登陆注册
15682500000007

第7章

The Moon Rock"I DO not intend to tell you now," Throckmartin continued, "the results of the next two weeks, nor of what we found.

Later--if I am allowed, I will lay all that before you.It is sufficient to say that at the end of those two weeks I had found confirmation for many of my theories.

"The place, for all its decay and desolation, had not in-fected us with any touch of morbidity--that is not Edith, Stanton, or myself.But Thora was very unhappy.She was a Swede, as you know, and in her blood ran the beliefs and su-perstitions of the Northland--some of them so strangely akin to those of this far southern land; beliefs of spirits of moun-tain and forest and water werewolves and beings malign.

From the first she showed a curious sensitivity to what, Isuppose, may be called the 'influences' of the place.She said it 'smelled' of ghosts and warlocks.

"I laughed at her then--

"Two weeks slipped by, and at their end the spokesman for our natives came to us.The next night was the full of the moon, he said.He reminded me of my promise.They would go back to their village in the morning; they would return after the third night, when the moon had begun to wane.

They left us sundry charms for our 'protection,' and solemnly cautioned us to keep as far away as possible from Nan-Tauach during their absence.Half-exasperated, half-amused I watched them go.

"No work could be done without them, of course, so we decided to spend the days of their absence junketing about the southern islets of the group.We marked down several spots for subsequent exploration, and on the morning of the third day set forth along the east face of the breakwater for our camp on Uschen-Tau, planning to have everything in readiness for the return of our men the next day.

"We landed just before dusk, tired and ready for our cots.

It was only a little after ten o'clock that Edith awakened me.

1

"I did so, and seemed to hear, far, far below, as though coming up from great distances, a faint chanting.It gathered strength, died down, ended; began, gathered volume, faded away into silence.

"'It's the waves rolling on rocks somewhere,' I said.'We're probably over some ledge of rock that carries the sound.'

"'It's the first time I've heard it,' replied my wife doubt-fully.We listened again.Then through the dim rhythms, deep beneath us, another sound came.It drifted across the lagoon that lay between us and Nan-Tauach in little tinkling waves.It was music--of a sort; I won't describe the strange effect it had upon me.You've felt it--""You mean on the deck?" I asked.Throckmartin nodded.

"I went to the flap of the tent," he continued, "and peered out.As I did so Stanton lifted his flap and walked out into the moonlight, looking over to the other islet and listening.Icalled to him.

"'That's the queerest sound!' he said.He listened again.

'Crystalline! Like little notes of translucent glass.Like the bells of crystal on the sistrums of Isis at Dendarah Temple,'

he added half-dreamily.We gazed intently at the island.

Suddenly, on the sea-wall, moving slowly, rhythmically, we saw a little group of lights.Stanton laughed.

"'The beggars!' he exclaimed.'That's why they wanted to get away, is it? Don't you see, Dave, it's some sort of a fes-tival--rites of some kind that they hold during the full moon!

That's why they were so eager to have us KEEP away, too.'

"The explanation seemed good.I felt a curious sense of re-lief, although I had not been sensible of any oppression.

"'Let's slip over,' suggested Stanton--but I would not.

"'They're a difficult lot as it is,' I said.'If we break into one of their religious ceremonies they'll probably never forgive us.Let's keep out of any family party where we haven't been invited.'

"'That's so,' agreed Stanton.

"The strange tinkling rose and fell, rose and fell--"'There's something--something very unsettling about it,'

said Edith at last soberly.'I wonder what they make those sounds with.They frighten me half to death, and, at the same time.they make me feel as though some enormous rapture were just around the corner.'

"'It's devilish uncanny!' broke in Stanton.

"And as he spoke the flap of Thora's tent was raised and out into the moonlight strode the old Swede.She was the great Norse type--tall, deep-breasted, moulded on the old Viking lines.Her sixty years had slipped from her.She looked like some ancient priestess of Odin.

"She stood there, her eyes wide, brilliant, staring.She thrust her head forward toward Nan-Tauach, regarding the moving lights; she listened.Suddenly she raised her arms and made a curious gesture to the moon.It was--an archaic --movement; she seemed to drag it from remote antiquity--yet in it was a strange suggestion of power, Twice she re-peated this gesture and--the tinklings died away! She turned to us.

"'Go!' she said, and her voice seemed to come from far distances.'Go from here--and quickly! Go while you may.

It has called--' She pointed to the islet.'It knows you are here.It waits!' she wailed.'It beckons--the--the--""She fell at Edith's feet, and over the lagoon came again the tinklings, now with a quicker note of jubilance--almost of triumph.

"We watched beside her throughout the night.The sounds from Nan-Tauach continued until about an hour before moon-set.In the morning Thora awoke, none the worse, ap-parently.She had had bad dreams, she said.She could not remember what they were--except that they had warned her of danger.She was oddly sullen, and throughout the morning her gaze returned again and again half-fascinatedly, half-wonderingly to the neighbouring isle.

"That afternoon the natives returned.And that night on Nan-Tauach the silence was unbroken nor were there lights nor sign of life.

"You will understand, Goodwin, how the occurrences Ihave related would excite the scientific curiosity.We rejected immediately, of course, any explanation admitting the super-natural.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 颜大小姐:尊主大人的伪装妻

    颜大小姐:尊主大人的伪装妻

    她是世上难得一见的伪装者,被自己所主宰的游戏所杀害,不过是棋盘上的玩家窥视她的地位。死于,解脱。她是落魄颜府后裔,虽说天赋极好,却心地善良。亲身母亲被人用最简陋的方法杀害,告上官的是她,众人愤骂的也是她。死于,不甘的顿悟。云界尊贵的尊主,结果一个预言,一枚戒指,一把神器,一点无聊,去了下界。让他到是知道了一些有趣的事……两人见面,一个满脸挪揄,一个无处不透着强者的气息。最后到底是谁躺在谁的身下?
  • 盗墓礼记

    盗墓礼记

    “宁无百夫长,愿做一书生”。一介普通的书生,竟然有这样的背景,居然早在十岁时就已经经历过那样的事情,竟然亲眼目睹了那样奇异的一场大梦,扑朔迷离的背后疑团,祖上没有光荣的青史,却有......三代人的传奇,两代人的秘密,一代人来揭晓。
  • 首席定制宠:娇妻,不听话

    首席定制宠:娇妻,不听话

    在木欢欢的心中,大债主=衣冠禽兽。在严绍白的心中,大恩人=陪吃陪睡。现在他们睡也睡过了,伺候也伺候过了,什么才能刑满释放啊?“给你两个选择。第一,做我的少奶奶;第二,我娶你,然后你再做我的少奶奶。”“……”大叔,我语文不差!你不用这么坑我吧?“你不选也行,反正照样被你睡。只是在被睡的时候,我想要个名分……”“……”
  • 十三年前的诺言

    十三年前的诺言

    这本书写了一段校园生活,因为他们的分开,让他们认清了自己,我也从中尝到了苦果。本书共分2本,请大家积极来看
  • 至尊狂帝

    至尊狂帝

    一剑断天地,一拳灭鬼神,翻手可遮天,覆手灭万界。这是强者的世界,热血沸腾,热情无限。天界狂帝重生落魄少年,觉醒太阳神体,修最强龙臂,踏遍诸天万界。
  • 晴逸涵絮

    晴逸涵絮

    “你和自由,我只选一个,那就是自由。”“你和江山,我也只选一个,那就是你。”
  • 踏歌汉末行

    踏歌汉末行

    孟婆不留走后门,落婴不啼汉末生;男心女命渺世事,一不留神眷红尘;能歌善舞醉人醒,笔露锋芒顶乾坤;若问此间乃汉末?建安时节正壮年。书友群498998416,留步小憩
  • tfboys之星阳月

    tfboys之星阳月

    她们是全球前三富的三姐妹,他们是当代巨星,也是全球前三富,一次偶然机会让他们相遇,他们会擦出怎样的火花呢?????敬请期待,,tfboys之星阳月。。。。。。。还有作者快开学了,,,,,,可能更的比较慢,,,,,请见谅。。。。。。。。。。。我不会弃文。。。。谢谢大家了。,。。。。。这是我第一次写小说,写不好请见谅。。。。。。。我要收藏,,评论,,,票票,。。。记得给我哦。。。。。。。。。。。。。。作者现在已经开学啦,希望你们能体谅我(注:这是后来补上的)
  • 我为大天尊

    我为大天尊

    灵溪宗杂役弟子凌泽偶得《八九玄功》传承,习得七十二般变化的手段。从此走上一条与众不同的通天大道。遗迹中,我变成一块石头,看着你们勾心斗角;仙府内,我变成一棵大树,看着你们自相残杀;我可为尘埃露水,亦可为皓月骄阳。...修成八九玄中妙,任尔纵横在世间。且看洪荒真法会在凡人修真界绽放出怎样的耀眼光芒。