the moon pool-第1章

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The　Moon　Pool



by　A。　Merritt








Foreword





The　publication　of　the　following　narrative　of　Dr。　Walter

T。　Goodwin　has　been　authorized　by　the　Executive　Council

of　the　International　Association　of　Science。



First：



To　end　officially　what　is　beginning　to　be　called　the

Throckmartin　Mystery　and　to　kill　the　innuendo　and　scan…

dalous　suspicions　which　have　threatened　to　stain　the　repu…

tations　of　Dr。　David　Throckmartin；　his　youthful　wife；　and

equally　youthful　associate　Dr。　Charles　Stanton　ever　since

a　tardy　despatch　from　Melbourne；　Australia；　reported　the

disappearance　of　the　first　from　a　ship　sailing　to　that　port；

and　the　subsequent　reports　of　the　disappearance　of　his　wife

and　associate　from　the　camp　of　their　expedition　in　the

Caroline　Islands。



Second：



Because　the　Executive　Council　have　concluded　that　Dr。

Goodwin's　experiences　in　his　wholly　heroic　effort　to　save

the　three；　and　the　lessons　and　warnings　within　those　ex…

periences；　are　too　important　to　humanity　as　a　whole　to　be

hidden　away　in　scientific　papers　understandable　only　to

the　technically　educated；　or　to　be　presented　through　the

newspaper　press　in　the　abridged　and　fragmentary　form

which　the　space　limitations　of　that　vehicle　make　necessary。



For　these　reasons　the　Executive　Council　commissioned

Mr。　A。　Merritt　to　transcribe　into　form　to　be　readily　under…

stood　by　the　layman　the　stenographic　notes　of　Dr。　Good…

win's　own　report　to　the　Council；　supplemented　by　further

oral　reminiscences　and　comments　by　Dr。　Goodwin；　this

transcription；　edited　and　censored　by　the　Executive　Coun…

cil　of　the　Association；　forms　the　contents　of　this　book。



Himself　a　member　of　the　Council；　Dr。　Walter　T。　Goodwin；

Ph。D。；　F。R。G。S。　etc。；　is　without　cavil　the　foremost　of

American　botanists；　an　observer　of　international　reputa…

tion　and　the　author　of　several　epochal　treaties　upon　his

chosen　branch　of　science。　　His　story；　amazing　in　the　best

sense　of　that　word　as　it　may　be；　is　fully　supported　by

proofs　brought　forward　by　him　and　accepted　by　the　or…

ganization　of　which　I　have　the　honor　to　be　president。　　What

matter　has　been　elided　from　this　popular　presentation

because　of　the　excessively　menacing　potentialities　it　con…

tains；　which　unrestricted　dissemination　might　developwill

be　dealt　with　in　purely　scientific　pamphlets　of　carefully

guarded　circulation。



THE　INTERNATIONAL　ASSOCIATION　OF　SCIENCE

Per　J。　B。　K。；　President









CHAPTER　I



The　Thing　on　the　Moon　Path





FOR　two　months　I　had　been　on　the　d'Entrecasteaux　Islands

gathering　data　for　the　concluding　chapters　of　my　book

upon　the　flora　of　the　volcanic　islands　of　the　South　Pacific。

The　day　before　I　had　reached　Port　Moresby　and　had　seen

my　specimens　safely　stored　on　board　the　Southern　Queen。

As　I　sat　on　the　upper　deck　I　thought；　with　homesick　mind；

of　the　long　leagues　between　me　and　Melbourne；　and　the

longer　ones　between　Melbourne　and　New　York。



It　was　one　of　Papua's　yellow　mornings　when　she　shows

herself　in　her　sombrest；　most　baleful　mood。　　The　sky　was

smouldering　ochre。　　Over　the　island　brooded　a　spirit　sullen；

alien；　implacable；　filled　with　the　threat　of　latent；　malefic

forces　waiting　to　be　unleashed。　　It　seemed　an　emanation　out

of　the　untamed；　sinister　heart　of　Papua　herselfsinister　even

when　she　smiles。　　And　now　and　then；　on　the　wind；　came　a

breath　from　virgin　jungles；　laden　with　unfamiliar　odours；

mysterious　and　menacing。



It　is　on　such　mornings　that　Papua　whispers　to　you　of　her

immemorial　ancientness　and　of　her　power。　　And；　as　every

white　man　must；　I　fought　against　her　spell。　　While　I　struggled

I　saw　a　tall　figure　striding　down　the　pier；　a　Kapa…Kapa　boy

followed　swinging　a　new　valise。　　There　was　something

familiar　about　the　tall　man。　　As　he　reached　the　gangplank　he

looked　up　straight　into　my　eyes；　stared　for　a　moment；　then

waved　his　hand。



And　now　I　knew　him。　　It　was　Dr。　David　Throckmartin

〃Throck〃　he　was　to　me　always；　one　of　my　oldest　friends

and；　as　well；　a　mind　of　the　first　water　whose　power　and

achievements　were　for　me　a　constant　inspiration　as　they

were；　I　know；　for　scores　other。



Coincidentally　with　my　recognition　came　a　shock　of　sur…

prise；　definitelyunpleasant。　　It　was　Throckmartinbut

about　him　was　something　disturbingly　unlike　the　man　I

had　known　long　so　well　and　to　whom　and　to　whose　little

party　I　had　bidden　farewell　less　than　a　month　before　I

myself　had　sailed　for　these　seas。　　He　had　married　only　a

few　weeks　before；　Edith；　the　daughter　of　Professor　William

Frazier；　younger　by　at　least　a　decade　than　he　but　at　one

with　him　in　his　ideals　and　as　much　in　love；　if　it　were　pos…

sible；　as　Throckmartin。　　By　virtue　of　her　father's　training

a　wonderful　assistant；　by　virtue　of　her　own　sweet；　sound

heart　aI　use　the　word　in　its　olden　senselover。　　With　his

equally　youthful　associate　Dr。　Charles　Stanton　and　a　Swed…

ish　woman；　Thora　Halversen；　who　had　been　Edith　Throck…

martin's　nurse　from　babyhood；　they　had　set　forth　for　the

Nan…Matal；　that　extraordinary　group　of　island　ruins　clus…

tered　along　the　eastern　shore　of　Ponape　in　the　Carolines。



I　knew　that　he　had　planned　to　spend　at　least　a　year

among　these　ruins；　not　only　of　Ponape　but　of　Leletwin

centres　of　a　colossal　riddle　of　humanity；　a　weird　flower　of

civilization　that　blossomed　ages　before　the　seeds　of　Egypt

were　sown；　of　whose　arts　we　know　little　enough　and　of

whose　science　nothing。　　He　had　carried　with　him　unusually

complete　equipment　for　the　work　he　had　expected　to　do

and　which；　he　hoped；　would　be　his　monument。



What　then　had　brought　Throckmartin　to　Port　Moresby；

and　what　was　that　change　I　had　sensed　in　him？



Hurrying　down　to　the　lower　deck　I　found　him　with　the

purser。　　As　I　spoke　he　turned；　thrust　out　to　me　an　eager

handand　then　I　saw　what　was　that　difference　that　had　so

moved　me。　　He　knew；　of　course　by　my　silence　and　involun…

tary　shrinking　the　shock　my　closer　look　had　given　me。　　His

eyes　filled；　he　turned　brusquely　from　the　purser；　hesitated

then　hurried　off　to　his　stateroom。



〃'E　looks　rather　queereh？〃　said　the　purser。　　〃Know　'im

well；　sir？　　Seems　to　'ave　given　you　quite　a　start。〃



I　made　some　reply　and　went　slowly　up　to　my　chair。　　There

I　sat；　composed　my　mind　and　tried　to　define　what　it　was

that　had　shaken　me　so。　　Now　it　came　to　me。　　The　old

Throckmartin　was　on　the　eve　of　his　venture　just　turned

forty；　lithe；　erect；　muscular；　his　controlling　expression　one

of　enthusiasm；　of　intellectual　keenness；　ofwhat　shall　I　say

expectant　search。　　His　always　questioning　brain　had

stamped　its　vigor　upon　his　face。



But　the　Throckmartin　I　had　seen　below　was　one　who　had

borne　some　scaring　shock　of　mingled　rapture　and　horror；

some　soul　cataclysm　that　in　its　climax　had　remoulded；

deep　from　within；　his　face；　setting　on　it　seal　of　wedded

ecstasy　and　despair；　as　though　indeed　these　two　had　come

to　him　hand　in　hand；　taken　possession　of　him　and　departing

left　behind；　ineradicably；　their　linked　shadows！



Yesit　was　that　which　appalled。　　For　how　could　rapture

and　horror；　Heaven　and　Hell　mix；　clasp　handskiss？



Yet　these　were　what　in　closest　embrace　lay　on　Throck…

martin's　face！



Deep　in　thought；　subconsciously　with　relief；　I　watched

the　shore　line　sink　behind；　welcomed　the　touch　of　the　wind

of　the　free　seas。　　I　had　hoped；　and　within　the　hope　was　an

inexplicable　shrinking　that　I　would　meet　Throckmartin　at

lunch。　　He　did　not　come　down；　and　I　was　sensible　of　de…

liverance　within　my　disappointment。　　All　that　afternoon　I

lounged　about　uneasily　but　still　he　kept　to　his　cabinand

within　me　was　no　strength　to　summon　him。　　Nor　did　he

appear　at　dinner。



Dusk　and　night　fell　swiftly。　　I　was　warm　and　went　back　to

my　deck…chair。　　The　Southern　Queen　was　rolling　to　a　dis…

quieting　swell　and　I　had　the　place　to　myself。



Over　the　heavens　was　a　canopy　of　cloud；　glowing　faintly

and　testifying　to　the　moon　riding　behin