the moon pool-第2章

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！



Over　the　heavens　was　a　canopy　of　cloud；　glowing　faintly

and　testifying　to　the　moon　riding　behind　it。　　There　was　much

phosphorescence。　　Fitfully　before　the　ship　and　at　her　sides

arose　those　stranger　little　swirls　of　mist　that　swirl　up　from

the　Southern　Ocean　like　breath　of　sea　monsters；　whirl　for　an

instant　and　disappear。



　Suddenly　the　deck　door　opened　and　through　it　came

Throckmartin。　　He　paused　uncertainly；　looked　up　at　the　sky

with　a　curiously　eager；　intent　gaze；　hesitated；　then　closed

the　door　behind　him。



　〃Throck；〃　I　called。　　〃Come！　　It's　Goodwin。〃



　He　made　his　way　to　me。



　〃Throck；〃　I　said；　wasting　no　time　in　preliminaries。

〃What's　wrong？　　Can　I　help　you？〃



　I　felt　his　body　grow　tense。



　〃I'm　going　to　Melbourne；　Goodwin；〃　he　answered。　　〃I

need　a　few　thingsneed　them　urgently。　　And　more　men

white　men〃



He　stopped　abruptly；　rose　from　his　chair；　gazed　intently

toward　the　north。　　I　followed　his　gaze。　　Far；　far　away　the

moon　had　broken　through　the　clouds。　　Almost　on　the　hori…

zon；　you　could　see　the　faint　luminescence　of　it　upon　the

smooth　sea。　　The　distant　patch　of　light　quivered　and　shook。

The　clouds　thickened　again　and　it　was　gone。　　The　ship　raced

on　southward；　swiftly。



Throckmartin　dropped　into　his　chair。　　He　lighted　a　cigar…

ette　with　a　hand　that　trembled；　then　turned　to　me　with

abrupt　resolution。



〃Goodwin；〃　he　said。　　〃I　do　need　help。　　If　ever　man　needed

it；　I　do。　　Goodwincan　you　imagine　yourself　in　another

world；　alien；　unfamiliar；　a　world　of　terror；　whose　unknown

joy　is　its　greatest　terror　of　all；　you　all　alone　there；　a

stranger！　　As　such　a　man　would　need　help；　so　I　need〃



He　paused　abruptly　and　arose；　the　cigarette　dropped　from

his　fingers。　　The　moon　had　again　broken　through　the　clouds；

and　this　time　much　nearer。　　Not　a　mile　away　was　the　patch

of　light　that　it　threw　upon　the　waves。　　Back　of　it；　to　the　rim

of　the　sea　was　a　lane　of　moonlight；　a　gigantic　gleaming　ser…

pent　racing　over　the　edge　of　the　world　straight　and　surely

toward　the　ship。



Throckmartin　stiffened　to　it　as　a　pointer　does　to　a　hidden

covey。　　To　me　from　him　pulsed　a　thrill　of　horrorbut

horror　tinged　with　an　unfamiliar；　an　infernal　joy。　　It　came

to　me　and　passed　awayleaving　me　trembling　with　its

shock　of　bitter　sweet。



He　bent　forward；　all　his　soul　in　his　eyes。　　The　moon　path

swept　closer；　closer　still。　　It　was　now　less　than　half　a　mile

away。　　From　it　the　ship　fledalmost　as　though　pursued。

Down　upon　it；　swift　and　straight；　a　radiant　torrent　cleaving

the　waves；　raced　the　moon　stream。



〃Good　God！〃　breathed　Throckmartin；　and　if　ever　the

words　were　a　prayer　and　an　invocation　they　were。



And　then；　for　the　first　timeI　sawIT！



The　moon　path　stretched　to　the　horizon　and　was　bor…

dered　by　darkness。　　It　was　as　though　the　clouds　above　had

been　parted　to　form　a　lane…drawn　aside　like　curtains　or　as

the　waters　of　the　Red　Sea　were　held　back　to　let　the　hosts

of　Israel　through。　　On　each　side　of　the　stream　was　the　black

shadow　cast　by　the　folds　of　the　high　canopies　And　straight

as　a　road　between　the　opaque　walls　gleamed；　shimmered；

and　danced　the　shining；　racing；　rapids　of　the　moonlight



Far；　it　seemed　immeasurably　far；　along　this　stream　of

silver　fire　I　sensed；　rather　than　saw；　something　coming。　　It

drew　first　into　sight　as　a　deeper　glow　within　the　light。　　On

and　on　it　swept　toward　usan　opalescent　mistiness　that

sped　with　the　suggestion　of　some　winged　creature　in

arrowed　flight。　　Dimly　there　crept　into　my　mind　memory　of

the　Dyak　legend　of　the　winged　messenger　of　Buddha

the　Akla　bird　whose　feathers　are　woven　of　the　moon　rays；

whose　heart　is　a　living　opal；　whose　wings　in　flight　echo　the

crystal　clear　music　of　the　white　starsbut　whose　beak　is

of　frozen　flame　and　shreds　the　souls　of　unbelievers。



Closer　it　drew　and　now　there　came　to　me　sweet；　insistent

tinklingslike　pizzicati　on　violins　of　glass；　crystal　clear；

diamonds　melting　into　sounds！



Now　the　Thing　was　close　to　the　end　of　the　white　path；

close　up　to　the　barrier　of　darkness　still　between　the　ship

and　the　sparkling　head　of　the　moon　stream。　　Now　it　beat　up

against　that　barrier　as　a　bird　against　the　bars　of　its　cage。　　It

whirled　with　shimmering　plumes；　with　swirls　of　lacy　light；

with　spirals　of　living　vapour。　　It　held　within　it　odd；　un…

familiar　gleams　as　of　shifting　mother…of…pearl。　　Coruscations

and　glittering　atoms　drifted　through　it　as　though　it　drew

them　from　the　rays　that　bathed　it。



Nearer　and　nearer　it　came；　borne　on　the　sparkling　waves；

and　ever　thinner　shrank　the　protecting　wall　of　shadow　be…

tween　it　and　us。　　Within　the　mistiness　was　a　core；　a　nucleus

of　intenser　lightveined；　opaline；　effulgent；　intensely　alive。

And　above　it；　tangled　in　the　plumes　and　spirals　that

throbbed　and　whirled　were　seven　glowing　lights。



Through　all　the　incessant　but　strangely　ordered　move…

ment　of　theTHINGthese　lights　held　firm　and　steady。　　They

were　sevenlike　seven　little　moons。　　One　was　of　a　pearly

pink；　one　of　a　delicate　nacreous　blue；　one　of　lambent

saffron；　one　of　the　emerald　you　see　in　the　shallow　waters

of　tropic　isles；　a　deathly　white；　a　ghostly　amethyst；　and

one　of　the　silver　that　is　seen　only　when　the　flying　fish　leap

beneath　the　moon。



The　tinkling　music　was　louder　still。　　It　pierced　the　ears

with　a　shower　of　tiny　lances；　it　made　the　heart　beat　jubi…

lantlyand　checked　it　dolorously。　　It　closed　the　throat　with

a　throb　of　rapture　and　gripped　it　tight　with　the　hand　of

infinite　sorrow！



Came　to　me　now　a　murmuring　cry；　stilling　the　crystal

notes。　　It　was　articulatebut　as　though　from　something

utterly　foreign　to　this　world。　　The　ear　took　the　cry　and　trans…

lated　with　conscious　labour　into　the　sounds　of　earth。　　And

even　as　it　compassed；　the　brain　shrank　from　it　irresistibly；

and　simultaneously　it　seemed　reached　toward　it　with　irre…

sistible　eagerness。



Throckmartin　strode　toward　the　front　of　the　deck；

straight　toward　the　vision；　now　but　a　few　yards　away　from

the　stern。　　His　face　had　lost　all　human　semblance。　　Utter

agony　and　utter　ecstasythere　they　were　side　by　side；　not

resisting　each　other；　unholy　inhuman　companions　blending

into　a　look　that　none　of　God's　creatures　should　wear

and　deep；　deep　as　his　soul！　　A　devil　and　a　God　dwelling

harmoniously　side　by　side！　　So　must　Satan；　newly　fallen；

still　divine；　seeing　heaven　and　contemplating　hell；　have

appeared。



And　thenswiftly　the　moon　path　faded！　　The　clouds

swept　over　the　sky　as　though　a　hand　had　drawn　them　to…

gether。　　Up　from　the　south　came　a　roaring　squall。　　As　the

moon　vanished　what　I　had　seen　vanished　with　itblotted

out　as　an　image　on　a　magic　lantern；　the　tinkling　ceased

abruptlyleaving　a　silence　like　that　which　follows　an

abrupt　thunder　clap。　　There　was　nothing　about　us　but　silence

and　blackness！



Through　me　passed　a　trembling　as　one　who　has　stood　on

the　very　verge　of　the　gulf　wherein　the　men　of　the　Louisades

says　lurks　the　fisher　of　the　souls　of　men；　and　has　been

plucked　back　by　sheerest　chance。



Throckmartin　passed　an　arm　around　me。



〃It　is　as　I　thought；〃　he　said。　　In　his　voice　was　a　new　note；

the　calm　certainty　that　has　swept　aside　a　waiting　terror　of

the　unknown。　　〃Now　I　know！　　Come　with　me　to　my　cabin；

old　friend。　　For　now　that　you　too　have　seen　I　can　tell　you〃

he　hesitated〃what　it　was　you　saw；〃　he　ended。



As　we　passed　through　the　door　we　met　the　ship's　first

officer。　　Throckmartin　composed　his　face　into　at　least　a　sem…

blance　of　normality。



　〃Going　to　have　much　of　a　storm？〃　he　asked。



　〃Yes；〃　said　the　mate。　　〃Probably　all　the　way　to　Mel…

bourne。〃



Throckmartin　straightened　as　though　with　a　new　thought。

He　gripped　the　officer's　sleeve　eagerly。



〃You　mean　at　least　cloudy　weatherfor〃he　hesitated

〃for　the　next　three　nights；　say？〃



　〃And　for　three　more；〃　replied　the　mate。



〃Thank　God！〃　cried　Throckmartin；　and　I　think　I　never

heard　such　relie