the moon pool-第3节
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again that my wife is deador worseI do not know； the
prey ofwhat you saw； so； too； is Stanton； so Thora。
How〃
Tears rolled down the seared face。
〃Why did God let it conquer us？ Why did He let it take
my Edith？〃 he cried in utter bitterness。 〃Are there things
stronger than God； do you think； Walter？〃
I hesitated。
〃Are there？ Are there？〃 His wild eyes searched me。
〃I do not know just how you define God；〃 I managed at
last through my astonishment to make answer。 〃If you
mean the will to know； working through science〃
He waved me aside impatiently。
〃Science；〃 he said。 〃What is our science againstthat？
Or against the science of whatever devils that made itor
made the way for it to enter this world of ours？〃
With an effort he regained control。
〃Goodwin；〃 he said； 〃do you know at all of the ruins on
the Carolines； the cyclopean； megalithic cities and harbours
of Ponape and Lele； of Kusaie； of Ruk and Hogolu； and a
score of other islets there？ Particularly； do you know of
the Nan…Matal and the Metalanim？〃
〃Of the Metalanim I have heard and seen photographs；〃
I said。 〃They call it； don't they； the Lost Venice of the
Pacific？〃
〃Look at this map；〃 said Throckmartin。 〃That；〃 he went
on； 〃is Christian's chart of Metalanim harbour and the Nan…
Matal。 Do you see the rectangles marked Nan…Tauach？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。
〃There；〃 he said； 〃under those walls is the Moon Pool
and the seven gleaming lights that raise the Dweller in the
Pool； and the altar and shrine of the Dweller。 And there in
the Moon Pool with it lie Edith and Stanton and Thora。〃
〃The Dweller in the Moon Pool？〃 I repeated half…
incredulously。
〃The Thing you saw；〃 said Throckmartin solemnly。
A solid sheet of rain swept the ports； and the Southern
Queen began to roll on the rising swells。 Throckmartin
drew another deep breath of relief； and drawing aside a
curtain peered out into the night。 Its blackness seemed to
reassure him。 At any rate； when he sat again he was entirely
calm。
〃There are no more wonderful ruins in the world；〃 he
began almost casually。 〃They take in some fifty islets and
cover with their intersecting canals and lagoons about
twelve square miles。 Who built them？ None knows。 When
were they built？ Ages before the memory of present man；
that is sure。 Ten thousand； twenty thousand； a hundred
thousand years agothe last more likely。
〃All these islets； Walter； are squared； and their shores are
frowning seawalls of gigantic basalt blocks hewn and put in
place by the hands of ancient man。 Each inner water…front
is faced with a terrace of those basalt blocks which stand
out six feet above the shallow canals that meander between
them。 On the islets behind these walls are time…shattered
fortresses； palaces； terraces； pyramids； immense courtyards
strewn with ruinsand all so old that they seem to wither
the eyes of those who look on them。
〃There has been a great subsidence。 You can stand out of
Metalanim harbour for three miles and look down upon
the tops of similar monolithic structures and walls twenty
feet below you in the water。
〃And all about； strung on their canals； are the bulwarked
islets with their enigmatic walls peering through the dense
growths of mangrovesdead； deserted for incalculable
ages； shunned by those who live near。
〃You as a botanist are familiar with the evidence that a
vast shadowy continent existed in the Pacifica continent
that was not rent asunder by volcanic forces as was that
legendary one of Atlantis in the Eastern Ocean。*1 My work
in Java； in Papua； and in the Ladrones had set my mind
upon this Pacific lost land。 Just as the Azores are believed
to be the last high peaks of Atlantis； so hints came to me
steadily that Ponape and Lele and their basalt bulwarked
islets were the last points of the slowly sunken western land
clinging still to the sunlight； and had been the last refuge
and sacred places of the rulers of that race which had lost
their immemorial home under the rising waters of the
Pacific。
*1 For more detailed observations on these points refer to G。 Volkens；
Uber die Karolinen Insel Yap； in Verhandlungen Gesellschaft Erd…
kunde Berlin； xxvii （1901）； J。 S。 Kubary； Ethnographische Beitrage
zur Kentniss des Karolinen Archipel （Leiden； 1889…1892）； De Abrade
Historia del Conflicto de las Carolinas； etc。 （Madrid； 1886）。W。 T。 G。
〃I believed that under these ruins I might find the evi…
dence that I sought。
〃Mymy wife and I had talked before we were married
of making this our great work。 After the honeymoon we
prepared for the expedition。 Stanton was as enthusiastic as
ourselves。 We sailed； as you know； last May for fulfilment
of my dreams。
〃At Ponape we selected； not without difficulty； workmen
to help usdiggers。 I had to make extraordinary induce…
ments before I could get together my force。 Their beliefs are
gloomy； these Ponapeans。 They people their swamps； their
forests； their mountains； and shores； with malignant spirits
ani they call them。 And they are afraidbitterly afraid of
the isles of ruins and what they think the ruins hide。 I do not
wondernow！
〃When they were told where they were to go； and how
long we expected to stay； they murmured。 Those who； at last；
were tempted made what I thought then merely a super…
stitious proviso that they were to be allowed to go away on
the three nights of the full moon。 Would to God we had
heeded them and gone too！〃
〃We passed into Metalanim harbour。 Off to our lefta
mile away arose a massive quadrangle。 Its walls were all of
forty feet high and hundreds of feet on each side。 As we drew
by； our natives grew very silent； watched it furtively； fear…
fully。 I knew it for the ruins that are called Nan…Tauach； the
'place of frowning walls。' And at the silence of my men I
recalled what Christian had written of this place； of how he
had come upon its 'ancient platforms and tetragonal enclo…
sures of stonework； its wonder of tortuous alleyways and
labyrinth of shallow canals； grim masses of stonework peer…
ing out from behind verdant screens； cyclopean barricades；'
and of how； when he had turned 'into its ghostly shadows；
straight…way the merriment of guides was hushed and con…
versation died down to whispers。'
He was silent for a little time。
〃Of course I wanted to pitch our camp there；〃 he went on
again quietly； 〃but I soon gave up that idea。 The natives were
panic…strickenthreatened to turn back。 'No；' they said； 'too
great ani there。 We go to any other placebut not there。'
〃We finally picked for our base the islet called Uschen…
Tau。 It was close to the isle of desire； but far enough away
from it to satisfy our men。 There was an excellent camping…
place and a spring of fresh water。 We pitched our tents； and
in a couple of days the work was in full swing。〃
CHAPTER III
The Moon Rock
〃I DO not intend to tell you now；〃 Throckmartin continued；
〃the results of the next two weeks； nor of what we found。
Laterif I am allowed； I will lay all that before you。 It is
sufficient to say that at the end of those two weeks I had
found confirmation for many of my theories。
〃The place； for all its decay and desolation； had not in…
fected us with any touch of morbiditythat is not Edith；
Stanton； or myself。 But Thora was very unhappy。 She was a
Swede； as you know； and in her blood ran the beliefs and su…
perstitions of the Northlandsome of them so strangely akin
to those of this far southern land； beliefs of spirits of moun…
tain and forest and water werewolves and beings malign。
From the first she showed a curious sensitivity to what； I
suppose； may be called the 'influences' of the place。 She said
it 'smelled' of ghosts and warlocks。
〃I laughed at her then
〃Two weeks slipped by； and at their end the spokesman for
our natives came to us。 The next night was the full of the
moon； he said。 He reminded me of my promise。 They would
go back to their village in the morning； they would return
after the third night； when the moon had begun to wane。
They left us sundry charms for our 'protection；' and solemnly
cautioned us to keep as far away as possible from Nan…
Tauach during their absence。 Half…exasperated； half…amused
I watched them go。
〃No work could be done without them； of course； so we
decided to spend the days of their absence junketing about
the southern islets of the group。 We marked down several
spots for subsequent exploration； and on the morning of the
third day set forth along the east face of the breakwater for
our camp on Uschen…Tau； planning to have everything in
readiness for the return of our men the next day。
〃We landed just before dusk； tired and ready for our cots。
It was only a little after ten o'clock that
