按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
workshop; for such without doubt it was; was drawing near;
emitting as it came a tumult of sounds which; with the echoes
that they caused; almost over…whelmed our senses。 Poor little
Tommy; already cowed; although he was a bold…natured beast; broke
down entirely; and I could see from his open mouth that he was
howling with terror。 He stared about him; then ran to Yva and
pawed at her; evidently asking to be taken into her arms。 She
thrust him away; almost fiercely; and made signs to me to lift
him up and hold him beneath my shield。 This I did; reflecting
sadly that if I was to be sacrificed; Tommy must share my fate。 I
even thought of passing him on to Bickley; but had no time。
Indeed I could not attract his attention; for Bickley was staring
with all his eyes at the nightmare…like spectacle which was in
progress about us。 Indeed no nightmare; no wild imagination of
which the mind of man is capable; could rival the aspect of its
stupendous facts。
Think of them! The unmeasured space of blackness threaded by
those globes of ghastly incandescence that now hung a while and
now shot upwards; downwards; across; apparently without origin or
end; like a stream of meteors that had gone mad。 Then the
travelling mountain; two thousand feet in height; or more; with
its enormous saucer…like rim painted round with bands of lurid
red and blue; and about its grinding foot the tulip bloom of
emitted flame。 Then the fierce…faced Oro at his post; his hand
upon the rod; waiting; remorseless; to drown half of this great
world; with the lovely Yva standing calm…eyed like a saint in
hell and watching me above the edge of the shield which such a
saint might bear to turn aside the fiery darts of the wicked。 And
lastly we three men flattened terror…stricken; against the wall。
Nightmare! Imagination! No; these pale before that scene which
it was given to our human eyes to witness。
And all the while; bending; bowing towards usaway from us
making obeisance to the path in front as though in greeting; to
the path behind as though in farewell; instinct with a horrible
life; with a hideous and gigantic grace; that titanic Terror
whirled onwards to the mark of fate。
At the moment nothing could persuade me that it was not alive
and did not know its awful mission。 Visions flashed across my
mind。 I thought of the peoples of the world sleeping in their
beds; or going about their business; or engaged even in the work
of war。 I thought of the ships upon the seas steaming steadily
towards their far…off ports。 Then I thought of what presently
might happen to them; of the tremors followed by convulsions; of
the sudden crashing down of cities; such as we had seen in the
picture Yva showed us in the Temple; of the inflow of the waters
of the deep piled up in mighty waves; of the woe and desolation
as of the end of the world; and of the quiet; following death。 So
I thought and in my heart prayed to the great Arch…Architect of
the Universe to stretch out His Arm to avert this fearsome ruin
of His handiwork。
Oro glared; his thin fingers tightened their grip upon the rod;
his hair and long beard seemed to bristle with furious and
delighted excitement。 The purple…fringed rim of the Monster had
long overshadowed the whited patch of rock; its grinding foot was
scarce ten yards away。 Oro made more signs to Yva who; beneath
the shelter of her shield; again bent down and did something that
I could not see。 Then; as though her part were played; she rose;
drew the grey hood of her cloak all about her face so that her
eyes alone remained visible; took one step towards me and in the
broken English we had taught her; called into my ear。
〃Humphrey; God you bless! Humphrey; we meet soon。 Forget not
me!〃
She stepped back again before I could attempt to answer; and
next instant with a hideous; concentrated effort; Oro bending
himself double; thrust upon the rod; as I could see from his open
mouth; shouting while he thrust。
At the same moment; with a swift spring; Yva leapt immediately
in front of the lens or window; so that the metallic shield with
which she covered herself pressed against its substance。
Simultaneously Oro flung up his arms as though in horror。
Too late! The shutter fell and from behind it there sprang out
a rush of living flame。 It struck on Yva's shield and expanded to
right and left。 The insulated shield and garments that she wore
seemed to resist it。 For a fraction of time she stood there like
a glowing angel; wrapped in fire。
Then she was swept outwards and upwards and at a little
distance dissolved like a ghost and vanished from our sight。
Yva was ashes! Yva was gone! The sacrifice was consummated!
And not in vain! Not in vain! On her poor breast she had
received the full blast of that hellish lightning flash。 Yet
whilst destroying; it turned away from her; seeking the free
paths of the air。 So it came about that its obstructed strength
struck the foot of the travelling gyroscope; diffused and did not
suffice to thrust it that one necessary inch on which depended
the fate of half the world; or missing it altogether; passed away
on either side。 Even so the huge; gleaming mountain rocked and
trembled。 Once; twice; thrice; it bowed itself towards us as
though in majestic homage to greatness passed away。 For a second;
too; its course was checked; and at the check the earth quaked
and trembled。 Yes; then the world shook; and the blue globes of
fire went out; while I was thrown to the ground。
When they returned again; the flaming monster was once more
sailing majestically upon its way and down the accustomed
left…hand path!
Indeed the sacrifice was not in vain。 The world shookbut Yva
had saved the world!
Chapter XXVI
Tommy
I lay still a while; on my back as I had fallen; and beneath
the shield…like defence which Yva had given to me。
Notwithstanding the fire…resisting; metalised stuff of which it
was made; I noted that it was twisted and almost burnt through。
Doubtless the stored…up electricity or earth magnetism; or
whatever it may have been that had leapt out of that hole; being
diffused by the resistance with which it was met; had grazed me
with its outer edge; and had it not been for the shield and
cloak; I also should have been burned up。 I wished; oh! how I
wished that it had been so。 Then; by now all must have finished
and I should have known the truth as to what awaits us beyond the
change: sleep; or dreams; or perchance the fullest life。 Also I
should not have learned alone。
Lying there thus; idly; as though in a half…sleep; I felt Tommy
licking my face; and throwing my arm about the poor little
frightened beast; I watched the great world…balance as it
retreated on its eternal journey。 At one time its vast projecting
rim had overshadowed us and almost seemed to touch the cliff of
rock against which we leant。 I remember that the effect of that
shining arch a thousand feet or so above our heads was wonderful。
It reminded me of a canopy of blackest thunder clouds supported
upon a framework of wheeling rainbows; while beneath it all the
children of the devil shouted together in joy。 I noted this
effect only a few seconds before Yva spoke to me and leapt into
the path of the flash。
Now; however; it was far away; a mere flaming wheel that became
gradually smaller; and its Satanic voices were growing faint。 As
I have said; I watched its disappearance idly; reflecting that I
should never look upon its like again; also that it was something
well worth going forth to see。 Then I became aware that the
humming; howling din had decreased sufficiently to enable me to
hear human voices without effort。 Bastin was addressing Bickley
like myself they were both upon the ground。
〃Her translation; as you may have noticed; Bickley; if you were
not too frightened; was really very remarkable。 No doubt it will
have reminded you; as it did me; of that of Elijah。 She had
exactly the appearance of a person going up to Heaven in a
vehicle of fire。 The destination was certainly the same; and even
the cloak she wore added a familiar touch and increased the
similarity。〃
〃At any rate it did not fall upon you;〃 answered Bickley with
something like a sob; in a voice of mingled awe and exasperation。
〃For goodness' sake! Bastin; stop your Biblical parallels and let
us adore; yes; let us adore the divinest creature that the earth
has borne!〃
Never have I loved Bickley more than when I heard him utter
those words。
〃'Divinest' is a large term; Bickley; and one to which I
hesitate to subscribe; remembering as I do certain of the
prophets and the Early Fathers with all their faults; not of
course to mention the Apostles。 But〃 here he paused; for
suddenly all three of us became aware of Oro。
He also has been thrown to the ground by the strength of the
pri