when the sleeper wakes-第22部分

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men　running　down　among　the　wind…wheels；　pointing

weapons　from　which　jetted　out　little　smoky　flashes。

They　swarmed　thicker　and　thicker　to　the　right；　

gesticulatingit　might　be　they　were　shouting；　but　of

that　the　picture　told　nothing。　They　and　the　

windwheels　passed　slowly　and　steadily　across　the　field　of

the　mirror。



〃Now；〃　said　Ostrog；　〃comes　the　Council　House；〃

and　slowly　a　black　edge　crept　into　view　and　gathered

Graham's　attention。　Soon　it　was　no　longer　an　edge

but　a　cavity；　a　huge　blackened　space　amidst　the　

clustering　edifices；　and　from　it　thin　spires　of　smoke　rose

into　the　pallid　winter　sky。　Gaunt　ruinous　masses　of

the　building；　mighty　truncated　piers　and　girders；　rose

dismally　out　of　this　cavernous　darkness。　And　over

these　vestiges　of　some　splendid　place；　countless　

minute　men　were　clambering；　leaping；　swarming。



〃This　is　the　Council　House；〃　said　Ostrog。　〃Their

last　stronghold。　And　the　fools　wasted　enough　

ammunition　to　hold　out　for　a　month　in　blowing　up　the

buildings　all　about　themto　stop　our　attack。　You

heard　the　smash？　It　shattered　half　the　brittle　glass

in　the　city。〃



And　while　he　spoke；　Graham　saw　that　beyond　this

sea　of　ruins；　overhanging　it　and　rising　to　a　great

height；　was　a　ragged　mass　of　white　building。　This

mass　had　been　isolated　by　the　ruthless　destruction　of

its　surroundings。　Black　gaps　marked　the　passages

the　disaster　had　torn　apart；　big　halls　had　been　slashed

open　and　the　decoration　of　their　interiors　showed　

dismally　in　the　wintry　dawn；　and　down　the　jagged　wall

hung　festoons　of　divided　cables　and　twisted　ends　of

lines　and　metallic　rods。　And　amidst　all　the　vast

details　moved　little　red　specks；　the　red…clothed　

defenders　of　the　Council。　Every　now　and　then　faint　flashes

illuminated　the　bleak　shadows。　At　the　first　sight　it

seemed　to　Graham　that　an　attack　upon　this　isolated

white　building　was　in　progress；　but　then　he　perceived

that　the　party　of　the　revolt　was　not　advancing；　but

sheltered　amidst　the　colossal　wreckage　that　encircled

this　last　ragged　stronghold　of　the　red…garbed　men；　was

keeping　up　a　fitful　firing。



And　not　ten　hours　ago　he　had　stood　beneath　the

ventilating　fans　in　a　little　chamber　within　that　remote

building　wondering　what　was　happening　in　the　world！



Looking　more　attentively　as　this　warlike　episode

moved　silently　across　the　centre　of　the　mirror；　Graham　

saw　that　the　white　building　was　surrounded　on

every　side　by　ruins；　and　Ostrog　proceeded　to　describe

in　concise　phrases　how　its　defenders　had　sought　by

such　destruction　to　isolate　themselves　from　a　storm。

He　spoke　of　the　loss　of　men　that　huge　downfall　had

entailed　in　an　indifferent　tone。　He　indicated　an　

improvised　mortuary　among　the　wreckage　showed

ambulances　swarming　like　cheese…mites　along　a　

ruinous　groove　that　had　once　been　a　street　of　moving　ways。

He　was　more　interested　in　pointing　out　the　parts　of

the　Council　House；　the　distribution　of　the　besiegers。

In　a　little　while　the　civil　contest　that　had　convulsed

London　was　no　longer　a　mystery　to　Graham。　It　was

no　tumultuous　revolt　had　occurred　that　night；　no

equal　warfare；　but　a　splendidly　organised　__coup　d'etat__。

Ostrog's　grasp　of　details　was　astonishing；　he　seemed

to　know　the　business　of　even　the　smallest　knot　of

black　and　red　specks　that　crawled　amidst　these　places。



He　stretched　a　huge　black　arm　across　the　luminous

picture；　and　showed　the　room　whence　Graham　had

escaped；　and　across　the　chasm　of　ruins　the　course　of

his　flight。　Graham　recognised　the　gulf　across　which

the　gutter　ran；　and　the　wind…wheels　where　he　had

crouched　from　the　flying　machine。　The　rest　of　his

path　had　succumbed　to　the　explosion。　He　looked

again　at　the　Council　House；　and　it　was　already　half

hidden；　and　on　the　right　a　hillside　with　a　cluster　of

domes　and　pinnacles；　hazy；　dim　and　distant；　was

gliding　into　view。



〃And　the　Council　is　really　overthrown？〃　he　said。



〃Overthrown；〃　said　Ostrog。



〃And　I。　Is　it　indeed　true　that　I？〃



〃You　are　Master　of　the　World。〃



〃But　that　white　flag〃



〃That　is　the　flag　of　the　Councilthe　flag　of　the

Rule　of　the　World。　It　will　fall。　The　fight　is　over。

Their　attack　on　the　theatre　was　their　last　frantic　

struggle。　They　have　only　a　thousand　men　or　so；　and　some

of　these　men　will　be　disloyal。　They　have　little　

ammunition。　And　we　are　reviving　the　ancient　arts。　We　are

casting　guns。〃



〃Buthelp。　Is　this　city　the　world？〃



〃　Practically　this　is　all　they　have　left　to　them　of

their　empire。　Abroad　the　cities　have　either　revolted

with　us　or　wait　the　issue。　Your　awakening　has　

perplexed　them；　paralysed　them。〃



〃But　haven't　the　Council　flying　machines？　Why

is　there　no　fighting　with　them？　〃



〃They　had。　But　the　greater　part　of　the　aeronauts

were　in　the　revolt　with　us。　They　wouldn't　take　the

risk　of　fighting　on　our　side；　but　they　would　not　stir

against　us。　We　had　to　get　a　pull　with　the　aeronauts。

Quite　half　were　with　us；　and　the　others　knew　it。

Directly　they　knew　you　had　got　away；　those　looking

for　you　dropped。　We　killed　the　man　who　shot　at

youan　hour　ago。　And　we　occupied　the　flying

stages　at　the　outset　in　every　city　we　could；　and　so

stopped　and　captured　the　airplanes；　and　as　for　the

little　flying　machines　that　turned　outfor　some　did

we　kept　up　too　straight　and　steady　a　fire　for　them　to

get　near　the　Council　House。　If　they　dropped　they

couldn't　rise　again；　because　there's　no　clear　space

about　there　for　them　to　get　up。　Several　we　have

smashed；　several　others　have　dropped　and　surrendered；

the　rest　have　gone　off　to　the　Continent　to　find　a

friendly　city　if　they　can　before　their　fuel　runs　out。

Most　of　these　men　were　only　too　glad　to　be　taken　

prisoner　and　kept　out　of　harm's　way。　Upsetting　in　a　

flying　machine　isn't　a　very　attractive　prospect。　There's

no　chance　for　the　Council　that　way。　Its　days　are

done。〃



He　laughed　and　turned　to　the　oval　reflection　again

to　show　Graham　what　he　meant　by　flying　stages。

Even　the　four　nearer　ones　were　remote　and　obscured

by　a　thin　morning　haze。　But　Graham　could　perceive

they　were　very　vast　structures；　judged　even　by　the

standard　of　the　things　about　them。



And　then　as　these　dim　shapes　passed　to　the　left

there　came　again　the　sight　of　the　expanse　across　which

the　disarmed　men　in　red　had　been　marching。　And

then　the　black　ruins；　and　then　again　the　beleaguered

white　fastness　of　the　Council。　It　appeared　no　longer

a　ghostly　pile；　but　glowing　amber　in　the　sunlight；　for

a　cloud　shadow　had　passed。　About　it　the　pigmy

struggle　still　hung　in　suspense；　but　now　the　red　

defenders　were　no　longer　firing。



So；　in　a　dusky　stillness；　the　man　from　the　nineteenth　

century　saw　the　closing　scene　of　the　great

revolt；　the　forcible　establishment　of　his　rule。　With　a

quality　of　startling　discovery　it　came　to　him　that　this

was　his　world；　and　not　that　other　he　had　left　behind；

that　this　was　no　spectacle　to　culminate　and　cease；　that

in　this　world　lay　whatever　life　was　still　before　him；　lay

all　his　duties　and　dangers　and　responsibilities。　He

turned　with　fresh　questions。　Ostrog　began　to　answer

them；　and　then　broke　off　abruptly。　〃But　these　things

I　must　explain　more　fully　later。　At　present　there　are

duties。　The　people　are　coming　by　the　moving

ways　towards　this　ward　from　every　part　of　the　city

the　markets　and　theatres　are　densely　crowded。　You

are　just　in　time　for　them。　They　are　clamouring　to

see　you。　And　abroad　they　want　to　see　you。　Paris；

New　York；　Chicago；　Denver；　Caprithousands　of

cities　are　up　and　in　a　tumult；　undecided；　and　

clamouring　to　see　you。　They　have　clamoured　that　you　should

be　awakened　for　years；　and　now　it　is　done　they　will

scarcely　believe〃



But　surelyI　can't　go　。　。　。〃　



Ostrog　answered　from　the　other　side　of　the　room；　1。

and　the　picture　on　the　oval　disc　paled　and　vanished　'

as　the　light　jerked　back　again。〃　There　are　

kinetotele…photographs；〃　he　said。　〃As　you　bow　to　the　

people　hereall　over　the　world　myriads　of　myriads　of

people；　packed　and　still　in　darkened　halls；　will　see　you

also。　In　black　and　white；　of　coursenot　like　this。

And　you　will　hear　their　shouts　reinforcing　the　shouting

in　the　hall。



〃And　there　is　an　optical　contrivance　we　shall　use；〃

said　Ostrog；　〃used　by　some　of　the　posturers　and

women　dancers。　It　may　be　novel　to　you。　You　stand

in　a　very　bright　light；　and　they　see　not　you　but　a

magnified　image　of　you　thrown　on　a　screenso　that

even　the　furtherest　man　in　the　remotest　gallery　can；

if　he　chooses；　count　your　eyelashes。〃



Graham　clutched　desperately　at　one　of　the　questions

in　his　mind。　〃What　is　the　population　of　London？〃



〃Eight　and　twaindy　myriads。〃



〃Eight　and　what？　〃



〃More　than　thirty…three　millions。〃　　　　　　　　



These　figures　went　beyond　Graham's　imagination

〃You　will　be　expected　to　say　something；〃　said

Ostrog。　〃Not　what　you　used　to　call　a　Speech；　but

what　our　people　call　a　Wordjust　one　sentence；　six

or　seven　words。　Something　formal。　If　I　might　

suggest'　I　have　awakened　and　my　heart　is　with　you。'

That　is　the　sort　of　thing　they　want。〃



〃　What　was　that？　〃　asked　Graham。



〃'I　am　awakened　and　my　heart　is　with　you。'　And

bowbow　royally。　But　first　we　must　get　you　black

robesfor　black　is　your　colour。　Do　you　mind？

And　then　they　will　disperse　to　their　homes。〃



Graham　hesitated。　〃I　am　in　your　hands；〃　he　said。



Ostrog　was　clearly　of　that　opinion。　He　thought

for　a　moment；　turned　to　the　curtain　and　called　brief

directions　to　some　unseen　attendants。　Almost　immediately　

a　black　robe；　the　very　fellow　of　the　black　robe

Graham　had　worn　in　the　theatre；　was　brought。　And

as　he　threw　it　about　his　shoulders　there　came　from

the　room　without　the　shrilling　of　a　high…pitched　bell。

Ostrog　turned　in　interrogation　to　the　attendant；　then

suddenly　seemed　to　change　his　mind；　pulled　the　

curtain　aside　and　disappeared。



For　a　moment　Graham　stood　with　the　deferential

attendant