the moon pool-第6部分

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them　Stanton's　voice　from　the　courtyarda　great　crya

screamfilled　with　ecstasy　insupportable　and　horror　un…

imaginable！　　And　once　more　there　was　silence。　　I　strove　to

burst　the　bonds　that　held　me。　　I　could　not。　　Even　my　eyelids

were　fixed。　　Within　them　my　eyes；　dry　and　aching；　burned。



〃Then　GoodwinI　first　saw　theinexplicable！　　The　crys…

talline　music　swelled。　　Where　I　sat　I　could　take　in　the　gate…

way　and　its　basalt　portals；　rough　and　broken；　rising　to　the

top　of　the　wall　forty　feet　above；　shattered；　ruined　portals

unclimbable。　　From　this　gateway　an　intenser　light　began　to

flow。　　It　grew；　it　gushed；　and　out　of　it　walked　Stanton。



　〃Stanton！　　ButGod！　　What　a　vision！〃



　A　deep　tremor　shook　him。　　I　waitedwaited。











CHAPTER　V



Into　the　Moon　Pool



〃GOODWIN；〃　Throckmartin　went　on　at　last；　〃I　can　describe

him　only　as　a　thing　of　living　light。　　He　radiated　light；　was

filled　with　light；　overflowed　with　it。　　A　shining　cloud　whirled

through　and　around　him　in　radiant　swirls；　shimmering　ten…

tacles；　luminescent；　coruscating　spirals。



〃His　face　shone　with　a　rapture　too　great　to　be　borne　by

living　man；　and　was　shadowed　with　insuperable　misery。　　It

was　as　though　it　had　been　remoulded　by　the　hand　of　God　and

the　hand　of　Satan；　working　together　and　in　harmony。　　You

have　seen　that　seal　upon　my　own。　　But　you　have　never　seen

it　in　the　degree　that　Stanton　bore　it。　　The　eyes　were　wide

open　and　fixed；　as　though　upon　some　inward　vision　of　hell

and　heaven！



〃The　light　that　filled　and　surrounded　him　had　a　nucleus；　a

coresomething　shiftingly　human　shapedthat　dissolved

and　changed；　gathered　itself；　whirled　through　and　beyond

him　and　back　again。　　And　as　its　shining　nucleus　passed

through　him　Stanton's　whole　body　pulsed　radiance。　　As　the

luminescence　moved；　there　moved　above　it；　still　and　serene

always；　seven　tiny　globes　of　seven　colors；　like　seven　little

moons。



〃Then　swiftly　Stanton　was　liftedlevitatedup　the　un…

scalable　wall　and　to　its　top。　　The　glow　faded　from　the　moon…

light；　the　tinkling　music　grew　fainter。　　I　tried　again　to　move。

The　tears　were　running　down　now　from　my　rigid　lids　and

they　brought　relief　to　my　tortured　eyes。



〃I　have　said　my　gaze　was　fixed。　　It　was。　　But　from　the　side；

peripherally；　it　took　in　a　part　of　the　far　wall　of　the　outer　en…

closure。　　Ages　seemed　to　pass　and　a　radiance　stole　along　it。

Soon　drifted　into　sight　the　figure　that　was　Stanton。　　Far　away

he　wason　the　gigantic　wall。　　But　still　I　could　see　the　shin…

ing　spirals　whirling　jubilantly　around　and　through　him；　felt

rather　than　saw　his　tranced　face　beneath　the　seven　moons。

A　swirl　of　crystal　notes；　and　he　had　passed。　　And　all　the　time；

as　though　from　some　opened　well　of　light；　the　courtyard

gleamed　and　sent　out　silver　fires　that　dimmed　the　moon…

rays；　yet　seemed　strangely　to　be　a　part　of　them。



〃At　last　the　moon　neared　the　horizon。　　There　came　a　louder

burst　of　sound；　the　second；　and　last；　cry　of　Stanton；　like　an

echo　of　his　first！　　Again　the　soft　sighing　from　the　inner　ter…

race。　　Thenutter　silence！



〃The　light　faded；　the　moon　was　setting　and　with　a　rush

life　and　power　to　move　returned　to　me。　　I　made　a　leap　for　the

steps；　rushed　up　them；　through　the　gateway　and　straight　to

the　grey　rock。　　It　was　closedas　I　knew　it　would　be。　　But　did

I　dream　it　or　did　I　bear；　echoing　through　it　as　though　from

vast　distances　a　triumphant　shouting？



〃I　ran　back　to　Edith。　　At　my　touch　she　wakened；　looked

at　me　wanderingly；　raised　herself　on　a　hand。



〃'Dave！'　she　said；　'I　sleptafter　all。'　She　saw　the　despair

on　my　face　and　leaped　to　her　feet。　　'Dave！'　she　cried。　　'What

is　it？　　Where's　Charles？'



〃I　lighted　a　fire　before　I　spoke。　　Then　I　told　her。　　And　for

the　balance　of　that　night　we　sat　before　the　flames；　arms

around　each　otherlike　two　frightened　children。〃



Abruptly　Throckmartin　held　his　hands　out　to　me　appeal…

ingly。



Walter；　old　friend！〃　he　cried。　　〃Don't　look　at　me　as　though

I　were　mad。　　It's　truth；　absolute　truth。　　Wait〃　I　comforted

him　as　well　as　I　could。　　After　a　little　time　he　took　up　his　story。



〃Never；〃　he　said；　〃did　man　welcome　the　sun　as　we　did

that　morning。　　A　soon　as　it　had　risen　we　went　back　to　the

courtyard。　　The　walls　whereon　I　had　seen　Stanton　were　black

and　silent。　　The　terraces　were　as　they　had　been。　　The　grey

slab　was　in　its　place。　　In　the　shallow　hollow　at　its　base　was

nothing。　　Nothingnothing　was　there　anywhere　on　the　islet

of　Stantonnot　a　trace。



〃What　were　we　to　do？　　Precisely　the　same　arguments　that

had　kept　us　there　the　night　before　held　good　nowand

doubly　good。　　We　could　not　abandon　these　two；　could　not　go

as　long　as　there　was　the　faintest　hope　of　finding　themand

yet　for　love　of　each　other　how　could　we　remain？　　I　loved　my

wife；how　much　I　never　knew　until　that　day；　and　she　loved

me　as　deeply。



'It　takes　only　one　each　night；'　she　pleaded。　　'Beloved；　let

it　take　me。'



　〃I　wept；　Walter。　　We　both　wept。



〃'We　will　meet　it　together；'　she　said。　　And　it　was　thus　at

last　that　we　arranged　it。〃



〃That　took　great　courage　indeed；　Throckmartin；〃　I　inter…

rupted。　　He　looked　at　me　eagerly。



　〃You　do　believe　then？〃　he　exclaimed。



〃I　believe；〃　I　said。　　He　pressed　my　hand　with　a　grip　that

nearly　crushed　it。



〃Now；〃　he　told　me。　　〃I　do　not　fear。　　If　Ifail；　you　will　fol…

low　with　help？〃



I　promised。



〃We　talked　it　over　carefully；〃　he　went　on；　〃bringing　to

bear　all　our　power　of　analysis　and　habit　of　calm；　scientific

thought。　　We　considered　minutely　the　time　element　in　the

phenomena。　　Although　the　deep　chanting　began　at　the　very

moment　of　moonrise；　fully　five　minutes　had　passed　between

its　full　lifting　and　the　strange　sighing　sound　from　the　inner

terrace。　　I　went　back　in　memory　over　the　happenings　of　the

night　before。　　At　least　ten　minutes　had　intervened　between

the　first　heralding　sigh　and　the　intensification　of　the　moon…

light　in　the　courtyard。　　And　this　glow　grew　for　at　least　ten

minutes　more　before　the　first　burst　of　the　crystal　notes。　　In…

deed；　more　than　half　an　hour　must　have　elapsed；　I　calculated；

between　the　moment　the　moon　showed　above　the　horizon

and　the　first　delicate　onslaught　of　the　tinklings。



〃'Edith！'　I　cried。　　'I　think　I　have　it！　　The　grey　rock　opens

five　minutes　after　upon　the　moonrise。　　But　whoever　or　what…

ever　it　is　that　comes　through　it　must　wait　until　the　moon　has

risen　higher；　or　else　it　must　come　from　a　distance。　　The　thing

to　do　is　not　to　wait　for　it；　but　to　surprise　it　before　it　passes

out　the　door。　　We　will　go　into　the　inner　court　early。　　You　will

take　your　rifle　and　pistol　and　hide　yourself　where　you　can

command　the　openingif　the　slab　does　open。　　The　instant　it

opens　I　will　enter。　　It's　our　best　chance；　Edith。　　I　think　it's　our

only　one。'



〃My　wife　demurred　strongly。　　She　wanted　to　go　with　me。

But　I　convinced　her　that　it　was　better　for　her　to　stand　guard

without；　prepared　to　help　me　if　I　were　forced　again　into　the

open　by　what　lay　behind　the　rock。



〃At　the　half…hour　before　moonrise　we　went　into　the　inner

court。　　I　took　my　place　at　the　side　of　the　grey　rock。　　Edith

crouched　behind　a　broken　pillar　twenty　feet　away；　slipped

her　rifle…barrel　over　it　so　that　it　would　cover　the　opening。



〃The　minutes　crept　by。　　The　darkness　lessened　and　through

the　breaches　of　the　terrace　I　watched　the　far　sky　softly

lighten。　　With　the　first　pale　flush　the　silence　of　the　place

intensified。　　It　deepened；　became　unbearablyexpectant。　　The

moon　rose；　showed　the　quarter；　the　half；　then　swam　up　into

full　sight　like　a　great　bubble。



〃Its　rays　fell　upon　the　wall　before　me　and　suddenly　upon

the　convexities　I　have　described　seven　little　circles　of　light

sprang　out。　　They　gleamed；　glimmered；　grew　brightershone。

The　gigantic　slab　before　me　glowed　with　them；　silver　wave…

lets　of　phosphorescence　pulsed　over　its　surface　and　then

it　turned　as　though　on　a　pivot；　sighing　softly　as　it　moved！



〃With　a　word　to　Edith　I　flung　myself　through　the　opening。

A　tunnel　stretched　before　me。　　It　glowed　with　the　same　faint

silvery　radiance。　　Down　it　I　raced。　　The　passage　turned　ab…

ruptly；　passed　parallel　to　the　walls　of　the　outer　courtyard

and　then　once　more　led　downward。



〃The　passage　ended。　　Before　me　was　a　high　vaulted　arch。

It　seemed　to　open　into　space；　a　space　filled　with　lambent；

coruscating；　many…coloured　mist　whose　brightness　grew　even

as　I　watched。　　I　passed　through　the　arch　and　stopped　in　sheer

awe！



〃In　front　of　me　was　a　pool。　　It　was　circular；　perhaps　twenty

feet　wide。　　Around　it　ran　a　low；　softly　curved　lip　of　glimmer…

ing　silvery　stone。　　Its　water　was　palest　blue。　　The　pool　with　its

silvery　rim　was　like　a　great　blue　eye　staring　upward。



〃Upon　it　streamed　seven　shafts　of　radiance。　　They　poured

down　upon　the　blue　eye　like　cylindrical　torrents；　they　were

like　shining　pillars　of　light　rising　from　a　sapphire　floor。



〃One　was　the　tender　pink　of　the　pearl；　one　of　the　aurora's

green；　a　third　a　deathly　white；　the　fourth　the　blue　in　mother…

of…pearl；　a　shimmering　column　of　pale　amber；　a　beam　of

amethyst；　a　shaft　of　molten　silver。　　Such　are　the　colours　of

the　seven　lights　that　stream　upon　the　Moon　Pool。　　I　drew

closer；　awestricken。　　The　shafts　did　not　illumine　the　depths。

They　played　upon　the　surface　and　seemed　there　to　diffuse；

to　melt　into　it。　　The　Pool　drank　them？



〃Through　the　water　tiny　gleams　of　phosphorescence　be…

gan　to　dart；　sparkles　and　coruscations　of　pale　incandescence。

And　far；　far　below　I　sensed　a　movement；　a　shifting　glow　as

of　a　radiant　body　slowly　rising。



〃I　looked　upward；　following　the　radiant　pillars　to　their

source。　　Far　above　were　seven　shining　globes；　and　it　was　from

these　that　the　rays　poured。　　Even　as　I　watched　their　bright…

ness　grew。　　They　were　like　seven　moons　set　high　in　some

caverned　heaven。　　Slowly　their　splendour　increased；　and　with

it　th