the moon pool-第7部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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



〃And　there　was　no　changing　her　decision。　　As　we　neared

the　others　she　laid　a　hand　on　my　arm。



〃'Dave；'　she　said；　'if　there　should　be　somethingwell

inexplicable　tonightsomething　that　seemstoo　dangerous

will　you　promise　to　go　back　to　our　own　islet　tomorrow；　if

we　canand　wait　until　the　natives　return？'



〃I　promised　eagerlythe　desire　to　stay　and　see　what　came

with　the　night　was　like　a　fire　within　me。



〃We　picked　a　place　about　five　hundred　feet　away　from　the

steps　leading　into　the　outer　court。



〃The　spot　we　had　selected　was　well　hidden。　　We　could　not

be　seen；　and　yet　we　had　a　clear　view　of　the　stairs　and　the

gateway。　　We　settled　down　just　before　dusk　to　wait　for　what…

ever　might　come。　　I　was　nearest　the　giant　steps；　next　me

Edith；　then　Thora；　and　last　Stanton。



〃Night　fell。　　After　a　time　the　eastern　sky　began　to　lighten；

and　we　knew　that　the　moon　was　rising；　grew　lighter　still；　and

the　orb　peeped　over　the　sea；　swam　into　full　sight。　　I　glanced

at　Edith　and　then　at　Thora。　　My　wife　was　intently　listening。

Thora　sat；　as　she　had　since　we　had　placed　ourselves；　elbows

on　knees；　her　hands　covering　her　face。



〃And　then　from　the　moonlight　flooding　us　there　dripped

down　on　me　a　great　drowsiness。　　Sleep　seemed　to　seep　from

the　rays　and　fall　upon　my　eyes；　closing　themclosing　them

inexorably。　　Edith's　hand　in　mine　relaxed。　　Stanton's　head　fell

upon　his　breast　and　his　body　swayed　drunkenly。　　I　tried　to

riseto　fight　against　the　profound　desire　for　slumber　that

pressed　on　me。



〃And　as　I　fought；　Thora　raised　her　head　as　though　listen…

ing；　and　turned　toward　the　gateway。　　There　was　infinite　des…

pair　in　her　faceand　expectancy。　　I　tried　again　to　riseand　a

surge　of　sleep　rushed　over　me。　　Dimly；　as　I　sank　within　it；　I

heard　a　crystalline　chiming；　raised　my　lids　once　more　with　a

supreme　effort。



〃Thora；　bathed　in　light；　was　standing　at　the　top　of　the

stairs。



〃Sleep　took　me　for　its　very　ownswept　me　into　the　heart

of　oblivion！



〃Dawn　was　breaking　when　I　wakened。　　Recollection　rushed

back；　I　thrust　a　panic…stricken　hand　out　toward　Edith；

touched　her　and　my　heart　gave　a　great　leap　of　thankfulness。

She　stirred；　sat　up；　rubbing　dazed　eyes。　　Stanton　lay　on　his

side；　back　toward　us；　head　in　arms。



〃Edith　looked　at　me　laughingly。　　'Heavens！　　What　sleep！'

she　said。　　Memory　came　to　her。



〃'What　happened？'　she　whispered。　　'What　made　us　sleep

like　that？'



　〃Stanton　awoke。



〃'What's　the　matter！'　he　exclaimed。　　'You　look　as　though

you've　been　seeing　ghosts。'



　〃Edith　caught　my　hands。



〃'Where's　Thora？'　she　cried。　　Before　I　could　answer　she

had　run　out　into　the　open；　calling。



〃'Thora　was　taken；'　was　all　I　could　say　to　Stanton；　'to…

gether　we　went　to　my　wife；　now　standing　beside　the　great

stone　steps；　looking　up　fearfully　at　the　gateway　into　the　ter…

races。　　There　I　told　them　what　I　had　seen　before　sleep　had

drowned　me。　　And　together　then　we　ran　up　the　stairs；　through

the　court　and　to　the　grey　rock。



〃The　slab　was　closed　as　it　had　been　the　day　before；　nor　was

there　trace　of　its　having　opened。　　No　trace？　　Even　as　I　thought

this　Edith　dropped　to　her　knees　before　it　and　reached　toward

something　lying　at　its　foot。　　It　was　a　little　piece　of　gay　silk。　　I

knew　it　for　part　of　the　kerchief　Thora　wore　about　her　hair。

She　lifted　the　fragment。　　It　had　been　cut　from　the　kerchief　as

though　by　a　razor…edge；　a　few　threads　ran　from　itdown　to…

ward　the　base　of　the　slab；　ran　on　to　the　base　of　the　grey　rock

andunder　it！



〃The　grey　rock　was　a　door！　　And　it　had　opened　and　Thora

had　passed　through　it！



〃I　think　that　for　the　next　few　minutes　we　all　were　a　little

insane。　　We　beat　upon　that　portal　with　our　hands；　with　stones

and　sticks。　　At　last　reason　came　back　to　us。



〃Goodwin；　during　the　next　two　hours　we　tried　every　way

in　our　power　to　force　entrance　through　the　slab。　　The　rock　re…

sisted　our　drills。　　We　tried　explosions　at　the　base　with　charges

covered　by　rock。　　They　made　not　the　slightest　impression　on

the　surface；　expending　their　force；　of　course；　upon　the

slighter　resistance　of　their　coverings。



〃Afternoon　found　us　hopeless。　　Night　was　coming　on　and

we　would　have　to　decide　our　course　of　action。　　I　wanted　to　go

to　Ponape　for　help。　　But　Edith　objected　that　this　would　take

hours　and　after　we　had　reached　there　it　would　be　impossible

to　persuade　our　men　to　return　with　us　that　night；　if　at　all。

What　then　was　left？　　Clearly　only　one　of　two　choices：　to　go

back　to　our　camp；　wait　for　our　men；　and　on　their　return　try

to　persuade　them　to　go　with　us　to　Nan…Tauach。　　But　this

would　mean　the　abandonment　of　Thora　for　at　least　two　days。

We　could　not　do　it；　it　would　have　been　too　cowardly。



〃The　other　choice　was　to　wait　where　we　were　for　night　to

come；　to　wait　for　the　rock　to　open　as　it　had　the　night　before；

and　to　make　a　sortie　through　it　for　Thora　before　it　could

close　again。



〃Our　path　lay　clear　before　us。　　We　had　to　spend　that　night

on　Nan…Tauach！



〃We　had；　of　course；　discussed　the　sleep　phenomena　very

fully。　　If　our　theory　that　lights；　sounds；　and　Thora's　disap…

pearance　were　linked　with　secret　religious　rites　of　the　na…

tives；　the　logical　inference　was　that　the　slumber　had　been

produced　by　them；　perhaps　by　vapoursyou　know　as　well　as

I；　what　extraordinary　knowledge　these　Pacific　peoples　have

of　such　things。　　Or　the　sleep　might　have　been　simply　a　coin…

cidence　and　produced　by　emanations　either　gaseous　or　from

plants；　natural　causes　which　had　happened　to　coincide　in

their　effects　with　the　other　manifestations。　　We　made　some

rough　and　ready　but　effective　respirators。



〃As　dusk　fell　we　looked　over　our　weapons。　　Edith　was　an

excellent　shot　with　both　rifle　and　pistol。　　We　had　decided　that

my　wife　was　to　remain　in　the　hiding…place。　　Stanton　would

take　up　a　station　on　the　far　side　of　the　stairway　and　I　would

place　myself　opposite　him　on　the　side　near　Edith。　　The　place

I　picked　out　was　less　than　two　hundred　feet　from　her；　and　I

could　reassure　myself　now　and　then　as　to　her　safety　as　it

looked　down　upon　the　hollow　wherein　she　crouched。　　From

our　respective　stations　Stanton　and　I　could　command　the

gateway　entrance。　　His　position　gave　him　also　a　glimpse　of

the　outer　courtyard。



〃A　faint　glow　in　the　sky　heralded　the　moon。　　Stanton　and　I

took　our　places。　　The　moon　dawn　increased　rapidly；　the　disk

swam　up；　and　in　a　moment　it　was　shining　in　full　radiance

upon　ruins　and　sea。



〃As　it　rose　there　came　a　curious　little　sighing　sound　from

the　inner　terrace。　　Stanton　straightened　up　and　stared　in…

tently　through　the　gateway；　rifle　ready。



〃'Stanton；　what　do　you　see？'　I　called　cautiously。　　He　waved

a　silencing　hand。　　I　turned　my　head　to　look　at　Edith。　　A　shock

ran　through　me。　　She　lay　upon　her　side。　　Her　face；　grotesque

with　its　nose　and　mouth　covered　by　the　respirator；　was

turned　full　toward　the　moon。