the moon pool-第9章

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to　catch　Edith；　and　as　I　did　so　slippedfell。



〃The　radiant　shape　above　the　Pool　leaped　swiftlyand

straight　into　it　raced　Edith；　arms　outstretched　to　shield　me

from　it！　　God！



〃She　threw　herself　squarely　within　its　splendour；〃　he

whispered。　　〃It　wrapped　its　shining　self　around　her。　　The　crys…

tal　tinklings　burst　forth　jubilantly。　　The　light　filled　her；　ran

through　and　around　her　as　it　had　with　Stanton；　and　dropped

down　upon　her　facethe　look！



〃But　her　rush　had　taken　her　to　the　very　verge　of　the

Moon　Pool。　　She　tottered；　she　fellwith　the　radiance　still

holding　her；　still　swirling　and　winding　around　and　through

herinto　the　Moon　Pool！　　She　sank；　and　with　her　wentthe

Dweller！



〃I　dragged　myself　to　the　brink。　　Far　down　was　a　shining；

many…coloured　nebulous　cloud　descending；　out　of　it　peered

Edith's　face；　disappearing；　her　eyes　stared　up　at　meand

she　vanished！



　〃'Edith！'　I　cried　again。　　'Edith；　come　back　to　me！'



〃And　then　a　darkness　fell　upon　me。　　I　remember　running

back　through　the　shimmering　corridors　and　out　into　the

courtyard。　　Reason　had　left　me。　　When　it　returned　I　was　far

out　at　sea　in　our　boat　wholly　estranged　from　civilization。　　A

day　later　I　was　picked　up　by　the　schooner　in　which　I　came　to

Port　Moresby。



〃I　have　formed　a　plan；　you　must　bear　it；　Goodwin〃　He

fell　upon　his　berth。　　I　bent　over　him。　　Exhaustion　and　the　re…

lief　of　telling　his　story　had　been　too　much　for　him。　　He　slept

like　the　dead。



All　that　night　I　watched　over　him。　　When　dawn　broke　I

went　to　my　room　to　get　a　little　sleep　myself。　　But　my　slumber

was　haunted。



The　next　day　the　storm　was　unabated。　　Throckmartin　came

to　me　at　lunch。　　He　had　regained　much　of　his　old　alertness。



〃Come　to　my　cabin；〃　he　said。　　There；　he　stripped　his　shirt

from　him。　　〃Something　is　happening；〃　he　said。　　〃The　mark　is

smaller。〃　It　was　as　he　said。



〃I'm　escaping；〃　he　whispered　jubilantly；　〃Just　let　me　get

to　Melbourne　safely；　and　then　we'll　see　who'll　win！　　For；

Walter；　I'm　not　at　all　sure　that　Edith　is　deadas　we　know

deathnor　that　the　others　are。　　There　is　something　outside

experience　theresome　great　mystery。〃



And　all　that　day　he　talked　to　me　of　his　plans。



〃There's　a　natural　explanation；　of　course；〃　he　said。　　〃My

theory　is　that　the　moon　rock　is　of　some　composition　sensitive

to　the　action　of　moon　rays；　somewhat　as　the　metal　selenium

is　to　sun　rays。　　The　little　circles　over　the　top　are；　without

doubt；　its　operating　agency。　　When　the　light　strikes　them

they　release　the　mechanism　that　opens　the　slab；　just　as　you

can　open　doors　with　sun　or　electric　light　by　an　ingenious　ar…

rangement　of　selenium…cells。　　Apparently　it　takes　the　strength

of　the　full　moon　both　to　do　this　and　to　summon　the　Dweller

in　the　Pool。　　We　will　first　try　a　concentration　of　the　rays　of

the　waning　moon　upon　these　circles　to　see　whether　that　will

open　the　rock。　　If　it　does　we　will　be　able　to　investigate　the

Pool　without　interruption　fromfromwhat　emanates。



〃Look；　here　on　the　chart　are　their　locations。　　I　have　made

this　in　duplicate　for　you　in　the　eventof　something　hap…

peningto　me。　　And　if　I　loseyou'll　come　after　us；　Good…

win；　with　helpwon't　you？〃



　And　again　I　promised。



　A　little　later　he　complained　of　increasing　sleepiness。



〃But　it's　just　weariness；〃　he　said。　　〃Not　at　all　like　that　other

drowsiness。　　It's　an　hour　till　moonrise　still；〃　he　yawned　at

last。　　〃Wake　me　up　a　good　fifteen　minutes　before。〃



He　lay　upon　the　berth。　　I　sat　thinking。　　I　came　to　myself

with　a　guilty　start。　　I　had　completely　lost　myself　in　my　deep

preoccupation。　　What　time　was　it？　　I　looked　at　my　watch　and

jumped　to　the　port…hole。　　It　was　full　moonlight；　the　orb　had

been　up　for　fully　half　an　hour。　　I　strode　over　to　Throckmartin

and　shook　him　by　the　shoulder。



〃Up；　quick；　man！〃　I　cried。　　He　rose　sleepily。　　His　shirt　fell

open　at　the　neck　and　I　looked；　in　amazement；　at　the　white

band　around　his　chest。　　Even　under　the　electric　light　it　shone

softly；　as　though　little　flecks　of　light　were　in　it。



Throckmartin　seemed　only　half…awake。　　He　looked　down

at　his　breast；　saw　the　glowing　cincture；　and　smiled。



〃Yes；〃　he　said　drowsily；　〃it's　comingto　take　me　back　to

Edith！　　Well；　I'm　glad。〃



　〃Throckmartin！〃　I　cried。　　〃Wake　up！　　Fight！〃



　〃Fight！〃　he　said。　　〃No　use；　come　after　us！〃



He　went　to　the　port　and　sleepily　drew　aside　the　curtain。

The　moon　traced　a　broad　path　of　light　straight　to　the　ship。

Under　its　rays　the　band　around　his　chest　gleamed　brighter

and　brighter；　shot　forth　little　rays；　seemed　to　writhe。



The　lights　went　out　in　the　cabin；　evidently　also　through…

out　the　ship；　for　I　heard　shoutings　above。



Throckmartin　still　stood　at　the　open　port。　　Over　his　shoul…

der　I　saw　a　gleaming　pillar　racing　along　the　moon　path　to…

ward　us。　　Through　the　window　cascaded　a　blinding　radiance。

It　gathered　Throckmartin　to　it；　clothed　him　in　a　robe　of

living　opalescence。　　Light　pulsed　through　and　from　him。　　The

cabin　filled　with　murmurings



A　wave　of　weakness　swept　over　me；　buried　me　in　black…

ness。　　When　consciousness　came　back；　the　lights　were　again

burning　brightly。



　But　of　Throckmartin　there　was　no　trace！











CHAPTER　VI



〃The　Shining　Devil　Took　Them！〃



MY　COLLEAGUES　of　the　Association；　and　you　others　who

may　read　this　my　narrative；　for　what　I　did　and　did　not　when

full　realization　returned　I　must　offer　here；　briefly　as　I　can；

an　explanation；　a　defenseif　you　will。



My　first　act　was　to　spring　to　the　open　port。　　The　coma　had

lasted　hours；　for　the　moon　was　now　low　in　the　west！　　I　ran

to　the　door　to　sound　the　alarm。　　It　resisted　under　my　frantic

hands；　would　not　open。　　Something　fell　tinkling　to　the　floor。

It　was　the　key　and　I　remembered　then　that　Throckmartin

had　turned　it　before　we　began　our　vigil。　　With　memory　a

hope　died　that　I　had　not　known　was　in　me；　the　hope　that

he　had　escaped　from　the　cabin；　found　refuge　elsewhere　on

the　ship。



And　as　I　stooped；　fumbling　with　shaking　fingers　for　the

key；　a　thought　came　to　me　that　drove　again　the　blood　from

my　heart；　held　me　rigid。　　I　could　sound　no　alarm　on　the

Southern　Queen　for　Throckmartin！



Conviction　of　my　appalling　helplessness　was　complete。

The　ensemble　of　the　vessel　from　captain　to　cabin　boy　was；

to　put　it　conservatively；　average。　　None；　I　knew；　save　Throck…

martin　and　myself　had　seen　the　first　apparition　of　the

Dweller。　　Had　they　witnessed　the　second？　　I　did　not　know；

nor　could　I　risk　speaking；　not　knowing。　　And　not　seeing；　how

could　they　believe？　　They　would　have　thought　me　insane

or　worse；　even；　it　might　be；　his　murderer。



I　snapped　off　the　electrics；　waited　and　listened；　opened　the

door　with　infinite　caution　and　slipped；　unseen；　into　my　own

stateroom。　　The　hours　until　the　dawn　were　eternities　of　wak…

ing　nightmare。　　Reason；　resuming　sway　at　last；　steadied　me。

Even　had　I　spoken　and　been　believed　where　in　these　wastes

after　all　the　hours　could　we　search　for　Throckmartin？　　Cer…

tainly　the　captain　would　not　turn　back　to　Port　Moresby。　　And

even　if　he　did；　of　what　use　for　me　to　set　forth　for　the　Nan…

Matal　without　the　equipment　which　Throckmartin　himself

had　decided　was　necessary　if　one　hoped　to　cope　with　the

mystery　that　lurked　there？



There　was　but　one　thing　to　dofollow　his　instructions；

get　the　paraphernalia　in　Melbourne　or　Sydney　if　it　were

possible；　if　not　sail　to　America　as　swiftly　as　might　be；　secure

it　there　and　as　swiftly　return　to　Ponape。　　And　this　I　deter…

mined　to　do。



Calmness　came　back　to　me　after　I　had　made　this　decision。

And　when　I　went　up　on　deck　I　knew　that　I　had　been　right。

They　had　not　seen　the　Dweller。　　They　were　still　discussing

the　darkening　of　the　ship；　talking　of　dynamos　burned　out；

wires　short　circuited；　a　half　dozen　explanations　of　the　ex…

tinguishment。　　Not　until　noon　was　Throckmartin's　absence

discovered。　　I　told　the　captain　that　I　had　left　him　early　i