the metal monster-第15节

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ng　shadowings　of　huge　shapes；　unnameable；　moving　swiftly　beside　our　way；　gleamings　that　thrust　themselves　through　the　veils　like　wheeling　javelins　of　flame。

And　always；　always；　everywhere　that　constant　movement；　rhythmic；　terrifyinglike　myriads　of　feet　of　creatures　of　an　unseen；　stranger　world　marking　time　just　outside　the　threshold　of　our　own。　Preparing；　DRILLING　there　in　some　wide　vestibule　of　space　between　the　known　and　the　unknown；　alert　and　menacingpoised　for　the　signal　which　would　send　them　pouring　over　it。


Once　again　I　seemed　to　stand　upon　the　brink　of　an　abyss　of　incredible　revelation；　striving　helplessly；　struggling　for　realizationand　so　struggling　became　aware　that　our　speed　was　swiftly　slackening；　the　roaring　blast　dying　down；　the　veils　before　us　thinning。

They　cleared　away。　I　saw　Drake　and　Ventnor　straighten　up；　raised　myself　to　my　own　aching　knees。

We　were　at　one　end　of　a　vortex；　a　funneling　within　the　radiant　vapors；　a　funnel　whose　further　end　a　mile　ahead　broadened　out　into　a　huge　circle；　its　mistily　outlined　edges　impinging　upon　the　towering　scarp　of　thecity。　It　was　as　though　before　us　lay；　upon　its　side；　a　cone　of　crystalline　clear　air　against　whose　curved　sides　some　radiant　medium　heavier　than　air；　lighter　than　water；　pressed。

The　top　arc　of　its　prostrate　base　reached　a　thousand　feet　or　more　up　the　precipitous　wall；　above　it　all　was　hidden　in　sparkling　nebulosities　that　were　like　still　clouds　of　greenly　glimmering　fire…flies。　Back　from　the　curving　sides　of　this　cone；　above　it　and　below　it；　the　pressing　luminosities　stretched　into；　it　seemed；　infinite　distances。

Through　them；　suddenly；　thousands　of　bright　beams　began　to　dart；　to　dance；　weaving　and　interweaving；　shooting　hither　and　yonlike　myriads　of　great　searchlights　in　a　phosphorescent　sea　fog；　like　countless　lances　of　the　aurora　thrusting　through　its　own　iridescent　veils！　And　in　the　play　of　these　beams　was　something　appallingly　ordered；　appallingly　rhythmic。

It　washow　can　I　describe　it？PURPOSEFUL；　purposeful　as　the　geometric　shiftings　of　the　Little　Things　of　the　ruins；　of　the　summoning　song　of　Norhala；　of　the　Protean　changes　of　the　Smiting　Shape　and　the　Following　Thing；　and　like　all　of　these　it　was　as　laden　with　that　baffling　certainty　of　hidden　meanings；　of　messages　that　the　brain　recognized　as　such　yet　knew　it　never　could　read。

The　rays　seemed　to　spring　upward　from　the　earth。　Now　they　were　like　countless　lances　of　light　borne　by　marching　armies　of　Titans；　now　they　crossed　and　angled　and　flew　as　though　they　were　clouds　of　javelins　hurled　by　battling　swarms　of　the　Genii　of　Light。　And　now　they　stood　upright　while　through　them；　thrusting　them　aside；　bending　them；　passed　vast；　vague　shapes　like　mountains　forming　and　dissolving；　like　darkening　monsters　of　some　world　of　light　pushing　through　thick　forests　of　slender；　high…reaching　trees　of　cold　flame；　shifting　shadows　of　monstrous　chimerae　slipping　through　jungles　of　bamboo　with　trunks　of　diamond　fire；　phantasmal　leviathans　swimming　through　brakes　of　giant　reeds　of　radiance　rising　from　the　sparking　ooze　of　a　sea　of　star　shine。

Whence　came　the　force；　the　mechanism　that　produced　this　cone　of　clarity；　this　NOT　searchlight；　but　unlight　in　the　midst　of　light？　Not　from　behind；　that　was　certainfor　turning　I　saw　that　behind　us　the　mist　was　as　thick。　I　turned　againit　came　to　me；　why　I　knew　not；　yet　with　an　absolute　certainty；　that　the　energy；　the　force　emanated　from　the　distant　wall　itself。

The　funnel；　the　cone；　did　not　expand　from　where　we　were　standing；　now　motionless。

It　began　at　the　wall　and　focused　upon　us。

Within　the　great　circle　the　surface　of　the　wall　was　smooth；　utterly　blank；　upon　it　was　no　trace　of　those　flitting　lights　we　had　seen　before　we　had　plunged　down　toward　the　radiant　sea。　It　shone　with　a　pale　blue　phosphorescence。　It　was　featureless；　smooth；　a　blind　cliff　of　polished；　blue　metaland　that　was　all。

〃Ruth！〃　groaned　Ventnor。　〃Where　is　she？〃

Aghast　at　my　mental　withdrawal　from　him；　angry　at　myself　for　my　callousness；　awkwardly　I　tried　to　crawl　over　to　him；　to　touch　him；　comfort　him　as　well　as　I　might。

And　then；　as　though　his　cry　had　been　a　signal；　the　great　cone　began　to　move。　Slowly　the　circled　base　slipped　down　the　shimmering　facades；　down；　steadily　down；　I　realized　that　we　had　paused　at　the　edge　of　some　steep　declivity；　for　the　bottom　of　the　cone　was　now　at　a　decided　angle　while　the　upper　edge　of　the　circle　had　dropped　a　full　two　hundred　feet　below　the　place　where　it　had　rested　and　still　it　fell。


There　came　a　gasp　of　relief　from　Ventnor；　a　sigh　from　Drake　while；　from　my　own　heart；　a　weight　rolled。　Not　ten　yards　ahead　of　us　and　still　deep　within　the　luminosity　had　appeared　the　regal　head　of　Norhala；　the　lovely　head　of　Ruth。　The　two　rose　out　of　the　glow　like　swimmers　floating　from　the　depths。　Now　they　were　clear　before　us；　and　now　we　could　see　the　surface　of　the　cube　on　which　they　rode。

But　neither　turned　to　us；　each　stared　straightly；　motionless　along　the　axis　of　the　sinking　cone；　the　woman's　left　arm　holding　Ruth　close　to　her　side。

Drake's　hand　caught　my　shoulder　in　a　grip　that　hurt　nor　did　he　need　to　point　toward　that　which　had　wrung　the　exclamation　from　him。　The　funnel　had　broken　from　its　slow　falling；　it　had　made　one　swift；　startling　drop　and　had　come　to　rest。　Its　recumbent　side　was　now　flattened　into　a　triangular　plane；　widening　from　the　narrow　tip　in　which　we　stood　to　all　of　five　hundred　feet　where　its　base　rested　against　the　blue　wall；　and　falling　at　a　full　thirty…degree　pitch。

The　misty…edged　circle　had　become　an　oval；　a　flattened　ellipse　another　five　hundred　feet　high　and　three　times　that　in　length。　And　in　its　exact　center；　shining　forth　as　though　it　opened　into　a　place　of　pale　azure　incandescence　was　another　rectangular　Cyclopean　portal。

On　each　side　of　it；　in　the　apparently　solid　face　of　the　gleaming；　metallic　cliffs；　a　slit　was　opening。

They　began　as　thin　lines　a　hundred　yards　in　height　through　which　the　intense　light　seemed　to　hiss；　quickly　they　openedwidening　like　monstrous　cat　pupils　until　at　last；　their　widening　ceasing；　they　glared　forth；　the　blue　incandescence　gushing　from　them　like　molten　steel　from　an　opened　sluice。

Deep　within　them　I　sensed　a　movement。　Scores　of　towering　shapes　swam　within　and　glided　out　of　them；　each　reflecting　the　vivid　light　as　though　they　themselves　were　incandescent。　Around　their　crests　spun　wide　and　flaming　coronets。

They　rushed　forth；　wheeling；　whirling；　driven　like　leaves　in　a　whirlwind。　Out　they　swirled　from　the　cat's　eyes　of　the　glimmering　wall；　these　dervish　obelisks　crowded　with　spinning　fires。　They　vanished　in　the　mists。　Instantly　with　their　going；　the　eyes　contracted；　were　but　slits；　were　gone。　And　before　us　within　the　oval　was　only　the　waiting　portal。

The　leading　block　leaped　forward。　As　abruptly；　those　that　bore　us　followed。　Again　under　that　strain　of　projectile　flight　we　clutched　each　other；　the　pony　screamed　in　terror。　The　metal　cliff　rushed　to　meet　us　like　a　thunder　cloud　of　steel；　the　portal　raced　upon　usa　square　mouth　of　cold　blue　flame。

And　into　it　we　swept；　were　devoured　by　it。

Light　in　blinding；　intolerable　flood　beat　about　us；　blackening　the　sight　with　agony。　We　pressed；　the　three　of　us；　against　the　side　of　the　pony；　burying　our　faces　in　its　shaggy　coat；　striving　to　hide　our　eyes　from　the　radiance　which；　strain　closely　as　we　might；　seemed　to　pierce　through　the　body　of　the　little　beast；　through　our　own　heads；　searing　the　sight。





CHAPTER　X

〃WITCH！　GIVE　BACK　MY　SISTER〃

How　long　we　were　within　that　glare　I　do　not　know；　it　seemed　unending　hours；　it　was　of　course　only　minutes　seconds；　perhaps。　Then　I　was　sensible　of　a　permeating　shadow；　a　darkness　gentle　and　healing。

I　raised　my　head　and　opened　my　eyes。　We　were　moving　tranquilly；　with　a　curious　suggestion　of　homing　leisureliness；　through　a　soft；　blue　shimmering　darkness。　It　was　as　though　we　were　drifting　within　some　high　borderland　of　light；　a　region　in　which　that　rapid　vibration　we　call　the　violet　was　mingled　with　a　still　more　rapid　vibration　whose　quick　pulsing　was　felt　by　the　brain　but　ever　fled　ere　that　brain　could　register　it　in　terms　of　color。　And　there　seemed　to　be　a　film　over　my　sight；　dazzlement　from　the　unearthly　blaze；　I　thought；　shaking　my　head　impatiently。

My　eyes　focused　upon　an　object　a　little　more　than　a　foot　away；　my　neck　grew　rigid；　my　scalp　prickled　while　I　stared；　unbelieving。　And　that　at　which　I　stared　wasa　skeleton　hand。　Every　bone　a　grayish　black；　sharply　silhouetted；　clean　as　some　master　surgeon's　specimen；　it　was　extended　as　though　clutching　atclutching　atwhat　was　that　toward　which　it　was　reaching？

Again　the　icy　prickling　over　scalp　and　skinfor　its　talons　stretched　out　to　grasp　a　steed　that　Death　himself　might　have　ridden；　a　rack　whose　bare　skull　hung　drooping　upon　bent　vertebrae。

I　raised　my　hands　to　my　face　to　shut　out　the　ghostly　sightand　swiftly　the　clutching　bony　hand　moved　toward　mewas　before　my　eyestouched　me。

The　cry　that　sheer　horror　wrested　from　me　was　strangled　by　realization。　And　so　acute　was　my　relief；　so　reassuring　was　it　to　have　in　the　midst　of　these　mysteries　some　sane；　understandable　thing　occur　that　I　laughed　aloud。

For　the　skeleton　hand　was　my　own。　The