when the world shook-第62章

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come　quite　close　together　and　yet　she　appeared　to　be　sitting

down。　The　motor…bus　burst　into　fragments　and　its　passengers

hurtled　through　the　air；　mere　hideous　lumps　that　had　been　men　and

women。　The　head　of　one　of　them　came　dancing　down　the　pavement

towards　us；　a　cigar　still　stuck　in　the　corner　of　its　mouth。



〃Yes；　this　is　war；〃　said　Oro。　〃It　makes　me　young　again　to　see

it。　But　does　this　city　of　yours　understand？〃



We　watched　a　while。　A　crowd　gathered。　Policemen　ran　up；

ambulances　came。　The　place　was　cleared；　and　all　that　was　left

they　carried　away。　A　few　minutes　later　another　man　passed　by　with

his　arm　round　the　waist　of　another　girl。　Another　motor…bus

rumbled　up；　and；　avoiding　the　hole　in　the　roadway；　travelled　on；

its　conductor　keeping　a　keen　look…out　for　fares。



The　street　was　cleared　by　the　police；　the　airship　continued　its

course；　spawning　bombs　in　the　distance；　and　vanished。　The

incident　was　closed。



〃Let　us　go　home；〃　said　Oro。　〃I　have　seen　enough　of　your　great

and　wonderful　city。　I　would　rest　in　the　quiet　of　Nyo　and　think。〃



The　next　thing　that　I　remember　was　the　voice　of　Bastin；　saying：



〃If　you　don't　mind；　Arbuthnot；　I　wish　that　you　would　get　up。

The　Glittering　Lady　（he　still　called　her　that）　is　coming　here　to

have　a　talk　with　me　which　I　should　prefer　to　be　private。　Excuse

me　for　disturbing　you；　but　you　have　overslept　yourself；　indeed；　I

think　it　must　be　nine　o'clock；　so　far　as　I　can　judge　by　the　sun；

for　my　watch　is　very　erratic　now；　ever　since　Bickley　tried　to

clean　it。〃



〃I　am　sorry；　my　dear　fellow；〃　I　said　sleepily；　〃but　do　you　know

I　thought　I　was　in　Londonin　fact；　I　could　swear　that　I　have

been　there。〃



〃Then；〃　interrupted　Bickley；　who　had　followed　Bastin　into　the

hut；　giving　me　that　doubtful　glance　with　which　I　was　now

familiar；　〃I　wish　to　goodness　that　you　had　brought　back　an

evening　paper　with　you。〃



A　night　or　two　later　I　was　again　suddenly　awakened　to　feel　that

Oro　was　approaching。　He　appeared　like　a　ghost　in　the　bright

moonlight；　greeted　me；　and　said：



〃Tonight；　Humphrey；　we　must　make　another　journey。　I　would　visit

the　seat　of　the　war。〃



〃I　do　not　wish　to　go；〃　I　said　feebly。



〃What　you　wish　does　not　matter；〃　he　replied。　〃I　wish　that　you

should　go；　and　therefore　you　must。〃



〃Listen；　Oro；〃　I　exclaimed。　〃I　do　not　like　this　business；　it

seems　dangerous　to　me。〃



〃There　is　no　danger　if　you　are　obedient；　Humphrey。〃



〃I　think　there　is。　I　do　not　understand　what　happens。　Do　you

make　use　of　what　the　Lady　Yva　called　the　Fourth　Dimension；　so

that　our　bodies　pass　over　the　seas　and　through　mountains；　like

the　vibrations　of　our　Wireless；　of　which　I　was　speaking　to　you？〃



〃No；　Humphrey。　That　method　is　good　and　easy；　but　I　do　not　use

it　because　if　I　did　we　should　be　visible　in　the　places　which　we

visit；　since　there　all　the　atoms　that　make　a　man　would　collect

together　again　and　be　a　man。〃



〃What；　then；　do　you　do？〃　I　asked；　exasperated。



〃Man；　Humphrey；　is　not　one；　he　is　many。　Thus；　amongst　other

things　he　has　a　Double；　which　can　see　and　hear；　as　he　can　in　the

flesh；　if　it　is　separated　from　the　flesh。〃



〃The　old　Egyptians　believed　that；〃　I　said。



〃Did　they？　Doubtless　they　inherited　the　knowledge　from　us；　the

Sons　of　Wisdom。　The　cup　of　our　learning　was　so　full　that；　keep　it

secret　as　we　would；　from　time　to　time　some　of　it　overflowed　among

the　vulgar；　and　doubtless　thus　the　light　of　our　knowledge　still

burns　feebly　in　the　world。〃



I　reflected　to　myself　that　whatever　might　be　their　other

characteristics；　the　Sons　of　Wisdom　had　lost　that　of　modesty；　but

I　only　asked　how　he　used　his　Double；　supposing　that　it　existed。



〃Very　easily；〃　he　answered。　〃In　sleep　it　can　be　drawn　from　the

body　and　sent　upon　its　mission　by　one　that　is　its　master。〃



〃Then　while　you　were　asleep　for　all　those　thousands　of　years

your　Double　must　have　made　many　journeys。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　he　replied　quietly；　〃and　my　spirit　also；　which　is

another　part　of　me　that　may　have　dwelt　in　the　bodies　of　other

men。　But　unhappily；　if　so　I　forget；　and　that　is　why　I　have　so

much　to　learn　and　must　even　make　use　of　such　poor　instruments　as

you；　Humphrey。〃



〃Then　if　I　sleep　and　you　distil　my　Double　out　of　me；　I　suppose

that　you　sleep　too。　In　that　case　who　distils　your　Double　out　of

you；　Lord　Oro？〃



He　grew　angry　and　answered：



〃Ask　no　more　questions；　blind　and　ignorant　as　you　are。　It　is

your　part　not　to　examine；　but　to　obey。　Sleep　now；〃　and　again　he

waved　his　hand　over　me。





In　an　instant；　as　it　seemed；　we　were　standing　in　a　grey　old

town　that　I　judged　from　its　appearance　must　be　either　in　northern

France　or　Belgium。　It　was　much　shattered　by　bombardment；　the

church；　for　instance；　was　a　ruin；　also　many　of　the　houses　had

been　burnt。　Now；　however；　no　firing　was　going　on　for　the　town　had

been　taken。　The　streets　were　full　of　armed　men　wearing　the　German

uniform　and　helmet。　We　passed　down　them　and　were　able　to　see　into

the　houses。　In　some　of　these　were　German　soldiers　engaged　in

looting　and　in　other　things　so　horrible　that　even　the　unmoved　Oro

turned　away　his　head。



We　came　to　the　market…place。　It　was　crowded　with　German　troops；

also　with　a　great　number　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　town；　most　of

them　elderly　men　and　women　with　children；　who　had　fallen　into

their　power。　The　Germans；　under　the　command　of　officers；　were

dragging　the　men　from　the　arms　of　their　wives　and　children　to　one

side；　and　with　rifle…butts　beating　back　the　screaming　women。　Among

the　men　I　noticed　two　or　three　priests　who　were　doing　their　best

to　soothe　their　companions　and　even　giving　them　absolution　in

hurried　whispers。



At　length　the　separation　was　effected；　whereon　at　a　hoarse　word

of　command；　a　company　of　soldiers　began　to　fire　at　the　men　and

continued　doing　so　until　all　had　fallen。　Then　petty　officers　went

among　the　slaughtered　and　with　pistols　blew　out　the　brains　of　any

who　still　moved。



〃These　butchers；　you　say；　are　Germans？〃　asked　Oro　of　me。



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　sick　with　horror；　for　though　I　was　in　the

mind　and　not　in　the　body；　I　could　feel　as　the　mind　does。　Had　I

been　in　the　body　also；　I　should　have　fainted。



〃Then　we　need　not　waste　time　in　visiting　their　country。　It　is

enough；　let　us　go　on。〃



We　passed　out　into　the　open　land　and　came　to　a　village。　It　was

in　the　occupation　of　German　cavalry。　Two　of　them　held　a　little

girl　of　nine　or　ten；　one　by　her　body；　the　other　by　her　right

hand。　An　officer　stood　between　them　with　a　drawn　sword　fronting

the　terrified　child。　He　was　a　horrible；　coarse…faced　man　who

looked　to　me　as　though　he　had　been　drinking。



〃I'll　teach　the　young　devil　to　show　us　the　wrong　road　and　let

those　French　swine　escape；〃　he　shouted；　and　struck　with　the

sword。　The　girl's　right　hand　fell　to　the　ground。



〃War　as　practised　by　the　Germans！〃　remarked　Oro。　Then　he

stepped；　or　seemed　to　step　up　to　the　man　and　whispered；　or　seemed

to　whisper；　in　his　ear。



I　do　not　know　what　tongue　or　what　spirit　speech　he　used；　or

what　he　said；　but　the　bloated…faced　brute　turned　pale。　Yes；　he

drew　sick　with　fear。



〃I　think　there　are　spirits　in　this　place；〃　he　said　with　a

German　oath。　〃I　could　have　sworn　that　something　told　me　that　I

was　going　to　die。　Mount！〃



　The　Uhlans　mounted　and　began　to　ride　away。



〃Watch；〃　said　Oro。



As　he　spoke　out　of　a　dark　cloud　appeared　an　aeroplane。　Its

pilot　saw　the　band　of　Germans　beneath　and　dropped　a　bomb。　The　aim

was　good；　for　the　missile　exploded　in　the　midst　of　them；　causing

a　great　cloud　of　dust　from　which　arose　the　screams　of　men　and

horses。



〃Come　and　see；〃　said　Oro。



We　were　there。　Out　of　the　cloud　of　dust　appeared　one　man

galloping　furiously。　He　was　a　young　fellow　who；　as　I　noted；　had

turned　his　head　away　and　hidden　his　eyes　with　his　hand　when　the

horror　was　done　yonder。　All　the　others　were　dead　except　the

officer　who　had　worked　the　deed。　He　was　still