the metal monster-第26节

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all；　I　wondered；　was　there　any　need　of　both　of　us　taking　the　journey；　would　not　one　do　just　as　well？

Drake　could　stay

〃No　use　of　putting　all　our　eggs　in　one　basket；〃　I　broached　the　subject。　〃I'll　go　down　by　myself　while　you　stay　and　help　Ruth。　You　can　always　follow　if　I　don't　turn　up　in　a　reasonable　time。〃

His　indignation　at　this　proposal　was　matched　only　by　her　own。

〃You'll　go　with　him；　Dick　Drake；〃　she　cried；　〃or　I'll　never　look　at　or　speak　to　you　again！〃

〃Good　Lord！　Did　you　think　for　a　minute　I　wouldn't？〃　Pain　and　wrath　struggled　on　his　face。　〃We　go　together　or　neither　of　us　goes。　Ruth　will　be　all　right　here；　Goodwin。　The　only　thing　she　has　any　cause　to　fear　is　Yurukand　he's　had　his　lesson。

〃Besides；　she'll　have　the　rifles　and　her　pistols；　and　she　knows　how　to　use　them。　What　d'ye　mean　by　making　such　a　proposition　as　that？〃　His　indignation　burst　all　bounds。

Lamely　I　tried　to　justify　myself。

〃I'll　be　all　right；〃　said　Ruth。　〃I'm　not　afraid　of　Yuruk。　And　none　of　these　Things　will　hurt　menot　afternot　after〃　Her　eyes　fell；　her　lips　quivered；　then　she　faced　us　steadily。　〃Don't　ask　me　how　I　know　that；〃　she　said　quietly。　〃Believe　me；　I　do　know　it。　I　am　closer　tothem　than　you　two　are。　And　if　I　choose　I　can　call　upon　that　alien　strength　their　master　gave　me。　It　is　for　you　two　that　I　fear。〃

〃No　fear　for　us；〃　Drake　burst　out　hastily。　〃We're　Norhala's　little　playthings。　We're　tabu。　Take　it　from　me；　Ruth；　I'd　bet　my　head　there　isn't　one　of　these　Things；　great　or　small；　and　no　matter　how　many；　that　doesn't　by　this　time　know　all　about　us。

〃We'll　probably　be　received　with　demonstrations　of　interest　by　the　populace　as　welcome　guests。　Probably　we'll　find　a　sign'Welcome　to　our　City'hung　up　over　the　front　gate。〃

She　smiled；　a　trifle　tremulously。

〃We'll　come　back；〃　he　said。　Suddenly　he　leaned　forward；　put　his　hands　on　her　shoulders。　〃Do　you　think　there　is　anything　that　could　keep　me　from　coming　back？〃　he　whispered。

She　trembled；　wide　eyes　searching　deep　into　his。

〃Well；〃　I　broke　in；　a　bit　uncomfortably；　〃we'd　better　be　starting。　I　think　as　Drake　does；　that　we're　tabu。　Barring　accident　there's　no　danger。　And　if　I　guess　right　about　these　Things；　accident　is　impossible。〃

〃As　inconceivable　as　the　multiplication　table　going　wrong；〃　he　laughed；　straightening。

And　so　we　made　ready。　Our　rifles　would　be　worse　than　useless；　we　knew；　our　pistols　we　decided　to　carry　as　Drake　put　it；　〃for　comfort。〃　Canteens　filled　with　water；　a　couple　of　emergency　rations；　a　few　instruments；　including　a　small　spectroscope；　a　selection　from　the　medical　kitall　these　packed　in　a　little　haversack　which　he　threw　over　his　broad　shoulders。

I　pocketed　my　compact　but　exceedingly　powerful　field…glasses。　To　my　poignant　and　everlasting　regret　my　camera　had　been　upon　the　bolting　pony；　and　Ventnor　had　long　been　out　of　films　for　his。

We　were　ready　for　our　journey。


Our　path　led　straight　away；　a　smooth　and　dark…gray　road　whose　surface　resembled　cement　packed　under　enormous　pressure。　It　was　all　of　fifty　feet　wide　and　now；　in　daylight；　glistened　faintly　as　though　overlaid　with　some　vitreous　coating。　It　narrowed　abruptly　into　a　wedged　way　that　stopped　at　the　threshold　of　Norhala's　door。

Diminishing　through　the　distance；　it　stretched　straight　as　an　arrow　onward　and　vanished　between　perpendicular　cliffs　which　formed　the　frowning　gateway　through　which　the　night　before　we　had　passed　upon　the　coursing　cubes　from　the　pit　of　the　city。　Here；　as　then；　a　mistiness　checked　the　gaze。

Ruth　with　us；　we　made　a　brief　inspection　of　the　surroundings　of　Norhala's　house。　It　was　set　as　though　in　the　narrowest　portion　of　an　hour…glass。　The　precipitous　walls　marched　inward　from　the　gateway　forming　the　lower　half　of　the　figure；　at　the　back　they　swung　apart　at　a　wider　angle。

This　upper　part　of　the　hour…glass　was　filled　with　a　park…like　forest。　It　was　closed；　perhaps　twenty　miles　away；　by　a　barrier　of　cliffs。

How；　I　wondered；　did　the　path　which　Yuruk　had　pointed　out　to　me　pierce　them？　Was　it　by　pass　or　tunnel；　and　why　was　it　the　armored　men　had　not　found　and　followed　it？

The　waist　between　these　two　mountain　wedges　was　a　valley　not　more　than　a　mile　wide。　Norhala's　house　stood　in　its　center；　and　it　was　like　a　garden；　dotted　with　flowering　and　fragrant　lilies　and　here　and　there　a　tiny　green　meadow。　The　great　globe　of　blue　that　was　Norhala's　dwelling　seemed　less　to　rest　upon　the　ground　than　to　emerge　from　it；　as　though　its　basic　curvatures　were　hidden　in　the　earth。

What　was　its　substance　I　could　not　tell。　It　was　as　though　built　of　the　lacquer　of　the　gems　whose　colors　it　held。　And　beautiful；　wondrously；　incredibly　beautiful　it　wasan　immense　bubble　of　froth　of　molten　sapphires　and　turquoises。

We　had　not　time　to　study　its　beauties。　A　few　last　instructions　to　Ruth；　and　we　set　forth　down　the　gray　road。　Hardly　had　we　taken　a　few　steps　when　there　came　a　faint　cry　from　her。

〃Dick！　Dickcome　here！〃

He　sprang　to　her；　caught　her　hands　in　his。　For　a　moment；　half　frightened　it　seemed；　she　considered　him。

〃Dick；〃　I　heard　her　whisper。　〃Dickcome　back　safe　to　me！〃

I　saw　his　arms　close　about　her；　hers　tighten　around　his　neck；　black　hair　touched　the　silken　brown　curls；　their　lips　met；　clung。　I　turned　away。

In　a　little　time　he　joined　me；　head　down；　silent；　he　strode　along　beside　me；　utterly　dejected。

A　hundred　more　yards　and　we　turned。　Ruth　was　still　standing　on　the　threshold　of　the　house　of　mystery；　watching　us。　She　waved　her　hands；　flitted　in；　was　hidden　from　us。　And　Drake　still　silent；　we　pushed　on。

The　walls　of　the　gateway　were　close。　The　sparse　vegetation　along　the　base　of　the　cliffs　had　ceased；　the　roadway　itself　had　merged　into　the　smooth；　bare　floor　of　the　canyon。　From　vertical　edge　to　vertical　edge　of　the　rocky　portal　stretched　a　curtain　of　shimmering　mist。　As　we　drew　nearer　we　saw　that　this　was　motionless；　and　less　like　vapor　of　water　than　vapor　of　light；　it　streamed　in　oddly　fixed　lines　like　atoms　of　crystals　in　a　still　solution。　Drake　thrust　an　arm　within　it；　waved　it；　the　mist　did　not　move。　It　seemed　instead　to　interpenetrate　the　armas　though　bone　and　flesh　were　spectral；　without　power　to　dislodge　the　shining　particles　from　position。

We　passed　within　itside　by　side。

Instantly　I　knew　that　whatever　these　veils　were；　they　were　not　moisture。　The　air　we　breathed　was　dry；　electric。　I　was　sensible　of　a　decided　stimulation；　a　pleasant　tingling　along　every　nerve；　a　gaiety　almost　light…headed。　We　could　see　each　other　quite　plainly；　the　rocky　floor　on　which　we　trod　as　well。　Within　this　vapor　of　light　there　was　no　ghost　of　sound；　it　was　utterly　empty　of　it。　I　saw　Drake　turn　to　me；　his　mouth　open　in　a　laugh；　his　lips　move　in　speechand　although　he　bent　close　to　my　ear；　I　heard　nothing。　He　frowned；　puzzled；　and　walked　on。


Abruptly　we　stepped　into　an　opening；　a　pocket　of　clear　air。　Our　ears　were　filled　with　a　high；　shrill　humming　as　unpleasantly　vibrant　as　the　shriek　of　a　sand　blast。　Six　feet　to　our　right　was　the　edge　of　the　ledge　on　which　we　stood；　beyond　it　was　a　sheer　drop　into　space。　A　shaft　piercing　down　into　the　void　and　walled　with　the　mists。

But　it　was　not　that　shaft　that　made　us　clutch　each　other。　No！　It　was　that　through　it　uprose　a　colossal　column　of　the　cubes。　It　stood　a　hundred　feet　from　us。　Its　top　was　another　hundred　feet　above　the　level　of　our　ledge　and　its　length　vanished　in　the　depths。

And　its　head　was　a　gigantic　spinning　wheel；　yards　in　thickness；　tapering　at　its　point　of　contact　with　the　cliff　wall　into　a　diameter　half　that　of　the　side　closest　the　column；　gleaming　with　flashes　of　green　flame　and　grinding　with　tremendous　speed　at　the　face　of　the　rock。

Over　it；　attached　to　the　cliff；　was　a　great　vizored　hood　of　some　pale　yellow　metal；　and　it　was　this　shelter　that　cutting　off　the　vaporous　light　like　an　enormous　umbrella　made　the　pocket　of　clarity　in　which　we　stood；　the　shaft　up　which　sprang　the　pillar。

All　along　the　length　of　that　column　as　far　as　we　could　see　the　myriad　tiny　eyes　of　the　Metal　People　shone　out　upon　us；　not　twinkling　mischievously；　butgrotesque　as　this　may　seem；　I　cannot　help　itwide　with　surprise。

Only　an　instant　longer　did　the　great　wheel　spin。　I　saw　the　screaming　rock　melting　beneath　it；　dropping　like　lava。　Then；　as　though　it　had　received　some　message；　abruptly　its　motion　now　ceased。

It　tilted；　looked　down　upon　us！

I　noted　that　its　grinding　surface　was　studded　thickly　with　the　smaller　pyramids　and　that　the　tips　of　these　were　each　capped　with　what　seemed　to　be　faceted　gems　gleaming　with　the　same　pale　yellow　radiance　as　the　Shrine　of　the　Cones。

The　column　was　bending；　the　wheel　approaching。

Drake　seized　me　by　the　arm；　drew　me　swiftly　back　into　the　mists。　We　were　shrouded　in　their　silences。　Step　by　step　we　went　on；　peering　for　the　edge　of　the　shelf；　feeling　in　fancy　that　prodigious　wheeled　face　stealing　upon　us；　afraid　to　look　behind　lest　in　looking　we　might　step　too　close　to　the　unseen　verge。

Yard　after　yard　we　slowly　covered。　Suddenly　the　vapors　thinned；　we　passed　out　of　them

A　chaos　of　sound　beat　about　us。　The　clanging　of　a　million　anvils；　the　clamor　of　a　million　forges；　the　crashing　of　a　hundred　years　of　thunder；　the　roarings　of　a　thousand　hurricanes。　The　prodigious　bellowings　of　the