the metal monster-第20节

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esire。　A　maiden　Ishtar；　a　virginal　Isis；　a　womanyet　with　no　more　of　woman's　lure　than　if　she　had　been　some　exquisite　and　breathing　statue　of　mingled　ivory　and　milk　of　pearls。

So　she　stood；　indifferent　to　us　who　gazed　upon　her；　withdrawn；　musing；　as　though　she　had　forgotten　us。　And　that　serene　indifference；　with　its　entire　absence　of　what　we　term　sex　consciousness；　revealed　to　me　once　more　how　great　was　the　abyss　between　us　and　her。

Slowly　she　raised　her　arms；　wound　the　floating　tresses　into　a　coronal。　I　saw　Drake　enter　with　the　saddlebags；　saw　them　drop　from　hands　relaxing　under　the　shock　of　this　amazing　tableau；　saw　his　eyes　widen　and　fill　with　wonder　and　half…awed　admiration。

Now　Norhala　stepped　out　of　her　fallen　robes　and　moved　toward　the　further　wall；　Yuruk　following。　He　stooped；　raised　an　ewer　of　silver　and　began　gently　to　pour　over　her　shoulders　its　contents。　Again　and　again　he　bent　and　filled　the　vessel；　dipping　it　into　a　shallow　basin　from　which　came　the　bubbling　and　chuckling　of　a　little　spring。　And　again　I　marveled　at　the　marble　smoothness　and　fineness　of　her　skin　on　which　the　caressing　water　left　tiny　silvery　globules；　gemming　it。　The　eunuch　slithered　to　one　side；　drew　from　a　quaint　chest　clothes　of　white　floss；　patted　her　dry　with　them；　threw　over　her　shoulders　a　silken　robe　of　blue。

Back　she　floated　to　us；　hovered　over　Ruth；　crouching　with　her　brother's　head　upon　her　knees。

She　made　a　motion　as　though　to　draw　the　girl　to　her；　hesitated　as　Ruth's　face　set　in　a　passion　of　denial。　A　shadow　of　kindness　drifted　through　the　wide；　mysterious　eyes；　a　shadow　of　pity　joined　it　as　she　looked　curiously　down　on　Ventnor。

〃Bathe；〃　she　murmured；　and　pointed　to　the　pool。　〃And　rest。　No　harm　shall　come　to　any　of　you　here。　And　you〃　A　hand　rested　for　a　moment　lightly　on　the　girl's　curly　head。　〃When　you　desire　itI　will　again　give　youpeace！〃

She　parted　the　curtains；　and　the　eunuch　still　following；　was　hidden　beyond　them。





CHAPTER　XIII

〃VOICE　FROM　THE　VOID〃

Helplessly　we　looked　at　each　other。　Then　called　forth　perhaps　by　what　she　saw　in　Drake's　eyes；　perhaps　by　another　thought；　Ruth's　cheeks　crimsoned；　her　head　drooped；　the　web　of　her　hair　hid　the　warm　rose　of　her　face；　the　frozen　pallor　of　Ventnor's。

Abruptly；　she　sprang　to　her　feet。　〃Walter！　Dick！　Something's　happening　to　Martin！〃

Before　she　had　ceased　we　were　beside　her；　bending　over　Ventnor。　His　mouth　was　opening；　slowly；　slowlywith　an　effort　agonizing　to　watch。　Then　his　voice　came　through　lips　that　scarcely　moved；　faint；　faint　as　though　it　floated　from　infinite　distances；　a　ghost　of　a　voice　whispering　with　phantom　breath　out　of　a　dead　throat。

〃Hardhard！　So　hard！〃　the　whispering　complained。　〃Don't　know　how　long　I　can　keep　connectionwith　voice。

〃Was　fool　to　shoot。　Sorrymight　have　gotten　you　in　worse　troublebut　crazy　with　fear　for　Ruththought；　too；　might　be　worth　chance。　Sorrynot　my　usual　line〃

The　thin　thread　of　sound　ceased。　I　felt　my　eyes　fill　with　tears；　it　was　like　Ventnor　to　flay　himself　like　this　for　what　he　thought　stupidity；　like　him　to　make　this　effort　to　admit　his　supposed　fault　and　crave　forgiveness　as　like　him　as　that　mad　attack　upon　the　flaming　Disk　in　its　own　temple；　surrounded　by　its　ministers；　had　been　so　bafflingly　unlike　his　usual　cool；　collected　self。

〃Martin；〃　I　called；　bending　closer；　〃it's　nothing；　old　friend。　No　one　blames　you。　Try　to　rouse　yourself。〃

〃Dear；〃　it　was　Ruth；　passionately　tender；　〃it's　me。　Can　you　hear　me？〃

〃Only　speck　of　consciousness　and　motionless　in　the　void；〃　the　whisper　began　again。　〃Terribly　alive；　terribly　alone。　Seem　outside　space　yetstill　in　body。　Can't　see；　hear；　feelshort…circuited　from　every　sensebut　in　some　strange　way　realize　youRuth；　Walter；　Drake。

〃See　without　seeinghere　floating　in　darkness　that　is　also　lightblack　lightindescribable。　In　touch；　too；　with　these〃

Again　the　voice　trailed　into　silence；　returned；　word　and　phrase　pouring　forth　disconnected；　with　a　curious　and　turbulent　rhythm；　like　rushing　wave　crests　linked　by　half…seen　threads　of　the　spindrift；　vocal　fragments　of　thought　swiftly　assembled　by　some　subtle　faculty　of　the　mind　as　they　fell　into　a　coherent；　incredible　message。

〃Group　consciousnessgiganticoperating　within　our　sphereoperating　also　in　spheres　of　vibration；　energy；　forceabove；　below　one　to　which　humanity　reactsperception；　command　forces　known　to　usbut　in　greater　degreecognizant；　manipulate　unknown　energiessenses　known　to　usunknowncan't　realize　them　fullyimpossible　cover；　only　impinge　on　contact　points　akin　to　our　senses；　forceseven　these　profoundly　modified　by　additional　onesmetallic；　crystalline；　magnetic；　electric　inorganic　with　every　power　of　organicconsciousness　basically　same　as　oursprofoundly　changed　by　differences　in　mechanism　through　which　it　finds　expressiondifference　our　bodiestheirs。

〃Conscious；　mobileinexorable；　invulnerable。　Getting　clearersee　more　clearlysee〃　the　voice　shrilled　out　in　a　shuddering；　thin　lash　of　despair〃No！　Nooh；　God　no！〃

Then　clearly　and　solemnly：

〃And　God　said：　let　us　make　men　in　our　image；　after　our　likeness；　and　let　them　have　dominion　over　all　the　earth；　and　every　creeping　thing　that　creepeth　upon　the　earth。〃

A　silence；　we　bent　closer；　listening；　the　still；　small　voice　took　up　the　thread　once　morebut　clearly　further　on。　Something　we　had　missed　between　that　text　from　Genesis　and　what　we　were　now　hearing；　something　that　even　as　he　had　warned　us；　he　had　not　been　able　to　articulate。　The　whisper　broke　through　clearly　in　the　middle　of　a　sentence。

〃Nor　is　Jehovah　the　God　of　myriads　of　millions　who　through　those　same　centuries；　and　centuries　upon　centuries　before　them；　found　earth　a　garden　and　graveand　all　these　countless　gods　and　goddesses　only　phantom　barriers　raised　by　man　to　stand　between　him　and　the　eternal　forces　man's　instinct　has　always　warned　him　are　ever　in　readiness　to　destroy。　That　do　destroy　him　as　soon　as　his　vigilance　relaxes；　his　resistance　weakensthe　eternal；　ruthless　law　that　will　annihilate　humanity　the　instant　it　runs　counter　to　that　law　and　turns　its　will　and　strength　against　itself〃

A　little　pause；　then　came　these　singular　sentences：

〃Weaklings　praying　for　miracles　to　make　easy　the　path　their　own　wills　should　clear。　Beggars　who　whine　for　alms　from　dreams。　Shirkers　each　struggling　to　place　upon　his　god　the　burden　whose　carrying　and　whose　carrying　alone　can　give　him　strength　to　walk　free　and　unafraid；　himself　godlike　among　the　stars。〃

And　now　distinctly；　unfalteringly；　the　voice　went　on：

〃Dominion　over　all　the　earth？　Yesas　long　as　man　is　fit　to　rule；　no　longer。　Science　has　warned　us。　Where　was　the　mammal　when　the　giant　reptiles　reigned？　Slinking　hidden　and　afraid　in　the　dark　and　secret　places。　Yet　man　sprang　from　these　skulking　beasts。

〃For　how　long　a　time　in　the　history　of　earth　has　man　been　master　of　it？　For　a　breathfor　a　cloud's　passing。　And　will　remain　master　only　until　something　grown　stronger　wrests　mastery　from　himeven　as　he　wrested　it　from　his　ravening　kindas　they　took　it　from　the　reptilesas　did　the　reptiles　from　the　giant　saurianswhich　snatched　it　from　the　nightmare　rulers　of　the　Triassic　and　so　down　to　whatever　held　sway　in　the　murk　of　earth　dawn。

〃Life！　Life！　Life！　Life　everywhere　struggling　for　completion！

〃Life　crowding　other　life　aside；　battling　for　its　moment　of　supremacy；　gaining　it；　holding　it　for　one　rise　and　fall　of　the　wings　of　time　beating　through　eternityand　then　hurled　down；　trampled　under　the　feet　of　another　straining　life　whose　hour　has　struck。

〃Life　crowding　outside　every　barred　threshold　in　a　million　circling　worlds；　yes；　in　a　million　rushing　universes；　pressing　against　the　doors；　bursting　them　down；　overwhelming；　forcing　out　those　dwellers　who　had　thought　themselves　so　secure。

〃And　thesethese〃　the　voice　suddenly　dropped；　became　thickly；　vibrantly　resonant；　〃over　the　Threshold；　within　the　House　of　Mannor　does　he　even　dream　that　his　doors　are　down。　TheseThings　of　metal　whose　brains　are　thinking　crystalsThings　that　suck　their　strength　from　the　sun　and　whose　blood　is　the　lightning。

〃The　sun！　The　sun！〃　he　cried。　〃There　lies　their　weakness！〃

The　voice　rose　in　pitch；　grew　strident。

〃Go　back　to　the　city！　Go　back　to　the　city！　Walter　Drake。　They　are　not　invulnerable。　No！　The　sunstrike　them　through　the　sun！　Go　into　the　citynot　invulnerable　the　Keeper　of　the　Conesstrike　at　the　Cones　when　the　Keeper　of　the　Conesah…h…h…ah〃

We　shrank　back　appalled；　for　from　the　parted；　scarcely　moving　lips　in　the　unchanging　face　a　gust　of　laughter；　mad；　mocking；　terrifying；　racked　its　way。

〃Vulnerableunder　the　laweven　as　we！　The　Cones！

〃Go！〃　he　gasped。　A　tremor　shook　him；　slowly　the　mouth　closed。

〃Martin！　Brother；〃　wept　Ruth。　I　thrust　my　hand　into　his　breast；　felt　the　heart　beating；　with　a　curious　suggestion　of　stubborn；　unshakable　strength；　as　though　every　vital　force　had　concentrated　there　as　in　a　beleaguered　citadel。

But　Ventnor　himself；　the　consciousness　that　was　Ventnor　was　gone；　had　withdrawn　into　that　subjective　void　in　which　he　had　said　he　floateda　lonely　sentient　atom；　his　one　line　of　communication　with　us　cut；　severed　from　us　as　completely　as　though　he　were；　as　he　had　described　it；　outside　space。

And　Drake　and　I　looked　at　each　other's　e