when the world shook-第47章

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character。　Indeed　he　went　so　far　as　to　declare　that；　with　certain

modifications；　it　should　be　continued　in　the　future；　and　even　to

intimate　that　he　would　bear　the　matter　in　mind。　Democratic　forms

of　government　had　no　charms　for　Oro。



Amongst　other　places；　we　stopped　at　Benares　and　watched　the

funeral　rites　in　progress　upon　the　banks　of　the　holy　Ganges。　The

bearers　of　the　dead　brought　the　body　of　a　woman　wrapped　in　a　red

shroud　that　glittered　with　tinsel　ornaments。　Coming　forward　at　a

run　and　chanting　as　they　ran；　they　placed　it　upon　the　stones　for

a　little　while；　then　lifted　it　up　again　and　carried　it　down　the

steps　to　the　edge　of　the　river。　Here　they　took　water　and　poured

it　over　the　corpse；　thus　performing　the　rite　of　the　baptism　of

death。　This　done；　they　placed　its　feet　in　the　water　and　left　it

looking　very　small　and　lonely。　Presently　appeared　a　tall；

white…draped　woman　who　took　her　stand　by　the　body　and　wailed。　It

was　the　dead　one's　mother。　Again　the　bearers　approached　and　laid

the　corpse　upon　the　flaming　pyre。



〃These　rites　are　ancient；〃　said　Oro。　〃When　I　ruled　as　King　of

the　World　they　were　practised　in　this　very　place。　It　is　pleasant

to　me　to　find　something　that　has　survived　the　changefulness　of

Time。　Let　it　continue　till　the　end。〃





Here　I　will　cease。　These　experiences　that　I　have　recorded　are

but　samples；　for　also　we　visited　Russia　and　other　countries。

Perhaps；　too；　they　were　not　experiences　at　all；　but　only　dreams

consequent　on　my　state　of　health。　I　cannot　say　for　certain；

though　much　of　what　I　seemed　to　see　fitted　in　very　well　indeed

with　what　I　learned　in　after　days；　and　certainly　at　the　time　they

appeared　as　real　as　though　Oro　and　I　had　stood　together　upon

those　various　shores。







Chapter　XXI



Love's　Eternal　Altar





Now　of　all　these　happenings　I　said　very　little　to　Bastin　and

Bickley。　The　former　would　not　have　understood　them；　and　the

latter　attributed　what　I　did　tell　him　to　mental　delusions

following　on　my　illness。　To　Yva　I　did　speak　about　them；　however；

imploring　her　to　explain　their　origin　and　to　tell　me　whether　or

not　they　were　but　visions　of　the　night。



She　listened　to　me；　as　I　thought　not　without　anxiety；　from

which　I　gathered　that　she　too　feared　for　my　mind。　It　was　not　so；

however；　for　she　said：



〃I　am　glad；　O　Humphrey；　that　your　journeyings　are　done；　since

such　things　are　not　without　danger。　He　who　travels　far　out　of　the

body　may　chance　to　return　there　no　more。〃



〃But　were　they　journeyings；　or　dreams？〃　I　asked。



She　evaded　a　direct　answer。



〃I　cannot　say。　My　father　has　great　powers。　I　do　not　know　them

all。　It　is　possible　that　they　were　neither　journeyings　nor

dreams。　Mayhap　he　used　you　as　the　sorcerers　in　the　old　days　used

the　magic　glass；　and　after　he　had　put　his　spell　upon　you；　read　in

your　mind　that　which　passes　elsewhere。〃



I　understood　her　to　refer　to　what　we　call　clairvoyance；　when

the　person　entranced　reveals　secret　or　distant　things　to　the

entrancer。　This　is　a　more　or　less　established　phenomenon　and　much

less　marvelous　than　the　actual　transportation　of　the　spiritual

self　through　space。　Only　I　never　knew　of　an　instance　in　which　the

seer；　on　awaking；　remembered　the　things　that　he　had　seen；　as　in

my　case。　There；　however；　the　matter　rested；　or　rests；　for　I　could

extract　nothing　more　from　Yva；　who　appeared　to　me　to　have　her

orders　on　the　point。



Nor　did　Oro　ever　talk　of　what　I　had　seemed　to　see　in　his

company；　although　he　continued　from　time　to　time　to　visit　me　at

night。　But　now　our　conversation　was　of　other　matters。　As　Bastin

had　discovered；　by　some　extraordinary　gift　he　had　soon　learned

how　to　read　the　English　language；　although　he　never　spoke　a

single　word　in　that　tongue。　Among　our　reference　books　that　we

brought　from　the　yacht；　was　a　thin　paper　edition　of　the

Encyclopedia　Britannica；　which　he　borrowed　when　he　discovered

that　it　contained　compressed　information　about　the　various

countries　of　the　world；　also　concerning　almost　every　other

matter。　My　belief　is　that　within　a　month　or　so　that　marvelous

old　man　not　only　read　this　stupendous　work　from　end　to　end；　but

that　he　remembered　everything　of　interest　which　it　contained。　At

least；　he　would　appear　and　show　the　fullest　acquaintance　with

certain　subjects　or　places；　seeking　further　light　from　me

concerning　them；　which　very　often　I　was　quite　unable　to　give　him。



An　accident；　as　it　chanced；　whereof　I　need　not　set　out　the

details；　caused　me　to　discover　that　his　remarkable　knowledge　was

limited。　Thus；　at　one　period；　he　knew　little　about　any　modern

topic　which　began　with　a　letter　later　in　the　alphabet　than；　let

us　say；　C。　A　few　days　afterwards　he　was　acquainted　with　those　up

to　F；　or　G；　and　so　on　till　he　reached　Z；　when　he　appeared　to　me

to　know　everything；　and　returned　the　book。　Now；　indeed；　he　was　a

monument　of　learning；　very　ancient　and　very　new；　and　with　some

Encyclopedia…garnered　facts　or　deductions　of　what　had　happened

between。



Moreover；　he　took　to　astronomical　research；　for　more　than　once

we　saw　him　standing　on　the　rock　at　night　studying　the　heavens。　On

one　of　these　occasions；　when　he　had　the　two　metal　plates；　of

which　I　have　spoken；　in　his　hands；　I　ventured　to　approach　and　ask

what　he　did。　He　replied　that　he　was　checking　his　calculations

that　he　found　to　be　quite　correct；　an　exact　period　of　two　hundred

and　fifty　thousand　years　having　gone　by　since　he　laid　himself

down　to　sleep。　Then；　by　aid　of　the　plates；　he　pointed　out　to　me

certain　alterations　that　had　happened　during　that　period　in　the

positions　of　some　of　the　stars。



For　instance；　he　showed　me　one　which；　by　help　of　my　glasses；　I

recognised　as　Sirius；　and　remarked　that　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years　ago　it　was　further　away　and　much　smaller。　Now　it

was　precisely　in　the　place　and　of　the　size　which　he　had

predicted；　and　he　pointed　to　it　on　his　prophetic　map。　Again　he

indicated　a　star　that　the　night…glass　told　me　was　Capella；　which；

I　suppose；　is　one　of　the　most　brilliant　stars　in　the　sky；　and

showed　me　that　on　the　map　he　had　made　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　years　ago；　it　did　not　exist；　as　then　it　was　too　far

north　to　appear　thereon。　Still；　he　observed；　the　passage　of　this

vast　period　of　time　had　produced　but　little　effect　upon　the　face

of　the　heavens。　To　the　human　eye　the　majority　of　the　stars　had

not　moved　so　very　far。



〃And　yet　they　travel　fast；　O　Humphrey；〃　he　said。　〃Consider　then

how　great　is　their　journey　between　the　time　they　gather　and　that

day　when；　worn…out；　once　more　they　melt　to　vaporous　gas。　You

think　me　long…lived　who　compared　to　them　exist　but　a　tiny

fraction　of　a　second；　nearly　all　of　which　I　have　been　doomed　to

pass　in　sleep。　And；　Humphrey；　I　desire　to　liveI；　who　have　great

plans　and　would　shake　the　world。　But　my　day　draws　in；　a　few　brief

centuries　and　I　shall　be　gone；　andwhither；　whither？〃



〃If　you　lived　as　long　as　those　stars；　the　end　would　be　the

same；　Oro。〃



〃Yes；　but　the　life　of　the　stars　is　very　long；　millions　of

millions　of　years；　also；　after　death；　they　reform；　as　other

stars。　But　shall　I　reform　as　another　Oro？　With　all　my　wisdom；　I

do　not　know。　It　is　known　to　Fate　onlyFate…the　master　of　worlds

and　men　and　the　gods　they　worshipFate；　whom　it　may　please　to

spill　my　gathered　knowledge；　to　be　lost　in　the　sands　of　Time。〃



〃It　seems　that　you　are　great；〃　I　said；　〃and　have　lived　long　and

learned　much。　Yet　the　end　of　it　is　that　your　lot　is　neither　worse

nor　better　than　that　of　us　creatures　of　an　hour。〃



〃It　is　so；　Humphrey。　Presently　you　will　die；　and　within　a　few

centuries　I　shall　die　also　and　be　as　you　are。　You　believe　that

you　will　live　again　eternally。　It　may　be　so　because　you　do

believe；　since　Fate　allows　Faith　to　shape　the　future；　if　only　for

a　little　while。　But　in　me　Wisdom　has　destroyed　Faith　and

therefore　I　must　die。　Even　if　I　sleep　again　for　tens　of　thousands

of　years；　what　will　it　help　me；　seeing　that　sleep　is

unconsciousness　and　that　I　shall　only　wake　again　to　die；　since

sleep　does　not　restore　to　us　our　youth？〃



He　ceased；　and　walked　up　and　down　the　rock　with　a　troubled

mien。　Then　he　stood　in　front　of　me　and　said　in　a　triumphant

voice：



〃At　least；　while　I　live　I　will　rule；　and　then　let　come　what　may

come。　I　know　that　you　do　not　believe；　and　the　first　victory　of

this　new　day　of　mine　shall　be　to　make　you　believe。　I　have　great

powers　and　you　shall　see　them　at　work；　and　afterwards；　if　things

go　right；　rule　with　me　for　a　little　while；　perhaps；　as　the　first

of　my　subjects。　Hearken　now；　in　one　small　matter　my　calculations；

made　so　long　ago；　have　gone　wrong。　They　showed　me　that　at　this

time　a　day　of　earthquakes；　such　as　those　that　again　and　again

have　rocked　and　split　the　world；　would　recur。　But　now　it　seems

that　there　is　an　error；　a　tiny　error　of　eleven　hundred　years；

which　must　go　by　before　those　earthquakes　come。〃



〃Are　you　sure；〃　I　suggested　humbly；　〃that　there　is　not　also　an

error　in　those　star…maps　you　hold？〃



〃I　am　sure；　Humphrey。　Some　day；　who　knows？　You　may　return　to

your　world　of　modern　men　who；　I　gather；　have　knowledge　of　the

great　science　of　astronomy。　Take　now　these　maps　with　which　I　have

done；　and　submit　them　to　the　most　learned　of　those　men；　and　let

them　tell　you　whether　I　was　right　or　wrong　in　what　I　wrote　upon

this　metal　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　ago。　Whatever

else　is　false；　at　least　the　stars　in　their　motions　can　never

die。〃



Then　he　handed　me　the　maps　and　was　gone。　I　have　them　today；　and

if　ever　this　book　is　published；　they　will　appear　with　it；　that

those　who　are　qualified　may　judge　of　them　and　of　the　truth　or

otherwise　of　Oro's　words。



From　that　night　forward　for　quite　a　long　time　I　saw　Oro　no

more。　Nor　indeed　did　any　of　us；　since　for　some　reason　of　his　own

he　forbade　us　to　visit　the　under　ground　city　of　Nyo。　Oddly

enough；　however；　he　commanded　Yva　to　bring　down　the　spaniel；

Tommy；　to　be　with　him　from　time　to　time。　When　I　asked　her　why；

she　said　it　was　because　he　was　lonely　and　desired　the　dog's

companionship。　It　seemed　to　us　very　strange　that　this　super…man；

who　had　the　wisdom　of　ten　Solomons　gathered　in　one　within　his

breast；　should　yet　desire　the　company　of　a　little　dog。　What　then

was　the　worth　of　learning　and　long　life；　or；　indeed；　of　anything？

Well；　Solomon　himself　asked　the　question　ages　since；　and　could

give　no　answer　save　that　all　is　vanity。



I　noted　about　this　time　that　Yva　began　to　grow　very　sad　and

troubled；　indeed；　looking　at　her　suddenly　on　two　or　three

occasions；　I　saw　that　her　beautiful　eyes　were　aswim　with　tears。

Also；　I　noted　that　always　as　she　grew　sadder　she　became；　in　a

sense；　more　human。　In　the　beginning　she　was；　as　it　were；　far

away。　One　could　never　forget　that　she　was　the　child　of　some　alien

race　whose　eyes　had　looked　upon　the　world　when；　by　comparison；

humanity　was　young；　at　times；　indeed；　she　might　have