when the world shook-第77章

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strange　light；　consisting　of　brilliant　and　intermittent　flashes；

or　globes　of　blue　and　lambent　flame　which　seemed　to　leap　from

nowhere　into　nowhere；　or　sometimes　to　hang　poised　in　mid　air。



〃How　odd　they　are；〃　said　the　voice　of　Bastin　behind　me。　〃They

remind　me　of　those　blue　sparks　which　jump　up　from　the　wires　of

the　tramways　in　London　on　a　dark　night。　You　know；　don't　you；

Bickley？　I　mean　when　the　conductor　pulls　round　that　long　stick

with　an　iron　wheel　on　the　top　of　it。〃



〃Nobody　but　you　could　have　thought　of　such　a　comparison；

Bastin；〃　answered　Bickley。　〃Still；　multiplied　a　thousandfold　they

are　not　unlike。〃



Nor　indeed　were　they；　except　that　each　blue　flash　was　as　big　as

the　full　moon　and　in　one　place　or　another　they　were　so　continuous

that　one　could　have　read　a　letter　by　their　light。　Also　the　effect

of　them　was　ghastly　and　most　unnatural；　terrifying；　too；　since

even　their　brilliance　could　not　reveal　the　extent　of　that

gigantic　hollow　in　the　bowels　of　the　world　wherein　they　leapt　to

and　fro　like　lightnings；　or　hung　like　huge；　uncanny　lanterns。







Chapter　XXV



Sacrifice





〃The　air　in　this　place　must　be　charged　with　some　form　of

electricity；　but　the　odd　thing　is　that　it　does　not　seem　to　harm

us；〃　said　Bickley　in　a　matter…of…fact　fashion　as　though　he　were

determined　not　to　be　astonished。



〃To　me　it　looks　more　like　marsh　fires　or　St。　Elmo　lights；

though　how　these　can　be　where　there　is　no　vapour；　I　do　not　know；〃

I　answered。



As　I　spoke　a　particularly　large　ball　of　flame　fell　from　above。

It　resembled　a　shooting　star　or　a　meteor　more　than　anything　else

that　I　had　ever　seen；　and　made　me　wonder　whether　we　were　not

perhaps　standing　beneath　some　inky；　unseen　sky。



Next　moment　I　forgot　such　speculations；　for　in　its　blue　light；

which　made　him　terrible　and　ghastly；　I　perceived　Oro　standing　in

front　of　us　clad　in　a　long　cloak。



〃Dear　me！〃　said　Bastin；　〃he　looks　just　like　the　devil；　doesn't

he；　and　now　I　come　to　think　of　it；　this　isn't　at　all　a　bad

imitation　of　hell。〃



〃How　do　you　know　it　is　an　imitation？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃Because　whatever　might　be　the　case　with　you；　Bickley；　if　it

were；　the　Lady　Yva　and　I　should　not　be　here。〃



Even　then　I　could　not　help　smiling　at　this　repartee；　but　the

argument　went　no　further　for　Oro　held　up　his　hand　and　Yva　bent

the　knee　in　greeting　to　him。



〃So　you　have　come；　all　of　you；〃　he　said。　〃I　thought　that

perhaps　there　were　one　or　two　who　would　not　find　courage　to　ride

the　flying　stone。　I　am　glad　that　it　is　not　so；　since　otherwise　he

who　had　shown　himself　a　coward　should　have　had　no　share　in　the

rule　of　that　new　world　which　is　to　be。　Therefore　I　chose　yonder

road　that　it　might　test　you。〃



〃Then　if　you　will　be　so　good　as　to　choose　another　for　us　to

return　by；　I　shall　be　much　obliged　to　you；　Oro；〃　said　Bastin。



〃How　do　you　know　that　if　I　did　it　would　not　be　more　terrible；

Preacher？　How　do　you　know　indeed　that　this　is　not　your　last

journey　from　which　there　is　no　return？〃



〃Of　course　I　can't　be　sure　of　anything；　Oro；　but　I　think　the

question　is　one　which　you　might　more　appropriately　put　to

yourself。　According　to　your　own　showing　you　are　now　extremely　old

and　therefore　your　end　is　likely　to　come　at　any　moment。　Of

course；　however；　if　it　did　you　would　have　one　more　journey　to

make；　but　it　wouldn't　be　polite　for　me　to　say　in　what　direction。〃



Oro　heard；　and　his　splendid；　icy　face　was　twisted　with　sudden

rage。　Remembering　the　scene　in　the　temple　where　he　had　grovelled

before　his　god；　uttering　agonised；　unanswered　prayers　for　added

days；　I　understood　the　reason　of　his　wrath。　It　was　so　great　that

I　feared　lest　he　should　kill　Bastin　（who　only　a　few　hours　before；

be　it　remembered；　had　tried　to　kill　him）　then　and　there；　as

doubtless　he　could　have　done　if　he　wished。　Fortunately；　if　he

felt　it；　the　impulse　passed。



〃Miserable　fool！〃　he　said。　〃I　warn　you　to　keep　a　watch　upon

your　words。　Yesterday　you　would　have　slain　me　with　your　toy。

Today　you　stab　me　with　your　ill…omened　tongue。　Be　fearful　lest　I

silence　it　for　ever。〃



〃I　am　not　in　the　least　fearful；　Oro；　since　I　am　sure　that　you

can't　hurt　me　at　all　any　more　than　I　could　hurt　you　last　night

because；　you　see；　it　wasn't　permitted。　When　the　time　comes　for　me

to　die；　I　shall　go；　but　you　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　that。　To

tell　the　truth；　I　am　very　sorry　for　you；　as　with　all　your

greatness；　your　soul　is　of　the　earth；　earthy；　also　sensual　and

devilish；　as　the　Apostle　said；　and；　I　am　afraid；　very　malignant；

and　you　will　have　a　great　deal　to　answer　for　shortly。　Yours　won't

be　a　happy　deathbed；　Oro；　because；　you　see；　you　glory　in　your

sins　and　don't　know　what　repentance　means。〃



I　must　add　that　when　I　heard　these　words　I　was　filled　with　the

most　unbounded　admiration　for　Bastin's　fearless　courage　which

enabled　him　thus　to　beard　this　super…tyrant　in　his　den。　So　indeed

were　we　all；　for　I　read　it　in　Yva's　face　and　heard　Bickley

mutter：



〃Bravo！　Splendid！　After　all　there　is　something　in　faith！〃



Even　Oro　appreciated　it　with　his　intellect；　if　not　with　his

heart；　for　he　stared　at　the　man　and　made　no　answer。　In　the

language　of　the　ring；　he　was　quite　〃knocked　out〃　and；　almost

humbly；　changed　the　subject。



〃We　have　yet　a　little　while；〃　he　said；　〃before　that　happens

which　I　have　decreed。　Come；　Humphrey；　that　I　may　show　you　some　of

the　marvels　of　this　bubble　blown　in　the　bowels　of　the　world；〃　and

he　motioned　to　us　to　pick　up　the　lanterns。



Then　he　led　us　away　from　the　wall　of　the　cavern；　if　such　it

was；　for　a　distance　of　perhaps　six　or　seven　hundred　paces。　Here

suddenly　we　came　to　a　great　groove　in　the　rocky　floor；　as　broad

as　a　very　wide　roadway；　and　mayhap　four　feet　in　depth。　The　bottom

of　this　groove　was　polished　and　glittered；　indeed　it　gave　us　the

impression　of　being　iron；　or　other　ore　which　had　been　welded

together　beneath　the　grinding　of　some　immeasurable　weight。　Just

at　the　spot　where　we　struck　the　groove；　it　divided　into　two；　for

this　reason。



In　its　centre　the　floor　of　iron；　or　whatever　it　may　have　been；

rose；　the　fraction　of　an　inch　at　first；　but　afterwards　more

sharply；　and　this　at　a　spot　where　the　groove　had　a　somewhat　steep

downward　dip　which　appeared　to　extend　onwards　I　know　not　how　far。



Following　along　this　central　rise　for　a　great　way；　nearly　a

mile；　I　should　think；　we　observed　that　it　became　ever　more

pronounced；　till　at　length　it　ended　in　a　razor…edge　cliff　which

stretched　up　higher　than　we　could　see；　even　by　the　light　of　the

electrical　discharges。　Standing　against　the　edge　of　this　cliff；

we　perceived　that　at　a　distance　from　it　there　were　now　two

grooves　of　about　equal　width。　One　of　these　ran　away　into　the

darkness　on　our　right　as　we　faced　the　sharp　edge；　and　at　an　ever…

widening　angle；　while　the　other；　at　a　similar　angle；　ran　into　the

darkness　to　the　left　of　the　knife　of　cliff。　That　was　all。



No；　there　were　two　more　notable　things。　Neither　of　the　grooves

now　lay　within　hundreds　of　yards　of　the　cliff；　perhaps　a　quarter

of　a　mile；　for　be　it　remembered　we　had　followed　the　rising　rock

between　them。　To　put　it　quite　clearly；　it　was　exactly　as　though

one　line　of　rails　had　separated　into　two　lines　of　rails；　as　often

enough　they　do；　and　an　observer　standing　on　high　ground　between

could　see　them　both　vanishing　into　tunnels　to　the　right　and　left；

but　far　apart。



The　second　notable　thing　was　that　the　right…hand　groove；　where

first　we　saw　it　at　the　point　of　separation；　was　not　polished　like

the　left…hand　groove；　although　at　some　time　or　other　it　seemed　to

have　been　subjected　to　the　pressure　of　the　same　terrific　weight

which　cut　its　fellow　out　of　the　bed　of　rock　or　iron；　as　the　sharp

wheels　of　a　heavily　laden　wagon　sink　ruts　into　a　roadway。



〃What　does　it　all　mean；　Lord　Oro？〃　I　asked　when　he　had　led　us

back　to　the　spot　where　the　one　groove　began　to　be　two　grooves；

that　is；　a　mile　or　so　away　from　t