One day Tsomotre reported that a party of toughs was being secretly equipped for our destruction by agents of certain governments which I will not name.
The wooden chests were loaded on to the Skid9 along with my baggage. The whole colony assembled on the quay10 to bid me farewell. I shook hands with them all in turn; and Lo, to my surprise, kissed me. “We do love you, Fido,” she said. “If they were all like you, domestic, there’d have been no trouble. Remember, when you write about us, that we loved you.” Sambo, when his turn came, clambered from Ng–Gunko’s arms to mine, then hurriedly back again. “I’d go with you if I wasn’t so tied up with these snobs11 that I couldn’t live without them.”
John’s parting words were these. “Yes, say in the biography that I loved you very much.” I could not reply.
Kemi and Marianne, who were in charge of the Skid, were already hauling in the mooring12 lines. We crept out of the little harbour and gathered speed as we passed between the outer headlands. The double pyramid of the island shrank, faded, and was soon a mere13 cloud on the horizon.
I was taken to one of the least important of the French islands, one on which there were no Europeans. By night we unloaded the baggage in the dinghy and set it on a lonely beach. Then we made our farewells, and very soon the Skid with her crew vanished into the darkness. When morning came I went in search of natives and arranged for the transport of my goods and myself to civilization. Civilization? No, that I had left behind for ever.
Of the end of the colony I know very little. For some weeks I hung about in the South Seas trying to pick up information. At last I came upon one of the hooligans who had taken part in the final scene. He was very reluctant to speak, not only because he knew that to blab was to risk death, but also because the whole affair had evidently got on his nerves. Bribery14 and alcohol, however, loosened his tongue.
The assassins had been warned to take no risks. The enemy, though in appearance juvenile15, was said to be diabolically16 cunning and treacherous17. Machine-guns might be useful, and it would be advisable not to parley18.
A large and well-armed party of the invaders19 landed outside the harbour, and advanced upon the settlement. The islanders must have known telepathically that these ruffians were too base to be dealt with by the technique which had been used on former invaders. Probably it would have been easy to destroy them by atomic disintegration20 as soon as they landed; though I remember being told that it was much more difficult to disintegrate21 the atoms of living bodies than of corpses22. Apparently23 no attempt was made to put this method in action. Instead, John seems to have devised a new and subtler method of defence; for according to my informant the landing-party very soon “began to feel there were devils in the place.” They were apparently seized with a nameless horror. Their flesh began to creep, their limbs to tremble. This was all the more terrifying because it was broad daylight, and the sun was beating heavily down on them. No doubt the supernormals were making their presence felt telepathically in some grim and formidable manner unintelligible24 to us. As the invaders advanced hesitatingly through the brushwood, this terrifying sense of some overmastering presence became more and more intense. In addition they began to experience a crazy fear of one another. Every man cast sidelong glances of fright and hate at his neighbour. Suddenly they all fell upon one another, using knives, fire-arms, teeth and fingers. The brawl25 lasted only a few minutes, but several were killed, many wounded. The survivors26 took to their heels, and to the boats.
For two days the ship lay off the island, while her crew debated violently among themselves. Some were for abandoning the venture; but others pointed27 out that to return empty-handed was to go to certain destruction; for the great ones who had sent them had made it clear that, though success would be generously rewarded, failure would be punished ruthlessly. There was nothing for it but to try again. Another landing-party was organized, and fortified28 with large quantities of rum. The result was much the same as on the former occasion; but it was noticed that those who were most drunk were least affected29 by the sinister30 influence.
The assassins took three more days to screw up their courage for another landing. The bodies of their dead comrades were visible upon the hill-side. How many of the living were destined31 to join that ghastly company? The party made itself so drunk that it could hardly row the boats. It braced32 itself with uproarious song. Also it carried the brave liquor with it in a keg. After the landing the gruesome influence was again felt, but this time the invaders answered it with reinforcements of ruin and revelry. Reeling, clinging together, dropping their weapons, tripping over roots and one another’s feet, but defiantly33 singing, they advanced over the spur of hill, and saw the harbour and the settlement beneath them. They floundered down the slope. One of them accidentally discharged a pistol into his own thigh34. He collapsed35, yelling, but the others rushed on.
They stumbled into the presence of the supernormals, who were gathered near the power-station. There the reeling assailants sheepishly came to a stand. By now the effects of the rum were somewhat abated36; and the sight of those strange beings, motionless, with their great calm eyes, seems to have dismayed the assassins. Suddenly they fled.
For some days they wrangled37 among themselves, and kept to their ship. They dared not land again; they dared not sail.
One afternoon, however, they were amazed to see a prodigious38 and dazzling spread of flame rise from behind the hill, and light up land and sea. There followed a muffled39 roar which echoed from the clouds like thunder. The blaze died down, but it was followed by an even more alarming phenomenon. The whole island began to sink. Waves appeared to be clambering up the hills. Presently the ship’s anchor released itself from the sinking bottom, and she was cast adrift. The island continued to descend40, and the sea swept in upon it, bearing the gyrating vessel41 over the tops of the sunken trees. The twin peaks were submerged. Converging42 currents met above their heads and reared a great spout43 of ocean. This liquid horn, descending44, drove hills of water outwards45 in all directions. The ship was overwhelmed. Her top-hamper, boats, and most of her deck-houses were torn away. Half the crew were lost overboard.
This cataclysm46 apparently occurred on the 15th December 1933. It may, of course, have been an effect of purely47 physical causes. Even when I first heard of it, however, I was inclined to think that it was not. I suspected that the islanders had been holding their assailants at bay in order to gain a few days for the completion of their high spiritual task, or in order to bring it at least to a point beyond which there was no hope of further advancement48. I liked to believe that during the few days after the repulse49 of the third landing-party they accomplished50 this aim. They then decided51, I thought, not to await the destruction which was bound sooner or later to overtake them at the hands of the less human species, either through these brutish instruments or through the official forces of the Great Powers. The supernormals might have chosen to end their career by simply falling dead, but seemingly they desired to destroy their handiwork along with themselves. They would not allow their home, and all the objects of beauty with which they had adorned52 it, to fall into subhuman clutches. Therefore they deliberately53 blew up their power-station, thereby54 destroying not only themselves but their whole settlement. I surmised55 further that this mighty56 convulsion must have spread downwards57 into the precarious58 foundations of the island, disturbing them so violently that the whole island collapsed.
As soon as I had gleaned59 as much information as possible, I hurried home with my documentary treasures, wondering how I should give the news to Pax. It did not seem to me likely that she would have learnt it already from John. When I landed in England, she and Doc met me. Her face showed me that she was prepared. At once she said, “You need not break the news gently, because we know the main part of it. John gave me visions of it. I saw those tipsy brutes60 routed by his power. And in a few days afterwards I saw many happy things on the island. I saw John and Lo, walking together on the shore, like lovers at last. One day I saw all the young people sitting in a panelled room, evidently their meeting-room. I heard John say that it was time to die. They all rose and went away, in couples and little groups; and presently they gathered round the door of a stone building that must have been their power-station. Ng–Gunko went through the door, carrying Sambo. Suddenly there was blinding light and noise and pain, then nothing.”
The End
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1
respite
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n.休息,中止,暂缓 | |
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immediate
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adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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minor
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adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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4
entrusted
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v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
purporting
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v.声称是…,(装得)像是…的样子( purport的现在分词 ) | |
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cosmos
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n.宇宙;秩序,和谐 | |
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7
poetic
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adj.富有诗意的,有诗人气质的,善于抒情的 | |
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perpetuate
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v.使永存,使永记不忘 | |
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skid
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v.打滑 n.滑向一侧;滑道 ,滑轨 | |
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10
quay
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n.码头,靠岸处 | |
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11
snobs
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(谄上傲下的)势利小人( snob的名词复数 ); 自高自大者,自命不凡者 | |
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12
mooring
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n.停泊处;系泊用具,系船具;下锚v.停泊,系泊(船只)(moor的现在分词) | |
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13
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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bribery
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n.贿络行为,行贿,受贿 | |
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15
juvenile
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n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的 | |
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16
diabolically
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17
treacherous
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adj.不可靠的,有暗藏的危险的;adj.背叛的,背信弃义的 | |
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18
parley
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n.谈判 | |
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19
invaders
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入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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20
disintegration
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n.分散,解体 | |
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21
disintegrate
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v.瓦解,解体,(使)碎裂,(使)粉碎 | |
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22
corpses
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n.死尸,尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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23
apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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24
unintelligible
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adj.无法了解的,难解的,莫明其妙的 | |
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25
brawl
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n.大声争吵,喧嚷;v.吵架,对骂 | |
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26
survivors
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幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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27
pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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28
fortified
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adj. 加强的 | |
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29
affected
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adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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sinister
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adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
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31
destined
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adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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32
braced
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adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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33
defiantly
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adv.挑战地,大胆对抗地 | |
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34
thigh
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n.大腿;股骨 | |
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collapsed
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adj.倒塌的 | |
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36
abated
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减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 ); 减去; 降价; 撤消(诉讼) | |
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37
wrangled
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v.争吵,争论,口角( wrangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
prodigious
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adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的 | |
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39
muffled
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adj.(声音)被隔的;听不太清的;(衣服)裹严的;蒙住的v.压抑,捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 );用厚厚的衣帽包着(自己) | |
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40
descend
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vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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41
vessel
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n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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42
converging
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adj.收敛[缩]的,会聚的,趋同的v.(线条、运动的物体等)会于一点( converge的现在分词 );(趋于)相似或相同;人或车辆汇集;聚集 | |
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43
spout
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v.喷出,涌出;滔滔不绝地讲;n.喷管;水柱 | |
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44
descending
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n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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45
outwards
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adj.外面的,公开的,向外的;adv.向外;n.外形 | |
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46
cataclysm
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n.洪水,剧变,大灾难 | |
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47
purely
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adv.纯粹地,完全地 | |
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48
advancement
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n.前进,促进,提升 | |
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49
repulse
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n.击退,拒绝;vt.逐退,击退,拒绝 | |
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50
accomplished
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adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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51
decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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52
adorned
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[计]被修饰的 | |
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53
deliberately
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adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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54
thereby
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adv.因此,从而 | |
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55
surmised
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v.臆测,推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 );揣测;猜想 | |
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56
mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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57
downwards
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adj./adv.向下的(地),下行的(地) | |
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58
precarious
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adj.不安定的,靠不住的;根据不足的 | |
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59
gleaned
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v.一点点地收集(资料、事实)( glean的过去式和过去分词 );(收割后)拾穗 | |
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60
brutes
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兽( brute的名词复数 ); 畜生; 残酷无情的人; 兽性 | |
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