the metal monster-第57章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Ruth；〃　called　Ventnor　softly。

〃Oh！〃　she　cried。　〃Oh；　MartinI　forgot〃　She　ran　to　him；　held　him　tight；　face　hidden　in　his　breast。　His　hand　rested　on　the　clustering　brown　curls；　tenderly。

〃Martin。〃　She　raised　her　face　to　him。　〃Martin；　it's　GONE！　I'mME　again！　All　ME！　What　happened？　Where's　Norhala？〃

I　started。　Did　she　not　know？　Of　course；　lying　bound　as　she　had　in　the　vanished　veils；　she　could　have　seen　nothing　of　the　stupendous　tragedy　enacted　beyond　them　but　had　not　Ventnor　said　that　possessed　by　the　inexplicable　obsession　evoked　by　the　weird　woman　Ruth　had　seen　with　her　eyes；　thought　with　her　mind？

And　had　there　not　been　evidence　that　in　her　body　had　been　echoed　the　torments　of　Norhala's？　Had　she　forgotten？　I　started　to　speakwas　checked　by　Ventnor's　swift；　warning　glance。

〃She'sover　in　the　Pit；〃　he　answered　her　quietly。　〃But　do　you　remember　nothing；　little　sister？〃

〃There's　something　in　my　mind　that's　been　rubbed　out；〃　she　replied。　〃I　remember　the　City　of　Cherkisand　your　torture；　Martinand　my　torture〃

Her　face　whitened；　Ventnor's　brow　contracted　anxiously。　I　knew　for　what　he　watchedbut　Ruth's　shamed　face　was　all　human；　on　it　was　no　shadow　nor　trace　of　that　alien　soul　which　so　few　hours　since　had　threatened　us。

〃Yes；〃　she　nodded；　〃I　remember　that。　And　I　remember　how　Norhala　repaid　them。　I　remember　that　I　was　glad；　fiercely　glad；　and　then　I　was　tiredso　tired。　And　thenI　come　to　the　rubbed…out　place；〃　she　ended　perplexedly。

Deliberately；　almost　banally　had　I　not　realized　his　purpose；　he　changed　the　subject。　He　held　her　from　him　at　arm's　length。

〃Ruth！〃　he　exclaimed；　half　mockingly；　half　reprovingly。　〃Don't　you　think　your　morning　negligee　is　just　a　little　scanty　even　for　this　Godforsaken　corner　of　the　earth？〃

Lips　parted　in　sheer　astonishment；　she　looked　at　him。　Then　her　eyes　dropped　to　her　bare　feet；　her　dimpled　knees。　She　clasped　her　arms　across　her　breasts；　rosy　red　turned　all　her　fair　skin。

〃Oh！〃　she　gasped。　〃Oh！〃　And　hid　from　Drake　and　me　behind　the　tall　figure　of　her　brother。

I　walked　over　to　the　pile　of　silken　stuffs；　took　the　cloak　and　tossed　it　to　her。　Ventnor　pointed　to　the　saddlebags。

〃You've　another　outfit　there；　Ruth；〃　he　said。　〃We'll　take　a　turn　through　the　place。　Call　us　when　you're　ready。　We'll　get　something　to　eat　and　go　see　what's　happeningout　there。〃

She　nodded。　We　passed　through　the　curtains　and　out　of　the　hall　into　the　chamber　that　had　been　Norhala's。　There　we　halted；　Drake　eyeing　Martin　with　a　certain　embarrassment。　The　older　man　thrust　out　his　hand　to　him。

〃I　knew　it；　Drake；〃　he　said。　〃Ruth　told　me　all　about　it　when　Cherkis　had　us。　And　I'm　very　glad。　It's　time　she　was　having　a　home　of　her　own　and　not　running　around　the　lost　places　with　me。　I'll　miss　hermiss　her　damnably；　of　course。　But　I'm　glad；　boyglad！〃

There　was　a　little　silence　while　each　looked　deep　into　each　other's　hearts。　Then　Ventnor　dropped　Dick's　hand。

〃And　that's　all　of　THAT；〃　he　said。　〃The　problem　before　us　ishow　are　we　going　to　get　back　home？〃

〃TheTHINGis　dead。〃　I　spoke　from　an　absolute　conviction　that　surprised　me；　based　as　it　was　upon　no　really　tangible；　known　evidence。

〃I　think　so；〃　he　said。　〃NoI　KNOW　so。　Yet　even　if　we　can　pass　over　its　body；　how　can　we　climb　out　of　its　lair？　That　slide　down　which　we　rode　with　Norhala　is　unclimbable。　The　walls　are　unscalable。　And　there　is　that　chasmshe　spanned　for　us。　How　can　we　cross　THAT？　The　tunnel　to　the　ruins　was　sealed。　There　remains　of　possible　roads　the　way　through　the　forest　to　what　was　the　City　of　Cherkis。　Frankly　I　am　loathe　to　take　it。

〃I　am　not　at　all　sure　that　all　the　armored　men　were　slainthat　some　few　may　not　have　escaped　and　be　lurking　there。　It　would　be　short　shrift　for　us　if　we　fell　into　their　hands　now。〃

〃And　I'm　not　sure　of　THAT；〃　objected　Drake。　〃I　think　their　pep　and　push　must　be　pretty　thoroughly　knocked　out　if　any　do　remain。　I　think　if　they　saw　us　coming　they'd　beat　it　so　fast　that　they'd　smoke　with　the　friction。〃

〃There's　something　to　that；〃　Ventnor　smiled。　〃Still　I'm　not　keen　on　taking　the　chance。　At　any　rate；　the　first　thing　to　do　is　to　see　what　happened　down　there　in　the　Pit。　Maybe　we'll　have　some　other　idea　after　that。〃

〃I　know　what　happened　there；〃　announced　Drake；　surprisingly。　〃It　was　a　short　circuit！〃

We　gaped　at　him；　mystified。

〃Burned　out！〃　said　Drake。　〃Every　damned　one　of　them　burned　out。　What　were　they；　after　all？　A　lot　of　living　dynamos。　Dynamotorsrather。　And　all　of　a　sudden　they　had　too　much　juice　turned　on。　Bang　went　their　insulations　whatever　they　were。

〃Bang　went　they。　Burned　outshort　circuited。　I　don't　pretend　to　know　why　or　how。　Nonsense！　I　do　know。　The　cones　were　some　kind　of　immensely　concentrated　force　electric；　magnetic；　either　or　both　or　more。　I　myself　believe　that　they　were　probably　solidin　a　way　of　speaking　coronium。

〃If　about　twenty　of　the　greatest　scientists　the　world　has　ever　known　are　right；　coronium　iswell；　call　it　curdled　energy。　The　electric　potentiality　of　Niagara　in　a　pin　point　of　dust　of　yellow　fire。　All　rightthey　or　IT　lost　control。　Every　pin　point　swelled　out　into　a　Niagara。　And　as　it　did　so；　it　expanded　from　a　controlled　dust　dot　to　an　uncontrolled　cataractin　other　words；　its　energy　was　unleashed　and　undammed。

〃Very　wellwhat　followed？　What　HAD　to　follow？　Every　living　battery　of　block　and　globe　and　spike　was　supercharged　and　wentblooey。　The　valley　must　have　been　some　sweet　little　volcano　while　that　short　circuiting　was　going　on。　All　rightlet's　go　down　and　see　what　it　did　to　your　unclimbable　slide　and　unscalable　walls；　Ventnor。　I'm　not　sure　we　won't　be　able　to　get　out　that　way。〃

〃Come　on；　everything's　ready；〃　Ruth　was　calling；　her　summoning　blocked　any　objection　we　might　have　raised　to　Drake's　argument。

It　was　no　dryad；　no　distressed　pagan　clad　maid　we　saw　as　we　passed　back　into　the　room　of　the　pool。　In　knickerbockers　and　short　skirt；　prim　and　self…possessed；　rebellious　curls　held　severely　in　place　by　close…fitting　cap　and　slender　feet　stoutly　shod；　Ruth　hovered　over　the　steaming　kettle　swung　above　the　spirit　lamp。

And　she　was　very　silent　as　we　hastily　broke　fast。　Nor　when　we　had　finished　did　she　go　to　Drake。　She　clung　close　to　her　brother　and　beside　him　as　we　set　forth　down　the　roadway；　through　the　rain；　toward　the　ledge　between　the　cliffs　where　the　veils　had　shimmered。

Hotter　and　hotter　it　grew　as　we　advanced；　the　air　steamed　like　a　Turkish　bath。　The　mists　clustered　so　thickly　that　at　last　we　groped　forward　step　by　step；　holding　to　each　other。

〃No　use；〃　gasped　Ventnor。　〃We　couldn't　see。　We'll　have　to　turn　back。〃

〃Burned　out！〃　said　Dick。　〃Didn't　I　tell　you？　The　whole　valley　was　a　volcano。　And　with　that　deluge　falling　in　itwhy　wouldn't　there　be　a　fog？　It's　why　there　IS　a　fog。　We'll　have　to　wait　until　it　clears。〃

We　trudged　back　to　the　blue　globe。

All　that　day　the　rain　fell。　Throughout　the　few　remaining　hours　of　daylight　we　wandered　over　the　house　of　Norhala；　examining　its　most　interesting　contents；　or　sat　theorizing；　discussing　all　phases　of　the　phenomena　we　had　witnessed。

We　told　Ruth　what　had　occurred　after　she　had　thrown　in　her　lot　with　Norhala；　and　of　the　enigmatic　struggle　between　the　glorious　Disk　and　the　sullenly　flaming　Thing　I　have　called　the　Keeper。

We　told　her　of　the　entombment　of　Norhala。

When　she　heard　that　she　wept。

〃She　was　sweet；〃　she　sobbed；　〃she　was　lovely。　And　she　was　beautiful。　Dearly　she　loved　me。　I　KNOW　she　loved　me。　Oh；　I　know　that　we　and　ours　and　that　which　was　hers　could　not　share　the　world　together。　But　it　comes　to　me　that　Earth　would　have　been　far　less　poisonous　with　those　that　were　Norhala's　than　it　is　with　us　and　ours！〃

Weeping；　she　passed　through　the　curtainings；　going　we　knew　to　Norhala's　chamber。

It　was　a　strange　thing　indeed　that　she　had　said；　I　thought；　watching　her　go。　That　the　garden　of　the　world　would　be　far　less　poisonous　blossoming　with　those　Things　of　wedded　crystal　and　metal　and　magnetic　fires　than　fertile　as　now　with　us　of　flesh　and　blood　and　bone。　To　me　came　appreciations　of　their　harmonies；　and　mingled　with　those　perceptions　were　others　of　humanitydisharmonious；　incoordinate；　ever　struggling；　ever　striving　to　destroy　itself

There　was　a　plaintive　whinnying　at　the　open　door。　A　long