Chapter XVIII. The Accident
Bickley did return, having recovered his temper, since after all it wasimpossible for anyone to remain angry with the Lady Yva for long, and wespent a very happy time together. We instructed and she was the humblepupil.
How swift and nimble was her intelligence! In that one morning shelearned all our alphabet and how to write our letters. It appeared thatamong her people, at any rate in their later periods, the only form ofwriting that was used was a highly concentrated shorthand which savedlabour. They had no journals, since news which arrived telepathicallyor by some form of wireless was proclaimed to those who cared to listen,and on it all formed their own judgments. In the same way poems and evenromances were repeated, as in Homer's day or in the time of the Norsesagas, by word of mouth. None of their secret knowledge was writtendown. Like the ritual of Freemasonry it was considered too sacred.
Moreover, when men lived for hundreds of years this was not sonecessary, especially as their great fear was lest it should fall intothe hands of the outside nations, whom they called Barbarians. For, beit remembered, these Sons of Wisdom were always a very small peoplewho ruled by the weight of their intelligence and the strength of theiraccumulated lore. Indeed, they could scarcely be called a people; ratherwere they a few families, all of them more or less connected with theoriginal ruling Dynasty which considered itself half divine. Thesefamilies were waited upon by a multitude of servants or slaves drawnfrom the subject nations, for the most part skilled in one art oranother, or perhaps, remarkable for their personal beauty. Still theyremained outside the pale.
The Sons of Wisdom did not intermarry with them or teach them theirlearning, or even allow them to drink of their Life-water. They ruledthem as men rule dogs, treating them with kindness, but no more, and asmany dogs run their course and die in the lifetime of one master, so didmany of these slaves in that of one of the Sons of Wisdom. Therefore,the slaves came to regard their lords not as men, but gods. They livedbut three score years and ten like the rest of us, and went their way,they, whose great-great-grandfathers had served the same master andwhose great-great-great-grandchildren would still serve him. What shouldwe think of a lord who we knew was already adult in the time of Williamthe Conqueror, and who remained still vigorous and all-powerful in thatof George V? One, moreover, who commanded almost infinite knowledge towhich we were denied the key? We might tremble before him and look uponhim as half-divine, but should we not long to kill him and possess hisknowledge and thereby prolong our own existence to his wondrous measure?
Such, said Yva, was the case with their slaves and the peoples fromwhence these sprang. They grew mad with jealous hate, till at lengthcame the end we knew.
Thus we talked on for hours till the time came for us to eat. As beforeYva partook of fruit and we of such meats as we had at hand. These,we noticed, disgusted her, because, as she explained, the Children ofWisdom, unless driven thereto by necessity, touched no flesh, but livedon the fruits of the earth and wine alone. Only the slaves and theBarbarians ate flesh. In these views Bickley for once agreed withher, that is, except as regards the wine, for in theory, if not inpractice--he was a vegetarian.
"I will bring you more of the Life-water," she said, "and then you willgrow to hate these dead things, as I do. And now farewell. My fathercalls me. I hear him though you do not. To-morrow I cannot come, but theday after I will come and bring you the Life-water. Nay, accompany menot, but as I see he wishes it, let Tommy go with me. I will care forhim, and he is a friend in all that lonely place."
So she went, and with her Tommy, rejoicing.
"Ungrateful little devil!" said Bickley. "Here we've fed and pettedhim from puppyhood, or at least you have, and yet he skips off with thefirst stranger. I never saw him behave like that to any woman, exceptyour poor wife."
"I know," I answered. "I cannot understand it. Hullo! here comesBastin."
Bastin it was, dishevelled and looking much the worse for wear, alsominus his Bible in the native tongue.
"Well, how have you been getting on?" said Bickley.
"I should like some tea, also anything there is to eat."
We supplied him with these necessaries, and after a while he said slowlyand solemnly:
"I cannot help thinking of a childish story which Bickley told orinvented one night at your house at home. I remember he had an argumentwith my wife, which he said put him in mind of it, I am sure I don'tknow why. It was about a monkey and a parrot that were left togetherunder a sofa for a long while, where they were so quiet that everybodyforgot them. Then the parrot came out with only one feather left in itstail and none at all on its body, saying, 'I've had no end of a time!'after which it dropped down and died. Do you know, I feel just like thatparrot, only I don't mean to die, and I think I gave the monkey quite asgood as he gave me!"
"What happened?" I asked, intensely interested.
"Oh! the Glittering Lady took me into that palace hall where Oro wassitting like a spider in a web, and left me there. I got to work atonce. He was much interested in the Old Testament stories and said therewere points of truth about them, although they had evidently come downto the modern writer--he called him a modern writer--in a legendaryform. I thought his remarks impertinent and with difficulty refrainedfrom saying so. Leaving the story of the Deluge and all that, I spoke ofother matters, telling him of eternal life and Heaven and Hell, of whichthe poor benighted man had never heard. I pointed out especially thatunless he repented, his life, by all accounts, had been so wicked, thathe was certainly destined to the latter place."
"What did he say to that?" I asked.
"Do you know, I think it frightened him, if one could imagine Oro beingfrightened. At any rate he remarked that the truth or falsity of what Isaid was an urgent matter for him, as he could not expect to live morethan a few hundred years longer, though perhaps he might prolong theperiod by another spell of sleep. Then he asked me why I thought him sowicked. I replied because he himself said that he had drowned millionsof people, which showed an evil heart and intention even if it werenot a fact. He thought a long while and asked what could be done in thecircumstances. I replied that repentance and reparation were the onlycourses open to him."
"Reparation!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, reparation was what I said, though I think I made a mistake there,as you will see. As nearly as I can remember, he answered that he wasbeginning to repent, as from all he had learned from us, he gatheredthat the races which had arisen as a consequence of his action, wereworse than those which he had destroyed. As regards reparation, whathe had done once he could do again. He would think the matter overseriously, and see if it were possible and advisable to raise thoseparts of the world which had been sunk, and sink those which had beenraised. If so, he thought that would make very handsome amends to thedeparted nations and set him quite right with any superior Power, ifsuch a thing existed. What are you laughing at, Bickley? I don't thinkit a laughing matter, since such remarks do not seem to me to indicateany real change in Oro's heart, which is what I was trying to effect."
Bickley, who was convulsed with merriment, wiped his eyes and said:
"You dear old donkey, don't you see what you have done, or rather wouldhave done if there were a word of truth in all this ridiculous storyabout a deluge? You would be in the way of making your precious pupil,who certainly is the most masterly old liar in the world, repeat hisoffence and send Europe to the bottom of the sea."
"That did occur to me, but it doesn't much matter as I am quite certainthat such a thing would never be allowed. Of course there was a realdeluge once, but Oro had no more to do with it than I had. Don't youagree, Arbuthnot?"
"I think so," I answered cautiously, "but really in this place I ambeginning to lose count of what is or is not possible. Also, of course,there may have been many deluges; indeed the history of the world showsthat this was so; it is written in its geological strata. What was theend of it?"
"The end was that he took the South Sea Bible and,
after I had explaineda little about our letters, seemed to be able to read it at once. Isuppose he was acquainted with the art of printing in his youth. At anyrate he said that he would study it, I don't know how, unless he canread, and that in two days' time he would let me know what he thoughtabout the matter of my religion. Then he told me to go. I said that Idid not know the way and was afraid of losing myself. Thereupon he wavedhis hand, and I really can't say what happened."
"Did you levitate up here," asked Bickley, "like the late lamented Mr.Home at the spiritualistic seances?"
"No, I did not exactly levitate, but something or someone seemed to geta hold of me, and I was just rushed along in a most tumultuous fashion.The next thing I knew was that I was standing at the door of thatsepulchre, though I have no recollection of going up in the lift, orwhatever it is. I believe those beastly caves are full of ghosts, ordevils, and the worst of it is that they have kept my solar-tope, whichI put on this morning forgetting that it would be useless there."
"The Lady Yva's Fourth Dimension in action," I suggested, "only itwouldn't work on solar-topes."
"I don't know what you are talking about," said Bastin, "but if my hathad to be left, why not my boots and other garments? Please stop yournonsense and pass the tea. Thank goodness I haven't got to go down theretomorrow, as he seems to have had enough of me for the present, so Ivote we all pay a visit to the ship. It will be a very pleasant change.I couldn't stand two days running with that old fiend, and his ghosts ordevils in the cave."
Next morning accordingly, fearing no harm from the Orofenans, we tookthe canoe and rowed to the main island. Marama had evidently seenus coming, for he and a number of his people met us with everydemonstration of delight, and escorted us to the ship. Here we foundthings just as we had left them, for there had been no attempt at theftor other mischief.
While we were in the cabin a fit of moral weakness seemed to overcomeBickley, the first and I may add the last from which I ever saw himsuffer.
"Do you know," he said, addressing us, "I think that we should dowell to try to get out of this place. Eliminating a great deal of themarvelous with which we seem to have come in touch here, it isstill obvious that we find ourselves in very peculiar and unhealthysurroundings. I mean mentally unhealthy, indeed I think that if we stayhere much longer we shall probably go off our heads. Now that boat onthe deck remains sound and seaworthy. Why should not we provision herand take our chance? We know more or less which way to steer."
Bastin and I looked at each other. It was he who spoke first.
"Wouldn't it be rather a risky job in an open boat?" he asked. "However,that doesn't matter much because I don't take any account of risks,knowing that I am of more value than a sparrow and that the hairs of myhead are all numbered."
"They might be numbered under water as well as above it," mutteredBickley, "and I feel sure that on your own showing, you would be asvaluable dead as alive."
"What I seem to feel," went on Bastin, "is that I have work to my handhere. Also, the locum tenens at Fulcombe no doubt runs the parish aswell as I could. Indeed I consider him a better man for the place thanI am. That old Oro is a tough proposition, but I do not despair of himyet, and besides him there is the Glittering Lady, a most open-mindedperson, whom I have not yet had any real opportunity of approaching ina spiritual sense. Then there are all these natives who cannot learnwithout a teacher. So on the whole I think I would rather stay where Iam until Providence points out some other path."
"I am of the same opinion, if for somewhat different reasons," I said."I do not suppose that it has often been the fortune of men to come intouch with such things as we have found upon this island. They may beillusions, but at least they are very interesting illusions. One mightlive ten lifetimes and find nothing else of the sort. Therefore I shouldlike to see the end of the dream."
Bickley reflected a little, then said:
"On the whole I agree with you. Only my brain totters and I am terriblyafraid of madness. I cannot believe what I seem to hear and see, andthat way madness lies. It is better to die than to go mad."
"You'll do that anyway when your time comes, Bickley, I mean decease,of course," interrupted Bastin. "And who knows, perhaps all this is anopportunity given by Providence to open your eyes, which, I must say,are singularly blind. You think you know everything there is to learn,but the fact is that like the rest of us, you know nothing at all, andgood man though you are, obstinately refuse to admit the truth and toseek support elsewhere. For my part I believe that you are afraid offalling in love with that Glittering Lady and of being convinced by herthat you are wrong in your most unsatisfactory conclusions."
"I am out-voted anyway," said Bickley, "and for the rest, Bastin, lookafter yourself and leave me alone. I will add that on the whole I thinkyou are both right, and that it is wisest for us to stop where we are,for after all we can only die once."
"I am not so sure, Bickley. There is a thing called the second death,which is what is troubling that old scoundrel, Oro. Now I will go andlook for those books."
So the idea of flight was abandoned, although I admit that even tomyself it had attractions. For I felt that I was being wrapped in anet of mysteries from which I saw no escape. Yes, and of more thanmysteries; I who had sworn that I would never look upon another woman,was learning to love this sweet and wondrous Yva, and of that what couldbe the end?
We collected all we had come to seek, and started homewards escortedby Marama and his people, including a number of young women who dancedbefore us in a light array of flowers.
Passing our old house, we came to the grove where the idol Oro had stoodand Bastin was so nearly sacrificed. There was another idol there nowwhich he wished to examine, but in the end did not as the natives soobviously objected. Indeed Marama told me that notwithstanding themysterious death of the sorcerers on the Rock of Offerings, there wasstill a strong party in the island who would be glad to do us a mischiefif any further affront were offered to their hereditary god.
He questioned us also tentatively about the apparition, for such heconceived it to be, which had appeared upon the rock and killed thesorcerers, and I answered him as I thought wisest, telling him that aterrible Power was afoot in the land, which he would do well to obey.
"Yes," he said; "the God of the Mountain of whom the tradition has comedown to us from our forefathers. He is awake again; he sees, he hearsand we are afraid. Plead with him for us, O Friend-from-the-Sea."
As he spoke we were passing through a little patch of thick bush.Suddenly from out of this bush, I saw a lad appear. He wore a mask uponhis face, but from his shape could not have been more than thirteen orfourteen years of age. In his hand was a wooden club. He ran forward,stopped, and with a yell of hate hurled it, I think at Bastin, but ithit me. At any rate I felt a shock and remembered no more.
Dreams. Dreams. Endless dreams! What were they all about? I do not know.It seemed to me that through them continually I saw the stately figureof old Oro contemplating me gravely, as though he were making up hismind about something in which I must play a part. Then there was anotherfigure, that of the gracious but imperial Yva, who from time to time,as I thought, leant over me and whispered in my ear words of restand comfort. Nor was this all, since her shape had a way of changingsuddenly into that of my lost wife who would speak with her voice. Orperhaps my wife would speak with Yva's voice. To my disordered sense itwas as though they were one personality, having two shapes, either ofwhich could be assumed at will. It was most strange and yet to me mostblessed, since in the living I seemed to have found the dead, and in thedead the living. More, I took journeys, or rather some unknown part ofme seemed to do so. One of these I remember, for its majestic characterstamped itself upon my mind in such a fashion that all the waters ofdelirium could not wash it out nor all its winds blow away that memory.
I was travelling through space with Yva a thousand times faster thanlight can flash. We passed sun after sun. They drew near, they grew intoenormous, flaming Glories
round which circled world upon world. Theybecame small, dwindled to points of light and disappeared.
We found footing upon some far land and passed a marvelous white citywherein were buildings with domes of crystal and alabaster, in thelatter of which were set windows made of great jewels; sapphires orrubies they seemed to me. We went on up a lovely valley. To the leftwere hills, down which tumbled waterfalls; to the right was a riverbroad and deep that seemed to overflow its banks as does the Nile.Behind were high mountains on the slopes of which grew forests ofglorious trees, some of them aflame with bloom, while far away up theircrests stood colossal golden statues set wide apart. They looked likeguardian angels watching that city and that vale. The land was lit witha light such as that of the moon, only intensified and of many colours.Indeed looking up, I saw that above us floated three moons, each of thembigger than our own at the full, and gathered that here it was night.
We came to a house set amid scented gardens and having in front of itterraces of flowers. It seemed not unlike my own house at home, but Itook little note of it, because of a woman who sat upon the verandah, ifI may call it so. She was clad in garments of white silk fastened abouther middle with a jewelled girdle. On her neck also was a collar ofjewels. I forget the colour; indeed this seemed to change continuallyas the light from the different moons struck when she moved, but Ithink its prevailing tinge was blue. In her arms this woman nursed abeauteous, sleeping child, singing happily as she rocked it to andfro. Yva went towards the woman who looked up at her step and uttered alittle cry. Then for the first time I saw the woman's face. It was thatof my dead wife!
As I followed in my dream, a little cloud of mist seemed to cover bothmy wife and Yva, and when I reached the place Yva was gone. Only my wiferemained, she and the child. There she stood, solemn and sweet. While Idrew near she laid down the child upon the cushioned seat from whichshe had risen. She stretched out her arms and flung them about me. Sheembraced me and I embraced her in a rapture of reunion. Then turning shelifted up the child, it was a girl, for me to kiss.
"See your daughter," she said, "and behold all that I am making readyfor you where we shall dwell in a day to come."
I grew confused.
"Yva," I said. "Where is Yva who brought me here? Did she go into thehouse?"
"Yes," she answered happily. "Yva went into the house. Look again!"
I looked and it was Yva's face that was pressed against my own, andYva's eyes that gazed into mine. Only she was garbed as my wife hadbeen, and on her bosom hung the changeful necklace.
"You may not stay," she whispered, and lo! it was my wife that spoke,not Yva.
"Tell me what it means?" I implored.
"I cannot," she answered. "There are mysteries that you may not know asyet. Love Yva if you will and I shall not be jealous, for in loving Yvayou love me. You cannot understand? Then know this, that the spirit hasmany shapes, and yet is the same spirit--sometimes. Now I who am far,yet near, bid you farewell a while."
Then all passed in a flash and the dream ended.
Such was the only one of those visions which I can recall.
I seemed to wake up as from a long and tumultuous sleep. The first thingI saw was the palm roof of our house upon the rock. I knew it was ourhouse, for just above me was a palm leaf of which I had myself tied thestalk to the framework with a bit of coloured ribbon that I had chancedto find in my pocket. It came originally from the programme card ofa dance that I had attended at Honolulu and I had kept it because Ithought it might be useful. Finally I used it to secure that loose leaf.I stared at the ribbon which brought back a flood of memories, and as Iwas thus engaged I heard voices talking, and listened--Bickley's voice,and the Lady Yva's.
"Yes," Bickley was saying, "he will do well now, but he went near, verynear."
"I knew he would not die," she answered, "because my father said so."
"There are two sorts of deaths," replied Bickley, "that of the body andthat of the mind. I was afraid that even if he lived, his reason wouldgo, but from certain indications I do not think that will happen now. Hewill get quite well again--though--" and he stopped.
"I am very glad to hear you say so," chimed in Bastin. "For weeksI thought that I should have to read the Burial Service over poorArbuthnot. Indeed I was much puzzled as to the best place to bury him.Finally I found a very suitable spot round the corner there, where itisn't rock, in which one can't dig and the soil is not liable to beflooded. In fact I went so far as to clear away the bush and to mark outthe grave with its foot to the east. In this climate one can't delay,you know."
Weak as I was, I smiled. This practical proceeding was so exactly likeBastin.
"Well, you wasted your labour," exclaimed Bickley.
"Yes, I am glad to say I did. But I don't think it was your operationsand the rest that cured him, Bickley, although you take all the credit.I believe it was the Life-water that the Lady Yva made him drink and thestuff that Oro sent which we gave him when you weren't looking."
"Then I hope that in the future you will not interfere with my cases,"said the indignant Bickley, and either the voices passed away or I wentto sleep.
When I woke up again it was to find the Lady Yva seated at my sidewatching me.
"Forgive me, Humphrey, because I here; others gone out walking," shesaid slowly in English.
"Who taught you my language?" I asked, astonished. "Bastin and Bickley,while you ill, they teach; they teach me much. Man just same now as hewas hundred thousand years ago," she added enigmatically. "All think onewoman beautiful when no other woman there."
"Indeed," I replied, wondering to what proceedings on the part ofBastin and Bickley she alluded. Could that self-centred pair--oh! it wasimpossible.
"How long have I been ill?" I asked to escape the subject which I feltto be uncomfortable.
She lifted her beautiful eyes in search of words and began to count uponher fingers.
"Two moon, one half moon, yes, ten week, counting Sabbath," she answeredtriumphantly.
"Ten weeks!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, Humphrey, ten whole weeks and three days you first bad, then mad.Oh!" she went on, breaking into the Orofenan tongue which she spoke soperfectly, although it was not her own. That language of hers I neverlearned, but I know she thought in it and only translated into Orofenan,because of the great difficulty which she had in rendering her high andrefined ideas into its simpler metaphor, and the strange words whichoften she introduced. "Oh! you have been very ill, friend of my heart.At times I thought that you were going to die, and wept and wept.Bickley thinks that he saved you and he is very clever. But he could nothave saved you; that wanted more knowledge than any of your people have;only I pray you, do not tell him so because it would hurt his pride."
"What was the matter with me then, Yva?"
"All was the matter. First, the weapon which that youth threw--he wasthe son of the sorcerer whom my father destroyed--crushed in the boneof your head. He is dead for his crime and may he be accursed for ever,"she added in the only outbreak of rage and vindictiveness in which Iever saw her indulge.
"One must make excuses for him; his father had been killed," I said.
"Yes, that is what Bastin tells me, and it is true. Still, for thatyoung man I can make no excuse; it was cowardly and wicked. Well,Bickley performed what he calls operation, and the Lord Oro, he came upfrom his house and helped him, because Bastin is no good in such things.Then he can only turn away his head and pray. I, too, helped, holdinghot water and linen and jar of the stuff that made you feel likenothing, although the sight made me feel more sick than anything since Isaw one I loved killed, oh, long, long ago."
"Was the operation successful?" I asked, for I did not dare to begin tothank her.
"Yes, that clever man, Bickley, lifted the bone which had been crushedin. Only then something broke in your head and you began to bleed here,"and she touched what I believe is called the temporal artery. "The veinhad been crushed by the blow, and gave way. Bickley worked and worked,
and just in time he tied it up before you died. Oh! then I felt asthough I loved Bickley, though afterwards Bastin said that I ought tohave loved him, since it was not Bickley who stopped the bleeding, buthis prayer."
"Perhaps it was both," I suggested.
"Perhaps, Humphrey, at least you were saved. Then came another trouble.You took fever. Bickley said that it was because a certain gnat hadbitten you when you went down to the ship, and my father, the Lord Oro,told me that this was right. At the least you grew very weak and lostyour mind, and it seemed as though you must die. Then, Humphrey, I wentto the Lord Oro and kneeled before him and prayed for your life, for Iknew that he could cure you if he would, though Bickley's skill was atan end.
"'Daughter,' he said to me, 'not once but again and again you have setup your will against mine in the past. Why then should I trouble myselfto grant this desire of yours in the present, and save a man who isnothing to me?'
"I rose to my feet and answered, 'I do not know, my Father, yet I amcertain that for your own sake it will be well to do so. I am sure thatof everything even you must give an account at last, great though yoube, and who knows, perhaps one life which you have saved may turn thebalance in your favour.'
"'Surely the priest Bastin has been talking to you,' he said.
"'He has,' I answered, 'and not he alone. Many voices have been talkingto me.'"
"What did you mean by that?" I asked.
"It matters nothing what I meant, Humphrey. Be still and listen to mystory. My father thought a while and answered:
"'I am jealous of this stranger. What is he but a short-livedhalf-barbarian such as we knew in the old days? And yet already youthink more of him than you do of me, your father, the divine Oro who haslived a thousand years. At first I helped that physician to save him,but now I think I wish him dead.'
"'If you let this man die, my Father,' I answered, 'then we part.Remember that I also have of the wisdom of our people, and can use it ifI will.'
"'Then save him yourself,' he said.
"'Perhaps I shall, my Father,' I answered, 'but if so it will not behere. I say that if so we part and you shall be left to rule in yourmajesty alone.'
"Now this frightened the Lord Oro, for he has the weakness that he hatesto be alone.
"'If I do what you will, do you swear never to leave me, Yva?' he asked.'Know that if you will not swear, the man dies.'
"'I swear,' I answered--for your sake, Humphrey--though I did not lovethe oath.
"Then he gave me a certain medicine to mix with the Life-water, and whenyou were almost gone that medicine cured you, though Bickley does notknow it, as nothing else could have done. Now I have told you the truth,for your own ear only, Humphrey."
"Yva," I asked, "why did you do all this for me?"
"Humphrey, I do not know," she answered, "but I think because I must.Now sleep a while."
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