the moon pool-第3部分

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Throckmartin　strode　toward　the　front　of　the　deck；

straight　toward　the　vision；　now　but　a　few　yards　away　from

the　stern。　　His　face　had　lost　all　human　semblance。　　Utter

agony　and　utter　ecstasythere　they　were　side　by　side；　not

resisting　each　other；　unholy　inhuman　companions　blending

into　a　look　that　none　of　God's　creatures　should　wear

and　deep；　deep　as　his　soul！　　A　devil　and　a　God　dwelling

harmoniously　side　by　side！　　So　must　Satan；　newly　fallen；

still　divine；　seeing　heaven　and　contemplating　hell；　have

appeared。



And　thenswiftly　the　moon　path　faded！　　The　clouds

swept　over　the　sky　as　though　a　hand　had　drawn　them　to…

gether。　　Up　from　the　south　came　a　roaring　squall。　　As　the

moon　vanished　what　I　had　seen　vanished　with　itblotted

out　as　an　image　on　a　magic　lantern；　the　tinkling　ceased

abruptlyleaving　a　silence　like　that　which　follows　an

abrupt　thunder　clap。　　There　was　nothing　about　us　but　silence

and　blackness！



Through　me　passed　a　trembling　as　one　who　has　stood　on

the　very　verge　of　the　gulf　wherein　the　men　of　the　Louisades

says　lurks　the　fisher　of　the　souls　of　men；　and　has　been

plucked　back　by　sheerest　chance。



Throckmartin　passed　an　arm　around　me。



〃It　is　as　I　thought；〃　he　said。　　In　his　voice　was　a　new　note；

the　calm　certainty　that　has　swept　aside　a　waiting　terror　of

the　unknown。　　〃Now　I　know！　　Come　with　me　to　my　cabin；

old　friend。　　For　now　that　you　too　have　seen　I　can　tell　you〃

he　hesitated〃what　it　was　you　saw；〃　he　ended。



As　we　passed　through　the　door　we　met　the　ship's　first

officer。　　Throckmartin　composed　his　face　into　at　least　a　sem…

blance　of　normality。



　〃Going　to　have　much　of　a　storm？〃　he　asked。



　〃Yes；〃　said　the　mate。　　〃Probably　all　the　way　to　Mel…

bourne。〃



Throckmartin　straightened　as　though　with　a　new　thought。

He　gripped　the　officer's　sleeve　eagerly。



〃You　mean　at　least　cloudy　weatherfor〃he　hesitated

〃for　the　next　three　nights；　say？〃



　〃And　for　three　more；〃　replied　the　mate。



〃Thank　God！〃　cried　Throckmartin；　and　I　think　I　never

heard　such　relief　and　hope　as　was　in　his　voice。



　The　sailor　stood　amazed。　　〃Thank　God？〃　he　repeated。

〃Thankwhat　d'ye　mean？〃



But　Throckmartin　was　moving　onward　to　his　cabin。　　I

started　to　follow。　　The　first　officer　stopped　me。



　〃Your　friend；〃　he　said；　〃is　he　ill？〃



〃The　sea！〃　I　answered　hurriedly。　　〃He's　not　used　to　it。　　I

am　going　to　look　after　him。〃



Doubt　and　disbelief　were　plain　in　the　seaman's　eyes　but

I　hurried　on。　　For　I　knew　now　that　Throckmartin　was　ill

indeedbut　with　a　sickness　the　ship's　doctor　nor　any　other

could　heal。











CHAPTER　II



〃Dead！　　All　Dead！〃



HE　WAS　SITTING；　face　in　hands；　on　the　side　of　his　berth

as　I　entered。　　He　had　taken　off　his　coat。



〃Throck；〃　I　cried。　　〃What　was　it？　　What　are　you　flying

from；　man？　　Where　is　your　wifeand　Stanton？〃



〃Dead！〃　he　replied　monotonously。　　〃Dead！　　All　dead！〃

Then　as　I　recoiled　from　him〃All　dead。　　Edith；　Stanton；

Thoradeador　worse。　　And　Edith　in　the　Moon　Pool

with　themdrawn　by　what　you　saw　on　the　moon　path

that　has　put　its　brand　upon　meand　follows　me！〃



He　ripped　open　his　shirt。



〃Look　at　this；〃　he　said。　　Around　his　chest；　above　his

heart；　the　skin　was　white　as　pearl。　　This　whiteness　was

sharply　defined　against　the　healthy　tint　of　the　body。　　It

circled　him　with　an　even　cincture　about　two　inches　wide。



〃Burn　it！〃　he　said；　and　offered　me　his　cigarette。　　I　drew

back。　　He　gesturedperemptorily。　　I　pressed　the　glowing

end　of　the　cigarette　into　the　ribbon　of　white　flesh。　　He　did

not　flinch　nor　was　there　odour　of　burning　nor；　as　I　drew

the　little　cylinder　away；　any　mark　upon　the　whiteness。



〃Feel　it！〃　he　commanded　again。　　I　placed　my　fingers　upon

the　band。　　It　was　coldlike　frozen　marble。



He　drew　his　shirt　around　him。



〃Two　things　you　have　seen；〃　he　said。　　〃ITand　its　mark。

Seeing；　you　must　believe　my　story。　　Goodwin；　I　tell　you

again　that　my　wife　is　deador　worseI　do　not　know；　the

prey　ofwhat　you　saw；　so；　too；　is　Stanton；　so　Thora。

How〃



Tears　rolled　down　the　seared　face。



〃Why　did　God　let　it　conquer　us？　　Why　did　He　let　it　take

my　Edith？〃　he　cried　in　utter　bitterness。　　〃Are　there　things

stronger　than　God；　do　you　think；　Walter？〃



　I　hesitated。



　〃Are　there？　　Are　there？〃　His　wild　eyes　searched　me。



〃I　do　not　know　just　how　you　define　God；〃　I　managed　at

last　through　my　astonishment　to　make　answer。　　〃If　you

mean　the　will　to　know；　working　through　science〃



He　waved　me　aside　impatiently。



〃Science；〃　he　said。　　〃What　is　our　science　againstthat？

Or　against　the　science　of　whatever　devils　that　made　itor

made　the　way　for　it　to　enter　this　world　of　ours？〃



With　an　effort　he　regained　control。



〃Goodwin；〃　he　said；　〃do　you　know　at　all　of　the　ruins　on

the　Carolines；　the　cyclopean；　megalithic　cities　and　harbours

of　Ponape　and　Lele；　of　Kusaie；　of　Ruk　and　Hogolu；　and　a

score　of　other　islets　there？　　Particularly；　do　you　know　of

the　Nan…Matal　and　the　Metalanim？〃



〃Of　the　Metalanim　I　have　heard　and　seen　photographs；〃

I　said。　　〃They　call　it；　don't　they；　the　Lost　Venice　of　the

Pacific？〃



〃Look　at　this　map；〃　said　Throckmartin。　　〃That；〃　he　went

on；　〃is　Christian's　chart　of　Metalanim　harbour　and　the　Nan…

Matal。　　Do　you　see　the　rectangles　marked　Nan…Tauach？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said。



〃There；〃　he　said；　〃under　those　walls　is　the　Moon　Pool

and　the　seven　gleaming　lights　that　raise　the　Dweller　in　the

Pool；　and　the　altar　and　shrine　of　the　Dweller。　　And　there　in

the　Moon　Pool　with　it　lie　Edith　and　Stanton　and　Thora。〃



　〃The　Dweller　in　the　Moon　Pool？〃　I　repeated　half…

incredulously。



　〃The　Thing　you　saw；〃　said　Throckmartin　solemnly。



A　solid　sheet　of　rain　swept　the　ports；　and　the　Southern

Queen　began　to　roll　on　the　rising　swells。　　Throckmartin

drew　another　deep　breath　of　relief；　and　drawing　aside　a

curtain　peered　out　into　the　night。　　Its　blackness　seemed　to

reassure　him。　　At　any　rate；　when　he　sat　again　he　was　entirely

calm。



〃There　are　no　more　wonderful　ruins　in　the　world；〃　he

began　almost　casually。　　〃They　take　in　some　fifty　islets　and

cover　with　their　intersecting　canals　and　lagoons　about

twelve　square　miles。　　Who　built　them？　　None　knows。　　When

were　they　built？　　Ages　before　the　memory　of　present　man；

that　is　sure。　　Ten　thousand；　twenty　thousand；　a　hundred

thousand　years　agothe　last　more　likely。



〃All　these　islets；　Walter；　are　squared；　and　their　shores　are

frowning　seawalls　of　gigantic　basalt　blocks　hewn　and　put　in

place　by　the　hands　of　ancient　man。　　Each　inner　water…front

is　faced　with　a　terrace　of　those　basalt　blocks　which　stand

out　six　feet　above　the　shallow　canals　that　meander　between

them。　　On　the　islets　behind　these　walls　are　time…shattered

fortresses；　palaces；　terraces；　pyramids；　immense　courtyards

strewn　with　ruinsand　all　so　old　that　they　seem　to　wither

the　eyes　of　those　who　look　on　them。



〃There　has　been　a　great　subsidence。　　You　can　stand　ou