the moon pool-第15章

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ble〃　He　paused；　shaken　by　some　overpowering　emotion；

the　veins　in　his　forehead　grew　congested；　the　cold　eyes

blazed　and　the　guttural　voice　harshened。



〃I　do　not　apologize　and　I　do　not　explain；〃　rasped　Mara…

kinoff。　　〃But　I　will　tell　you；　da！　　Here　is　my　country　sweating

blood　in　an　experiment　to　liberate　the　world。　　And　here　are

the　other　nations　ringing　us　like　wolves　and　waiting　to

spring　at　our　throats　at　the　least　sign　of　weakness。　　And　here

are　you；　Lieutenant　O'Keefe　of　the　English　wolves；　and　you

Dr。　Goodwin　of　the　Yankee　packand　here　in　this　place

may　be　that　will　enable　my　country　to　win　its　war　for　the

worker。　　What　are　the　lives　of　you　two　and　this　sailor　to　that？

Less　than　the　flies　I　crush　with　my　hand；　less　than　midges

in　the　sunbeam！〃



He　suddenly　gripped　himself。



〃But　that　is　not　now　the　important　thing；〃　he　resumed；

almost　coldly。　　〃Not　that　nor　my　shooting。　　Let　us　squarely　the

situation　face。　　My　proposal　is　so：　that　we　join　interests；　and

what　you　call　see　it　through　together；　find　our　way　through

this　place　and　those　secrets　learn　of　which　I　have　spoken；

if　we　can。　　And　when　that　is　done　we　will　go　our　ways；　to　his

own　land　each；　to　make　use　of　them　for　our　lands　as　each　of

us　may。　　On　my　part；　I　offer　my　knowledgeand　it　is　very

valuable；　Dr。　Goodwinand　my　training。　　You　and　Lieu…

tenant　O'Keefe　do　the　same；　and　this　man　Olaf；　what　he

can　of　his　strength；　for　I　do　not　think　his　usefulness　lies　in

his　brains；　no。〃



〃In　effect；　Goodwin；〃　broke　in　Larry　as　I　hesitated；　〃the

professor's　proposition　is　this：　he　wants　to　know　what's　go…

ing　on　here　but　he　begins　to　realize　it's　no　one　man's　job

and　besides　we　have　the　drop　on　him。　　We're　three　to　his　one；

and　we　have　all　his　hardware　and　cutlery。　　But　also　we　can

do　better　with　him　than　without　himjust　as　he　can　do

better　with　us　than　without　us。　　It's　an　even　breakfor　a

while。　　But　once　he　gets　that　information　he's　looking　for；

then　look　out。　　You　and　Olaf　and　I　are　the　wolves　and　the

flies　and　the　midges　againand　the　strafing　will　be　about

due。　　Nevertheless；　with　three　to　one　against　him；　if　he　can

get　away　with　it　he　deserves　to。　　I'm　for　taking　him　up；　if　you

are。〃



There　was　almost　a　twinkle　in　Marakinoff's　eyes。



〃It　is　not　just　as　I　would　have　put　it；　perhaps；〃　he　said；

〃but　in　its　skeleton　he　has　right。　　Nor　will　I　turn　my　hand

against　you　while　we　are　still　in　danger　here。　　I　pledge　you

my　honor　on　this。〃



Larry　laughed。



〃All　right；　Professor；〃　he　grinned。　　〃I　believe　you　mean

every　word　you　say。　　Nevertheless；　I'll　just　keep　the　guns。〃



Marakinoff　bowed；　imperturbably。



〃And　now；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　tell　you　what　I　know。　　I　found

the　secret　of　the　door　mechanism　even　as　you　did；　Dr。　Good…

win。　　But　by　carelessness；　my　condensers　were　broken。　　I　was

forced　to　wait　while　I　sent　for　othersand　the　waiting　might

be　for　months。　　I　took　certain　precautions；　and　on　the　first

night　of　this　full　moon　I　hid　myself　within　the　vault　of

Chau…ta…leur。〃



An　involuntary　thrill　of　admiration　for　the　man　went

through　me　at　the　manifest　heroism　of　this　leap　in　the　dark。

I　could　see　it　reflected　in　Larry's　face。



〃I　hid　in　the　vault；〃　continued　Marakinoff；　〃and　I　saw

that　which　comes　from　here　come　out。　　I　waitedlong　hours。

At　last；　when　the　moon　was　low；　it　returnedecstatically

with　a　man；　a　native；　in　embrace　enfolded。　　It　passed　through

the　door；　and　soon　then　the　moon　became　low　and　the　door

closed。



〃The　next　night　more　confidence　was　mine；　yes。　　And　after

that　which　comes　had　gone；　I　looked　through　its　open　door。

I　said；　〃It　will　not　return　for　three　hours。　　While　it　is　away；

why　shall　I　not　into　its　home　go　through　the　door　it　has　left

open？'　So　I　wenteven　to　here。　　I　looked　at　the　pillars　of

light　and　I　tested　the　liquid　of　the　Pool　on　which　they　fell。

That　liquid；　Dr。　Goodwin；　is　not　water；　and　it　is　not　any

fluid　known　on　earth。〃　He　handed　me　a　small　vial；　its　neck

held　in　a　long　thong。



〃Take　this；〃　he　said；　〃and　see。〃



Wonderingly；　I　took　the　bottle；　dipped　it　down　into　the

Pool。　　The　liquid　was　extraordinarily　light；　seemed；　in　fact；

to　give　the　vial　buoyancy。　　I　held　it　to　the　light。　　It　was　striated；

streaked；　as　though　little　living；　pulsing　veins　ran　through　it。

And　its　blueness；　even　in　the　vial；　held　an　intensity　of　lumi…

nousness。



〃Radioactive；〃　said　Marakinoff。　　〃Some　liquid　that　is　in…

tensely　radioactive；　but　what　it　is　I　know　not　at　all。　　Upon　the

living　skin　it　acts　like　radium　raised　to　the　nth　power　and

with　an　element　most　mysterious　added。　　The　solution　with

which　I　treated　him；〃　he　pointed　to　Huldricksson；　〃I　had

prepared　before　I　came　here；　from　certain　information　I

had。　　It　is　largely　salts　of　radium　and　its　base　is　Loeb's

formula　for　the　neutralization　of　radium　and　X…ray　burns。

Taking　this　man　at　once；　before　the　degeneration　had　be…

come　really　active；　I　could　negative　it。　　But　after　two　hours

I　could　have　done　nothing。〃



He　paused　a　moment。



〃Next　I　studied　the　nature　of　these　luminous　walls。　　I

concluded　that　whoever　had　made　them；　knew　the　secret　of

the　Almighty's　manufacture　of　light　from　the　ether　itself！

Colossal！　　Da！　　But　the　substance　of　these　blocks　confines　an

atomichow　would　you　sayatomic　manipulation；　a

conscious　arrangement　of　electrons；　light…emitting　and　per…

haps　indefinitely　so。　　These　blocks　are　lamps　in　which　oil　and

wick　are　electrons　drawing　light　waves　from　ether　itself！　　A

Prometheus；　indeed；　this　discoverer！　　I　looked　at　my　watch

and　that　little　guardian　warned　me　that　it　was　time　to　go。

I　went。　　That　which　comes　forth　returnedthis　time　empty…

handed。



〃And　the　next　night　I　did　the　same　thing。　　Engrossed　in

research；　I　let　the　moments　go　by　to　the　danger　point；　and

scarcely　was　I　replaced　within　the　vault　when　the　shining

thing　raced　over　the　walls；　and　in　its　grip　the　woman　and

child



〃Then　you　cameand　that　is　all。　　And　nowwhat　is　it

you　know？〃



Very　briefly　I　went　over　my　story。　　His　eyes　gleamed　now

and　then；　but　he　did　not　interrupt　me。



〃A　great　secret！　　A　colossal　secret！〃　he　muttered；　when　I

had　ended。　　〃We　cannot　leave　it　hidden。〃



〃The　first　thing　to　do　is　to　try　the　door；〃　said　Larry；　mat…

ter　of　fact。



〃There　is　no　use；　my　young　friend；〃　assured　Marakinoff

mildly。



〃Nevertheless　we'll　try；〃　said　Larry。　　We　retraced　our

way　through　the　winding　tunnel　to　the　end；　but　soon　even

O'Keefe　saw　that　any　idea　of　moving　the　slab　from　within

was　hopeless。　　We　returned　to　the　Chamber　of　the　Pool。　　The

pillars　of　light　were　fainter；　and　we　knew　that　the　moon　was

sinking。　　On　the　world　outside　before　long　dawn　would　be

breaking。　　I　began　to　feel　thirstand　the　blue　semblance　of

water　within　the　silvery　rim　seemed　to　glint　mockingly　as

my　eyes　rested　on　it。



〃Da！〃　it　was　Marakinoff；　reading　my　thoughts　uncannily。

〃Da！　　We　will　be　thirsty。　　And　it　will　be　very　bad　for　him　of

us　who　loses　control　and　drinks　of　that；　my　friend。　　Da！〃



Larry　threw　back　his　shoulders　as　though　shaking　a　burden

from　them。



〃This　place　would　give　an　angel　of　joy　the　willies；〃　he

said。　　〃I　suggest　that　we　look　around　and　find　something　that

will　take　us　somewhere。　　You　can　bet　the　people　that　built　it

had　more　ways　of　getting　in　than　that　once…a…month　family

entrance。　　Doc；　you　and　Olaf　take　the　left　wall；　the　professor

and　I　will　take　the　right。〃



He　loosened　one　of　his　automatics　with　a　suggestive　move…

ment。



〃After　you；　Professor；〃　he　bowed；　politely；　to　the　Russian。

We　parted　and　set　forth。



The　chamber　widened　out　from　the　portal　in　what　seemed

to　be　the　arc　of　an　immense　circle。　　The　shining　walls　held　a

perceptible　curve；　and　from　this　curvature　I　estimated　that

the　roof　was　fully　three　hundred　feet　above　us。



The　floor　was　of　smooth；　mosaic…fitted　blocks　of　a　faintly

yellow　tinge。　　They　were　not　light…emitting　like　the　blocks

that　formed　the　walls。　　The　radiance　from　these　latter；　I

noted；　had　the　peculiar　quality　of　THICKENING　a　few　yards

from　its　source；　and　it　was　this　that　produced　the　effect　of

misty；　veiled　distances。　　As　we　walked；　the　seven　columns　of

rays　streaming　down　from　the　crystalline　globes　high　above

us　waned　steadily；　the　glow　within　the　chamber　lost　its　pris…

matic　shimmer　and　became　an　even　grey　tone　somewhat　like

moonlight　in　a　thin　cloud。



Now　before　us；　out　from　the　wall；　jutted　a　low　terrace。　　It

was　all　of　a　pearly　rose…coloured　stone；　slender；　graceful　pil…

lars　of　the　same　hue。　　The　face　of　the　terrace　was　about　ten

feet　high；　and　all　over　it　ran　a　bas…relief　of　what　looked　like

short…trailing　vines；　surmounted　by　five　stalks；　on　the　tip　of

each　of　which　was　a　flower。



We　passed　along　the　terrace。　　It　turned　in　an　abrupt　curve。

I　heard　a　hail；　and　there；　fifty　feet　away；　at　the　curving　end

of　a　wall　identical　with　that　where　we　stood；　were　Larry　and

Marakinoff。　　Obviously　the　left　side　of　the　chamber　was　a

duplicate　of　that　we　had　explored。　　We　joined。　　In　front　of　us

the　columned　barriers　ran　back　a　hundred　feet；　forming　an

alcove。　　The　end　of　this　alcove　was　another　wall　of　the　same

rose　stone；　but　upon　it　the　design　of　vines　was　much　heavier。



We　took　a　step　forwardthere　was　a　gasp　of　awe　from

the　Norseman；　a　guttural　exclamation　from　Marakinoff。　　For

on；　or　rather　within；　the　wall　before　us；　a　great　oval　began　to

glow；　waxed　almost　to　a　flame　and　then　shone　steadily　out　as

though　from　behind　it　a　light　was　streaming　through　the

stone　itself！



And　within　the　roseate　oval　two　flame…tipped　shadows

appeared；　stood　for　a　moment；　and　then　seemed　to　float　out

upon　its　surface。　　The　shadows　wavered；　the　tips　of　flame　that

nimbused　them　with　flickering　points　of　vermilion　pulsed

outward；　drew　back；　darted　forth　again；　and　once　more

withdrew　themselvesand　as　they　did　so　the　shadows　thick…

enedand　suddenly　there　before　us　stood　two　figures！



One　was　a　girla　girl　whose　great　eyes　were　golden　as　the

fabled　lilies　of　Kwan…Yung　that　were　born　of　the　kiss　of　the

sun　upon　the　amber　goddess　the　demons　of　Lao…Tz'e　carved

for　him；　whose　softly　curved　lips　were　red　as　the　royal　coral；

and　whose　golden…brown　hair　reached　to　her　knees！



And　the　second　was　a　gigantic　frogA　WOMAN　frog；　head

helmeted　with　carapace　of　shell　around　which　a　fillet　of　bril…

liant　yellow　jewels　shone；　enormous　round　eyes　of　blue

circled　with　a　broad　iris　of　green；　monstrous　body　of　banded

orange　and　white　girdled　with　strand　upon　strand　of　the

flashing　yellow　gems；　six　feet　high　if　an　inch；　and　with　one

webbed　paw　of　its　short；　powerfully　muscled　forelegs　resting

upon　the　white　shoulder　of　the　golden…eyed　girl！



Moments　must　have　passed　as　we　stood　in　stark　amaze…

ment；　gazing　at　that　incredible　apparition。　　The　two　figures；

although　as　real　as　any　of　those　who