the moon pool-第6部分

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out　of　the　mists　of　the　past。　　The　natives　say　it　was　the　treas…

ure…house　of　Chau…te…leur；　a　mighty　king　who　reigned　long

'before　their　fathers。'　As　Chan　is　the　ancient　Ponapean　word

both　for　sun　and　king；　the　name　means；　without　doubt；　'place

of　the　sun　king。'　It　is　a　memory　of　a　dynastic　name　of　the

race　that　ruled　the　Pacific　continent；　now　vanishedjust　as

the　rulers　of　ancient　Crete　took　the　name　of　Minos　and　the

rulers　of　Egypt　the　name　of　Pharaoh。



〃And　opposite　this　place　of　the　sun　king　is　the　moon　rock

that　hides　the　Moon　Pool。



〃It　was　Stanton　who　discovered　the　moon　rock。　　We　had

been　inspecting　the　inner　courtyard；　Edith　and　Thora　were

getting　together　our　lunch。　　I　came　out　of　the　vault　of　Chau…

te…leur　to　find　Stanton　before　a　part　of　the　terrace　studying

it　wonderingly。



〃'What　do　you　make　of　this？'　he　asked　me　as　I　came　up。

He　pointed　to　the　wall。　　I　followed　his　finger　and　saw　a　slab　of

stone　about　fifteen　feet　high　and　ten　wide。　　At　first　all　I　no…

ticed　was　the　exquisite　nicety　with　which　its　edges　joined　the

blocks　about　it。　　Then　I　realized　that　its　colour　was　subtly　dif…

ferenttinged　with　grey　and　of　a　smooth；　peculiardead…

ness。



〃'Looks　more　like　calcite　than　basalt；'　I　said。　　I　touched　it

and　withdrew　my　hand　quickly　for　at　the　contact　every　nerve

in　my　arm　tingled　as　though　a　shock　of　frozen　electricity　had

passed　through　it。　　It　was　not　cold　as　we　know　cold。　　It　was　a

chill　forcethe　phrase　I　have　usedfrozen　electricityde…

scribes　it　better　than　anything　else。　　Stanton　looked　at　me

oddly。



〃'So　you　felt　it　too；'　he　said。　　'I　was　wondering　whether　I

was　developing　hallucinations　like　Thora。　　Notice；　by　the　way；

that　the　blocks　beside　it　are　quite　warm　beneath　the　sun。'



〃We　examined　the　slab　eagerly。　　Its　edges　were　cut　as

though　by　an　engraver　of　jewels。　　They　fitted　against　the

neighbouring　blocks　in　almost　a　hair…line。　　Its　base　was

slightly　curved；　and　fitted　as　closely　as　top　and　sides　upon　the

huge　stones　on　which　it　rested。　　And　then　we　noted　that　these

stones　had　been　hollowed　to　follow　the　line　of　the　grey　stone's

foot。　　There　was　a　semicircular　depression　running　from　one

side　of　the　slab　to　the　other。　　It　was　as　though　the　grey　rock

stood　in　the　centre　of　a　shallow　cuprevealing　half；　covering

half。　　Something　about　this　hollow　attracted　me。　　I　reached

down　and　felt　it。　　Goodwin；　although　the　balance　of　the　stones

that　formed　it；　like　all　the　stones　of　the　courtyard；　were

rough　and　age…wornthis　was　as　smooth；　as　even　surfaced　as

though　it　had　just　left　the　hands　of　the　polisher。



〃'It's　a　door！'　exclaimed　Stanton。　　'It　swings　around　in　that

little　cup。　　That's　what　makes　the　hollow　so　smooth。'



〃'Maybe　you're　right；'　I　replied。　　'But　how　the　devil　can　we

open　it？'



〃We　went　over　the　slab　againpressing　upon　its　edges；

thrusting　against　its　sides。　　During　one　of　those　efforts　I　hap…

pened　to　look　upand　cried　out。　　A　foot　above　and　on　each

side　of　the　corner　of　the　grey　rock's　lintel　was　a　slight　con…

vexity；　visible　only　from　the　angle　at　which　my　gaze　struck　it。



〃We　carried　with　us　a　small　scaling…ladder　and　up　this　I

went。　　The　bosses　were　apparently　nothing　more　than　chis…

eled　curvatures　in　the　stone。　　I　laid　my　hand　on　the　one　I　was

examining；　and　drew　it　back　sharply。　　In　my　palm；　at　the　base

of　my　thumb；　I　had　felt　the　same　shock　that　I　had　in　touch…

ing　the　slab　below。　　I　put　my　hand　back。　　The　impression　came

from　a　spot　not　more　than　an　inch　wide。　　I　went　carefully

over　the　entire　convexity；　and　six　times　more　the　chill　ran

through　my　arm。　　There　were　seven　circles　an　inch　wide　in

the　curved　place；　each　of　which　communicated　the　precise

sensation　I　have　described。　　The　convexity　on　the　opposite

side　of　the　slab　gave　exactly　the　same　results。　　But　no　amount

of　touching　or　of　pressing　these　spots　singly　or　in　any　com…

bination　gave　the　slightest　promise　of　motion　to　the　slab

itself。



　〃'And　yetthey're　what　open　it；'　said　Stanton　positively。



　〃'Why　do　you　say　that？'　I　asked。



〃'Idon't　know；'　he　answered　hesitatingly。　　'But　some…

thing　tells　me　so。　　Throck；'　he　went　on　half　earnestly；　half

laughingly；　'the　purely　scientific　part　of　me　is　fighting　the

purely　human　part　of　me。　　The　scientific　part　is　urging　me　to

find　some　way　to　get　that　slab　either　down　or　open。　　The　hu…

man　part　is　just　as　strongly　urging　me　to　do　nothing　of　the

sort　and　get　away　while　I　can！'



　〃He　laughed　againshamefacedly。



〃'Which　shall　it　be？'　he　askedand　I　thought　that　in　his

tone　the　human　side　of　him　was　ascendant。



〃'It　will　probably　stay　as　it　isunless　we　blow　it　to　bits；'

I　said。



〃'I　thought　of　that；'　he　answered；　'and　I　wouldn't　dare；'

he　added　soberly　enough。　　And　even　as　I　had　spoken　there

came　to　me　the　same　feeling　that　he　had　expressed。　　It　was　as

though　something　passed　out　of　the　grey　rock　that　struck　my

heart　as　a　hand　strikes　an　impious　lip。　　We　turned　awayun…

easily；　and　faced　Thora　coming　through　a　breach　on　the　ter…

race。



'Miss　Edith　wants　you　quick；'　she　beganand　stopped。

Her　eyes　went　past　me　to　the　grey　rock。　　Her　body　grew　rigid；

she　took　a　few　stiff　steps　forward　and　then　ran　straight　to　it。

She　cast　herself　upon　its　breast；　hands　and　face　pressed

against　it；　we　heard　her　scream　as　though　her　very　soul　were

being　drawn　from　herand　watched　her　fall　at　its　foot。　　As

we　picked　her　up　I　saw　steal　from　her　face　the　look　I　had　ob…

served　when　first　we　heard　the　crystal　music　of　Nan…Tauach

that　unhuman　mingling　of　opposites！〃











CHAPTER　IV



The　First　Vanishings



〃WE　CARRIED　Thora　back；　down　to　where　Edith　was　waiting。

We　told　her　what　had　happened　and　what　we　had　found。

She　listened　gravely；　and　as　we　finished　Thora　sighed　and

opened　her　eyes。



〃'I　would　like　to　see　the　stone；'　she　said。　　'Charles；　you　stay

here　with　Thora。'　We　passed　through　the　outer　court　silently

and　stood　before　the　rock。　　She　touched　it；　drew　back　her

hand　as　I　had；　thrust　it　forward　again　resolutely　and　held　it

there。　　She　seemed　to　be　listening。　　Then　she　turned　to　me。



〃'David；'　said　my　wife；　and　the　wistfulness　in　her　voice

hurt　me'David；　would　you　be　very；　very　disappointed　if　we

went　from　herewithout　trying　to　find　out　any　more　about

itwould　you？'



〃Walter；　I　never　wanted　anything　so　much　in　my　life　as　I

wanted　to　learn　what　that　rock　concealed。　　Nevertheless；　I

tried　to　master　my　desire；　and　I　answered'Edith；　not　a　bit

if　you　want　us　to　do　it。'



〃She　read　my　struggle　in　my　eyes。　　She　turned　back　toward

the　grey　rock。　　I　saw　a　shiver　pass　through　her。　　I　felt　a　tinge

of　remorse　and　pity！



　〃'Edith；'　I　exclaimed；　'we'll　go！'



〃She　looked　at　me　again。　　'Science　is　a　jealous　mistress；'　she

quoted。　　'No；　after　all　it　may　be　just　fancy。　　At　any　rate；　you

can't　run　away。　　No！　　But；　Dave；　I'm　going　to　stay　too！'



〃And　there　was　no　changing　her　decision。　　As