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she-第44部分

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like a heap of slain。

Leo was of course intensely interested in this 
stupendous and unequalled sight; which was; indeed; 
enough to awaken all the imagination a man had in him 
into the most active life。 But to poor Job it did not 
prove attractive。 His nervesalready seriously shaken 
by what he had undergone since we had arrived in this 
terrible countrywere; as may be imagined; still 
further disturbed by the spectacle of these masses of 
departed humanity; whereof the forms still remained 
perfect before his eyes; though their voices were 
forever lost in the eternal silence of the tomb。 Nor 
was he comforted when old Billali; by way of soothing 
his evident agitation; informed him that he should not 
be frightened at these dead things; as he would soon 
be like them himself。

〃There's a nice thing to say of a man; sir;〃 he 
ejaculated; when I translated this little remark; 〃but 
there; what can one expect of an old man…eating 
savage? Not but what I dare say he's right;〃 and Job 
sighed。

When we had finished inspecting the caves we returned 
and had our meal; for it was now past four in the 
afternoon; and we allspecially Leoneeded some food 
and rest。 At six o'clock we; together with Job; waited 
on Ayesha; who set to work to terrify our poor servant 
still further by showing him pictures on the pool of 
water in the font like vessel。 _i_ She _i_ learned 
from me that he was one of seventeen children; and 
then bid him think of all his brothers and sisters; or 
as many of them as he could; gathered together in his 
father's cottage。 Then she told him to look in the 
water; and there; reflected from its stilly surface; 
was that dead scene of many years gone by; as it was 
recalled to our retainer's brain。 Some of the faces 
were clear enough; but some were mere blurs and 
splotches; or with one feature grossly exaggerated; 
the fact being that; in these instances; Job had been 
unable to recall the exact appearances of the 
individuals; or remembered them only by a peculiarity 
of his tribe; and the water could only reflect what he 
saw with his mind's eye。 For it must be remembered 
that _i_ She _i_ 's power in this matter was strictly 
limited; she could; apparently; except in very rare 
instances; only photograph upon the water what was 
actually in the mind of some one present; and then 
only by his will。 But if she was personally acquainted 
with a locality she could; as in the case of ourselves 
and the whale…boat; throw its reflection upon the 
water; and also it seems the reflection of anything 
extraneous that was passing there at the time。 This 
power; however; did not extend to the minds of others。 
For instance; she could show me the interior of my 
college chapel; as I remembered it; but not as it was 
at the moment of reflection; for; where other people 
were concerned; her art was strictly limited to the 
facts or memories present to their consciousness at 
the moment。 So much was this so that; when we tried; 
for her amusement; to show her pictures of noted 
buildings; such as St。 Paul's or the Houses of 
Parliament; the result was most imperfect; for; of 
course; though we had a good general idea of their 
appearance; we could not recall all the architectural 
details; and therefore the minutiae necessary to a 
perfect reflection were wanting。 But Job could not be 
got to understand this; and so far from accepting a 
natural explanation of the matter; which was; after 
all; though strange enough in all conscience; nothing 
more than an instance of glorified and perfected 
telepathy; he set the whole thing down as a 
manifestation of the blackest magic。 I shall never 
forget the howl of terror which he uttered when he saw 
the more or less perfect portraits of his long…
scattered brethren staring at him from the quiet 
water; or the merry peal of laughter with which Ayesha 
greeted his consternation。 As for Leo; he did not 
altogether like it either; but ran his fingers through 
his yellow curls; and remarked that it gave him the 
creeps。

After about an hour of this amusement; in the latter 
part of which Job did not participate; the mutes by 
signs indicated that Billali was waiting for an 
audience。 Accordingly he was told to 〃crawl up;〃 which 
he did as awkwardly as usual; and announced that the 
dance was ready to begin if She and the white 
strangers would be pleased to attend。 Shortly 
afterwards we all rose; and Ayesha having thrown a 
dark cloak (the same; by the way; that she had worn 
when I saw her cursing by the fire) over her white 
wrappings; we started。 The dance was to be held in the 
open air; on the smooth rocky plateau in front of the 
great cave; and thither we made our way。 About fifteen 
paces from the mouth of the cave we found three chairs 
placed; and here we sat and waited; for as yet no 
dancers were to be seen。 The night was almost; but not 
quite; dark; the moon not having risen as yet; which 
made us wonder how we should be able to see the 
dancing。

〃Thou wilt presently understand;〃 said Ayesha; with a 
little laugh; when Leo asked her; and we certainly 
did。 Scarcely were the words out of her mouth when 
from every point we saw dark forms rushing up; each 
bearing with him what we at first took to be an 
enormous flaming torch。 Whatever they were they were 
burning furiously; for the flames stood out a yard or 
more behind each bearer。 On they came; fifty or more 
of them; carrying their flaming burdens and looking 
like so many devils from hell。 Leo was the first to 
discover what these burdens were。

〃Great heaven!〃 he said; 〃they are corpses on fire!〃

I stared and stared againhe was perfectly rightthe 
torches that were to light our entertainment were 
human mummies from the caves!

On rushed the bearers of the flaming corpses; and; 
meeting at a spot about twenty paces in front of us; 
built their ghastly burdens crossways into a huge 
bonfire。 Heavens! how they roared and flared! No tar 
barrel could have burned as those mummies did: Nor was 
this all。 Suddenly I saw one great fellow seize a 
flaming human arm that had fallen from its parent 
frame; and rush off into the darkness。 Presently he 
stopped; and a tall streak of fire shot up into the 
air; illumining the gloom; and also the lamp from 
which it sprang。 That lamp was the mummy of a woman 
tied to a stout stake let into the rock; and he had 
fired her hair。 On he went a few paces and touched a 
second; then a third; and a fourth; till at last we 
were surrounded on all three sides by a great ring of 
bodies flaring furiously; the material with which they 
were preserved having rendered them so inflammable 
that the flames would literally spout out of the ears 
and mouth in tongues of fire a foot or more in length。

Nero illuminated his gardens with live Christians 
soaked in tar; and we were now treated to a similar 
spectacle; probably for the first time since his day; 
only happily our lamps were not living ones。

But although this element of horror was fortunately 
wanting; to describe the awful and hideous grandeur of 
the spectacle thus presented to us is; I feel; so 
absolutely beyond my poor powers; that I scarcely dare 
attempt it。 To begin with; it appealed to the moral as 
well as the physical susceptibilities。 There was 
something very terrible; and yet very fascinating; 
about the employment of the remote dead to illumine 
the orgies of the living; in itself the thing was a 
satire; both on the living and the dead。 Caesar's 
dustor is it Alexander's? may stop a bunghole; but 
the functions of these dead Caesars of the past was to 
light up a savage fetish dance。 To such base uses may 
we come; of so little account may we be in the minds 
of the eager multitudes that we shall breed; many of 
whom; so far from revering our memory; will live to 
curse us for begetting them into such a world of woe。

Then there was the physical side of the spectacle; and 
a weird and splendid one it was。 Those old citizens of 
Ko^r burned as; to judge from their sculptures and 
inscriptions; they had lived; very fast; and with the 
utmost liberality。 What is more; there were plenty of 
them。 As soon as ever a mummy had burned down to the 
ankles; which it did in about twenty minutes; the feet 
were kicked away; and another one put in its place。 
The bonfire was kept going on the same generous scale; 
and its flames shot up; with a hiss and a crackle; 
twenty or thirty feet into the air; throwing great 
flashes of light far out into the gloom; through which 
the dark forms of the Amahagger flitted to and fro 
like devils replenishing the infernal fires。 We all 
stood and stared aghastshocked; and yet fascinated 
at so strange a spectacle; and half expecting to see 
the spirits those flaming forms had once enclosed come 
creeping from the shadows to work vengeance on their 
desecraters。

〃I promised thee a strange sight; my Holly;〃 laughed 
Ayesha; whose nerves alone did not seem to be 
affected; 〃and; behold; I have not failed thee。 Also; 
it hath its lesson。 Trust not to the future; for who 
knows what the future may bring! Therefore; live fo
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