the metal monster-第35节

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the　cones　swung　upward；　a　light　began　to　stream　from　the　cones　themselvesno　pillar　now；　but　a　vast　circle　that　shot　whirling　into　the　heavens　like　a　noose。

And　like　a　noose　it　caught　the　aurora；　snared　it！

Into　it　the　coruscating　mists　of　mysterious　flame　swirled；　lost　their　colors；　became　a　torrent　of　light　flying　down　through　the　ring　as　though　through　a　funnel　top。

Down　poured　the　radiant　corpuscles；　bathing　the　cones。　They　did　not　glow　as　they　had　beneath　the　flood　from　the　shields；　and　if　they　grew　it　was　too　slowly　for　me　to　see；　the　shields　were　motionless。　Now　here；　now　there；　I　saw　the　other　rings　whirl　upsmaller　mouths　of　lesser　cones　hidden　within　the　body　of　the　Metal　Monster；　I　knew；　sucking　down　this　magnetic　flux；　these　countless　ions　gushing　forth　from　the　sun。

Then　as　when　first　we　had　seen　the　phenomenon　in　the　valley　of　the　blue　poppies；　the　ring　vanished；　hidden　by　a　fog　of　coruscationsas　though　the　force　streaming　through　the　rings　became　diffused　after　it　had　been　caught。

Crouching；　forgetful　of　our　juxtaposition　to　these　two　unhuman；　anomalous　Things；　we　watched　the　play　of　the　tentacles　upon　the　upthrust　rods。

But　if　we　forgot；　we　were　not　forgotten！

The　Emperor　slipped　nearer；　seemed　to　contemplate　us　quizzically；　AMUSED；　as　a　man　would　look　down　upon　some　curious　and　interesting　insect；　a　puppy；　a　kitten。　I　sensed　this　amusement　in　the　Disk's　regard　even　as　I　had　sensed　its　soul　of　awful　tranquillity；　as　we　had　sensed　the　playful　malice　in　the　eye　stars　of　the　living　corridor；　the　curiosity　in　the　column　that　had　dropped　us　into　the　valley。

I　felt　a　pusha　push　that　was　filled　with　a　colossal；　GLITTERING　playfulness。

Under　it　I　went　spinning　away　for　yardsDrake　twirling　close　behind　me。　The　force；　whatever　it　was；　swept　out　from　the　Emperor；　but　in　it　was　no　slightest　hint　of　anger　or　of　malice；　no　slightest　shadow　of　the　sinister。

Rather　it　was　as　though　one　would　blow　away　a　feather；　urge　gently　some　little　lesser　thing　away。

The　Disk　watched　our　whirlingswith　a　sparkling；　jeweled　LAUGHTER　in　its　pulsing　radiance。

Again　came　the　pushfarther　yet　we　spun。　Suddenly　before　us；　across　the　pave；　shone　out　a　twinkling　trail　the　wakened　eyes　of　the　cubes　that　formed　it；　marking　out　a　pathway　for　us　to　follow。

Immediately　upon　their　gleaming　forth　I　saw　the　Emperor　turnhis　immense；　oval；　metallic　back　now　black　against　the　radiance　of　the　cones。

Up　from　the　narrow　gleaming　patha　path　opened　I　knew　by　some　commandlifted　the　hosts　of　tiny　unseen　hands；　the　sentient　currents　of　magnetic　force　that　were　the　fingers　and　arms　of　the　Metal　Hordes。　They　held　us；　thrust　us　along；　passed　us　forward。　Faster　and　faster　we　moved；　speeding　on　the　wake　of　the　long…vanished　metal　monks。

I　turned　my　headthe　cones　were　already　far　away。　Over　the　tablet　of　limpid　violet　phosphorescence　still　hovered　the　planes　of　the　Keeper；　and　still　was　the　oval　of　the　Emperor　black　against　the　radiance。

But　the　twinkling；　sparkling　path　between　us　and　them　was　gonewas　fading　out　close　behind　us　as　we　swept　onward。

Faster　and　faster　grew　our　pace。　The　cylindrical　wall　loomed　close。　A　high　oblong　portal　showed　within　it。　Into　this　we　were　carried。　Before　us　stretched　a　corridor　precisely　similar　to　that　which；　closing　upon　us；　had　forced　us　completely　out　into　the　hall。

Unlike　that　passage；　its　floor　lifted　steeplya　smooth　and　shining　slide　up　which　no　man　could　climb。　A　shaft；　indeed；　which　thrust　upward　straight　as　an　arrow　at　an　angle　of　at　least　thirty　degrees　and　whose　end　or　turning　we　could　not　see。　Up　and　up　it　cleared　its　way　through　the　Citythrough　the　Metal　Monsterclosed　only　by　the　inability　of　the　eye　to　pierce　the　faint　luminosity　that　thickened　by　distance　became　impenetrable。

For　an　instant　we　hovered　upon　its　threshold。　But　the　impulse；　the　command；　that　had　carried　us　thus　far　was　not　to　stop　here。　Into　it　and　up　it　we　were　thrust；　our　feet　barely　touching　the　glimmering　surface；　lifted　by　the　force　that　emanated　from　its　floor；　carried　on　by　the　force　that　pressed　out　from　the　sides。

Up　and　up　we　wentscores　of　feethundreds





CHAPTER　XXII

THE　ENSORCELLED　CHAMBER

〃Goodwin！〃　Drake　broke　the　silence；　desperately　he　was　striving　to　keep　his　fear　out　of　his　voice。　〃Goodwin　this　isn't　the　way　to　get　out。　We're　going　upfarther　away　all　the　time　from　thethe　gates！〃

〃What　can　we　do？〃　My　anxiety　was　no　less　than　his；　but　my　realization　of　our　helplessness　was　complete。

〃If　we　only　knew　how　to　talk　to　these　Things；〃　he　said。　〃If　we　could　only　have　let　the　Disk　know　we　wanted　to　get　outdamn　it；　Goodwin；　it　would　have　helped　us。〃

Grotesque　as　the　idea　sounded；　I　felt　that　he　spoke　the　truth。　The　Emperor　meant　no　harm　to　us；　in　fact　in　speeding　us　away　I　was　not　at　all　sure　that　he　had　not　deliberately　wished　us　wellthere　was　that　about　the　Keeper

Still　up　we　sped　along　the　shaft。　I　knew　we　must　now　be　above　the　level　of　the　valley。

〃We've　got　to　get　back　to　Ruth！　GoodwinNIGHT！　And　what　may　have　HAPPENED　to　her？〃

〃Drake；　boy〃I　dropped　into　his　own　colloquialism　〃we're　up　against　it。　We　can't　help　it。　And　remember　she's　there　in　Norhala's　home。　I　don't　believe；　I　honestly　don't　believe；　Dick；　that　there's　any　danger　as　long　as　she　remains　there。　And　Ventnor　ties　her　fast。〃

〃That's　true；〃　he　said；　more　hopefully。　〃That's　trueand　probably　Norhala　is　with　her　by　now。〃

〃I　don't　doubt　it；〃　I　said　cheerfully。　An　idea　came　to　meI　half　believed　it　myself。　〃And　another　thing。　There's　not　an　action　here　that's　purposeless。　We're　being　driven　on　by　the　command　of　that　Thing　we　call　the　Metal　Emperor。　It　means　us　no　harm。　Maybemaybe　this　IS　the　way　out。〃

〃Maybe　so；〃　he　shook　his　head　doubtfully。　〃But　I'm　not　sure。　Maybe　that　long　push　was　just　to　get　us　away　from　THERE。　And　it　strikes　me　that　the　impulse　has　begun　to　weaken。　We're　not　going　anywhere　near　as　fast　as　we　were。〃

I　had　not　realized　it；　but　our　speed　was　slackening。　I　looked　backhundreds　of　feet　behind　us　fell　the　slide。　An　unpleasant　chill　went　through　meshould　the　magnetic　grip　upon　us　relax；　withdraw；　nothing　could　stop　us　from　falling　back　along　that　incline　to　be　broken　like　eggs　at　its　end；　that　our　breaths　would　be　snuffed　out　by　the　terrific　descent　long　before　we　reached　that　end　was　scant　comfort。

〃There　are　other　passages　opening　up　along　this　shaft；〃　Drake　said。　〃I'm　not　for　trusting　the　Emperor　too　far　he　has　other　things　on　his　metallic　mind；　you　know。　The　next　one　we　get　to；　let's　try　to　slip　intoif　we　can。〃

I　had　noticed；　there　had　been　openings　along　the　ascending　shaft；　corridors　running　apparently　transversely　to　its　angled　way。

Slower　and　slower　became　our　pace。　A　hundred　yards　above　I　glimpsed　one　of　the　apertures。　Could　we　reach　it？　Slower　and　slower　we　arose。　Now　the　gap　was　but　a　yard　offbut　we　were　motionlesswere　tottering！

Drake's　arms　wrapped　round　me。　With　a　tremendous　effort　he　hurled　me　into　the　portal。　I　dropped　at　its　edge；　writhed　swiftly　around；　saw　him　slipping；　slipping　down　thrust　my　hands　out　to　him。

He　caught　them。　There　came　a　wrench　that　tortured　my　arm　sockets　as　though　racked。　But　he　held！

SlowlyI　writhed　back　into　the　passage；　dragging　up　his　almost　dead　weight。　His　head　appeared；　his　shoulders；　there　was　a　convulsion　of　the　long　body　and　he　lay　before　me。


For　a　minute　or　two　we　lay；　flat　upon　our　backs　resting。　I　sat　up。　The　passage　was　broad；　silent；　apparently　as　endless　as　that　from　which　we　had　just　escaped。

Along　it；　above　us；　under　us；　the　crystalline　eyes　were　dim。　It　showed　no　sign　of　movementyet　had　it　done　so　there　was　nothing　we　could　do　save　drop　down　the　annihilating　slant。　Drake　arose。

〃I'm　hungry；〃　he　said；　〃and　I'm　thirsty。　I　move　that　we　eat　and　drink　and　approximately　be　merry。〃

He　slung　aside　the　haversack。　From　it　we　took　food；　from　the　canteens　we　drank。　We　did　not　talk。　Each　knew　what　the　other　was　thinking；　infrequently；　and　thank　the　eternal　law　that　some　call　God　for　that；　come　crises　in　which　speech　seems　not　only　petty　but　when　against　it　the　mind　rebels　as　a　nauseous　thing。

This　was　such　a　time。　At　last　I　drew　myself　to　my　feet。

〃Let's　be　going；〃　I　said。

The　corridor　stretched　straight　before　us；　along　it　we　paced。　How　far　we　walked　I　do　not　know；　mile　upon　mile；　it　seemed。　It　broadened　abruptly　into　a　vast　hall。

And　this　hall　was　filled　with　the　Metal　Hordeswas　a　gigantic　workshop　of　them。　In　every　shape；　in　every　form；　they　seethed　and　toiled　about　it。　Upon　its　floor　were　heaps　of　shining　ores；　mounds　of　flashing　gems；　piles　of　ingots；　metallic　and　crystalline。　High　and　low　throughout　flamed　the　egg…shaped　incandescences；　floating　furnaces　both　great　and　small。

Before　one　of　these　forges；　close　to　us；　stood　a　Metal　Thing。　Its　body　was　a　twelve…foot　column　of　smaller　cubes。　Upon　the　top　was　a　hollow　square　formed　of　even　lesser　blocksblocks　hardly　larger　than　the　Little　Things　themselves。　In　the　center　of　the　open　rectangle　was　another　shaft；　its　top　a　two…foot　square　plate　formed　of　a　single　cube。

From　the　sides　of　the　hollow　square　sprang　long　arms　of　spheres；　each　tipped　by　a　tetrahedron。　They　moved　freely；　slipping　about　upon　their　curved　points　of　contact　and　like　a　dozen　l