when the world shook-第37章

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his　teeth。　He　yelled　hideously　like　one　possessed。　He　grovelled；

beating　his　forehead　against　the　rock。　Then　he　sat　up；　slowly

choked　anddied。



His　companions　seemed　to　catch　the　infection　of　death　as

terrified　savages　often　do。　They　too　performed　dreadful　antics；

all　except　three　of　them　who　stood　paralysed。　They　rushed　about

battering　each　other　with　their　fists　and　wooden　weapons；　looking

like　devils　from　hell　in　their　hideous　painted　attire。　They

grappled　and　fought　furiously。　They　separated　and　plunged　into

the　lake；　where　with　a　last　grimace　they　sank　like　stones。



It　seemed　to　last　a　long　while；　but　I　think　that　as　a　matter　of

fact　within　five　minutes　it　was　over；　they　were　all　dead。　Only

the　three　paralysed　ones　remained　standing　and　rolling　their

eyes。



The　Sleeper　beckoned　to　them　with　his　thin　finger；　and　they

walked　forward　in　step　like　soldiers。



〃Lift　that　man　from　the　boat；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　Bastin；

〃cut　his　bonds　and　those　of　the　others。〃



They　obeyed　with　a　Wonderful　alacrity。　In　a　minute　we　stood　at

liberty　and　were　pulling　the　grass　gags　from　our　mouths。　The

Ancient　pointed　to　the　head　magician　who　lay　dead　upon　the　rock；

his　hideous；　contorted　countenance　staring　open…eyed　at　heaven。



〃Take　that　sorcerer　and　show　him　to　the　other　sorcerers　yonder；〃

he　said；　〃and　tell　them　where　your　fellows　are　if　they　would　find

them。　Know　by　these　signs　that　the　Oro；　god　of　the　Mountain；　who

has　slept　a　while；　is　awake；　and　ill　will　it　go　with　them　who

question　his　power　or　dare　to　try　to　harm　those　who　dwell　in　his

house。　Bring　food　day　by　day　and　await　commands。　Begone！〃



The　dreadful…looking　body　was　bundled　into　one　of　the　canoes；

that　out　of　which　Bastin　had　emerged。　A　rower　sprang　into　each　of

them　and　presently　was　paddling　as　he　had　never　done　before。　As

the　setting　moon　vanished；　they　vanished　with　it；　and　once　more

there　was　a　great　silence。



〃I　am　going　to　find　my　boots；〃　said　Bastin。　〃This　rock　is　hard

and　I　hurt　my　feet　kicking　at　those　poor　fellows　who　appear　to

have　come　to　a　bad　end；　how；　I　do　not　exactly　understand。

Personally；　I　think　that　more　allowances　should　have　been　made

for　them；　as　I　hope　will　be　the　case　elsewhere；　since　after　all

they　only　acted　according　to　their　lights。〃



〃Curse　their　lights！〃　ejaculated　Bickley；　feeling　his　throat

which　was　bruised。　〃I'm　glad　they　are　out。〃



Bastin　limped　away　in　search　of　his　boots；　but　Bickley　and　I

stood　where　we　were　contemplating　the　awakened　Sleeper。　All

recollection　of　the　recent　tumultuous　scene　seemed　to　have　passed

from　his　mind；　for　he　was　engaged　in　a　study　of　the　heavens。　They

were　wonderfully　brilliant　now　that　the　moon　was　down；　brilliant

as　they　only　can　be　in　the　tropics　when　the　sky　is　clear。



Something　caused　me　to　look　round；　and　there；　coming　towards

us；　was　she　who　said　her　name　was　Yva。　Evidently　all　her　weakness

had　departed　also；　for　now　she　needed　no　support；　but　walked　with

a　peculiar　gliding　motion　that　reminded　me　of　a　swan　floating

forward　on　the　water。　Well　had　we　named　her　the　Glittering　Lady；

for　in　the　starlight　literally　she　seemed　to　glitter。　I　suppose

the　effect　came　from　her　golden　raiment；　which；　however；　I

noticed；　as　in　her　father's　case；　was　not　the　same　that　she　had

worn　in　the　coffin；　also　from　her　hair　that　seemed　to　give　out　a

light　of　its　own。　At　least；　she　shimmered　as　she　came；　her　tall

shape　swaying　at　every　step　like　a　willow　in　the　wind。　She　drew

near；　and　I　saw　that　her　face；　too；　had　filled　out　and　now　was

that　of　one　in　perfect　health　and　vigour；　while　her　eyes　shone

softly　and　seemed　wondrous　large。



In　her　hands　she　carried　those　two　plates　of　metal　which　I　had

seen　lying　in　the　coffin　of　the　Sleeper　Oro。　These　she　gave　to

him；　then　fell　back　out　of　his　hearingif　it　were　ever　possible

to　do　this；　a　point　on　which　I　am　not　sureand　began　to　talk　to

me。　I　noted　at　once　that　in　the　few　hours　during　which　she　was

absent；　her　knowledge　of　the　Orofenan　tongue　seemed　to　have

improved　greatly　as　though　she　had　drunk　deeply　from　some　hidden

fount　of　memory。　Now　she　spoke　it　with　readiness；　as　Oro　had　done

when　he　addressed　the　sorcerers；　although　many　of　the　words　she

used　were　not　known　to　me；　and　the　general　form　of　her　language

appeared　archaic；　as　for　instance　that　of　Spenser　is　compared

with　modern　English。　When　she　saw　I　did　not　comprehend　her；

however；　she　would　stop　and　cast　her　sentences　in　a　different

shape；　till　at　length　I　caught　her　meaning。　Now　I　give　the

substance　of　what　she　said。



〃You　are　safe；〃　she　began；　glancing　first　at　the　palm　ropes

that　lay　upon　the　rock　and　then　at　my　wrists；　one　of　which　was

cut。



〃Yes；　Lady　Yva；　thanks　to　your　father。〃



〃You　should　say　thanks　to　me。　My　father　was　thinking　of　other

things；　but　I　was　thinking　of　you　strangers；　and　from　where　I　was

I　saw　those　wicked　ones　coming　to　kill　you。〃



〃Oh！　from　the　top　of　the　mountain；　I　suppose。〃



She　shook　her　head　and　smiled　but　vouchsafed　no　further

explanation；　unless　her　following　words　can　be　so　called。　These

were：



〃I　can　see　otherwise　than　with　my　eyes；　if　I　choose。〃　A

statement　that　caused　Bickley；　who　was　listening；　to　mutter：



〃Impossible！　What　the　deuce　can　she　mean？　Telepathy；　perhaps。〃



〃I　saw；〃　she　continued；　〃and　told　the　Lord；　my　father。　He　came

forth。　Did　he　kill　them？　I　did　not　look　to　learn。〃



〃Yes。　They　lie　in　the　lake；　all　except　three　whom　he

sent　away　as　messengers。〃



〃I　thought　so。　Death　is　terrible；　O　Humphrey；　but　it　is　a　sword

which　those；　who　rule　must　use　to　smite　the　wicked　and　the

savage。



Not　wishing　to　pursue　this　subject；　I　asked　her　what　her　father

was　doing　with　the　metal　plates。



〃He　reads　the　stars；〃　she　answered；　〃to　learn　how　long　we　have

been　asleep。　Before　we　went　to　sleep　he　made　two　pictures　of

them；　as　they　were　then　and　as　they　should　be　at　the　time　he　had

set　for　our　awakening。〃



〃We　set　that　time；〃　interrupted　Bickley。



〃Not　so。　O　Bickley；〃　she　answered；　smiling　again。　〃In　the

divine　Oro's　head　was　the　time　set。　You　were　the　hand　that

executed　his　decree。〃



When　Bickley　heard　this　I　really　thought　he　would　have　burst。

However；　he　controlled　himself　nobly；　being　anxious　to　hear　the

end　of　this　mysterious　fib。



〃How　long　was　the　time　that　the　lord　Oro　set　apart　for　sleep？〃

I　asked。



She　paused　as　though　puzzled　to　find　words　to　express　her

meaning；　then　held　up　her　hands　and　said：



〃Ten；〃　nodding　at　her　fingers。　By　second　thoughts　she　took

Bickley's　hands；　not　mine；　and　counted　his　ten　fingers。



〃Ten　years；〃　said　Bickley。　〃Well；　of　course；　it　is　impossible；

but　perhaps〃　and　he　paused。



〃Ten　tens；〃　she　went　on　with　a　deepening　smile；　〃one　hundred。〃



〃O！〃　said　Bickley。



〃Ten　hundreds；　one　thousand。〃



〃I　say！〃　said　Bickley。



〃Ten　times　ten　thousand；　one　hundred　thousand。〃



Bickley　became　silent。



〃Twice　one　hundred　thousand　and　half　a　hundred　thousand；　two

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years。　That　was　the　space　of　time

which　the　lord　Oro；　my　father；　set　for　our　sleep。　Whether　it　has

been　fulfilled　he　will　know　presently　when　he　has　read　the　book

of　the　stars　and　made　comparison　of　it　with　what　he　wrote　before

we　laid　us　down　to　rest；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　metal　plates

which　the　Ancient　was　studying。



Bickley　walked　away；　making　sounds　as　though　he　were　going　to

be　ill　and　looking　so　absurd　in　his　indignation　that　I　nearly

laughed。　The　Lady　Yva　actually　did　laugh；　and　very　musical　was

that　laugh。



〃He　does　not　believe；〃　she　said。　〃He　is　so　clever　he　knows

everything。　But　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　ago　we

should　have　thought　him　quite　stupid。　Then　we　could　read　the

stars　and　calculate　their　movements　for　ever。〃



〃So　can　we；〃　I　answered；　rather　nettled。



〃I　am　glad；　O　Humphrey；　since　you　will　be　able　to　show　my

father　if　in　one　of　them　he　is