may infer that it has not
yet gone far。 I wish we had recorked those brandy peaches; for
now they will be filled with poisonous germs。 I wonder if our
shady friend could not tell us of an antiseptic with which they
might be treated?〃
〃Those fellows;〃 thought Ayrault; who had climbed to the dome;
from which he had an extended view; 〃would jeer at an angel;
while the deference they showed the spirit seems; as usual; to
have been merely superficial。〃
〃Let us note;〃 said Cortlandt; 〃that the spirit thermometer
outside has fallen several degrees since we entered; though; from
the time taken; I should not say that the sudden change would be
one of temperature。〃
Just then they saw a number of birds; which had been resting in a
clump of trees; take flight suddenly; but they fell to the ground
before they had risen far; and were dashed to pieces。 In another
moment the trees began to bend and sway before the storm; and as
they gazed; the colour of the leaves turned from green and purple
to orange and red。 The wind blew off many of these; and they
were carried along by the gusts; or fluttered to the ground;
which was soon strewed with them。 It was a typical autumnal
scene。 Presently the wind shifted; and this was followed by a
cold shower of rain。
〃I think the worst is over;〃 said Bearwarden。 〃The Sailor's
Guide says:
'When the rain's before the wind;
Halliards; sheets; and braces mind;
When the wind's before the rain;
Soon you can make sail again。'
Doubtless that will hold good here。〃
This proved to be correct; and; after a repetition of the
precautions they had taken on their arrival on the planet in
regard to the inhalability of the air; they again sallied forth。
They left their magazine shot…guns; taking instead the
double…barrelled kind; on account of the rapidity with which this
enabled them to fire the second barrel after the first; and threw
away the water that had collected in the bucket; out of respect
to the spirit's warning。 They noticed a pungent odour; and
decided to remain on high ground; since they had observed that
the birds; in their effort to escape; had flown almost vertically
into the air。 On reaching the grove in which they had seen the
storm; they found their table and everything on it exactly as
they had left it。 Bearwarden threw out the brandy peaches on the
ground; exclaiming that it was a shame to lose such good
preserves; and they proceeded on their walk。 They passed
hundreds of dead birds; and on reaching the edge of the toadstool
valley were not a little surprised to find that every toadstool
had disappeared。
〃I wonder;〃 said the doctor; 〃if there can be any connection
between the phenomenon of the disappearance of those toadstools
and the death of the birds? We could easily discover it if they
had eaten them; or if in any other way the plants could have
entered their bodies; but I see no way in which that can have
happened。〃
Resolving to investigate carefully any other fungi they might
see; they resumed their march。 The cold; distant…looking sun;
apparently about the size of an orange; was near the horizon。
Saturn's rotation on its axis occupying only ten hours and
fourteen minutes; being but a few minutes longer than Jupiter's;
they knew it would soon be night。 Finding a place on a range of
hills sheltered by rocks and a clump of trees of the evergreen
species; they arranged themselves as comfortably as possible; ate
some of the sandwiches they had brought; lighted their pipes; and
watched the dying day。 Here were no fire…flies to light the
darkening minutes; nor singing flowers to lull them to sleep with
their song but six of the eight moons; each at a different phase;
and with varied brightness; bathed the landscape in their pale;
cold rays; while far above them; like a huge rainbow; stretched
the great rings in effulgent sheets; reaching thousands of miles
into space; and flooded everything with their silvery light。
〃How poor a place compared with this;〃 they thought to
themselves; 〃is our world!〃 and Ayrault wished that his soul was
already free; while the dead leaves rustling in the gentle
breeze; and the nightwinds; sighing among the trees; seemed to
echo his thought。 Far above their heads; and in the vastness of
space; the well…known stars and constellations; notwithstanding
the enormous distance they had now come; looked absolutely
unchanged; and seemed to them emblematic of tranquillity and
eternal repose。 The days were changed by their shortness; and by
the apparent loss of power in the sun; and the nights; as if in
compensation; were magnificently illuminated by the numerous
moons and splendid rings; though neither rings nor satellites
shone with as strong a light as the terrestrial moon。 But in
nothing outside of the solar system was there any change; and
could AEneas's Palinurus; or one of Philip of Macedon's
shepherds; be brought to life here; he would see exactly the same
stars in the same positions; and; did he not know of his own
death or of the lapse of time; he might suppose; so far as the
heavens were affected; that he had but fallen asleep; or had just
closed his eyes。
〃I have always regretted;〃 said Cortlandt; 〃that I was not born a
thousand years later。〃
〃Were it not;〃 added Ayrault; 〃that our earth is the vestibule to
space; and for the opportunities it opens; I should rather never
have lived; for life in itself is unsatisfying。〃
〃You fellows are too indefinite and abstract for me;〃 said
Bearwarden。 〃I like something tangible and concrete。 The
utilitarianism of the twentieth century; by which I live;
paradoxical