Born Again | Page 9

as
much astonished as myself at the strange course of events. Although
she did not speak still I received an impression from her as if put into
so many words which plainly said: "John, am I dreaming or what awful
experiment have you attempted to transform yourself into such a
hideous creature?" I tried to speak but my first effort nearly choked me.
Then in a voice which seemed to be unusually coarse I finally blurted
out: "My dear lady, will you kindly tell me who or what you are?"
These words seemed to puzzle her more than ever and after hurriedly
glancing about the room she looked me over carefully from head to
foot. Speaking once more I said, "Madame, can you understand my
language?" Then I received another strange but unmistakable
impression which replied: "I can understand your thoughts but not your
babble." "Are you able," she continued telepathically, "to give an
explanation of this extraordinary metamorphosis?" "The only
information I can offer," answered I, "will be cheerfully given. My
name is John Convert, late seaman aboard the schooner Brawl, bound
from Sydney to London. Last night I was thrown overboard by my
shipmates and after floating about the deep for several hours I landed

upon this pile of ruins surrounded by the sea. In making an
investigation of the exterior I lost my foothold, fell into a crevice and
breaking through a thin crust I landed in the outer passageway which
finally led me into this room. I must confess that everything here is as
inexplicable to me as I appear to you." As I spoke she seemed to be
laboring under intense mental excitement and tears came to her eyes.
"I understand it all now," she made known to me in her mysterious way,
"the experiment failed."
"What experiment was that?" questioned I in surprise.
Looking me straight in the eye as though trying to impress upon my
mind the importance of her communication, she answered, "the attempt
of man to change the course of the earth in space."
CHAPTER VII
"And so you inform me that there is nothing left of beautiful Sageland
but a heap of ruins surrounded by the sea," mused the lovely--the idea
struck me to name her Arletta--"tell me what happened to the rest of
my people."
"Not knowing anything about the matter it is impossible for me to
answer that question," replied I; "and although I have traveled through
nearly every country on earth still no such people as you or the
magnificent objects represented in that picture have ever come to my
attention before. In fact I have never read of such a race or even heard
of a country by the name of Sageland."
At this remark she turned abruptly and walked--or rather flew, so easy
and graceful were her movements--over to a portion of the wall and
looked long and earnestly into a peculiar instrument, then returning she
said: (without the use of words) "according to my chronometer, more
than four thousand two hundred and thirty years have elapsed since the
awful catastrophe."
"Four thousand, two hundred and thirty years!" ejaculated I, "great

heavens, that must have been about the time of the flood." "What
flood?" inquired she.
Then I proceeded to tell her how in those days the people of the world
being so wicked that God during a terrible fit of anger made it rain for
forty days and forty nights, causing the destruction of every living thing
on earth except one Noah, his family and a male and female of every
animal, bird and insect, who were saved by being taken aboard of a
huge ark built for the purpose by Noah. And then after every living
thing not aboard the boat was destroyed, how the waves receded, Noah
and his flock were safely landed upon a mountain peak, and God put a
bow into the sky as a pledge that he would never do such a thing again.
Arletta appeared somewhat amused at my recital of the story and at its
conclusion merely remarked: "Noah evidently had more good sense
than his god." Then she added: "As to the rainbow, that was seen by the
inhabitants of the earth millions of years before Noah's time."
"So the world has retrogressed during the past four thousand years,"
mused she sadly.
"Retrogressed! No indeed, the world has made great progress and has
now reached a wonderful state of civilization," answered I, proudly.
Motioning me to an opposite position she majestically seated herself
upon the couch and after seriously looking at me for some time she
finally said: "This is one of nature's most extraordinary proceedings
and there are many things I wish to talk with you about, but before
going into the details of this matter I