下载辰思小说免费APP
"Thenhowisitthatwecanbreathehere？"Iasked。"Becausethisroadthatwearefollowingconnectswiththeupperairorusedtodoso，sinceonceIfollowedit。Itisalongroadandtheclimbissteep，butatlastitleadstothelightoftheblessedsun，norarethereanypitfallsinthepath。Wouldthatwemighttreadittogether，Humphrey，"sheaddedwithpassion，"andberidofmysteriesandthegloom，orthatlightwhichisworsethangloom。"
"Whynot？"Iaskedeagerly。"Whyshouldwenotturnandflee？"
"Whocanfleefrommyfather，theLordOro？"shereplied。"Hewouldsnareusbeforewehadgoneamile。Moreover，ifwefled，bytomorrowhalftheworldmustperish。"
"Andhowcanwesaveitbynotflying，Yva？"
"Idonotknow，Humphrey，yetIthinkitwillbesaved，perchancebysacrifice。Thatisthekeystoneofyourfaith，isitnot？Thereforeifitisaskedofyoutosavetheworld，youwillnotshrinkfromit，willyou，Humphrey？"
"Ihopenot，"Ireplied，withoutenthusiasm，Iadmit。IndeeditstruckmethatabusinessofthissortwasbetterfittedtoBastinthantomyself，oratanyratetohisprofession。Ithinksheguessedmythoughts，forbythelightofthelampIsawhersmileinherdazzlingway。Thenafteraswiftglancebehindher，sheturnedandsuddenlykissedme，asshedidsocallingdowneverlastingblessingsonmyheadandonmyspirit。TherewassomethingverywonderfulaboutthisbenedictionofYva’sanditthrilledmethroughandthrough，sothattoitIcouldmakenoanswer。
Nextmomentitwastoolatetoretreat，forournarrowingpassageturnedandwefoundourselvesinawondrousplace。Icallitwondrousbecauseofitwecouldseeneitherthebeginningnortheend，northeroof，noraughtelsesavetherockonwhichwewalked，andthesideorwallthatourhandstouched。Norwasthisbecauseofdarkness，sincealthoughitwasnotilluminatedliketheuppercaverns，lightofasortwaspresent。Itwasaverystrangelight，consistingofbrilliantandintermittentflashes，orglobesofblueandlambentflamewhichseemedtoleapfromnowhereintonowhere，orsometimestohangpoisedinmidair。
"Howoddtheyare，"saidthevoiceofBastinbehindme。"TheyremindmeofthosebluesparkswhichjumpupfromthewiresofthetramwaysinLondononadarknight。Youknow，don’tyou，Bickley？Imeanwhentheconductorpullsroundthatlongstickwithanironwheelonthetopofit。"
"Nobodybutyoucouldhavethoughtofsuchacomparison，Bastin，"answeredBickley。"Still，multipliedathousandfoldtheyarenotunlike。"
Norindeedwerethey，exceptthateachblueflashwasasbigasthefullmoonandinoneplaceoranothertheyweresocontinuousthatonecouldhavereadaletterbytheirlight。Alsotheeffectofthemwasghastlyandmostunnatural，terrifying，too，sinceeventheirbrilliancecouldnotrevealtheextentofthatgigantichollowinthebowelsoftheworldwhereintheyleapttoandfrolikelightnings，orhunglikehuge，uncannylanterns。
ChapterXXV
Sacrifice"Theairinthisplacemustbechargedwithsomeformofelectricity，buttheoddthingisthatitdoesnotseemtoharmus，"saidBickleyinamatter—of—factfashionasthoughheweredeterminednottobeastonished。
"TomeitlooksmorelikemarshfiresorSt。Elmolights，thoughhowthesecanbewherethereisnovapour，Idonotknow，"
Ianswered。
AsIspokeaparticularlylargeballofflamefellfromabove。
ItresembledashootingstarorameteormorethananythingelsethatIhadeverseen，andmademewonderwhetherwewerenotperhapsstandingbeneathsomeinky，unseensky。
NextmomentIforgotsuchspeculations，forinitsbluelight，whichmadehimterribleandghastly，IperceivedOrostandinginfrontofuscladinalongcloak。
"Dearme！"saidBastin，"helooksjustlikethedevil，doesn’the，andnowIcometothinkofit，thisisn’tatallabadimitationofhell。"
"Howdoyouknowitisanimitation？"askedBickley。
"Becausewhatevermightbethecasewithyou，Bickley，ifitwere，theLadyYvaandIshouldnotbehere。"
EventhenIcouldnothelpsmilingatthisrepartee，buttheargumentwentnofurtherforOrohelduphishandandYvabentthekneeingreetingtohim。
"Soyouhavecome，allofyou，"hesaid。"Ithoughtthatperhapstherewereoneortwowhowouldnotfindcouragetoridetheflyingstone。Iamgladthatitisnotso，sinceotherwisehewhohadshownhimselfacowardshouldhavehadnoshareintheruleofthatnewworldwhichistobe。ThereforeIchoseyonderroadthatitmighttestyou。"
"Thenifyouwillbesogoodastochooseanotherforustoreturnby，Ishallbemuchobligedtoyou，Oro，"saidBastin。
"HowdoyouknowthatifIdiditwouldnotbemoreterrible，Preacher？Howdoyouknowindeedthatthisisnotyourlastjourneyfromwhichthereisnoreturn？"
"OfcourseIcan’tbesureofanything，Oro，butIthinkthequestionisonewhichyoumightmoreappropriatelyputtoyourself。Accordingtoyourownshowingyouarenowextremelyoldandthereforeyourendislikelytocomeatanymoment。Ofcourse，however，ifitdidyouwouldhaveonemorejourneytomake，butitwouldn’tbepoliteformetosayinwhatdirection。"
Oroheard，andhissplendid，icyfacewastwistedwithsuddenrage。Rememberingthesceneinthetemplewherehehadgrovelledbeforehisgod，utteringagonised，unansweredprayersforaddeddays，Iunderstoodthereasonofhiswrath。ItwassogreatthatIfearedlestheshouldkillBastin（whoonlyafewhoursbefore，beitremembered，hadtriedtokillhim）thenandthere，asdoubtlesshecouldhavedoneifhewished。Fortunately，ifhefeltit；theimpulsepassed。
"Miserablefool！"hesaid。"Iwarnyoutokeepawatchuponyourwords。Yesterdayyouwouldhaveslainmewithyourtoy。
Todayyoustabmewithyourill—omenedtongue。BefearfullestI
silenceitforever。"
"Iamnotintheleastfearful，Oro，sinceIamsurethatyoucan’thurtmeatallanymorethanIcouldhurtyoulastnightbecause，yousee，itwasn’tpermitted。Whenthetimecomesformetodie，Ishallgo，butyouwillhavenothingtodowiththat。Totellthetruth，Iamverysorryforyou，aswithallyourgreatness，yoursoulisoftheearth，earthy，alsosensualanddevilish，astheApostlesaid，and，Iamafraid，verymalignant，andyouwillhaveagreatdealtoanswerforshortly。Yourswon’tbeahappydeathbed，Oro，because，yousee，yougloryinyoursinsanddon’tknowwhatrepentancemeans。"
ImustaddthatwhenIheardthesewordsIwasfilledwiththemostunboundedadmirationforBastin’sfearlesscouragewhichenabledhimthustobeardthissuper—tyrantinhisden。Soindeedwereweall，forIreaditinYva’sfaceandheardBickleymutter：
"Bravo！Splendid！Afterallthereissomethinginfaith！"
EvenOroappreciateditwithhisintellect，ifnotwithhisheart，forhestaredatthemanandmadenoanswer。Inthelanguageofthering，hewasquite"knockedout"and，almosthumbly，changedthesubject。
"Wehaveyetalittlewhile，"hesaid，"beforethathappenswhichIhavedecreed。Come，Humphrey，thatImayshowyousomeofthemarvelsofthisbubbleblowninthebowelsoftheworld，"andhemotionedtoustopickupthelanterns。
Thenheledusawayfromthewallofthecavern，ifsuchitwas，foradistanceofperhapssixorsevenhundredpaces。Heresuddenlywecametoagreatgrooveintherockyfloor，asbroadasaverywideroadway，andmayhapfourfeetindepth。Thebottomofthisgroovewaspolishedandglittered；indeeditgaveustheimpressionofbeingiron，orotherorewhichhadbeenweldedtogetherbeneaththegrindingofsomeimmeasurableweight。Justatthespotwherewestruckthegroove，itdividedintotwo，forthisreason。
Initscentrethefloorofiron，orwhateveritmayhavebeen，rose，thefractionofaninchatfirst，butafterwardsmoresharply，andthisataspotwherethegroovehadasomewhatsteepdownwarddipwhichappearedtoextendonwardsIknownothowfar。
Followingalongthiscentralriseforagreatway，nearlyamile，Ishouldthink，weobservedthatitbecameevermorepronounced，tillatlengthitendedinarazor—edgecliffwhichstretcheduphigherthan
