the metal monster-第43部分

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sts；　we　crept　cautiously　through　their　dead　silences。

Passed　out　and　fell　back　into　them　from　a　searing　chaos　of　light；　chaotic　tumult。

From　the　slackened　grip　of　Ventnor　and　Drake　the　body　of　Ruth　dropped　while　we　three　stood　blinded；　deafened；　fighting　for　recovery。　Ruth　twisted；　rolled　toward　the　brink；　Ventnor　threw　himself　upon　her；　held　her　fast。


Dragging　her；　crawling　on　our　knees；　we　crept　forward；　we　stopped　when　the　thinning　of　the　mists　permitted　us　to　see　through　them　yet　still　interposed　a　curtaining　which；　though　tenuous；　dimmed　the　intolerable　brilliancy　that　filled　the　Pit；　muffled　its　din　to　a　degree　we　could　bear。

I　peered　through　themand　nerve　and　muscle　were　locked　in　the　grip　of　a　paralyzing　awe。　I　felt　then　as　one　would　feel　set　close　to　warring　regiments　of　stars；　made　witness　to　the　death…throes　of　a　universe；　or　swept　through　space　and　held　above　the　whirling　coils　of　Andromeda's　nebula　to　watch　its　birth　agonies　of　nascent　suns。

These　are　no　figures　of　speech；　no　hyperbolesspeck　as　our　whole　planet　would　be　in　Andromeda's　vast　loom；　pinprick　as　was　the　Pit　to　the　cyclone　craters　of　our　own　sun；　within　the　cliff…cupped　walls　of　the　valley　was　a　tangible；　struggling　living　force　akin　to　that　which　dwells　within　the　nebula　and　the　star；　a　cosmic　spirit　transcending　all　dimensions　and　thrusting　its　confines　out　into　the　infinite；　a　sentient　emanation　of　the　infinite　itself。

Nor　was　its　voice　less　unearthly。　It　used　the　shell　of　the　earth　valley　for　its　trumpetings；　its　clangorsbut　as　one　hears　in　the　murmurings　of　the　fluted　conch　the　great　voice　of　ocean；　its　whispering　and　its　roarings；　so　here　in　the　clamorous　shell　of　the　Pit　echoed　the　tremendous　voices　of　that　illimitable　sea　which　laps　the　shores　of　the　countless　suns。

I　looked　upon　a　mighty　whirlpool　miles　and　miles　wide。　It　whirled　with　surges　whose　racing　crests　were　smiting　incandescences；　it　was　threaded　with　a　spindrift　of　lightnings；　it　was　trodden　by　dervish　mists　of　molten　flame　thrust　through　with　forests　of　lances　of　living　light。　It　cast　a　cadent　spray　high　to　the　heavens。

Over　it　the　heavens　glittered　as　though　they　were　a　shield　held　by　fearful　gods。　Through　the　maelstrom　staggered　a　mountainous　bulk；　a　gleaming　leviathan　of　pale　blue　metal　caught　in　the　swirling　tide　of　some　incredible　volcano；　a　huge　ark　of　metal　breasting　a　deluge　of　flame。

And　the　drumming　we　heard　as　of　hollow　beaten　metal　worlds；　the　shouting　tempests　of　cannonading　stars；　was　the　breaking　of　these　incandescent　crests；　the　falling　of　the　lightning　spindrift；　the　rhythmic　impact　of　the　lanced　rays　upon　the　glimmering　mountain　that　reeled　and　trembled　as　they　struck　it。

The　reeling　mountain；　the　struggling　leviathan；　was　the　City！

It　was　the　mass　of　the　Metal　Monster　itself；　guarded　by；　stormed　by；　its　own　legions　that　though　separate　from　it　were　still　as　much　of　it　as　were　the　cells　that　formed　the　skin　of　its　walls；　its　carapace。

It　was　the　Metal　Monster　tearing；　rending；　fighting　for；　battling　againstitself。

Mile　high　as　when　I　had　first　beheld　it　was　the　inexplicable　body　that　held　the　great　heart　of　the　cones　into　which　had　been　drawn　the　magnetic　cataracts　from　our　sun；　that　held　too　the　smaller　hearts　of　the　lesser　cones；　the　workshops；　the　birth　chamber　and　manifold　other　mysteries　unguessed　and　unseen。　By　a　full　fourth　had　its　base　been　shrunken。

Ranged　in　double　line　along　the　side　turned　toward　us　were　hundreds　of　dread　formsShapes　that　in　their　intensity　bore　down　upon；　oppressed　with　a　nightmare　weight；　the　consciousness。

Rectangular；　upon　their　outlines　no　spike　of　pyramid；　no　curve　of　globe　showing；　uncompromisingly　ponderous；　they　upthrust。　Upon　the　tops　of　the　first　rank　were　enormous　masses；　sledge　shapedlike　those　metal　fists　that　had　battered　down　the　walls　of　Cherkis's　city　but　to　them　as　the　human　hand　is　to　the　paw　of　the　dinosaur。

Conceive　thisconceive　these　Shapes　as　animate　and　flexible；　beating　down　with　the　prodigious　mallets；　smashing　from　side　to　side　as　though　the　tremendous　pillars　that　held　them　were　thousand　jointed　upright　pistons；　that　as　closely　as　I　can　present　it　in　images　of　things　we　know　is　the　picture　of　the　Hammering　Things。


Behind　them　stood　a　second　row；　high　as　they　and　as　angular。　From　them　extended　scores　of　girdered　arms。　These　were　thickly　studded　with　the　flaming　cruciform　shapes；　the　opened　cubes　gleaming　with　their　angry　flares　of　reds　and　smoky　yellows。　From　the　tentacles　of　many　swung　immense　shields　like　those　which　ringed　the　hall　of　the　great　cones。

And　as　the　sledges　beat；　ever　over　their　bent　heads　poured　from　the　crosses　a　flood　of　crimson　lightnings。　Out　of　the　concave　depths　of　the　shields　whipped　lashes　of　blinding　flame。　With　ropes　of　fire　they　knouted　the　Things　the　sledges　struck；　the　sullen　crimson　levins　blasted。

Now　I　could　see　the　Shapes　that　attacked。　Grotesque；　spined　and　tusked；　spiked　and　antlered；　wenned　and　breasted；　as　chimerically　angled；　cusped　and　cornute　as　though　they　were　the　superangled；　supercornute　gods　of　the　cusped　and　angled　gods　of　the　Javanese；　they　strove　against　the　sledge…headed　and　smiting；　the　multiarmed　and　blasting　square　towers。

High　as　them；　as　huge　as　they；　incomparably　fantastic；　in　dozens　of　shifting　forms　they　battled。

More　than　a　mile　from　the　stumbling　City　stood　ranged　like　sharpshooters　a　host　of　solid；　bristling…legged　towers。　Upon　their　tops　spun　gigantic　wheels。　Out　of　the　centers　of　these　wheels　shot　the　radiant　lances；　hosts　of　spears　of　intensest　violet　light。　The　radiance　they　volleyed　was　not　continuous；　it　was　broken；　so　that　the　javelin　rays　shot　out　in　rhythmic　flights；　each　flying　fast　upon　the　shafts　of　the　others。

It　was　their　impact　that　sent　forth　the　thunderous　drumming。　They　struck　and　splintered　against　the　walls；　dropping　from　them　in　great　gouts　of　molten　flame。　It　was　as　though　before　they　broke　they　pierced　the　wall；　the　Monster's　side；　bled　fire。

With　the　crashing　of　broadsides　of　massed　batteries　the　sledges　smashed　down　upon　the　bristling　attackers。　Under　the　awful　impact　globes　and　pyramids　were　shattered　into　hundreds　of　fragments；　rocket　bursts　of　blue　and　azure　and　violet　flame；　flames　rainbowed　and　irised。

The　hammer　ends　split；　flew　apart；　were　scattered；　were　falling　showers　of　sulphurous　yellow　and　scarlet　meteors。　But　ever　other　cubes　swarmed　out　and　repaired　the　broken　smiting　tips。　And　always　where　a　tusked　and　cornute　shape　had　been　battered　down；　disintegrated；　another　arose　as　huge　and　as　formidable　pouring　forth　upon　the　squared　tower　its　lightnings；　tearing　at　it　with　colossal　spiked　and　hooked　claws；　beating　it　with　incredible　spiked　and　globular　fists　that　were　like　the　clenched　hands　of　some　metal　Atlas。

As　the　striving　Shapes　swayed　and　wrestled；　gave　way　or　thrust　forward；　staggered　or　fell；　the　bulk　of　the　Monster　stumbled　and　swayed；　advanced　and　retreatedan　unearthly　motion　wedded　to　an　amorphous　immensity　that　flooded　the　watching　consciousness　with　a　deathly　nausea。

Unceasingly　the　hail　of　radiant　lances　poured　from　the　spinning　wheels；　falling　upon　Towered　Shapes　and　City's　wall　alike。　There　arose　a　prodigious　wailing；　an　unearthly　thin　screaming。　About　the　bases　of　the　defenders　flashed　blinding　bursts　of　incandescencelike　those　which　had　heralded　the　flight　of　the　Flying　Thing　dropping　before　Norhala's　house。

Unlike　them　they　held　no　dazzling　sapphire　brilliancies；　they　were　ochreous；　suffused　with　raging　vermilion。　Nevertheless　they　were　factors　of　that　same　inexplicable　action　for　from　thousands　of　gushing　lights　leaped　thousands　of　gigantic　square　pillars；　unimaginable　projectiles　hurled　from　the　flaming　mouths　of　earth…hidden；　titanic　mortars。

They　soared　high；　swerved　and　swooped　upon　the　lance…throwers。　Beneath　their　onslaught　those　chimerae　tottered；　I　saw　living　projectiles　and　living　target　fuse　where　they　metmelt　and　weld　in　jets　of　lightnings。

But　not　all。　There　were　those　that　tore　great　gaps　in　the　horned　giantswounds　that　instantly　were　healed　with　globes　and　pyramids　seething　out　from　the　Cyclopean　trunk。　Ever　the　incredible　projectiles　flashed　and　flew　as　though　from　some　inexhaustible　store；　ever　uprose　that　prodigious　barrage　against　the　smiting　rays。

Now　to　check　them　soared　from　the　ranks　of　the　besiegers　clouds　of　countless　horned　dragons；　immense　cylinders　of　clustered　cubes　studded　with　the　clinging　tetrahedrons。　They　struck　the　cubed　projectiles　head　on；　aimed　themselves　to　meet　them。

Bristling　dragon　and　hurtling　pillar　stuck　and　fused　or　burst　with　intolerable　blazing。　They　fellcube　and　sphere　and　pyramidsome　half　opened；　some　fully；　in　a　rain　of　disks；　of　stars；　huge　flaming　crosses；　a　storm　of　unimaginable　pyrotechnics。

Now　I　became　conscious　that　within　the　Citywithin　the　body　of　the　Metal　Monsterthere　raged　a　strife　colossal　as　this　without。　From　it　came　a　vast　volcanic　roaring。　Up　from　its　top　shot　tortured　flames；　cascades　and　fountains　of　frenzied　Things　that　looped　and　struggled；　writhed　over　its　edge；　hurled　themselves　back；　battling　chimerae　which　against　the　glittering　heavens　traced　luminous　symbols　of　agony。

Shrilled　a　stronger　wailing。　Up　from　behind　the　ray　hurling　Towers　shot　hosts　of　globes。　Thousands　of　palely　azure；　metal　moons　they　soared；　warrior　moons　charging　in　meteor　rush　and　streaming　with　fluttering　battle　pennons　of　violet　flame。　High　they　flew；　they　curved　over　the　mile　high　back　of　the　Monster；　they　dropped　upon　it。

Arose　to　meet　them　immense　columns　of　the　cubes；　battered　against　the　spheres；　swept　them　over　and　down　into　the　depths。　Hundreds　fell；　brokenbut　thousands　held　their　place。　I　saw　them　twine　about　the　pillars　writhing　columns　of　interlaced　cubes　and　globes　straining　like　monstrous　serpents　while　all　along　their　coils　the　open　disks　and　crosses　smote　with　the　scimitars　of　their　lightnings。

In　the　wall　of　the　City　appeared　a　shining　crack；　from　top　to　bottom　it　ran；　it　widened　into　a　rift　from　which　a　flood　of　radiance　gushed。　Out　of　this　rift　poured　a　thousand…foot…high　torrent　of　horned　globes。

Only　for　an　instant　they　flowed。　The　rift　closed　upon　them；　catching　those　still　emerging　in　a　colossal　vise。　It　CRUNCHED　them。　Plain　through　the　tu