A Dream of Armageddon by H.G. Wells
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A dream of Armageddon

by H .G .Wells

the man with_the white face entered the carriage at Rugby . he moved slowly in_spite of_the urgency of_his porter, and even while he_was still on_the platform I noted how ill he_seemed . he dropped into_the corner over against me with a sigh, made an incomplete attempt to arrange his travelling shawl, and became motionless, with_his eyes staring vacantly . presently he_was moved by a sense of_my observation, looked up at me, and put out aspiritless hand for_his newspaper . then he glanced again in my direction .

I feigned to read .I feared I had unwittingly embarrassed him, and in a moment i_was surprised to_find him speaking .

"I beg your pardon ? " said I .

" that book," he repeated, pointing a lean finger, " is about dreams ."

" obviously," I answered, for it_was Fortnum-Roscoe's dream States_, and_the title was on_the cover .

he hung silent for a space as_if he sought words ." yes," he_said, at last, " but they tell you nothing ."

I_did_not catch his meaning for a second .

" they don't know," he added .

I looked a little more attentively at his face .

" there_are dreams," he_said, " and dreams ." that sort of proposition I never dispute ."I suppose----" he hesitated ." do_you ever dream ? I mean vividly ."

"I dream very little," I answered ." I_doubt if I_have three vivid dreams in a year ."

"Ah ! " he_said, and seemed for a moment to collect his thoughts .

" your dreams don't mix with your memories ? " he asked abruptly ." you don't find yourself in doubt: did this happen or did it not ? "

" hardly ever . except just for a momentary hesitation now_and_then .I suppose few people do ."

"Does he say----" he indicated the book .

" says it happens at times and gives the usual explanation about intensity of impression and_the like to account for its not happening as a rule .I suppose you_know something of_these theories----"

" very little-- except that_they_are wrong ."

his emaciated hand played with_the strap of_the window for a time .I prepared to resume reading, and_that seemed to precipitate his next remark . he leant forward almost as_though he_would touch me .

"Isn't there something called consecutive dreaming-- that goes on night after night ? "

"I believe there_is . there_are cases given in most books on mental trouble ."

" mental trouble ! yes .I daresay there_are . it's the right place for_them . but what I mean----" he looked at his bony knuckles ." is_that sort of thing always dreaming ? is_it dreaming ? or is_it something else ? Mightn't it be something else ? "

i_should_have snubbed his persistent conversation but for_the drawn anxiety of_his face .I remember now the look of_his faded eyes and_the lids red stained-- perhaps you_know that look .

"I'm not just arguing about a matter of opinion," he_said ." the thing's killing me ."

"Dreams ? "

" if_you call them dreams . night after night . vivid ! -- so vivid .. . this--" ( he indicated the landscape that went streaming by_the window) "seems unreal in comparison ! I_can scarcely remember who I_am, what business I_am on .. ."

he paused ." even now--"

" the dream is always the same-- do_you_mean ? " I asked .

" it's over ."

" you mean ? "

"I died ."

" died ? "

"Smashed and killed, and now so_much of me as_that dream was is dead . dead for ever .I dreamt i_was another man, you_know, living in a different part of_the world and in a different time .I dreamt that night after night . night after night I woke into that other life . fresh scenes and fresh happenings-- until I_came upon_the last--"

" when_you died ? "

" when I died ."

" and since then--"

" no," he_said ." thank god ! that was_the end of_the dream .. ."

it_was clear i_was in for_this dream . and, after all, I had an hour before me, the light was fading fast, and Fortnum-Roscoe has a dreary way with_him ."Living in a different time," I_said: " do_you_mean in some different age ? "

" yes ."

" past ? "

" no, to_come-- to_come ."

" the year three thousand, for example ? "

"I don't know what year it_was . I_did when i_was asleep, when i_was dreaming, that_is, but not now-- not now that I_am awake . there's alot of things I_have forgotten since I woke out of_these dreams, though I_knew them at_the_time when i_was--I suppose it_was dreaming . they called the year differently from_our way of calling the year .. . what did they call it ? " he put his hand to_his forehead ." no," said he, "I forget ."

he sat smiling weakly . for a moment I feared he_did_not mean to_tell me his dream . as a rule, I hate people who tell their dreams, but this struck me differently .I proffered assistance even ." it began----" I suggested .

" it_was vivid from_the first .I seemed to wake up in_it suddenly . and it's curious that in_these dreams I_am speaking of I never remembered this life I_am living now . it seemed as if_the dream life was enough while it lasted . perhaps---- but i_will tell you how I_find myself when I_do my best to recall it all .I don't remember anything clearly until I_found myself sitting in a sort of loggia looking out over the sea .I had_been dozing, and suddenly I woke up-- fresh and vivid-- not a bit dreamlike-- because the girl had stopped fanning me ."

" the girl ? "

" yes, the girl . you_must not interrupt or you_will put me out ."

he stopped abruptly ." you won't think I'm mad ? " he_said .

" no," I answered; " you've been dreaming . tell me your dream ."

"I woke up, I_say, because the girl had stopped fanning me . i_was not surprised to_find myself there or anything of_that sort, you understand . I_did_not feel I had fallen into_it suddenly .I simply took it up at_that point . whatever memory I had of_this life, this nineteenth- century life, faded as I woke, vanished like a dream . I_knew all about myself, knew that my name was no longer Cooper but Hedon, and all about_my position in_the_world .I've forgotten alot since I woke-- there's a want of connection-- but it_was all quite clear and matter- of- fact then ."

he hesitated again, gripping the window strap, putting his face forward, and looking up to_me appealingly .

" this seems bosh to_you ? "

" no, no ! " I cried ." go on . tell me what this loggia was like ."

" it_was not really a loggia--I don't know what to_call it . it faced south . it_was small . it_was all in shadow except the semicircle above the balcony that showed the sky and sea and_the corner where the girl stood . i_was on a couch-- it_was a metal couch with light striped cushions-- and_the girl was leaning over the balcony with her back to_me . the light of_the sunrise fell on her ear and cheek . her pretty white neck and_the little curls that nestled there, and her white shoulder were in_the sun, and all the grace of her body was in_the cool blue shadow . she was dressed-- how can I describe it ? it_was easy and flowing . and altogether there she stood, so_that it came to_me how beautiful and desirable she was, as_though I had never seen her before . and when at last I sighed and raised myself upon my arm she turned her face to_me--"

he stopped .

" I_have lived three- and-fifty years in_this world . I_have_had mother, sisters, friends, wife and daughters-- all their faces, the play of_their faces, I_know . but the face of_this girl-- it_is much more real to_me . I_can bring it back into memory so_that I_see it again-- I_could draw it or paint it . and after all--"

he stopped-- but I_said nothing .

" the face of a dream-- the face of a dream . she was beautiful . not that beauty which_is terrible, cold, and worshipful, like the beauty of a saint; nor that beauty that stirs fierce passions; but a sort of radiation, sweet lips that softened into smiles, and grave gray eyes . and she moved gracefully, she seemed to_have part with all pleasant and gracious things--"

he stopped, and_his face was downcast and hidden . then he looked up at me and went on, making no further attempt to disguise his absolute belief in_the reality of_his story .

" you_see, I had thrown up my plans and ambitions, thrown up all I had ever worked for or desired, for her sake .I had_been a master man away there in_the north, with influence and property and a great reputation, but none of it had seemed worth having beside her .I had come to_the place, this city of sunny pleasures, with her, and left all those things to wreck and ruin just to save a remnant at_least of_my life . while I had_been in love with her before I_knew that she had any care for_me, before I had imagined that she_would dare-- that we_should dare-- all my life had seemed vain and hollow, dust and ashes . it_was dust and ashes . night after night, and through_the long days I had longed and desired-- my soul had beaten against the thing forbidden !

" but it_is impossible for_one man to_tell another just these things . it's emotion, it's a tint, a light that comes and goes . only while it's there, everything changes, everything . the thing is I_came away and left them in their crisis to_do what they_could ."

" left whom ? " I asked, puzzled .

" the people up in_the north there . you_see-- in_this dream, anyhow--I had_been a big man, the sort of man men come to trust in, to group themselves about .Millions of men who had never seen me were ready to_do things and risk things because of_their confidence in me .I had_been playing that game for years, that big laborious game, that vague, monstrous political game amidst intrigues and betrayals, speech and agitation . it_was a vast weltering world, and at last I had a sort of leadership against the gang-- you_know it_was called the gang--a sort of compromise of scoundrelly projects and base ambitions and vast public emotional stupidities and catch-words-- the gang that kept the world noisy and blind year by year, and all the while that_it_was drifting, drifting towards infinite disaster . but I_can't expect you to understand the shades and complications of_the year-- the year something or other ahead .I had it all-- down to_the smallest details-- in my dream .I suppose I had_been dreaming of it before I awoke, and_the fading outline of some queer new development I had imagined still hung about me as I rubbed my eyes . it_was some grubby affair that made me thank god for_the sunlight .I sat up on_the couch and remained looking at_the woman, and rejoicing--rejoicing that I had come away out of all that tumult and folly and violence before it_was too late . after all, i_thought, this_is life-- love and beauty, desire and delight, are they not worth all those dismal struggles for vague, gigantic ends ? and I blamed myself for having ever sought to_be a leader when I_might_have given my days to love . but then, thought I, if I had_not spent my early days sternly and austerely, I_might_have wasted myself upon vain and worthless women, and at_the thought all my being went out in love and tenderness to my dear mistress, my dear lady, who had come at last and compelled me-- compelled me by her invincible charm for_me-- to lay that life aside .

"' you_are worth it,' I_said, speaking without intending her to hear; ' you_are worth it, my dearest one; worth pride and praise and all things . love ! to_have_you is worth them all together .' and at_the murmur of_my voice she turned about .

"' come and_see,' she cried-- I_can hear her now-- come and_see the sunrise upon Monte Solaro .'

"I remember how I sprang to my feet and joined her at_the balcony . she put a white hand upon my shoulder and pointed towards great masses of limestone flushing, as it were, into life .I looked . but first I noted the sunlight on her face caressing the lines of her cheeks and neck . how can I describe to_you the scene we had before_us ? we were at Capri----"

" I_have_been there," I_said ." I_have clambered up Monte Solaro and drunk _vero Capri_-- muddy stuff like cider-- at_the summit ."

"Ah ! " said the man with_the white face; " then perhaps you_can tell me-- you_will know if this_was indeed Capri . for in_this life I_have never been there . let me describe it . we were in a little room, one of a vast multitude of little rooms, very cool and sunny, hollowed out_of_the limestone of a sort of cape, very high above the sea . the whole island, you_know, was one enormous hotel, complex beyond explaining, and on_the other side there were miles of floating hotels, and huge floating stages to_which_the flying machines came . they called it a pleasure city . of_course, there_was none of_that in your time-- rather, i_should say, _is none of_that now . of_course . now ! -- yes .

" well, this room of ours was at_the extremity of_the cape, so_that one could_see east and west . eastward was a great cliff--a thousand feet high perhaps, coldly grey except for_one bright edge of gold, and beyond it the isle of_the Sirens, and afalling coast that faded and passed into_the hot sunrise . and when one turned to_the west, distinct and near was a little bay, a little beach still in shadow . and out of_that shadow rose Solaro, straight and tall, flushed and golden- crested, like a beauty throned, and_the white moon was floating behind her in_the sky . and before_us from east to west stretched the many- tinted sea all dotted with little sailing-boats .

" to_the eastward, of_course, these little boats were gray and very minute and clear, but to_the westward they were little boats of gold--shining gold-- almost like little flames . and just below us was a rock with an arch worn through it . the blue sea- water broke to green and foam all round the rock, and a galley came gliding out_of_the arch ."

" I_know that rock," I_said ." i_was nearly drowned there . it_is called the Faraglioni ."

"_Faraglioni ? yes, she called it that," answered the man with_the white face ." there_was

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