the metal monster-第44节

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there　were　gardens　gay　with　blossoms　in　which　fountains　sparkled；　green　groves；　thousands　upon　thousands　of　bright　multicolored　pennants；　banners；　fluttered。

A　fair；　a　lovely　city　was　Cherkis's　stronghold　of　Ruszark。

Its　beauty　filled　the　eyes；　out　from　it　streamed　the　fragrance　of　its　gardensthe　voice　of　its　agony　was　that　of　the　souls　in　Dis。

The　row　of　destroying　shapes　lengthened；　each　huge　warrior　of　metal　drawing　far　apart　from　its　mates。　They　flexed　their　manifold　arms；　shadow　boxedgrotesquely；　dreadfully。

Down　struck　the　flails；　the　sledges。　Beneath　the　blows　the　buildings　burst　like　eggshells；　their　fragments　burying　the　throngs　fighting　for　escape　in　the　thoroughfares　that　threaded　them。　Over　their　ruins　we　moved。

Down　and　ever　down　crashed　the　awful　sledges。　And　ever　under　them　the　city　crumbled。

There　was　a　spider　Shape　that　crawled　up　the　wide　stairway　hammering　into　the　stone　those　who　tried　to　flee　before　it。

Stride　by　stride　the　Destroying　Things　ate　up　the　city。


I　felt　neither　wrath　nor　pity。　Through　me　beat　a　jubilant　roaring　pulseas　though　I　were　a　shouting　corpuscle　of　the　rushing　hurricane；　as　though　I　were　one　of　the　hosts　of　smiting　spirits　of　the　bellowing　typhoon。

Through　this　stole　another　thoughtvague；　unfamiliar；　yet　seemingly　of　truth's　own　essence。　Why；　I　wondered；　had　I　never　recognized　this　before？　Why　had　I　never　known　that　these　green　forms　called　trees　were　but　ugly；　unsymmetrical　excrescences？　That　these　high　projections　of　towers；　these　buildings　were　deformities？

That　these　four…pronged；　moving　little　shapes　that　screamed　and　ran　werehideous？

They　must　be　wiped　out！　All　this　misshapen；　jumbled；　inharmonious　ugliness　must　be　wiped　out！　It　must　be　ground　down　to　smooth　unbroken　planes；　harmonious　curvings；　shapelinessharmonies　of　arc　and　line　and　angle！

Something　deep　within　me　fought　to　speakfought　to　tell　me　that　this　thought　was　not　human　thought；　not　my　thoughtthat　it　was　the　reflected　thought　of　the　Metal　Things！

It　told　meand　fiercely　it　struggled　to　make　me　realize　what　it　was　that　it　told。　Its　insistence　was　borne　upon　little　despairing；　rhythmic　beatingsthrobbings　that　were　like　the　muffled　sobbings　of　the　drums　of　grief。　Louder；　closer　came　the　throbbing；　clearer　with　it　my　perception　of　the　inhumanness　of　my　thought。

The　drum　beat　tapped　at　my　humanity；　became　a　dolorous　knocking　at　my　heart。

It　was　the　sobbing　of　Cherkis！

The　gross　face　was　shrunken；　the　cheeks　sagging　in　folds　of　woe；　cruelty　and　wickedness　were　wiped　from　it；　the　evil　in　the　eyes　had　been　washed　out　by　tears。　Eyes　streaming；　bull　throat　and　barrel　chest　racked　by　his　sobbing；　he　watched　the　passing　of　his　people　and　his　city。

And　relentlessly；　coldly；　Norhala　watched　himas　though　loath　to　lose　the　faintest　shadow　of　his　agony。

Now　I　saw　we　were　close　to　the　top　of　the　mount。　Packed　between　us　and　the　immense　white　structures　that　crowned　it　were　thousands　of　the　people。　They　fell　on　their　knees　before　us；　prayed　to　us。　They　tore　at　each　other；　striving　to　hide　themselves　from　us　in　the　mass　that　was　themselves。　They　beat　against　the　barred　doors　of　the　sanctuaries；　they　climbed　the　pillars；　they　swarmed　over　the　golden　roofs。

There　was　a　moment　of　chaosa　chaos　of　which　we　were　the　heart。　Then　temple　and　palace　cracked；　burst；　were　shattered；　fell。　I　caught　glimpses　of　gleaming　sculptures；　glitterings　of　gold　and　of　silver；　flashing　of　gems；　shimmering　of　gorgeous　draperiesunder　them　a　weltering　of　men　and　women。

We　closed　down　upon　themover　them！

The　dreadful　sobbing　ceased。　I　saw　the　head　of　Cherkis　swing　heavily　upon　a　shoulder；　the　eyes　closed。

The　Destroying　Things　touched。　Their　flailing　arms　coiled　back；　withdrew　into　their　bodies。　They　joined；　forming　for　an　instant　a　tremendous　hollow　pillar　far　down　in　whose　center　we　stood。　They　parted；　shifted　in　shape？　rolled　down　the　mount　over　the　ruins　like　a　widening　wave　crushing　into　the　stone　all　over　which　they　passed。

Afar　away　I　saw　the　gleaming　serpent　still　at　play　still　writhing　among；　still　obliterating　the　few　score　scattered　fugitives　that　some　way；　somehow；　had　slipped　by　the　Destroying　Things。

We　halted。　For　one　long　moment　Norhala　looked　upon　the　drooping　body　of　him　upon　whom　she　had　let　fall　this　mighty　vengeance。

Then　the　metal　arm　that　held　Cherkis　whirled。　Thrown　from　it；　the　cloaked　form　flew　like　a　great　blue　bat。　It　fell　upon　the　flattened　mound　that　had　once　been　the　proud　crown　of　his　city。　A　blue　blot　upon　desolation　the　broken　body　of　Cherkis　lay。

A　black　speck　appeared　high　in　the　sky；　grew　fast　the　lammergeier。

〃I　have　left　carrion　for　youafter　all！〃　cried　Norhala。

With　an　ebon　swirling　of　wings　the　vulture　dropped　beside　the　blue　heapthrust　in　it　its　beak。





CHAPTER　XXVII

〃THE　DRUMS　OF　DESTINY〃

Slowly　we　descended　that　mount　of　desolation；　lingeringly；　as　though　the　brooding　eyes　of　Norhala　were　not　yet　sated　with　destruction。　Of　human　life；　of　green　life；　of　life　of　any　kind　there　was　none。

Man　and　tree；　woman　and　flower；　babe　and　bud；　palace；　temple　and　homeNorhala　had　stamped　flat。　She　had　crushed　them　within　the　rockeven　as　she　had　promised。

The　tremendous　tragedy　had　absorbed　my　every　faculty；　I　had　had　no　time　to　think　of　my　companions；　I　had　forgotten　them。　Now　in　the　painful　surges　of　awakening　realization；　of　full　human　understanding　of　that　inhuman　annihilation；　I　turned　to　them　for　strength。　Faintly　I　wondered　again　at　Ruth's　scantiness　of　garb；　her　more　than　half　nudity；　dwelt　curiously　upon　the　red　brand　across　Ventnor's　forehead。

In　his　eyes　and　in　Drake's　I　saw　reflected　the　horror　I　knew　was　in　my　own。　But　in　the　eyes　of　Ruth　was　none　of　thissternly；　coldly　triumphant；　indifferent　to　its　piteousness　as　Norhala　herself；　she　scanned　the　waste　that　less　than　an　hour　since　had　been　a　place　of　living　beauty。

I　felt　a　shock　of　repulsion。　After　all；　those　who　had　been　destroyed　so　ruthlessly　could　not　ALL　have　been　wholly　evil。　Yet　mother　and　blossoming　maid；　youth　and　oldster；　all　the　pageant　of　humanity　within　the　great　walls　were　now　but　lines　within　the　stone。　According　to　their　different　lights；　it　came　to　me；　there　had　been　in　Ruszark　no　greater　number　of　the　wicked　than　one　could　find　in　any　great　city　of　our　own　civilization。

From　Norhala；　of　course；　I　looked　for　no　perception　of　any　of　this。　But　from　Ruth

My　reaction　grew；　the　pity　long　withheld　racing　through　me　linked　with　a　burning　anger；　a　hatred　for　this　woman　who　had　been　the　directing　soul　of　that　catastrophe。

My　gaze　fell　again　upon　the　red　brand。　I　saw　that　it　was　a　deep　indentation　as　though　a　thong　had　been　twisted　around　Ventnor's　head　biting　the　bone。　There　was　dried　blood　on　the　edges；　a　double　ring　of　swollen　white　flesh　rimming　the　cincture。　It　was　the　mark　oftorture！

〃Martin；〃　I　cried。　〃That　ring？　What　did　they　do　to　you？〃

〃They　waked　me　with　that；〃　he　answered　quietly。　〃I　suppose　I　ought　to　be　gratefulalthough　their　intentions　were　not　exactlytherapeutic〃

〃They　tortured　him；〃　Ruth's　voice　was　tense；　bitter；　she　spoke　in　Persianfor　Norhala's　benefit　I　thought　then；　not　guessing　a　deeper　reason。　〃They　tortured　him。　They　gave　him　agony　until　hereturned。　And　they　promised　him　other　agonies　that　would　make　him　pray　long　for　death。

〃And　meme〃she　raised　little　clenched　hands〃me　they　stripped　like　a　slave。　They　led　me　through　the　city　and　the　people　mocked　me。　They　took　me　before　that　swine　Norhala　has　punishedand　stripped　me　before　him　like　a　slave。　Before　my　eyes　they　tortured　my　brother。　Norhalathey　were　evil；　all　evil！　Norhalayou　did　well　to　slay　them！〃

She　caught　the　woman's　hands；　pressed　close　to　her。　Norhala　gazed　at　her　from　great　gray　eyes　in　which　the　wrath　was　dying；　into　which　the　old　tranquillity；　the　old　serenity　was　flowing。　And　when　she　spoke　the　golden　voice　held　more　than　returning　echoes　of　the　far…away；　faint　chimings。

〃It　is　done；〃　she　said。　〃And　it　was　well　donesister。　Now　you　and　I　shall　dwell　together　in　peacesister。　Or　if　there　be　those　in　the　world　from　which　you　came　that　you　would　have　slain；　then　you　and　I　shall　go　forth　with　our　companies　and　stamp　them　outeven　as　I　did　these。〃

My　heart　stopped　beatingfor　from　the　depths　of　Ruth's　eyes　shining　shadows　were　rising；　wraiths　answering　Norhala's　calling；　and；　as　they　rose；　steadily　they　drew　life　from　the　clear　radiance　summoningdrew　closer　to　the　semblance　of　that　tranquil　spirit　which　her　vengeance　had　banished　but　that　had　now　returned　to　its　twin　thrones　of　Norhala's　eyes。

And　at　last　it　was　twin　sister　of　Norhala　who　looked　upon　her　from　the　face　of　Ruth！

The　white　arms　of　the　woman　encircled　her；　the　glorious　head　bent　over　her；　flaming　tresses　mingled　with　tender　brown　curls。

〃Sister！〃　she　whispered。　〃Little　sister！　These　men　you　shall　have　as　long　as　it　pleases　youto　do　with　as　you　will。　Or　if　it　is　your　wish　they　shall　go　back　to　their　world　and　I　will　guard　them　to　its　gates。

〃But　you　and　I；　little　sister；　will　dwell　togetherin　the　vastnessesin　the　peace。　Shall　it　not　be　so？〃

With　no　faltering；　with　no　glance　toward　us　three　lover；　brother；　old　friendRuth　crept　closer　to　her；　rested　her　head　upon　the　virginal；　royal　breasts。