the metal monster-第32部分

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d　out　from　the　sides。

Up　and　up　we　wentscores　of　feethundreds





CHAPTER　XXII

THE　ENSORCELLED　CHAMBER

〃Goodwin！〃　Drake　broke　the　silence；　desperately　he　was　striving　to　keep　his　fear　out　of　his　voice。　〃Goodwin　this　isn't　the　way　to　get　out。　We're　going　upfarther　away　all　the　time　from　thethe　gates！〃

〃What　can　we　do？〃　My　anxiety　was　no　less　than　his；　but　my　realization　of　our　helplessness　was　complete。

〃If　we　only　knew　how　to　talk　to　these　Things；〃　he　said。　〃If　we　could　only　have　let　the　Disk　know　we　wanted　to　get　outdamn　it；　Goodwin；　it　would　have　helped　us。〃

Grotesque　as　the　idea　sounded；　I　felt　that　he　spoke　the　truth。　The　Emperor　meant　no　harm　to　us；　in　fact　in　speeding　us　away　I　was　not　at　all　sure　that　he　had　not　deliberately　wished　us　wellthere　was　that　about　the　Keeper

Still　up　we　sped　along　the　shaft。　I　knew　we　must　now　be　above　the　level　of　the　valley。

〃We've　got　to　get　back　to　Ruth！　GoodwinNIGHT！　And　what　may　have　HAPPENED　to　her？〃

〃Drake；　boy〃I　dropped　into　his　own　colloquialism　〃we're　up　against　it。　We　can't　help　it。　And　remember　she's　there　in　Norhala's　home。　I　don't　believe；　I　honestly　don't　believe；　Dick；　that　there's　any　danger　as　long　as　she　remains　there。　And　Ventnor　ties　her　fast。〃

〃That's　true；〃　he　said；　more　hopefully。　〃That's　trueand　probably　Norhala　is　with　her　by　now。〃

〃I　don't　doubt　it；〃　I　said　cheerfully。　An　idea　came　to　meI　half　believed　it　myself。　〃And　another　thing。　There's　not　an　action　here　that's　purposeless。　We're　being　driven　on　by　the　command　of　that　Thing　we　call　the　Metal　Emperor。　It　means　us　no　harm。　Maybemaybe　this　IS　the　way　out。〃

〃Maybe　so；〃　he　shook　his　head　doubtfully。　〃But　I'm　not　sure。　Maybe　that　long　push　was　just　to　get　us　away　from　THERE。　And　it　strikes　me　that　the　impulse　has　begun　to　weaken。　We're　not　going　anywhere　near　as　fast　as　we　were。〃

I　had　not　realized　it；　but　our　speed　was　slackening。　I　looked　backhundreds　of　feet　behind　us　fell　the　slide。　An　unpleasant　chill　went　through　meshould　the　magnetic　grip　upon　us　relax；　withdraw；　nothing　could　stop　us　from　falling　back　along　that　incline　to　be　broken　like　eggs　at　its　end；　that　our　breaths　would　be　snuffed　out　by　the　terrific　descent　long　before　we　reached　that　end　was　scant　comfort。

〃There　are　other　passages　opening　up　along　this　shaft；〃　Drake　said。　〃I'm　not　for　trusting　the　Emperor　too　far　he　has　other　things　on　his　metallic　mind；　you　know。　The　next　one　we　get　to；　let's　try　to　slip　intoif　we　can。〃

I　had　noticed；　there　had　been　openings　along　the　ascending　shaft；　corridors　running　apparently　transversely　to　its　angled　way。

Slower　and　slower　became　our　pace。　A　hundred　yards　above　I　glimpsed　one　of　the　apertures。　Could　we　reach　it？　Slower　and　slower　we　arose。　Now　the　gap　was　but　a　yard　offbut　we　were　motionlesswere　tottering！

Drake's　arms　wrapped　round　me。　With　a　tremendous　effort　he　hurled　me　into　the　portal。　I　dropped　at　its　edge；　writhed　swiftly　around；　saw　him　slipping；　slipping　down　thrust　my　hands　out　to　him。

He　caught　them。　There　came　a　wrench　that　tortured　my　arm　sockets　as　though　racked。　But　he　held！

SlowlyI　writhed　back　into　the　passage；　dragging　up　his　almost　dead　weight。　His　head　appeared；　his　shoulders；　there　was　a　convulsion　of　the　long　body　and　he　lay　before　me。


For　a　minute　or　two　we　lay；　flat　upon　our　backs　resting。　I　sat　up。　The　passage　was　broad；　silent；　apparently　as　endless　as　that　from　which　we　had　just　escaped。

Along　it；　above　us；　under　us；　the　crystalline　eyes　were　dim。　It　showed　no　sign　of　movementyet　had　it　done　so　there　was　nothing　we　could　do　save　drop　down　the　annihilating　slant。　Drake　arose。

〃I'm　hungry；〃　he　said；　〃and　I'm　thirsty。　I　move　that　we　eat　and　drink　and　approximately　be　merry。〃

He　slung　aside　the　haversack。　From　it　we　took　food；　from　the　canteens　we　drank。　We　did　not　talk。　Each　knew　what　the　other　was　thinking；　infrequently；　and　thank　the　eternal　law　that　some　call　God　for　that；　come　crises　in　which　speech　seems　not　only　petty　but　when　against　it　the　mind　rebels　as　a　nauseous　thing。

This　was　such　a　time。　At　last　I　drew　myself　to　my　feet。

〃Let's　be　going；〃　I　said。

The　corridor　stretched　straight　before　us；　along　it　we　paced。　How　far　we　walked　I　do　not　know；　mile　upon　mile；　it　seemed。　It　broadened　abruptly　into　a　vast　hall。

And　this　hall　was　filled　with　the　Metal　Hordeswas　a　gigantic　workshop　of　them。　In　every　shape；　in　every　form；　they　seethed　and　toiled　about　it。　Upon　its　floor　were　heaps　of　shining　ores；　mounds　of　flashing　gems；　piles　of　ingots；　metallic　and　crystalline。　High　and　low　throughout　flamed　the　egg…shaped　incandescences；　floating　furnaces　both　great　and　small。

Before　one　of　these　forges；　close　to　us；　stood　a　Metal　Thing。　Its　body　was　a　twelve…foot　column　of　smaller　cubes。　Upon　the　top　was　a　hollow　square　formed　of　even　lesser　blocksblocks　hardly　larger　than　the　Little　Things　themselves。　In　the　center　of　the　open　rectangle　was　another　shaft；　its　top　a　two…foot　square　plate　formed　of　a　single　cube。

From　the　sides　of　the　hollow　square　sprang　long　arms　of　spheres；　each　tipped　by　a　tetrahedron。　They　moved　freely；　slipping　about　upon　their　curved　points　of　contact　and　like　a　dozen　little　thinking　hammers；　the　pyramid　points　at　their　ends　beat　down　upon　as　many　thimble　shaped　objects　which　they　thrust　alternately　into　the　unwinking　brazier　then　laid　upon　the　central　block　to　shape。

A　goblin　workman　the　Thing　seemed；　standing　there；　so　intent　upon　and　so　busy　with　its　forgings。

There　were　scores　of　these　animate　machines；　they　paid　no　slightest　heed　to　us　as　we　slipped　by　them；　clinging　as　closely　to　the　wall　of　the　immense　workshop　as　we　could。

We　passed　a　company　of　other　Shapes　which　stood　two　by　two　and　close　together；　their　tops　wide　spinning　wheels　through　which　the　tendrils　of　an　opened　globe　fed　translucent；　colorless　ingotsthe　substance　it　seemed　to　me　of　which　Norhala's　shadowy　walls　were　made；　the　crystal　of　which　the　bars　that　built　out　the　base　of　the　Cones　were　formed。

The　ingots　passed　between　the　whirling　faces；　emerged　from　them　as　slender；　long　cylinders；　were　seized　as　they　slipped　down　by　a　crouching　block；　whose　place　as　it　glided　away　was　instantly　taken　by　another。　In　many　bewildering　forms；　intent　upon　unknown　activities　directed　toward　unguessable　ends；　the　composite；　animate　mechanisms　labored。　And　all　the　place　was　filled　with　a　goblin　bustle；　trollish　racketings；　ringing　of　gnomish　anvils；　clanging　of　kobold　forgesa　clamorous　cavern　filled　with　metal　Nibelungens。

We　came　to　the　opening　of　another　passage；　a　doorway　piercing　the　walls　of　the　workshop。　Its　incline；　though　steep；　was　not　dangerous。

Into　it　we　stepped；　climbed　onward　it　seemed　interminably。　Far　ahead　of　us　at　last　appeared　the　outline　of　its　further　entrance；　silhouetted　against　and　filled　with　a　brighter　luminosity。　We　drew　near；　stopped　cautiously　at　its　threshold；　peering　out。

Well　it　was　that　we　had　hesitated。　Before　us　was　open　spacean　abyss　in　the　body　of　the　Metal　Monster。

The　corridor　opened　into　it　like　a　window。　Thrusting　out　our　heads；　we　saw　an　unbroken　wall　both　above　and　below。　Half　a　mile　away　was　its　opposite　side。　Over　this　pit　was　a　misty　sky　and　not　more　than　a　thousand　feet　above　and　black　against　the　heavens　was　the　lip　of　it　the　cornices　of　this　chasm　within　the　City。

Far；　far　beneath　us　we　watched　the　Hordes　throw　themselves　across　the　abyss　in　webs　of　curving　arches　and　girder…straight　bridges；　gigantic　we　knew　these　spans　must　be　yet　dwarfed　to　slender　footways　by　distance。　Over　them　moved　hurrying　companies；　from　them　came　flashings；　glitteringsprismatic；　sun　golden；　plutonic　scarlets；　molten　blues；　javelins　of　colored　light　piercing　upward　from　unfolded　cubes　and　globes　and　pyramids　crossing　them　or　from　busy　bearers　of　the　shining　fruits　of　the　mysterious　workshops。

And　as　they　passed　the　bridges　swung　up；　coiled　and　thrust　themselves　from　sight　through　openings　that　closed　behind　them。　Ever；　as　they　passed；　close　on　their　going　whipped　out　other　spans　so　that　always　across　that　abyss　a　sentient；　shifting　web　was　hung。

We　drew　back；　stared　into　each　other's　white　face。　Panic　swept　through　me；　in　quick；　alternate　pulse　of　ice　and　fire。　For　crushingly；　no　longer　to　be　denied；　came　certainty　that　we　were　lost　within　the　mazes　of　this　incredible　City　lost　in　the　body　of　the　Metal　Monster　which　that　City　was。　There　was　a　sick　despair　in　my　heart　as　we　turned　and　slowly　made　our　way　back　along　the　sloping　corridor。

A　hundred　yards；　perhaps；　we　had　gone　in　silence　before　we　stopped；　gazing　stupidly　at　an　opening　in　the　wall　beside　us。　The　portal　had　not　been　there　when　we　had　passedof　that　I　was　certain。

〃It's　opened　since　we　went　by；〃　whispered　Drake。

We　peered　through　it。　The　passage　was　narrow；　its　pave　led　downward。　For　a　moment　we　hesitated；　the　same　foreboding　in　both　our　minds。　And　yetamong　the　perils　that　crowded　in　upon　us　what　choice　had　we？　There　could　be　no　more　danger　there　than　here。

Both　ways　wereALIVE；　both　obedient　to　impulses　over　which　we　had　no　more　control　and　no　more　way　of　predetermining　than　mice　in　some　complex；　man…made　trap。　Furthermore；　this　shaft　also　ran　downward；　and　although　its　pitch　was　less　and　it　did　not　therefore　drop　as　quickly　toward　that　level　we　sought　and　wherein　lay　the　openings　of　escape　into　the　outer　valley；　it　fell　at　right　angles　to　the　corridor　through　which　we　had　come。

We　knew　that　to　retrace　our　steps　now　would　but　take　us　back　to　the　forges　and　thence　to　the　hall　of　the　Cones　and　the　certain　peril　waiting　for　us　there。

We　stepped　into　this　opened　way。　For　a　little　distance　it　ran　straightly；　then　turned　and　sloped　gently　upward；　and　a　little　distance　more　we　climbed。　Then　suddenly；　not　a　hundred　yards　from　us；　gushed　out　a　flood　of　soft　radiance；　opalescent；　filled　with　pearly　glimmerings　and　rosy　shadows　of　light。

It　was　as　though　a　door　had　opened　into　some　world　of　luminescence。　From　it　the　lambent　torrent　poured；　billowed　down　upon　us。　In　its　wake　came　musicif　music　the　mighty　harmonies；　the　sonorous　chords；　the　crystalline　themes　and　the　linked　chaplet　of　notes　that　were　like　spiralings　of　tiny　golden　star　bells　could　be　named。

Toward　source　of　light　and　sound　we　moved；　nor　could