the metal monster-第9节

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From　the　lifted　throat　came　a　low；　a　vibrant　cry；　harmonious；　weirdly　disquieting；　golden　and　sweetand　laden　with　the　eery；　minor　wailings　of　the　blue　valley's　night；　the　dragoned　chamber。

Before　the　cry　had　ceased　there　poured　with　incredible　swiftness　out　of　the　crevice　score　upon　score　of　the　metal　things。　The　fissures　vomited　them！

Globes　and　cubes　and　pyramidsnot　small　like　those　of　the　ruins；　but　shapes　all　of　four　feet　high；　dully　lustrous；　and　deep　within　that　luster　the　myriads　of　tiny　points　of　light　like　unwinking；　staring　eyes。

They　swirled；　eddied　and　formed　a　barricade　between　us　and　the　armored　men。

Down　upon　them　poured　a　shower　of　arrows　from　the　soldiers。　I　heard　the　shouts　of　their　captains；　they　rushed。　They　had　couragethose　menyes！

Again　came　the　woman's　crygolden；　peremptory。

Sphere　and　block　and　pyramid　ran　together；　seemed　to　seethe。　I　had　again　that　sense　of　a　quicksilver　melting。　Up　from　them　thrust　a　thick　rectangular　column。　Eight　feet　in　width　and　twenty　feet　high；　it　shaped　itself。　Out　from　its　left　side；　from　right　side；　sprang　arms　fearful　arms　that　grew　and　grew　as　globe　and　cube　and　angle　raced　up　the　column's　side　and　clicked　into　place　each　upon；　each　after；　the　other。　With　magical　quickness　the　arms　lengthened。

Before　us　stood　a　monstrous　shape；　a　geometric　prodigy。　A　shining　angled　pillar　that；　though　rigid；　immobile；　seemed　to　crouch；　be　instinct　with　living　force　striving　to　be　unleashed。

Two　great　globes　surmounted　itlike　the　heads　of　some　two…faced　Janus　of　an　alien　world。

At　the　left　and　right　the　knobbed　arms；　now　fully　fifty　feet　in　length；　writhed；　twisted；　straightened；　flexing　themselves　in　grotesque　imitation　of　a　boxer。　And　at　the　end　of　each　of　the　six　arms　the　spheres　were　clustered　thick；　studded　with　the　pyramidsagain　in　gigantic；　awful；　parody　of　the　spiked　gloves　of　those　ancient　gladiators　who　fought　for　imperial　Nero。

For　an　instant　it　stood　here；　preening；　testing　itself　like　an　athletea　chimera；　amorphous　yet　weirdly　symmetric　under　the　darkening　sky；　in　the　green　of　the　hollow；　the　armored　hosts　frozen　before　it

And　thenit　struck！

Out　flashed　two　of　the　arms；　with　a　glancing　motion；　with　appalling　force。　They　sliced　into　the　close…packed　forward　ranks　of　the　armored　men；　cut　out　of　them　two　great　gaps。

Sickened；　I　saw　fragments　of　man　and　horse　fly。　Another　arm　javelined　from　its　place　like　a　flying　snake；　clicked　at　the　end　of　another；　became　a　hundred…foot　chain　which　swirled　like　a　flail　through　the　huddling　mass。　Down　upon　a　knot　of　the　soldiers　with　a　straight…forward　blow　drove　a　third　arm；　driving　through　them　like　a　giant　punch。

All　that　host　which　had　driven　us　from　the　ruins　threw　down　sword；　spear；　and　pike；　fled　shrieking。　The　horsemen　spurred　their　mounts；　riding　heedless　over　the　footmen　who　fled　with　them。

The　Smiting　Thing　seemed　to　watch　them　go　with　AMUSEMENT！

Before　they　could　cover　a　hundred　yards　it　had　disintegrated。　I　heard　the　little　wailing　soundsthen　behind　the　fleeing　men；　close　behind　them；　rose　the　angled　pillar；　into　place　sprang　the　flexing　arms；　and　again　it　took　its　toll　of　them。

They　scattered；　running　singly；　by　twos；　in　little　groups；　for　the　sides　of　the　valley。　They　were　like　rats　scampering　in　panic　over　the　bottom　of　a　great　green　bowl。　And　like　a　monstrous　cat　the　shape　played　with　themyes；　PLAYED。

It　melted　once　moretook　new　form。　Where　had　been　pillar　and　flailing　arms　was　now　a　tripod　thirty　feet　high；　its　legs　alternate　globe　and　cube　and　upon　its　apex　a　wide　and　spinning　ring　of　sparkling　spheres。　Out　from　the　middle　of　this　ring　stretched　a　tentaclewrithing；　undulating　like　a　serpent　of　steel；　four　score　yards　at　least　in　length。

At　its　end　cube；　globe　and　pyramid　had　mingled　to　form　a　huge　trident。　With　the　three　long　prongs　of　this　trident　the　thing　struck；　swiftly；　with　fearful　precisionJOYOUSLY　tining　those　who　fled；　forking　them；　tossing　them　from　its　points　high　in　air。

It　was；　I　think；　that　last　touch　of　sheer　horror；　the　playfulness　of　the　Smiting　Thing；　that　sent　my　dry　tongue　to　the　roof　of　my　terror…parched　mouth；　and　held　open　with　monstrous　fascination　eyes　that　struggled　to　close。

Ever　the　armored　men　fled　from　it；　and　ever　was　it　swifter　than　they；　teetering　at　their　heels　on　its　tripod　legs。

From　half　its　length　the　darting　snake　streamed　red　rain。

I　heard　a　sigh　from　Ruth；　wrested　my　gaze　from　the　hollow；　turned。　She　lay　fainting　in　Drake's　arms。

Beside　the　two　the　swathed　woman　stood；　looking　out　upon　that　slaughter；　calm　and　still；　shrouded　with　an　unearthly　tranquillityviewing　it；　it　came　to　me；　with　eyes　impersonal；　cold；　indifferent　as　the　untroubled　stars　which　look　down　upon　hurricane　and　earthquake　in　this　world　of　ours。

There　was　a　rushing　of　many　feet　at　our　left；　a　wail　from　Chiu…Ming。　Were　they　maddened　by　fear；　driven　by　despair；　determined　to　slay　before　they　themselves　were　slain？　I　do　not　know。　But　those　who　still　lived　of　the　men　from　the　tunnel　mouth　were　charging　us。

They　clustered　close；　their　shields　held　before　them。　They　had　no　bows；　these　men。　They　moved　swiftly　down　upon　us　in　silenceswords　and　pikes　gleaming。

The　Smiting　Thing　rocked　toward　us；　the　metal　tentacle　straining　out　like　a　rigid；　racing　serpent；　flying　to　cut　between　its　weird　mistress　and　those　who　menaced　her。

I　heard　Chiu…Ming　scream；　saw　him　throw　up　his　hands；　cover　his　eyesrun　straight　upon　the　pikes！

〃Chiu…Ming！〃　I　shouted。　〃Chiu…Ming！　This　way！〃

I　ran　toward　him。　Before　I　had　gone　five　paces　Ventnor　flashed　by　me；　revolver　spitting。　I　saw　a　spear　thrown。　It　struck　the　Chinaman　squarely　in　the　breast。　He　tottered　fell　upon　his　knees。

Even　as　he　dropped；　the　giant　flail　swept　down　upon　the　soldiers。　It　swept　through　them　like　a　scythe　through　ripe　grain。　It　threw　them；　broken　and　torn；　far　toward　the　valley's　sloping　sides。　It　left　only　fragments　that　bore　no　semblance　to　men。

Ventnor　was　at　Chiu…Ming's　head；　I　dropped　beside　him。　There　was　a　crimson　froth　upon　his　lips。

〃I　thought　that　Shin…Je　was　about　to　slay　us；〃　he　whispered。　〃Fear　blinded　me。〃

His　head　dropped；　his　body　quivered；　lay　still。

We　arose；　looked　about　us　dazedly。　At　the　side　of　the　crevice　stood　the　woman；　her　gaze　resting　upon　Drake；　his　arms　about　Ruth；　her　head　hidden　on　his　breast。

The　valley　was　emptysave　for　the　huddled　heaps　that　dotted　it。

High　up　on　the　mountain　path　a　score　of　figures　crept；　all　that　were　left　of　those　who　but　a　little　before　had　streamed　down　to　take　us　captive　or　to　slay。　High　up　in　the　darkening　heavens　the　lammergeiers；　the　winged　scavengers　of　the　Himalayas；　were　gathering。

The　woman　lifted　her　hand；　beckoned　us　once　more。　Slowly　we　walked　toward　her；　stood　before　her。　The　great　clear　eyes　searched　usbut　no　more　intently　than　our　own　wondering　eyes　did　her。





CHAPTER　VI

NORHALA　OF　THE　LIGHTNINGS

We　looked　upon　a　vision　of　loveliness　such；　I　think；　as　none　has　beheld　since　Trojan　Helen　was　a　maid。　At　first　all　I　could　note　were　the　eyes；　clear　as　rain…washed　April　skies；　crystal　clear　as　some　secret　spring　sacred　to　crescented　Diana。　Their　wide　gray　irises　were　flecked　with　golden　amber　and　sapphireflecks　that　shone　like　clusters　of　little　aureate　and　azure　stars。

Then　with　a　strange　thrill　of　wonder　I　saw　that　these　tiny　constellations　were　not　in　the　irises　alone；　that　they　clustered　even　within　the　pupilsdeep　within　them；　like　far…flung　stars　in　the　depths　of　velvety；　midnight　heavens。

Whence　had　come　those　cold　fires　that　had　flared　from　them；　I　wonderedmore　menacing；　far　more　menacing；　in　their　cold　tranquillity　than　the　hot　flames　of　wrath？　These　eyes　were　not　perilousno。　Calm　they　were　and　stillyet　in　them　a　shadow　of　interest　flickered；　a　ghost　of　friendliness　smiled。

Above　them　were　level；　delicately　penciled　brows　of　bronze。　The　lips　were　coral　crimson　andasleep。　Sweet　were　those　lips　as　ever　master　painter；　dreaming　his　dream　of　the　very　soul　of　woman's　sweetness；　saw　in　vision　and　limned　upon　his　canvasand　asleep；　nor　wistful　for　awakening。

A　proud；　straight　nose；　a　broad　low　brow；　and　over　it　the　masses　of　the　tendriling　tressestawny；　lustrous　topaz；　cloudy；　METALLIC。　Like　spun　silk　of　ruddy　copper；　and　misty　as　the　wisps　of　cloud　that　Soul'tze；　Goddess　of　Sleep；　sets　in　the　skies　of　dawn　to　catch　the　wandering　dreams　of　lovers。

Down　from　the　wondrous　face　melted　the　rounded　column　of　her　throat　to　merge　into　exquisite　curves　of　shoulders　and　breasts；　half　revealed　beneath　the　swathing　veils。

But　upon　that　face；　within　her　eyes；　kissing　her　red　lips　and　clothing　her　breasts；　was　something　unearthly。

Something　that　came　straight　out　of　the　still　mysteries　of　the　star…filled　spaces；　out　of　the　ordered；　the　untroubled；　the　illimitable　void。

A　passionless　spirit　that　watched　over　the　human　passion　in　the　scarlet　mouth；　in　every　slumbering；　sculptured　line　of　herguarding　her　against　its　awakening。

Twilight　calm　dropping　down　from　the　sun　sleep　to　still　the　restless　mountain　tarn。　Ishtar　dreamlessly　asleep　within　Nirvana。

Something　not　of　this　world　we　knowand　yet　of　it　as　the　winds　of　the　Cosmos　are　to　the　summer　breeze；　the　ocean　to　the　wave；　the　lightnings　t