the metal monster- 第15部分

〃They　look　like　big　Christmas…tree　stars；〃　muttered　Drake。

〃They're　lights；〃　I　answered。　〃Of　course　they　are。　They're　not　matternot　metal；　I　mean〃

〃There's　something　about　them　like　St。　Elmo's　fire；　witch　lightscondensations　of　atmospheric　electricity；〃　Ventnor's　voice　was　calm；　now　that　it　was　plain　we　were　nearing　the　heart　of　this　mystery　in　which　we　were　enmeshed　he　had　clearly　taken　fresh　grip；　was　again　his　observant；　scientific　self。

We　watched；　once　more　silent；　and　indeed　we　had　spoken　little　since　we　had　begun　that　ride　whose　end　we　sensed　close。　In　the　unfolding　of　enigmatic　happening　after　happening　the　mind　had　deserted　speech　and　crouched　listening　at　every　door　of　sight　and　hearing　to　gather　some　clue　to　causes；　some　thread　of　understanding。

Slowly　now　we　were　gliding　through　the　forest　of　pillars；　so　effortless；　so　smooth　our　flight　that　we　seemed　to　be　standing　still；　the　tremendous　columns　flitting　past　us；　turning　and　wheeling　around　us；　dizzyingly。　My　head　swam　with　the　mirage　motion；　I　closed　my　eyes。

〃Look；〃　Drake　was　shaking　me。　〃Look。　What　do　you　make　of　that？〃

Half　a　mile　ahead　the　pillars　stopped　at　the　edge　of　a　shimmering；　quivering　curtain　of　green　luminescence。　High；　high　up　past　the　pale　gilt　suns　its　smooth　folds　ran；　into　the　golden　amber　mist　that　canopied　the　columns。

In　its　sparkling　was　more　than　a　hint　of　the　dancing　corpuscles　of　the　aurora；　it　was；　indeed；　as　though　woven　of　the　auroral　rays。　And　all　about　it　played　shifting；　tremulous　shadows　formed　by　the　merging　of　the　golden　light　with　the　curtain's　emerald　gleaming。

Up　to　its　base　swept　the　cube　that　bore　Ruth　and　Norhala　and　stopped。　From　it　leaped　the　woman；　and　drew　Ruth　down　beside　her；　then　turned　and　gestured　toward　us。

That　upon　which　we　rode　drew　close。　I　felt　it　quiver　beneath　me；　felt　on　the　instant；　the　magnetic　grip　drop　from　me；　angle　downward　and　leave　me　free。　Shakily　I　arose　from　aching　knees；　and　saw　Ventnor　flash　down　and　run；　rifle　in　hand；　toward　his　sister。

Drake　bent　for　his　gun。　I　moved　unsteadily　toward　the　side　of　the　clustered　cubes。　There　came　a　curious　pushing　motion　driving　me　to　the　edge。　Sliding　over　upon　me　came　Drake　and　the　pony

The　cube　tilted；　gently；　playfullyand　with　the　slightest　of　jars　the　three　of　us　stood　beside　it　on　the　floor；　we　two　men　gaping　at　it　in　renewed　wonder；　and　the　little　beast　stretching　its　legs；　lifting　its　feet　and　whinnying　with　relief。

Then　abruptly　the　four　blocks　that　had　been　our　steed　broke　from　each　other；　that　which　had　been　the　woman's　glided　to　them。

The　four　clicked　into　place　behind　it　and　darted　from　sight。

〃Ruth！〃　Ventnor's　voice　was　vibrant　with　his　fear。　〃Ruth！　What　is　wrong　with　you？　What　has　she　done　to　you？〃

We　ran　to　his　side。　He　stood　clutching　her　hands；　searching　her　eyes。　They　were　wide；　unseeing；　dream　filled。　Upon　her　face　the　calm　and　stillness；　which　were　mirrored　reflections　of　Norhala's　unearthly　tranquillity；　had　deepened。

〃Brother。〃　The　sweet　voice　seemed　far　away；　drifting　out　of　untroubled　space；　an　echo　of　Norhala's　golden　chimings　〃Brother；　there　is　nothing　wrong　with　me。　Indeed　all　iswell　with　mebrother。〃

He　dropped　the　listless　palms；　faced　the　woman；　tall　figure　tense；　drawn　with　mingled　rage　and　anguish。

〃What　have　you　done　to　her？〃　he　whispered　in　Norhala's　own　tongue。

Her　serene　gaze　took　him　in；　undisturbed　by　his　anger　save　for　the　faintest　shadow　of　wonder；　of　perplexity。

〃Done？〃　she　repeated；　slowly。　〃I　have　stilled　all　that　was　troubled　within　herhave　lifted　her　above　sorrow。　I　have　given　her　the　peaceas　I　will　give　it　to　you　if〃

〃You'll　give　me　nothing；〃　he　interrupted　fiercely；　then；　his　passion　breaking　through　all　restraint〃Yes；　you　damned　witchyou'll　give　me　back　my　sister！〃

In　his　rage　he　had　spoken　English；　she　could　not；　of　course；　have　understood　the　words；　but　their　anger　and　hatred　she　did　understand。　Her　serenity　quivered；　broke。　The　strange　stars　within　her　eyes　began　to　glitter　forth　as　they　had　when　she　had　summoned　the　Smiting　Thing。　Unheeding；　Ventnor　thrust　out　a　hand；　caught　her　roughly　by　one　bare；　lovely　shoulder。

〃Give　her　back　to　me；　I　say！〃　he　cried。　〃Give　her　back　to　me！〃

The　woman's　eyes　grewawful。　Out　of　the　distended　pupils　the　strange　stars　blazed；　upon　her　face　was　something　of　the　goddess　outraged。　I　felt　the　shadow　of　Death's　wings。

〃No！　NoNorhala！　No；　Martin！〃　the　veils　of　inhuman　calm　shrouding　Ruth　were　torn；　swiftly　the　girl　we　knew　looked　out　from　them。　She　threw　herself　between　the　two；　arms　outstretched。

〃Ventnor！〃　Drake　caught　his　arms；　held　them　tight；　〃that's　not　the　way　to　save　her！〃

Ventnor　stood　between　us；　quivering；　half　sobbing。　Never　until　then　had　I　realized　how　great；　how　absorbing　was　that　love　of　his　for　Ruth。　And　the　woman　saw　it；　too；　even　though　dimly；　envisioned　it　humanly。　For；　under　the　shock　of　human　passion；　that　which　I　thought　then　as　utterly　unknown　to　her　as　her　cold　serenity　was　to　us；　the　sleeping　soulI　use　the　popular　word　for　those　emotional　complexes　that　are　peculiar　to　mankindstirred；　awakened。

Wrath　fled　from　her　knitted　brows；　her　eyes　dropping　to　the　girl；　lost　their　dreadfulness；　softened。　She　turned　them　upon　Ventnor；　they　brooded　upon　him；　within　their　depths　a　half…troubled　interest；　a　questioning。

A　smile　dawned　upon　the　exquisite　face；　humanizing　it；　transfiguring　it；　touching　with　tenderness　the　sweet　and　sleeping　mouthas　a　hovering　dream　the　lips　of　the　slumbering　maid。

And　on　the　face　of　Ruth；　as　upon　a　mirror；　I　watched　that　same　slow；　understanding　tenderness　reflected！

〃Come；〃　said　Norhala；　and　led　the　way　through　the　sparkling　curtains。　As　she　passed；　an　arm　around　Ruth's　neck；　I　saw　the　marks　of　Ventnor's　fingers　upon　her　white　shoulder；　staining　its　purity；　marring　it　like　a　blasphemy。

For　an　instant　I　hung　behind；　watching　their　figures　grow　misty　within　the　shining　shadows；　then　followed　hastily。　Entering　the　mists　I　was　conscious　of　a　pleasant　tingling；　an　acceleration　of　the　pulse；　an　increase　of　that　sense　of　well…being　which；　I　grew　suddenly　aware；　had　since　the　beginning　of　our　strange　journey　minimized　the　nervous　attrition　of　constant　contact　with　the　abnormal。

Striving　to　classify；　to　reduce　to　order；　my　sensations　I　drew　close　to　the　others；　overtaking　them　in　a　dozen　paces。　A　dozen　paces　more　and　we　stepped　out　of　the　curtainings。





CHAPTER　XI

THE　METAL　EMPEROR

We　stood　at　the　edge　of　a　well　whose　walls　were　of　that　same　green　vaporous　iridescence　through　which　we　had　just　come；　but　finer　grained；　compact；　as　though　here　the　corpuscles　of　which　they　were　woven　were　far　closer　spun。　Thousands　of　feet　above　us　the　mighty　cylinder　uprose；　and　in　the　lessened　circle　that　was　its　mouth　I　glimpsed　the　bright　stars；　and　knew　by　this　it　opened　into　the　free　air。

All　of　half　a　mile　in　diameter　was　this　shaft；　and　ringed　regularly　along　its　height　by　wide　amethystine　bands　like　rings　of　a　hollow　piston。　They　were；　in　color；　replicas　of　that　I　had　glimpsed　before　our　descent　into　this　place　and　against　whose　gleaming　cataracts　the　outlines　of　the　incredible　city　had　lowered。　And　they　were　in　motion；　spinning　smoothly；　and　swiftly。

Only　one　swift　glance　I　gave　them；　my　eyes　held　by　a　most　extraordinaryedificealtarmachineI　could　not　find　the　word　for　itthen。

Its　base　was　a　scant　hundred　yards　from　where　we　had　paused　and　concentric　with　the　sides　of　the　pit。　It　stood　upon　a　thick　circular　pedestal　of　what　appeared　to　be　cloudy　rock　crystal　supported　by　hundreds　of　thick　rods　of　the　same　material。

Up　from　it　lifted　the　structure；　a　thing　of　glistening　cones　and　spinning　golden　disks；　fantastic　yet　disquietingly　symmetrical；　bizarre　as　an　angled　headdress　worn　by　a　mountainous　Javanese　godyet　coldly；　painfully　mathematical。　In　every　direction　the　cones　pointed；　seemingly　interwoven　of　strands　of　metal　and　of　light。

What　was　their　color？　It　came　to　methat　of　the　mysterious　element　which　stains　the　sun's　corona；　that　diadem　seen　only　when　our　day　star　is　in　eclipse；　the　unknown　element　which　science　has　named　coronium；　which　never　yet　has　been　found　on　earth　and　that　may　be　electricity　in　its　one　material　form；　electricity　that　is　ponderable；　force　whose　vibrations　are　keyed　down　to　mass；　power　transmuted　into　substance。

Thousands　upon　thousands　the　cones　bristled；　pyramiding　to　the　base　of　one　tremendous　spire　that　tapered　up　almost　to　the　top　of　the　shaft　itself。

In　their　grouping　the　mind　caught　infinite　calculations　carried　into　infinity；　an　apotheosis　of　geometry　compassing　the　rhythms　of　unknown　spatial　dimensions；　concentration　of　the　equations　of　the　star　hordes。

The　mathematics　of　the　Cosmos。

From　the　left　of　the　crystalline　base　swept　an　enormous　sphere。　It　was　twice　the　height　of　a　tall　man；　and　it　was　a　paler　blue　than　any　of　these　Things　I　had　seen；　almost；　indeed；　an　azure；　different；　too；　in　other　subtle；　indefinable　ways。

Behind　it　glided　a　pair　of　the　pyramidal　shapes；　their　pointed　tips　higher　by　a　yard　or　more　than　the　top　of　the　sphere。　They　pausedregarding　us。　Out　from　the　opposite　arc　of　the　crystal　pedestal　moved　six　other　globes；　somewhat　smaller　than　the　first　and　of　a　deep　purplish　luster。

They　separated；　lining　up　on　each　side　of　the　leader　now　standing　a　little　in　advance　of　the　twin　tetrahedrons；　rigid　and　motionless　as　watching　guards。

There　they　stoodthat　enigmatic　row；　intent；　studying　us　beneath　their　god　or　altar　or　machine　of　cones　and　disks　within　their　cylinder　walled　with　light。

And　at　that　moment　there　crystallized　within　my　consciousness　the　sublimation　of　all　the　strangenesses　of　all　that　had　gone　before；　a　panic　loneliness　as　though　I　had　wandered　into　an　alien　worlda　world　as　unfamiliar　to　humanity；　as　unfamiliar　with　it　as　our　own　would　seem　to　a　thinking；　mobile　crystal　adrift　among　men。

Norhala　raised　her　white　arms　in　salutation；　from　her　throat　came　a　lilting　theme　of　her　weirdly　ordered；　golden　chanting。　Was　it　speech；　I　wondered；　and　if　soprayer　or　entreaty　or　command？

The　great　sphere　quivered　and　undulated。　Swifter　than　the　eye　could　follow　it　dilated；　opened！

Where　the　azure　globe　had　been；　flashed　out　a　disk　of　flaming　splendors；　the　very　secret