the metal monster-第51节

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I　walked　over　to　the　pile　of　silken　stuffs；　took　the　cloak　and　tossed　it　to　her。　Ventnor　pointed　to　the　saddlebags。

〃You've　another　outfit　there；　Ruth；〃　he　said。　〃We'll　take　a　turn　through　the　place。　Call　us　when　you're　ready。　We'll　get　something　to　eat　and　go　see　what's　happeningout　there。〃

She　nodded。　We　passed　through　the　curtains　and　out　of　the　hall　into　the　chamber　that　had　been　Norhala's。　There　we　halted；　Drake　eyeing　Martin　with　a　certain　embarrassment。　The　older　man　thrust　out　his　hand　to　him。

〃I　knew　it；　Drake；〃　he　said。　〃Ruth　told　me　all　about　it　when　Cherkis　had　us。　And　I'm　very　glad。　It's　time　she　was　having　a　home　of　her　own　and　not　running　around　the　lost　places　with　me。　I'll　miss　hermiss　her　damnably；　of　course。　But　I'm　glad；　boyglad！〃

There　was　a　little　silence　while　each　looked　deep　into　each　other's　hearts。　Then　Ventnor　dropped　Dick's　hand。

〃And　that's　all　of　THAT；〃　he　said。　〃The　problem　before　us　ishow　are　we　going　to　get　back　home？〃

〃TheTHINGis　dead。〃　I　spoke　from　an　absolute　conviction　that　surprised　me；　based　as　it　was　upon　no　really　tangible；　known　evidence。

〃I　think　so；〃　he　said。　〃NoI　KNOW　so。　Yet　even　if　we　can　pass　over　its　body；　how　can　we　climb　out　of　its　lair？　That　slide　down　which　we　rode　with　Norhala　is　unclimbable。　The　walls　are　unscalable。　And　there　is　that　chasmshe　spanned　for　us。　How　can　we　cross　THAT？　The　tunnel　to　the　ruins　was　sealed。　There　remains　of　possible　roads　the　way　through　the　forest　to　what　was　the　City　of　Cherkis。　Frankly　I　am　loathe　to　take　it。

〃I　am　not　at　all　sure　that　all　the　armored　men　were　slainthat　some　few　may　not　have　escaped　and　be　lurking　there。　It　would　be　short　shrift　for　us　if　we　fell　into　their　hands　now。〃

〃And　I'm　not　sure　of　THAT；〃　objected　Drake。　〃I　think　their　pep　and　push　must　be　pretty　thoroughly　knocked　out　if　any　do　remain。　I　think　if　they　saw　us　coming　they'd　beat　it　so　fast　that　they'd　smoke　with　the　friction。〃

〃There's　something　to　that；〃　Ventnor　smiled。　〃Still　I'm　not　keen　on　taking　the　chance。　At　any　rate；　the　first　thing　to　do　is　to　see　what　happened　down　there　in　the　Pit。　Maybe　we'll　have　some　other　idea　after　that。〃

〃I　know　what　happened　there；〃　announced　Drake；　surprisingly。　〃It　was　a　short　circuit！〃

We　gaped　at　him；　mystified。

〃Burned　out！〃　said　Drake。　〃Every　damned　one　of　them　burned　out。　What　were　they；　after　all？　A　lot　of　living　dynamos。　Dynamotorsrather。　And　all　of　a　sudden　they　had　too　much　juice　turned　on。　Bang　went　their　insulations　whatever　they　were。

〃Bang　went　they。　Burned　outshort　circuited。　I　don't　pretend　to　know　why　or　how。　Nonsense！　I　do　know。　The　cones　were　some　kind　of　immensely　concentrated　force　electric；　magnetic；　either　or　both　or　more。　I　myself　believe　that　they　were　probably　solidin　a　way　of　speaking　coronium。

〃If　about　twenty　of　the　greatest　scientists　the　world　has　ever　known　are　right；　coronium　iswell；　call　it　curdled　energy。　The　electric　potentiality　of　Niagara　in　a　pin　point　of　dust　of　yellow　fire。　All　rightthey　or　IT　lost　control。　Every　pin　point　swelled　out　into　a　Niagara。　And　as　it　did　so；　it　expanded　from　a　controlled　dust　dot　to　an　uncontrolled　cataractin　other　words；　its　energy　was　unleashed　and　undammed。

〃Very　wellwhat　followed？　What　HAD　to　follow？　Every　living　battery　of　block　and　globe　and　spike　was　supercharged　and　wentblooey。　The　valley　must　have　been　some　sweet　little　volcano　while　that　short　circuiting　was　going　on。　All　rightlet's　go　down　and　see　what　it　did　to　your　unclimbable　slide　and　unscalable　walls；　Ventnor。　I'm　not　sure　we　won't　be　able　to　get　out　that　way。〃

〃Come　on；　everything's　ready；〃　Ruth　was　calling；　her　summoning　blocked　any　objection　we　might　have　raised　to　Drake's　argument。

It　was　no　dryad；　no　distressed　pagan　clad　maid　we　saw　as　we　passed　back　into　the　room　of　the　pool。　In　knickerbockers　and　short　skirt；　prim　and　self…possessed；　rebellious　curls　held　severely　in　place　by　close…fitting　cap　and　slender　feet　stoutly　shod；　Ruth　hovered　over　the　steaming　kettle　swung　above　the　spirit　lamp。

And　she　was　very　silent　as　we　hastily　broke　fast。　Nor　when　we　had　finished　did　she　go　to　Drake。　She　clung　close　to　her　brother　and　beside　him　as　we　set　forth　down　the　roadway；　through　the　rain；　toward　the　ledge　between　the　cliffs　where　the　veils　had　shimmered。

Hotter　and　hotter　it　grew　as　we　advanced；　the　air　steamed　like　a　Turkish　bath。　The　mists　clustered　so　thickly　that　at　last　we　groped　forward　step　by　step；　holding　to　each　other。

〃No　use；〃　gasped　Ventnor。　〃We　couldn't　see。　We'll　have　to　turn　back。〃

〃Burned　out！〃　said　Dick。　〃Didn't　I　tell　you？　The　whole　valley　was　a　volcano。　And　with　that　deluge　falling　in　itwhy　wouldn't　there　be　a　fog？　It's　why　there　IS　a　fog。　We'll　have　to　wait　until　it　clears。〃

We　trudged　back　to　the　blue　globe。

All　that　day　the　rain　fell。　Throughout　the　few　remaining　hours　of　daylight　we　wandered　over　the　house　of　Norhala；　examining　its　most　interesting　contents；　or　sat　theorizing；　discussing　all　phases　of　the　phenomena　we　had　witnessed。

We　told　Ruth　what　had　occurred　after　she　had　thrown　in　her　lot　with　Norhala；　and　of　the　enigmatic　struggle　between　the　glorious　Disk　and　the　sullenly　flaming　Thing　I　have　called　the　Keeper。

We　told　her　of　the　entombment　of　Norhala。

When　she　heard　that　she　wept。

〃She　was　sweet；〃　she　sobbed；　〃she　was　lovely。　And　she　was　beautiful。　Dearly　she　loved　me。　I　KNOW　she　loved　me。　Oh；　I　know　that　we　and　ours　and　that　which　was　hers　could　not　share　the　world　together。　But　it　comes　to　me　that　Earth　would　have　been　far　less　poisonous　with　those　that　were　Norhala's　than　it　is　with　us　and　ours！〃

Weeping；　she　passed　through　the　curtainings；　going　we　knew　to　Norhala's　chamber。

It　was　a　strange　thing　indeed　that　she　had　said；　I　thought；　watching　her　go。　That　the　garden　of　the　world　would　be　far　less　poisonous　blossoming　with　those　Things　of　wedded　crystal　and　metal　and　magnetic　fires　than　fertile　as　now　with　us　of　flesh　and　blood　and　bone。　To　me　came　appreciations　of　their　harmonies；　and　mingled　with　those　perceptions　were　others　of　humanitydisharmonious；　incoordinate；　ever　struggling；　ever　striving　to　destroy　itself

There　was　a　plaintive　whinnying　at　the　open　door。　A　long　and　hairy　face；　a　pair　of　patient；　inquiring　eyes　looked　in。　It　was　a　pony。　For　a　moment　it　regarded　usand　then　trotted　trustfully　through；　ambled　up　to　us；　poked　its　head　against　my　side。

It　had　been　ridden　by　one　of　the　Persians　whom　Ruth　had　killed；　for　under　it；　slipped　from　the　girths；　a　saddle　dangled。　And　its　owner　must　have　been　kind　to　itwe　knew　that　from　its　lack　of　fear　for　us。　Driven　by　the　tempest　of　the　night　before；　it　had　been　led　back　by　instinct　to　the　protection　of　man。

〃Some　luck！〃　breathed　Drake。

He　busied　himself　with　the　pony；　stripping　away　the　hanging　saddle；　grooming　it。





CHAPTER　XXXI

SLAG！

That　night　we　slept　well。　Awakening；　we　found　that　the　storm　had　grown　violent　again；　the　wind　roaring　and　the　rain　falling　in　such　volume　that　it　was　impossible　to　make　our　way　to　the　Pit。　Twice；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　we　tried；　but　the　smooth　roadway　was　a　torrent；　and；　drenched　even　through　our　oils　to　the　skin；　we　at　last　abandoned　the　attempt。　Ruth　and　Drake　drifted　away　together　among　the　other　chambers　of　the　globe；　they　were　absorbed　in　themselves；　and　we　did　not　thrust　ourselves　upon　them。　All　the　day　the　torrents　fell。

We　sat　down　that　night　to　what　was　well…nigh　the　last　of　Ventnor's　stores。　Seemingly　Ruth　had　forgotten　Norhala；　at　least；　she　spoke　no　more　of　her。

〃Martin；〃　she　said；　〃can't　we　start　back　tomorrow？　I　want　to　get　away。　I　want　to　get　back　to　our　own　world。〃

〃As　soon　as　the　storm　ceases；　Ruth；〃　he　answered；　〃we　start。　Little　sisterI　too　want　you　to　get　back　quickly。〃

The　next　morning　the　storm　had　gone。　We　awakened　soon　after　dawn　into　clear　and　brilliant　light。　We　had　a　silent　and　hurried　breakfast。　The　saddlebags　were　packed　and　strapped　upon　the　pony。　Within　them　were　what　we　could　carry　of　souvenirs　from　Norhala's　homea　suit　of　lacquered　armor；　a　pair　of　cloaks　and　sandals；　the　jeweled　combs。　Ruth　and　Drake　at　the　side　of　the　pony；　Ventnor　and　I　leading；　we　set　forth　toward　the　Pit。

〃We'll　probably　have　to　come　back；　Walter；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　believe　the　place　is　passable。〃

I　pointedwe　were　then　just　over　the　threshold　of　the　elfin　globe。　Where　the　veils　had　stretched　between　the　perpendicular　pillars　of　the　cliffs　was　now　a　wide　and　ragged…edged　opening。

The　roadway　which　had　run　so　smoothly　through　the　scarps　was　blocked　by　a　thousand　foot　barrier。　Over　it；　beyond　it；　I　could　see　through　the　crystalline　clarity　of　the　air　the　opposing　walls。

〃We　can　climb　it；〃　Ventnor　said。　We　passed　on　and　reached　the　base　of　the　barrier。　An　avalanche　had　dropped　there；　the　barricade　was　the　debris　of　the　torn　cliffs；　their　dust；　their　pebbles；　their　boulders。　We　toiled　up；　we　reached　the　crest；　we　looked　down　upon　the　valley。

When　first　we　had　seen　it　we　had　gazed　upon　a　sea　of　radiance　pierced　with　lanced　forests；　swept　with　gigantic　gonfalons　of　flame；　we　had　seen　it　emptied　of　its　fiery　mistsa　vast　slate　covered　with　the　chirography　of　a　mathematical　god；　we　had　seen　it　filled　with　the　symboling　of　the　Metal　Hordes　and　dominated　by　the　col