the moon pool-第14节

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Larry　O'Keefe；　that　I　am　solely　a　seeker；　observer；　analyst；

and　synthesist　of　facts。　　I　am　not〃and　I　tried　to　make　my

tone　as　pointed　as　my　words〃I　am　not　a　believer　in　phan…

toms　or　spooks；　leprechauns；　banshees；　or　ghostly　harpers。〃



O'Keefe　leaned　back　and　shouted　with　laughter。



〃Forgive　me；　Goodwin；〃　he　gasped。　　〃But　if　you　could

have　seen　yourself　solemnly　disclaiming　the　banshee〃

another　twinkle　showed　in　his　eyes〃and　then　with　all　this

sunshine　and　this　wide…open　world〃he　shrugged　his

shoulders〃it's　hard　to　visualize　anything　such　as　you　and

Huldricksson　have　described。〃



〃I　know　how　hard　it　is；　Larry；〃　I　answered。　　〃And　don't

think　I　have　any　idea　that　the　phenomenon　is　supernatural

in　the　sense　spiritualists　and　table　turners　have　given　that

word。　　I　do　think　it　is　supernormal；　energized　by　a　force　un…

known　to　modern　sciencebut　that　doesn't　mean　I　think　it

outside　the　radius　of　science。〃



〃Tell　me　your　theory；　Goodwin；〃　he　said。　　I　hesitated

for　not　yet　had　I　been　able　to　put　into　form　to　satisfy　myself

any　explanation　of　the　Dweller。



〃I　think；〃　I　hazarded　finally；　〃it　is　possible　that　some

members　of　that　race　peopling　the　ancient　continent　which

we　know　existed　here　in　the　Pacific；　have　survived。　　We　know

that　many　of　these　islands　are　honeycombed　with　caverns

and　vast　subterranean　spaces；　literally　underground　lands

running　in　some　cases　far　out　beneath　the　ocean　floor。　　It　is

possible　that　for　some　reason　survivors　of　this　race　sought

refuge　in　the　abysmal　spaces；　one　of　whose　entrances　is　on

the　islet　where　Throckmartin's　party　met　its　end。



〃As　for　their　persistence　in　these　cavernswe　know　they

possessed　a　high　science。　　They　may　have　gone　far　in　the

mastery　of　certain　universal　forms　of　energyespecially

that　we　call　light。　　They　may　have　developed　a　civilization

and　a　science　far　more　advanced　than　ours。　　What　I　call　the

Dweller　may　be　one　of　the　results　of　this　science。　　Larryit

may　well　be　that　this　lost　race　is　planning　to　emerge　again

upon　earth's　surface！〃



〃And　is　sending　out　your　Dweller　as　a　messenger；　a　sci…

entific　dove　from　their　Ark？〃　I　chose　to　overlook　the　banter

in　his　question。



〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　the　Chamats？〃　I　asked　him。　　He

shook　his　head。



〃In　Papua；〃　I　explained；　〃there　is　a　wide…spread　and　im…

measurably　old　tradition　that　'imprisoned　under　the　hills'　is

a　race　of　giants　who　once　ruled　this　region　'when　it　stretched

from　sun　to　sun　before　the　moon　god　drew　the　waters　over

it'I　quote　from　the　legend。　　Not　only　in　Papua　but　through…

out　Malaysia　you　find　this　story。　　And；　so　the　tradition　runs；

these　peoplethe　Chamatswill　one　day　break　through　the

hills　and　rule　the　world；　'make　over　the　world'　is　the　literal

translation　of　the　constant　phrase　in　the　tale。　　It　was　Herbert

Spencer　who　pointed　out　that　there　is　a　basis　of　fact　in　every

myth　and　legend　of　man。　　It　is　possible　that　these　survivors　I

am　discussing　form　Spencer's　fact　basis　for　the　Malaysian　legend。1





*1William　Beebe；　the　famous　American　naturalist　and　ornithologist；

recently　fighting　in　France　with　America's　air　force；　called　attention

to　this　remarkable　belief　in　an　article　printed　not　long　ago　in　the

Atlantic　Monthly。　　Still　more　significant　was　it　that　he　noted　a　per…

sistent　rumour　that　the　breaking　out　of　the　buried　race　was　close。

W。J。　B。；　Pres。　I。　A。　of　S。







〃This　much　is　surethe　moon　door；　which　is　clearly

operated　by　the　action　of　moon　rays　upon　some　unknown

element　or　combination　and　the　crystals　through　which　the

moon　rays　pour　down　upon　the　pool　their　prismatic　columns；

are　humanly　made　mechanisms。　　So　long　as　they　are　humanly

made；　and　so　long　as　it　IS　this　flood　of　moonlight　from　which

the　Dweller　draws　its　power　of　materialization；　the　Dweller

itself；　if　not　the　product　of　the　human　mind；　is　at　least　de…

pendent　upon　the　product　of　the　human　mind　for　its　appear…

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