Part 35 (1/2)
Then she blazed out into one of her flashes of splendour, like so that takes fire on an instant; like the faint and distant star which flalory before the watcher's telescope
”It is true that I am not as your women are--your poor, pale woht behind them and before Because I areat? Man from the little country across the sea, I lived when the world was young, and gathered up the ancient wisdoreater race than yours, and when the world is old I think that I still shall live, though not in this shape or here, with all that wisdo in my breast, and with all beauty in h he worshi+ps You only half believe and do not worshi+p, because memory holds you back, and Iso , even the huate of an immortal city”
”Nor do I understand how all this can be, Yva,” I said feebly, for she dazzled and overwhelmed me with her blaze of power
”No, you do not understand How can you, when even I cannot? Thus for two hundred and fifty thousand years I slept, and they went by as a lightning flash One ht and I laidover h all those centuries when for me time had ceased?
Tell me, Humphrey, did you dream at all while you were ill? I ask because down in that lonely cavern where I sleep a strange dreaht, you and I seeether, past suns and universes to a very distant earth It , Hu, it was only because my dream travelled to you It is ht, I a no happiness to any man, or at the least, to one who cannot wait Therefore, perhaps you would do well to think less of ain she gazed athead a little, smiled and went
But oh! that smile drew my heart after her
Chapter XX Oro and Arbuthnot Travel by Night
As tian to visit ht went by that he did not appearwas that neither Bickley nor Bastin seemed to be aware of these nocturnal calls Indeed, when I mentioned them on one or two occasions, they stared at one as they saw nothing of hiain of the matter, Bickley at once turned the conversation, fro from delusions consequent onThis was not wonderful since, as I learned afterwards, Bickley, after he was sure that I was asleep,a thread acrossat the dawn that it reht in that way I suppose, as it was ih the latticework of the open side of the house, that he undid the thread and fastened it again when he left; at least, that was Bastin's explanation, or, rather, one of them Another was that he crawled beneath it, but this I could not believe I aed existence Oro never crawled
At any rate, he came, or seemed to coetically as to existing conditions in the world, especially those of the civilised countries, their overnment, their social state, the physical characteristics of the various races, their religions, the exact degrees of civilisation that they had developed, their attainments in art, science and literature, their martial capacities, their laws, and I know not what besides
I told him all I could, but did not in the least seem to satisfy his perennial thirst for infore for myself,” he said at last ”Why are you so anxious to learn about all these nations, Oro?” I asked, exhausted
”Because the knowledge I gather may affect my plans for the future,” he replied darkly
”I am told, Oro, that your people acquired the power of transporting themselves from place to place”
”It is true that the lords of the Sons of Wisdom had such power, and that I have it still, O Huo to look with your own eyes?” I suggested
”Because I should need a guide; one who could explainan to feel uncoe the subject I asked him whether he had any further infor in Europe
He answered: ”Notsuccess, and would continue to do so until the nations involved therein were exhausted,” or so he believed The war did not seereatly to interest Oro It was, he remarked, but a small affair compared to those which he had known in the old days Then he departed, and I went to sleep
Next night he appeared again, and, after talking a little on different subjects, re over what I had said as to his visiting the estion
”When?” I asked
”Now,” he said ”I aland of yours and the town you call London, and you will accompany me”
”It is not possible!” I exclaimed ”We have no shi+p”
”We can travel without a shi+p,” said Oro