the moon pool-第20章

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tear　at　his　very　soul。











CHAPTER　XI



The　Flame…Tipped　Shadows



MARAKINOFF　nodded　his　head　solemnly　as　Olaf　finished。



〃Da！〃　he　said。　　〃That　which　comes　from　here　took　them

boththe　woman　and　the　child。　Da！　　They　came　clasped

within　it　and　the　stone　shut　upon　them。　　But　why　it　left　the

child　behind　I　do　not　understand。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　I　cried　in　amazement。



〃Because　I　saw　it；〃　answered　Marakinoff　simply。　　〃Not

only　did　I　see　it；　but　hardly　had　I　time　to　make　escape

through　the　entrance　before　it　passed　whirling　and　murmur…

ing　and　its　bell　sounds　all　joyous。　Da！　　It　was　what　you　call

the　squeak　close；　that。〃



〃Wait　a　moment；〃　I　saidstilling　Larry　with　a　gesture。

〃Do　I　understand　you　to　say　that　you　were　within　this

place？〃



Marakinoff　actually　beamed　upon　me。



〃Da；　Dr。　Goodwin；〃　he　said；　〃I　went　in　when　that　which

comes　from　it　went　out！〃



I　gaped　at　him；　stricken　dumb；　into　Larry's　bellicose　at…

titude　crept　a　suggestion　of　grudging　respect；　Olaf；　tremb…

ling；　watched　silently。



〃Dr。　　Goodwin　and　my　impetuous　young　friend；　you；〃

went　on　Marakinoff　after　a　moment's　silence　and　I　won…

dered　vaguely　why　he　did　not　include　Huldricksson　in　his

address〃it　is　time　that　we　have　an　understanding。　　I　have

a　proposal　to　make　to　you　also。　　It　is　this；　we　are　what　you

call　a　bad　boat；　and　all　of　us　are　in　it。　　Da！　　We　need　all

hands；　is　it　not　so？　　Let　us　put　together　our　knowledge　and

our　brains　and　resourcesand　even　a　poonch　of　a　mule　is　a

resource；〃　he　looked　wickedly　at　O'Keefe；　〃and　pull　our

boat　into　quiet　waters　again。　　After　that〃



〃All　very　well；　Marakinoff；〃　interjected　Larry；　〃but　I　don't

feel　very　safe　in　any　boat　with　somebody　capable　of　shoot…

ing　me　through　the　back。〃



Marakinoff　waved　a　deprecatory　hand。



〃It　was　natural　that；〃　he　said；　〃logical；　da！　　Here　is　a　very

great　secret；　perhaps　many　secrets　to　my　country　invalua…

ble〃　He　paused；　shaken　by　some　overpowering　emotion；

the　veins　in　his　forehead　grew　congested；　the　cold　eyes

blazed　and　the　guttural　voice　harshened。



〃I　do　not　apologize　and　I　do　not　explain；〃　rasped　Mara…

kinoff。　　〃But　I　will　tell　you；　da！　　Here　is　my　country　sweating

blood　in　an　experiment　to　liberate　the　world。　　And　here　are

the　other　nations　ringing　us　like　wolves　and　waiting　to

spring　at　our　throats　at　the　least　sign　of　weakness。　　And　here

are　you；　Lieutenant　O'Keefe　of　the　English　wolves；　and　you

Dr。　Goodwin　of　the　Yankee　packand　here　in　this　place

may　be　that　will　enable　my　country　to　win　its　war　for　the

worker。　　What　are　the　lives　of　you　two　and　this　sailor　to　that？

Less　than　the　flies　I　crush　with　my　hand；　less　than　midges

in　the　sunbeam！〃



He　suddenly　gripped　himself。



〃But　that　is　not　now　the　important　thing；〃　he　resumed；

almost　coldly。　　〃Not　that　nor　my　shooting。　　Let　us　squarely　the

situation　face。　　My　proposal　is　so：　that　we　join　interests；　and

what　you　call　see　it　through　together；　find　our　way　through

this　place　and　those　secrets　learn　of　which　I　have　spoken；

if　we　can。　　And　when　that　is　done　we　will　go　our　ways；　to　his

own　land　each；　to　make　use　of　them　for　our　lands　as　each　of

us　may。　　On　my　part；　I　offer　my　knowledgeand　it　is　very

valuable；　Dr。　Goodwinand　my　training。　　You　and　Lieu…

tenant　O'Keefe　do　the　same；　and　this　man　Olaf；　what　he

can　of　his　strength；　for　I　do　not　think　his　usefulness　lies　in

his　brains；　no。〃



〃In　effect；　Goodwin；〃　broke　in　Larry　as　I　hesitated；　〃the

professor's　proposition　is　this：　he　wants　to　know　what's　go…

ing　on　here　but　he　begins　to　realize　it's　no　one　man's　job

and　besides　we　have　the　drop　on　him。　　We're　three　to　his　one；

and　we　have　all　his　hardware　and　cutlery。　　But　also　we　can

do　better　with　him　than　without　himjust　as　he　can　do

better　with　us　than　without　us。　　It's　an　even　breakfor　a

while。　　But　once　he　gets　that　information　he's　looking　for；

then　look　out。　　You　and　Olaf　and　I　are　the　wolves　and　the

flies　and　the　midges　againand　the　strafing　will　be　about

due。　　Nevertheless；　with　three　to　one　against　him；　if　he　can

get　away　with　it　he　deserves　to。　　I'm　for　taking　him　up；　if　you

are。〃



There　was　almost　a　twinkle　in　Marakinoff's　eyes。



〃It　is　not　just　as　I　would　have　put　it；　perhaps；〃　he　said；

〃but　in　its　skeleton　he　has　right。　　Nor　will　I　turn　my　hand

against　you　while　we　are　still　in　danger　here。　　I　pledge　you

my　honor　on　this。〃



Larry　laughed。



〃All　right；　Professor；〃　he　grinned。　　〃I　believe　you　mean

every　word　you　say。　　Nevertheless；　I'll　just　keep　the　guns。〃



Marakinoff　bowed；　imperturbably。



〃And　now；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　tell　you　what　I　know。　　I　found

the　secret　of　the　door　mechanism　even　as　you　did；　Dr。　Good…

win。　　But　by　carelessness；　my　condensers　were　broken。　　I　was

forced　to　wait　while　I　sent　for　othersand　the　waiting　might

be　for　months。　　I　took　certain　precautions；　and　on　the　first

night　of　this　full　moon　I　hid　myself　within　the　vault　of

Chau…ta…leur。〃



An　involuntary　thrill　of　admiration　for　the　man　went

through　me　at　the　manifest　heroism　of　this　leap　in　the　dark。

I　could　see　it　reflected　in　Larry's　face。



〃I　hid　in　the　vault；〃　continued　Marakinoff；　〃and　I　saw

that　which　comes　from　here　come　out。　　I　waitedlong　hours。

At　last；　when　the　moon　was　low；　it　returnedecstatically

with　a　man；　a　native；　in　embrace　enfolded。　　It　passed　through

the　door；　and　soon　then　the　moon　became　low　and　the　door

closed。



〃The　next　night　more　confidence　was　mine；　yes。　　And　after

that　which　comes　had　gone；　I　looked　through　its　open　door。

I　said；　〃It　will　not　return　for　three　hours。　　While　it　is　away；

why　shall　I　not　into　its　home　go　through　the　door　it　has　left

open？'　So　I　wenteven　to　here。　　I　looked　at　the　pillars　of

light　and　I　tested　the　liquid　of　the　Pool　on　which　they　fell。

That　liquid；　Dr。　Goodwin；　is　not　water；　and　it　is　not　any

fluid　known　on　earth。〃　He　handed　me　a　small　vial；　its　neck

held　in　a　long　thong。



〃Take　this；〃　he　said；　〃and　see。〃



Wonderingly；　I　took　the　bottle；　dipped　it　down　into　the

Pool。　　The　liquid　was　extraordinarily　light；　seemed；　in　fact；

to　give　the　vial　buoyancy。　　I　held　it　to　the　light。　　It　was　striated；

streaked；　as　though　little　living；　pulsing　veins　ran　through　it。

And　its　blueness；　even　in　the　vial；　held　an　intensity　of　lumi…

nousness。



〃Radioactive；〃　said　Marakinoff。　　〃Some　liquid　that　is　in…

tensely　radioactive；　but　what　it　is　I　know　not　at　all。　　Upon　the

living　skin　it　acts　like　radium　raised　to　the　nth　power　and

with　an　element　most　mysterious　added。　　The　solution　with

which　I　treated　him；〃　he　pointed　to　Huldricksson；　〃I　had

prepared　before　I　came　here；　from　certain　information　I

had。　　It　is　largely　salts　of　radium　and　its　base　is　Loeb's

formula　for　the　neutralization　of　radium　and　X…ray　burns。

Taking　this　man　at　once；　before　the　degeneration　had　be…

come　really　active；　I　could　negative　it。　　But　after　two　hours

I　could　have　done　nothing。〃



He　paused　a　moment。



〃Next　I　studied　the　nature　of　these　luminous　walls。　　I

concluded　that　whoever　had　made　them；　knew　the　secret　of

the　Almighty's　manufacture　of　light　from　the　ether　itself！

Colossal！　　Da！　　But　the　substance　of　these　blocks　confines　an

atomichow　would　you　sayatomic　manipulation；　a

conscious　arrangement　of　electrons；　light…emitting　and　per…

haps　indefinitely　so。　　These　blocks　are　lamps　in　which　oil　and

wick　are　electrons　drawing　light　waves　from　ether　itself！　　A

Prometheus；　indeed；　this　discoverer！　　I　looked　at　my　watch

and　that　little　guardian　warned　me　that　it　was　time　to　go。

I　went。　　That　which　comes　forth　returnedthis　time　empty…

handed。



〃And　the　next　night　I　did　the　same　thing。　　Engrossed　in

research；　I　let　the　moments　go　by　to　the　danger　point；　and

scarcely　was　I　replaced　within　the　vault　when　the　shining

thing　raced　over　the　walls；　and　in　its　grip　the　woman　and

child



〃Then　you　cameand　that　is　all。　　And　nowwhat　is