The City and the World | Page 9

to Orville, he was standing up and

vaguely wondering why. Before him he saw Thornton and Marion, side
by side. Near them was Callovan with Michael. All were changed; but
Orville could not understand just in what the change consisted. In
Thornton and Marion the change was not good to look at, and Orville
somehow felt that it was becoming more marked as he gazed. Michael
was almost transformed, and was looking at Orville with a smile on his
face. Callovan was smiling also, so Orville naturally smiled back at
them. Thornton was frowning, and Marion looked horrible in her terror.
Orville could understand nothing of it. He glanced about him and saw
thousands of men and women, all smiling or frowning, like his
companions. Several seemed to be about to begin a journey and were
moving away from the groups, most of them alone. Some had burdens
strapped to their shoulders and bent under them as they walked. Those
who were not departing were preparing for departure; but Orville could
see no guides about. All the travelers appeared to understand where
they were to go.
Orville watched the groups divide again and again, wondering still, not
knowing the reason for the division. Some took a road that led upward
to a mountain. It was a rough, hard and tiresome road. Orville could see
men and women far above on that road, dragging themselves along
painfully. Another road led down into a valley; but Orville could not
see deep into that valley, because of a haze which hung over it. He
looked long at the road before he noticed letters on a rock which rose
up like a gateway to it, and he vaguely resolved that later he would go
over and read them. But first he wanted to ask questions.
"Michael, what does all this mean?" Orville said; all the time marveling
that it was to his servant he turned for information.
Michael still smiled, and answered: "It means, sir, that we are dead."
Orville was astonished that he felt neither shocked nor startled. "Dead?
I do not quite understand, Michael. You are not joking?"
"No, sir. It happened quickly. We went over the bridge a minute ago.
Our bodies are in the river now, but we are here."

"Where?" asked Orville.
Michael answered, "That I do not know, sir, except that we are in The
Land of the Dead."
"But you seem to know a great deal, Michael," said Orville.
"Yes," answered Michael; "I died a minute before you, sir, so I came
earlier. I was dead on my seat when we struck the chain and broke it.
One learns much in a minute here. But tell me, sir, can you see
anything at the top of that mountain?"
Orville looked up and saw a bright light before him on the very summit
and seemingly at the end of the road. As he gazed it took the form of a
Flaming Cross.
"I see a Cross on fire, Michael," he said. Michael answered simply:
"Thank God."
"I can see a Flaming Cross, too," said Callovan, speaking for the first
time. "I can see it, and what is more, I am going up to it; let us not
delay an instant"; and Callovan began to gird his strange-looking
garment about him for the climb.
Then Orville knew that he himself was drawn toward that Flaming
Cross. There was a something urging him on. His whole being was
filled with a desire to get to that goal, and he, too, prepared quickly for
the ascent.
"Wait a moment, sir," said Michael. "Do the others see nothing on the
mountain?"
Thornton and Marion, still frowning, were looking down into the haze
of the valley. They were paying no attention to their friends.
"Come, let us go," said Thornton to the girl, as he pointed to the road
which led down into the valley.
"No, no," said Michael, "not there. Look up at the mountain. What do

you see?"
Both Marion and Thornton glanced upward. "I see nothing," said
Marion.
"I see a Cross, but it is black and repellant-looking," said Thornton.
"Come, Marion, let us go at once."
Orville, alarmed, called out: "Marion, you will surely come with me."
The frown on her face changed to a look of awful sadness, but she put
her hand into Thornton's while saying to Orville: "I can not go there
with you--not upward. I must enter the valley with him." She moved
away, her hand still in Thornton's. Orville watched them go, only
wondering why he had no regrets.
"Michael," he said, "I loved her on earth. Why am I unmoved to see her
leave me?"
[Illustration: "But when their feet touched the road, they turned and
looked their terror."]
But Michael answered, "It is not strange