CHAPTER VI.
A GREAT VOID AND A GREAT LONGING.
Resuming their march, the travellers proceeded along thecircumference of a circle having a radius of about three miles,with the Callisto in the centre. In crossing soft places theyobserved foot-prints forming in the earth all around them. Theimpressions were of all sizes, and ceased when they reachedrising or hard ground, only to reappear in the swamps, regulatingtheir speed by that of the travellers. The three men were greatlysurprised at this.
"You may observe," said Cortlandt, "that the surface of theimpression is depressed as you watch it, as though by a weight,and you can see, and even hear, the water being squeezed out,though whatever is doing it is entirely invisible. They must bemade by spirits sufficiently advanced to have weight, but notadvanced enough to make themselves visible."
Moved by a species of vandalism, Bearwarden raised histwelve-bore, and fired an ordinary cartridge that he had notprepared for the dragons, at the space directly over the nearestforming prints. There was a brilliant display of prismaticcolours, as in a rainbow, and though the impressions already maderemained, no new ones were formed.
"Now you have done it!" said Cortlandt. "I hoped to be able toinvestigate this further."
"We shall doubtless see other and perhaps more wonderful things,"replied Bearwarden. "I must say this gives me an uncannyfeeling."
When they had completed a little over half their circle, theycame upon another of the groves with which Saturn seemed toabound, at the edge of which, in a side-hill, was a cave, theentrance of which was composed of rocky masses that hadapparently fallen together, the floor being but little higherthan the surface outside. The arched roof of the vestibule wasrendered watertight by the soil that had formed upon it, whichagain was overgrown by vines and bushes.
"This," said Bearwarden, "will be a good place to camp, for thecave will protect us from dragons, unless they should take anotion to breathe at us from the outside, and it will keep us dryin case of rain. To-morrow we can start with this as a centre,and make another circuit."
"We can explore Saturn on foot," said Cortlandt, "and far morethoroughly than Jupiter, on account of its comparative freedomfrom monsters. Not even the dragons can trouble us, unless wemeet them in large numbers."
Thereupon they set about getting fuel for their fire. Besidescollecting some of the dead wood that was lying all about, theysplit up a number of resinous pine and fir trees with explosivebullets from their revolvers, so that soon they not only had aroaring fire, but filled the back part of the cave with logs todry, in case they should camp there again at some later day.Neither Cortlandt nor Bearwarden felt much like sleeping, and so,after finishing the birds the president had brought down thatmorning, they persuaded Ayrault to sit up and smoke with them.Wrapping themselves in their blankets--for there was a chill inthe air--they sat about the camp-fire they had built in the mouthof the cave. Two moons that were at the full rose rapidly in theclear, cold sky. On account of their distance from the sun, theywere less bright than the terrestrial moon, but they shone with amarvellously pure pale light. The larger contained the exactfeatures of a man. There was the somewhat aquiline nose, aclear-cut and expressive mouth, and large, handsome eyes, whichwere shaded by well- marked eyebrows. The whole face was verystriking, but was a personification of the most intense grief.The expression was indeed sadder than that of any face they hadever seen. The other contained the profile of a surpassinglybeautiful young woman. The handsome eyes, shaded by lashes,looked straight ahead. The nose was perfect, and the ear small,while the hair was artistically arranged at the top and back ofthe head. This moon also reflected a pure white ray. The formerappeared about once and a quarter, the latter but three quarters,the size of the terrestrial moon, and the travellers immediatelyrecognized them by their sizes and relative positions as Tethysand Dione, discovered by J. D. Cassini in March, 1684. The sadface was turned slightly towards that of its companion, and itlooked as if some tale of the human heart, some romance, had beenengraved and preserved for all time on the features of these deadbodies, as they silently swung in their orbits forever and anonwere side by side.
"In all the ages," said Cortlandt, "that these moons havewandered with Saturn about the sun, and with the solar system inits journey through space, they can never have gazed upon thescene they now behold, for we may be convinced that no mortal manhas been here before."
"We may say," said Ayrault, "that they see in our bodies a typeof the source from which come all the spiritual beings that arehere."
"If, as the writers of mythology supposed," replied Cortlandt,"inanimate objects were endowed with senses, these moons woulddoubtless be unable to perceive the spiritual beings here; forthe satellites, being material, should, to be consistent, haveonly those senses possessed by ourselves, so that to them thisplanet would ordinarily appear deserted."
"I shall be glad," said Bearwarden, gloomily, "when those moonswane and are succeeded by their fellows, for one would give me anattack of the blues, while the other would subject me to theinconvenience of falling in love."
As he spoke, the upper branches of the trees in the grove beganto sway as a cold gust from the north sighed among them. "Loseno more opportunities," it seemed to cry, "for life is short anduncertain. Soon you will all be colder than I, and your future,still as easily moulded as clay, will be set as Marpesian marble,more fixed than the hardest rock."
"Paradise," said Cortlandt, "contains sights and sounds thatmight, I should think, arouse sad reminiscences without the aidof the waters of Lethe, unless the joy of its souls in their newresources and the sense of forgiveness outweigh all else."
With a parting look at the refined, silvery moon, and itssorrow-laden companion, they retired to the sheltering cave,piled up the fire, and talked on for an hour.
"I do not see how it is," said Bearwarden, "that these moons,considering their distance from the sun, and the consequentlysmall amount of light they receive, are so bright."
"A body's brightness in reflecting light," replied Cortlandt,"depends as much on the colour and composition of its own surfaceas on the amount it receives. It is conceivable that thesemoons, if placed at the earth's distance from the sun, would befar brighter than our moon, and that our familiar satellite, ifremoved to Saturn, would seem very dim. We know how much morebrilliant a mountain in the sunlight is when clad in snow thanwhen its sides are bare. These moons evidently reflect a largeproportion of the light they receive."
When they came out shortly after midnight the girl's-face moonhad already set, leaving a dark and dreary void in the part ofthe sky it had so ideally filled. The inexpressibly sadsatellite (on account of its shorter distance and more rapid rateof revolution) was still above the horizon, and, being slightlytilted, had a more melancholy, heart-broken look than before.While they gazed sadly at the emptiness left by Dione, Cortlandtsaw Ayrault's expression change, and, not clearly perceiving itscause, said, wishing to cheer him: "Never mind, Dick; to-morrownight we shall see it again."
"Ah, prosaic reasoner," retorted Bearwarden, who saw that this,like so many other things, had reminded Ayrault of Sylvia, "thatis but small consolation for having lost it now, though I supposeour lot is not so hard as if we were never to see it again. Inthat moon's face I find the realization of my fancied idealwoman; while that sad one yonder seems as though some celestiallover, in search of his fate, had become enamoured of her, andtried in vain to win her, and the grief in his mind had impresseditself on the then molten face of a satellite to be the monumentthroughout eternity of love and a broken heart. If the spiritsand souls of the departed have any command of matter, why may nottheir intensest thoughts engrave themselves on a moon that, whendead and frozen, may reflect and shine as they did, whileimmersed in the depths of space? At first Dione bored me; now Ishould greatly like to see her again."
"History repeats itself," replied Cortlandt, "and the same phasesof life recur. It is we that
are in a changed receptive mood.The change that seems to be in them is in reality in us. Remainas you are now, and Dione will give you the same pleasuretomorrow that she gave to-day."
To Ayrault this meant more than the mere setting to rise again ofa heavenly body. The perfume of a flower, the sighing of thewind, suggesting some harmony or song, a full or crescent moon,recalled thoughts and associations of Sylvia. Everything seemedto bring out memory, and he realized the utter inability ofabsence to cure the heart of love. "If Sylvia should pass frommy life as that moon has left my vision," his thoughts continued,"existence would be but sadness and memory would be its cause,for the most beautiful sounds entail sorrow; the most beautifulsights, intense pain. "Ah," he went on with a trace ofbitterness, while his friends fell asleep in the cave, "I mightbetter have remained in love with science; for whose studiesNature, which is but a form of God, in the right spirit, is notdependent for his joy or despair on the whims of a girl. She, ofcourse, sees many others, and, being only twenty, may forget me.Must I content myself with philosophical rules and mathematicalformulae, when she, whose changefulness I may find greater thanthe winds that sigh over me, now loves me no longer? O love,which makes us miserable when we feel it, and more miserablestill when it is gone!"
He strung a number of copper wires at different degrees oftension between two trees, and listened to the wind as it rangedup and down on this improvised AEolian harp. It gradually raninto a regular refrain, which became more and more like words.Ayrault was puzzled, and then amazed. There could be no doubtabout it. "You should be happy," it kept repeating--"you shouldbe happy," in soft musical tones.
"I know I should," replied Ayrault, finally recognizing the voiceof Violet Slade in the song of the wind, "and I cannot understandwhy I am not. Tell me, is this paradise, Violet, or is it notrather purgatory?"
The notes ranged up and down again, and he perceived that she wascausing the wind to blow as she desired--in other words, she wasmaking it play upon his harp.
"That depends on the individual," she replied. "It is rathersheol, the place of departed spirits. Those whose consciencesmade them happy on earth are in paradise here; while those goodenough to reach heaven at last, but in whom some dross remains,are further refined in spirit, and to them it is purgatory.Those who are in love can be happy in but one way while theirlove lasts. What IS happiness, anyway?"
"It is the state in which desires are satisfied, my fair Violet,"answered Ayrault.
"Say, rather, the state in which desire coincides with duty,"replied the song. "Self-sacrifice for others gives the truestjoy; being with the object of one's love, the next. You neverbelieved that I loved you. I dissembled well; but you will seefor yourself some day, as clearly as I see your love for anothernow."
"Yes," replied Ayrault, sadly, "I am in love. I have no reasonto believe there is cause for my unrest, and, considering everything, I should be happy as man can be; yet, mirabile dictu, I amin--hades, in the very depths!"
"Your beloved is beyond my vision; your heart is all I can see.Yet I am convinced she will not forget you. I am sure she lovesyou still."
"I have always believed in homoeopathy to the extent of thesimilia similibus curantur, Violet, and it is certain that wherenothing else will cure a man of love for one woman, his love foranother will. You can see how I love Sylvia, but you have neverseemed so sweet to me as to-day."
"It is a sacrilege, my friend, to speak so to me now. You aredone with me forever. I am but a disembodied spirit, and escapedhades by the grace of the Omnipotent, rather than by virtue ofany good I did on earth. So far as any elasticity is left in myopportunities, I am dead as yon moon. You have still the giftthat but one can give. Within your animal body you hold animmortal soul. It is pliable as wax; you can mould it by yourwill. As you shape that soul, so will your future be. It is theark that can traverse the flood. Raise it, and it will raiseyou. It is all there is in yourself. Preserve that gift, andwhen you die you will, I hope, start on a plane many thousands ofyears in advance of me. There should be no more comparisonbetween us than between a person with all his senses and one thatis deaf and blind. Though you are a layman, you should, withyour faith and frame of mind, soon be but little behind ourspiritual bishop."
"I supposed after death a man had rest. Is he, then, a bishopstill?"
"The progress, as he told you, is largely on the old lines. Ashe stirred men's hearts on earth, he will stir their souls inheaven; and this is no irksome or unwelcome work."
"You say he WILL do this in heaven. Is he, then, not there yet?"
"He was not far from heaven on earth, yet technically none of uscan be in heaven till after the general resurrection. Then, aswe knew on earth, we shall receive bodies, though, as yet,concerning their exact nature we know but little more than then.We are all in sheol--the just in purgatory and paradise, theunjust in hell."
"Since you are still in purgatory, are you unhappy?"
"No, our state is very happy. All physical pain is past, and cannever be felt again. We know that our evil desires are overcome,and that their imprints are being gradually erased. Ioccasionally shed an intangible tear, yet for most of those whostrove to obey their consciences, purgatory, when essential,though occasionally giving us a bitter twinge, is a joy-producingstate. Not all the glories imaginable or unimaginable could makeus happy, were our consciences ill at ease. I have advancedslowly, yet some things are given us at once. After I realized Ihad irrevocably lost your love, though for a time I had hoped toregain it, I became very restless; earth seemed a prison, and Ilooked forward to death as my deliverer. I bore you no malice;you had never especially tried to win me; the infatuation--thatof a girl of eighteen--had been all on my side. I lived five sadand lonely years, although, as you know, I had much attention.People thought me cold and heartless. How could I have a heart,having failed to win yours, and mine being broken? Having lostthe only man I loved, I knew no one else could replace him, and Iwas not the kind to marry for pique. People thought me handsome,but I felt myself aged when you ceased to call. Perhaps when youand she who holds all your love come to sheol, she may spare youto me a little, for as a spirit my every thought is known; orperhaps after the resurrection, when I, too, can leave thisplanet, we shall all soar through space together, and we canstudy the stars as of old."
"Your voice is a symphony, sweetest Violet, and I love to hearyour words. Ah, would you could once more return to earth, orthat I were an ethereal spirit, that we might commune face toface! I would follow you from one end of Shadowland to theother. Of what use is life to me, with distractions that draw mythoughts to earth as gravitation drew my body? I wish I were ashade."
"You are talking for effect, Dick--which is useless here, for Isee how utterly you are in love."
"I AM in love, Violet; and though, as I said, I have no reason todoubt Sylvia's steadfastness and constancy, I am very unhappy. Ihave always heard that time is a balsam that cures all ills, yetI become more wretched every day."
"Do all you can to preserve that love, and it will bring you joyall your life. Your happiness is my happiness. What distressesyou, distresses me."
The tones here grew fainter and seemed about to cease.
"Before you leave me," cried Ayrault, "tell me how and when I maysee or hear you again."
"While you remain on this planet, I shall be near; but beyondSaturn I cannot go."
"Yet tell me, Violet, how I may see you? My love unattained, youperceive, makes me wretched, while you always gave me calm andpeace. If I may not kiss the hand I almost asked might be mine,let me have but a glance from your sweet eyes, which will comfortme so much now."
"If you break the ice in the pool behind you, you shall see metill the frame melts."
After this the silence was broken only by the sighing of the windin the trees. The pool had suddenly become covered with iceseveral inches thick. Taking an axe, Ayrault hewed out aparallelogram about three feet by four and set it on end again
stthe bank. The cold grey of morning was already colouring theeast, and in the growing light Ayrault beheld a vision of Violetwithin the ice. The face was at about three fourths, and had acontemplative air. The hair was arranged as he had formerly seenit, and the thoughtful look was strongest in the beautiful greyeyes, which were more serious than of yore. Ayrault stoodriveted to the spot and gazed. "I could have been happy withher," he mused, and to think she is no more!"
As drops fell from the ice, tears rose to his eyes.
. . . . . . .
"What a pretty girl!" said Bearwarden to Cortlandt, as they cameupon it later in the day. "The face seems etched or imprinted bysome peculiar form of freezing far within the ice."
The next morning they again set out, and so tramped, hunted, andinvestigated with varying success for ten Saturnian days. Theyfound that in the animal and plant forms of life Nature hadoften, by some seeming accident, struck out in a course verydifferent from any on the earth. Many of the animals were bipedsand tripeds, the latter arranged in tandem, the last leg beingevidently an enormously developed tail, by which the creaturepropelled itself as with a spring. The quadrupeds had alsosometimes wings, and their bones were hollow, like those ofbirds. Whether this great motive and lifting power was theresult of the planet's size and the power of gravitation, orwhether some creatures had in addition the power of developing adegree of apergetic repulsion to offset it, as they suspected inthe case of the boa-constrictor that fell upon Cortlandt onJupiter, they could not absolutely ascertain. Life was far lessprolific on Saturn than on Jupiter, doubtless as a result of itsgreater distance from the sun, and of its extremes of climate,almost all organic life being driven to the latitudes near theequator. There were, as on Jupiter, many variations from theforms of life to which they were accustomed, and adaptations tothe conditions in which they found themselves; but, with theexception of the strange manifestations of spirit life, theyfound the workings of the fundamental laws the same. Often whenthey woke at night the air was luminous, and they were convincedthat if they remained there long enough it would be easy todevise some telegraphic code of light-flashes by which they couldcommunicate with the spirit world, and so get ideas from the hostof spirits that had already solved the problem of life and death,but who were not as yet sufficiently developed to be able toreturn to the earth. One day they stopped to investigate whatthey had supposed to be an optical illusion. They observed thatleaves and other light substances floated several inches abovethe surface of the water in the pools. On coming to the edge andmaking tests, they found a light liquid, as invisible as air,superimposed upon the water, with sufficient buoyancy to sustaindry wood and also some forms of life. They also observed thatinsects coming close to the surface and apparently inhaling it,rapidly increased in size and weight, from which they concludedit must throw off nitrogen, carbon, or some other nourishment inthe form of gas. The depth upon the water was unaffected byrain, which passed through it, but depended rather on thecondition of the atmosphere, from which it was evidentlycondensed. There seemed also to be a relation between the amountof this liquid and the activity of the spirits. Finally, whentheir ammunition showed signs of running low, they decided toreturn to the Callisto, go in it to the other side of the planet,and resume their investigations there. Accordingly, they set outto retrace their steps, returning by a course a few miles to oneside of the way they had come, and making the cave theirobjective point. Arriving there one evening about sunset, theypitched their camp. The cave was sheltered and comfortable, andthey made preparation for passing the night.
"I shall be sorry," said Ayrault, as they sat near their fire,"to leave this place without again seeing the bishop. He said wecould impress him anywhere, but it may be more difficult to dothat at the antipodes than here."
"It does seem," said Bearwarden, "as though we should be missingit in not seeing him again, if that is possible. Nothing but apoison-storm brought him the first time, and it is not certainthat even in such an emergency would he come again uncalled."
"I think," said Ayrault, "as none of the spirits here aremalevolent, they would warn us of danger if they could. Thebishop's spirit seems to have been the only one with sufficientlydeveloped power to reappear as a man. I therefore suggest thatto-morrow we try to make him feel our thought and bring him tous."
A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future Page 23