the metal monster-第39节

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〃They　came　long　before　dusk；〃　she　said。　〃By　the　night　before　Yuruk　had　won　to　Ruszark；　the　city　of　Cherkis；　and　long　before　dawn　they　were　on　their　way　hither。　This　the　black　dog　I　slew　told　me。〃

〃But　Yuruk　was　with　us　here　at　dawn　yesterday；〃　I　gasped。

〃A　night　has　passed　since　then；〃　she　said；　〃and　another　night　is　almost　gone。〃

Stunned；　I　considered　this。　If　this　were　trueand　not　for　an　instant　did　I　doubt　herthen　not　for　a　few　hours　had　we　lain　there　at　the　foot　of　the　living　wall　in　the　Hall　of　the　Conesbut　for　the　balance　of　that　day　and　that　night；　and　another　day　and　part　of　still　another　night。

〃What　does　she　say？〃　Drake　stared　anxiously　into　my　whitened　face。　I　told　him。

〃Yes。〃　Norhala　spoke　again。　〃The　dusk　before　the　last　dusk　that　has　passed　I　returned　to　my　house。　The　maid　was　there　and　sorrowing。　She　told　me　you　had　gone　into　the　valley；　prayed　me　to　help　you　and　to　bring　you　back。　I　comforted　her；　and　something　ofthe　peaceI　gave　her；　but　not　all；　for　she　fought　against　it。　A　little　we　played　together；　and　I　left　her　sleeping。　I　sought　you　and　found　you　also　sleeping。　I　knew　no　harm　would　come　to　you；　and　I　went　my　waysand　forgot　you。　Then　I　came　here　again　and　found　Yuruk　and　these　the　maid　had　slain。〃

The　great　eyes　flashed。

〃Now　do　I　honor　the　maid　for　the　battle　that　she　did；〃　she　said；　〃though　how　she　slew　so　many　strong　men　I　do　not　know。　My　heart　goes　out　to　her。　And　therefore　when　I　bring　her　back　she　shall　no　more　be　plaything　to　Norhala；　but　sister。　And　with　you　it　shall　be　as　she　wills。　And　woe　to　those　who　have　taken　her！〃

She　paused；　listening。　From　without　came　a　rising　storm　of　thin　wailings；　insistent　and　eager。

〃But　I　have　an　older　vengeance　than　this　to　take；〃　the　golden　voice　tolled　somberly。　〃Long　have　I　forgotten　and　shame　I　feel　that　I　had　forgot。　So　long　have　I　forgotten　all　hatreds；　all　lusts；　all　crueltyamongthese〃　She　thrust　a　hand　forth　toward　the　hidden　valley。　〃Forgot　dwelling　in　the　great　harmonies。　Save　for　you　and　what　has　befallen　I　would　never　have　stirred　from　them；　I　think。　But　now　awakened；　I　take　that　vengeance。　After　it　is　done〃she　paused〃after　it　is　over　I　shall　go　back　again。　For　this　awakening　has　in　it　nothing　of　the　ordered　joy　I　loveit　is　a　fierce　and　slaying　fire。　I　shall　go　back〃

The　shadow　of　her　far　dreaming　flitted　over；　softened　the　angry　brilliancy　of　her　eyes。

〃Listen；　you　two！〃　The　shadow　of　dream　fled。　〃Those　that　I　am　about　to　slay　are　evilevil　are　they　all；　men　and　women。　Long　have　they　been　soyea；　for　cycles　of　suns。　And　their　children　grow　like　themor　if　they　be　gentle　and　with　love　for　peace　they　are　slain　or　die　of　heartbreak。　All　this　my　mother　told　me　long　ago。　So　no　more　children　shall　be　born　from　them　either　to　suffer　or　to　grow　evil。〃

Again　she　paused；　nor　did　we　interrupt　her　musing。

〃My　father　ruled　Ruszark；〃　she　said　at　last。　〃Rustum　he　was　named；　of　the　seed　of　Rustum　the　Hero　even　as　was　my　mother。　They　were　gentle　and　good；　and　it　was　their　ancestors　who　built　Ruszark　when；　fleeing　from　the　might　of　Iskander；　they　were　sealed　in　the　hidden　valley　by　the　falling　mountain。

〃Then　there　sprang　from　one　of　the　families　of　the　noblesCherkis。　Evil；　evil　was　he；　and　as　he　grew　he　lusted　for　rule。　On　a　night　of　terror　he　fell　upon　those　who　loved　my　father　and　slew；　and　barely　had　my　father　time　to　fly　from　the　city　with　my　mother；　still　but　a　bride；　and　a　handful　of　those　loyal　to　him。

〃They　found　by　chance　the　way　to　this　place；　hiding　in　the　cleft　which　is　its　portal。　They　came；　and　they　were　taken　byThose　who　are　now　my　people。　Then　my　mother；　who　was　very　beautiful；　was　lifted　before　him　who　rules　here　and　she　found　favor　in　his　sight　and　he　had　built　for　her　this　house；　which　now　is　mine。

〃And　in　time　I　was　bornbut　not　in　this　house。　Nay　in　a　secret　place　of　light　where；　too；　are　born　my　people。〃

She　was　silent。　I　shot　a　glance　at　Drake。　The　secret　place　of　lightwas　it　not　that　vast　vault　of　mystery；　of　dancing　orbs　and　flames　transmuted　into　music　into　which　we　had　peered　and　for　which　sacrilege；　I　had　thought；　had　been　thrust　from　the　City？　And　did　in　this　lie　the　explanation　of　her　strangeness？　Had　she　there　sucked　in　with　her　mother's　milk　the　enigmatic　life　of　the　Metal　Hordes；　been　transformed　into　half　human　changeling；　become　true　kin　to　them？　What　else　could　explain


〃My　mother　showed　me　Ruszark；〃　her　voice；　taking　up　once　more　her　tale；　checked　my　thoughts。　〃Once　when　I　was　little　she　and　my　father　bore　me　through　the　forest　and　through　the　hidden　way。　I　looked　upon　Ruszarka　great　city　it　is　and　populous；　and　a　caldron　of　cruelty　and　of　evil。

〃Not　like　me　were　my　father　and　mother。　They　longed　for　their　kind　and　sought　ever　for　means　to　regain　their　place　among　them。　There　came　a　time　when　my　father；　driven　by　his　longing；　ventured　forth　to　Ruszark；　seeking　friends　to　help　him　regain　that　placefor　these　who　obey　me　obeyed　not　him　as　they　obey　me；　nor　would　he　have　marched　themas　I　shallupon　Ruszark　if　they　had　obeyed　him。

〃Cherkis　caught　him。　And　Cherkis　waited；　knowing　well　that　my　mother　would　follow。　For　Cherkis　knew　not　where　to　seek　her；　nor　where　they　had　lain　hid；　for　between　his　city　and　here　the　mountains　are　great；　unscalable；　and　the　way　through　them　is　cunningly　hidden；　by　chance　alone　did　my　mother's　mother　and　those　who　fled　with　her　discover　it：　And　though　they　tortured　him；　my　father　would　not　tell。　And　after　a　while　forthwith　those　who　still　remained　of　hers　stole　out　with　my　mother　to　find　him。　They　left　me　here　with　Yuruk。　And　Cherkis　caught　my　mother。〃

The　proud　breasts　heaved；　the　eyes　shot　forth　visible　flames。

〃My　father　was　flayed　alive　and　crucified；〃　she　said。　〃His　skin　they　nailed　to　the　City's　gates。　And　when　Cherkis　had　had　his　will　with　my　mother　he　threw　her　to　his　soldiers　for　their　sport。

〃All　of　those　who　went　with　them　he　tortured　and　slew　and　he　and　his　laughed　at　their　torment。　But　one　there　was　who　escaped　and　told　meme　who　was　little　more　than　a　budding　maid。　He　called　on　me　to　bring　vengeance　and　he　died。　A　year　passedand　I　am　not　like　my　mother　and　my　fatherand　I　forgotdwelling　here　in　the　great　tranquillities；　barred　from　and　having　no　thought　for　men　and　their　way。

〃AIE；　AIE！〃　she　cried；　〃woe　to　me　that　I　could　forget！　But　now　I　shall　take　my　vengeanceI；　Norhala；　will　stamp　them　flatCherkis　and　his　city　of　Ruszark　and　everything　it　holds！　I；　Norhala；　and　my　servants　shall　stamp　them　into　the　rock　of　their　valley　so　that　none　shall　know　that　they　have　been！　And　would　that　I　could　meet　their　gods　with　all　their　powers　that　I　might　break　them；　too；　and　stamp　them　into　the　rock　under　the　feet　of　my　servants！〃

She　threw　out　white　arms。

Why　had　Yuruk　lied　to　me？　I　wondered　as　I　watched　her。　The　Disk　had　not　slain　her　mother。　Of　course！　He　had　lied　to　play　upon　our　terrors；　had　lied　to　frighten　us　away。

The　wailings　were　rising　in　a　sustained　crescendo。　One　of　the　slaying　stars　slipped　over　the　chamber　floor；　folded　its　points　and　glided　out　the　door。

〃Come！〃　commanded　Norhala；　and　led　the　way。　The　second　star　closed；　followed　us。　We　stepped　over　the　threshold。

For　one　astounded；　breathless　moment　we　paused。　In　front　of　us　reared　a　monstera　colossal；　headless　Sphinx。　Like　forelegs　and　paws；　a　ridge　of　pointed　cubes；　and　globes　thrust　against　each　side　of　the　canyon　walls。　Between　them　for　two　hundred　feet　on　high　stretched　the　breast。

And　this　was　a　shifting；　weaving　mass　of　the　Metal　Things；　they　formed　into　gigantic　cuirasses；　giant　bucklers；　corselets　of　living　mail。　From　them　as　they　movednay；　from　all　the　monstercame　the　wailings。　Like　a　headless　Sphinx　it　crouchedand　as　we　stood　it　surged　forward　as　though　it　sprang　a　step　to　greet　us。

〃HAI！〃　shouted　Norhala；　battle　buglings　ringing　through　the　golden　voice。　〃HAI！　my　companies！〃

Out　from　the　summit　of　the　breast　shot　a　tremendous　trunk　of　cubes　and　spinning　globes。　And　like　a　trunk　it　nuzzled　us；　caught　us　up；　swept　us　to　the　crest。　An　instant　I　tottered　dizzily；　was　held；　stood　beside　Norhala　upon　a　little；　level　twinkling　eyed　platform；　upon　her　other　side　swayed　Drake。

Now　through　the　monster　I　felt　a　throbbing；　an　eager　and　impatient　pulse。　I　turned　my　head。　Still　like　some　huge　and　grotesque　beast　the　back　of　the　clustered　Things　ran　for　half　a　mile　at　least　behind；　tapering　to　a　dragon　tail　that　coiled　and　twisted　another　full　mile　toward　the　Pit。　And　from　this　back　uprose　and　fell　immense　spiked　and　fan…shaped　ruffs；　thickets　of　spikes；　whipping　knouts　of　bristling　tentacles；　fanged　crests。　They　thrust　and　waved；　whipped　and　fell　constantly；　and　constantly　the　great　tail　lashed　and　snapped；　fantastic；　long　and　living。

〃HAI！〃　shouted　Norhala　once　more。　From　her　lifted　throat　came　again　the　golden　chantingbut　now　a　relentless；　ruthless　song　of　slaughter。

Up　reared　the　monstrous　bulk。　Into　it　ran　the　dragon　tail。　Into　it　poured　the　fanged　and　bristling　back。

Up；　up　we　were　thrustthree　hundred　feet；　four　hundred；　five　hundred。　Over　the　blue　globe　of　Norhala's　house　bent　a　gigantic　leg。　Spiderlike　out　from　each　side　of　the　monster　thrust　half　a　score　of　others。

Overhead　the　dawn　began　to　break。　Through　it　with　ever　increasing　speed　we　moved