Part 45 (2/2)

”Oh, the jungle shadows! The jungle shadows!”

After that he did not know whether it was night or day, until he heard the end of a sentence from the doctor from Poona:

”. . . only four hours left to break the fever.”

The room was in great still heat--heat of a burning night, a smothering heat to the couch from a distant lamp--the fire of the day coming up from the ground like flashes of anger. . . .

A strange stillness was settling on everything; the silence before had not been so heavy. The old family doctor from Poona came into it; and Margaret Annesley stood by him near the bed.

”Carlin has not spoken for more than an hour,” Skag heard her tell him.

It seemed long before he answered:

”She has pa.s.sed too far down into the shadows. She will not speak again.”

The words came to Skag as if through limitless s.p.a.ce; but the last ones penetrated deep and laid hold.

Margaret went out swiftly and the doctor followed. He looked a very, very old man--with his head bent, like that.

. . . She will not speak again!

The universe was falling into disruption.

It was all white where she lay. Only the heavy ma.s.ses of her dark hair, spread on the pillows and across one shoulder, showed any colour--shadowed gold, shadowed red.

. . . She will not speak again!

Seven tall men filed into the room before Skag's eyes, and ranged on either side of her. These were her own brothers. Skag felt the vague pang again, of being alien to them.

Roderick Deal, the eldest--the one with the inscrutable blackness of eyes--leaned and kissed the white, white forehead; and a fold of the splendid hair.

One figure had gone down at the lower end of the bed--long arms stretched over her feet--slender dark hands clenching and unclenching.

The detail of it cut into Skag, like a spear of keen pain through chaos. Returned away--it was intolerable.

. . . An arm fell about Skag's shoulders.

”Brother?” Roderick Deal's fathomless eyes drew Skag's and held them while he spoke: ”We are leaving you to be alone with her--at the last!”

The arm gripped as he added:

”You are to know this--we will not fail you, now!” and he was gone.

They were all gone.

Faint tones of the fever bird, ascending, came from far out. Other tones, descending, came from greater distances within. . . . She will not speak again!

Bhanah touched his sleeve.

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