the metal monster-第24部分

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〃Dick；〃　I　heard　her　whisper。　〃Dickcome　back　safe　to　me！〃

I　saw　his　arms　close　about　her；　hers　tighten　around　his　neck；　black　hair　touched　the　silken　brown　curls；　their　lips　met；　clung。　I　turned　away。

In　a　little　time　he　joined　me；　head　down；　silent；　he　strode　along　beside　me；　utterly　dejected。

A　hundred　more　yards　and　we　turned。　Ruth　was　still　standing　on　the　threshold　of　the　house　of　mystery；　watching　us。　She　waved　her　hands；　flitted　in；　was　hidden　from　us。　And　Drake　still　silent；　we　pushed　on。

The　walls　of　the　gateway　were　close。　The　sparse　vegetation　along　the　base　of　the　cliffs　had　ceased；　the　roadway　itself　had　merged　into　the　smooth；　bare　floor　of　the　canyon。　From　vertical　edge　to　vertical　edge　of　the　rocky　portal　stretched　a　curtain　of　shimmering　mist。　As　we　drew　nearer　we　saw　that　this　was　motionless；　and　less　like　vapor　of　water　than　vapor　of　light；　it　streamed　in　oddly　fixed　lines　like　atoms　of　crystals　in　a　still　solution。　Drake　thrust　an　arm　within　it；　waved　it；　the　mist　did　not　move。　It　seemed　instead　to　interpenetrate　the　armas　though　bone　and　flesh　were　spectral；　without　power　to　dislodge　the　shining　particles　from　position。

We　passed　within　itside　by　side。

Instantly　I　knew　that　whatever　these　veils　were；　they　were　not　moisture。　The　air　we　breathed　was　dry；　electric。　I　was　sensible　of　a　decided　stimulation；　a　pleasant　tingling　along　every　nerve；　a　gaiety　almost　light…headed。　We　could　see　each　other　quite　plainly；　the　rocky　floor　on　which　we　trod　as　well。　Within　this　vapor　of　light　there　was　no　ghost　of　sound；　it　was　utterly　empty　of　it。　I　saw　Drake　turn　to　me；　his　mouth　open　in　a　laugh；　his　lips　move　in　speechand　although　he　bent　close　to　my　ear；　I　heard　nothing。　He　frowned；　puzzled；　and　walked　on。


Abruptly　we　stepped　into　an　opening；　a　pocket　of　clear　air。　Our　ears　were　filled　with　a　high；　shrill　humming　as　unpleasantly　vibrant　as　the　shriek　of　a　sand　blast。　Six　feet　to　our　right　was　the　edge　of　the　ledge　on　which　we　stood；　beyond　it　was　a　sheer　drop　into　space。　A　shaft　piercing　down　into　the　void　and　walled　with　the　mists。

But　it　was　not　that　shaft　that　made　us　clutch　each　other。　No！　It　was　that　through　it　uprose　a　colossal　column　of　the　cubes。　It　stood　a　hundred　feet　from　us。　Its　top　was　another　hundred　feet　above　the　level　of　our　ledge　and　its　length　vanished　in　the　depths。

And　its　head　was　a　gigantic　spinning　wheel；　yards　in　thickness；　tapering　at　its　point　of　contact　with　the　cliff　wall　into　a　diameter　half　that　of　the　side　closest　the　column；　gleaming　with　flashes　of　green　flame　and　grinding　with　tremendous　speed　at　the　face　of　the　rock。

Over　it；　attached　to　the　cliff；　was　a　great　vizored　hood　of　some　pale　yellow　metal；　and　it　was　this　shelter　that　cutting　off　the　vaporous　light　like　an　enormous　umbrella　made　the　pocket　of　clarity　in　which　we　stood；　the　shaft　up　which　sprang　the　pillar。

All　along　the　length　of　that　column　as　far　as　we　could　see　the　myriad　tiny　eyes　of　the　Metal　People　shone　out　upon　us；　not　twinkling　mischievously；　butgrotesque　as　this　may　seem；　I　cannot　help　itwide　with　surprise。

Only　an　instant　longer　did　the　great　wheel　spin。　I　saw　the　screaming　rock　melting　beneath　it；　dropping　like　lava。　Then；　as　though　it　had　received　some　message；　abruptly　its　motion　now　ceased。

It　tilted；　looked　down　upon　us！

I　noted　that　its　grinding　surface　was　studded　thickly　with　the　smaller　pyramids　and　that　the　tips　of　these　were　each　capped　with　what　seemed　to　be　faceted　gems　gleaming　with　the　same　pale　yellow　radiance　as　the　Shrine　of　the　Cones。

The　column　was　bending；　the　wheel　approaching。

Drake　seized　me　by　the　arm；　drew　me　swiftly　back　into　the　mists。　We　were　shrouded　in　their　silences。　Step　by　step　we　went　on；　peering　for　the　edge　of　the　shelf；　feeling　in　fancy　that　prodigious　wheeled　face　stealing　upon　us；　afraid　to　look　behind　lest　in　looking　we　might　step　too　close　to　the　unseen　verge。

Yard　after　yard　we　slowly　covered。　Suddenly　the　vapors　thinned；　we　passed　out　of　them

A　chaos　of　sound　beat　about　us。　The　clanging　of　a　million　anvils；　the　clamor　of　a　million　forges；　the　crashing　of　a　hundred　years　of　thunder；　the　roarings　of　a　thousand　hurricanes。　The　prodigious　bellowings　of　the　Pit　beating　against　us　now　as　they　had　when　we　had　flown　down　the　long　ramp　into　the　depths　of　the　Sea　of　Light。

Instinct　with　unthinkable　power　was　that　clamor；　the　very　voice　of　Force。　Stunned；　nay　BLINDED；　by　it；　we　covered　ears　and　eyes。

As　before；　the　clangor　died；　leaving　in　its　wake　a　bewildered　silence。　Then　that　silence　began　to　throb　with　a　vast　humming；　and　through　that　humming　rang　a　murmur　as　that　of　a　river　of　diamonds。

We　opened　our　eyes；　felt　awe　grip　our　throats　as　though　a　hand　had　clutched　them。

Difficult；　difficult　almost　beyond　thought　is　it　for　me　now　to　essay　to　draw　in　words　the　scene　before　us　then。　For　although　I　can　set　down　what　it　was　we　saw；　I　nor　any　man　can　transmute　into　phrases　its　essence；　its　spirit；　the　intangible　wonder　that　was　its　synthesisthe　appallingly　beautiful；　soul…shaking　strangeness　of　it；　its　grandeur；　its　fantasy；　and　its　alien　terror。

The　Domain　of　the　Metal　Monsterit　was　filled　like　a　chalice　with　Its　will；　was　the　visible　expression　of　that　will。

We　stood　at　the　very　rim　of　a　wide　ledge。　We　looked　down　into　an　immense　pit；　shaped　into　a　perfect　oval；　thirty　miles　in　length　I　judged；　and　half　that　as　wide；　and　rimmed　with　colossal　precipices。　We　were　at　the　upper　end　of　this　deep　valley　and　on　the　tip　of　its　axis；　I　mean　that　it　stretched　longitudinally　before　us　along　the　line　of　greatest　length。　Five　hundred　feet　below　was　the　pit's　floor。　Gone　were　the　clouds　of　light　that　had　obscured　it　the　night　before；　the　air　crystal　clear；　every　detail　standing　out　with　stereoscopic　sharpness。

First　the　eyes　rested　upon　a　broad　band　of　fluorescent　amethyst；　ringing　the　entire　rocky　wall。　It　girdled　the　cliffs　at　a　height　of　ten　thousand　feet；　and　from　this　flaming　zone；　as　though　it　clutched　them；　fell　the　curtains　of　sparkling　mist；　the　enigmatic；　sound…slaying　vapors。

But　now　I　saw　that　all　of　these　veils　were　not　motionless　like　those　through　which　we　had　just　passed。　To　the　northwest　they　were　pulsing　like　the　aurora；　and　like　the　aurora　they　were　shot　through　with　swift　iridescences；　spectrums；　polychromatic　gleamings。　And　always　these　were　ordered；　geometriclike　immense　and　flitting　prismatic　crystals　flying　swiftly　to　the　very　edges　of　the　veils；　then　darting　as　swiftly　back。

From　zone　and　veils　the　gaze　leaped　to　the　incredible　City　towering　not　two　miles　away　from　us。

Blue　black；　shining；　sharply　cut　as　though　from　polished　steel；　it　reared　full　five　thousand　feet　on　high！

How　great　it　was　I　could　not　tell；　for　the　height　of　its　precipitous　walls　barred　the　vision。　The　frowning　facade　turned　toward　us　was；　I　estimated；　five　miles　in　length。　Its　colossal　scarp　struck　the　eyes　like　a　blow；　its　shadow；　falling　upon　us；　checked　the　heart。　It　was　overpowering　dreadful　as　that　midnight　city　of　Dis　that　Dante　saw　rising　up　from　another　pit。

It　was　a　metal　city；　mountainous。

Featureless；　smooth；　the　immense　wall　of　it　heaved　heavenward。　It　should　have　been　blind；　that　vast　oblong　facebut　it　was　not　blind。　From　it　radiated　alertness；　vigilance。　It　seemed　to　gaze　toward　us　as　though　every　foot　were　manned　with　sentinels；　guardians　invisible　to　the　eyes　whose　concentration　of　watchfulness　was　caught　by　some　subtle　hidden　sense　higher　than　sight。

It　was　a　metal　city；　mountainous　andAWARE。

About　its　base　were　huge　openings。　Through　and　around　these　portals　swirled　hordes　of　the　Metal　People；　in　units　and　in　combinations　coming　and　going；　streaming　in　and　out；　forming　as　they　came　and　went　patterns　about　the　openings　like　the　fretted　spume　of　great　breakers　surging　into；　retreating　from；　ocean…bitten　gaps　in　some　iron…bound　coast。

From　the　immensity　of　the　City　the　eyes　dropped　back　to　the　Pit　in　which　it　lay。　Its　floor　was　plaquelike；　a　great　plane　smooth　as　though　turned　by　potter's　wheel；　broken　by　no　mound　nor　hillock；　slope　nor　terrace；　level；　horizontal；　flawlessly　flat。　On　it　was　no　green　living　thing　no　tree　nor　bush；　meadow　nor　covert。

It　was　alive　with　movement。　A　ferment　that　was　as　purposeful　as　it　was　mechanical；　a　ferment　symmetrical；　geometrical；　supremely　ordered

The　surging　of　the　Metal　Hordes。

There　they　moved　beneath　us；　these　enigmatic　beings；　in　a　countless　host。　They　marched　and　countermarched　in　battalions；　in　regiments；　in　armies。　Far　to　the　south　I　glimpsed　a　company　of　colossal　shapes　like　mobile；　castellated　and　pyramidal　mounts。　They　were　circling；　weaving　about　each　other　with　incredible　rapiditylike　scores　of　great　pyramids　crowned　with　gigantic　turrets　and　dancing。　From　these　turrets　came　vivid　flashes；　lightning　bright　on　their　wake　the　rolling　echoes　of　faraway　thunder。

Out　of　the　north　sped　a　squadron　of　obelisks　from　whose　tops　flamed　and　flared　the　immense　spinning　wheels；　appearing　at　this　distance　like　fiery　whirling　disks。

Up　from　their　setting　the　Metal　People　lifted　themselves　in　a　thousand　incredible　shapes；　shapes　squared　and　globed　and　spiked　and　shifting　swiftly　into　other　thousands　as　incredible。　I　saw　a　mass　of　them　draw　themselves　up　into　the　likeness　of　a　tent　skyscraper　high；　hang　so　for　an　instant；　then　writhe　into　a　monstrous　chimera　of　a　dozen　towering　legs　that　strode　away　like　a　gigantic　headless　and　bodiless　tarantula　in　steps　two　hundred　feet　long。　I　watched　mile…long　lines　of　them　shape　and　reshape　into　circles；　into　interlaced　lozenges　and　pentagonsthen　lift　in　great　columns　and　shoot　through　the　air　in　unimaginable　barrage。

Through　all　this　incessant　movement　I　sensed　plainly　purpose；　knew　that　it　was　definite　activity　toward　a　definite　end；　caught　the　clear　suggestion　of　drill；　of　maneuver。

And　when　the　shiftings　of　the　Metal　Hordes　permitted　we　saw　that　all　the　flat　floor　of　the　valley　was　stripped　and　checkered；　stippled　and　tessellated　with　every　color；　patterned　with　enormous　lozenges　and　squares；　rhomboids　and　parallelograms；　pentagons　and　hexagons　and　diamonds；　lunettes；　circles　and　spirals；　harlequined　yet　harmonious；　instinct　with　a　grotesque　suggestion　of　a　super…Futurism。

But　always　this　patterning　was