The Metal Monster

iety which until now he had hidden so well; and hot shame burned me

nce more master of myself

e. I'll look after Ruth-

ntnor's eyes at this faded a

y some-some exhibits from the c

exhibits?" I a

ea they're far more curious than our armored men-and of f

them back with the pony. Then we'll make a start. A few mi

him I followed Ruth and Drake down the ruined stairway. At

Mart. He doesn't like them, either, these little things you're going to see. He l

What's to fear about

rtress. "They lay in a little heap at the mouth of the cleft where we heard the noise

re the tiniest tippy-tip of the claw of some incredibly large cat just stealing aro

up in a ruined and choked stone basin; close to the ancient well was their pony, contentedly brow

m," she said,

n that we had just left; and it was in better preservation, the ceiling unbroken,

he floor and dropping down into black depths. Beyond wa

s dragon shapes, cut in low relief. Their gigantic wings, their monstrous coils, covered the nearly

nameless fear, a half

looking at the

idth, it shone wanly with a pale, metallic bluish luster, as though, I thought, it had been recently polished. Compared with the wall's tremend

broken circle was made of sharply edged cubes about an inch in height, separated from each o

n their sides with tips pointing starlike to six spheres clustered like a conventionalized five petaled primrose in the exact center. Five o

sign nicely done by some clever child that I hesitated to distu

ering globes, was a miniature replica o

same die cut sharpness, the same METALLIC suggestion-and pointing tow

e rock; it was with effort that I wrenched it away. It gave to the touch a

amid was metallic, but of finest, almost silken texture-and I could not place it among any of the known metals. It certainly was none I had eve

f these points was an eye, peering up at me, scr

at the

g was i

uare bases; the six rolling spheres touched them, joined the spinning, and with sleight-of-hand suddenness the rin

, grotesque; a weirdly humorous, a vaguely terrifying foot-high shape, squared and angled and pointed and ANIMATE

kindergarten! A k

iangle and spheres changed places. Their shiftings were like the transformations one sees within a kaleidoscope. And in each vanishing form

oblems give

owed with co

balanced itself upon the top; the five spheres followed it, clustered like a ring just below it. The other cubes raced up, clicked two

al of cubes surmounted by a ring of glob

e of the crowning globe; the arms became a disc upon which tiny brillian

of panic touched me. I sprang aside, and swift as

" It was

the little figure touched me and a paralyzing shock ran through me. My

nd again I had the sense of innumerable eyes peering at me. It did not seem menacing-its attitude was inquisitive, waiting; almost as though it had as

ard the bullet ricochet without the slightest effect upon it. Dick leaped beside me, raised a foot and kicked at the thing. There

sibilant rustling all about her. I saw her le

were marching there-pyramids and cubes and spheres like those forming the shape that stood before me.

a bridge, half spanning it, a weird and fairy arch made up of alternate cube and angle. The s

as had the others. Before me now was a bridge complete except

, striving to escape. I dropped it. The tiny shape s

-hanging in one flyin

ey dropped to the farther side the end of the bridge nearest me raised itself in air, curved itsel

ing-and cubes and pyrami

ute bewilderment, my gaze sought Drake. He was sitt

hispered. "What

only word to which my whirl

hese things metal? Met

a page on which, visibly, dread

and at him, I knew that my own was a

. "Such little things-bits of metal-little glo

babes!" It wa

, they worked with each other-THINKINGLY, CONSCIOUSLY-they were deliberate, purp

ands over his eyes. "Don't

hoed. "I'M not afra

ffly-and stum

Well-so was I. Bitte

outside all experience, beyond all knowledge or dream of science. Not th

y had moved consciously,

etal things

ible, the terrifying thi

mb-and thinking. The lightnings inca

given volition, movemen

with a