when the world shook-第53章

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others　and　therefore　not　easy　to　deceive。



〃Is　that　how　you　know　that　I　had　been　trying　to　analyse　your

Life…water？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　with　her　unvarying　smile。　〃At　the　moment　I

spoke　thereof　you　were　wondering　whether　my　father　would　be　angry

if　he　knew　that　you　had　taken　the　water　in　a　little　flask。〃　She

studied　him　for　a　moment；　then　added：　〃Now　you　are　wondering；

first；　whether　I　did　not　see　you　take　the　water　from　the　fountain

and　guess　the　purpose；　and；　secondly；　whether　perhaps　Bastin　did

not　tell　me　what　you　were　doing　with　it　when　we　met　in　the

sepulchre。〃



〃Look　here；〃　said　the　exasperated　Bickley；　〃I　admit　that

telepathy　and　thought…reading　are　possible　to　a　certain　limited

extent。　But　supposing　that　you　possess　those　powers；　as　I　think


in　English；　and　you　do　not　know　English；　how　can　you　interpret

what　is　passing　in　my　mind？〃



〃Perhaps　you　have　been　teaching　me　English　all　this　while

without　knowing　it；　Bickley。　In　any　case；　it　matters　little；

seeing　that　what　I　read　is　the　thought；　not　the　language　with

which　it　is　clothed。　The　thought　comes　from　your　mind　to　mine

that　is；　if　I　wish　it；　which　is　not　oftenand　I　interpret　it　in

my　own　or　other　tongues。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it　is　not　often；　Lady　Yva；　since　thoughts

are　generally　considered　private。〃



〃Yes；　and　therefore　I　will　read　yours　no　more。　Why　should　I；

when　they　are　so　full　of　disbelief　of　all　I　tell　you；　and

sometimes　of　other　things　about　myself　which　I　do　not　seek　to

know？〃



〃No　wonder　that；　according　to　the　story　in　the　pictures；　those

Nations；　whom　you　named　Barbarians；　made　an　end　of　your　people；

Lady　Yva。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　Bickley；　the　Lord　Oro　made　an　end　of　the

Nations；　though　against　my　prayer；〃　she　added　with　a　sigh



Then　Bickley　departed　in　a　rage；　and　did　not　appear　again　for

an　hour。



〃He　is　angry；〃　she　said；　looking　after　him；　〃nor　do　I　wonder。

It　is　hard　for　the　very　clever　like　Bickley；　who　think　that　they

have　mastered　all　things；　to　find　that　after　all　they　are　quite

ignorant。　I　am　sorry　for　him；　and　I　like　him　very　much。〃



〃Then　you　would　be　sorry　for　me　also；　Lady　Yva？〃



〃Why？〃　she　asked　with　a　dazzling　smile；　〃when　your　heart　is

athirst　for　knowledge；　gaping　for　it　like　a　fledgling's　mouth　for

food；　and；　as　it　chances；　though　I　am　not　very　wise；　I　can

satisfy　something　of　your　soul…hunger。〃



〃Not　very　wise！〃　I　repeated。



〃No；　Humphrey。　I　think　that　Bastin；　who　in　many　ways　is　so

stupid；　has　more　true　wisdom　than　I　have；　because　he　can　believe

and　accept　without　question。　After　all；　the　wisdom　of　my　people

is　all　of　the　universe　and　its　wonders。　What　you　think　magic　is

not　magic；　it　is　only　gathered　knowledge　and　the　finding　out　of

secrets。　Bickley　will　tell　you　the　same；　although　as　yet　he　does

not　believe　that　the　mind　of　man　can　stretch　so　far。〃



〃You　mean　that　your　wisdom　has　in　it　nothing　of　the　spirit？〃



〃Yes；　Humphrey；　that　is　what　I　mean。　I　do　not　even　know　if

there　is　such　a　thing　as　spirit。　Our　god　was　Fate；　Bastin's　god

is　a　spirit；　and　I　think　yours　also。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Therefore；　I　wish　you　and　Bastin　to　teach　me　of　your　god；　as

does　Oro；　my　father。　I　wantoh！　so　much；　Humphrey；　to　learn

whether　we　live　after　death。〃



〃You！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃You　who；　according　to　the　story；　have

slept　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years！　You；　who　have；

unless　I　mistake；　hinted　that　during　that　sleep　you　may　have

lived　in　other　shapes！　Do　you　doubt　whether　we　can　live　after

death？〃



〃Yes。　Sleep　induced　by　secret　arts　is　not　death；　and　during

that　sleep　the　I　within　might　wander　and　inhabit　other　shapes；

because　it　is　forbidden　to　be　idle。　Moreover；　what　seems　to　be

death　may　not　be　death；　only　another　form　of　sleep　from　which　the

I　awakes　again　upon　the　world。　But　at　last　comes　the　real　death；

when　the　I　is　extinguished　to　the　world。　That　much　I　know；

because　my　people　learned　it。〃



〃You　mean；　you　know　that　men　and　women　may　live　again　and　again

upon　the　world？〃



〃Yes；　Humphrey；　I　do。　For　in　the　world　there　is　only　a　certain

store　of　life　which　in　many　forms　travels　on　and　on；　till　the　lot

of　each　I　is　fulfilled。　Then　comes　the　real　death；　and　after

thatwhat；　oh！what？〃



〃You　must　ask　Bastin；〃　I　said　humbly。　〃I　cannot　dare　to　teach

of　such　matters。〃



〃No；　but　you　can　and　do　believe；　and　that　helps　me；　Humphrey；

who　am　in　tune　with　you。　Yes；　it　helps　me　much　more　than　do

Bastin　and　his　new　religion；　because　such　is　woman's　way。　Now；　I

think　Bickley　will　soon　return；　so　let　us　talk　of　other　matters。

Tell　me　of　the　history　of　your　people；　Humphrey；　that　my　father

says　are　now　at　war。〃







Chapter　XVIII



The　Accident





Bickley　did　return；　having　recovered　his　temper；　since　after

all　it　was　impossible　for　anyone　to　remain　angry　with　the　Lady

Yva　for　long；　and　we　spent　a　very　happy　time　together。　We

instructed　and　she　was　the　humble　pupil。



How　swift　and　nimble　was　her　intelligence！　In　that　one　morning

she　learned　all　our　alphabet　and　how　to　write　our　letters。　It

appeared　that　among　her　people；　at　any　rate　in　their　later

periods；　the　only　form　of　writing　that　was　used　was　a　highly

concentrated　shorthand　which　saved　labour。　They　had　no　journals；

since　news　which　arrived　telepathically　or　by　some　form　of

wireless　was　proclaimed　to　those　who　cared　to　listen；　and　on　it

all　formed　their　own　judgments。　In　the　same　way　poems　and　even

romances　were　repeated；　as　in　Homer's　day　or　in　the　time　of　the

Norse　sagas；　by　word　of　mouth。　None　of　their　secret　knowledge　was

written　down。　Like　the　ritual　of　Freemasonry　it　was　considered

too　sacred。



Moreover；　when　men　lived　for　hundreds　of　years　this　was　not　so

necessary；　especially　as　their　great　fear　was　lest　it　should　fall

into　the　hands　of　the　outside　nations；　whom　they　called

Barbarians。　For；　be　it　remembered；　these　Sons　of　Wisdom　were

always　a　very　small　people　who　ruled　by　the　weight　of　their

intelligence　and　the　strength　of　their　accumulated　lore。　Indeed；

they　could　scarcely　be　called　a　people；　rather　were　they　a　few

families；　all　of　them　more　or　less　connected　with　the　original

ruling　Dynasty　which　considered　itself　half　divine。　These

families　were　waited　upon　by　a　multitude　of　servants　or　slaves

drawn　from　the　subject　nations；　for　the　most　part　skilled　in　one

art　or　another；　or　perhaps；　remarkable　for　their　personal　beauty。

Still　they　remained　outside　the　pale。



The　Sons　of　Wisdom　did　not　intermarry　with　them　or　teach　them

their　learning；　or　even　allow　them　to　drink　of　their　Life…water。

They　ruled　them　as　men　rule　dogs；　treating　them　with　kindness；

but　no　more；　and　as　many　dogs　run　their　course　and　die　in　the

lifetime　of　one　master；　so　did　many　of　these　slaves　in　that　of

one　of　the　Sons　of　Wisdom。　Therefore；　the　slaves　came　to　regard

their　lords　not　as　men；　but　gods。　They　lived　but　three　score

years　and　ten　like　the　rest　of　us；　and　went　their　way；　they；

whose　great…great…grandfathers　had　served　the　same　master　and

whose　great…great…great…grandchildren　would　still　serve　him。　What

should　we　think　of　a　lord　who　we　knew　was　already　adult　in　the

time　of　William　the　Conqueror；　and　who　remained　still　vigorous

and　all…powerful　in　that　of　George　V？　One；　moreover；　who

commanded　almost　infinite　knowledge　to　which　we　were　denied　the

key？　We　might　tremble　before　him　and　look　upon　him　as　half…

divine；　but　should　we　not　long　to　kill　him　and　possess　his

knowledge　and　thereby　prolong　our　own　existence　to　his　wondrous

measure？



Such；　said　Yva；　was　the　case　with　their　slaves　and　the　peoples

from　whence　these　sprang。　They　grew　mad　with　jealous　hate；　till

at　length　came　the　end　we　knew。



Thus　we　talked　on　for　hours　till　the　time　came　for　us　to　eat。

As　before　Yva　partook　of　fruit　and　we　of　such　meats　as　we　had　at

hand。　These；　we　noticed；　disgusted　her；　because；　as　she

explained；　the　Children　of　Wisdom