"Do you know, I think it frightened him, if one could imagine Oro being frightened.At any rate he remarked that the truth or falsity of what I said was an urgent matter for him, as he could not expect to live more than a few hundred years longer, though perhaps he might prolong the period by another spell of sleep.
Then he asked me why I thought him so wicked.I replied because he himself said that he had drowned millions of people, which showed an evil heart and intention even if it were not a fact.He thought a long while and asked what could be done in the circumstances.I replied that repentance and reparation were the only courses open to him.""Reparation!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, reparation was what I said, though I think I made a mistake there, as you will see.As nearly as I can remember, he answered that he was beginning to repent, as from all he had learned from us, he gathered that the races which had arisen as a consequence of his action, were worse than those which he had destroyed.As regards reparation, what he had done once he could do again.He would think the matter over seriously, and see if it were possible and advisable to raise those parts of the world which had been sunk, and sink those which had been raised.If so, he thought that would make very handsome amends to the departed nations and set him quite right with any superior Power, if such a thing existed.What are you laughing at, Bickley? I don't think it a laughing matter, since such remarks do not seem to me to indicate any real change in Oro's heart, which is what I was trying to effect."Bickley, who was convulsed with merriment, wiped his eyes and said:
"You dear old donkey, don't you see what you have done, or rather would have done if there were a word of truth in all this ridiculous story about a deluge? You would be in the way of making your precious pupil, who certainly is the most masterly old liar in the world, repeat his offence and send Europe to the bottom of the sea.""That did occur to me, but it doesn't much matter as I am quite certain that such a thing would never be allowed.Of course there was a real deluge once, but Oro had no more to do with it than Ihad.Don't you agree, Arbuthnot?"
"I think so," I answered cautiously, "but really in this place I am beginning to lose count of what is or is not possible.Also, of course, there may have been many deluges; indeed the history of the world shows that this was so; it is written in its geological strata.What was the end of it?""The end was that he took the South Sea Bible and, after I had explained a little about our letters, seemed to be able to read it at once.I suppose he was acquainted with the art of printing in his youth.At any rate he said that he would study it, I don't know how, unless he can read, and that in two days' time he would let me know what he thought about the matter of my religion.Then he told me to go.I said that I did not know the way and was afraid of losing myself.Thereupon he waved his hand, and Ireally can't say what happened."
"Did you levitate up here," asked Bickley, "like the late lamented Mr.Home at the spiritualistic seances?""No, I did not exactly levitate, but something or someone seemed to get a hold of me, and I was just rushed along in a most tumultuous fashion.The next thing I knew was that I was standing at the door of that sepulchre, though I have no recollection of going up in the lift, or whatever it is.I believe those beastly caves are full of ghosts, or devils, and the worst of it is that they have kept my solar-tope, which I put on this morning forgetting that it would be useless there.""The Lady Yva's Fourth Dimension in action," I suggested, "only it wouldn't work on solar-topes.""I don't know what you are talking about," said Bastin, "but if my hat had to be left, why not my boots and other garments?
Please stop your nonsense and pass the tea.Thank goodness Ihaven't got to go down there tomorrow, as he seems to have had enough of me for the present, so I vote we all pay a visit to the ship.It will be a very pleasant change.I couldn't stand two days running with that old fiend, and his ghosts or devils in the cave."Next morning accordingly, fearing no harm from the Orofenans, we took the canoe and rowed to the main island.Marama had evidently seen us coming, for he and a number of his people met us with every demonstration of delight, and escorted us to the ship.Here we found things just as we had left them, for there had been no attempt at theft or other mischief.
While we were in the cabin a fit of moral weakness seemed to overcome Bickley, the first and I may add the last from which Iever saw him suffer.
"Do you know," he said, addressing us, "I think that we should do well to try to get out of this place.Eliminating a great deal of the marvelous with which we seem to have come in touch here, it is still obvious that we find ourselves in very peculiar and unhealthy surroundings.I mean mentally unhealthy, indeed I think that if we stay here much longer we shall probably go off our heads.Now that boat on the deck remains sound and seaworthy.Why should not we provision her and take our chance? We know more or less which way to steer."Bastin and I looked at each other.It was he who spoke first.
"Wouldn't it be rather a risky job in an open boat?" he asked.
"However, that doesn't matter much because I don't take any account of risks, knowing that I am of more value than a sparrow and that the hairs of my head are all numbered.""They might be numbered under water as well as above it,"muttered Bickley, "and I feel sure that on your own showing, you would be as valuable dead as alive.""What I seem to feel," went on Bastin, "is that I have work to my hand here.Also, the locum tenens at Fulcombe no doubt runs the parish as well as I could.Indeed I consider him a better man for the place than I am.That old Oro is a tough proposition, but I do not despair of him yet, and besides him there is the Glittering Lady, a most open-minded person, whom I have not yet had any real opportunity of approaching in a spiritual sense.
