the metal monster-第31节

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Thrice　the　height　of　a　tall　manas　I　think　I　have　noted　beforewhen　it　unfolded　its　radiance　was　that　shape　of　mingled　beauty　and　power　I　call　the　Metal　Emperor。

Yet　this　Thing　eclipsed　it。　Black；　uncompromising；　in　some　indefinable　way　BRUTAL；　its　square　bulk　blotted　out　the　Disk's　effulgence；　shrouded　it。　And　a　shadow　seemed　to　fall　upon　the　crater。　The　violet　fires　of　the　flanking　stars　pulsed　outwatchfully；　threateningly。

For　only　an　instant　the　darkening　block　loomed　against　the　Disk；　blackened　it。

There　came　another　meteor　burst　of　light。　Where　the　cube　had　been　was　now　a　tremendous；　fiery　crossa　cross　inverted。

Its　upper　arm　arose　to　twice　the　length　either　of　its　horizontals　or　the　square　that　was　its　foot。　In　its　opening　it　must　have　turned；　for　itsFACEwas　toward　us　and　away　from　the　Cones；　its　body　hid　the　Disk；　and　almost　all　the　surfaces　of　the　two　watchful　Stars。

Eighty　feet　at　least　in　height；　this　cruciform　shape　stood。　It　flamed　and　flickered　with　angry；　smoky　crimsons　and　scarlets；　with　sullen　orange　glowings　and　glitterings　of　sulphurous　yellows。　Within　its　fires　were　none　of　those　leaping；　multicolored　glories　that　were　the　Metal　Emperor's；　no　trace　of　the　pulsing；　mystic　rose；　no　shadow　of　jubilant　sapphire；　no　purple　royal；　no　tender；　merciful　greens　nor　gracious　opalescences。　Nothing　even　of　the　blasting　violet　of　the　Stars。

All　angry；　smoky　reds　and　ochres　the　cross　blazed　forthand　in　its　lurid　glowings　was　something　sinister；　something　real；　something　cruel；　somethingnearer　to　earth；　closer　to　man。

〃The　Keeper　of　the　Cones　and　the　Metal　Emperor！〃　muttered　Drake。　〃I　begin　to　get　ityesI　begin　to　get　Ventnor！〃

Once　more　the　pulse；　the　avid　throbbing　shook　the　crater。　And　as　swiftly　in　its　wake　rushed　back　the　stillness；　the　silence。

The　Keeper　turnedI　saw　its　palely　lustrous　blue　metallic　back。　I　drew　out　my　little　field…glasses；　focussed　them。

The　Cross　slipped　sidewise　past　the　Disk；　its　courtiers；　its　stellated　guardians。　As　it　went　by　they　swung　about　with　it；　ever　facing　it。

And　now　at　last　was　clear　a　thing　that　had　puzzled　greatlythe　mechanism　of　that　opening　process　by　which　sphere　became　oval　disk；　pyramid　a　four…pointed　star　and　as　I　had　glimpsed　in　the　play　of　the　Little　Things　about　Norhala；　could　see　now　so　plainly　in　the　Keeperthe　blocks　took　this　inverted　cruciform　shape。

The　Metal　People　were　hollow！

Hollow　metalboxes！

In　their　enclosing　sides　dwelt　all　their　vitalitytheir　powersthemselves！

And　those　sides　wereeverything　that　THEY　were！

Folded；　the　oval　disk　became　the　sphere；　the　four　points　of　the　star；　the　square　from　which　those　points　radiated；　shutting　became　the　pyramid；　the　six　faces　of　the　cubes　were　when　opened　the　inverted　cross。

Nor　were　these　flexible；　mobile　walls　massive。　They　were　indeed；　considering　the　apparent　mass　of　the　Metal　Folk；　most　astonishingly　fragile。　Those　of　the　Keeper；　despite　its　eighty　feet　of　height；　could　not　have　been　more　than　a　yard　in　thickness。　At　the　edges　I　thought　I　could　see　groovings；　noted　the　same　appearances　at　the　outlines　of　the　Stars。　Seen　sidewise；　the　body　of　the　Metal　Emperor　showed　as　a　convexity；　its　surface　smooth；　with　a　suggestion　of　transparency。

The　Keeper　was　bending；　its　oblong　upper　plane　dropping　forward　as　though　upon　a　hinge。　Lower　and　lower　this　flange　bentin　a　grotesque；　terrifying　obeisance；　a　horrible　mockery　of　reverence。

Was　this　mountain　of　Cones　then　actually　a　shrinean　idol　of　the　Metal　Peopletheir　God？

The　oblong　that　was　the　upper　half　of　the　cruciform　Shape　extended　now　at　right　angles　to　the　horizontal　arms。　It　hovered；　a　rectangle　forty　feet　long；　as　many　feet　over　the　floor　at　the　base　of　the　crystal　pedestal。　It　bent　again；　this　time　from　the　hinge　that　held　the　outstretched　arms　to　the　base。　And　now　it　was　a　huge　truncated　cross；　a　T…shaped　figure；　hovering　only　twenty　feet　above　the　pave。

Down　from　the　Keeper　writhed　and　flicked　a　tangle　of　tentacles；　serpentine；　whiplike。　Silvery　white；　they　were　dyed　with　the　scarlet　and　orange　flaming　of　the　surface　now　hidden　from　my　eyes；　reflected　those　sullen　and　angry　gleamings。　Vermiceous；　coiling；　they　seemed　to　drop　from　every　inch　of　the　overhanging　planes。

Something　there　was　beneath　themsomething　like　an　immense　and　luminous　tablet。　The　tentacles　were　moving　over　itpressing　here；　thrusting　there；　turning；　pushing；　manipulating


A　shuddering　passed　through　the　crowding　cones。　I　saw　the　tremor　shake　their　bristling　hosts；　oscillate　the　great　spire；　set　the　faceted　disks　quivering。

The　trembling　grew；　a　vibration　in　every　separate　cone　that　became　even　more　rapid。　There　was　a　faint；　curiously　oppressive　humminglike　the　distant　echo　of　a　tempest　in　chaos。

Faster；　ever　faster　grew　the　vibration。　Now　the　sharp　outlines　of　the　cones　were　dissolving。

And　now　they　weregone。

The　mount　of　the　cones　had　become　a　mighty　pyramid　of　pale　green　radianceone　tremendous；　pallid　flame；　of　which　the　spire　was　the　tongue。　Out　from　the　disked　wheel　at　its　shorn　tip　gushed　a　flood　of　lightlight　that　gathered　itself　from　the　leaping　radiance　below　it。

The　tentacles　of　the　Keeper　moved　more　swiftly　over　the　enigmatic　tablet；　writhing　cloudily；　confusedly　rapid。　The　faceted　disks　wavered；　turned　upward；　the　wheel　began　to　whirlfasterfaster

Up　from　that　flaming　circle；　out　into　the　sky　leaped　a　thick；　pale　green　column　of　intensest　light。

With　prodigious　speed；　as　compact　as　water；　CONCENTRATE；　it　struckstraight　out　toward　the　face　of　the　sun。

It　thrust　up　with　the　speed　of　lightthe　speed　of　light？　A　thought　came　to　me；　incredible　I　believed　it　even　as　I　reacted　to　it。　My　pulse　is　uniformly　seventy　to　the　minute。　I　sought　my　wrist；　found　the　artery；　made　allowance　for　its　possible　acceleration；　began　to　count。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Drake。

〃Take　my　glasses；〃　I　muttered；　trying　to　keep　up；　while　speaking；　my　tally。　〃Matches　in　my　pocket。　Smoke　the　lenses。　I　want　to　look　at　sun。〃

With　a　look　of　stupefied　amazement　which；　at　another　time　I　would　have　found　laughable；　he　obeyed。

〃Hold　them　to　my　eyes；〃　I　ordered。

Three　minutes　had　gone　by。

There　it　wasthat　for　which　I　sought。　Clear　through　the　darkened　lenses　I　could　see　the　sun　spot；　high　up　on　the　northern…most　limb　of　the　sun。　An　unimaginable　cyclone　of　incandescent　gases；　an　unthinkably　huge　dynamo　pouring　its　floods　of　electro…magnetism　upon　all　the　circling　planets；　that　solar　crater　which　we　now　know　was；　when　at　its　maximum；　all　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　miles　across；　the　great　sun　spot　of　the　summer　of　1919the　most　enormous　ever　recorded　by　astronomical　science。

Five　minutes　had　gone　by。

Common　sense　whispered　to　me。　There　was　no　use　keeping　my　eyes　fixed　to　the　glasses。　Even　if　that　thought　were　trueeven　if　that　pillar　of　radiance　were　a　MESSENGER；　an　earth…hurled　bolt　flying　to　the　sun　through　atmosphere　and　outer　space　with　the　speed　of　light；　even　if　it　were　this　stupendous　creation　of　these　Things；　still　between　eight　and　nine　minutes　must　elapse　before　it　could　reach　the　orb；　and　as　many　minutes　must　go　by　before　the　image　of　whatever　its　impact　might　produce　upon　the　sun　could　pass　back　over　the　bridge　of　light　spanning　the　ninety　millions　of　miles　between　it　and　us。

And　after　all　did　not　that　hypothesis　belong　to　the　utterly　impossible？　Even　were　it　sowhat　was　it　that　the　Metal　Monster　expected　to　follow？　This　radiant　shaft；　colossal　as　it　was　to　us；　was　infinitesimal　compared　to　the　target　at　which　it　was　aimed。

What　possible　effect　could　that　spear　have　upon　the　solar　forces？

And　yetand　yeta　gnat's　bite　can　drive　an　elephant　mad。　And　Nature's　balance　is　delicate；　and　what　great　happenings　may　follow　the　slightest　disturbance　of　her　infinitely　sensitive；　her　complex；　equilibrium？　It　might　be　it　might　be

Eight　minutes　had　passed。

〃Take　the　glasses；〃　I　bade　Drake。　〃Look　up　at　the　sun　spotthe　big　one。〃

〃I　see　it。〃　He　had　obeyed　me。　〃What　of　it？〃

Nine　minutes。

The　shaft；　if　I　were　right；　had　by　now　touched　the　sun。　What　was　to　follow？

〃I　don't　get　you　at　all；〃　said　Drake；　and　lowered　the　glasses。

Ten　minutes。

〃What's　happening？　Look　at　the　Cones！　Look　at　the　Emperor！〃　gasped　Drake。


I　peered　down；　then　almost　forgot　to　count。

The　pyramidal　flame　that　had　been　the　mount　of　Cones　was　shrunken。　The　pillar　of　radiance　had　not　lessened　but　the　mechanism　that　was　its　source　had　retreated　whole　yards　within　the　field　of　its　crystal　base。

And　the　Metal　Emperor！　Dulled　and　faint　were　his　fires；　dimmed　his　splendors；　and　fainter　still　were　the　violet　luminescences　of　the　watching　Stars；　the　shimmering　livery　of　his　court。

The　Keeper　of　the　Cones！　Were　not　its　outstretched　planes　hovering　lower　and　lower　over　the　gleaming　tablet；　its　tentacles　moving　aimlessly；　feeblywearily？

I　had　a　sense　of　force　being　withdrawn　from　all　about　me。　It　was　as　though　all　the　City　were　being　drained　of　lifeas　though　vitality　were　being　sucked　from　it　to　feed　this　pyramid　of　radiance；　drained　from　it　to　forge　the　thrusting　spear　piercing　sunward。

The　Metal　People　seemed　to　hang　limply；　inert；　the　living　girders　seemed　to　sag；　the　living　columns　to　bend；　to　droop　and　to　sway。

Twelve　minut