the coming race-第21部分

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thin　these　waters；〃　said　Taee。　　〃Observe　what　shoals　of　fish　are　crowded　together　at　the　margin。　　Even　the　great　fishes　with　the　small　ones；　who　are　their　habitual　prey　and　who　generally　shun　them；　all　forget　their　instincts　in　the　presence　of　a　common　destroyer。　　This　reptile　certainly　must　belong　to　the　class　of　Krek…a；　which　are　more　devouring　than　any　other；　and　are　said　to　be　among　the　few　surviving　species　of　the　world's　dreadest　inhabitants　before　the　Ana　were　created。　　The　appetite　of　a　Krek　is　insatiable…　it　feeds　alike　upon　vegetable　and　animal　life；　but　for　the　swift…footed　creatures　of　the　elk　species　it　is　too　slow　in　its　movements。　　Its　favourite　dainty　is　an　An　when　it　can　catch　him　unawares；　and　hence　the　Ana　destroy　it　relentlessly　whenever　it　enters　their　dominion。　　I　have　heard　that　when　our　forefathers　first　cleared　this　country；　these　monsters；　and　others　like　them；　abounded；　and；　vril　being　then　undiscovered；　many　of　our　race　were　devoured。　　It　was　impossible　to　exterminate　them　wholly　till　that　discovery　which　constitutes　the　power　and　sustains　the　civilisation　of　our　race。　　But　after　the　uses　of　vril　became　familiar　to　us；　all　creatures　inimical　to　us　were　soon　annihilated。　　Still；　once　a…year　or　so；　one　of　these　enormous　creatures　wanders　from　the　unreclaimed　and　savage　districts　beyond；　and　within　my　memory　one　has　seized　upon　a　young　Gy　who　was　bathing　in　this　very　lake。　　Had　she　been　on　land　and　armed　with　her　staff；　it　would　not　have　dared　even　to　show　itself；　for；　like　all　savage　creatures；　the　reptile　has　a　marvellous　instinct；　which　warns　it　against　the　bearer　of　the　vril　wand。　　How　they　teach　their　young　to　avoid　him；　though　seen　for　the　first　time；　is　one　of　those　mysteries　which　you　may　ask　Zee　to　explain；　for　I　cannot。*

*　　The　reptile　in　this　instinct　does　but　resemble　our　wild　birds　and　animals；　which　will　not　come　in　reach　of　a　man　armed　with　a　gun。　　When　the　electric　wires　were　first　put　up；　partridges　struck　against　them　in　their　flight；　and　fell　down　wounded。　　No　younger　generations　of　partridges　meet　with　a　similar　accident。

98So　long　as　I　stand　here；　the　monster　will　not　stir　from　its　lurking…place；　but　we　must　now　decoy　it　forth。〃

〃Will　that　not　be　difficult？〃

〃Not　at　all。　　Seat　yourself　yonder　on　that　crag　（about　one　hundred　yards　from　the　bank）；　while　I　retire　to　a　distance。　　In　a　short　time　the　reptile　will　catch　sight　or　scent　of　you；　and　perceiving　that　you　are　no　vril…bearer；　will　come　forth　to　devour　you。　　As　soon　as　it　is　fairly　out　of　the　water；　it　becomes　my　prey。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　I　am　to　be　the　decoy　to　that　horrible　monster　which　could　engulf　me　within　its　jaws　in　a　second！　　I　beg　to　decline。〃

The　child　laughed。　　〃Fear　nothing；〃　said　he；　〃only　sit　still。〃

Instead　of　obeying　the　command；　I　made　a　bound；　and　was　about　to　take　fairly　to　my　heels；　when　Taee　touched　me　slightly　on　the　shoulder；　and；　fixing　his　eyes　steadily　on　mine；　I　was　rooted　to　the　spot。　　All　power　of　volition　left　me。　　Submissive　to　the　infant's　gesture；　I　followed　him　to　the　crag　he　had　indicated；　and　seated　myself　there　in　silence。　　Most　readers　have　seen　something　of　the　effects　of　electro…biology；　whether　genuine　or　spurious。　　No　professor　of　that　doubtful　craft　had　ever　been　able　to　influence　a　thought　or　a　movement　of　mine；　but　I　was　a　mere　machine　at　the　will　of　this　terrible　child。　　Meanwhile　he　expanded　his　wings；　soared　aloft；　and　alighted　amidst　a　copse　at　the　brow　of　a　hill　at　some　distance。

I　was　alone；　and　turning　my　eyes　with　an　indescribable　sensation　of　horror　towards　the　lake；　I　kept　them　fixed　on　its　water；　spell…bound。　　It　might　be　ten　or　fifteen　minutes；　to　me　it　seemed　ages；　before　the　still　surface；　gleaming　under　the　lamplight；　began　to　be　agitated　towards　the　centre。　　At　the　same　time　the　shoals　of　fish　near　the　margin　evinced　their　sense　of　the　enemy's　approach　by　splash　and　leap　and　bubbling　circle。　　I　could　detect　their　hurried　flight　hither　and　thither；　some　even　casting　themselves　ashore。　　A　long；　dark；　99undulous　furrow　came　moving　along　the　waters；　nearer　and　nearer；　till　the　vast　head　of　the　reptile　emerged…　its　jaws　bristling　with　fangs；　and　its　dull　eyes　fixing　themselves　hungrily　on　the　spot　where　I　sat　motionless。　　And　now　its　fore　feet　were　on　the　strand…　now　its　enormous　breast；　scaled　on　either　side　as　in　armour；　in　the　centre　showing　its　corrugated　skin　of　a　dull　venomous　yellow；　and　now　its　whole　length　was　on　the　land；　a　hundred　feet　or　more　from　the　jaw　to　the　tail。　　Another　stride　of　those　ghastly　feet　would　have　brought　it　to　the　spot　where　I　sat。　　There　was　but　a　moment　between　me　and　this　grim　form　of　death；　when　what　seemed　a　flash　of　lightning　shot　through　the　air；　smote；　and；　for　a　space　of　time　briefer　than　that　in　which　a　man　can　draw　his　breath；　enveloped　the　monster；　and　then；　as　the　flash　vanished；　there　lay　before　me　a　blackened；　charred；　smouldering　mass；　a　something　gigantic；　but　of　which　even　the　outlines　of　form　were　burned　away；　and　rapidly　crumbling　into　dust　and　ashes。　　I　remained　still　seated；　still　speechless；　ice…cold　with　a　new　sensation　of　dread；　what　had　been　horror　was　now　awe。

I　felt　the　child's　hand　on　my　head…　fear　left　me…　the　spell　was　broken…　I　rose　up。　　〃You　see　with　what　ease　the　Vril…ya　destroy　their　enemies；〃　said　Taee；　and　then；　moving　towards　the　bank；　he　contemplated　the　smouldering　relics　of　the　monster；　and　said　quietly；　〃I　have　destroyed　larger　creatures；　but　none　with　so　much　pleasure。　　Yes；　it　IS　a　Krek；　what　suffering　it　must　have　inflicted　while　it　lived！〃　Then　he　took　up　the　poor　fishes　that　had　flung　themselves　ashore；　and　restored　them　mercifully　to　their　native　element。


Chapter　XIX。


As　we　walked　back　to　the　town；　Taee　took　a　new　and　circuitous　way；　in　order　to　show　me　what；　to　use　a　familiar　term；　I　will　100call　the　'Station；'　from　which　emigrants　or　travellers　to　other　communities　commence　their　journeys。　　I　had；　on　a　former　occasion；　expressed　a　wish　to　see　their　vehicles。　　These　I　found　to　be　of　two　kinds；　one　for　land　journeys；　one　for　aerial　voyages：　the　former　were　of　all　sizes　and　forms；　some　not　larger　than　an　ordinary　carriage；　some　movable　houses　of　one　story　and　containing　several　rooms；　furnished　according　to　the　ideas　of　comfort　or　luxury　which　are　entertained　by　the　Vril…ya。　　The　aerial　vehicles　were　of　light　substances；　not　the　least　resembling　our　balloons；　but　rather　our　boats　and　pleasure…vessels；　with　helm　and　rudder；　with　large　wings　or　paddles；　and　a　central　machine　worked　by　vril。　　All　the　vehicles　both　for　land　or　air　were　indeed　worked　by　that　potent　and　mysterious　agency。

I　saw　a　convoy　set　out　on　its　journey；　but　it　had　few　passengers；　containing　chiefly　articles　of　merchandise；　and　was　bound　to　a　neighbouring　community；　for　among　all　the　tribes　of　the　Vril…ya　there　is　considerable　commercial　interchange。　　I　may　here　observe；　that　their　money　currency　does　not　consist　of　the　precious　metals；　which　are　too　common　among　them　for　that　purpose。　　The　smaller　coins　in　ordinary　use　are　manufactured　from　a　peculiar　fossil　shell；　the　comparatively　scarce　remnant　of　some　very　early　deluge；　or　other　convulsion　of　nature；　by　which　a　species　has　become　extinct。　　It　is　minute；　and　flat　as　an　oyster；　and　takes　a　jewel…like　polish。　　This　coinage　circulates　among　all　the　tribes　of　the　Vril…ya。　　Their　larger　transactions　are　carried　on　much　like　ours；　by　bills　of　exchange；　and　thin　metallic　plates　which　answer　the　purpose　of　our　bank…notes。

Let　me　take　this　occasion　of　adding　that　the　taxation　among　the　tribe　I　became　acquainted　with　was　very　considerable；　compared　with　the　amount　of　population。　　But　I　never　heard　that　any　one　grumbled　at　it；　for　it　was　devoted　to　purposes　of　universal　utility；　and　indeed　necessary　to　the　civilisation　of　the　tribe。　　The　cost　of　lighting　so　large　a　range　of　country；　of　providing　101for　emigration；　of　maintaining　the　public　buildings　at　which　the　various　operations　of　national　intellect　were　carried　on；　from　the　first　education　of　an　infant　to　the　departments　in　which　the　College　of　Sages　were　perpetually　trying　new　experiments　in　mechanical　science；　all　these　involved　the　necessity　for　considerable　state　funds。　　To　these　I　must　add　an　item　that　struck　me　as　very　singular。　　I　have　said　that　all　the　human　labour　required　by　the　state　is　carried　on　by　children　up　to　the　marriageable　age。　　For　this　labour　the　state　pays；　and　at　a　rate　immeasurably　higher　than　our　own　remuneration　to　labour　even　in　the　United　States。　　According　to　their　theory；　every　child；　male　or　female；　on　attaining　the　marriageable　age；　and　there　terminating　the　period　of　labour；　should　have　acquired　enough　for　an　independent　competence　during　life。　　As；　no　matter　what　the　disparity　of　fortune　in　the　parents；　all　the　children　must　equally　serve；　so　all　are　equally　paid　according　to　their　several　ages　or　the　nature　of　their　work。　　Where　the　parents　or　friends　choose　to　retain　a　child　in　their　own　service；　they　must　pay　into　the　public　fund　in　the　same　ratio　as　the　state　pays　to　the　children　it　employs；　and　this　sum　is　handed　over　to　the　child　when　the　period　of　service　expires。　　This　practice　serves；　no　doubt；　to　render　the　notion　of　social　equality　familiar　and　a