the moon pool-第5章

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

way　between　Ponape　and　Nan…Tauach　known　to　the　natives

and　used　by　them　during　their　rites。　　We　decided　that　on

the　next　departure　of　our　labourers　we　would　set　forth　im…

mediately　to　Nan…Tauach。　　We　would　investigate　during　the

day；　and　at　evening　my　wife　and　Thora　would　go　back　to

camp；　leaving　Stanton　and　me　to　spend　the　night　on　the

island；　observing　from　some　safe　hiding…place　what　might

occur。



〃The　moon　waned；　appeared　crescent　in　the　west；　waxed

slowly　toward　the　full。　　Before　the　men　left　us　they　literally

prayed　us　to　accompany　them。　　Their　importunities　only　made

us　more　eager　to　see　what　it　was　that；　we　were　now　con…

vinced；　they　wanted　to　conceal　from　us。　　At　least　that　was

true　of　Stanton　and　myself。　　It　was　not　true　of　Edith。　　She　was

thoughtful；　abstractedreluctant。



〃When　the　men　were　out　of　sight　around　the　turn　of　the

harbour；　we　took　our　boat　and　made　straight　for　Nan…

Tauach。　　Soon　its　mighty　sea…wall　towered　above　us。　　We

passed　through　the　water…gate　with　its　gigantic　hewn　prisms

of　basalt　and　landed　beside　a　half…submerged　pier。　　In　front

of　us　stretched　a　series　of　giant　steps　leading　into　a　vast　court

strewn　with　fragments　of　fallen　pillars。　　In　the　centre　of　the

court；　beyond　the　shattered　pillars；　rose　another　terrace　of

basalt　blocks；　concealing；　I　knew；　still　another　enclosure。



〃And　now；　Walter；　for　the　better　understanding　of　what

followsandand〃　he　hesitated。　　〃Should　you　decide

later　to　return　with　me　or；　if　I　am　taken；　totofollow　us

listen　carefully　to　my　description　of　this　place：　Nan…Tauach

is　literally　three　rectangles。　　The　first　rectangle　is　the　sea…wall；

built　up　of　monolithshewn　and　squared；　twenty　feet　wide

at　the　top。　　To　get　to　the　gateway　in　the　sea…wall　you　pass

along　the　canal　marked　on　the　map　between　Nan…Tauach

and　the　islet　named　Tau。　　The　entrance　to　the　canal　is　bidden

by　dense　thickets　of　mangroves；　once　through　these　the　way

is　clear。　　The　steps　lead　up　from　the　landing　of　the　sea…gate

through　the　entrance　to　the　courtyard。



〃This　courtyard　is　surrounded　by　another　basalt　wall；　rec…

tangular；　following　with　mathematical　exactness　the　march

of　the　outer　barricades。　　The　sea…wall　is　from　thirty　to　forty

feet　highoriginally　it　must　have　been　much　higher；　but

there　has　been　subsidence　in　parts。　　The　wall　of　the　first　en…

closure　is　fifteen　feet　across　the　top　and　its　height　varies　from

twenty　to　fifty　feethere；　too；　the　gradual　sinking　of　the　land

has　caused　portions　of　it　to　fall。



〃Within　this　courtyard　is　the　second　enclosure。　　Its　terrace；

of　the　same　basalt　as　the　outer　walls；　is　about　twenty　feet

high。　　Entrance　is　gained　to　it　by　many　breaches　which　time

has　made　in　its　stonework。　　This　is　the　inner　court；　the　heart

of　Nan…Tauach！　　There　lies　the　great　central　vault　with　which

is　associated　the　one　name　of　living　being　that　has　come　to　us

out　of　the　mists　of　the　past。　　The　natives　say　it　was　the　treas…

ure…house　of　Chau…te…leur；　a　mighty　king　who　reigned　long

'before　their　fathers。'　As　Chan　is　the　ancient　Ponapean　word

both　for　sun　and　king；　the　name　means；　without　doubt；　'place

of　the　sun　king。'　It　is　a　memory　of　a　dynastic　name　of　the

race　that　ruled　the　Pacific　continent；　now　vanishedjust　as

the　rulers　of　ancient　Crete　took　the　name　of　Minos　and　the

rulers　of　Egypt　the　name　of　Pharaoh。



〃And　opposite　this　place　of　the　sun　king　is　the　moon　rock

that　hides　the　Moon　Pool。



〃It　was　Stanton　who　discovered　the　moon　rock。　　We　had

been　inspecting　the　inner　courtyard；　Edith　and　Thora　were

getting　together　our　lunch。　　I　came　out　of　the　vault　of　Chau…

te…leur　to　find　Stanton　before　a　part　of　the　terrace　studying

it　wonderingly。



〃'What　do　you　make　of　this？'　he　asked　me　as　I　came　up。

He　pointed　to　the　wall。　　I　followed　his　finger　and　saw　a　slab　of

stone　about　fifteen　feet　high　and　ten　wide。　　At　first　all　I　no…

ticed　was　the　exquisite　nicety　with　which　its　edges　joined　the

blocks　about　it。　　Then　I　realized　that　its　colour　was　subtly　dif…

ferenttinged　with　grey　and　of　a　smooth；　peculiardead…

ness。



〃'Looks　more　like　calcite　than　basalt；'　I　said。　　I　touched　it

and　withdrew　my　hand　quickly　for　at　the　contact　every　nerve

in　my　arm　tingled　as　though　a　shock　of　frozen　electricity　had

passed　through　it。　　It　was　not　cold　as　we　know　cold。　　It　was　a

chill　forcethe　phrase　I　have　usedfrozen　electricityde…

scribes　it　better　than　anything　else。　　Stanton　looked　at　me

oddly。



〃'So　you　felt　it　too；'　he　said。　　'I　was　wondering　whether　I

was　developing　hallucinations　like　Thora。　　Notice；　by　the　way；

that　the　blocks　beside　it　are　quite　warm　beneath　the　sun。'



〃We　examined　the　slab　eagerly。　　Its　edges　were　cut　as

though　by　an　engraver　of　jewels。　　They　fitted　against　the

neighbouring　blocks　in　almost　a　hair…line。　　Its　base　was

slightly　curved；　and　fitted　as　closely　as　top　and　sides　upon　the

huge　stones　on　which　it　rested。　　And　then　we　noted　that　these

stones　had　been　hollowed　to　follow　the　line　of　the　grey　stone's

foot。　　There　was　a　semicircular　depression　running　from　one

side　of　the　slab　to　the　other。　　It　was　as　though　the　grey　rock

stood　in　the　centre　of　a　shallow　cuprevealing　half；　covering

half。　　Something　about　this　hollow　attracted　me。　　I　reached

down　and　felt　it。　　Goodwin；　although　the　balance　of　the　stones

that　formed　it；　like　all　the　stones　of　the　courtyard；　were

rough　and　age…wornthis　was　as　smooth；　as　even　surfaced　as

though　it　had　just　left　the　hands　of　the　polisher。



〃'It's　a　door！'　exclaimed　Stanton。　　'It　swings　around　in　that

little　cup。　　That's　what　makes　the　hollow　so　smooth。'



〃'Maybe　you're　right；'　I　replied。　　'But　how　the　devil　can　we

open　it？'



〃We　went　over　the　slab　againpressing　upon　its　edges；

thrusting　against　its　sides。　　During　one　of　those　efforts　I　hap…

pened　to　look　upand　cried　out。　　A　foot　above　and　on　each

side　of　the　corner　of　the　grey　rock's　lintel　was　a　slight　con…

vexity；　visible　only　from　the　angle　at　which　my　gaze　struck　it。



〃We　carried　with　us　a　small　scaling…ladder　and　up　this　I

went。　　The　bosses　were　apparently　nothing　more　than　chis…

eled　curvatures　in　the　stone。　　I　laid　my　hand　on　the　one　I　was

examining；　and　drew　it　back　sharply。　　In　my　palm；　at　the　base

of　my　thumb；　I　had　felt　the　same　shock　that　I　had　in　touch…

ing　the　slab　below。　　I　put　my　hand　back。　　The　impression　came

from　a　spot　not　more　than　an　inch　wide。　　I　went　carefully

over　the　entire　convexity；　and　six　times　more　the　chill　ran

through　my　arm。　　There　were　seven　circles　an　inch　wide　in

the　curved　place；　each　of　which　communicated　the　precise

sensation　I　have　described。　　The　convexity　on　the　opposite

side　of　the　slab　gave　exactly　the　same　results。　　But　no　amount

of　touching　or　of　pressing　these　spots　singly　or　in　any　com…

bination　gave　the　slightest　promise　of　motion　to　the　slab

itself。



　〃'And　yetthey're　what　open　it；'　said　Stanton　positively。



　〃'Why　do　you　say　that？'　I　asked。



〃'Idon't　know；'　he　answered　hesitatingly。　　'But　some…

thing　tells　me　so。　　Throck；'　he　went　on　half　earnestly；　half

laughingly；　'the　purely　scientific　part　of　me　is　fighting　the

purely　human　part　of　me。　　The　scientific　part　is　urging　me　to

find　some　way　to　get　that　slab　either　down　or　open。　　The　hu…

man　part　is　just　as　strongly　urging　me　to　do　nothing　of　the

sort　and　get　away　while　I　can！'



　〃He　laughed　againshamefacedly。



〃'Which　shall　it　be？'　he　askedand　I　thought　that　in　his

tone　the　human　side　of　him　was　ascendant。



〃'It　will　probably　stay　as　it　isunless　we　blow　it　to　bits；'

I　said。



〃'I　thought　of　that；'　he　answered；　'and　I　wouldn't　dare；'

he　added　soberly　enough。　　And　even　as　I　had　spoken　there

came　to　me　the　same　feeling　that　he　had　expressed。　　It　was　as

though　something　passed　out　of　the　grey　rock　that　struck　my

heart　as　a　hand　strikes　an　impious　lip。　　We　turned　awayun…

easily；　and　fac