the metal monster-第49章

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ome　there　were　who　hurled　themselves　upon　it　in　impotent　despair；　some　who　knelt　before　it；　praying。　On　rolled　the　metal　convolutions；　inexorable。

Within　my　vision's　range　there　were　no　more　fugitives。　Around　a　corner　of　the　broken　battlements　raced　the　serpent　Shape。　Where　it　had　writhed　was　now　no　waving　grain；　no　trees；　no　green　thing。　There　was　only　smooth　rock　upon　which　here　and　there　red　smears　glistened　wetly。

Afar　there　was　a　crying；　in　its　wake　a　rumbling。　It　was　the　column；　it　came　to　me；　at　work　upon　the　further　battlements。　As　though　the　sound　had　been　a　signal　the　spindle　trembled；　up　we　were　thrust　another　hundred　feet　or　more。　Back　dropped　the　host　of　brandished　arms；　threaded　themselves　into　the　parent　bulk。

Right　and　left　of　us　the　spindle　split　into　scores　of　fissures。　Between　these　fissures　the　Metal　Things　that　made　up　each　now　dissociate　and　shapeless　mass　geysered；　block　and　sphere　and　tetrahedron　spike　spun　and　swirled。　There　was　an　instant　of　formlessness。

Then　right　and　left　of　us　stood　scores　of　giant；　grotesque　warriors。　Their　crests　were　fully　fifty　feet　below　our　living　platform。　They　stood　upon　six　immense；　columnar　stilts。　These　sextuple　legs　supported　a　hundred　feet　above　their　bases　a　huge　and　globular　body　formed　of　clusters　of　the　spheres。　Out　from　each　of　these　bodies　that　were　at　one　and　the　same　time　trunks　and　heads；　sprang　half　a　score　of　colossal　arms　shaped　like　flails；　like　spike…studded　girders；　Titanic　battle　maces；　Cyclopean　sledges。

From　legs　and　trunks　and　arms　the　tiny　eyes　of　the　Metal　Hordes　flashed；　exulting。

There　came　from　them；　from　the　Thing　we　rode　as　well；　a　chorus　of　thin　and　eager　wailings　and　pulsed　through　all　that　battle…line；　a　jubilant　throbbing。

Then　with　a　rhythmic；　JOCUND　stride　they　leaped　upon　the　city。

Under　the　mallets　of　the　smiting　arms　the　inner　battlements　fell　as　under　the　hammers　of　a　thousand　metal　Thors。　Over　their　fragments　and　the　armored　men　who　fell　with　them　strode　the　Things；　grinding　stone　and　man　together　as　we　passed。

All　of　the　terraced　city　except　the　side　hidden　by　the　mount　lay　open　to　my　gaze。　In　that　brief　moment　of　pause　I　saw　crazed　crowds　battling　in　narrow　streets；　trampling　over　mounds　of　the　fallen；　surging　over　barricades　of　bodies；　clawing　and　tearing　at　each　other　in　their　flight。

There　was　a　wide；　stepped　street　of　gleaming　white　stone　that　climbed　like　an　immense　stairway　straight　up　the　slope　to　that　broad　plaza　at　the　top　where　clustered　the　great　temples　and　palacesthe　Acropolis　of　the　city。　Into　it　the　streets　of　the　terraces　flowed；　each　pouring　out　upon　it　a　living　torrent；　tumultuous　with　tuliped；　sparkling　little　waves；　the　gay　coverings　and　the　arms　and　armor　of　Ruszark's　desperate　thousands　seeking　safety　at　the　shrines　of　their　gods。

Here　great　carven　arches　arose；　there　slender；　exquisite　towers　capped　with　red　goldthere　was　a　street　of　colossal　statues；　another　over　which　dozens　of　graceful；　fretted　bridges　threw　their　spans　from　feathery　billows　of　flowering　trees；　there　were　gardens　gay　with　blossoms　in　which　fountains　sparkled；　green　groves；　thousands　upon　thousands　of　bright　multicolored　pennants；　banners；　fluttered。

A　fair；　a　lovely　city　was　Cherkis's　stronghold　of　Ruszark。

Its　beauty　filled　the　eyes；　out　from　it　streamed　the　fragrance　of　its　gardensthe　voice　of　its　agony　was　that　of　the　souls　in　Dis。

The　row　of　destroying　shapes　lengthened；　each　huge　warrior　of　metal　drawing　far　apart　from　its　mates。　They　flexed　their　manifold　arms；　shadow　boxedgrotesquely；　dreadfully。

Down　struck　the　flails；　the　sledges。　Beneath　the　blows　the　buildings　burst　like　eggshells；　their　fragments　burying　the　throngs　fighting　for　escape　in　the　thoroughfares　that　threaded　them。　Over　their　ruins　we　moved。

Down　and　ever　down　crashed　the　awful　sledges。　And　ever　under　them　the　city　crumbled。

There　was　a　spider　Shape　that　crawled　up　the　wide　stairway　hammering　into　the　stone　those　who　tried　to　flee　before　it。

Stride　by　stride　the　Destroying　Things　ate　up　the　city。


I　felt　neither　wrath　nor　pity。　Through　me　beat　a　jubilant　roaring　pulseas　though　I　were　a　shouting　corpuscle　of　the　rushing　hurricane；　as　though　I　were　one　of　the　hosts　of　smiting　spirits　of　the　bellowing　typhoon。

Through　this　stole　another　thoughtvague；　unfamiliar；　yet　seemingly　of　truth's　own　essence。　Why；　I　wondered；　had　I　never　recognized　this　before？　Why　had　I　never　known　that　these　green　forms　called　trees　were　but　ugly；　unsymmetrical　excrescences？　That　these　high　projections　of　towers；　these　buildings　were　deformities？

That　these　four…pronged；　moving　little　shapes　that　screamed　and　ran　werehideous？

They　must　be　wiped　out！　All　this　misshapen；　jumbled；　inharmonious　ugliness　must　be　wiped　out！　It　must　be　ground　down　to　smooth　unbroken　planes；　harmonious　curvings；　shapelinessharmonies　of　arc　and　line　and　angle！

Something　deep　within　me　fought　to　speakfought　to　tell　me　that　this　thought　was　not　human　thought；　not　my　thoughtthat　it　was　the　reflected　thought　of　the　Metal　Things！

It　told　meand　fiercely　it　struggled　to　make　me　realize　what　it　was　that　it　told。　Its　insistence　was　borne　upon　little　despairing；　rhythmic　beatingsthrobbings　that　were　like　the　muffled　sobbings　of　the　drums　of　grief。　Louder；　closer　came　the　throbbing；　clearer　with　it　my　perception　of　the　inhumanness　of　my　thought。

The　drum　beat　tapped　at　my　humanity；　became　a　dolorous　knocking　at　my　heart。

It　was　the　sobbing　of　Cherkis！

The　gross　face　was　shrunken；　the　cheeks　sagging　in　folds　of　woe；　cruelty　and　wickedness　were　wiped　from　it；　the　evil　in　the　eyes　had　been　washed　out　by　tears。　Eyes　streaming；　bull　throat　and　barrel　chest　racked　by　his　sobbing；　he　watched　the　passing　of　his　people　and　his　city。

And　relentlessly；　coldly；　Norhala　watched　himas　though　loath　to　lose　the　faintest　shadow　of　his　agony。

Now　I　saw　we　were　close　to　the　top　of　the　mount。　Packed　between　us　and　the　immense　white　structures　that　crowned　it　were　thousands　of　the　people。　They　fell　on　their　knees　before　us；　prayed　to　us。　They　tore　at　each　other；　striving　to　hide　themselves　from　us　in　the　mass　that　was　themselves。　They　beat　against　the　barred　doors　of　the　sanctuaries；　they　climbed　the　pillars；　they　swarmed　over　the　golden　roofs。

There　was　a　moment　of　chaosa　chaos　of　which　we　were　the　heart。　Then　temple　and　palace　cracked；　burst；　were　shattered；　fell。　I　caught　glimpses　of　gleaming　sculptures；　glitterings　of　gold　and　of　silver；　flashing　of　gems；　shimmering　of　gorgeous　draperiesunder　them　a　weltering　of　men　and　women。

We　closed　down　upon　themover　them！

The　dreadful　sobbing　ceased。　I　saw　the　head　of　Cherkis　swing　heavily　upon　a　shoulder；　the　eyes　closed。

The　Destroying　Things　touched。　Their　flailing　arms　coiled　back；　withdrew　into　their　bodies。　They　joined；　forming　for　an　instant　a　tremendous　hollow　pillar　far　down　in　whose　center　we　stood。　They　parted；　shifted　in　shape？　rolled　down　the　mount　over　the　ruins　like　a　widening　wave　crushing　into　the　stone　all　over　which　they　passed。

Afar　away　I　saw　the　gleaming　serpent　still　at　play　still　writhing　among；　still　obliterating　the　few　score　scattered　fugitives　that　some　way；　somehow；　had　slipped　by　the　Destroying　Things。

We　halted。　For　one　long　moment　Norhala　looked　upon　the　drooping　body　of　him　upon　whom　she　had　let　fall　this　mighty　vengeance。

Then　the　metal　arm　that　held　Cherkis　whirled。　Thrown　from　it；　the　cloaked　form　flew　like　a　great　blue　bat。　It　fell　upon　the　flattened　mound　that　had　once　been　the　proud　crown　of　his　city。　A　blue　blot　upon　desolation　the　broken　body　of　Cherkis　lay。

A　black　speck　appeared　high　in　the　sky；　grew　fast　the　lammergeier。

〃I　have　left　carrion　for　youafter　all！〃　cried　Norhala。

With　an　ebon　swirling　of　wings　the　vulture　dropped　beside　the　blue　heapthrust　in　it　its　beak。





CHAPTER　XXVII

〃THE　DRUMS　OF　DESTINY〃

Slowly　we　descended　that　mount　of　desolation；　lingeringly；　as　though　the　brooding　eyes　of　Norhala　were　not　yet　sated　with　destruction。　Of　human　life；　of　green　life；　of　life　of　any　kind　there　was　none。

Man　and　tree；　woman　and　flower；　babe　and　bud；　palace；　temple　and　homeNorhala　had　stamped　flat。　She　had　crushed　them　within　the　rockeven　a