the metal monster-第13部分

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The　pit　darkened　as　though　night　were　filtering　down　into　it；　the　vast；　purple…shadowed　walls　of　the　city　sparkled　out　with　countless　lights。　From　the　crowning　arches　and　turrets　leaped　broad　filaments　of　flame；　flashing；　electric。

Was　it　my　straining　eyes；　the　play　of　the　light　and　shadowor　were　those　high…flung　excrescences　shifting；　changing　shape？　An　icy　hand　stretched　out　of　the　unknown；　stilled　my　heart。　For　they　were　shiftingarches　and　domes；　turrets　and　spires；　were　melting；　reappearing　in　ferment；　like　the　lightning…threaded；　rolling　edges　of　the　thundercloud。

I　wrenched　my　gaze　away；　saw　that　our　platform　had　come　to　rest　upon　a　broad　and　silvery　ledge　close　to　the　curving　frame　of　the　portal　and　not　a　yard　from　where　upon　her　block　stood　Norhala；　her　arm　clasped　about　the　rigid　form　of　Ruth。　I　heard　a　sigh　from　Ventnor；　an　exclamation　from　Drake。

Before　one　of　us　could　cry　out　to　Ruth；　the　cube　glided　to　the　edge　of　the　shelf；　dipped　out　of　sight。

That　upon　which　we　rode　trembled　and　sped　after　it。

There　came　a　sickening　sense　of　falling；　we　lurched　against　each　other；　for　the　first　time　the　pony　whinnied；　fearfully。　Then　with　awful　speed　we　were　flying　down　a　wide；　a　glistening；　a　steeply　angled　ramp　into　the　Pit；　straight　toward　the　half…hidden；　soaring　escarpments　flashing　afar。

Far　ahead　raced　the　Thing　on　which　stood　woman　and　maid。　Their　hair　streamed　behind　them；　mingled；　silken　web　of　brown　and　shining　veil　of　red…gold；　little　clouds　of　sparkling　corpuscles　threaded　them；　like　flitting　swarms　of　fire…flies；　their　bodies　were　nimbused　with　tiny；　flickering　tongues　of　lavender　flame。

About　us；　above　us；　began　again　to　rumble　the　countless　drums　of　the　thunder。





CHAPTER　IX

THE　PORTAL　OF　FLAME

It　was　as　though　we　were　on　a　meteor　hurtling　through　space。　The　split　air　shrieked　and　shrilled；　a　keening　barrier　against　the　avalanche　of　the　thunder。　The　blast　bent　us　far　back　on　thighs　held　rigid　by　the　magnetic　grip。

The　pony　spread　its　legs；　dropped　its　head；　through　the　hurricane　roaring　its　screaming　pierced　thinly；　that　agonizing；　terrible　lamentation　which　is　of　the　horse　and　the　horse　alone　when　the　limit　of　its　endurance　is　reached。

Ventnor　crouched　lower　and　lower；　eyes　shielded　behind　arms　folded　over　his　brows；　straining　for　a　glimpse　of　Ruth；　Drake　crouched　beside　him；　bracing　him；　supporting　him　against　the　tempest。

Our　line　of　flight　became　less　abrupt；　but　the　speed　increased；　the　wind…pressure　became　almost　insupportable。　I　twisted；　dropped　upon　my　right　arm；　thrust　my　head　against　my　shoulder；　stared　backward。　When　first　I　had　looked　upon　the　place　I　had　sensed　its　immensity；　now　I　began　to　realize　how　vast　it　must　really　befor　already　the　gateway　through　which　we　had　come　glimmered　far　away　on　high；　shrunk　to　a　hoop　of　incandescent　brass　and　dwindling　fast。

Nor　was　it　a　cavern；　I　saw　the　stars；　traced　with　deep　relief　the　familiar　Northern　constellations。　Pit　it　might　be；　but　whatever　terror；　whatever　ordeals　were　before　us；　we　would　not　have　to　face　them　buried　deep　within　earth。　There　was　a　curious　comfort　to　me　in　the　thought。

Suddenly　stars　and　sky　were　blotted　out。

We　had　plunged　beneath　the　surface　of　the　radiant　sea。

Lying　in　the　position　in　which　I　was；　I　was　sensible　of　a　diminution　of　the　cyclonic　force；　the　blast　streamed　up　and　over　the　front　of　the　cube。　To　me　drifted　only　the　wailings　of　our　flight　and　the　whimpering　terror　of　the　pony。

I　turned　my　head　cautiously。　Upon　the　very　edge　of　the　flying　blocks　squatted　Drake　and　Ventnor；　grotesquely　frog…like。　I　crawled　toward　themcrawled；　literally；　like　a　caterpillar；　for　wherever　my　body　touched　the　surface　of　the　cubes　the　attracting　force　held　it；　allowed　a　creeping　movement　only；　surface　sliding　upon　surfaceand　weirdly　enough　like　a　human　measuring…worm　I　looped　myself　over　to　them；

As　my　bare　palms　clung　to　the　Things　I　realized　with　finality　that　whatever　their　activation；　their　life；　they　WERE　metal。

There　was　no　mistaking　now　the　testimony　of　touch。　Metal　they　were；　with　a　hint　upon　contact　of　highly　polished　platinum；　or　at　the　least　of　a　metal　as　finely　grained　as　it。

Also　they　had　temperature；　a　curiously　pleasant　warmth　the　surfaces　were；　I　judged；　around　ninety…five　degrees　Fahrenheit。　I　looked　deep　down　into　the　little　sparkling　points　that　were；　I　knew；　organs　of　sight；　they　were　like　the　points　of　contact　of　innumerable　intersecting　crystal　planes。　They　held　strangest　paradoxical　suggestion　of　being　close　to　the　surface　and　still　infinite　distances　away。

And　they　were　likewhat　was　it　they　were　like？it　came　to　me　with　a　distinct　shock。

They　were　like　the　galaxies　of　little　aureate　and　sapphire　stars　in　the　clear　gray　heavens　of　Norhala's　eyes。

I　crept　beside　Drake；　struck　him　with　my　head。

〃Can't　move；〃　I　shouted。　〃Can't　lift　my　hands。　Stuck　fastlike　a　flyjust　as　you　said。〃

〃Drag　'em　over　your　knees；〃　he　cried；　bending　to　me。　〃It　slides　'em　out　of　the　attraction。〃

Acting　as　he　had　suggested　I　found　to　my　astonishment　I　could　slip　my　hands　free；　I　caught　his　belt；　tried　to　lift　myself　by　it。

〃No　use；　Doc。〃　The　old　grin　lightened　for　a　moment　his　tense　young　face。　〃You'll　have　to　keep　praying　till　the　power's　turned　off。　Nothing　here　you　can　slide　your　knees　on。〃

I　nodded；　waddling　close　to　his　side；　then　sank　back　on　my　haunches　to　relieve　the　strain　upon　my　aching　leg…muscles。

〃Can　you　see　them　ahead；　WalterRuth　and　the　woman？〃　Ventnor　turned　his　anxious　eyes　toward　me。

I　peered　into　the　glimmering　murk；　shook　my　head。　I　could　see　nothing。　It　was　indeed；　as　though　the　clustered　cubes　sped　within　a　bubble　of　the　now　wanly　glistening　vapors；　or　rather　as　though　in　our　passageas　a　projectile　does　in　airwe　piled　before　us　a　thick　wave　of　the　mists　which　streaming　along　each　side；　closing　in　behind；　obscured　all　that　lay　around。

Yet　I　had；　persistently；　the　feeling　that　beyond　these　shroudings　was　vast　and　ordered　movement；　marchings　and　counter…marchings　of　hosts　greater　even　than　those　Golden　Hordes　of　Genghis　which　ages　agone　had　washed　about　the　outer　bases　of　the　very　peaks　that　hid　this　place。　Came；　too；　flitting　shadowings　of　huge　shapes；　unnameable；　moving　swiftly　beside　our　way；　gleamings　that　thrust　themselves　through　the　veils　like　wheeling　javelins　of　flame。

And　always；　always；　everywhere　that　constant　movement；　rhythmic；　terrifyinglike　myriads　of　feet　of　creatures　of　an　unseen；　stranger　world　marking　time　just　outside　the　threshold　of　our　own。　Preparing；　DRILLING　there　in　some　wide　vestibule　of　space　between　the　known　and　the　unknown；　alert　and　menacingpoised　for　the　signal　which　would　send　them　pouring　over　it。


Once　again　I　seemed　to　stand　upon　the　brink　of　an　abyss　of　incredible　revelation；　striving　helplessly；　struggling　for　realizationand　so　struggling　became　aware　that　our　speed　was　swiftly　slackening；　the　roaring　blast　dying　down；　the　veils　before　us　thinning。

They　cleared　away。　I　saw　Drake　and　Ventnor　straighten　up；　raised　myself　to　my　own　aching　knees。

We　were　at　one　end　of　a　vortex；　a　funneling　within　the　radiant　vapors；　a　funnel　whose　further　end　a　mile　ahead　broadened　out　into　a　huge　circle；　its　mistily　outlined　edges　impinging　upon　the　towering　scarp　of　thecity。　It　was　as　though　before　us　lay；　upon　its　side；　a　cone　of　crystalline　clear　air　against　whose　curved　sides　some　radiant　medium　heavier　than　air；　lighter　than　water；　pressed。

The　top　arc　of　its　prostrate　base　reached　a　thousand　feet　or　more　up　the　precipitous　wall；　above　it　all　was　hidden　in　sparkling　nebulosities　that　were　like　still　clouds　of　greenly　glimmering　fire…flies。　Back　from　the　curving　sides　of　this　cone；　above　it　and　below　it；　the　pressing　luminosities　stretched　into；　it　seemed；　infinite　distances。

Through　them；　suddenly；　thousands　of　bright　beams　began　to　dart；　to　dance；　weaving　and　interweaving；　shooting　hither　and　yonlike　myriads　of　great　searchlights　in　a　phosphorescent　sea　fog；　like　countless　lances　of　the　aurora　thrusting　through　its　own　iridescent　veils！　And　in　the　play　of　these　beams　was　something　appallingly　ordered；　appallingly　rhythmic。

It　washow　can　I　describe　it？PURPOSEFUL；　purposeful　as　the　geometric　shiftings　of　the　Little　Things　of　the　ruins；　of　the　summoning　song　of　Norhala；　of　the　Protean　changes　of　the　Smiting　Shape　and　the　Following　Thing；　and　like　all　of　these　it　was　as　laden　with　that　baffling　certainty　of　hidden　meanings；　of　messages　that　the　brain　recognized　as　such　yet　knew　it　never　could　read。

The　rays　seemed　to　spring　upward　from　the　earth。　Now　they　were　like　countless　lances　of　light　borne　by　marching　armies　of　Titans；　now　they　crossed　and　angled　and　flew　as　though　they　were　clouds　of　javelins　hurled　by　battling　swarms　of　the　Genii　of　Light。　And　now　they　stood　upright　while　through　them；　thrusting　them　aside；　bending　them；　passed　vast；　vague　shapes　like　mountains　forming　and　dissolving；　like　darkening　monsters　of　some　world　of　light　pushing　through　thick　forests　of　slender；　high…reaching　trees　of　cold　flame；　shifting　shadows　of　monstrous　chimerae　slipping　through　jungles　of　bamboo　with　trunks　of　diamond　fire；　phantasmal　leviathans　swimming　through　brakes　of　giant　reeds　of　radiance　rising　from　the　sparking　ooze　of　a　sea　of　star　shine。

Whence　came　the　force；　the　mechanism　that　produced　this　cone　of　clarity；　this　NOT　searchlight；　but　unlight　in　the　midst　of　light？　Not　from　behind；　that　was　certainfor　turning　I　saw　that　behind　us　the　mist　was　as　thick。　I　turned　againit　came　to　me；　why　I　knew　not；　yet　with　an　absolute　certainty；　that　the　energy；　the　force　emanated　from　the　distant　wall　itself。

The　funnel；　the　cone；　did　not　expand　from　where　we　were　standing；　now　motionless。

It　began　at　the　wall　and　focused　upon　us。

Within　the　great　circle　the　surface　of　the　wall　was　smooth；　utterly　blank；　upon　it　was　no　trace　of　those　flitting　lights　we　had　seen　before　we　had　plunged　down　toward　the　radiant　sea。　It　shone　with　a　pale　blue　phosphorescence。　It　was　featureless；　smooth；　a　blind　cliff　of　polished；　blue　metaland　that　was　all。

〃Ruth！〃　groaned　Ventnor。　〃Where　is　she？〃

Aghast　at　my　mental　withdrawal　from　him；　angry　at　myself　for　my　callousness；　awkwardly　I　tried　to　crawl　over　to　him；　to　touch　h