the metal monster-第30部分

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Before　me；　glimmering　pallidly；　bristled　the　mount　of　the　Cones。　Around　its　crystal　base　glittered　immense　egg…shaped　diamond　incandescences。　They　were　both　rayless　and　strangelylightless；　they　threw　no　shadows　nor　did　their　lambency　lessen　the　dimness。　Beside　each　of　these　curious　luminosities　stood　one　of　the　sullen…fired；　cruciform　shapesthe　Things　that　now　I　knew　for　the　opened　cubes。

They　were　smaller　than　the　Keeper；　indeed　less　than　half　his　height。　They　were　ranged　in　an　almost　unbroken　crescent　around　the　visible　arc　of　the　immense　pedestaland　now　I　saw　that　the　lights　were　a　few　feet　closer　to　that　pedestal　than　they。　Egg…shaped　as　I　have　said；　the　wider　end　was　undermost；　resting　in　a　broad　cup　upheld　by　a　slender　pedicle　silvery…gray　and　metallic。

〃They're　building　out　the　base；〃　whispered　Drake。　〃The　Cones　got　so　big　they　have　to　give　them　more　room。〃

〃Magnetism；〃　I　whispered　in　return。　〃Electricitythey　drew　down　from　the　sun　spot。　And　it　was　more　than　that　I　saw　the　Cones　grow　under　it。　It　fed　them　as　it　fed　the　Hordesbut　the　Cones　grew。　It　was　as　though　the　shields　and　the　Cones　turned　pure　energy　into　substance。〃

〃And　if　we　hadn't　been　pretty　thoroughly　magnetized　to　start　with　it　would　have　done　for　us；〃　he　said。

We　watched　the　operation　going　on　in　front　of　us。　The　cross　shapes　had　bent；　hinging　above　the　transverse　arms。　They　bowed　in　absolute　unison　as　at　some　signal。　Down　from　the　horizontal　plane　of　each　whipped　the　long　and　writhing　tentacles。

At　the　foot　of　every　one　I　could　now　perceive　a　heap　of　some　faintly　glistening　material。　The　tendrils　coiled　among　this；　then　drew　up　something　that　looked　like　a　thick　rod　of　crystal。　The　bent　planes　straightened；　simultaneously　they　thrust　the　crystalline　bars　toward　the　incandescences。

There　came　a　curious；　brittle　hissing。　The　ends　of　the　rods　began　to　dissolve　into　dazzling；　diamond　rain；　atomically　minute；　that　passing　through　the　egg…shaped　lights　poured　upon　the　periphery　of　the　pedestal。　Rapidly　the　bars　melted。　Heat　there　must　be　in　these　lights；　terrific　heatyet　the　Keeper's　workers　seemed　impervious　to　it。

As　the　ends　of　the　bars　radiated　into　the　annealing　mist　I　saw　the　tentacles　creep　closer　and　ever　closer　to　the　rayless　flame　through　which　the　mist　flew。　And　at　the　last；　as　the　ultimate　atoms　drove　through；　the　holding　tendrils　were　thrust　almost　within　it；　touched　it；　certainly。

A　score　of　times　they　repeated　this　process　while　we　watched。　Unaware　of　us　they　seemed；　orif　aware；　then　indifferent。　More　rapid　became　their　movements；　the　glassy　ingots　streaming　through　the　floating　braziers　with　hardly　a　pause　in　their　passing。　Abruptly；　as　though　switched；　the　incandescences　lessened　into　candle…points；　instantly；　as　at　a　signal；　the　crescent　of　crosses　closed　into　a　crescent　of　cubes。

Motionless　they　stood；　huge　blocks　blackened　against　the　dim　glowing　of　the　conessentient　monoliths；　a　Druid　curve；　an　arc　of　a　metal　Stonehenge。　And　as　at　dusk　and　dawn　the　great　menhirs　of　Stonehenge　fill　with　a　mysterious；　granitic　life；　seem　to　be　praying　priests　of　stone；　so　about　these　gathered　hierophantic　illusion。


They　quivered；　the　slender　pedicles　cupping；　the　waned　lights　swayed；　the　lights　lifted　and　soared；　upright；　to　their　backs。

Two　by　two　with　measured　pace；　solemnly　the　cubes　glided　off　into　the　encircling　darkness。　As　they　swept　away　there　streamed　behind　them　other　scores　not　until　then　visible　to　us；　joining　pair　by　pair　from　hidden　arcs。

Into　the　secret　shadows　they　flowed；　two　by　two；　each　bearing　over　it　the　slim　shaft　holding　the　serene　flame。

Grotesquely　were　they　like　a　column　of　monks　marching　with　dimmed　flambeau　of　their　worship。　Angled　metal　monks　of　some　god　of　metal；　carrying　tapers　of　electric　fire；　withdrawing　slowly　from　a　Holy　of　Holies　whose　metallically　divine　Occupant　knew　nothing　of　man　nor　cared　to　know。

Grotesqueyes。　But　would　that　I　had　the　power　to　crystallize　in　words　the　underlying；　alien　terror　every　movement　of　the　Metal　Monster　when　disintegrate；　its　every　manifestation　when　combined；　evoked；　the　incredulous；　amazed　lurking　always　close　behind　the　threshold　of　the　mind；　the　never　lifting；　thin…shuddering　shadow。

Smaller；　dimmer　waned　the　lightsthey　were　gone。

We　crouched；　motionless。　Nothing　stirred；　there　was　no　sound。　Without　speaking　we　arose；　crept　together　over　the　smooth　floor　toward　the　cones。

As　we　crossed　I　saw　that　the　pave；　like　the　walls；　was　built　of　the　bodies　of　the　Metal　People；　and；　like　the　walls；　they　were　dormant；　filmed　eyes　oblivious　to　our　passing。　Closer　we　creptwere　only　a　scant　score　of　rods　from　that　colossal　mechanism。　I　noted　that　the　crystal　foundation　was　set　low；　was　not　more　than　four　feet　above　the　floor。　The　sturdy；　dwarfed　pilasters　supporting　it　thrust　up　in　crowded　copses；　merging　through　distance　into　apparent　solidity。

Now；　too；　I　realized；　as　I　had　not　when　looking　down　from　above；　how　stupendous　the　structure　rising　from　the　crystal　foundation　was。

I　began　to　wonder　how　so　thin　a　support　could　bear　the　mount　bristling　above　itthen　remembered　what　it　was　that　at　first　had　flown　from　them；　shrinking　them；　and　at　last　had　fed　and　swelled　them。

Light！　Weightless　magnetic　ions；　swarms　of　electric　ions；　the　misty　breath　of　the　infinite　energy　breathing　upon；　condensing　upon；　them。　Could　it　be　that　the　Cones　for　all　their　apparent　mass　had　little；　if　any；　weight？　Like　ringed　Saturn；　thousands　of　times　Earth's　bulk；　flaunting　itself　in　the　Heavensyet　if　transported　to　our　world　so　light　that　rings　and　all　it　would　float　like　a　bubble　upon　our　oceans。　The　Cones　towered　above　meclose；　so　close。

The　Cones　were　weightless。　How　I　knew　I　cannot　say　but　now；　almost　touching　them；　I　did　know。　Nebulous；　yet　solid；　were　they；　compact；　yet　tenuous；　dense　and　unsubstantial。

Again　the　thought　came　to　methey　were　force　made　visible；　energy　made　concentrate　into　matter。

We　skirted；　seeking　for　the　tablet　over　which　the　Keeper　had　hovered；　the　mechanism　which；　under　his　tentacles；　had　shifted　the　circling　shields；　thrust　the　spear　of　green　fire　into　the　side　of　the　wounded　sun。　Hesitantly　I　touched　the　crystal　base；　the　edge　was　warm；　but　whether　this　warmth　came　from　the　dazzling　rain　which　we　had　just　watched　build　it　outward　or　whether　it　was　a　property　inherent　with　the　substance　itself　I　do　not　know。

Certainly　there　was　no　mark　upon　it　to　show　where　the　molten　mists　had　fallen。　It　was　diamond　hard　and　smooth。　The　nearest　cones　were　but　a　scant　nine　feet　from　its　rim。

Suddenly　we　saw　the　tablet；　stood　beside　it。　The　shape　of　a　great　T；　glimmering　with　a　faint　and　limpid　violet　phosphorescence；　it　might　have　been；　in　shape　and　size；　the　palely　shining　shadow　of　the　Keeper。　It　was　a　foot　above　the　floor；　and　had　apparently　no　connection　with　the　cones。

It　was　made　of　thousands　of　close…packed　tiny　octagonal　rods　the　tops　of　some　of　which　were　cupped；　of　others　pointed；　none　was　more　than　half　an　inch　in　width。　There　was　about　it　a　suggestion　of　wedded　crystal　and　metalas　about　its　burden　was　the　suggestion　of　mated　energy　and　matter。

The　rods　were　movable；　they　formed　a　keyboard　unimaginably　complex；　a　keyboard　whose　infinite　combinations　were　like　a　Fourth　Dimensional　chess　game。　I　saw　that　only　the　swarms　of　tentacles　that　were　the　Keeper's　hands　and　these　only　could　be　masters　of　its　incredible　intricacies。　No　Disknot　even　the　Emperor；　no　Star　shape　could　play　on　it；　draw　out　its　chords　of　power。

But　why？　Why　had　it　been　so　made　that　sullen　flaming　Cross　alone　could　release　its　hidden　meanings；　made　articulate　its　interwoven　octaves？　And　how　were　its　messages　conveyed？　Up　to　its　bases　pressed　the　dormant　cubesthat　under　it　they　lay　as　well　I　did　not　doubt。

There　was　no　visible　copula　of　the　tablet　with　cones；　no　antennae　between　it　and　the　circled　shields。　Could　it　be　that　the　impulses　released　by　the　Keeper's　coilings　passed　through　the　Metal　People　of　the　pave　on　the　upthrust　Metal　People　of　the　crater　rim　who　held　the　shields？

That　WAS　unthinkableunthinkable　because　if　so　this　mechanism　was　superfluous。

The　swift　response　to　the　communal　will　that　we　had　observed　showed　that　the　Metal　Monster　needed　nothing　of　this　kind　for　transmission　of　the　thought　of　any　of　its　units。

There　was　some　gap　herea　gap　that　the　grouped　consciousness　could　not　bridge　without　other　means。　Clearly　that　was　trueelse　why　the　tablet；　why　the　Keeper's　travail？

Was　each　of　these　tiny　rods　a　mechanism　akin；　in　a　fashion；　to　the　sending　keys　of　the　wireless；　were　they　transmitters　of　subtle　energy　in　which　was　enfolded　command？　Spellers…out　of　a　super…Morse　carrying　to　each　responsive　cell　of　the　Metal　Monster　the　bidding　of　those　higher　units　which　were　to　It　as　the　brain　cells　are　to　us？　That；　advanced　as　the　knowledge　it　implied　might　be；　was　closer　to　the　heart　of　the　possible。

I　bent；　determined；　despite　the　well…nigh　unconquerable　shrinking　I　felt；　to　touch　the　tablet's　rods。

A　flickering　shadow　fell　upon　me；　a　flock　of　pulsating　ochreous　and　scarlet　shadows

The　Keeper　glowed　above　us！

In　a　life　that　has　had　its　share　of　dangers；　its　need　for　quick　decisions；　I　recognize　that　few　indeed　of　my　reactions　to　peril　have　been　more　than　purely　instinctive；　no　more　consciously　courageous　nor　intellectually　dissociate　from　the　activating　stimulus　than　the　shrinking　of　the　burned　hand　from　the　brand；　the　will…to…live　dictated　rush　of　the　cornered　animal　upon　the　thing　menacing　it。

One　such　higher　functioning　was　when　I　followed　Larry　O'Keefe　and　Lakla；　the　Handmaiden；　out　to　what　we　believed　soul…destroying　death　in　a　place　almost　as　strange　as　this*；　another　was　now。　Deliberately；　detachedly；　I　studied　the　angrily　flaming　Shape。

*　See　〃The　Moon　Pool〃　and　〃The　Conquest　of　the　Moon　Pool。〃

Compared　to　it　we　were　as　a　pair　of　Hop…o'…my…Thumbs　to　the　Giant；　had　it　been　man…shaped　we　would　have　come　less　than　a　third　way　up　to　its　knees。　I　focussed　my　attention　upon　the　twenty…foot…wide　square　that　was　the　Keeper's　foot。　Its　surface　was　jewel　smooth；　hyaline　yet　beneath　it　was　a　suggestion　of　granulation；　of　close…packed；　innumerable；　microscopic　crystals。

Within　these　grains　whose　existence　was　more　sensed　than　seen