when the world shook-第50章

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since　sun　and　shade　are　the　same　to　him　who　only　thinks　of　his

religion；　and　you　shall　teach　me　up　above。〃



〃I　am　not　so　certain　about　Bastin　and　of　what　he　thinks；〃　I

said　doubtfully。　〃Also　will　the　Lord　Oro　permit　you　to　come？〃



〃Yes；　for　in　such　matters　I　rule　myself。　Also；〃　she　added

meaningly；　〃he　remembers　my　oath　that　I　will　wed　no　mansave　one

who　is　dead。　Now　farewell　a　while　and　bid　Bastin　be　here　when　the

sun　is　three　hours　high；　not　before　or　after。〃



Then　I　left　her。







Chapter　XVII



Yva　Explains





When　I　reached　the　rock　I　was　pleased　to　find　Marama　and　about

twenty　of　his　people　engaged　in　erecting　the　house　that　we　had

ordered　them　to　build　for　our　accommodation。　Indeed；　it　was

nearly　finished；　since　house…building　in　Orofena　is　a　simple

business。　The　framework　of　poles　let　into　palm　trunks；　since　they

could　not　be　driven　into　the　rock；　had　been　put　together　on　the

further　shore　and　towed　over　bodily　by　canoes。　The　overhanging

rock　formed　one　side　of　the　house；　the　ends　were　of　palm　leaves

tied　to　the　poles；　and　the　roof　was　of　the　same　material。　The

other　side　was　left　open　for　the　present；　which　in　that　equable

and　balmy　clime　was　no　disadvantage。　The　whole　edifice　was　about

thirty　feet　long　by　fifteen　deep　and　divided　into　two　portions；

one　for　sleeping　and　one　for　living；　by　a　palm　leaf　partition。

Really；　it　was　quite　a　comfortable　abode；　cool　and　rainproof；

especially　after　Bastin　had　built　his　hut　in　which　to　cook。



Marama　and　his　people　were　very　humble　in　their　demeanour　and

implored　us　to　visit　them　on　the　main　island。　I　answered　that

perhaps　we　would　later　on；　as　we　wished　to　procure　certain　things

from　the　wreck。　Also；　he　requested　Bastin　to　continue　his

ministrations　as　the　latter　greatly　desired　to　do。　But　to　this

proposal　I　would　not　allow　him　to　give　any　direct　answer　at　the

moment。　Indeed；　I　dared　not　do　so　until　I　was　sure　of　Oro's

approval。



Towards　evening　they　departed　in　their　canoes；　leaving　behind

them　the　usual　ample　store　of　provisions。



We　cooked　our　meal　as　usual；　only　to　discover　that　what　Yva　had

said　about　the　Life…water　was　quite　true；　since　we　had　but　little

appetite　for　solid　food；　though　this　returned　upon　the　following

day。　The　same　thing　happened　upon　every　occasion　after　drinking

of　that　water　which　certainly　was　a　most　invigorating　fluid。

Never　for　years　had　any　of　us　felt　so　well　as　it　caused　us　to　do。



So　we　lit　our　pipes　and　talked　about　our　experiences　though　of

these；　indeed；　we　scarcely　knew　what　to　say。　Bastin　accepted　them

as　something　out　of　the　common；　of　course；　but　as　facts　which

admitted　of　no　discussion。　After　all；　he　said；　the　Old　Testament

told　much　the　same　story　of　people　called　the　Sons　of　God　who

lived　very　long　lives　and　ran　after　the　daughters　of　men　whom

they　should　have　left　alone；　and　thus　became　the　progenitors　of　a

remarkable　race。　Of　this　race；　he　presumed　that　Oro　and　his

daughter　were　survivors；　especially　as　they　spoke　of　their　family

as　〃Heaven　born。〃　How　they　came　to　survive　was　more　than　he　could

understand　and　really　scarcely　worth　bothering　over；　since　there

they　were。



It　was　the　same　about　the　Deluge；　continued　Bastin；　although

naturally　Oro　spoke　falsely；　or；　at　any　rate；　grossly

exaggerated；　when　he　declared　that　he　had　caused　this

catastrophe；　unless　indeed　he　was　talking　about　a　totally

different　deluge；　though　even　then　he　could　not　have　brought　it

about。　It　was　curious；　however；　that　the　people　drowned　were　said

to　have　been　wicked；　and　Oro　had　the　same　opinion　about　those

whom　he　claimed　to　have　drowned；　though　for　the　matter　of　that；

he　could　not　conceive　anyone　more　wicked　than　Oro　himself。　On　his

own　showing　he　was　a　most　revengeful　person　and　one　who　declined

to　agree　to　a　quite　suitable　alliance；　apparently　desired　by　both

parties；　merely　because　it　offended　his　family　pride。　No；　on

reflection　he　might　be　unjust　to　Oro　in　this　particular；　since　he

never　told　that　story；　it　was　only　shown　in　some　pictures　which

very　likely　were　just　made　up　to　astonish　us。　Meanwhile；　it　was

his　business　to　preach　to　this　old　sinner　down　in　that　hole；　and

he　confessed　honestly　that　he　did　not　like　the　job。　Still；　it

must　be　done；　so　with　our　leave　he　would　go　apart　and　seek

inspiration；　which　at　present　seemed　to　be　quite　lacking。



Thus　declaimed　Bastin　and　departed。



〃Don't　you　tell　your　opinion　about　the　Deluge　or　he　may　cause

another　just　to　show　that　you　are　wrong；〃　called　Bickley　after

him。



〃I　can't　help　that；〃　answered　Bastin。　〃Certainly　I　shall　not

hide　the　truth　to　save　Oro's　feelings；　if　he　has　got　any。　If　he

revenges　himself　upon　us　in　any　way；　we　must　just　put　up　with　it

like　other　martyrs。〃



〃I　haven't　the　slightest　ambition　to　be　a　martyr；〃　said

Bickley。



〃No；〃　shouted　Bastin　from　a　little　distance；　〃I　am　quite　aware

of　that；　as　you　have　often　said　so　before。　Therefore；　if　you

become　one；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　do　not　see　how　you　can

expect　any　benefit。　You　would　only　be　like　a　man　who　puts　a

sovereign　into　the　offertory　bag　in　mistake　for　a　shilling。　The

extra　nineteen　shillings　will　do　him　no　good　at　all；　since　in　his

heart　he　regrets　the　error　and　wishes　that　he　could　have　them

back。〃



Then　he　departed；　leaving　me　laughing。　But　Bickley　did　not

laugh。



〃Arbuthnot；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　I

have　gone　quite　mad。　I　beg　you　if　I　should　show　signs　of

homicidal　mania；　which　I　feel　developing　in　me　where　Bastin　is

concerned；　or　of　other　abnormal　violence；　that　you　will　take

whatever　steps　you　consider　necessary；　even　to　putting　me　out　of

the　way　if　that　is　imperative。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked。　〃You　seem　sane　enough。〃



〃Sane；　when　I　believe　that　I　have　seen　and　experienced　a　great

number　of　things　which　I　know　it　to　be　quite　impossible　that　I

should　have　seen　or　experienced。　The　only　explanation　is　that　I

am　suffering　from　delusions。〃



〃Then　is　Bastin　suffering　from　delusions；　too？〃



〃Certainly；　but　that　is　nothing　new　in　his　case。〃



〃I　don't　agree　with　you；　Bickleyabout　Bastin；　I　mean。　I　am　by

no　means　certain　that　he　is　not　the　wisest　of　the　three　of　us。　He

has　a　faith　and　he　sticks　to　it；　as　millions　have　done　before

him；　and　that　is　better　than　making　spiritual　experiments；　as　I

am　sorry　to　say　I　do；　or　rejecting　things　because　one　cannot

understand　them；　as　you　do；　which　is　only　a　form　of　intellectual

vanity。〃



〃I　won't　argue　the　matter；　Arbuthnot；　it　is　of　no　use。　I　repeat

that　I　am　mad；　and　Bastin　is　mad。〃



〃How　about　me？　I　also　saw　and　experienced　these　things。　Am　I

mad；　too？〃



〃You　ought　to　be；　Arbuthnot。　If　it　isn't　enough　to　drive　a　man

mad　when　he　sees　himself　exactly　reproduced　in　an　utterly

impossible　moving…picture　show　exhibited　by　an　utterly　impossible

young　woman　in　an　utterly　impossible　underground　city；　then　I

don't　know　what　is。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked；　starting。



〃Mean？　Well；　if　you　didn't　notice　it；　there's　hope　for　you。〃



〃Notice　what？〃



〃All　that　envoy　scene。　There；　as　I　thought；　appeared　Yva。　Do

you　admit　that？〃



〃Of　course；　there　could　be　no　mistake　on　that　point。〃



〃Very　well。　Then　according　to　my　version　there　came　a　man；

still　young；　dressed　in　outlandish　clothes；　who　made　propositions

of　peace　and　wanted　to　marry　Yva；　who　wanted　to　marry　him。　Is

that　right？〃



〃Absolutely。〃



〃Well；　and　didn't　you　recognise　the　man？〃



〃No；　I　only　noticed　that　he　was　a　fine…looking　fellow　whose

appearance　reminded　me　of　someone。〃



〃I　suppose　it　must　be　true；〃　mused　Bickley；　〃that　we　do　not

know　ourselves。〃



〃So　the　old　Greek　thought；　since　he　urged　that　this　should　be

our　special　study。　'Know　thyself；'　you　remember。〃



〃I　meant　physically；　not　intellectually。　Arbuthnot；　do　you　mean

to　tell　me　that　you　did　not　recognise　your　own　double　in　that

man？　Shave　off　you