登陆注册
5383600000099

第99章 THE WAKING(2)

I listened:he was coming with the rush as of a thousand times ten thousand far-off wings,with the roar of a molten and flaming world millions upon millions of miles away.His approach was a crescendo chord of a hundred harmonies.

The three looked at each other and smiled,and that smile went floating heavenward a three-petaled flower,the family's morning thanksgiving.From their mouths and their faces it spread over their bodies and shone through their garments.Ere I could say,"Lo,they change!"Adam and Eve stood before me the angels of the resurrection,and Mara was the Magdalene with them at the sepulchre.

The countenance of Adam was like lightning,and Eve held a napkin that flung flakes of splendour about the place.

A wind began to moan in pulsing gusts.

"You hear his wings now!"said Adam;and I knew he did not mean the wings of the morning.

"It is the great Shadow stirring to depart,"he went on."Wretched creature,he has himself within him,and cannot rest!""But is there not in him something deeper yet?"I asked.

"Without a substance,"he answered,"a shadow cannot be--yea,or without a light behind the substance!"He listened for a moment,then called out,with a glad smile,"Hark to the golden cock!Silent and motionless for millions of years has he stood on the clock of the universe;now at last he is flapping his wings!now will he begin to crow!and at intervals will men hear him until the dawn of the day eternal."I listened.Far away--as in the heart of an 鎜nian silence,I heard the clear jubilant outcry of the golden throat.It hurled defiance at death and the dark;sang infinite hope,and coming calm.It was the "expectation of the creature"finding at last a voice;the cry of a chaos that would be a kingdom!

Then I heard a great flapping.

"The black bat is flown!"said Mara.

"Amen,golden cock,bird of God!"cried Adam,and the words rang through the house of silence,and went up into the airy regions.

At his AMEN--like doves arising on wings of silver from among the potsherds,up sprang the Little Ones to their knees on their beds,calling aloud,"Crow!crow again,golden cock!"--as if they had both seen and heard him in their dreams.

Then each turned and looked at the sleeping bedfellow,gazed a moment with loving eyes,kissed the silent companion of the night,and sprang from the couch.The Little Ones who had lain down beside my father and mother gazed blank and sad for a moment at their empty places,then slid slowly to the floor.There they fell each into the other's arms,as if then first,each by the other's eyes,assured they were alive and awake.Suddenly spying Lona,they came running,radiant with bliss,to embrace her.Odu,catching sight of the leopardess on the feet of the princess,bounded to her next,and throwing an arm over the great sleeping head,fondled and kissed it.

"Wake up,wake up,darling!"he cried;"it is time to wake!"The leopardess did not move.

"She has slept herself cold!"he said to Mara,with an upcast look of appealing consternation.

"She is waiting for the princess to wake,my child,"said Mara.

Odu looked at the princess,and saw beside her,still asleep,two of his companions.He flew at them.

"Wake up!wake up!"he cried,and pushed and pulled,now this one,now that.

But soon he began to look troubled,and turned to me with misty eyes.

"They will not wake!"he said."And why are they so cold?""They too are waiting for the princess,"I answered.

He stretched across,and laid his hand on her face.

"She is cold too!What is it?"he cried--and looked round in wondering dismay.

Adam went to him.

"Her wake is not ripe yet,"he said:"she is busy forgetting.When she has forgotten enough to remember enough,then she will soon be ripe,and wake.""And remember?"

"Yes--but not too much at once though."

"But the golden cock has crown!"argued the child,and fell again upon his companions.

"Peter!Peter!Crispy!"he cried."Wake up,Peter!wake up,Crispy!

We are all awake but you two!The gold cock has crown SO loud!The sun is awake and coming!Oh,why WON'T you wake?"But Peter would not wake,neither would Crispy,and Odu wept outright at last.

"Let them sleep,darling!"said Adam."You would not like the princess to wake and find nobody?They are quite happy.So is the leopardess."He was comforted,and wiped his eyes as if he had been all his life used to weeping and wiping,though now first he had tears wherewith to weep--soon to be wiped altogether away.

We followed Eve to the cottage.There she offered us neither bread nor wine,but stood radiantly desiring our departure.So,with never a word of farewell,we went out.The horse and the elephants were at the door,waiting for us.We were too happy to mount them,and they followed us.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 遗失的双翼

    遗失的双翼

    情节梗概:三个孤儿相依为命,以乞讨为生,受尽欺凌,却结为异性兄妹,因战乱被迫分离。 转眼,十年已过,箫寒本想过平凡简单的日子,却落得妻离子散。不得已卷入江湖纷争,箫寒头部重创,遗忘了与梦雪那段甜蜜而又痛苦的岁月。 再遇十年前的兄妹,却爱恨纠葛,他寻找了多年的亲生父母,却是相见不相识。红尘中再遇心爱的女子文茵,更不知两人早在出生前便注定了姻缘,而他杀妻夺子的幕后策划者正是如今挚爱之人的亲生父亲。 箫寒理清了这张无形的巨网,当他恢复了所有记忆,却不知该何去何从?
  • 最强龙太子

    最强龙太子

    这是一个时间树,修真树与科技树,都点歪了的地球。渡神劫陨落的龙太子方尘,魂归地球,再次踏上了登临宇宙之巅,俯瞰亿万时空的道路!
  • Boss今天又跟我求婚啦

    Boss今天又跟我求婚啦

    是谁说强扭的瓜不甜?霍君幽说:“我管你甜不甜,先扭下来,不甜就蘸酱吃!”伊兰不服:我又不是瓜。霍君幽:“你是,而且是个傻瓜!放着老子这样响当当的钻石王老五不上,还等什么?”“行!那等这个月我付房租的时候再上。”霍君幽从没见过这么笨的女人。“除了付房租,买包、买鞋、吃饭、看电影都是机会,提款机知道怎么用吗?伊兰依旧不服:“我可是职场女性,独立自强,你别拿钱势压人,请你尊重我,不然就分手。”霍君幽脸色难看,分手29次,复合30次,他还不尊重她?!这个小没良心的,算了……手起刀落,今晚吃瓜!
  • 带着生死狙击闯末世

    带着生死狙击闯末世

    新书《带着骷髅军团闯末世》火热连载,已肥可杀!末世危机悄然爆发,人类强者面临觉醒,高中毕业生小四意外继承生死狙击的系统,看他在强敌环饲的末世之中,如何与丧尸和人类争锋!书友交流QQ群(223407088)
  • 剑魔志之虎啸山庄篇

    剑魔志之虎啸山庄篇

    故事架空天龙八部,独孤求败的外传,不是穿越,也没有后宫,把金庸留白的那一部分补齐,用我自己的想象,〔无双战戟〕叶无缺,沙场猛将,一柄〔方天画戟〕舞动起来可拟温侯吕奉先;〔怒目金刚〕虚行,少林奇才,初出茅庐斩杀星宿老怪丁春秋,化少林崩解之大劫;〔黄金算盘〕姚俊杰,多智近妖,不掌算盘,却算尽人心、天下;〔黄泉之影〕秦无伤,顶级刺客,一柄〔邪王刃〕被盯上之人,神仙难救……
  • 南风过境知其意

    南风过境知其意

    这是一个关于两个傻缺在线破案谈恋爱还稍微带点玄幻的甜宠故事。
  • 来从无安处

    来从无安处

    我从来都知道这里不是我的家相识相恋然后…就没有了
  • 武侠世界的书生

    武侠世界的书生

    这个江湖很大,容得下数不尽的江湖人,但是这个江湖也很小,容不下一个书生。
  • 伤寒明理论

    伤寒明理论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 笙歌漓梦

    笙歌漓梦

    文艺版(看不懂版)简介:笙歌骤停漓梦破碎梦归彼岸梦离彼岸缘起缘落何曾知晓通俗版简介:沐玖笙是一个很悲催的人,她本以为到了帝都就不会悲催了,结果一不小心就被拐进了青楼。沐玖笙气道:“老天爷,你这样是会失去我的。”然而后面的悲催还没有结束