the metal monster-第12章

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her　skin　and　hairthey're　too　WONDERFUL；　Walter。

〃Why；　she　makes　me　looklook　coarse。　And　the　light　that　hovers　about　herwhy；　it　is　by　that　light　we　are　making　our　way。　And　when　she　touched　meII　glowed　all　through。

〃Human；　yesbut　there　is　something　else　in　hersomething　stronger　than　humanness；　something　thatmakes　it　sleep！〃　she　added　astonishingly。

The　ground　was　level　as　a　dancing　floor。　We　followed　the　enigmatic　glowemanation；　it　seemed　to　mefrom　Norhala　which　was　as　a　light　for　us　to　follow　within　the　darkness。　The　high　ribbon　of　sky　had　vanishedseemed　to　be　overcast；　for　I　could　see　no　stars。

Within　the　darkness　I　began　again　to　sense　faint　movement；　soft　stirring　all　about　us。　I　had　the　feeling　that　on　each　side　and　behind　us　moved　an　invisible　host。

〃There's　something　moving　all　about　usgoing　with　us；〃　Ruth　echoed　my　thought。

〃It's　the　wind；〃　I　said；　and　pausedfor　there　was　no　wind。

From　the　blackness　before　us　came　a　succession　of　curious；　muffled　clickings；　like　a　smothered　mitrailleuse。　The　luminescence　that　clothed　Norhala　brightened；　deepening　the　darkness。

〃Cross！〃

She　pointed　into　the　void　ahead；　then；　as　we　started　forward；　thrust　out　a　hand　to　Ruth；　held　her　back。　Drake　and　Ventnor　drew　close　to　them；　questioningly；　anxious。　But　I　stepped　forward；　out　of　the　dim　gleaming。

Before　me　were　two　cubes；　one　I　judged　in　that　uncertain　light　to　be　six　feet　high；　the　other　half　its　bulk。　From　them　a　shaft　of　pale…blue　phosphorescence　pierced　the　murk。　They　stood；　the　smaller　pressed　against　the　side　of　the　larger；　for　all　the　world　like　a　pair　of　immense　nursery　blocks；　placed　like　steps　by　some　giant　child。

As　my　eyes　swept　over　them；　I　saw　that　the　shining　shaft　was　an　unbroken　span　of　cubes；　not　multi…arched　like　the　Lilliputian　bridge　of　the　dragon　chamber；　but　flat　and　running　out　over　an　abyss　that　gaped　at　my　very　feet。　All　of　a　hundred　feet　they　stretched；　a　slender；　lustrous　girder　crossing　unguessed　depths　of　gloom。　From　far；　far　below　came　the　faint　whisper　of　rushing　waters。

I　faltered。　For　these　were　the　blocks　that　had　formed　the　body　of　the　monster　of　the　hollow；　its　flailing　arms。　The　thing　that　had　played　so　murderously　with　the　armored　men。

And　now　had　shaped　itself　into　this　anchored；　quiescent　bridge。

〃Do　not　fear。〃　It　was　the　woman　speaking；　softly；　as　one　would　reassure　a　child。　〃Ascend。　Cross。　They　obey　me。〃

I　stepped　firmly　upon　the　first　block；　climbed　to　the　second。　The　span　stretched；　sharp　edged；　smooth；　only　a　slender；　shimmering　line　revealing　where　each　great　cube　held　fast　to　the　other。

I　walked　at　first　slowly；　then　with　ever…increasing　confidence；　for　up　from　the　surface　streamed　a　guiding；　a　holding　force；　that　was　like　a　host　of　little　invisible　hands；　steadying　me；　keeping　firm　my　feet。　I　looked　down；　the　myriads　of　enigmatic　eyes　were　staring；　staring　up　at　me　from　deep　within。　They　fascinated　me；　I　felt　my　pace　slowing；　a　vertigo　seized　me。　Resolutely　I　dragged　my　gaze　up　and　ahead；　marched　on。

From　the　depths　came　more　clearly　the　sound　of　the　waters。　Now　there　were　but　a　few　feet　more　of　the　bridge　before　me。　I　reached　its　end；　dropped　my　feet　over；　felt　them　touch　a　smaller　cube；　and　descended。

Over　the　span　came　Ventnor。　He　was　leading　his　laden　pony。　He　had　bandaged　its　eyes　so　that　it　could　not　look　upon　the　narrow　way　it　was　treading。　And　close　behind；　a　band　resting　reassuringly　upon　its　flank；　strode　Drake；　swinging　along　carelessly。　The　little　beast　ambled　along　serenely；　sure…footed　as　all　its　mountain　kind；　and　docile　to　darkness　and　guidance。

Then；　an　arm　about　Ruth；　floated　Norhala。　Now　she　was　beside　us；　dropped　her　arm　from　Ruth；　glided　past　us。　On　for　a　hundred　yards　or　more　we　went；　and　then　she　drew　us　a　little　toward　the　unseen　canyon　wall。

She　stood　before　us；　shielding　us。　One　golden　call　she　sent。

I　looked　back　into　the　darkness。　Something　like　an　enormous；　dimly　shimmering　rod　was　raising　itself。　Higher　it　rose　and　higher。　Now　it　stood；　upright；　a　slender　towering　pillar；　a　gigantic　slim　figure　whose　tip　pointed　a　full　hundred　feet　in　the　air。

Then　slowly　it　inclined　itself　toward　us；　drew　closer；　closer　to　the　ground；　touched　and　lay　there　for　an　instant　inert。　Abruptly　it　vanished。

But　well　I　knew　what　I　had　seen。　The　span　over　which　we　had　passed　had　raised　itself　even　as　had　the　baby　bridge　of　the　fortress；　had　lifted　itself　across　the　chasm　and　dropping　itself　upon　the　hither　verge　had　disintegrated　into　its　units；　was　following　us。

A　bridge　of　metal　that　could　build　itselfand　break　　itself。　A　thinking；　conscious　metal　bridge！　A　metal　bridge　with　volitionwith　mindthat　was　following　us。

There　sighed　from　behind　a　soft；　sustained　wailing；　rapidly　it　neared　us。　A　wanly　glimmering　shape　drew　by；　halted。　It　was　like　a　rigid　serpent　cut　from　a　gigantic　square　bar　of　cold　blue　steel。

Its　head　was　a　pyramid；　a　tetrahedron；　its　length　vanished　in　the　further　darkness。　The　head　raised　itself；　the　blocks　that　formed　its　neck　separating　into　open　wedges　like　a　Brobdignagian　replica　of　those　jointed；　fantastic；　little　painted　reptiles　the　Japanese　toy…makers　cut　from　wood。

It　seemed　to　regard　usmockingly。　The　pointed　head　droppedpast　us　streamed　the　body。　Upon　it　other　pyramids　clusteredlike　the　spikes　that　guarded　the　back　of　the　nightmare　Brontosaurus。　Its　end　came　swiftly　into　sightits　tail　another　pyramid　twin　to　its　head。

It　FLIRTED　bygaily；　vanished。

I　had　thought　the　span　must　disintegrate　to　followand　it　did　not　need　to！　It　could　move　as　a　COMPOSITE　as　well　as　in　UNITS。　Move　intelligently；　consciouslyas　the　Smiting　Thing　had　moved。

〃Come！〃　Norhala's　command　checked　my　thoughts；　we　fell　in　behind　her。　Looking　up　I　caught　the　friendly　sparkle　of　a　star；　knew　the　cleft　was　widening。

The　star　points　grew　thicker。　We　stepped　out　into　a　valley　small　as　that　hollow　from　which　we　had　fled；　ringed　like　it　with　heaven…touching　summits。　I　could　see　clearly。　The　place　was　suffused　with　a　soft　radiance　as　though　into　it　the　far；　bright　stars　were　pouring　all　their　rays；　filling　it　as　a　cup　with　their　pale　flames。

It　was　luminous　as　the　Alaskan　valleys　when　on　white　arctic　nights　they　are　lighted；　the　Athabascans　believe；　by　the　gleaming　spears　of　hunting　gods。　The　walls　of　the　valley　seemed　to　be　drawn　back　into　infinite　distances。

The　shimmering　mists　that　had　nimbused　Norhala　had　vanishedor　merging　into　the　wan　gleaming　had　become　one　with　it。

I　stared　straight　at　her；　striving　to　clarify　in　my　own　clouded　thought　what　it　was　that　I　had　sensed　as　inhuman　never　of　OUR　world　or　its　peoples。　Yet　this　conviction　came　not　because　of　the　light　that　had　hovered　about　her；　nor　of　her　summonings　of　the　lightnings；　nor　even　of　her　control　of　thosethingswhich　had　smitten　the　armored　men　and　spanned　for　us　the　abyss。

All　of　that　I　was　certain　lay　in　the　domain　of　the　explicable；　could　be　resolved　into　normality　once　the　basic　facts　were　gained。

Suddenly；　I　knew。　Side　by　side　with　what　we　term　the　human　there　dwelt　within　this　woman　an　actual　consciousness　foreign　to　earth；　passionless；　at　least　as　we　know　passion；　ordered；　mathematicalan　emanation　of　the　eternal　law　which　guides　the　circling　stars。

This　it　was　that　had　moved　in　the　gestures　which　had　evoked　the　lightnings。　This　it　was　that　had　spoken　in　the　song　which　were　those　gestures　transformed　into　sound。　This　it　was　that　something　greater　than　my　consciousness　knew　and　accepted。

Something　which　shared；　nothat　reigned；　serene　and　untroubled；　upon　the　throne　of　her　mind；　something　utterly　UNCOMPREHENDING；　utterly　unconscious　OF；　cosmically　blind　TO　all　human　emotion；　that　spread　itself　like　a　veil　over　her　own　consciousness；　that　PLATED　her　thoughtthat　was　a　strange　wordwhy　had　it　come　to　mesomething　that　had　set　its　mark　upon　her　likelikethe　gigantic　claw　print　on　the　poppied　field；　the　little　print　of　the　dragoned　hall。

I　caught　at　my　mind；　whirling　I　thought　then　in　the　grip　of　fantasy；　strove　by　taking　minute　note　of　her　to　bring　myself　back　to　normal。

Her　veils　had　slipped　from　her；　baring　her　neck；　her　arms；　the　right　shoulder。　Under　the　smooth　throat　a　buckle　of　dull　gold　held　the　sheer；　diaphanous　folds　of　the