"When the World Shook"
This is the account of the life of Humphrey Arbuthnot, son of the Rev'd Humphrey Arbuthnot, Vicar of Fulcombe, Devonshire. Mr Arbuthnot senior was able but impractical, his son practical enough but lacking in perseverance and too fastidious - in his own words. But whereas his High Church father ended his life as vicar of a small country church Humphrey junior was destined for greater things.
After having been called to the Bar Humphrey wrote a somewhat radical novel, about which he quarelled with his father for the first time. The latter died, leaving Humphrey with a small legacy of £8,000. He offered to place £5,000 on this in the stockbroking firm owned by his cousin, but was taken on as a salaried officer. Within five years he had amassed a fortune - £1½m - and retired, leaving £600,000 in the firm to keep it solvent. With his £900,000 (the rest was lost when the remaining partners failed to keep the firm solvent) he bought the Priory at Fulcombe, which he had always wanted. But he didn't want to retire to the life of the idle right - he was scarcely more than 30 years old. To amuse him he invited two college friends to the village, Basil Bastin, to be vicar, and Dr Bickley as the surgeon in charge of a cottage hospital. Though friends, these two were diametrically opposed personalities. Bastin was dull and rather blundering. Bickley was a stubborn sceptic.
Humphrey went to the east for a holiday, and returning met Natalie Upton, the daughter of the British Minister to Italy. They fell in love, and were married within a few months. Back at Fulcombe they were very happy, but Mrs Arbuthnot had a premonition that this wouldn't last, especially after it was found that she was with child. But she assured Humphrey they he would find her again, elsewhere, though exactly where she didn't know. As feared, Natalie didn't survive giving birth to a daughter, who lived just long enough for Bastin to baptise in the name of Natalie. Before he died Mrs Arbuthnot repeated her assurance of a future meeting, adding that he was to go wherever he was called, however far it might seem.
After the death of his wife Humphrey found he had to get away from the Priory. After a discussion between Bastin and Bickley about what the former regarded as a scandalous account of the influence of missionaries in the South Seas, Humphrey proposed that they travel there to settle the dispute. Both men needed a break, and Humphrey was in a position to make this possible. Humphrey was reminded of his wife's words when he dreamt a singularly vivid dream of her on some mysterous tropical shore.
They agreed, and Humphrey chartered a motor yacht, the 550 ton "Star of the South", with 32 crew under Captain Astley.
As well as the three men, Humphrey took Tommy, the spaniel which was Natalie's favourite.
They reached the port of Apia, in Samoa, without particular incident. But there the spiritualist Danish first mate, Jacobsen, deserted the ship after destroying a planchette message he had received. But he left a note for Humphrey, to be opened "when they left the ship". Hurrying to avoid a hurricane, the ship actually headed into one. Captain Astley, would turned out to be a drunkard when things went badly, feared for their survival. He and the crew battened the passengers in the saloon, and fought to keep the ship headed into the storm. Some 700 miles north of Apia they hit the gale, which drove them for several days. Arbuthnot, Bastin and Bickley (with Tommy) found that they couldn't get on deck, and couldn't raise any of the crew - who had been washed overboard. Eventually, after a serious of enormous shocks, they recovered to discovered that the remains of the ship had been cast up onto a shore. Only the saloon, passenger cabins (in which they sought refuge) and stores, which lay ahead of the bridge, remained intact. The rest of the ship had vanished.
They soon spotted a group of native women - young and attractive, and quite naked except for some flowers - just as Bastin and Bickley hoped to find, Bastin so that he might convert them, and Bickley that he might study them before the missionaries contaminated them. The chief, Marama, arrived, and they learnt (for they had learnt enough of the polynesian dialects to be able to communicate), that the island was Orofena. They also learnt that the last visitors had been sacrificed to their god, Oro, several hundred years ago. They had been black like the Orofenans, however, nor did they have a dog. Tommy frightened them, and his reputation was enormously enhanced when a witchdoctor he bit died, despite Bickley's attempts to save him.
Bickley removed a large tumor from Marama's neck, and set himself up as a general practitioner. As he remarked, the island was a large and much neglected practice, with some 5-10,000 people. Arbuthnot was set up as a sort of Chief Justice, and Bastin began Sunday school, and commenced his work of conversion. The only significant opposition came from the priests of Oro, who obviously resented the new teachings.
Arbuthnot als found time to explore the island, on which he found signs of antiquity, such as sculptured stonework at the bottom of curious pits - which looked almost as if they had been caused by explosives. He would have liked to have explored the mountain in the middle of a lake at the centre of the island - on which there appeared to be ruins - but he was forbidden, as it was sacred to Oro, and might not be approached on pain of death.
Naturally enough they had to take refuge on the forbidden island, after Bastin succeeded in blowing up a heathen idol - the effigy of Oro. The priests not surprisingly tried to roast Bastin, and the party only just managed to escape to the lake. On the island they discovered a large cave, which (they had been told) had only appeared after the storm which drove them onto the island. The mountain had evidently risen during the storm, exposing the cave entrance which had been hidden for eons. To their surprise they found carvings in the cave - which was huge - and skeletal ruins of machines, which looked as though they might have been flying machines. They were even more astounded when they saw a large statue of a man - resembling the effigy of Oro. At the base of the statute Tommy uncovered what appeared to be two tombs, with crystal lids. One contained an elderly and venerable looking man, the other a young and beautiful woman.
They managed to open the man's coffin, and Bickley applied some drugs - for he didn't believe that he was dead. They actually worked, and the man awoke. He spoke basic Orofenan - after attempting other tongues. He seemed to regard the men with distain, but Tommy he seemed to tolerate or even like. The man himself revived the woman. After explaining that they were Oro (at which the explorers started) and his daughter Yva, they went further into the huge cave to rest.
Next morning the couple appeared again, arrayed in new and splended robes. They also appeared to have learnt Orofenan, though in an archaic form. Oro, usually speaking through Yva, explained that he was King of much of the world, but had slept for 250,000 years after having destroyed most of it for rebelling against him. Of course Bickley scoffed at what he thought was a tall tale - though he had to admit that Oro and Yva had been in some form of suspended animation. Bastin was interested in the parallels with his owb Biblical traditions. Humphrey didn't know what to think. But he was attracted to Yva as much as he feared her awful father.
Early the next morning a party of Orofenans tried to capture the men, doubtless to sacrifice them. However Oro himself arrived. The priests were terrified at the sudden appearance of their fabled god in the flesh. He made most of the men literally go mad and kill each other, except three, who he sent back with a warning to behave. Yva had seen what was happening - though how she could have done so when she wasn't physically present the party couldn't say.
Oro and Yva invite the party to see where they have their home. In the far end of the cave or cavern their is a lift of some sort - though they cannot see any moving parts. At any event this carries them deep undergound - Arbuthnot estimates at least 4-5,000 feet deep. They find themselves in a huge underground city - Nyo ('Below'). Deserted now, for the inhabitants have long since died, Nyo was the final refuge of the Children of Wisdom, having been driven out of Pani ('Above') by the assaults of the Barbarians.
Yva showed the party, through some form of thought transference, visions of the history of the world as she knew it 250,000 years ago. The people of the earth had rebelled against the Kings of the Sons of Wisdom, of whom they were jealous. This jealously was breed of the accumulated wisdom of the Kings - which was denied to the ordinary people - and the longevity they enjoyed, which came from their use of the Life-Water. The 80 Kings of the Children of Wisdom had reigned an average of 700 years each, and Oro himself was 1,000 years old. Yva, in contrast, was a mere child at 27 - or so she said.
The High King of the Confederated Nations offered terms to Oro. These were conveyed by a prince, son of the High King - who resembled Humphrey so much that it might have been the same man. One of these was the hand of Yva in marriage - which Oro wrathfully refused. He had the embassy killed - the Prince included - and carried out his awful threat to unleash devastation such as the world had not seen. By throwing out of balance the mainspring of the world Oro caused parts of the world to sink and parts to rise up - in effect, the Refuge. Yva loved the Prince, and it was Humphrey's resemblance which elicited her sympathy.
Oro offers to allow Humphrey to marry Yva if he helps with his plans for world domination. Humphrey is seriously injured by the son of the High Priest Oro has killed - he lies ill for 10 weeks - and after he is conscious but skill recupperating Oro uses him as a guide on his non-physical exploration of the outer world. They visit London, where Oro is not impressed by the manner of a people at war - for the First World War is raging. Only a Salvation Army gathering gains his approval. He is even more disgusted by scenes in France or Belgium - the cruel Hun killing civilians, torturing prisoners and so on. The worst is the Turks massacuring Armenians.
Yva and Humphrey pledge their love in the ruins of the Temple of Love, on the mountain side - a temple of which Yva was High Priestess. But she tells him that they cannot marry, because of the divide between them - she had vowed that she would marry only one man, and he was dead 250,000 years ago. She also tells Humphrey that she believes that she is Natalie - indeed she recalled the words Natalie spoke to Humphrey as she died.
Oro makes plans to sink the world he has risen up 250,000 years ago - he thinks it is even worse than it was. But Oro is fearful of death, since he cannot accept that anything lies beyond it. He prays to the statue of his god- Fate. He curses and rejects it when it remains silent and motionless. The statue falls down and is destroyed. As Yva explained, it was in a manner alive, and no god might live without at least one worshipper. She herself has begun to turn Christian.
The whole part descend into Nyo again, and down a deep shaft upon a flat stone which moves endlessly up and down the almost bottomless pit. They enter a fathonless chamber which contains a roadway apparently caused by the passage of an enormous weight. It is the track of the balance of the world, which Oro sidetracked 250,000 years ago, and which he proposes to return to its correct track. The balance comes - it is a half-mile high luminescent gyroscope. Yva begs Oro to not intervene - which he plans to do using some sort of natural ray, which he can direct. Yva throws herself in front of the ray, and is destroyed. The diffused ray is stiff sufficient to make the balance of the world shake - when the world shook - but rights itself. Oro is injured trying to stop his daughter from sacrificing herself to save the world.
Bastin spoke of Yva's translation being like that of Elijah, borne to Heaven in a vehicle of fire. He tells them that he baptised and confirmed her that very day, so that if she is not a martyr in the strict sense of the world, yet her actions were of that character. Oro is furious that his plans have been thwarted - there is a long wait till the balance willl return and he might not live to see it. He is furious with his daughter for defying him and sacrificing herself merely to save the world such as is known to the strangers. He predicts the western civilisation will destroy itself anyway because of population decline.
Oro wanted to kill them all, but he didn't like to harm Tommy, so sent them up the passage to the surface of the earth. After a 60 hours walk - fortified by some of the Life-water - they come up on a beach on Orofena. The mountain has dropped again, hiding the cavern. They sailed away in the ship's boat, after bidding farewell to Marama.
They are picked up by an American tramp steamer, and are soon in England. There is indeed a war on, as Oro has said. Bickley joined the RAMC, and Bastin became a chaplain, by coincidence in the same division as Bickley. Arbuthnott's head injury meant he was unable to serve.
There is a postscript by Dr Bickley. Arbuthnott died six months after the ending of his account, quite suddenly, as a result of his injury. The curious thing is that he died at his desk, and there was a note under his hand. This stated "I have seen her. I ... ". Of course the sceptical Bickley doesn't speculate on what Arbuthnott has seen. Tommy the spaniel, who was in his master's study, died three days later, exhibiting signs of having had a great fright. Arbuthnott divided his estate three ways, one to Bickley, one to Bastin, and one for scientific research (under Bickley's direction).
In many ways a curious work, this begins and occasionally lapses into an unusual (for Haggard) jocular manner. Yet it contains profound themes dear to Haggard's heart, including the rediscovery of one thought lost for ever, and the survival of the soul. He also (as in "Queen Sheba's Ring") warns of the state of the world, and the need for a longer-term view. In some respects he seems to admire the awful Priest-King Oro. He was undoubtedly ruthless, yet his was the broader view - destroy the imperfect and rebuild anew.
This is the most obviously science fiction of Haggard's novels.