the coming race-第24章

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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　agreeable；　and　if　it　may　be　said　that　all　the　children　form　a　democracy；　no　less　truly　it　may　be　said　that　all　the　adults　form　an　aristocracy。　　The　exquisite　politeness　and　refinement　of　manners　among　the　Vril…ya；　the　generosity　of　their　sentiments；　the　absolute　leisure　they　enjoy　for　following　out　their　own　private　pursuits；　the　amenities　of　their　domestic　intercourse；　in　which　they　seem　as　members　of　one　noble　order　that　can　have　no　distrust　of　each　other's　word　or　deed；　all　combine　to　make　the　Vril…ya　the　most　perfect　nobility　which　a　political　disciple　of　Plato　or　Sidney　could　conceive　for　the　ideal　of　an　aristocratic　republic。　102

Chapter　XX。


》From　the　date　of　the　expedition　with　Taee　which　I　have　just　narrated；　the　child　paid　me　frequent　visits。　　He　had　taken　a　liking　to　me；　which　I　cordially　returned。　　Indeed；　as　he　was　not　yet　twelve　years　old；　and　had　not　commenced　the　course　of　scientific　studies　with　which　childhood　closes　in　that　country；　my　intellect　was　less　inferior　to　his　than　to　that　of　the　elder　members　of　his　race；　especially　of　the　Gy…ei；　and　most　especially　of　the　accomplished　Zee。　　The　children　of　the　Vril…ya；　having　upon　their　minds　the　weight　of　so　many　active　duties　and　grave　responsibilities；　are　not　generally　mirthful；　but　Taee；　with　all　his　wisdom；　had　much　of　the　playful　good…humour　one　often　finds　the　characteristic　of　elderly　men　of　genius。　　He　felt　that　sort　of　pleasure　in　my　society　which　a　boy　of　a　similar　age　in　the　upper　world　has　in　the　company　of　a　pet　dog　or　monkey。　　It　amused　him　to　try　and　teach　me　the　ways　of　his　people；　as　it　amuses　a　nephew　of　mine　to　make　his　poodle　walk　on　his　hind　legs　or　jump　through　a　hoop。　　I　willingly　lent　myself　to　such　experiments；　but　I　never　achieved　the　success　of　the　poodle。　　I　was　very　much　interested　at　first　in　the　attempt　to　ply　the　wings　which　the　youngest　of　the　Vril…ya　use　as　nimbly　and　easily　as　ours　do　their　legs　and　arms；　but　my　efforts　were　attended　with　contusions　serious　enough　to　make　me　abandon　them　in　despair。

These　wings；　as　I　before　said；　are　very　large；　reaching　to　the　knee；　and　in　repose　thrown　back　so　as　to　form　a　very　graceful　mantle。　　They　are　composed　from　the　feathers　of　a　gigantic　bird　that　abounds　in　the　rocky　heights　of　the　country…　the　colour　mostly　white；　but　sometimes　with　reddish　streaks。　　They　are　fastened　round　the　shoulders　with　light　but　strong　springs　of　steel；　and；　when　expanded；　the　arms　slide　through　loops　for　that　purpose；　forming；　as　it　were；　a　stout　central　membrane。　　As　the　arms　are　raised；　a　tubular　lining　beneath　the　vest　or　103tunic　becomes；　by　mechanical　contrivance　inflated　with　air；　increased　or　diminished　at　will　by　the　movement　of　the　arms；　and　serving　to　buoy　the　whole　form　as　on　bladders。　　The　wings　and　the　balloon…like　apparatus　are　highly　charged　with　vril；　and　when　the　body　is　thus　wafted　upward；　it　seems　to　become　singularly　lightened　of　its　weight。　　I　found　it　easy　enough　to　soar　from　the　ground；　indeed；　when　the　wings　were　spread　it　was　scarcely　possible　not　to　soar；　but　then