when the world shook-第39章

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me；　pulled　off　my　white　tie　and　I　didn't　think　it　worth　while

dirtying　a　clean　one。〃



〃If；〃　said　Bickley；　〃you　imagine　that　you　look　like　the

minister　of　any　religion　ancient　or　modern　in　a　grubby　flannel

shirt；　a　battered　sun…helmet；　a　torn　green　and　white　umbrella　and

a　pair　of　ragged　duck　trousers；　you　are　mistaken；　Bastin；　that　is

all。〃



〃I　admit　that　the　costume　is　not　appropriate；　Bickley；　but　how

otherwise　could　she　have　learned　the　truth？〃



〃These　people　seem　to　have　ways　of　learning　a　good　many　things。

But　in　your　case；　Bastin；　the　cause　is　clear　enough。　You　have

been　walking　about　with　the　head　of　that　idol　and　always　keep　it

close　to　you。　No　doubt　they　believe　that　you　are　a　priest　of　the

worship　of　the　god　of　the　GroveBaal；　you　know；　or　something　of

that　sort。〃



When　he　heard　this　Bastin's　face　became　a　perfect　picture。

Never　before　did　I　see　it　so　full　of　horror　struggling　with

indignation。



〃I　must　undeceive　them　without　a　moment's　delay；〃　he　said；　and

was　starting　for　the　cave　when　we　caught　his　arms　and　held　him。



〃Better　wait　till　they　come　back；　old　fellow；〃　I　said；

laughing。　〃If　you　disobey　that　Lord　Oro　you　may　meet　with　another

experience　in　the　sacrifice　line。〃



〃Perhaps　you　are　right；　Arbuthnot。　I　will　occupy　the　interval

in　preparing　a　suitable　address。〃



〃Much　better　occupy　it　in　preparing　breakfast；〃　said　Bickley。

〃I　have　always　noticed　that　you　are　at　your　best　extempore。〃



In　the　end　he　did　prepare　breakfast　though　in　a　distrait

fashion；　indeed　I　found　him　beginning　to　make　tea　in　the

frying…pan。　Bastin　felt　that　his　opportunity　had　arrived；　and　was

making　ready　to　rise　to　the　occasion。



Also　we　felt；　all　three　of　us；　that　we　were　extremely　shabby…

looking　objects；　and　though　none　of　us　said　so；　each　did　his　best

to　improve　his　personal　appearance。　First　of　all　Bickley　cut

Bastin's　and　my　hair；　after　which　I　did　him　the　same　service。

Then　Bickley　who　was　normally　clean　shaven；　set　to　work　to　remove

a　beard　of　about　a　week's　growth；　and　I　who　wore　one　of　the

pointed　variety；　trimmed　up　mine　as　best　I　could　with　the　help　of

a　hand…glass。　Bastin；　too；　performed　on　his　which　was　of　the

square　and　rather　ragged　type；　wisely　rejecting　Bickley's　advice

to　shave　it　off　altogether；　offered；　I　felt　convinced；　because　he

felt　that　the　result　on　Bastin　would　be　too　hideous　for　words。

After　this　we　cut　our　nails；　cleaned　our　teeth　and　bathed；　I　even

caught　Bickley　applying　hair　tonic　from　his　dressing　case　in

secret；　behind　a　projecting　rock；　and　borrowed　some　myself。　He

gave　it　me　on　condition　that　I　did　not　mention　its　existence　to

Bastin　who；　he　remarked；　would　certainly　use　the　lot　and　make

himself　smell　horrible。



Next　we　found　clean　ducks　among　our　store　of　spare　clothes；　for

the　Orofenans　had　brought　these　with　our　other　possessions；　and

put　them　on；　even　adding　silk　cumberbunds　and　neckties。　My　tie　I

fastened　with　a　pin　that　I　had　obtained　in　Egypt。　It　was　a　tiny

gold　statuette　of　very　fine　and　early　workmanship；　of　the　god

Osiris；　wearing　the　crown　of　the　Upper　Land　with　the　uraeus

crest；　and　holding　in　his　hands；　which　projected　from　the　mummy

wrappings；　the　emblems　of　the　crook；　the　scourge　and　the　crux

ansata；　or　Sign　of　Life。



Bastin；　for　his　part；　arrayed　himself　in　full　clerical　costume；

black　coat　and　trousers；　white　tie　and　stick…up　clergyman's

collar　which；　as　he　remarked；　made　him　feel　extremely　hot　in　that

climate；　and　were　unsuitable　to　domestic　duties；　such　as

washing…up。　I　offered　to　hold　his　coat　while　he　did　this　office

and　told　him　he　looked　very　nice　indeed。



〃Beautiful！〃　remarked　Bickley；　〃but　why　don't　you　put　on　your

surplice　and　biretta？〃　（Being　very　High…Church　Bastin　did　wear　a

biretta　on　festival　Sundays　at　home。）　〃There　would　be　no　mistake

about　you　then。〃



〃I　do　not　think　it　would　be　suitable；〃　replied　Bastin　whose

sense　of　humour　was　undeveloped。　〃There　is　no　service　to　be

performed　at　present　and　no　church；　though　perhaps　that　cave〃

and　he　stopped。



When　we　had　finished　these　vain　adornments　and　Bastin　had　put

away　the　things　and　tidied　up；　we　sat　down；　rather　at　a　loose

end。　We　should　have　liked　to　walk　but　refrained　from　doing　so　for

fear　lest　we　might　dirty　our　clean　clothes。　So　we　just　sat　and

thought。　At　least　Bickley　thought；　and　so　did　I　for　a　while　until

I　gave　it　up。　What　was　the　use　of　thinking；　seeing　that　we　were

face　to　face　with　circumstances　which　baffled　reason　and　beggared

all　recorded　human　experience？　What　Bastin　did　I　am　sure　I　do　not

know；　but　I　think　from　the　expression　of　his　countenance　that　he

was　engaged　in　composing　sermons　for　the　benefit　of　Oro　and　the

Glittering　Lady。



One　diversion　we　did　have。　About　eleven　o'clock　a　canoe　came

from　the　main　island　laden　with　provisions　and　paddled　by　Marama

and　two　of　his　people。　We　seized　our　weapons；　remembering　our

experiences　of　the　night；　but　Marama　waved　a　bough　in　token　of

peace。　So；　carrying　our　revolvers；　we　went　to　the　rock　edge　to

meet　him。　He　crept　ashore　and；　chief　though　he　was；　prostrated

himself　upon　his　face　before　us；　which　told　me　that　he　had　heard

of　the　fate　of　the　sorcerers。　His　apologies　were　abject。　He

explained　that　he　had　no　part　in　the　outrage　of　the　attack；　and

besought　us　to　intercede　on　behalf　of　him　and　his　people　with　the

awakened　god　of　the　Mountain　whom　he　looked　for　with　a　terrified

air。



We　consoled　him　as　well　as　we　could；　and　told　him　that　he　had

best　be　gone　before　the　god　of　the　Mountain　appeared；　and　perhaps

treated　him　as　he　had　done　the　sorcerers。　In　his　name；　however；

we　commanded　Marama　to　bring　materials　and　build　us　a　proper

house　upon　the　rock；　also　to　be　sure　to　keep　up　a　regular　and

ample　supply　of　provisions。　If　he　did　these　things；　and　anything

else　we　might　from　time　to　time　command；　we　said　that　perhaps　his

life　and　those　of　his　people　would　be　spared。　This；　however；

after　the　evil　behaviour　of　some　of　them　of　course　we　could　not

guarantee。



Marama　departed　so　thoroughly　frightened　that　he　even　forgot　to

make　any　inquiries　as　to　who　this　god　of　the　Mountain　might　be；

or　where　he　came　from；　or　whither　he　was　going。　Of　course；　the

place　had　been　sacred　among　his　people　from　the　beginning；

whenever　that　may　have　been；　but　that　its　sacredness　should

materialise　into　an　active　god　who　brought　sorcerers　of　the

highest　reputation　to　a　most　unpleasant　end；　just　because　they

wished　to　translate　their　preaching　into　practice；　was　another

matter。　It　was　not　to　be　explained　even　by　the　fact　of　which　he

himself　had　informed　me；　that　during　the　dreadful　storm　of　some

months　before；　the　cave　mouth　which　previously　was　not　visible　on

the　volcano；　had　suddenly　been　lifted　up　above　the　level　of　the

Rock　of　Offerings；　although；　of　course；　all　religious　and

instructed　persons　would　have　expected　something　peculiar　to

happen　after　this　event。



Such　I　knew　were　his　thoughts；　but；　as　I　have　said；　he　was　too

frightened　and　too　hurried　to　express　them　in　questions　that　I

should　have　found　it　extremely　difficult　to　answer。　As　it　was　he

departed　quite　uncertain　as　to　whether　one　of　us　was　not　the　real

〃god　of　the　Mountain；〃　who　had　power　to　bring　hideous　death　upon

his　molesters。　After　all；　what　had　he　to　go　on　to　the　contrary；

except　the　word　of　three　priests　who　were　so　terrified　that　they

could　give　no　coherent　account　of　what　had　happened？　Of　these

events；　it　was　true；　there　was　evidence　in　the　twisted　carcass　of

their　lamented　high　sorcerer；　and；　for　the　matter　of　that；　of

certain　corpses　which　he　had　seen；　that　lay　in　shallow　water　at

the　bottom　of　the　lake。　Beyond　all　was　vague；　and　in　his　heart　I

am　sure　that　Marama　believed　that　Bastin　was　the　real　〃god　of　the

Mountain。〃　Naturally；　he　would　desire　to　work　vengeance　on　those

who　tried　to　sacrifice　and　eat　him。　Moreover；　had　he　not

destroyed　the　image　of　the　god　of　the　Grove　and　bor