the moon pool-第53节

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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　them；　around　and　about　them；

drifted　and　eddied　a　hordegreat　as　that　with　which　Tamer…

lane　swept　down　upon　Rome；　vast　as　the　myriads　which

Genghis　Khan　rolled　upon　the　califsmen　and　women　and

childrenclothed　in　tatters；　half　nude　and　wholly　naked；

slant…eyed　Chinese；　sloe…eyed　Malays；　islanders　black　and

brown　and　yellow；　fierce…faced　warriors　of　the　Solomons

with　grizzled　locks　fantastically　bedizened；　Papuans；　feline

Javans；　Dyaks　of　hill　and　shore；　hook…nosed　Phoenicians；

Romans；　straight…browed　Greeks；　and　Vikings　centuries　BEYOND

their　lives：　scores　of　the　black…haired　Murians；　white

faces　of　our　own　Westernersmen　and　women　and　children

drifting；　eddyingeach　stamped　with　that　mingled　horror

and　rapture；　eyes　filled　with　ecstasy　and　terror　entwined；

marked　by　God　and　devil　in　embracethe　seal　of　the　Shin…

ing　Onethe　dead…alive；　the　lost　ones！



The　loot　of　the　Dweller！



Soul…sick；　I　gazed。　　They　lifted　to　us　visages　of　dread；　they

swept　down　toward　us；　glaring　upwarda　bank　against

which　other　and　still　other　waves　of　faces　rolled；　were

checked；　paused；　until　as　far　as　I　could　see；　like　billows

piled　upon　an　ever…growing　barrier；　they　stretched　beneath

usstaringstaring！



Now　there　was　a　movementfar；　far　away；　a　concentrat…

ing　of　the　lambency；　the　dead…alive　swayed；　oscillated；　sep…

aratedforming　a　long　lane　against　whose　outskirts　they

crowded　with　avid；　hungry　insistence。



First　only　a　luminous　cloud；　then　a　whirling　pillar　of

splendours　through　the　lane　camethe　Shining　One。　　As　it

passed；　the　dead…alive　swirled　in　its　wake　like　leaves　behind

a　whirlwind；　eddying；　twisting；　and　as　the　Dweller　raced　by

them；　brushing　them　with　its　spirallings　and　tentacles；　they

shone　forth　with　unearthly；　awesome　gleamingslike　ves…

sels　of　alabaster　in　which　wicks　flare　suddenly。　　And　when　it

had　passed　they　closed　behind　it；　staring　up　at　us　once　more。



The　Dweller　paused　beneath　us。



Out　of　the　drifting　ruck　swam　the　body　of　Throckmartin！

Throckmartin；　my　friend；　to　find　whom　I　had　gone　to　the

pallid　moon　door；　my　friend　whose　call　I　had　so　laggardly

followed。　　On　his　face　was　the　Dweller's　dreadful　stamp；　the

lips　were　bloodless；　the　eyes　were　wide；　lucent；　something

like　pale；　phosphorescence　gleaming　within　themand　soul…

less。



He　stared　straight　up　at　me；　unwinking；　unrecognizing。

Pressing　against　his　side　was　a　woman；　young　and　gentle；

and　lovelylovely　even　through　the　mask　that　lay　upon

her　face。　　And　her　wide　eyes；　like　Throckmartin's；　glowed

with　the　lurking；　unholy　fires。　　She　pressed　against　him

closely；　though　the　hordes　kept　up　the　faint　churning；　these

two　kept　ever　together；　as　though　bound　by　unseen　fetters。



And　I　knew　the　girl　for　Edith；　his　wife；　who　in　vain　effort

to　save　him　had　cast　herself　into　the　Dweller's　embrace！



〃Throckmartin！〃　I　cried。　　〃Throckmartin！　　I'm　here！〃



Did　he　hear？　　I　know　now；　of　course；　he　could　not。



But　then　I　waitedhope　striving　to　break　through　the

nightmare　hands　that　gripped　my　heart。



Their　wide　eyes　never　left　me。　　There　was　another　move…

ment　about　them；　others　pushed　past　them；　they　drifted

back；　swaying；　eddyingand　still　staring　were　lost　in　the

awful　throng。



Vainly　I　strained　my　gaze　to　find　them　again；　to　force

some　sign　of　recognition；　some　awakening　of　the　clean　life

we　know。　　But　they　were　gone。　　Try　as　I　would　I　could　not　see

themnor　Stanton　and　the　northern　woman　named　Thora

who　had　been　the　first　of　that　tragic　party　to　be　taken　by

the　Dweller。



〃Throckmartin！〃　I　cried　again；　despairingly。　　My　tears

blinded　me。



I　felt　Lakla's　light　touch。



〃Steady；〃　she　commanded；　pitifully。　　〃Steady；　Goodwin。

You　cannot　help　themnow！　　Steady　andwatch！〃



Below　us　the　Shining　One　had　pausedspiralling；　swirl…

ing；　vibrant　with　all　its　transcendent；　devilish　beauty；　had

paused　and　was　contemplati