"Not now in the presence of Bickley who doubtless disbelieves your faith, as he does all else, holding it with justice or without, to be but another illusion.Yet you shall teach me and on it I will form my own judgment.""I shall be delighted," said Bastin.Then a doubt struck him, and he added: "But why do you wish to learn? Not that you may make a mock of my religion, is it?""I mock at no man's belief, because I think that what men believe is true--for them.I will tell you why I wish to hear of yours, since I never hide the truth.I who am so wise and old, yet must die; though that time may be far away, still I must die, for such is the lot of man born of woman.And I do not desire to die.Therefore I shall rejoice to learn of any faith that promises to the children of earth a life eternal beyond the earth.Tomorrow you shall begin to teach me.Now leave me, Strangers, for I have much to do," and he waved his hand towards the table.
We rose and bowed, wondering what he could have to do down in this luminous hole, he who had been for so many thousands of years out of touch with the world.It occurred to me, however, that during this long period he might have got in touch with other worlds, indeed he looked like it.
"Wait," he said, "I have something to tell you.I have been studying this book of writings, or world pictures," and he pointed to my atlas which, as I now observed for the first time, was also lying upon the table."It interests me much.Your country is small, very small.When I caused it to be raised up Ithink that it was larger, but since then that seas have flowed in."Here Bickley groaned aloud.
"This one is much greater," went on Oro, casting a glance at Bickley that must have penetrated him like a searchlight.Then he opened the map of Europe and with his finger indicated Germany and Austria-Hungary."I know nothing of the peoples of these lands," he added, "but as you belong to one of them and are my guests, I trust that yours may succeed in the war.""What way?" we asked with one voice.
"Since Bickley is so clever, surely he should know better than an illusion such as I.All I can tell you is that I have learned that there is war between this country and that," and he pointed to Great Britain and to Germany upon the map; "also between others.""It is quite possible," I said, remembering many things."But how do you know?""If I told you, Humphrey, Bickley would not believe, so I will not tell.Perhaps I saw it in that crystal, as did the necromancers of the early world.Or perhaps the crystal serves some different purpose and I saw it otherwise--with my soul.At least what I say is true.""Then who will win?" asked Bastin.
"I cannot read the future, Preacher.If I could, should I ask you to expound to me your religion which probably is of no more worth than a score of others I have studied, just because it tells of the future? If I could read the future I should be a god instead of only an earth-lord.""Your daughter called you a god and you said that you knew we were coming to wake you up, which is reading the future,"answered Bastin.
"Every father is a god to his daughter, or should be; also in my day millions named me a god because I saw further and struck harder than they could.As for the rest, it came to me in a vision.Oh! Bickley, if you were wiser than you think you are, you would know that all things to come are born elsewhere and travel hither like the light from stars.Sometimes they come faster before their day into a single mind, and that is what men call prophecy.But this is a gift which cannot be commanded, even by me.Also I did not know that you would come.I knew only that we should awaken and by the help of men, for if none had been present at that destined hour we must have died for lack of warmth and sustenance.""I deny your hypothesis in toto," exclaimed Bickley, but nobody paid any attention to him.
"My father," said Yva, rising and bowing before him with her swan-like grace, "I have noted your commands.But do you permit that I show the temple to these strangers, also something of our past?""Yes, yes," he said."It will save much talk in a savage tongue that is difficult to me.But bring them here no more without my command, save Bastin only.When the sun is four hours high in the upper world, let him come tomorrow to teach me, and afterwards if so I desire.Or if he wills, he can sleep here.""I think I would rather not," said Bastin hurriedly."I make no pretense to being particular, but this place does not appeal to me as a bedroom.There are degrees in the pleasures of solitude and, in short, I will not disturb your privacy at night."Oro waved his hand and we departed down that awful and most dreary hall.
"I hope you will spend a pleasant time here, Bastin," I said, looking back from the doorway at its cold, illuminated vastness.
