the moon pool-第4章

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

recalled　what　Christian　had　written　of　this　place；　of　how　he

had　come　upon　its　'ancient　platforms　and　tetragonal　enclo…

sures　of　stonework；　its　wonder　of　tortuous　alleyways　and

labyrinth　of　shallow　canals；　grim　masses　of　stonework　peer…

ing　out　from　behind　verdant　screens；　cyclopean　barricades；'

and　of　how；　when　he　had　turned　'into　its　ghostly　shadows；

straight…way　the　merriment　of　guides　was　hushed　and　con…

versation　died　down　to　whispers。'



He　was　silent　for　a　little　time。



〃Of　course　I　wanted　to　pitch　our　camp　there；〃　he　went　on

again　quietly；　〃but　I　soon　gave　up　that　idea。　　The　natives　were

panic…strickenthreatened　to　turn　back。　　'No；'　they　said；　'too

great　ani　there。　　We　go　to　any　other　placebut　not　there。'



〃We　finally　picked　for　our　base　the　islet　called　Uschen…

Tau。　　It　was　close　to　the　isle　of　desire；　but　far　enough　away

from　it　to　satisfy　our　men。　　There　was　an　excellent　camping…

place　and　a　spring　of　fresh　water。　　We　pitched　our　tents；　and

in　a　couple　of　days　the　work　was　in　full　swing。〃











CHAPTER　III



The　Moon　Rock



〃I　DO　not　intend　to　tell　you　now；〃　Throckmartin　continued；

〃the　results　of　the　next　two　weeks；　nor　of　what　we　found。

Laterif　I　am　allowed；　I　will　lay　all　that　before　you。　　It　is

sufficient　to　say　that　at　the　end　of　those　two　weeks　I　had

found　confirmation　for　many　of　my　theories。



〃The　place；　for　all　its　decay　and　desolation；　had　not　in…

fected　us　with　any　touch　of　morbiditythat　is　not　Edith；

Stanton；　or　myself。　　But　Thora　was　very　unhappy。　　She　was　a

Swede；　as　you　know；　and　in　her　blood　ran　the　beliefs　and　su…

perstitions　of　the　Northlandsome　of　them　so　strangely　akin

to　those　of　this　far　southern　land；　beliefs　of　spirits　of　moun…

tain　and　forest　and　water　werewolves　and　beings　malign。

From　the　first　she　showed　a　curious　sensitivity　to　what；　I

suppose；　may　be　called　the　'influences'　of　the　place。　　She　said

it　'smelled'　of　ghosts　and　warlocks。



　〃I　laughed　at　her　then



〃Two　weeks　slipped　by；　and　at　their　end　the　spokesman　for

our　natives　came　to　us。　　The　next　night　was　the　full　of　the

moon；　he　said。　　He　reminded　me　of　my　promise。　　They　would

go　back　to　their　village　in　the　morning；　they　would　return

after　the　third　night；　when　the　moon　had　begun　to　wane。

They　left　us　sundry　charms　for　our　'protection；'　and　solemnly

cautioned　us　to　keep　as　far　away　as　possible　from　Nan…

Tauach　during　their　absence。　　Half…exasperated；　half…amused

I　watched　them　go。



〃No　work　could　be　done　without　them；　of　course；　so　we

decided　to　spend　the　days　of　their　absence　junketing　about

the　southern　islets　of　the　group。　　We　marked　down　several

spots　for　subsequent　exploration；　and　on　the　morning　of　the

third　day　set　forth　along　the　east　face　of　the　breakwater　for

our　camp　on　Uschen…Tau；　planning　to　have　everything　in

readiness　for　the　return　of　our　men　the　next　day。



　〃We　landed　just　before　dusk；　tired　and　ready　for　our　cots。

It　was　only　a　little　after　ten　o'clock　that　Edith　awakened　me。



　〃'Listen！'　she　said。　　'Lean　over　with　your　ear　close　to　the

ground！'



〃I　did　so；　and　seemed　to　hear；　far；　far　below；　as　though

coming　up　from　great　distances；　a　faint　chanting。　　It　gathered

strength；　died　down；　ended；　began；　gathered　volume；　faded

away　into　silence。



〃'It's　the　waves　rolling　on　rocks　somewhere；'　I　said。　　'We're

probably　over　some　ledge　of　rock　that　carries　the　sound。'



　〃'It's　the　first　time　I've　heard　it；'　replied　my　wife　doubt…

fully。　　We　listened　again。　　Then　through　the　dim　rhythms；

deep　beneath　us；　another　sound　came。　　It　drifted　across　the

lagoon　that　lay　between　us　and　Nan…Tauach　in　little　tinkling

waves。　　It　was　musicof　a　sort；　I　won't　describe　the　strange

effect　it　had　upon　me。　　You've　felt　it〃



　〃You　mean　on　the　deck？〃　I　asked。　　Throckmartin　nodded。



〃I　went　to　the　flap　of　the　tent；〃　he　continued；　〃and　peered

out。　　As　I　did　so　Stanton　lifted　his　flap　and　walked　out　into　the

moonlight；　looking　over　to　the　other　islet　and　listening。　　I

called　to　him。



〃'That's　the　queerest　sound！'　he　said。　　He　listened　again。

'Crystalline！　　Like　little　notes　of　translucent　glass。　　Like　the

bells　of　crystal　on　the　sistrums　of　Isis　at　Dendarah　Temple；'

he　added　half…dreamily。　　We　gazed　intently　at　the　island。

Suddenly；　on　the　sea…wall；　moving　slowly；　rhythmically；　we

saw　a　little　group　of　lights。　　Stanton　laughed。



〃'The　beggars！'　he　exclaimed。　　'That's　why　they　wanted　to

get　away；　is　it？　　Don't　you　see；　Dave；　it's　some　sort　of　a　fes…

tivalrites　of　some　kind　that　they　hold　during　the　full　moon！

That's　why　they　were　so　eager　to　have　us　KEEP　away；　too。'



　〃The　explanation　seemed　good。　　I　felt　a　curious　sense　of　re…

lief；　although　I　had　not　been　sensible　of　any　oppression。



〃'Let's　slip　over；'　suggested　Stantonbut　I　would　not。



〃'They're　a　difficult　lot　as　it　is；'　I　said。　　'If　we　break　into　one

of　their　religious　ceremonies　they'll　probably　never　forgive

us。　Let's　keep　out　of　any　family　party　where　we　haven't　been

invited。'



　〃'That's　so；'　agreed　Stanton。



　〃The　strange　tinkling　rose　and　fell；　rose　and　fell



〃'There's　somethingsomething　very　unsettling　about　it；'

said　Edith　at　last　soberly。　　'I　wonder　what　they　make　those

sounds　with。　　They　frighten　me　half　to　death；　and；　at　the　same

time。　they　make　me　feel　as　though　some　enormous　rapture

were　just　around　the　corner。'



　〃'It's　devilish　uncanny！'　broke　in　Stanton。



〃And　as　he　spoke　the　flap　of　Thora's　tent　was　raised　and

out　into　the　moonlight　strode　the　old　Swede。　　She　was　the

great　Norse　typetall；　deep…breasted；　moulded　on　the　old

Viking　lines。　　Her　sixty　years　had　slipped　from　her。　　She

looked　like　some　ancient　priestess　of　Odin。



〃She　stood　there；　her　eyes　wide；　brilliant；　staring。　　She

thrust　her　head　forward　toward　Nan…Tauach；　regarding　the

moving　lights；　she　listened。　　Suddenly　she　raised　her　arms

and　made　a　curious　gesture　to　the　moon。　　It　wasan　archaic

movement；　she　seemed　to　drag　it　from　remote　antiquity

yet　in　it　was　a　strange　suggestion　of　power；　Twice　she　re…

peated　this　gesture　andthe　tinklings　died　away！　　She　turned

to　us。



〃'Go！'　she　said；　and　her　voice　seemed　to　come　from　far

distances。　　'Go　from　hereand　quickly！　　Go　while　you　may。

It　has　called'　She　pointed　to　the　islet。　　'It　knows　you　are

here。　　It　waits！'　she　wailed。　　'It　beckonsthethe〃



〃She　fell　at　Edith's　feet；　and　over　the　lagoon　came　again

the　tinklings；　now　with　a　quicker　note　of　jubilancealmost

of　triumph。



〃We　watched　beside　her　throughout　the　night。　　The　sounds

from　Nan…Tauach　continued　until　about　an　hour　before

moon…set。　　In　the　morning　Thora　awoke；　none　the　worse；　ap…

parently。　　She　had　had　bad　dreams；　she　said。　　She　could　not

remember　what　they　wereexcept　that　they　had　warned　her

of　danger。　　She　was　oddly　sullen；　and　throughout　the　morning

her　gaze　returned　again　and　again　half…fascinatedly；　half…

wonderingly　to　the　neighbouring　isle。



〃That　afternoon　the　natives　returned。　　And　that　night　on

Nan…Tauach　the　silence　was　unbroken　nor　were　there　lights

nor　sign　of　life。



〃You　will　understand；　Goodwin；　how　the　occurrences　I

have　related　would　excite　the　scientific　curiosity。　　We　rejected

immediately；　of　course；　any　explanation　admitting　the　super…

natural。



〃Oursymptoms　let　me　call　themcould　all　very　easily

be　accounted　for。　　It　is　unquestionable　that　the　vibrations

created　by　certain　musical　instruments　have　definite　and

sometimes　extraordinary　effect　upon　the　nervous　system。　　We

accepted　this　as　the　explanation　of　the　reactions　we　had　ex…

perienced；　hearing　the　unfamiliar　sounds。　　Thora's　nervous…

ness；　her　superstitious　apprehensions；　had　wrought　her　up　to

a　condition　of　semi…somnambulistic　hysteria。　　Science　could

readily　explain　her　part　in　the　night's　scene。



〃We　came　to　the　conclusion　that　there　must　be　a　passage…

way