Had it stood upon the moon it could not have been more dead.None paced its streets; none looked from its window-places.None trafficked in its markets, none worshipped in its temple.Swept, garnished, lighted, practically untouched by the hand of Time, here where no rains fell and no winds blew, it was yet a howling wilderness.For what wilderness is there to equal that which once has been the busy haunt of men? Let those who have stood among the buried cities of Central Asia, or of Anarajapura in Ceylon, or even amid the ruins of Salamis on the coast of Cyprus, answer the question.But here was something infinitely more awful.Ahuge human haunt in the bowels of the earth utterly devoid of human beings, and yet as perfect as on the day when these ceased to be.
"I do not care for underground localities," remarked Bastin, his gruff voice echoing strangely in that terrible silence, "but it does seem a pity that all these fine buildings should be wasted.I suppose their inhabitants left them in search of fresh air.""Why did they leave them?" I asked of Yva.
"Because death took them," she answered solemnly."Even those who live a thousand years die at last, and if they have no children, with them dies the race.""Then were you the last of your people?" I asked.
"Inquire of my father," she replied, and led the way through the massive arch of a great building.
It led into a walled courtyard in the centre of which was a plain cupola of marble with a gate of some pale metal that looked like platinum mixed with gold.This gate stood open.
Within it was the statue of a woman beautifully executed in white marble and set in a niche of some black stone.The figure was draped as though to conceal the shape, and the face was stern and majestic rather than beautiful.The eyes of the statue were cunningly made of some enamel which gave them a strange and lifelike appearance.They stared upwards as though looking away from the earth and its concerns.The arms were outstretched.In the right hand was a cup of black marble, in the left a similar cup of white marble.From each of these cups trickled a thin stream of sparkling water, which two streams met and mingled at a distance of about three feet beneath the cups.Then they fell into a metal basin which, although it must have been quite a foot thick, was cut right through by their constant impact, and apparently vanished down some pipe beneath.Out of this metal basin Tommy, who gambolled into the place ahead of us, began to drink in a greedy and demonstrative fashion.
"The Life-water?" I said, looking at our guide.
She nodded and asked in her turn:
"What is the statue and what does it signify, Humphrey?"I hesitated, but Bastin answered:
"Just a rather ugly woman who hid up her figure because it was bad.Probably she was a relation of the artist who wished to have her likeness done and sat for nothing.""The goddess of Health," suggested Bickley."Her proportions are perfect; a robust, a thoroughly normal woman.""Now, Humphrey," said Yva.
I stared at the work and had not an idea.Then it flashed on me with such suddenness and certainity that I am convinced the answer to the riddle was passed to me from her and did not originate in my own mind.
"It seems quite easy," I said in a superior tone."The figure symbolises Life and is draped because we only see the face of Life, the rest is hidden.The arms are bare because Life is real and active.One cup is black and one is white because Life brings both good and evil gifts; that is why the streams mingle, to be lost beneath in the darkness of death.The features are stern and even terrifying rather than lovely, because such is the aspect of Life.The eyes look upward and far away from present things, because the real life is not here.""Of course one may say anything," said Bastin, "but I don't understand all that.""Imagination goes a long way," broke in Bickley, who was vexed that he had not thought of this interpretation himself.But Yva said:
"I begin to think that you are quite clever, Humphrey.I wonder whence the truth came to you, for such is the meaning of the figure and the cups.Had I told it to you myself, it could not have been better said," and she glanced at me out of the corners of her eyes."Now, Strangers, will you drink? Once that gate was guarded, and only at a great price or as a great reward were certain of the Highest Blood given the ******* of this fountain which might touch no common lips.Indeed it was one of the causes of our last war, for all the world which was, desired this water which now is lapped by a stranger's hound.""I suppose there is nothing medicinal in it?" said Bastin.
"Once when I was very thirsty, I made a mistake and drank three tumblers of something of the sort in the dark, thinking that it was Apollinaris, and I don't want to do it again.""Just the sort of thing you would do," said Bickley."But, Lady Yva, what are the properties of this water?""It is very health-giving," she answered, "and if drunk continually, not less than once each thirty days, it wards off sickness, lessens hunger and postpones death for many, many years.That is why those of the High Blood endured so long and became the rulers of the world, and that, as I have said, is the greatest of the reasons why the peoples who dwelt in the ancient outer countries and never wished to die, made war upon them, to win this secret fountain.Have no fear, O Bastin, for see, I will pledge you in this water."Then she lifted a strange-looking, shallow, metal cup whereof the handles were formed of twisted serpents, that lay in the basin, filled it from the trickling stream, bowed to us and drank.But as she drank I noted with a thrill of joy that her eyes were fixed on mine as though it were me she pledged and me alone.Again she filled the cup with the sparkling water, for it did sparkle, like that French liqueur in which are mingled little flakes of gold, and handed it to me.