The world below
in her left hand, till at last she was satisfied, and it was pressed
upon the surface of the picture, to which it added a further rectangle
of finished work. The picture was then touched slightly with another
pad, apparently to blend the added portion perfectly with the earlier
work, and the same process was resumed.
It was slow to watch, but my companion was of an unhurried mind, and it
is my own disposition to go cautiously when in doubt. I was neither
willing to leave this scene for a further risk of the dark passage, nor
to face a crisis by revealing ourselves in the room, and so we sat and
watched in the outer darkness. It was not a very long vigil, for the
artist appeared to weary, laid down her tools, hesitated, walked towards
the scene which she had been painting, stood gazing at it for some time
in silence, and then lay down beneath it, where it appeared that the
floor rose in a smooth curve, a few feet above the surrounding level.
This surface gave way gently to the impression of her body, which sank
down partly within it. She lay face forward, her head turned from us,
her arms extended straightly above her head. Lying so, she stretched for
half the length of the room. There was no sound of breathing, and we
could not tell whether she slept, but after watching for some time
longer we were of one mind to adventure a further investigation, and
very quietly we entered the room together.
CHAPTER VIII
THE TREATY
It was with a common impulse of curiosity that we first went towards the
living book which was resting motionless within the metal circle. It had
no distinguishable features, and I cannot tell how it became aware of
our existence, but it was its function to respond to the approach of any
inquiring mind. It rebuffed any attempt to explain our own presence, or
what we were, being evidently unable, or forbidden, to accept
information except from the official librarian, but as we were more
anxious to obtain information than to impart it, we had no objection to
this, and, as we found it a cause of confusion to question it together,
my companion generously gave the preference to my own curiosities, and
composed her mind to receive the replies which it should give me.
We learnt at once that it was the last volume of the official History of
the Dwellers, its record extending back for about two hundred years, and
it would have been quite willing to begin at chapter one of that period,
and go on for a week, had we been willing for it to do so. When it
understood that it was required to select specific information in
response to my questions, it assented, rather sulkily, though I soon
realised that its function was limited to supplying the actual
information which it possessed. It was unable to give any explanation or
comment beyond anything which it had received with the facts. To any
question which went outside its period, or beyond its province, it
returned no answer. Even of the way to the library from which it had
come it had no knowledge, though it wished to be returned to its
accustomed shelf. It knew, however, that it must not venture to cross
the metal circle which now confined it, under penalty of a swift
destruction, should it touch it at any point.
My companion perceived the reason for this, as she was aware, without
touching it, that the metal was heavily charged with some petrifying
force having the vigour of electricity, and of a current sufficient to
overcome a much larger creature than that which it now imprisoned.
“Are you impervious to electricity?” I was led to ask, as I perceived
her indifference to this new danger.
“No,” she replied, “of course not. How could we live without it? But we
can naturally control the quantity which we receive. Otherwise our
bodies would be continually exposed to the risk of a sudden destruction.
Are you so liable?”
I said that I was certainly not immune from such danger, and it added a
new peril to our investigations if the Dwellers were accustomed to use
it or other forces of unknown potentialities, in such a manner. She
agreed, but assured me that she could give warning very easily, now that
she knew of this additional infirmity of my body, as she could always
tell the quantity and direction of any electric force which might be in
her neighbourhood.
I was puzzled to think that the Dwellers should expose so valuable a
record to the risk of destruction as a penalty for its own disobedience,
and this made me somewhat sceptical of the accuracy of my companion’s
explanation, but I learnt afterwards that the effect would merely have
been that a new volume would have been commenced. These creatures are
only kept alive until they have received as much information as they are
capable of retaining, and are then slaughtered. The information which
they contain being permanently available, as is that of a gramophone
record, and the minds that hold it being more surely and easily stored
when they are dead, than in a living state.
Having realised the character and limitations of the record at our
disposal, I asked first concerning the safety of the two friends whom I
had come to seek. I had to repeat the question in many forms before
obtaining any response, but I finally obtained this information, which
was obviously the only record which had been made, and the extent of the
help which was here available.
Two Primitives of the False-Skin Age were captured by the
42nd Coast Patrol. One was of a venomous kind. They were
received by the Bureau of Prehistoric Zoology. The body of
one was found to be suffering from microbic disease beyond
sterilisation, and was scraped by the Vivisection
Department. The other was transferred to the Experimental
Section, after the usual method.
That was all. The fate of one of those who had preceded me was
sufficiently indicated, and that of the other was, at the best,
enigmatic; but I could learn no more. Even of the place or nature of the
Bureau it mentioned the living book was entirely ignorant.
Little as it was, it was sufficient to suggest that I should be very
foolish to place myself in the hands of the Dwellers, unless I were
compelled to do so. I realised, as I had not done previously, that my
position was that to which, in my own time, the human race had reduced
all the other living creatures on the earth’s surface, and that the
Dwellers, however justly they might act to each other, would probably
consider it an absolute duty to put me to death or torture if they could
gain any knowledge, obtain any advantage to themselves, or even avert
some trivial inconvenience, by so doing, as many men, and nearly all
women, would subject a mouse to a violent or lingering death for no
greater reason than that it had annoyed them by a sound in the night.
Having realised that I could obtain no further information on the
subject of my own search, I remembered--none too soon--that my companion
must be equally urgent to learn of the one for whom she was seeking, and
of the events which had occasioned the recall which had reached her, and
I inquired accordingly, and received this answer:
Article 5. In consideration of the foregoing, the body of
the Amphibian will be delivered at the Fishgates, at once,
and uninjured. The one who is seeking it will be allowed,
and, if needful, assisted to return in safety, provided that
such return be made before the third sunset, and that she
shall not have entered the Sacred Places. The Primitive
shall remain. He shall be treated with such kindness as
circumstances admit, and, if healthy and quiet, shall be
transferred to an appropriate Reservation. But if he be in
any way diseased he may be dealt with according to the
nature of his infirmity, and as the protection of the
community may require. Otherwise, unless he be violent or
intractable, he shall not be slaughtered, either for food or
for any other purpose, except in the ordinary course, and at
such period as is usual.
Certainly there was information here, and warning, and some mystery
also. Our thought was single that this must be the purport of an
agreement that must have been made between the Amphibians and the
Dwellers since the commencement of our expedition, and we were alike in
desiring to learn the other clauses of the treaty, before we considered
our course of action.
These were very promptly given, for I believe that these living books
were so constituted that they derived a positive physical pleasure from
such thought-transference as would convey their contents to other minds,
such as is commonly experienced in the exercise of the ordinary
functions of the human body.
The treaty (omitting the fifth clause already given) was this:
Article 1. The Leaders of the Amphibians pledge themselves
and their nation, without reservation or exception, that
they will not henceforward, or any of them, invade the
continent of the Dwellers, either above, at, or on the
sea-level, unless or except as may be mutually agreed
hereafter.
Article 2. The Leaders of the Amphibians shall appoint two
of their number, and the Dwellers shall appoint two of their
number, to confer and agree upon the times at and the
conditions on if any which the Amphibians or any of them may
enter or remain upon the surface of the territory of the
Dwellers, or any part thereof.
Article 3. The Amphibians pledge themselves that they will
not give any aid, assistance, or information, active or
passive, to the Antipodeans or hold any communications with
them, except, if at all, at the desire of the Dwellers, and
to obtain information on their behalf.
Article 4. The Amphibians will forthwith institute and
maintain a complete service of observation upon the coasts
of the Antipodeans, and upon all aerial movements above or
from their coasts, with such relays of communication as
shall convey all such information to the Dwellers at the
least possible intervals of time after the observation of
such movements.
Article 5. (Already given).
Article 6. Should the Amphibian who is now landed have
invaded, or invade, the Sacred Places, or should she remain
hidden in the land until after the time of the third sunset,
or should she neglect or refuse to return by or before the
time stated, then the Dwellers shall be free to deal with
her as may appear just to them, or as their safety or
interests may require, and the Amphibians shall none the
less carry out the first four Articles of this treaty, as
though she should have returned safely.
Article 7. In the event of the successful resuscitation of
the body of the Amphibian Leader and of her assent to this
clause, and providing that the Amphibian now on the
territory of the Dwellers shall have returned in safety
whether within the period stated in Article 5, or later by
the clemency of the Dwellers, then, and in these events, the
Leaders of the Amphibians severally and on behalf of their
nation and of every member thereof, do pledge themselves
actively to assist the Dwellers against the Antipodeans, in
the hostilities now impending, to the full extent of their
national and individual capacities, according to their
natures, and by such means as they are spiritually and
physically qualified to do.
Article 8. The Amphibians are entitled to communicate with
the member of their nation who is now on the territory of
the Dwellers for the purpose of recalling her, but not
otherwise, nor shall they invite or receive any