A Dream of Armageddon by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
there_was some story-- but that----"

he put his hand to_his forehead again ." no," he_said, "I forget that story .

" well, that_is_the first thing I remember, the first dream I had, that little shaded room and_the beautiful air and sky and_that dear lady of_mine, with her shining arms and her graceful robe, and how we sat and talked in half whispers to one another . we talked in whispers, not because there_was any_one to hear, but because there_was still such a freshness of mind between_us that_our thoughts were a little frightened, i_think, to_find themselves at last in words . and so they went softly .

" presently we were hungry, and we went from_our apartment, going by a strange passage with amoving floor, until we came to_the great breakfast- room-- there_was a fountain and music .a pleasant and joyful place it_was, with its sunlight and splashing, and_the murmur of plucked strings . and we sat and ate and smiled at one another, and i_would_not heed a man who was watching me from a table near by .

" and afterwards we went on to_the dancing- hall . but I_cannot describe that hall . the place was enormous, larger than any building you_have ever seen-- and in one place there_was the old gate of Capri, caught into_the wall of a gallery high overhead . light girders, stems and threads of gold, burst from_the pillars like fountains, streamed like an aurora across the roof and interlaced, like-- like conjuring tricks . all about_the great circle for_the dancers there were beautiful figures, strange dragons, and intricate and wonderful grotesques bearing lights . the place was inundated with artificial light that shamed the newborn day . and as_we went through_the throng the people turned about and looked at us, for all through_the world my name and face were known, and how I had suddenly thrown up pride, and struggle to_come to_this place . and_they looked also at_the lady beside me, though half the story of how at last she had come to_me was unknown or mistold . and few of_the men who were there, I_know, but judged me a happy man, in_spite of all the shame and dishonour that had come upon my name .

" the air was full of music, full of harmonious scents, full of_the rhythm of beautiful motions .Thousands of beautiful people swarmed about_the hall, crowded the galleries, sat in a myriad recesses; they were dressed in splendid colours and crowned with flowers; thousands danced about_the great circle beneath the white images of_the ancient gods, and glorious processions of youths and maidens came and went . we two danced, not the dreary monotonies of your days-- of this_time, I mean-- but dances that were beautiful, intoxicating . and even now I_can_see my lady dancing--dancing joyously . she danced, you_know, with a serious face; she danced with a serious dignity, and yet she was smiling at me and caressing me--smiling and caressing with her eyes .

" the music was different," he murmured ." it went-- I_cannot describe it; but it_was infinitely richer and more varied than any music that has ever come to_me awake .

" and then-- it_was when we had done dancing--a man came to_speak to_me . he_was a lean, resolute man, very soberly clad for_that place, and already I had marked his face watching me in_the breakfasting hall, and afterwards as_we went along the passage I had avoided his eye . but now, as_we sat in a little alcove smiling at_the pleasure of all the people who went to and fro across the shining floor, he_came and touched me, and spoke to_me so_that i_was forced to listen . and he asked that he might speak to_me for a little time apart .

"' no,' I_said .' I_have no secrets from_this lady . what do_you_want to_tell me ? '

" he_said it_was a trivial matter, or at_least a dry matter, for a lady to hear .

"' perhaps for_me to hear,' said I .

" he glanced at her, as_though almost he_would appeal to her . then he asked me suddenly if I . had heard of a great and avenging declaration that Gresham had made . now, Gresham had always before been the man next to myself in_the leadership of_that great party in_the north . he_was a forcible, hard, and tactless man, and only I had_been able to control and soften him . it_was on_his account even more than my own, i_think, that_the others had_been so dismayed at my retreat . so this question about what he had done re- awakened my old interest in_the life I had put aside just for a moment .

"' I_have taken no heed of any news for many days,' I_said .' what has Gresham been saying ? '

" and with_that the man began, nothing loth, and I_must confess ever; i_was struck by Gresham's reckless folly in_the wild and threatening words he had used . and this messenger they had sent to_me not_only told me of Gresham's speech, but went on to ask counsel and to point out what need they had of me . while he talked, my lady sat a little forward and watched his face and mine .

" my old habits of scheming and organising reasserted themselves . I_could even see myself suddenly returning to_the north, and all the dramatic effect of it . all that_this man said witnessed to_the disorder of_the party indeed, but not to its damage . i_should go back stronger than I had come . and then i_thought of_my lady . you_see-- how can I tell you ? there were certain peculiarities of_our relationship-- as things are I_need not tell about_that-- which would render her presence with me impossible . i_should_have had to leave her; indeed, i_should_have had to renounce her clearly and openly, if i_was to_do all that I_could do in_the north . and_the man knew that_, even as he talked to her and me, knew it as_well as she did, that my steps to duty were-- first, separation, then abandonment . at_the touch of_that thought my dream of a return was shattered .I turned on_the man suddenly, as he_was imagining his eloquence was gaining ground with me .

"' what have I to_do with_these things now ? ' I_said .' I_have_done with_them . do_you_think I_am coquetting with your people in coming here ? '

"' no,' he_said; ' but----'

"' why cannot you leave me alone ? I_have_done with_these things . I_have ceased to_be anything but a private man .'

"' yes,' he answered .' but have_you thought ? -- this talk of war, these reckless challenges, these wild aggressions----'

"I stood up .

"' no,' I cried .'I won't hear you . i_took count of all those things, I weighed them-- and I_have come away ."

" he_seemed to consider the possibility of persistence . he looked from me to where the lady sat regarding us .

"' war,' he_said, as_if he were speaking to himself, and then turned slowly from me and walked away .

"I stood, caught in_the whirl of thoughts his appeal had set going .

"I heard my lady's voice .

"' dear,' she said; ' but if they_have need of you--'

" she did_not finish her sentence, she let it rest there .I turned to her sweet face, and_the balance of_my mood swayed and reeled .

"' they_want me only to_do_the thing they dare not do themselves,' I_said .' if_they distrust Gresham they_must settle with_him themselves .'

" she looked at me doubtfully .

"' but war--' she said .

" I_saw a doubt on her face that I had seen before, a doubt of herself and me, the first shadow of_the discovery that, seen strongly and completely, must drive us apart for ever .

" now, i_was an older mind than hers, and I_could sway her to_this belief or that .

"' my dear one,' I_said, ' you_must not trouble over these things . there_will_be no war . certainly there_will_be no war . the age of wars is past . trust me to_know the justice of this_case . they_have no right upon me, dearest, and no one has a right upon me . I_have_been free to_choose my life, and I_have chosen this .'

"' but war_--' she said .

"I sat down beside her .I put an arm behind her and took her hand in mine .I set myself to drive that doubt away--I set myself to_fill her mind with pleasant things again .I lied to her, and in lying to her I lied also to myself . and she was only too ready to_believe me, only too ready to forget .

" very_soon the shadow had gone again, and we were hastening to our bathing- place in_the Grotta del Bovo Marino, where it_was our custom to bathe every day . we swam and splashed one another, and in_that buoyant water I seemed to_become something lighter and stronger than a man . and at last we came out dripping and rejoicing and raced among_the rocks . and then I put on a dry bathing- dress, and we sat to bask in_the sun, and presently I nodded, resting my head against her knee, and she put her hand upon my hair and stroked it softly and I dozed . and behold ! as it were with_the snapping of_the string of a violin, i_was awakening, and i_was in my own bed in Liverpool, in_the life of to- day .

" only for a time I_could_not believe that all these vivid moments had_been no more than_the substance of a dream .

" in truth, I_could_not believe it a dream, for all the sobering reality of things about me .I bathed and dressed as it were by habit, and as I shaved I argued why I of all men should leave the woman I loved to_go back to fantastic politics in_the hard and strenuous north . even if Gresham did force the world back to war, what_was that to_me ? i_was a man, with_the heart of a man, and why should I_feel the responsibility of a deity for_the way the world might go ?

" you_know that_is_not quite the way i_think about affairs, about_my real affairs . I_am a solicitor, you_know, with a point of view .

" the vision was so real, you_must understand, so utterly unlike a dream, that I kept perpetually recalling little irrelevant details; even the ornament of abookcover that lay on my wife's sewing- machine in_the breakfast- room recalled with_the utmost vividness the gilt line that ran about_the seat in_the alcove where I had talked with_the messenger from my deserted party . have_you ever heard of a dream that had a quality like that ? "

" like-- ? "

" so_that afterwards you remembered little details you had forgotten ."

i_thought .I had never noticed the point before, but he_was right .

" never," I_said ." that_is what you never seem to_do with dreams ."

" no," he answered ." but that_is just what I_did . I_am a solicitor, you_must understand, in Liverpool, and I_could_not help wondering what the clients and business people I_found myself talking to in my office would think if i_told them suddenly i_was in love with a girl who_would_be born a couple of hundred years or so hence, and worried about_the politics of_my great- great- great-grandchildren . i_was chiefly busy that day negotiating aninety-nine- year building lease . it_was a private builder in a hurry, and we wanted to tie him in every possible way .I had an interview with_him, and he showed a certain want of temper that sent me to bed still irritated . that night I had no dream . nor did I dream the next night, at_least, to remember .

" something of_that intense reality of conviction vanished .I began to_feel sure it_was a dream . and then it came again .

" when_the dream came again, nearly four days later, it_was very different . i_think it certain that four days had also elapsed in_the dream . many things had happened in_the north, and_the shadow of_them was back again between_us, and this_time it_was not so easily dispelled .I began, I_know, with moody musings . why, in_spite of all, should I go back, go back for all the rest of_my days, to toil and stress, insults, and perpetual dissatisfaction, simply to save hundreds of millions of common people, whom I_did_not love, whom too often I_could_not do other_than despise, from_the stress and anguish of war and infinite misrule ? and, after all, I_might fail . they all sought their own narrow ends, and why should_not I-- why should_not I also live as a man ? and out of_such thoughts her voice summoned me, and I lifted my eyes .

" I_found myself awake and walking . we had come out above the pleasure city, we were near the summit of Monte Solaro and looking towards the bay . it was_the late afternoon and very clear . far away to_the left Ischia hung in a golden haze between sea and sky, and Naples was coldly white against the hills, and before_us was Vesuvius with a tall and slender streamer feathering at last towards the south, and_the ruins of Torre dell' Annunziata and Castellammare glittering and near ."

I interrupted suddenly: " you_have_been to Capri, of_course ? "

" only in_this dream," he_said, " only in_this dream . all across the bay beyond Sorrento were the floating palaces of_the pleasure city moored and chained . and northward were the broad floating stages that received the aeroplanes .Aeroplanes fell out_of_the sky every afternoon, each bringing its thousands of pleasure-seekers from_the uttermost parts of_the earth to Capri and its delights . all these things, I_say, stretched below .

" but we noticed them only incidentally because of an unusual sight that evening had to show .Five war aeroplanes that had long slumbered useless in_the distant arsenals of_the Rhine- mouth were manoeuvring now in_the eastward sky .Gresham had astonished the world by producing them and others, and sending them to circle here and there . it was_the threat material in_the great game of bluff he_was playing, and it had taken even me by surprise . he_was one of_those incredibly stupid energetic people who seem sent by heaven to create disasters . his energy to_the first glance seemed so wonderfully like capacity ! but he had no imagination, no invention, only a stupid, vast, driving force of will, and a mad faith in_his stupid idiot ' luck' to pull him through .I remember how we stood out upon_the headland watching the squadron circling far away, and how I weighed the full meaning of_the sight, seeing clearly the way things must _go . and then even it_was not too late . I_might_have gone back, i_think, and saved the

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]