the moon pool-第9节

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tinguishment。　　Not　until　noon　was　Throckmartin's　absence

discovered。　　I　told　the　captain　that　I　had　left　him　early　in　the

evening；　that；　indeed；　I　knew　him　but　slightly；　after　all。　　It

occurred　to　none　to　doubt　me；　or　to　question　me　minutely。

Why　should　it　have？　　His　strangeness　had　been　noted；　com…

mented　upon；　all　who　had　met　him　had　thought　him　half

mad。　　I　did　little　to　discourage　the　impression。　　And　so　it　came

naturally　that　on　the　log　it　was　entered　that　he　had　fallen

or　leaped　from　the　vessel　some　time　during　the　night。



A　report　to　this　effect　was　made　when　we　entered　Mel…

bourne。　　I　slipped　quietly　ashore　and　in　the　press　of　the　war

news　Throckmartin's　supposed　fate　won　only　a　few　lines　in

the　newspapers；　my　own　presence　on　the　ship　and　in　the

city　passed　unnoticed。



I　was　fortunate　in　securing　at　Melbourne　everything　I

needed　except　a　set　of　Becquerel　ray　condensersbut　these

were　the　very　keystone　of　my　equipment。　　Pursuing　my

search　to　Sydney　I　was　doubly　fortunate　in　finding　a　firm

who　were　expecting　these　very　articles　in　a　consignment　due

them　from　the　States　within　a　fortnight。　　I　settled　down　in

strictest　seclusion　to　await　their　arrival。



And　now　it　will　occur　to　you　to　ask　why　I　did　not　cable；

during　this　period　of　waiting；　to　the　Association；　demand

aid　from　it。　　Or　why　I　did　not　call　upon　members　of　the　Uni…

versity　staffs　of　either　Melbourne　or　Sydney　for　assistance。

At　the　least；　why　I　did　not　gather；　as　Throckmartin　had

hoped　to　do；　a　little　force　of　strong　men　to　go　with　me　to　the

Nan…Matal。



To　the　first　two　questions　I　answer　franklyI　did　not　dare。

And　this　reluctance；　this　inhibition；　every　man　jealous　of　his

scientific　reputation　will　understand。　　The　story　of　Throck…

martin；　the　happenings　I　had　myself　witnessed；　were　in…

credible；　abnormal；　outside　the　facts　of　all　known　science。　　I

shrank　from　the　inevitable　disbelief；　perhaps　ridiculenay；

perhaps　even　the　graver　suspicion　that　had　caused　me　to

seal　my　lips　while　on　the　ship。　　Why　I　myself　could　only　half

believe！　　How　then　could　I　hope　to　convince　others？



And　as　for　the　third　questionI　could　not　take　men　into

the　range　of　such　a　peril　without　first　warning　them　of　what

they　might　encounter；　and　if　I　did　warn　them



It　was　checkmate！　　If　it　also　was　cowardicewell；　I　have

atoned　for　it。　　But　I　do　not　hold　it　so；　my　conscience　is　clear。



That　fortnight　and　the　greater　part　of　another　passed　be…

fore　the　ship　I　awaited　steamed　into　port。　　By　that　time；　be…

tween　my　straining　anxiety　to　be　after　Throckmartin；　the

despairing　thought　that　every　moment　of　delay　might　be

vital　to　him　and　his；　and　my　intensely　eager　desire　to　know

whether　that　shining；　glorious　horror　on　the　moon　path　did

exist　or　had　been　hallucination；　I　was　worn　almost　to　the

edge　of　madness。



At　last　the　condensers　were　in　my　hands。　　It　was　more　than

a　week　later；　however；　before　I　could　secure　passage　back

to　Port　Moresby　and　it　was　another　week　still　before　I

started　north　on　the　Suwarna；　a　swift　little　sloop　with　a　fifty…

horsepower　auxiliary；　heading　straight　for　Ponape　and　the

Nan…Matal。



　We　sighted　the　Brunhilda　some　five　hundred　miles　south

of　the　Carolines。　　The　wind　had　fallen　soon　after　Papua　had

dropped　astern。　　The　Suwarna's　ability　to　make　her　twelve

knots　an　hour　without　it　had　made　me　very　fully　forgive

her　for　not　being　as　fragrant　as　the　Javan　flower　for　which

she　was　named。　　Da　Costa；　her　captain；　was　a　garrulous

Portuguese；　his　mate　was　a　Canton　man　with　all　the　marks

of　long　and　able　service　on　some　pirate　junk；　his　engineer

was　a　half…breed　China…Malay　who　had　picked　up　his　knowl…

edge　of　power　plants；　Heaven　alone　knew　where；　and；　I　had

reason　to　believe；　had　transferred　all　his　religious　impulses

to　the　American　built　deity　of　mechanism　he　so　faithfully

served。　　The　crew　was　made　up　of　six　huge；　chattering　Tonga

boys。



The　Suwarna　had　cut　through　Finschafen　Huon　Gulf　to

the　protection　of　the　Bismarcks。　　She　had　threaded　the　maze

of　the　archipelago　tranquilly；　and　we　were　then　rolling　over

the　thousand…mile　stretch　of　open　ocean　with　New　Hanover

far　behind　us　and　our　boat's　bow　pointed　straight　toward

Nukuor　of　the　Monte　Verdes。　　After　we　had　rounded　Nukuor

we　should；　barring　accident；　reach　Ponape　in　not　more　than

sixty　hours。



It　was　late　afternoon；　and　on　the　demure　little　breeze　that

marched　behind　us　came　far…flung　sighs　of　spice…trees　and

nutmeg　flowers。　　The　slow　prodigious　swells　of　the　Pacific

lifted　us　in　gentle；　giant　hands　and　sent　us　as　gently　down

the　long；　blue　wave　slopes　to　the　next　broad；　upward　slope。

There　was　a　spell　of　peace　over　the　ocean；　stilling　even　the

Portuguese　captain　who　stood　dreamily　at　the　wheel；　slowly

swaying　to　the　rhythmic　lift　and　fall　of　the　sloop。



There　came　a　whining　hail　from　the　Tonga　boy　lookout

draped　lazily　over　the　bow。



〃Sail　he　b'long　port　side！〃



Da　Costa　straightened　and　gazed　while　I　raised　my　glass。

The　vessel　was　a　scant　mile　away；　and　must　have　been　visible

long　before　the　sleepy　watcher　had　seen　her。　　She　was　a

sloop　about　the　size　of　the　Suwarna；　without　power。　　All

sails　set；　even　to　a　spinnaker　she　carried；　she　was　making

the　best　of　the　little　breeze。　　I　tried　to　read　her　name；　but

the　vessel　jibed　sharply　as　though　the　hands　of　the　man　at

the　wheel　had　suddenly　dropped　the　helmand　then　with

equal　abruptness　swung　back　to　her　course。　　The　stern　came

in　sight；　and　on　it　I　read　Brunhilda。



I　shifted　my　glasses　to　the　man　at　wheel。　　He　was　crouch…

ing　down　over　the　spokes　in　a　helpless；　huddled　sort　of　way；

and　even　as　I　looked　the　vessel　veered　again；　abruptly　as

before。　　I　saw　the　helmsman　straighten　up　and　bring　the

wheel　about　with　a　vicious　jerk。



He　stood　so　for　a　moment；　looking　straight　ahead；　entirely

oblivious　of　us；　and　then　seemed　again　to　sink　down　within

himself。　　It　came　to　me　that　his　was　the　action　of　a　man　striv…

ing　vainly　against　a　weariness　unutterable。　　I　swept　the　deck

with　my　glasses。　　There　was　no　other　sign　of　life。　　I　turned　to

find　the　Portuguese　staring　intently　and　with　puzzled　air　at

the　sloop；　now　separated　from　us　by　a　scant　half　mile。



〃Something　veree　wrong　I　think　there；　sair；〃　he　said　in

his　curious　English。　　〃The　man　on　deck　I　know。　　He　is　cap…

tain　and　owner　of　the　Br…rwun'ild。　　His　name　Olaf　Huldricks…

son；　what　you　sayNorwegian。　　He　is　eithair　veree　sick　or

veree　tiredbut　I　do　not　undweerstand　where　is　the　crew

and　the　starb'd　boat　is　gone〃



He　shouted　an　order　to　the　engineer　and　as　he　did　so　the

faint　breeze　failed　and　the　sails　of　the　Brunhilda　flapped

down　inert。　　We　were　now　nearly　abreast　and　a　scant　hun…

dred　yards　away。　　The　engine　of　the　Suwarna　died　and　the

Tonga　boys　leaped　to　one　of　the　boats。



〃You　Olaf　Huldricksson！〃　shouted　Da　Costa。　　〃What's　a

matter　wit'　you？〃



The　man　at　the　wheel　turned　toward　us。　　He　was　a　giant；

his　shoulders　enormous；　thick　chested；　strength　in　every　line

of　him；　he　towered　like　a　viking　of　old　at　the　rudder　bar　of

his　shark　ship。



I　raised　the　glass　again；　his　face　sprang　into　the　lens　and

never　have　I　seen　a　visage　lined　and　marked　as　though　by

ages　of　unsleeping　misery　as　was　that　of　Olaf　Huldricksson！



The　Tonga　boys　had　the　boat　alongside　and　were　waiting

at　the　oars。　　The　little　captain　was　dropping　into　it。



〃Wait！〃　I　cried。　　I　ran　into　my　cabin；　grasped　my　emerg…

ency　medical　kit　and　climbed　down　the　rope　ladder。　　The

Tonga　boys　bent　to　the　oars。　　We　reached　the　side　and　Da

Costa　and　I　each　seized　a　lanyard　dangling　from　the　stays

and　swung　ourselves　on　board。　　Da　Costa　approached　Hul…

dricksson　softly。



〃What's　the　matter；　Olaf？〃　he　beganand　then　was　silent；

looking　down　at　the　wheel。　　The　hands　of　Huldricksson　were

lashed　fast　to　the　spokes　by　thongs　of　thin；　strong　cord；　they

were　swollen　and　black　and　the　thongs　had　bitten　into　the

sinewy　wrists　till　they　were　hidden　in　the　outraged　flesh；

cutting　so　deeply　that　blood　fell；　slow　drop　by　drop；　at　his

feet！　　We　sprang　toward　him；　reaching　out　hands　to　his　fetters

to　loose　them。　　Even　as　we　touched　them；　Huldricksson

aimed　a　vicious　kick　at　me　and　then　another　at　Da　Costa

which　sent　the　Portuguese　tumbling　into　the　scuppers。



〃Let　be！〃　croaked　Huldricksson；　his　voice　was　thick　and

lifeless　as　though　forced　from　a　dead　throat；　his　lips　were

cracked　and　dry　and　his　parched　tongue　was　black。　　〃Let　be！

Go！　　Let　be！〃



　The　Portuguese　had　picked　himself　up；　whimpering　with

rage　and　knife　in　hand；　but　as　Huldricksson's　voice　reached

him　he　stopped。　　Amazement　crept　into　his　eyes　and　as　he

thrust　the　blade　back　into　his　belt　they　softened　with　pity。



〃Something　veree　wrong　wit'　Olaf；〃　he　murmured　to　me。

〃I　think　he　crazee！〃　And　then　Olaf　Huldricksson　began　to

curse　us。　　He　did　not　speakhe　howled　from　that　hideously

dry　mouth　his　imp