the metal monster-第29部分

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Before　us　stood　the　mount　of　cones；　shrunken　to　a　sixth　of　its　former　size。

Sixteen　minutes。

All　about　the　crater…lip　the　ringed　shields　tilted；　thrust　themselves　on　high；　as　though　behind　each　was　an　eager　lifting　arm。　Below　them　the　hived　clusters　of　disks　changed　from　globules　into　wide　coronets。

Seventeen　minutes。

I　dropped　my　wrist；　seized　the　glasses　from　Drake；　raised　them　to　the　sun。　For　a　moment　I　saw　nothingthen　a　tiny　spot　of　white　incandescence　shone　forth　at　the　lower　edge　of　the　great　spot。　It　grew　into　a　point　of　radiance；　dazzling　even　through　the　shadowed　lenses。

I　rubbed　my　eyes；　looked　again。　It　was　still　there；　larger　blazing　with　an　ever　increasing　and　intolerable　intensity。

I　handed　the　glasses　to　Drake；　silently。

〃I　see　it！〃　he　muttered。　〃I　see　it！　And　THAT　did　itthat！　Goodwin！〃　There　was　panic　in　his　cry。　〃Goodwin！　The　spot！　it's　widening！　It's　widening！〃

I　snatched　the　glasses　from　him。　I　caught　again　the　dazzling　flashing。　But　whether　Drake　HAD　seen　the　spot　widen；　changeto　this　day　I　do　not　know。

To　me　it　seemed　unchangedand　yetperhaps　it　was　not。　It　may　be　that　under　that　finger　of　force；　that　spear　of　light；　that　wound　in　the　side　of　our　sun　HAD　opened　further

That　the　sun　had　winced！

I　do　not　to　this　day　know。　But　whether　it　had　or　not　still　shone　the　intolerably　brilliant　light。　And　miracle　enough　that　was　for　me。

Twenty　minutessubconsciously　I　had　gone　on　counting　twenty　minutes

About　the　cratered　girdle　of　the　upthrust　shields　a　glimmering　mistiness　was　gathering；　a　translucent　mist；　beryl　pale　and　beryl　clear。　In　a　heart…beat　it　had　thickened　into　a　vast　and　vaporous　ring　through　whose　swarms　of　corpuscles　the　sun's　reflected　image　upon　each　disk　shone　clearas　though　seen　through　clouds　of　transparent　atoms　of　aquamarine。

Again　the　filaments　of　the　Keeper　movedfeebly。　As　one　of　the　hosts　of　circling　shields　shifted　downward。　Brilliant；　ever　more　brilliant；　waxed　the　fast…thickening　mists。

Abruptly；　and　again　as　one；　the　disks　began　to　revolve。　From　every　concave　surface；　from　the　surfaces　of　the　huge　circlets　below　them；　flashed　out　a　stream　of　green　firegreen　as　the　fire　of　green　life　itself。　Corpuscular；　spun　of　uncounted　rushing；　dazzling　ions　the　great　rays　struck　across；　impinged　upon　the　thousand…foot　wheel　that　crowned　the　cones；　set　it　whirling。

Over　it　I　saw　form　a　limpid　cloud　of　the　brilliant　vapors。　Whence　came　these　sparkling　nebulosities；　these　mists　of　light？　It　was　as　though　the　clustered；　spinning　disks　reached　into　the　shadowless　air；　sucked　from　it　some　unseen；　rhythmic　energy　and　transformed　it　into　this　visible；　coruscating　flood。

For　now　it　was　a　flood。　Down　from　the　immense　wheel　came　pouring　cataracts　of　green　fires。　They　cascaded　over　the　cones；　deluged　them；　engulfed　them。

Beneath　that　radiant　inundation　the　cones　grew。　Perceptibly　their　volume　increasedas　though　they　gorged　themselves　upon　the　light。　Noit　was　as　though　the　corpuscles　flew　to　them；　coalesced　and　built　themselves　into　the　structure。

Out　and　further　out　upon　the　base　of　crystal　they　crept。　And　higher　and　higher　soared　their　tips；　thrusting；　ever　thrusting　upward　toward　the　whirling　wheel　that　fed　them。

Now　from　the　Keeper's　planes　writhed　the　Keeper's　tangle　of　tentacles；　uncoiling　eagerly；　avidly；　through　the　twenty　feet　of　space　between　their　source　and　the　enigmatic　mechanism　they　manipulated。　The　crater's　disks　tilted　downward。　Into　the　vast　hollow　shot　their　jets　of　green　radiance；　drenching　the　Metal　Hordes；　splashing　from　the　polished　walls　wherever　the　Metal　Hordes　had　left　those　living　walls　exposed。

All　about　us　was　a　trembling；　an　accelerating　pulse　of　life。　Colossal；　rhythmic；　ever　quicker；　ever　more　powerfully　that　pulse　throbbeda　prodigious　vibration　monstrously　alive。

〃Feeding！〃　whispered　Drake。　〃Feeding！　Feeding　on　the　sun！〃

Faster　danced　the　radiant　beams。　The　crater　was　a　cauldron　of　green　fires　through　which　the　conical　rays　angled　and　interwove；　crossed　and　mingled。　And　where　they　mingled；　where　they　crossed；　flamed　out　suddenly　immense　rayless　orbs；　palpitant　for　an　instant；　then　dissolving　in　spiralling；　feathery　spray　of　pallid　emerald　incandescences。

Stronger　and　stronger　beat　the　pulse　of　returning　life。

A　jetting　stream　struck　squarely　upon　the　Metal　Emperor。　Out　blazed　his　splendorsjubilant。　His　golden　zodiac；　no　longer　tarnished　and　dull；　ran　with　sun　flames；　the　wondrous　rose　was　a　racing；　lambent　miracle。

Up　snapped　the　Keeper；　towered　behind　him；　all　flickering　scarlets　and　leaping　yellowsno　longer　wrathful　or　sullen。

The　place　dripped　radiance；　was　filling　like　a　chrisom　with　radiance。

Us；　too；　the　sparkling　mists　bathed。

I　was　conscious　of　a　curiously　wild　exhilaration；　a　quickening　of　the　pulse；　an　abnormally　rapid　breathing。　I　stooped　to　touch　Drake；　sparks　leaped　from　my　outstretched　fingers；　great　green　sparks　that　crackled　as　they　impacted　upon　him。　He　gave　them　no　heed；　but　stared　with　fascinated　eyes　upon　the　crater。

Now　from　every　side　broke　a　tempest　of　gem　fires。　From　every　girder　and　column；　from　every　arras；　pendent　and　looping；　burst　diamond　glitterings；　ruby　luminescences；　lanced　flames　of　molten　emerald　and　sapphires；　flashings　of　amethyst　and　opal；　meteoric　iridescences；　dazzling　spectrums。

The　hollow　was　a　cave　of　some　Aladdin　of　the　Titans　ablaze　with　enchanted　hoards。　It　was　a　place　of　gems　ensorcelled；　gems　in　which　imprisoned　hosts　of　the　Jinns　of　Light　beat　sparkling　against　their　crystal　walls　to　escape。

I　thrust　the　fantasies　from　me。　Fantastic　enough　was　this　realityglobe　and　pyramid　and　cube　of　the　Metal　People　opening　wide；　bathing　in；　drinking　from　the　radiant　maelstrom　that　faster　and　ever　faster　swirled　about　them。

〃Feeding！〃　It　was　Drake's　awed　voice。　〃Feeding　on　the　sun！〃

The　circling　shields　were　raising　themselves；　lifting　themselves　higher　above　the　crater…lip。　Into　the　crowded　cylinder　came　now　only　the　rays　from　the　high　circlets；　the　streams　from　the　huge　wheel　above　the　still　growing　cones。

Up　and　up　the　shields　rose；　but　by　what　mechanism　raised　I　could　not　see。　Their　motion　ceased；　in　all　their　thousands　they　turned。　Over　the　City's　top　and　out　into　the　oval　valley　they　poured　their　torrents　of　light；　flooding　it；　deluging　it　even　as　they　had　this　pit　that　was　the　City's　heart。　Feeding；　I　knew；　those　other　Metal　Hordes　without。

And　as　though　in　answer；　sweeping　down　upon　us　through　the　circles　of　open　sky；　a　clamor　poured。

〃If　we'd　but　known！〃　Drake's　voice　came　to　me；　thin　and　unreal　through　the　tumult。　〃It's　what　Ventnor　meant！　If　we　had　got　down　there　when　they　were　so　weakif　we　could　have　handled　the　Keeperwe　could　have　smashed　that　plate　that　works　the　Cones！　We　could　have　killed　them！〃

〃There　are　other　Cones；〃　I　cried　back　to　him。

〃No；〃　he　shook　his　head。　〃This　is　the　master　machine。　It's　what　Ventnor　meant　when　he　said　to　strike　through　the　sun。　And　we've　lost　the　chance〃

Louder　grew　the　hurricane　without；　and　now　within　began　its　mate。　Through　the　mists　flashed　linked　tempests　of　lightnings。　Bolt　upon　javelin　bolt；　and　ever　more　thickly；　lightnings　green　as　the　mists　themselves；　lightning　bolts　of　destroying　violets；　searing　scarlets；　tearing　chains　of　withering　yellows；　globes　of　exploding　multicolored　electric　incandescences。

The　crater　was　threaded　with　the　lightnings　of　the　Metal　People；　was　broidered　with　them；　was　a　Pit　woven　with　vast　and　changing　patterns　of　electric　flame。

What　was　it　that　Drake　had　said？　That　if　but　we　could　have　known　we　could　have　destroyed　theseThings　DestroyedThem？　Things　that　could　thrust　their　will　and　power　up　through　ninety　million　miles　of　space　and　suck　from　the　sun　the　honey　of　power！　Drain　it　and　hive　it　within　these　great　mountains　of　the　cones！

Destroy　Things　that　could　feed　their　own　life　into　a　machine　to　draw　back　from　the　sun　a　greater　life　Things　that　could　forge　of　their　strength　a　spear　which；　piercing　the　side　of　the　sun；　sent　gushing　back　upon　them　a　tenfold；　nay；　a　thousandfold　strength！

Destroy　this　City　that　was　one　vast　and　living　dynamo　feeding　upon　the　magnetic　life　of　earth　and　sun！

The　clamor　had　grown　stupendous；　destroyinglike　armored　Gods　roaring　at　sword　play　in　a　hundred　Valhallas；　like　the　war　drums　of　battling　universe；　like　the　smitings　of　warring　suns。

And　all　the　City　was　throbbing；　beating　with　a　gigantic　pulse　of　lifewas　fed　and　drunken　with　life。　I　felt　that　pulsing　become　my　own；　I　echoed　to　it；　throbbed　in　unison。　I　saw　Drake　outlined　in　flame；　that　around　me　a　radiant　nimbus　was　growing。

I　thought　I　saw　Norhala　floating；　clothed　in　shouting；　flailing　fires。　I　strove　to　call　out　to　her。　By　me　slipped　the　body　of　Drake；　lay　flaming　at　my　feet　upon　the　narrow　ledge。

There　was　a　roaring　within　my　headlouder；　far　louder；　than　that　which　beat　against　my　ears。　Something　was　drawing　me　forth；　drawing　me　out　of　my　body　into　unimaginable　depths　of　blackness。　Something　was　hurling　me　out　into　those　cold　depths　of　space　that　alone　could　darken　the　fires　that　encircled　methe　fires　of　which　I　was　becoming　a　part。

I　felt　myself　leap　outwardoutward　and　outward　intooblivion。





CHAPTER　XXI

PHANTASMAGORIA　METALLIOUE。

Wearily　I　opened　my　eyes。　Stiffly；　painfully；　I　stirred。　High　above　me　was　the　tremendous　circle　of　sky；　ringed　with　the　hosts　of　feeding　shields。　But　the　shields　were　now　wanly　gleaming　and　the　sky　was　the　sky　of　night。

Night？　How　long　had　I　lain　here？　And　where　was　Drake？　I　struggled　to　rise。

〃Steady；　old　man；〃　his　voice　came　from　beside　me。　〃Steadyand　quiet。　How　are　you　feeling？〃

〃Badly　battered；〃　I　groaned。　〃What　happened？〃

〃We　weren't　used　to　the　show；〃　he　said。　〃We　got　all　fed　up　at　the　orgy。　Too　much　magnetismwe　had　a　sudden　and　violent　attack　of　electrical　indigestion。　Sh…hlook　ahead　of　you。〃

Gingerly　I　turned。　I　had　been　lying；　I　now　saw；　head　toward　and　prone　at　the　base　of　one　of　the　crater's　walls。　As　my　gaze　swept　away　I　noted　with　a　curious　relief　that　the　tiny　eye…points　were　no　longer　sparkling　with　their　enigmatic　life；　that　they　were　dulled　and　dim　once　more。

Before　me；　glimmering　pallidly；　bristled　the　mount　of　the　Cones。　Around　its　crystal　base　glittered　immense　egg…shaped