the moon pool-第22章

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ment　of　the　fossil　Labyrinthodonts：　you　saw　her　teeth；　da？〃



〃Ranadae；　yes；〃　I　answered。　　〃But　from　the　Stegocephalia；

of　the　order　Ecaudata〃



Never　such　a　complete　indignation　as　was　in　O'Keefe's

voice　as　he　interrupted。



〃What　do　you　meanfossils　and　Stego　whatever　it　is？〃

he　asked。　　〃She　was　a　girl；　a　wonder　girla　real　girl；　and

Irish；　or　I'm　not　an　O'Keefe！〃



〃We　were　talking　about　the　frog…woman；　Larry；〃　I　said；

conciliatingly。



His　eyes　were　wild　as　he　regarded　us。



〃Say；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　two　had　been　in　the　Garden　of

Eden　when　Eve　took　the　apple；　you　wouldn't　have　had　time

to　give　her　a　look　for　counting　the　scales　on　the　snake！〃



He　strode　swiftly　over　to　the　wall。　　We　followed。　　Larry

paused；　stretched　his　hand　up　to　the　flowers　on　which　the

tapering　fingers　of　the　golden…eyed　girl　had　rested。



〃It　was　here　she　put　up　her　hand；〃　he　murmured。　　He

pressed　caressingly　the　carved　calyxes；　once；　twice；　a　third

time　even　as　she　hadand　silently　and　softly　the　wall　began

to　split；　on　each　side　a　great　stone　pivoted　slowly；　and　before

us　a　portal　stood；　opening　into　a　narrow　corridor　glowing

with　the　same　rosy　lustre　that　had　gleamed　around　the

flame…tipped　shadows！



〃Have　your　gun　ready；　Olaf！〃　said　Larry。　　〃We　follow

Golden　Eyes；〃　he　said　to　me。



〃Follow？〃　I　echoed　stupidly。



〃Follow！〃　he　said。　　〃She　came　to　show　us　the　way！　　Follow？

I'd　follow　her　through　a　thousand　hells！〃



And　with　Olaf　at　one　end；　O'Keefe　at　the　other；　both　of

them　with　automatics　in　hand；　and　Marakinoff　and　I　be…

tween　them；　we　stepped　over　the　threshold。



At　our　right；　a　few　feet　away；　the　passage　ended　abruptly

in　a　square　of　polished　stone；　from　which　came　faint　rose

radiance。　　The　roof　of　the　place　was　less　than　two　feet　over

O'Keefe's　head。



A　yard　at　left　of　us　lifted　a　four…foot　high；　gently　curved

barricade；　stretching　from　wall　to　walland　beyond　it　was

blackness；　an　utter　and　appalling　blackness　that　seemed　to

gather　itself　from　infinite　depths。　　The　rose…glow　in　which

we　stood　was　cut　off　by　the　blackness　as　though　it　had　sub…

stance；　it　shimmered　out　to　meet　it；　and　was　checked　as

though　by　a　blow；　indeed；　so　strong　was　the　suggestion　of

sinister；　straining　force　within　the　rayless　opacity　that　I

shrank　back；　and　Marakinoff　with　me。　　Not　so　O'Keefe。　　Olaf

beside　him；　he　strode　to　the　wall　and　peered　over。　　He　beck…

oned　us。



〃Flash　your　pocket…light　down　there；〃　be　said　to　me；　point…

ing　into　the　thick　darkness　below　us。　　The　little　electric　circle

quivered　down　as　though　afraid；　and　came　to　rest　upon　a

surface　that　resembled　nothing　so　much　as　clear；　black　ice。　　I

ran　the　light　acrosshere　and　there。　　The　floor　of　the　corridor

was　of　a　substance　so　smooth；　so　polished；　that　no　man　could

have　walked　upon　it；　it　sloped　downward　at　a　slowly　increas…

ing　angle。



〃We'd　have　to　have　non…skid　chains　and　brakes　on　our

feet　to　tackle　that；〃　mused　Larry。　　Abstractedly　be　ran　his

hands　over　the　edge　on　which　he　was　leaning。　　Suddenly　they

hesitated　and　then　gripped　tightly。



〃That's　a　queer　one！〃　he　exclaimed。　　His　right　palm　was

resting　upon　a　rounded　protuberance；　on　the　side　of　which

were　three　small　circular　indentations。



〃A　queer　one〃　he　repeatedand　pressed　his　fingers

upon　the　circles。



There　was　a　sharp　click；　the　slabs　that　had　opened　to　let

us　through　swung　swiftly　together；　a　curiously　rapid　vibra…

tion　thrilled　through　us；　a　wind　arose　and　passed　over　our

headsa　wind　that　grew　and　grew　until　it　became　a　whistling

shriek；　then　a　roar　and　then　a　mighty　humming；　to　which

every　atom　in　our　bodies　pulsed　in　rhythm　painful　almost

to　disintegration！



The　rosy　wall　dwindled　in　a　flash　to　a　point　of　light　and

disappeared！



Wrapped　in　the　clinging；　impenetrable　blackness　we　were

racing；　dropping；　hurling　at　a　frightful　speedwhere？



And　ever　that　awful　humming　of　the　rushing　wind　and

the　lightning　cleaving　of　the　tangible　darkso；　it　came　to

me　oddly；　must　the　newly　released　soul　race　through　the

sheer　blackness　of　outer　space　up　to　that　Throne　of　Justice；

where　God　sits　high　above　all　suns！



I　felt　Marakinoff　creep　close　to　me；　gripped　my　nerve　and

flashed　my　pocket…light；　saw　Larry　standing；　peering；　peer…

ing　ahead；　and　Huldricksson；　one　strong　arm　around　his

shoulders；　bracing　him。　　And　then　the　speed　began　to　slacken。



Millions　of　miles；　it　seemed；　below　the　sound　of　the　un…

earthly　hurricane　I　heard　Larry's　voice；　thin　and　ghostlike；

beneath　its　clamour。



〃Got　it！〃　shrilled　the　voice。　　〃Got　it！　　Don't　worry！〃



The　wind　died　down　to　the　roar；　passed　back　into　the

whistling　shriek　and　diminished　to　a　steady　whisper。　　In　the

comparative　quiet　O'Keefe's　tones　now　came　in　normal

volume。



〃Some　little　shoot…the…chutes；　what？〃　he　shouted。　　〃Say

if　they　had　this　at　Coney　Island　or　the　Crystal　Palace！　　Press

all　the　way　in　these　holes　and　she　goes　top…high。　　Diminish

pressurediminish　speed。　　The　curve　of　thisdashboard

here　sends　the　wind　shooting　up　over　our　headslike　a

windshield。　　What's　behind　you？〃



I　flashed　the　light　back。　　The　mechanism　on　which　we

were　ended　in　another　wall　exactly　similar　to　that　over　which

O'Keefe　crouched。



〃Well；　we　can't　fall　out；　anyway；〃　he　laughed。　　〃Wish　to

hell　I　knew　where　the　brakes　were！　　Look　out！〃



We　dropped　dizzily　down　an　abrupt；　seemingly　endless

slope；　fellfell　as　into　an　abyssthen　shot　abruptly　out　of

the　blackness　into　a　throbbing　green　radiance。　　O'Keefe's

fingers　must　have　pressed　down　upon　the　controls；　for　we

leaped　forward　almost　with　the　speed　of　light。　　I　caught　a

glimpse　of　luminous　immensities　on　the　verge　of　which　we

flew；　of　depths　inconceivable；　and　flitting　through　the　incred…

ible　spacesgigantic　shadows　as　of　the　wings　of　Israfel；

which　are　so　wide；　say　the　Arabs；　the　world　can　cower

under　them　like　a　nestlingand　thenagain　the　living

blackness！



　〃What　was　that？〃　This　from　Larry；　with　the　nearest　ap…

proach　to　awe　that　he　had　yet　shown。



〃Trolldom！〃　croaked　the　voice　of　Olaf。



〃Chert！〃　　This　from　Marakinoff。　　〃What　a　space！〃



〃Have　you　considered；　Dr。　Goodwin；〃　be　went　on　after　a

pause；　〃a　curious　thing？　　We　know；　or；　at　least；　is　it　not　that

nine　out　of　ten　astronomers　believe；　that　the　moon　was

hurled　out　of　this　same　region　we　now　call　the　Pacific　when

the　earth　was　yet　like　molasses；　almost　molten；　I　should　say。

And　is　it　not　curious　that　that　which　comes　from　the　Moon

Chamber　needs　the　moon…rays　to　bring　it　forth；　is　it　not？

And　is　it　not　significant　again　that　the　stone　depends　upon

the　moon　for　operating？　　Da！　　And　lastsuch　a　space　in

mother　earth　as　we　just　glimpsed；　how　else　could　it　have　been

torn　but　by　some　gigantic　birthlike　that　of　the　moon？　　Da！

I　do　not　put　forward　these　as　statements　of　factno！　　But　as

suggestions〃



I　started；　there　was　so　much　that　this　might　explainan

unknown　element　that　responded　to　the　moon…rays　in　open…

ing　the　moon　door；　the　blue　Pool　with　its　weird　radioactivity；

and　the　force　within　it　that　reacted　to　the　same　light

stream



It　was　not　inconceivable　that　a　film　had　drawn　over　the

world　wound；　a　film　of　earth…flesh　which　drew　itself　over

that　colossal　abyss　after　our　planet　had　borne　its　satellite

that　world　womb　did　not　close　when　her　shining　child　sprang

forthit　was　possible；　and　all　that　we　know　of　earth　depth

is　four　miles　of　her　eight　thousand。



What　is　there　at　the　heart　of　earth？　　What　of　that　radiant

unknown　element　upon　the　moon　mount　Tycho？　　What　of

that　element　unknown　to　us　as　part　of　earth　which　is　seen

only　in　the　corona　of　the　sun　at　eclipse　that　we　call　coro…

nium？　　Yet　the　earth　is　child　of　the　sun　as　the　moon　is　earth's

daughter。　　And　what　of　that　other　unknown　element　we　find

glowing　green　in　the　far…flung　nebulaegreen　as　that　we　had

just　passed　throughand　that　we　call　nebulium？　　Yet　the　sun

i