when the world shook-第68章

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Also；　if　true　it　is　very　important；　as　I　have　told　you　beforeor

was　it　Bastin？　If　a　man　has　a　soul；　he　lives；　whereas　even　we

Sons　of　Wisdom　die；　and　in　Death　what　is　the　use　of　Wisdom？

Because　you　can　believe；　you　have　souls　and　are　therefore；

perhaps；　heirs　to　life；　foolish　and　ignorant　as　you　are　today。

Therefore　I　admit　you　and　Bastin　to　be　my　equals；　though　Bickley；

who　like　myself　believes　nothing；　is　but　a　common　chemist　and

doctor　of　disease。〃



〃Then　you　bow　to　Faith；　Oro？〃



〃Yes；　and　I　think　that　my　god　Fate　also　bows　to　Faith。　Perhaps；

indeed；　Faith　shapes　Fate；　not　Fate。　Faith。　But　whence　comes　that

faith　which　even　I　with　all　my　learning　cannot　command？　Why　is　it

denied　to　me　and　given　to　you　and　Bastin？〃



〃Because　as　Bastin　would　tell　you；　it　is　a　gift；　though　one

that　is　never　granted　to　the　proud　and　self…sufficient。　Become

humble　as　a　child；　Oro；　and　perchance　you　too　may　acquire　faith。〃



〃And　how　shall　I　become　humble？〃



〃By　putting　away　all　dreams　of　power　and　its　exercise；　if　such

you　have；　and　in　repentance　walking　quietly　to　the　Gates　of

Death；〃　I　replied。



〃For　you；　Humphrey；　who　have　little　or　none　of　these　things；

that　may　be　easy。　But　for　me　who　have　much；　if　not　all；　it　is

otherwise。　You　ask　me　to　abandon　the　certain　for　the　uncertain；

the　known　for　the　unknown；　and　from　a　half…god　communing　with　the

stars；　to　become　an　earthworm　crawling　in　mud　and　lifting　blind

eyes　towards　the　darkness　of　everlasting　night。〃



〃A　god　who　must　die　is　no　god；　half　or　whole；　Oro；　the

earthworm　that　lives　on　is　greater　than　he。〃



〃Mayhap。　Yet　while　I　endure　I　will　be　as　a　god；　so　that　when

night　comes；　if　come　it　must；　I　shall　have　played　my　part　and

left　my　mark　upon　this　little　world　of　ours。　Have　done！〃　he　added

with　a　burst　of　impatience。　〃What　will　you　of　my　daughter？〃



〃What　man　has　always　willed　of　womanherself；　body　and　soul。〃



〃Her　soul　perchance　is　yours；　if　she　has　one；　but　her　body　is

mine　to　give　or　withhold。　Yet　it　can　be　bought　at　a　price；〃　he

added　slowly。



〃So　she　told　me；　Oro。〃



〃I　can　guess　what　she　told　you。　Did　I　not　watch　you　yonder　by

the　lake　when　you　gave　her　a　ring　graved　with　the　signs　of　Life

and　Everlastingness？　The　question　is；　will　you　pay　the　price？〃



〃Not　so；　the　question　iswhat　is　the　price？〃



〃This；　to　enter　my　service　and　henceforth　do　my　willwithout

debate　or　cavil。〃



〃For　what　reward；　Oro？〃



〃Yva　and　the　dominion　of　the　earth　while　you　shall　live；

neither　more　nor　less。〃



〃And　what　is　your　will？〃



〃That　you　shall　learn　in　due　course。　On　the　second　night　from

this　I　command　the　three　of　you　to　wait　upon　me　at　sundown　in　the

buried　halls　of　Nyo。　Till　then　you　see　no　more　of　Yva；　for　I　do

not　trust　her。　She；　too；　has　powers；　though　as　yet　she　does　not

use　them；　and　perchance　she　would　forget　her　oaths；　and　following

some　new　star　of　love；　for　a　little　while　vanish　with　you　out　of

my　reach。　Be　in　the　sepulchre　at　the　hour　of　sundown　on　the

second　day　from　this；　all　three　of　you；　if　you　would　continue　to

live　upon　the　earth。　Afterwards　you　shall　learn　my　will　and　make

your　choice　between　Yva　with　majesty　and　her　loss　with　death。〃



Then　suddenly　he　was　gone。





Next　morning　I　told　the　others　what　had　passed；　and　we　talked

the　matter　over。　The　trouble　was；　of　course；　that　Bickley　did　not

believe　me。　He　had　no　faith　in　my　alleged　interviews　with　Oro；

which　he　set　down　to　delusions　of　a　semi…mesmeric　character。　This

was　not　strange；　since　it　appeared　that　on　the　previous　night　he

had　watched　the　door　of　my　sleeping…place　until　dawn　broke；　which

it　did　long　after　Oro　had　departed；　and　he　had　not　seen　him

either　come　or　go；　although　the　moon　was　shining　brightly。



When　he　told　me　this　I　could　only　answer　that　all　the　same　he

had　been　there　as；　if　he　could　speak；　Tommy　would　have　been　able

to　certify。　As　it　chanced　the　dog　was　sleeping　with　me　and　at　the

first　sound　of　the　approach　of　someone；　woke　up　and　growled。　Then

recognising　Oro；　he　went　to　him；　wagged　his　tail　and　curled

himself　up　at　his　feet。



Bastin　believed　my　story　readily　enough；　saying　that　Oro　was　a

peculiar　person　who　no　doubt　had　ways　of　coming　and　going　which

we　did　not　understand。　His　point　was；　however；　that　he　did　not　in

the　least　wish　to　visit　Nyo　any　more。　The　wonders　of　its

underground　palaces　and　temples　had　no　charms　for　him。　Also　he

did　not　think　he　could　do　any　good　by　going；　since　after　〃sucking

him　as　dry　as　an　orange〃　with　reference　to　religious　matters

〃that　old　vampire…bat　Oro　had　just　thrown　him　away　like　the

rind；〃　and；　he　might　add；　〃seemed　no　better　for　the　juice　he　had

absorbed。〃



〃I　doubt；〃　continued　Bastin；　〃whether　St。　Paul　himself　could

have　converted　Oro；　even　if　he　performed　miracles　before　him。

What　is　the　use　of　showing　miracles　to　a　man　who　could　always

work　a　bigger　one　himself？〃



In　short；　Bastin's　one　idea；　and　Bickley's　also　for　the　matter

of　that；　was　to　get　away　to　the　main　island　and　thence　escape　by

means　of　the　boat；　or　in　some　other　fashion。



I　pointed　out　that　Oro　had　said　we　must　obey　at　the　peril　of

our　lives；　indeed　that　he　had　put　it　even　more　strongly；　using

words　to　the　effect　that　if　we　did　not　he　would　kill　us。



〃I'd　take　the　risk；〃　said　Bickley；　〃since　I　believe　that

you　dreamt　it　all；　Arbuthnot。　However；　putting　that

aside；　there　is　a　natural　reason　why　you　should　wish　to

go；　and　for　my　own　part；　so　do　I　in　a　way。　I　want　to　see

what　that　old　fellow　has　up　his　extremely　long　sleeve；　if

there　is　anything　there　at　all。〃



〃Well；　if　you　ask　me；　Bickley；〃　I　answered；　〃I　believe　it　is

the　destruction　of　half　the　earth；　or　some　little　matter　of　that

sort。〃



At　this　suggestion　Bickley　only　snorted；　but　Bastin　said

cheerfully：



〃I　dare　say。　He　is　bad　enough　even　for　that。　But　as　I　am　quite

convinced　that　it　will　never　be　allowed；　his　intentions　do　not

trouble　me。〃



I　remarked　that　he　seemed　to　have　carried　them　out　once　before。



〃Oh！　you　mean　the　Deluge。　Well；　no　doubt　there　was　a　deluge；

but　I　am　sure　that　Oro　had　no　more　to　do　with　it　than　you　or　I；

as　I　think　I　have　said　already。　Anyhow　it　is　impossible　to　leave

you　to　descend　into　that　hole　alone。　I　suggest；　therefore；　that

we　should　go　into　the　sepulchre　at　the　time　which　you　believe　Oro

appointed；　and　see　what　happens。　If　you　are　not　mistaken；　the

Glittering　Lady　will　come　there　to　fetch　us；　since　it　is　quite

certain　that　we　cannot　work　the　lift　or　whatever　it　is；　alone。　If

you　are　mistaken　we　can　just　go　back　to　bed　as　usual。〃



〃Yes；　that's　the　best　plan；〃　said　Bickley；　shortly；　after　which

the　conversation　came　to　an　end。



All　that　day　and　the　next　I　watched　and　waited　in　vain　for　the

coming　of　Yva；　but　no　Yva　appeared。　I　even　went　as　far　as　the

sepulchre；　but　it　was　as　empty　as　were　the　two　crystal　coffins；

and　after　waiting　a　while　I　returned。　Although　I　did　not　say　so

to　Bickley；　to　me　it　was　evident　that　Oro；　as　he　had　said；　was

determined　to　cut　off　all　communication　between　us。



The　second　day　drew　to　its　close。　Our　simple　preparations　were

complete。　They　consisted　mainly　in　making　ready　our　hurricane

lamps　and　packing　up　a　little　food；　enough　to　keep　us　for　three

or　four　days　if　necessary；　together　with　some　matches　and　a　good

supply　of　oil；　since；　as　Bastin　put　it；　he　was　determined　not　to

be　caught　like　the　foolish　virgins　in　the　parable。



〃You　see；〃　he　added；　〃one　never　knows　when　it　might　please　that

old　wretch　to　turn　off　the　incandescent　gas　or　electric　light；　or

whatever　it　is　he　uses　to　illumine　his　family　catacombs；　and　then

it　would　be　awkward　if　we　had　no　oil。〃



〃For　the　matter　of　that　he　might　steal　our　lamps；〃

suggested　Bickley；　〃in　which　case　we　should　be　where

Moses　was　when　the　light　went　out。〃



〃I　have　considered　that　possibility；〃　answered　Bastin；　〃and

therefore；　although　it　is　a　dangerous　weap