the moon pool-第12章

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ance。〃



〃Wait　a　minute；　Goodwin；〃　interrupted　O'Keefe。　　〃Do

you　mean　to　say　you　think　that　this　thing　is　made　ofwell

of　moonshine？〃



〃Moonlight；〃　I　replied；　〃is；　of　course；　reflected　sunlight。

But　the　rays　which　pass　back　to　earth　after　their　impact　on

the　moon's　surface　are　profoundly　changed。　　The　spectro…

scope　shows　that　they　lose　practically　all　the　slower　vibra…

tions　we　call　red　and　infra…red；　while　the　extremely　rapid

vibrations　we　call　the　violet　and　ultra…violet　are　accelerated

and　altered。　　Many　scientists　hold　that　there　is　an　unknown

element　in　the　moonperhaps　that　which　makes　the　gigantic

luminous　trails　that　radiate　in　all　directions　from　the　lunar

crater　Tychowhose　energies　are　absorbed　by　and　carried

on　the　moon　rays。







〃At　any　rate；　whether　by　the　loss　of　the　vibrations　of　the

red　or　by　the　addition　of　this　mysterious　force；　the　light　of

the　moon　becomes　something　entirely　different　from　mere

modified　sunlightjust　as　the　addition　or　subtraction　of　one

other　chemical　in　a　compound　of　several　makes　the　product

a　substance　with　entirely　different　energies　and　potentiali…

ties。



〃Now　these　rays；　Larry；　are　given　perhaps　still　another

mysterious　activity　by　the　globes　through　which　Throck…

martin　said　they　passed　in　the　Chamber　of　the　Moon　Pool。

The　result　is　the　necessary　factor　in　the　formation　of　the

Dweller。　　There　would　be　nothing　scientifically　improbable

in　such　a　process。　　Kubalski；　the　great　Russian　physicist；　pro…

duced　crystalline　forms　exhibiting　every　faculty　that　we　call

vital　by　subjecting　certain　combinations　of　chemicals　to　the

action　of　highly　concentrated　rays　of　various　colours。　　Some…

thing　in　light　and　nothing　else　produced　their　pseudo…vitality。

We　do　not　begin　to　know　how　to　harness　the　potentialities　of

that　magnetic　vibration　of　the　ether　we　call　light。〃



〃Listen；　Doc；〃　said　Larry　earnestly；　〃I'll　take　everything

you　say　about　this　lost　continent；　the　people　who　used　to　live

on　it；　and　their　caverns；　for　granted。　　But　by　the　sword　of

Brian　Boru；　you'll　never　get　me　to　fall　for　the　idea　that　a

bunch　of　moonshine　can　handle　a　big　woman　such　as　you

say　Throckmartin's　Thora　was；　nor　a　two…fisted　man　such　as

you　say　Throckmartin　was；　nor　Huldricksson's　wifeand

I'll　bet　she　was　one　of　those　strapping　big　northern　women

tooyou'll　never　get　me　to　believe　that　any　bunch　of　con…

centrated　moonshine　could　handle　them　and　take　them

waltzing　off　along　a　moonbeam　back　to　wherever　it　goes。

No；　Doc；　not　on　your　life；　even　Tennessee　moonshine

couldn't　do　thatnix！〃



〃All　right；　O'Keefe；〃　I　answered；　now　very　much　irritated

indeed。　　〃What's　your　theory？〃　And　I　could　not　resist　add…

ing：　〃Fairies？〃



〃Professor；〃　he　grinned；　〃if　that　Thing's　a　fairy　it's　Irish

and　when　it　sees　me　it'll　be　so　glad　there'll　be　nothing　to　it。

'I　was　lost；　strayed；　or　stolen；　Larry　avick；'　it'll　say；　'an'　I

was　so　homesick　for　the　old　sod　I　was　desp'rit；'　it'll　say；　an'

'take　me　back　quick　before　I　do　any　more　har…rm！'　it'll　tell

mean'　that's　the　truth。



〃Now　don't　get　me　wrong。　　I　believe　you　all　saw　something

all　right。　　But　what　I　think　you　saw　was　some　kind　of　gas。

All　this　region　is　volcanic　and　islands　and　things　are　con…

stantly　poking　up　from　the　sea。　　It's　probably　gas；　a　volcanic

emanation；　something　new　to　us　and　that　drives　you　crazy

lots　of　kinds　of　gas　do　that。　　It　hit　the　Throckmartin　party

on　that　island　and　they　probably　were　all　more　or　less　de…

lirious　all　the　time；　thought　they　saw　things；　talked　it　over

andcollective　hallucinationjust　like　the　Angels　of　Mons

and　other　miracles　of　the　war。　　Somebody　sees　something

that　looks　like　something　else。　　He　points　it　out　to　the　man

next　him。　　'Do　you　see　it？'　asks　he。　　'Sure　I　see　it；'　says　the

other。　　And　there　you　arecollective　hallucination。



〃When　your　friends　got　it　bad　they　most　likely　jumped

overboard　one　by　one。　　Huldricksson　sails　into　a　place　where

it　is　and　it　hits　his　wife。　　She　grabs　the　child　and　jumps　over。

Maybe　the　moon　rays　make　it　luminous！　　I've　seen　gas　on　the

front　under　the　moon　that　looked　like　a　thousand　whirling

dervish　devils。　　Yes；　and　you　could　see　the　devil's　faces　in　it。

And　if　it　got　into　your　lungs　nothing　could　ever　make　you

think　you　hadn't　seen　real　devils。〃



For　a　time　I　was　silent。



〃Larry；〃　I　said　at　last；　〃whether　you　are　right　or　I　am

right；　I　must　go　to　the　Nan…Matal。　　Will　you　go　with　me；

Larry？〃



〃Goodwin；〃　he　replied；　〃I　surely　will。　　I'm　as　interested　as

you　are。　　If　we　don't　run　across　the　Dolphin　I'll　stick。　　I'll

leave　word　at　Ponape；　to　tell　them　where　I　am　should　they

come　along。　　If　they　report　me　dead　for　a　while　there's　no…

body　to　care。　　So　that's　all　right。　　Only　old　man；　be　reasonable。

You've　thought　over　this　so　long；　you're　going　bug；　honestly

you　are。〃



And　again；　the　gladness　that　I　might　have　Larry　O'Keefe

with　me；　was　so　great　that　I　forgot　to　be　angry。











CHAPTER　X



The　Moon　Pool





DA　COSTA；　who　had　come　aboard　unnoticed　by　either　of　us；

now　tapped　me　on　the　arm。



〃Doctair　Goodwin；〃　he　said；　〃can　I　see　you　in　my　cabin；

sair？〃



At　last；　then；　he　was　going　to　speak。　　I　followed　him。



〃Doctair；〃　he　said；　when　we　had　entered；　〃this　is　a　veree

strange　thing　that　has　happened　to　Olaf。　　Veree　strange。　　An'

the　natives　of　Ponape；　they　have　been　very　much　excite'

lately。



〃Of　what　they　fear　I　know　nothing；　nothing！〃　Again　that

quick；　furtive　crossing　of　himself。　　〃But　this　I　have　to　tell

you。　　There　came　to　me　from　Ranaloa　last　month　a　man；　a

Russian；　a　doctair；　like　you。　　His　name　it　was　Marakinoff。　　I

take　him　to　Ponape　an'　the　natives　there　they　will　not　take

him　to　the　Nan…Matal　where　he　wish　to　gono！　　So　I　take

him。　　We　leave　in　a　boat；　wit'　much　instrument　carefully　tied

up。　I　leave　him　there　wit'　the　boat　an'　the　food。　　He　tell　me

to　tell　no　one　an'　pay　me　not　to。　　But　you　are　a　friend　an'

Olaf　he　depend　much　upon　you　an'　so　I　tell　you；　sair。〃



〃You　know　nothing　more　than　this；　Da　Costa？〃　I　asked。

〃Nothing　of　another　expedition？〃



〃No；〃　he　shook　his　head　vehemently。　　〃Nothing　more。〃



〃Hear　the　name　Throckmartin　while　you　were　there？〃

I　persisted。



〃No；〃　his　eyes　were　steady　as　he　answered　but　the　pallor

had　crept　again　into　his　face。



I　was　not　so　sure。　　But　if　he　knew　more　than　he　had　told

me　why　was　he　afraid　to　speak？　　My　anxiety　deepened　and

later　I　sought　relief　from　it　by　repeating　the　conversation　to

O'Keefe。



〃A　Russian；　eh；〃　he　said。　　〃Well；　they　can　be　damned　nice；

or　damnedotherwise。　　Considering　what　you　did　for　me；　I

hope　I　can　look　him　over　before　the　Dolphin　shows　up。〃



Next　morning　we　raised　Ponape；　without　further　incident；

and　before　noon　the　Suwarna　and　the　Brunhilda　had　dropped

anchor　in　the　harbour。　　Upon　the　excitement　and　manifest

dread　of　the　natives；　when　we　sought　among　them　for　car…

riers　and　workmen　to　accompany　us；　I　will　not　dwell。　　It　is

enough　to　say　that　no　payment　we　offered　could　induce　a

single　one　of　them　to　go　to　the　Nan…Matal。　　Nor　would　they

say　why。



Finally　it　was　agreed　that　the　Brunhilda　should　be　left　in

charge　of　a　half…breed　Chinaman；　whom　both　Da　Costa　and

Huldricksson　knew　and　trusted。　　We　piled　her　long…boat　up

with　my　instruments　and　food　and　camping　equipment。　　The

Suwarna　took　us　around　to　Metalanim　Harbour；　and　there；

with　the　tops　of　ancient　sea　walls　deep　in　the　blue　water　be…

neath　us；　and　the　ruins　looming　up　out　of　the　mangroves；　a

scant　mile　from　us；　left　us。



Then　with　Huldricksson　manipulating　our　small　sail；　and

Larry　at　the　rudder；　we　rounded　the　titanic　wall　that　swept

down　into　the　depths；　and　turned　at　last　into　the　canal　that

Throckmartin；　on　his　map；　had　marked　as　that　which；　run…

ning　between　frowning　Nan…Tauach　and　its　satellite　islet；

Tau；　led　straight　to　the　gate　of　the　place　of　ancient　mysteries。



And　as　we　entered　that　channel　we　were　enveloped　by　a

silence；　a　silence　so　intense；　soweighted　that　it　seemed　to

have　substance；　an　alien　silence　that　clung　and　stifled　and

still　stood　aloof　from　usthe　living。　　It　was　a　stillness；　such

as　might　follow　the　long　tramping　of　millions　into　the　grave；

it　wasparadoxical　as　it　may　befilled　with　the　withdrawal

of　life。



Standing　down　in　the　chambered　depths　of　the　Great

Pyramid　I　had　known　something　of　such　silencebut　never

such　intensity　as　this。　　Larry　felt　it　and　I　saw　him　look　at　me

askance。　　If　Olaf；　sitting　in　the　bow；　felt　it；　too；　he　gave　no

sign；　his　blue　eyes；　with　again　the　glint　of　ice　within　them；

watched　the　channel　before　us。



As　we　passed；　there　arose　upon　our　left　sheer　walls　of

black　basalt　blocks；　cyclopean；　towering　fifty　feet　or　more；

broken　here　and　there　by　the　sinking　of　their　deep　founda…

tions。



In　front　of　us　the　mangroves　widened　out　and　filled　the

acanal。　　On　our　right　the　lesser　walls　of　Tau；　sombre　blocks

smoothed　and　squared　and　set　with　a　cold；　mathematical

nicety　that　filled　me　with　vague　awe；　slipped　by。　　Through

breaks　I　caught　glimpses　of　dark　ruins　and　of　great　fallen

stones　that　seemed　to　crouch　and　menace　us；　as　we　passed。

Somewhere　there；　hidden；　were　the　seven　globes　that　poured

the　moon　fire　down　upon　the　Moon　Pool。



Now　we　were　among　the　mangroves　and；　sail　down；　the

three　of　us　pushed　and　pulled　the　boat　through　their　tangled

roots　and　branches。　　The　noise　of　our　passing　split　the　silence

like　a　profanation；　and　from　the　ancient　bastions　came　mur…

mursforbidding；　strangely　sinister。　　And　now　we　were

through；　floating　on　a　little　open　space　of　shadow…filled

water。　　Before　us　lifted　the　gateway　of　Nan…Tauach；　gigantic；

broken；　incredibly　old；　shattered　portals　through　which　had

passed　men　and　women　of　earth's　dawn；　old　with　a　weight

of　years　that　pressed　leadenly　upon　the　eyes　that　looked

upon　it；　and　yet　was　in　some　curious　indefinable　waymen…

acingly　defiant。



Beyond　the　gate；　back　from　the　portals；　stretched　a　flight

of　enormous　basalt　slabs；　a　giant's　stairway　indeed；　and

from　each　side　of　it　marched　the　high　walls　that　were　the

Dweller's　pathway。　　None　of　us　spoke　as　we　grounded　the

boat　and　dragged　it　upon　a　half…submerged　pier。　　And　when

we　did　speak　it　was　in　whispers。



〃What　next？〃　asked　Larry。



〃I　think　we　ought　to　take　a　look　around；〃　I　replied　in　the

same　low　tones。　　〃We'll　climb　the　wall　here　and　take　a　flash

about。　　The　whole　place　ought　to　be　plain　as　day　from　that

height。〃



Huldricksson；　his　blue　eyes　alert；　nodded。　　With　the　great…

est　difficulty　we　clambered　up　the　broken　blocks。



To　the　east　and　south　of　us；　set　like　children's　blocks　in

the　midst　of　the　sapphire　sea；　lay　dozens　of　islets；　none　of

them　covering　more　than　two　square　miles　of　surface；　each

of　them　a　perfect　square　or　oblong　within　its　protecting

walls。



O