the moon pool-第3章

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

heard　such　relief　and　hope　as　was　in　his　voice。



　The　sailor　stood　amazed。　　〃Thank　God？〃　he　repeated。

〃Thankwhat　d'ye　mean？〃



But　Throckmartin　was　moving　onward　to　his　cabin。　　I

started　to　follow。　　The　first　officer　stopped　me。



　〃Your　friend；〃　he　said；　〃is　he　ill？〃



〃The　sea！〃　I　answered　hurriedly。　　〃He's　not　used　to　it。　　I

am　going　to　look　after　him。〃



Doubt　and　disbelief　were　plain　in　the　seaman's　eyes　but

I　hurried　on。　　For　I　knew　now　that　Throckmartin　was　ill

indeedbut　with　a　sickness　the　ship's　doctor　nor　any　other

could　heal。











CHAPTER　II



〃Dead！　　All　Dead！〃



HE　WAS　SITTING；　face　in　hands；　on　the　side　of　his　berth

as　I　entered。　　He　had　taken　off　his　coat。



〃Throck；〃　I　cried。　　〃What　was　it？　　What　are　you　flying

from；　man？　　Where　is　your　wifeand　Stanton？〃



〃Dead！〃　he　replied　monotonously。　　〃Dead！　　All　dead！〃

Then　as　I　recoiled　from　him〃All　dead。　　Edith；　Stanton；

Thoradeador　worse。　　And　Edith　in　the　Moon　Pool

with　themdrawn　by　what　you　saw　on　the　moon　path

that　has　put　its　brand　upon　meand　follows　me！〃



He　ripped　open　his　shirt。



〃Look　at　this；〃　he　said。　　Around　his　chest；　above　his

heart；　the　skin　was　white　as　pearl。　　This　whiteness　was

sharply　defined　against　the　healthy　tint　of　the　body。　　It

circled　him　with　an　even　cincture　about　two　inches　wide。



〃Burn　it！〃　he　said；　and　offered　me　his　cigarette。　　I　drew

back。　　He　gesturedperemptorily。　　I　pressed　the　glowing

end　of　the　cigarette　into　the　ribbon　of　white　flesh。　　He　did

not　flinch　nor　was　there　odour　of　burning　nor；　as　I　drew

the　little　cylinder　away；　any　mark　upon　the　whiteness。



〃Feel　it！〃　he　commanded　again。　　I　placed　my　fingers　upon

the　band。　　It　was　coldlike　frozen　marble。



He　drew　his　shirt　around　him。



〃Two　things　you　have　seen；〃　he　said。　　〃ITand　its　mark。

Seeing；　you　must　believe　my　story。　　Goodwin；　I　tell　you

again　that　my　wife　is　deador　worseI　do　not　know；　the

prey　ofwhat　you　saw；　so；　too；　is　Stanton；　so　Thora。

How〃



Tears　rolled　down　the　seared　face。



〃Why　did　God　let　it　conquer　us？　　Why　did　He　let　it　take

my　Edith？〃　he　cried　in　utter　bitterness。　　〃Are　there　things

stronger　than　God；　do　you　think；　Walter？〃



　I　hesitated。



　〃Are　there？　　Are　there？〃　His　wild　eyes　searched　me。



〃I　do　not　know　just　how　you　define　God；〃　I　managed　at

last　through　my　astonishment　to　make　answer。　　〃If　you

mean　the　will　to　know；　working　through　science〃



He　waved　me　aside　impatiently。



〃Science；〃　he　said。　　〃What　is　our　science　againstthat？

Or　against　the　science　of　whatever　devils　that　made　itor

made　the　way　for　it　to　enter　this　world　of　ours？〃



With　an　effort　he　regained　control。



〃Goodwin；〃　he　said；　〃do　you　know　at　all　of　the　ruins　on

the　Carolines；　the　cyclopean；　megalithic　cities　and　harbours

of　Ponape　and　Lele；　of　Kusaie；　of　Ruk　and　Hogolu；　and　a

score　of　other　islets　there？　　Particularly；　do　you　know　of

the　Nan…Matal　and　the　Metalanim？〃



〃Of　the　Metalanim　I　have　heard　and　seen　photographs；〃

I　said。　　〃They　call　it；　don't　they；　the　Lost　Venice　of　the

Pacific？〃



〃Look　at　this　map；〃　said　Throckmartin。　　〃That；〃　he　went

on；　〃is　Christian's　chart　of　Metalanim　harbour　and　the　Nan…

Matal。　　Do　you　see　the　rectangles　marked　Nan…Tauach？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said。



〃There；〃　he　said；　〃under　those　walls　is　the　Moon　Pool

and　the　seven　gleaming　lights　that　raise　the　Dweller　in　the

Pool；　and　the　altar　and　shrine　of　the　Dweller。　　And　there　in

the　Moon　Pool　with　it　lie　Edith　and　Stanton　and　Thora。〃



　〃The　Dweller　in　the　Moon　Pool？〃　I　repeated　half…

incredulously。



　〃The　Thing　you　saw；〃　said　Throckmartin　solemnly。



A　solid　sheet　of　rain　swept　the　ports；　and　the　Southern

Queen　began　to　roll　on　the　rising　swells。　　Throckmartin

drew　another　deep　breath　of　relief；　and　drawing　aside　a

curtain　peered　out　into　the　night。　　Its　blackness　seemed　to

reassure　him。　　At　any　rate；　when　he　sat　again　he　was　entirely

calm。



〃There　are　no　more　wonderful　ruins　in　the　world；〃　he

began　almost　casually。　　〃They　take　in　some　fifty　islets　and

cover　with　their　intersecting　canals　and　lagoons　about

twelve　square　miles。　　Who　built　them？　　None　knows。　　When

were　they　built？　　Ages　before　the　memory　of　present　man；

that　is　sure。　　Ten　thousand；　twenty　thousand；　a　hundred

thousand　years　agothe　last　more　likely。



〃All　these　islets；　Walter；　are　squared；　and　their　shores　are

frowning　seawalls　of　gigantic　basalt　blocks　hewn　and　put　in

place　by　the　hands　of　ancient　man。　　Each　inner　water…front

is　faced　with　a　terrace　of　those　basalt　blocks　which　stand

out　six　feet　above　the　shallow　canals　that　meander　between

them。　　On　the　islets　behind　these　walls　are　time…shattered

fortresses；　palaces；　terraces；　pyramids；　immense　courtyards

strewn　with　ruinsand　all　so　old　that　they　seem　to　wither

the　eyes　of　those　who　look　on　them。



〃There　has　been　a　great　subsidence。　　You　can　stand　out　of

Metalanim　harbour　for　three　miles　and　look　down　upon

the　tops　of　similar　monolithic　structures　and　walls　twenty

feet　below　you　in　the　water。



〃And　all　about；　strung　on　their　canals；　are　the　bulwarked

islets　with　their　enigmatic　walls　peering　through　the　dense

growths　of　mangrovesdead；　deserted　for　incalculable

ages；　shunned　by　those　who　live　near。



〃You　as　a　botanist　are　familiar　with　the　evidence　that　a

vast　shadowy　continent　existed　in　the　Pacifica　continent

that　was　not　rent　asunder　by　volcanic　forces　as　was　that

legendary　one　of　Atlantis　in　the　Eastern　Ocean。*1　My　work

in　Java；　in　Papua；　and　in　the　Ladrones　had　set　my　mind

upon　this　Pacific　lost　land。　　Just　as　the　Azores　are　believed

to　be　the　last　high　peaks　of　Atlantis；　so　hints　came　to　me

steadily　that　Ponape　and　Lele　and　their　basalt　bulwarked

islets　were　the　last　points　of　the　slowly　sunken　western　land

clinging　still　to　the　sunlight；　and　had　been　the　last　refuge

and　sacred　places　of　the　rulers　of　that　race　which　had　lost

their　immemorial　home　under　the　rising　waters　of　the

Pacific。





*1　For　more　detailed　observations　on　these　points　refer　to　G。　Volkens；

Uber　die　Karolinen　Insel　Yap；　in　Verhandlungen　Gesellschaft　Erd…

kunde　Berlin；　xxvii　（1901）；　J。　S。　Kubary；　Ethnographische　Beitrage

zur　Kentniss　des　Karolinen　Archipel　（Leiden；　1889…1892）；　De　Abrade

Historia　del　Conflicto　de　las　Carolinas；　etc。　（Madrid；　1886）。W。　T。　G。







〃I　believed　that　under　these　ruins　I　might　find　the　evi…

dence　that　I　sought。



〃Mymy　wife　and　I　had　talked　before　we　were　married

of　making　this　our　great　work。　　After　the　honeymoon　we

prepared　for　the　expedition。　　Stanton　was　as　enthusiastic　as

ourselves。　　We　sailed；　as　you　know；　last　May　for　fulfilment

of　my　dreams。





　〃At　Ponape　we　selected；　not　without　difficulty；　workmen

to　help　usdiggers。　　I　had　to　make　extraordinary　induce…

ments　before　I　could　get　together　my　force。　　Their　beliefs　are

gloomy；　these　Ponapeans。　　They　people　their　swamps；　their

forests；　their　mountains；　and　shores；　with　malignant　spirits

ani　they　call　them。　　And　they　are　afraidbitterly　afraid　of

the　isles　of　ruins　and　what　they　think　the　ruins　hide。　　I　do　not

wondernow！



〃When　they　were　told　where　they　were　to　go；　and　how

long　we　expected　to　stay；　they　murmured。　　Those　who；　at　last；

were　tempted　made　what　I　thought　then　merely　a　super…

stitious　proviso　that　they　were　to　be　allowed　to　go　away　on

the　three　nights　of　the　full　moon。　　Would　to　God　we　had

heeded　them　and　gone　too！〃



〃We　passed　into　Metalanim　harbour。　　Off　to　our　lefta

mile　away　arose　a　massive　quadrangle。　　Its　walls　were　all　of

forty　feet　high　and　hundreds　of　feet　on　each　side。　　As　we　drew

by；　our　natives　grew　very　silent；　watched　it　furtively；　fear…

fully。　　I　knew　it　for　the　ruins　that　are　called　Nan…Tauach；　the

'place　of　frowning　walls。'　And　at　the　silence　of　my　men　I

recalled　what　Christian　had　written　of　this　place；　of　how