登陆注册
4718300000075

第75章

"It is a fight in a warren. Your place is here."He explained elaborately. He motioned towards the room where Graham must wait, he insisted no other course was possible. "We must know where you are," he said. "At any moment a crisis may arise needing your presence and decision. "The room was a luxurious little apartment with news machines and a broken mirror that had once been en __rapport__ with the crow's nest specula. It seemed a matter of course to Graham that Helen should stop with him.

A picture had drifted through his mind of such a vast dramatic struggle as the masses in the ruins had suggested. But here was no spectacular battle-field such as he imagined. Instead was seclusion--and suspense.

It was only as the afternoon wore on that he pieced together a truer picture of the fight that was raging, inaudibly and invisibly, within four miles of him, beneath the Roehampton stage. Astrange and unprecedented contest it was, a battle that was a hundred thousand little battles, a battle in a sponge of ways and channels, fought out of sight of sky or sun under the electric glare, fought out in a vast confusion by multitudes untrained in arms, led chiefly by acclamation, multitudes dulled by mindless labour and enervated by the tradition of two hundred years of servile security against multitudes demolised by lives of venial privilege and sensual indulgence. They had no artillery, no differentiation into this force or that; the only weapon on either side was the little green metal carbine, whose secret manufacture and sudden distribution in enormous quantities had been one of Ostrog's culminating moves against the Council. Few had had any experience with this weapon, many had never discharged one, many who carried it came unprovided with ammunition; never was wilder firing in the history of warfare. It was a battle of amateurs, a hideous experimental warfare, armed rioters fighting armed rioters, armed rioters swept forward by the words and fury of a song, by the tramping sympathy of their numbers, pouring in countless myriads towards the smaller ways, the disabled lifts, the galleries slippery with blood, the halls and passages choked with smoke, beneath the flying stages, to learn there when retreat was hopeless the ancient mysteries of warfare. And overhead save for a few sharpshooters upon the roof spaces and for a few bands and threads of vapour that multiplied and darkened towards the evening, the day was a clear serenity. Ostrog it seems had no bombs at command and in all the earlier phases of the battle the aeropiles played no part. Not the smallest cloud was there to break the empty brilliance of the sky. It seemed as though it held itself vacant until the aeroplanes should come.

Ever and again there was news of these, drawing nearer, from this Mediterranean port and then that, and presently from the south of France. But of the new guns that Ostrog had made and which were known to be in the city came no news in spite of Graham's urgency, nor any report of successes from the dense felt of fighting strands about the flying stages.

Section after section of the Labour Societies reported itself assembled, reported itself marching, and vanished from knowledge into the labyrinth of that warfare What was happening there? Even the busy ward leaders did not know. In spite of the opening and closing of doors, the hasty messengers, the ringing of bells and the perpetual clitter-clack of recording implements, Graham felt isolated, strangely inactive, inoperative.

Their isolation seemed at times the strangest, the most unexpected of all the things that had happened since his awakening. It had something of the quality of that inactivity that comes in dreams. A tumult, the stupendous realisation of a world struggle between Ostrog and himself, and then this confined quiet little room with its mouthpieces and bells and broken mirror!

Now the door would be closed and they were alone together; they seemed sharply marked off then from all the unprecedented world storm that rushed together without, vividly aware of one another, only concerned with one another. Then the door would open again, messengers would enter, or a sharp bell would stab their quiet privacy, and it was like a window in a well built brightly lit house flung open suddenly to a hurricane.

The dark hurry and tumult, the stress and vehemence of the battle rushed in and overwhelmed them. They were no longer persons but mere spectators, mere impressions of a tremendous convulsion.

They became unreal even to themselves, miniatures of personality, indescribably small, and the two antagonistic realities, the only realities in being were first the city, that throbbed and roared yonder in a belated frenzy of defence and secondly the aeroplanes hurling inexorably towards them over the round shoulder of the world.

At first their mood had been one of exalted confidence, a great pride had possessed them, a pride in one another for the greatness of the issues they had challenged. At first he had walked the room eloquent with a transitory persuasion of his tremendous destiny.

But slowly uneasy intimations of their coming defeat touched his spirit. There came a long period in which they were alone. He changed his theme, became egotistical, spoke of the wonder of his sleep, of the little life of his memories, remote yet minute and clear, like something seen through an inverted opera-glass, and all the brief play of desires and errors that had made his former life. She said little, but the emotion in her face followed the tones in his voice, and it seemed to him he had at last a perfect understanding.

同类推荐
  • 人间词话

    人间词话

    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。
  • 明实录穆宗实录

    明实录穆宗实录

    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。
  • N021

    N021

    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。
  • The Chouans

    The Chouans

    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。
  • 太上玄一真人说劝诫法_轮妙经

    太上玄一真人说劝诫法_轮妙经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 社会交往英语口语即学即用

    社会交往英语口语即学即用

    取材于人们所从事的社交活动的方方面面,范围广、实用性强。共包括7个部分:社交惯用语、家庭交往、社会生活、电话交往、商务交往、出行交往和社交语气。希望该书对具有中低层次英语水平的读者提高英语口语水平有所帮助。
  • 穿越古代去种田

    穿越古代去种田

    现代女穿越到古代,带着随身空间,开始了创业致富的道路,遇见美男拯救美男,再生了个萌宝宝,煮煮饭,斗斗嘴,过上神仙眷侣般的生活推荐新书(腹黑夫君宠妻无度,同样包月文,文笔剧情更加精彩)
  • 想个法子弄死你

    想个法子弄死你

    杀手杀人一点都不容易,有些人拿钱,大多数人拿命。
  • 婴童百问

    婴童百问

    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。
  • 迷界·焰幻

    迷界·焰幻

    南昊国房宿时期,国内妖孽作乱,敌国年年侵略,战事频繁。三王子墨熠注定今世不得安宁。大哥灼星和二哥明瀑为了改变弟弟的宿命而相继死去。敌国乘机大举进攻,南昊国灭亡。墨熠以及手下在逃亡中深陷幻境世界。经过重重磨难,最终拨开种种谜团,墨熠的身世也随之真相大白……
  • 成大事者不计较

    成大事者不计较

    人生在世,如果计较的东西太多,名利地位、金钱美色、人情世故,倘若样样都不肯放手,就会活得很累。反之,如果什么都不计较,没有进取心,经常吃暗亏,那样也未免太过苦闷。而真正的成大事者,必定是不会患得患失,能够找到计较与不计较之间的平衡点的人。翻开本书,你可以学到如何在纷繁复杂的世界中让自己的内心更强大,如何调整心态,收放自如,处理好人际关系。让一切交由你的灵魂,改变从这本书开始。
  • 特工下堂妃

    特工下堂妃

    她是慕容府里的最不受宠的九小姐,嫁予当朝花心王爷做第九十九妃,成亲第九日被相公捉奸在床-----从此背上“簜妇”之名。她是现代顶级特工,在与最爱的男人结婚当日,却被一个小孩一枪毙了!一朝穿越,再次睁开眼时,已是风华绝代!浅浅新文,多多支持!http://read。xxsy。net/info/413023。html《不良母后》【女主强大,腹黑,狡诈+龙凤胎天才恶魔宝宝+神秘的男主!一对一,女强,男更强!特工无情腹黑带着女儿闯江湖!】堂堂Z国特工,竟是一个怀着野种的下堂妃?NN的,太丢人现眼了!穿越至这个历史所不存在的擎天大陆就算了,在这个落后的古代里她竟然还是一个没有武功的废物!处处受制于人,谁都可以取她小命!不,她叶清绝不认命,绝不会是弱者,在这强者为尊的世界里,她发誓要成为成为这个世界的最强者,站在高处,俯瞰一切!片段一:“你是谁?”叶清看着扑到自己的这个妖孽男人。“不记得?没关系,让我用行动唤醒你的记忆。”男人邪肆一笑,双唇享受的舔了舔叶清的嘴角,伸手就要扯开叶清的衣襟。“滚开!”叶清淬不及防把男人踹出去,温柔的抚着自己的肚子。“帅哥,我不想要连体婴儿。”“我是孩子的爹……”男人痛苦的捂着自己的小弟弟。“他爹?一看你就是穷酸样,滚一边去!”“穷、穷酸?我穷酸?女人,看清楚!”片段二:“皇后,我要娶她!”某皇子扶着叶清信誓旦旦。皇后大惊,“你疯了吗?她是个下堂妃,是个簜妇!”“请你尊重我的妻子!”叶清还没有等皇后说话,就一脚把某男踹飞,“喂,我没说过要嫁给你。”什么皇子,什么将军,滚一边去吧。“哼,你非嫁不可!”某男又爬回她身边,强势的把他搂在怀里。片段三:叶思思:“娘,有个小屁孩和一个大屁孩说是我哥哥和爹爹。”叶清:“嗯?你信么?”叶思思摇头:“不信,所以我放大白去咬他们了。”叶清满意点头,“嗯嗯,做的好!”叶思思:绝对的捣蛋腹黑小孩!对叶清的话只有两个字,就是服从!百里念:遗传了父亲的腹黑,带点小酷,有一天,他开始寻娘之路。(小男主:性格保密,成长保密!)【简介不给力,内容绝对精彩,请点击放入书架,谢谢,撒花~身体一对一吗,过程一对一,结局一对一!】
  • 神话版三国

    神话版三国

    陈曦看着将一块数百斤巨石撇出去的士卒,无语望苍天,这真的是东汉末年?吕布单枪匹马凿穿万人部队,这怎么看都不科学。赵子龙真心龙魂附体了,一剑断山,这真的是人?典韦单人护着曹操杀出敌营,顺手宰了对面数千步骑,这战斗力爆表了吧!这是不是哪里有些不对啊,陈曦顺手摸了一把鹅毛扇挥了一下,狂风大作,叹了一口气,“这是神话吧,我自己都不正常了。”ps:其实这是一篇正经的种田文……QQ群:95010223(满了)全订QQ群:375380021(最好这个)酱油群:397441818(快满了)二群:418928396(快满了)三群:371034966五群:1093767940
  • 高效团队的十个特征

    高效团队的十个特征

    团队建设的十把金钥匙,开启高效团队的大门。助力管理者,打造高绩效团队。
  • 悍妻

    悍妻

    她,有一点刁蛮,有一点凶悍,是一朵可望不可及而又带刺的花。她,有一点虚荣,有一点欲望,略带着一些市井之气却不失高傲。她,集美貌、强悍与一身。悍,是她最不愿意听到的,但她的表现?哎……古语有云:悍者,勇也,此为勇武强壮、刚直不阿之士。古语又云,悍者,凶狠、蛮横也,是为恶。不过,所上云云,绝对是西门雪无法认同的。“什么?说我凶悍?”“唔唔唔…天地良心呐!我可是冰清玉洁、貌美如花、人见人爱的西门雪呀……”