the moon pool-第43章

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her　wild　eyes　searched。　　But　look　as　closely　as　we　might；

search　in　every　nook　and　corner　as　we　did；　we　could　not　find

it。　Had　the　dying　hand　of　one　of　her　men　clutched　it　and　had

it　been　borne　away　with　them？　　With　the　thought　Larry　and

I　raced　after　the　scaled　warriors；　searched　every　body　they

carried。　　It　was　not　there。　　Perhaps　the　priestess　had　found　it；

retrieved　it　swiftly　without　our　seeing。



Whatever　was　truethe　cone　was　gone。　　And　what　a

weapon　that　one　little　holder　of　the　shaking　death　would

have　been　for　us！











CHAPTER　XXVIII



In　the　Lair　of　the　Dweller



IT　IS　WITH　marked　hesitation　that　I　begin　this　chapter；　be…

cause　in　it　I　must　deal　with　an　experience　so　contrary　to

every　known　law　of　physics　as　to　seem　impossible。　　Until

this　time；　barring；　of　course；　the　mystery　of　the　Dweller；　I

had　encountered　nothing　that　was　not　susceptible　of　natural…

istic　explanation；　nothing；　in　a　word；　outside　the　domain　of

science　itself；　nothing　that　I　would　have　felt　hesitancy　in

reciting　to　my　colleagues　of　the　International　Association　of

Science。　　Amazing；　unfamiliarADVANCEDas　many　of　the

phenomena　were；　still　they　lay　well　within　the　limits　of　what

we　have　mapped　as　the　possible；　in　regions；　it　is　true；　still

virgin　to　the　mind　of　man；　but　toward　which　that　mind　is

steadily　advancing。



But　thiswell；　I　confess　that　I　have　a　theory　that　is　nat…

uralistic；　but　so　abstruse；　so　difficult　to　make　clear　within　the

short　confines　of　the　space　I　have　to　give　it；　so　dependent

upon　conceptions　that　even　the　highest…trained　scientific

brains　find　difficult　to　grasp；　that　I　despair。



I　can　only　say　that　the　thing　occurred；　that　it　took　place

in　precisely　the　manner　I　am　about　to　narrate；　and　that　I

experienced　it。



Yet；　in　justice　to　myself；　I　must　open　up　some　paths　of

preliminary　approach　toward　the　heart　of　the　perplexity。

And　the　first　path　is　the　realization　that　our　world　WHATEVER

it　is；　is　certainly　NOT　the　world　as　we　see　it！　　Regarding　this　I

shall　refer　to　a　discourse　upon　〃Gravitation　and　the　Principle

of　Relativity；〃　by　the　distinguished　English　physicist；　Dr。　A。

S。　Eddington；　which　I　had　the　pleasure　of　hearing　him　de…

liver　before　the　Royal　Institution。1





*1　Reprinted　in　full　in　_Nature_；　in　which　those　sufficiently　interested

may　peruse　it。W。　T。　G。







I　realize；　of　course；　that　it　is　not　true　logic　to　argue

〃The　world　is　not　as　we　think　it　istherefore　everything　we

think　impossible　is　possible　in　it。〃　Even　if　it　BE　different；　it

is　governed　by　LAW。　　The　truly　impossible　is　that　which　is　out…

side　law；　and　as　nothing　CAN　be　outside　law；　the　impossible

CANNOT　exist。



The　crux　of　the　matter　then　becomes　our　determination

whether　what　we　think　is　impossible　may　or　may　not　be

possible　under　laws　still　beyond　our　knowledge。



I　hope　that　you　will　pardon　me　for　this　somewhat　aca…

demic　digression；　but　I　felt　it　was　necessary；　and　it　has；　at

least；　put　me　more　at　ease。　　And　now　to　resume。



We　had　watched；　Larry　and　I；　the　frog…men　throw　the

bodies　of　Yolara's　assassins　into　the　crimson　waters。　　As　vul…

tures　swoop　down　upon　the　dying；　there　came　sailing　swiftly

to　where　the　dead　men　floated；　dozens　of　the　luminous

globes。　　Their　slender；　varicoloured　tentacles　whipped　out；

the　giant　iridescent　bubbles　CLIMBED　over　the　cadavers。　　And

as　they　touched　them　there　was　the　swift　dissolution；　the

melting　away　into　putrescence　of　flesh　and　bone　that　I　had

witnessed　when　the　dart　touched　fruit　that　time　I　had　saved

Radorand　upon　this　the　Medusae　gorged；　pulsing　lam…

bently；　their　wondrous　colours　shifting；　changing；　glowing

stronger；　elfin　moons　now　indeed；　but　satellites　whose　glim…

mering　beauty　was　fed　by　death；　alembics　of　enchantment

whose　glorious　hues　were　sucked　from　horror。



Sick；　I　turned　awayO'Keefe　as　pale　as　I；　passed　back

into　the　corridor　that　had　opened　on　the　ledge　from　which

we　had　watched；　met　Lakla　hurrying　toward　us。　　Before　she

could　speak　there　throbbed　faintly　about　us　a　vast　sighing。

It　grew　into　a　murmur；　a　whispering；　shook　usthen　pass…

ing　like　a　presence；　died　away　in　far　distance。



〃The　Portal　has　opened；〃　said　the　handmaiden。　　A　fainter

sighing；　like　an　echo　of　the　other；　mourned　about　us。　　〃Yolara

is　gone；〃　she　said；　〃the　Portal　is　closed。　　Now　must　we　hasten

for　the　Three　have　commanded　that　you；　Goodwin；　and

Larry　and　I　tread　that　strange　road　of　which　I　have　spoken；

and　which　Olaf　may　not　take　lest　his　heart　breakand　we

must　return　ere　he　and　Rador　cross　the　bridge。〃



Her　hand　sought　Larry's。



〃Come！〃　said　Lakla；　and　we　walked　on；　down　and　down

through　hall　after　hall；　flight　upon　flight　of　stairways。　　Deep；

deep　indeed；　we　must　be　beneath　the　domed　castleLakla

paused　before　a　curved；　smooth　breast　of　the　crimson　stone

rounding　gently　into　the　passage。　　She　pressed　its　side；　it

revolved；　we　entered；　it　closed　behind　us。



The　room；　thehollowin　which　we　stood　was　faceted

like　a　diamond；　and　like　a　cut　brilliant　its　sides　glistened

though　dully。　　Its　shape　was　a　deep　oval；　and　our　path

dropped　down　to　a　circular　polished　base；　roughly　two　yards

in　diameter。　　Glancing　behind　me　I　saw　that　in　the　closing　of

the　entrance　there　had　been　left　no　trace　of　it　save　the　steps

that　led　from　where　that　entrance　had　beenand　as　I　looked

these　steps　TURNED；　leaving　us　isolated　upon　the　circle；　only

the　faceted　walls　about　usand　in　each　of　the　gleaming

faces　the　three　of　us　reflecteddimly。　　It　was　as　though　we

were　within　a　diamond　egg　whose　graven　angles　bad　been

turned　INWARD。



But　the　oval　was　not　perfect；　at　my　right　a　screen　cut　it

a　screen　that　gleamed　with　fugitive；　fleeting　luminescences

stretching　from　the　side　of　our　standing　place　up　to　the

tip　of　the　chamber；　slightly　convex　and　crisscrossed　by　mil…

lions　of　fine　lines　like　those　upon　a　spectroscopic　plate；　but

with　this　differencethat　within　each　line　I　sensed　the　pres…

ence　of　multitudes　of　finer　lines；　dwindling　into　infinitude；

ultramicroscopic；　traced　by　some　instrument　compared　to

whose　delicacy　our　finest　tool　would　be　as　a　crowbar　to　the

needle　of　a　micrometer。



A　foot　or　two　from　it　stood　something　like　the　standee　of　a

compass；　bearing；　like　it　a　cradled　dial　under　whose　crystal

ran　concentric　rings　of　prisoned；　lambent　vapours；　faintly

blue。　　From　the　edge　of　the　dial　jutted　a　little　shelf　of　crystal；

a　keyboard；　in　which　were　cut　eight　small　cups。



Within　these　cups　the　handmaiden　placed　her　tapering

fingers。　　She　gazed　down　upon　the　disk；　pressed　a　digitand

the　screen　behind　us　slipped　noiselessly　into　another　angle。




〃Put　your　arm　around　my　waist；　Larry；　darlin'；　and　stand

close；〃　she　murmured。　　〃You；　Goodwin；　place　your　arm　over

my　shoulder。〃



Wondering；　I　did　as　she　bade；　she　pressed　other　fingers

upon　the　shelf's　indentationsthree　of　the　rings　of　vapour

spun　into　intense　light；　raced　around　each　other；　from　the

screen　behind　us　grew　a　radiance　that　held　within　itself　all

spectrumsnot　only　those　seen；　but　those　UNSEEN　by　man's

eyes。　　It　waxed　brilliant　and　ever　more　brilliant；　all　suffusing；

passing　through　me　as　day　streams　through　a　window　pane！



The　enclosing　facets　burst　into　a　blaze　of　coruscations；　and

in　each　sparkling　panel　I　saw　our　images；　shaken　and　torn

like　pennants　in　a　whirlwind。　　I　turned　to　lookwas　stopped

by　the　handmaiden's　swift　command：　〃Turn　noton　your

life！〃



The　radiance　behind　me　grew；　was　a　rushing　tempest　of

light　in　which　I　was　but　the　shadow　of　a　shadow。　　I　heard；　but

not　with　my　earsnay　with　MIND　itselfa　vast　roaring；　an

ORDERED　tumult　of　sound　that　came　hurling　from　the　outposts

of　space；　approachingrushinghurricane　out　of　the　heart

of　the　cosmoscloser；　closer。　　It　wrapped　itself　about　us　with

unearthly　mighty　arms。



And　brilliant；　ever　more　brilliant；　streamed　the　radiance

through　us。



The　faceted　walls　dimmed；　in　front　of　me　they　melted；

diaphanously；　like　a　gelatinous　wall　in　a　blast　of　flame；

through　their　vanishing；　under　the　torrent　of　driving　light；

the　unthinkable；　impalpable　tornado；　I　began　to　move；　slowly

then　ever　more　swiftly！



Still　the　roaring　grew；　the　radiance　streamedever　faster

we　went。　　Cutting　down　through　the　length；　the　EXTENSION

of　me；　dropped　a　wall　of　rock；　foreshortened；　clenched　close；

I　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　elfin　gardens；　they　whirled；　con…

tracted；　into　a　thinsliceof　colour　that　was　a　part　of　me；

another　wall　of　rock　shrinking　into　a　thin　wedge　through

which　I　flew；　and　that　at　once　took　its　place　within　me　like　a

card　slipped　beside　those　others！



Flashing　around　me；　and　from　Lakla　and　O'Keefe；　were

nimbuses　of　flickering　scarlet　flames。　　And　always　the　steady

hurling　forwardappallingly　mechanical。



Another　barrier　of　rocka　gleam　of　white　waters　incor…

porating　themselves　into　myDRAWING　OUTeven　as　were

the　flowered　moss　lands；　the　slicing；　rocky　wallsstill

another　rampart　of　cliff；　dwindling　instantly　into　the　vertical

plane　of　those　others。　　Our　flight　checked；　we　seemed　to　hover

within；　then　to　sway　onwardslowly；　cautiously。



A　mist　danced　ahead　of　mea　mist　that　grew　steadily

thinner。　　We　stopped；　waveredthe　mist　cleared。



I　looked　out　into　translucent；　green　distances；　shot　with

swift　prismatic　gleamings；　waves　and　pulsings　of　luminosity

like　midday　sun　glow　through　green；　tropic　waters：　dancing；

scintillating　veils　of　sparkling　atoms　that　flew；　hither　and

yon；　through　depths　of　nebulous　splendour！



And　Lakla　and　Larry　and　I　were；　I　saw；　like　shadow

shapes　upon　a　smooth　breast　of　stone　twenty　feet　or　more

above　the　surface　of　this　placea　surface　spangled　with　tiny

white　blossoms　gleaming　wanly　through　creeping　veils　of

phosphorescence　like　smoke　of　moon　fire。　　We　were　shadows

and　yet　we　had　substance；　we　were　incorporated　with；　a

part　of；　the　rockand　yet　we　were　living　flesh　and　blood；　we

stretchednor　will　I　qualify　thiswe　STRETCHED　through

mile　upon　mile　of　space　that　weirdly　enough　gave　at　one

and　the　same　time　an　absolute　certainty　of　immense　horizon…

tal　lengths　and　a　vertical　concentration　that　contained　noth…

ing　of　length；　nothing　of　space　whatever；　we　stood　THERE

upon　the　face　of　the　stoneand　still　we　were　HERE　within

the　faceted　oval　before　the　screen　of　radiance！



〃Steady！〃　It　was　Lakla's　voiceand　not　beside　me　THERE；

but　at　my　ear　close　before　the　screen。　　〃Steady；　Goodwin！

Andsee！〃



The　sparkling　haze　cleared。　　Enormous　reaches　stretched

before　me。　　Shimmering　up　through　them；　and　as　though

growing　in　some　medium　thicker　than　air；　was　mass　upon

mass　of　verdurefruiting　trees　and　trees　laden　with　pale

blossoms；　arbours　and　bowers　of　pallid　blooms；　like　that　sea

fruit　of　obliviongrapes　of　Lethethat　cling　to　the　tide…

swept　walls　of　the　caverns　of　the　Hebrides。



Through　them；　beyond　t