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when the world shook-第71部分

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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

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