the moon pool-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





　〃We　landed　just　before　dusk；　tired　and　ready　for　our　cots。

It　was　only　a　little　after　ten　o'clock　that　Edith　awakened　me。



　〃'Listen！'　she　said。　　'Lean　over　with　your　ear　close　to　the

ground！'



〃I　did　so；　and　seemed　to　hear；　far；　far　below；　as　though

coming　up　from　great　distances；　a　faint　chanting。　　It　gathered

strength；　died　down；　ended；　began；　gathered　volume；　faded

away　into　silence。



〃'It's　the　waves　rolling　on　rocks　somewhere；'　I　said。　　'We're

probably　over　some　ledge　of　rock　that　carries　the　sound。'



　〃'It's　the　first　time　I've　heard　it；'　replied　my　wife　doubt…

fully。　　We　listened　again。　　Then　through　the　dim　rhythms；

deep　beneath　us；　another　sound　came。　　It　drifted　across　the

lagoon　that　lay　between　us　and　Nan…Tauach　in　little　tinkling

waves。　　It　was　musicof　a　sort；　I　won't　describe　the　strange

effect　it　had　upon　me。　　You've　felt　it〃



　〃You　mean　on　the　deck？〃　I　asked。　　Throckmartin　nodded。



〃I　went　to　the　flap　of　the　tent；〃　he　continued；　〃and　peered

out。　　As　I　did　so　Stanton　lifted　his　flap　and　walked　out　into　the

moonlight；　looking　over　to　the　other　islet　and　listening。　　I

called　to　him。



〃'That's　the　queerest　sound！'　he　said。　　He　listened　again。

'Crystalline！　　Like　little　notes　of　translucent　glass。　　Like　the

bells　of　crystal　on　the　sistrums　of　Isis　at　Dendarah　Temple；'

he　added　half…dreamily。　　We　gazed　intently　at　the　island。

Suddenly；　on　the　sea…wall；　moving　slowly；　rhythmically；　we

saw　a　little　group　of　lights。　　Stanton　laughed。



〃'The　beggars！'　he　exclaimed。　　'That's　why　they　wanted　to

get　away；　is　it？　　Don't　you　see；　Dave；　it's　some　sort　of　a　fes…

tivalrites　of　some　kind　that　they　hold　during　the　full　moon！

That's　why　they　were　so　eager　to　have　us　KEEP　away；　too。'



　〃The　explanation　seemed　good。　　I　felt　a　curious　sense　of　re…

lief；　although　I　had　not　been　sensible　of　any　oppression。



〃'Let's　slip　over；'　suggested　Stantonbut　I　would　not。



〃'They're　a　difficult　lot　as　it　is；'　I　said。　　'If　we　break　into　one

of　their　religious　ceremonies　they'll　probably　never　forgive

us。　Let's　keep　out　of　any　family　party　where　we　haven't　been

invited。'



　〃'That's　so；'　agreed　Stanton。



　〃The　strange　tinkling　rose　and　fell；　rose　and　fell



〃'There's　somethingsomething　very　unsettling　about　it；'

said　Edith　at　last　soberly。　　'I　wonder　what　they　make　those

sounds　with。　　They　frighten　me　half　to　death；　and；　at　the　same

time。　they　make　me　feel　as　though　some　enormous　rapture

were　just　around　the　corner。'



　〃'It's　devilish　uncanny！'　broke　in　Stanton。



〃And　as　he　spoke　the　flap　of　Thora's　tent　was　raised　and

out　into　the　moonlight　strode　the　old　Swede。　　She　was　the

great　Norse　typetall；　deep…breasted；　moulded　on　the　old

Viking　lines。　　Her　sixty　years　had　slipped　from　her。　　She

looked　like　some　ancient　priestess　of　Odin。



〃She　stood　there；　her　eyes　wide；　brilliant；　staring。　　She

thrust　her　head　forward　toward　Nan…Tauach；　regarding　the

moving　lights；　she　listened。　　Suddenly　she　raised　her　arms

and　made　a　curious　gesture　to　the　moon。　　It　wasan　archaic

movement；　she　seemed　to　drag　it　from　remote　antiquity

yet　in　it　was　a　strange　suggestion　of　power；　Twice　she　re…

peated　this　gesture　andthe　tinklings　died　away！　　She　turned

to　us。



〃'Go！'　she　said；　and　her　voice　seemed　to　come　from　far

distances。　　'Go　from　hereand　quickly！　　Go　while　you　may。

It　has　called'　She　pointed　to　the　islet。　　'It　knows　you　are

here。　　It　waits！'　she　wailed。　　'It　beckonsthethe〃



〃She　fell　at　Edith's　feet；　and　over　the　lagoon　came　again

the　tinklings；　now　with　a　quicker　note　of　jubilancealmost

of　triumph。



〃We　watched　beside　her　throughout　the　night。　　The　sounds

from　Nan…Tauach　continued　until　about　an　hour　before

moon…set。　　In　the　morning　Thora　awoke；　none　the　worse；　ap…

parently。　　She　had　had　bad　dreams；　she　said。　　She　could　not

remember　what　they　wereexcept　that　they　had　warned　her

of　danger。　　She　was　oddly　sullen；　and　throughout　the　morning

her　gaze　returned　again　and　again　half…fascinatedly；　half…

wonderingly　to　the　neighbouring　isle。



〃That　afternoon　the　natives　returned。　　And　that　night　on

Nan…Tauach　the　silence　was　unbroken　nor　were　there　lights

nor　sign　of　life。



〃You　will　understand；　Goodwin；　how　the　occurrences　I

have　related　would　excite　the　scientific　curiosity。　　We　rejected

immediately；　of　course；　any　explanation　admitting　the　super…

natural。



〃Oursymptoms　let　me　call　themcould　all　very　easily

be　accounted　for。　　It　is　unquestionable　that　the　vibrations

created　by　certain　musical　instruments　have　definite　and

sometimes　extraordinary　effect　upon　the　nervous　system。　　We

accepted　this　as　the　explanation　of　the　reactions　we　had　ex…

perienced；　hearing　the　unfamiliar　sounds。　　Thora's　nervous…

ness；　her　superstitious　apprehensions；　had　wrought　her　up　to

a　condition　of　semi…somnambulistic　hysteria。　　Science　could

readily　explain　her　part　in　the　night's　scene。



〃We　came　to　the　conclusion　that　there　must　be　a　passage…

way　between　Ponape　and　Nan…Tauach　known　to　the　natives

and　used　by　them　during　their　rites。　　We　decided　that　on

the　next　departure　of　our　labourers　we　would　set　forth　im…

mediately　to　Nan…Tauach。　　We　would　investigate　during　the

day；　and　at　evening　my　wife　and　Thora　would　go　back　to

camp；　leaving　Stanton　and　me　to　spend　the　night　on　the

island；　observing　from　some　safe　hiding…place　what　might

occur。



〃The　moon　waned；　appeared　crescent　in　the　west；　waxed

slowly　toward　the　full。　　Before　the　men　left　us　they　literally

prayed　us　to　accompany　them。　　Their　importunities　only　made

us　more　eager　to　see　what　it　was　that；　we　were　now　con…

vinced；　they　wanted　to　conceal　from　us。　　At　least　that　was

true　of　Stanton　and　myself。　　It　was　not　true　of　Edith。　　She　was

thoughtful；　abstractedreluctant。



〃When　the　men　were　out　of　sight　around　the　turn　of　the

harbour；　we　took　our　boat　and　made　straight　for　Nan…

Tauach。　　Soon　its　mighty　sea…wall　towered　above　us。　　We

passed　through　the　water…gate　with　its　gigantic　hewn　prisms

of　basalt　and　landed　beside　a　half…submerged　pier。　　In　front

of　us　stretched　a　series　of　giant　steps　leading　into　a　vast　court

strewn　with　fragments　of　fallen　pillars。　　In　the　centre　of　the

court；　beyond　the　shattered　pillars；　rose　another　terrace　of

basalt　blocks；　concealing；　I　knew；　still　another　enclosure。



〃And　now；　Walter；　for　the　better　understanding　of　what

followsandand〃　he　hesitated。　　〃Should　you　decide

later　to　return　with　me　or；　if　I　am　taken；　totofollow　us

listen　carefully　to　my　description　of　this　place：　Nan…Tauach

is　literally　three　rectangles。　　The　first　rectangle　is　the　sea…wall；

built　up　of　monolithshewn　and　squared；　twenty　feet　wide

at　the　top。　　To　get　to　the　gateway　in　the　sea…wall　you　pass

along　the　canal　marked　on　the　map　between　Nan…Tauach

and　the　islet　named　Tau。　　The　entrance　to　the　canal　is　bidden

by　dense　thickets　of　mangroves；　once　through　these　the　way

is　clear。　　The　steps　lead　up　from　the　landing　of　the　sea…gate

through　the　entrance　to　the　courtyard。



〃This　courtyard　is　surrounded　by　another　basalt　wall；　rec…

tangular；　following　with　mathematical　exactness　the　march

of　the　outer　barricades。　　The　sea…wall　is　from　thirty　to　forty

feet　highoriginally　it　must　have　been　much　higher；　but

there　has　been　subsidence　in　parts。　　The　wall　of　the　first　en…

closure　is　fifteen　feet　across　the　top　and　its　height　varies　from

twenty　to　fifty　feethere；　too；　the　gradual　sinking　of　the　land

has　caused　portions　of　it　to　fall。



〃Within　this　courtyard　is　the　second　enclosure。　　Its　terrace；

of　the　same　basalt　as　the　outer　walls；　is　about　twenty　feet

high。　　Entrance　is　gained　to　it　by　many　breaches　which　time

has　made　in　its　stonework。　　This　is　the　inner　court；　the　heart

of　Nan…Tauach！　　There　lies　the　great　central　vault　with　which

is　associated　the　one　name　of　living　being　that　has　come　to　us

out　of　the　mists　of　the　past。　　The　natives　say　it　was　the　treas…

ure…house　of　Chau…te…leur；　a　mighty　king　who　reigned　long

'before　their　fathers。'　As　Chan　is　the　ancient　Ponapean　word

both　for　sun　and　king；　the　name　means；　without　doubt；　'place

of　the　sun　king。'　It　is　a　memory　of　a　dynastic　name　of　the

race　that　ruled　the　Pacific　continent；　now　vanishedjust　as

the　rulers　of　ancient　Crete　took　the　name　of　Minos　and　the

rulers　of　Egypt　the　name　of　Pharaoh。



〃And　opposite　this　place　of　the　sun　king　is　the　moon　rock

that　hides　the　Moon　Pool。



〃It　was　Stanton　who　discovered　the　moon　rock。　　We　had

been　inspecting　the　inner　courtyard；　Edith　and　Thora　were

getting　together　our　lunch。　　I　came　out　of　the　vault　of　Chau…

te…leur　to　find　Stanton　before　a　part　of　the　terrace　studying

it　wonderingly。



〃'What　do　you　make　of　this？'　he　asked　me　as　I　came　up。

He　pointed　to　the　wall。　　I　followed　his　finger　and　saw　a　slab　of

stone　about　fifteen　feet　high　and　ten　wide。　　At　first　all　I　no…

ticed　was　the　exquisite　nicety　with　which　its