o monstro metálico

Chapter 2:The sigil on the rocks

Dawn came. Drake had slept well. But I, who had not his youthful resiliency, lay for long, awake and uneasy. I had hardly sunk into troubled slumber before dawn awakened me.

- As we breakfasted, I approached directly that matter which my growing liking for him was turning into strong desire.

- "Drake," I asked. "Where are you going?"

- "With you," he laughed. "I'm foot loose and fancy free. And I think you ought to have somebody with you to help watch that cook. He might get away."

- The idea seemed to appall him.

- "Fine!" I exclaimed heartily, and thrust out my hand to him. "I'm thinking of striking over the range soon to the Manasarowar Lakes. There's a curious flora I'd like to study."

- "Anywhere you say suits me," he answered.

- We clasped hands on our partnership and soon we were on our way to the valley's western gate; our united caravans stringing along behind us. Mile after mile we trudged through the blue poppies, discussing the enigmas of the twilight and of the night.

- In the light of day their breath of vague terror was dissipated. There was no place for mystery nor dread under this floor of brilliant sunshine. The smiling sapphire floor rolled ever on before us.

- Whispering little playful breezes flew down the slopes to gossip for a moment with the nodding flowers. Flocks of rose finches raced chattering overhead to quarrel with the tiny willow warblers, the chi-u-teb-tok, holding fief of the drooping, graceful bowers bending down to the little laughing stream that for the past hour had chuckled and gurgled like a friendly water baby beside us.

- I had proven, almost to my own satisfaction, that what we had beheld had been a creation of the extraordinary atmospheric attributes of these highlands, an atmosphere so unique as to make almost anything of the kind possible. But Drake was not convinced.

- "I know," he said. "Of course I understand all that - superimposed layers of warmer air that might have bent the ray; vortices in the higher levels that might have produced just that effect of the captured aurora. I admit it's all possible. I'll even admit it's all probable, but damn me, Doc, if I believe it! I had too clearly the feeling of a conscious force, a something that knew exactly what it was doing -- and had a reason for it."

- It was mid-afternoon.

- The spell of the valley upon us, we had gone leisurely. The western mount was close, the mouth of the gorge through which we must pass, now plain before us. It did not seem as though we could reach it before dusk, and Drake and I were reconciled to spending another night in the peaceful vale. Plodding along, deep in thought, I was startled by his exclamation.

- He was staring at a point some hundred yards to his right. I followed his gaze.

- The towering cliffs were a scant half mile away. At some distant time there had been an enormous fall of rock. This, disintegrating, had formed a gently-curving breast which sloped down to merge with the valley's floor. Willow and witch alder, stunted birch and poplar had found roothold, clothed it, until only their crowding outposts, thrusting forward in a wavering semicircle, held back seemingly by the blue hordes, showed where it melted into the meadows.

The Metal Monster
Abraham Merritt
1920

traducido ao galego por Tomás González Ahola

publicado como
O Monstro Metálico

Santiago de Compostela, Urco Editora, 2008

Capítulo 2: A marca nas rochas

Saíu o sol. Drake durmira ben, mais eu, que non tiña a súa Resistencia xuvenil, permanecín deitado un bocado, esperto e inquieto. Apenas me mergullara nun soño axitado antes de que me despertase o amañecer.

No almorzo saquei á conversa, sen preámbulos, a cuestión de que a miña crecente simpatía por el estaba a se converter nun forte desexo de compaña.

- Drake -preguntei- Onde vas?

- Contigo –riu-. Son libre como o vento. E acho que debería ter alguén que che axude a vixiar ese cociñeiro. Podería fuxir.

A idea pareceu darlle arrepíos.

- Ben! Exclamei efusivamente, e tendinlle a man-. Estou a pensar en alcanzar as cordilleiras de Manasarowar Lakes. Alí hai unha flora curiosa que gustaría estudar.

- Calquera sitio que digas vénme ben- respondeu.

Démonos unha aperta de mans para formalizar a nosa asociación e puxémono axiña en camiño en dirección á entrada oeste do val, coas nosas caravanas unidas tras de nós. Quilómetro tras quilómetro atravesamos con esforzo as papoulas azuis, discutindo os enigmas do crepúsculo e da noite.

Á luz do día disipáranse os seus vagos temores. Non había lugar para o misterio ou o teror baixo aquel sol brillante. O alegre chan de zafiro estendíase entre nós.

Unhas suaves brisas murmuradoras e ledas voaron outeiro abaixo para rexoubar un momento coas flores que cabeceaban. Bandadas de tentillóns rosas apresurábanse piando sobre as nosas cabezas para pelexaren cos pequenos mosquiteiros musicais, manténdose no terreo das elegantes e colgantes ramaxes que se inclinaban sobre o pequeno e risoño regato que, desde había unha hora, ría e cantaba onde nós como un amábel bebé acuático.

Comprobara, case para a miña propia satisfacción, que o que contemplaramos fora unha creación dos extraordinarios atributos atmosféricos destas terras altas, unha atmosfera tan única como para facer posíbel case calquera cousa dese tipo. Mais Drake non estaba convencido.

- Xa sei -dixo-. Por suposto que comprendo todo iso,capas superpostas de ar máis cálido que poderían dobrar o raio; vórtices nos niveis superiores que poderían producir xusto ese efecto da aurora capturada. Admito que todos eses fenómenos son posíbeis. Mesmo admitiría que son probábeis mais, maldita sexa doc, dígoche que non o creo! Tiven claramente a sensación dunha forza consciente, un algo que sabía exactamente o que estaba a facer e que tiña unha razón para o facer.

Era media tarde. Enfeitizados polo val, avanzaramos lentamente. O monte do oeste estaba preto, a entrada do desfiladeiro que debiamos atravesar abríase ante nós. Semellaba que non a habiamos poder alcanzar antes do anoitecer, e Drake e mais eu resignámonos a pasar outra noite no tranquilo val. Camiñando pesadamente, mergullado nos meus pensamentos, asusteime cando deu un berro.

Ollaba fixamente para un punto a uns cen metros á súa dereita. Seguín a súa mirada.

Os impoñentes cantís atopábanse a un quilómetro escaso distancia. Hai moito tempo producíranse un enorme desprendemento de rochas. Ao desintegrárense, formaran un terrazo xenerosamente curvado que descendera até se fundir co chan do val. Salgueiro e vimbio, bidueiro e álamo botaran raíces e cubrírano formando un semicírculo vacilante que, en aparencia, era contido polas hordas azuis de flores alí onde comezaba a pradaría.