the metal monster-第12部分

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〃Ruth！〃　he　called。　〃Ruthare　you　all　right？〃

Slowly　she　turned　to　usmy　heart　gave　a　great　leap；　then　seemed　to　stop。　For　her　sweet　face　was　touched　with　that　same　unearthly　tranquillity　which　was　Norhala's；　in　her　brown　eyes　was　a　shadow　of　that　passionless　spirit　brooding　in　Norhala's　own；　her　voice　as　she　answered　held　within　it　more　than　echo　of　Norhala's　faint；　far…off　golden　chiming。

〃Yes；〃　she　sighed；　〃yes；　Martinhave　no　fear　for　me〃

And　turned　from　us；　gazing　forward　once　more　with　the　woman　and　as　silent　as　she。

I　glanced　covertly　at　Ventnor；　at　Drakehad　I　imagined；　or　had　they　too　seen？　Then　I　knew　they　had　seen；　for　Ventnor's　face　was　white　to　the　lips；　and　Drake's　jaw　was　set；　his　teeth　clenched；　his　eyes　blazing　with　anger。

〃What's　she　doing　to　Ruthyou　saw　her　face；〃　he　gritted；　half　inarticulately。

〃Ruth！〃　There　was　anguish　in　Ventnor's　cry。

She　did　not　turn　again。　It　was　as　though　she　had　not　heard　him。

The　cubes　were　now　not　five　yards　apart。　Drake　gathered　himself；　strained　to　loosen　his　feet　from　the　shining　surface；　making　ready　to　leap　when　they　should　draw　close　enough。　His　great　chest　swelled　with　his　effort；　the　muscles　of　his　neck　knotted；　sweat　steamed　down　his　face。

〃No　use；〃　he　gasped；　〃no　use；　Goodwin。　It's　like　trying　to　lift　yourself　by　your　boot…strapslike　a　fly　stuck　in　molasses。〃

〃Ruth；〃　cried　Ventnor　once　more。

As　though　it　had　been　a　signal　the　block　darted　forward；　resuming　the　distance　it　had　formerly　maintained　between　us。

The　vanguard　of　the　Metal　Things　began　to　race。　With　an　incredible　speed　they　fled　into；　were　lost　in　an　instant　within；　the　luminous　distances。

The　cube　that　bore　the　woman　and　girl　accelerated；　flew　faster　and　faster　onward。　And　as　swiftly　our　own　followed　it。　The　lustrous　walls　flowed　by；　dizzily。

We　had　swept　over　toward　the　right　wall　of　the　cleft　and　were　gliding　over　a　broad　ledge。　This　ledge　was；　I　judged；　all　of　a　hundred　feet　in　width。　From　it　the　floor　of　the　place　was　dropping　rapidly。

The　opposite　precipices　were　slowly　drawing　closer。　After　us　flowed　the　flanking　host。

Steadily　our　ledge　arose　and　the　floor　of　the　canyon　dropped。　Now　we　were　twenty　feet　above　it；　now　thirty。　And　the　character　of　the　cliffs　was　changing。　Veins　of　quartz　shone　under　the　metallic　plating　like　cut　crystal；　like　cloudy　opals；　here　was　a　splash　of　vermilion；　there　a　patch　of　amber；　bands　of　pallid　ochre　stained　it。

My　gaze　was　caught　by　a　line　of　inky　blackness　in　the　exact　center　of　the　falling　floor。　So　black　was　it　that　at　first　glance　I　took　it　for　a　vein　of　jetty　lignite。

It　widened。　It　was　a　crack；　a　fissure。　Now　it　was　a　yard　in　width；　now　three；　and　blackness　seemed　to　well　up　from　within　it；　blackness　that　was　the　very　essence　of　the　depths。　Steadily　the　ebon　rift　expanded；　spread　suddenly　wide　open　in　two　sharp…edged；　flying　wedges

Earth　had　dropped　away。　At　our　side　a　gulf　had　opened；　an　abyss；　striking　down　depth　upon　depth；　profound；　immeasurable。

We　were　human　atoms；　riding　upon　a　steed　of　sorcery　and　racing　along　a　split　rampart　of　infinite　space。

I　looked　behindscores　of　the　cubes　were　darting　from　the　metal　host　trailing　us；　in　a　long　column　of　twos　they　flashed　by；　raced　ahead。　Far　in　front　of　us　a　gloom　began　to　grow；　deepened　until　we　were　rushing　into　blackest　night。

Through　the　murk　stabbed　a　long　lance　of　pale　blue　phosphorescence。　It　unrolled　like　a　ribbon　of　wan　flame；　flicked　like　a　serpent's　tongueheld　steady。　I　felt　the　Thing　beneath　us　leap　forward；　its　velocity　grew　prodigious；　the　wind　beat　upon　us　with　hurricane　force。

I　shielded　my　eyes　with　my　hands　and　peered　through　the　chinks　of　my　fingers。　Ranged　directly　in　our　path　was　a　barricade　of　the　cubes　and　upon　them　we　were　racing　like　a　flying　battering…ram。　Involuntarily　I　closed　my　eyes　against　the　annihilating　impact　that　seemed　inevitable。

The　Thing　on　which　we　rode　lifted。

We　were　soaring　at　a　long　angle　straight　to　the　top　of　the　barrier；　were　upon　it；　and　still　with　that　awful　speed　unchecked　were　hurtling　through　the　blackness　over　the　shaft　of　phosphorescence；　the　ribbon　of　pale　light　that　I　had　watched　pierce　it　and　knew　now　was　but　another　span　of　the　cubes　that　but　a　little　before　had　fled　past　us。　Beneath　the　span；　on　each　side　of　it；　I　sensed　illimitable　void。

We　were　over；　rushing　along　in　darkness。　There　began　a　mighty　tumult；　a　vast　crashing　and　roaring。　The　clangor　waxed；　beat　about　us　with　tremendous　strokes　of　sound。

Far　away　was　a　dim　glowing；　as　of　rising　sun　through　heavy　mists　of　dawn。　The　mists　fadedmiles　away　gleamed　what　at　first　glimpse　seemed　indeed　to　be　the　rising　sun；　a　gigantic　orb；　whose　lower　limb　just　touched；　was　sharply；　horizontally　cut　by　the　blackness；　as　though　at　its　base　that　blackness　was　frozen。

The　sun？　Reason　returned　to　me；　told　me　this　globe　could　not　be　that。

What　was　it　then？　Ra…Harmachis；　of　the　Egyptians；　stripped　of　his　wings；　exiled　and　growing　old　in　the　corridors　of　the　Dead？　Or　that　mocking　luminary；　the　cold　phantom　of　the　God　of　light　and　warmth　which　the　old　Norsemen　believed　was　set　in　their　frozen　hell　to　torment　the　damned？

I　thrust　aside　the　fantasies；　impatiently。　But　sun　or　no　sun；　light　streamed　from　this　orb；　light　in　multicolored；　lanced　rays；　banishing　the　blackness　through　which　we　had　been　flying。

Closer　we　came　and　closer；　lighter　it　grew　about　us；　and　by　the　growing　light　I　saw　that　still　beside　us　ran　the　abyss。　And　even　louder；　more　thunderous；　became　the　clamor。

At　the　foot　of　the　radiant　disk　I　glimpsed　a　luminous　pool。　Into　it；　out　of　the　depths；　protruded　a　tremendous　rectangular　tongue；　gleaming　like　gray　steel。

On　the　tongue　an　inky　shape　appeared；　it　lifted　itself　from　the　abyss；　rushed　upon　the　disk　and　took　form。

Like　a　gigantic　spider　it　was；　squat　and　horned。　For　an　instant　it　was　silhouetted　against　the　smiling　sphere；　poised　itselfand　vanished　through　it。

Now；　not　far　ahead；　silhouetted　as　had　been　the　spider　shape；　blackened　into　sight　a　cube　and　on　it　Ruth　and　Norhala。　It　seemed　to　hover；　to　wait。

〃It's　a　door；〃　Drake's　shout　beat　thinly　in　my　ears　against　the　hurricane　of　sound。

What　I　thought　had　been　an　orb　was　indeed　a　gateway；　a　portal；　and　it　was　gigantic。

The　light　streamed　through　it；　the　flaming　colors；　the　lightning　glare；　the　drifting　shadows　were　all　beyond　it。　The　suggestion　of　sphere　had　been　an　illusion；　born　of　the　darkness　in　which　we　were　moving　and　in　its　own　luminescence。

And　I　saw　that　the　steel　tongue　was　a　ramp；　a　slide；　dropping　down　into　the　gulf。

Norhala　raised　her　hands　high　above　her　head。　Up　from　the　darkness　flew　an　incredible　shapelike　a　monstrous；　armored　flat…backed　crab；　angled　spikes　protruded　from　it；　its　huge　body　was　spangled　with　darting；　greenish　flames。

It　swept　beneath　us　and　by。　On　its　back　were　multitudinous　breasts　from　which　issued　blinding　flashes　sapphire　blue；　emerald　green；　sun　yellow。　It　hung　poised　as　had　that　other　nightmare　shape；　standing　out　jet　black　and　colossal；　rearing　upon　columnar　legs；　whose　outlines　were　those　of　alternate　enormous　angled　arrow…points　and　lunettes。　Swiftly　its　form　shifted；　an　instant　it　hovered；　half　disintegrate。

Now　I　saw　spinning　spheres　and　darting　cubes　and　pyramids　click　into　new　positions。　The　front　and　side　legs　lengthened；　the　back　legs　shortened；　fitting　themselves　plainly　to　what　must　be　a　varying　angle　of　descent　beyond。

And　it　was　no　chimera；　no　kraken　of　the　abyss。　It　was　a　car　made　of　the　Metal　Things。　I　caught　again　the　flashes　and　thought　that　they　were　jewels　or　heaps　of　shining　ores　carried　by　the　conscious　machine。

It　vanished。　In　its　place　hung　poised　the　cube　that　bore　the　enigmatic　woman　and　Ruth。　Then　they　were　gone　and　we　stood　where　but　an　instant　before　they　had　been。

We　were　high　above　an　ocean　of　living　lighta　sea　of　incandescent　splendors　that　stretched　mile　upon　uncounted　mile　away　and　whose　incredible　waves　streamed　thousands　of　feet　in　air；　flew　in　gigantic　banners；　in　tremendous　streamers；　in　coruscating　clouds　of　varicolored　flameas　though　torn　by　the　talons　of　a　mighty　wind。

My　dazzled　sight　cleared；　glare　and　blaze　and　searing　incandescence　took　form；　became　ordered。　Within　the　sea　of　light　I　glimpsed　shapes　cyclopean；　unnameable。

They　moved　slowly；　with　an　awesome　deliberateness。　They　shone　darkly　within　the　flame…woven　depths。　From　them　came　the　volleys　of　the　lightnings。

Score　upon　score　of　them　there　werehuge　and　enigmatic。　Their　flaming　levins　threaded　the　shimmering　veils；　patterned　them；　as　though　they　were　the　flying　robes　of　the　very　spirit　of　fire。

And　the　tumult　was　as　ten　thousand　Thors；　smiting　with　hammers　against　the　enemies　of　Odin。　As　a　forge　upon　whose　shouting　anvils　was　being　shaped　a　new　world。

A　new　world？　A　metal　world！

The　thought　spun　through　my　mazed　brain；　was　gone　and　not　until　long　after　did　I　remember　it。　For　suddenly　all　that　clamor　died；　the　lightnings　ceased；　all　the　flitting　radiances　paled　and　the　sea　of　flaming　splendors　grew　thin　as　moving　mists。　The　storming　shapes　dulled　with　them；　seemed　to　darken　into　the　murk。

Through　the　fast…waning　light　and　far；　far　away　miles　it　seemed　on　high　and　many；　many　miles　in　length　a　broad　band　of　fluorescent　amethyst　shone。　From　it　dropped　curtains；　shimmering；　nebulous　as　the　marching　folds　of　the　aurora；　they　poured；　cascaded；　from　the　amethystine　band。

Huge　and　purple…black　against　their　opalescence　bulked　what　at　first　I　thought　a　mountain；　so　like　was　it　to　one　of　those　fantastic　buttes　of　our　desert　Southwest　when　their　castellated　tops　are　silhouetted　against　the　setting　sun；　knew　instantly　that　this　was　but　subconscious　striving　to　translate　into　terms　of　reality　the　incredible。

It　was　a　City！

A　city　full　five　thousand　feet　high　and　crowned　with　countless　spires　and　turrets；　titanic　arches；　stupendous　domes！　It　was　as　though　the　man…made　cliffs　of　lower　New　York　were　raised　scores　of　times　their　height；　stretched　a　score　of　times　their　length。　And　weirdly　enough　it　did　suggest　those　same　towering　masses　of　masonry　when　one　sees　them　blacken　against　the　twilight　skies。

The　pit　darkened　as　though　night　were　filtering　down　into　it；　the　vast；　purple…shadowed　walls　o