when the world shook-第66章

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consisted　of　some　of　the　Life…water　which　she　had　brought　with　her

and　fruit；　for；　as　I　think　I　have　said；　I　had　acquired　her

dislike　to　meat；　also　that　she　ate　some　plantains；　throwing　the

skins　for　Tommy　to　fetch　and　laughing　at　his　play。　When　it　was

over；　Bastin　and　Bickley　went　away　together；　whether　by　chance　or

design　I　do　not　know；　and　she　said　to　me　suddenly：



〃Humphrey；　you　have　often　asked　me　about　the　city　Pani；　of

which　a　little　portion　of　the　ruins　remains　upon　this　island；　the

rest　being　buried　beneath　the　waters。　If　you　wish　I　will　show　you

where　our　royal　palace　was　before　the　barbarians　destroyed　it

with　their　airships。　The　moon　is　very　bright；　and　by　it　we　can

see。〃



I　nodded；　for；　knowing　what　she　meant；　somehow　I　could　not

answer　her；　and　we　began　the　ascent　of　the　hill。　She　explained　to

me　the　plan　of　the　palace　when　we　reached　the　ruins；　showing　me

where　her　own　apartments　had　been；　and　the　rest。　It　was　very

strange　to　hear　her　quietly　telling　of　buildings　which　had　stood

and　of　things　that　had　happened　over　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years　before；　much　as　any　modern　lady　might　do　of　a

house　that　had　been　destroyed　a　month　ago　by　an　earthquake　or　a

Zeppelin　bomb；　while　she　described　the　details　of　a　disaster

which　now　frightened　her　no　more。　I　think　it　was　then　that　for

the　first　time　I　really　began　to　believe　that　in　fact　Yva　had

lived　all　those　aeons　since　and　been　as　she　still　appeared。



We　passed　from　the　palace　to　the　ruins　of　the　temple；　through

what；　as　she　said；　had　been　a　pleasure…garden；　pointing　out　where

a　certain　avenue　of　rare　palms　had　grown；　down　which　once　it　was

her　habit　to　walk　in　the　cool　of　the　day。　Or；　rather；　there　were

two　terraced　temples；　one　dedicated　to　Fate　like　that　in　the

underground　city　of　Nyo；　and　the　other　to　Love。　Of　the　temple　to

Fate　she　told　me　her　father　had　been　the　High　Priest；　and　of　the

temple　to　Love　she　was　the　High　Priestess。



Then　it　was　that　I　understood　why　she　had　brought　me　here。



She　led　the　way　to　a　marble　block　covered　with　worn…out　carvings

and　almost　buried　in　the　debris。　This；　she　said；　was　the　altar　of

offerings。　I　asked　her　what　offerings；　and　she　replied　with　a

smile：



〃Only　wine；　to　signify　the　spirit　of　life；　and　flowers　to

symbolise　its　fragrance；〃　and　she　laid　her　finger　on　a　cup…like

depression；　still　apparent　in　the　marble；　into　which　the　wine　was

poured。



Indeed；　I　gathered　that　there　was　nothing　coarse　or

bacchanalian　about　this　worship　of　a　prototype　of　Aphrodite；　on

the　contrary；　that　it　was　more　or　less　spiritual　and　ethereal。　We

sat　down　on　the　altar　stone。　I　wondered　a　little　that　she　should

have　done　so；　but　she　read　my　thought；　and　answered：



〃Sometimes　we　change　our　faiths；　Humphrey；　or　perhaps　they

grow。　Also；　have　I　not　told　you　that　sacrifices　were　offered　on

this　altar？〃　and　she　sighed　and　smiled。



I　do　not　know　which　was　the　sweeter；　the　smile　or　the　sigh。



We　looked　at　the　water　glimmering　in　the　crater　beneath　us　on

the　edge　of　which　we　sat。　We　looked　at　heaven　above　in　which　the

great　moon　sailed　royally。　Then　we　looked　into　each　other's　eyes。



〃I　love　you；〃　I　said。



〃I　know　it；〃　she　answered　gently。　〃You　have　loved　me　from　the

first；　have　you　not？　Even　when　I　lay　asleep　in　the　coffin　you

began　to　love　me；　but　until　you　dreamed　a　certain　dream　you　would

not　admit　it。〃



〃Yva；　what　was　the　meaning　of　that　dream？〃



〃I　cannot　say；　Humphrey。　But　I　tell　you　this。　As　you　will　learn

in　time；　one　spirit　may　be　clothed　in　different　garments　of　the

flesh。〃



I　did　not　understand　her；　but；　in　some　strange　way；　her　words

brought　to　my　mind　those　that　Natalie　spoke　at　the　last；　and　I

answered：



〃Yva；　when　my　wife　lay　dying　she　bade　me　seek　her　elsewhere；

for　certainly　I　should　find　her。　Doubtless　she　meant　beyond　the

shores　of　deathor　perhaps　she　also　dreamed。〃



She　bent　her　head；　looking　at　me　very　strangely。



〃Your　wife；　too；　may　have　had　the　gift　of　dreams；　Humphrey。　As

you　dream　and　I　dream；　so　mayhap　she　dreamed。　Of　dreams；　then；

let　us　say　no　more；　since　I　think　that　they　have　served　their

purpose；　and　all　three　of　us　understand。〃



Then　I　stretched　out　my　arms；　and　next　instant　my　head　lay　upon

her　perfumed　breast。　She　lifted　it　and　kissed　me　on　the　lips；

saying：



〃With　this　kiss　again　I　give　myself　to　you。　But　oh！　Humphrey；

do　not　ask　too　much　of　the　god　of　my　people；　Fate；〃　and　she

looked　me　in　the　eyes　and　sighed。



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



〃Many；　many　things。　Among　them；　that　happiness　is　not　for

mortals；　and　remember　that　though　my　life　began　long　ago；　I　am

mortal　as　you　are；　and　that　in　eternity　time　makes　no

difference。〃



〃And　if　so；　Yva；　what　then？　Do　we　meet　but　to　part？〃



〃Who　said　it？　Not　I。　Humphrey；　I　tell　you　this。　Nor　earth；　nor

heaven；　nor　hell　have　any　bars　through　which　love　cannot　burst

its　way　towards　reunion　and　completeness。　Only　there　must　be

love；　manifested　in　many　shapes　and　at　many　times；　but　ever

striving　to　its　end；　which　is　not　of　the　flesh。　Aye；　love　that

has　lost　itself；　love　scorned；　love　defeated；　love　that　seems

false；　love　betrayed；　love　gone　astray；　love　wandering　through

the　worlds；　love　asleep　and　living　in　its　sleep；　love　awake　and

yet　sleeping；　all　love　that　has　in　it　the　germ　of　life。　It

matters　not　what　form　love　takes。　If　it　be　true　I　tell　you　that

it　will　win　its　way；　and　in　the　many　that　it　has　seemed　to

worship；　still　find　the　one；　though　perchance　not　here。



At　her　words　a　numb　fear　gripped　my　heart。



〃Not　here？　Then　where？〃　I　said。



〃Ask　your　dead　wife；　Humphrey。　Ask　the　dumb　stars。　Ask　the　God

you　worship；　for　I　cannot　answer；　save　in　one　wordSomewhere！

Man；　be　not　afraid。　Do　you　think　that　such　as　you　and　I　can　be

lost　in　the　aching　abysms　of　space？　I　know　but　little；　yet　I　tell

you　that　we　are　its　rulers。　I　tell　you　that　we；　too；　are　gods；　if

only　we　can　aspire　and　believe。　For　the　doubting　and　timid　there

is　naught。　For　those　who　see　with　the　eyes　of　the　soul　and

stretch　out　their　hands　to　grasp　there　is　all。　Even　Bastin　will

tell　you　this。〃



〃But；〃　I　said；　〃life　is　short。　Those　worlds　are　far　away；　and

you　are　near。〃



She　became　wonderful；　mysterious。



〃Near　I　am　far；〃　she　said；　〃and　far　I　am　near；　if　only　this

love　of　yours　is　strong　enough　to　follow　and　to　clasp。　And；

Humphrey；　it　needs　strength；　for　here　I　am　afraid　that　it　will

bear　little　of　such　fruit　as　men　desire　to　pluck。〃



Again　terror　took　hold　of　me；　and　I　looked　at　her；　for

I　did　not　know　what　to　say　or　ask。



〃Listen；〃　she　went　on。　〃Already　my　father　has　offered　me　to　you

in　marriage；　has　he　not；　but　at　a　price　which　you　do　not

understand？　Believe　me；　it　is　one　that　you　should　never　pay；

since　the　rule　of　the　world　can　be　too　dearly　bought　by　the

slaughter　of　half　the　world。　And　if　you　would　pay　it；　I　cannot。〃



〃But　this　is　madness！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Your　father　has　no　powers

over　our　earth。〃



〃I　would　that　I　could　think　so；　Humphrey。　I　tell　you　that　he

has　powers　and　that　it　is　his　purpose　to　use　them　as　he　has　done

before。　You；　too；　he　would　use；　and　me。〃



〃And；　if　so；　Yva；　we　are　lords　of　ourselves。　Let　us　take　each

other　while　we　may。　Bastin　is　a　priest。〃



〃Lords　of　ourselves！　Why；　for　ought　I　know；　at　this　very　moment

Oro　watches　us　in　his　thought　and　laughs。　Only　in　death；

Humphrey；　shall　we　pass　beyond　his　reach　and　become　lords　of

ourselves。〃



〃It　is　monstrous！〃　I　cried。　〃There　is　the　boat；　let　us　fly

away。〃



〃What　boat　can　bear　us　out　of　stretch　of　the　arm　of　the　old　god

of　my　people；　Fate；　whereof　Oro　is　the　high　priest？　Nay；　here　we

must　wait　our　doom。〃



〃Doom；〃　I　said〃doom？　What　then　is　about　to　happen？〃



〃A　terrible　thing；　as　I　think；　Humphrey。　Or；　rather；　it　will

not　happen。〃



〃Why　not；　if　it　must？〃



〃Beloved；〃　she　whispered；　〃Bastin　has　expounded　t