Part 1 (1/2)
The Metal Monster
by A Merritt
PROLOGUE
Before the narrative which folloas placed in my hands, I had never seen Dr Walter T Goodwin, its author
When thethe pre-historic ruins of the Nan-Matal in the Carolines (The Moon Pool) had been givenand revision to meet the requirements of a popular presentation, Dr Goodwin had left America He had explained that he was still too shaken, too depressed, to be able to recall experiences that must inevitably carry with them freshened memories of those whom he loved so well and from whom, he felt, he was separated in all probability forever
I had understood that he had gone to some remote part of Asia to pursue certain botanical studies, and it was therefore with the liveliest surprise and interest that I received a summons from the President of the association to h my close study of the Moon Pool papers I had fore of their writer I had read, too, those voluh above all other A fro of extremely technical observations and minutely accurate but extraordinarily poetic descriptions, hints to aratified ood one
The man to whom the President of the association introduced ht He had a broad but rather low forehead that reminded me somewhat of the late electrical wizard Steinmetz Under level black brows shone eyes of clear hazel, kindly, shrewd, a little wistful, lightly humorous; the eyes both of a doer and a dreaed him to be A close-trimmed, pointed beard did not hide the firm chin and the clean-cut mouth His hair was thick and black and oddly sprinkled hite; s silver that shone with a curiously ht arreeted reeting, and as I clasped the fingers I was struck by their peculiar, pronounced, yet pleasant warmth; a sensation, indeed, curiously electric
The association's President forced hiently back into his chair
”Dr Goodwin,” he said, turning to me, ”is not entirely recovered as yet from certain consequences of his adventures He will explain to you later what these are In the meantime, Mr Merritt, will you read this?”
I took the sheets he handed aze of Dr
Goodwin full uponWhen I raised my eyes from the letter I found in his a new expression The shyness was gone; they were filled with complete friendliness Evidently I had passed ravely courteous tone
”Accept!” I exclaireatest honors, but to hts to act as a collaborator with Dr Goodwin”
The president smiled
”In that case, sir, there is no need for er,” he said
”Dr Goodwin has with hiressed with it I will leave you two alone for your discussion”
He bowed to us and, picking up his old-fashi+oned bell-crowned silk hat and his quaint, heavy cane of ebony, withdrew Dr Goodwin turned to me
”I will start,” he said, after a little pause, ”from when I met Richard Drake on the field of blue poppies that are like a great prayer-rug at the gray feet of the nameless hts of the city sparkled out, for hours New York roared about me unheeded while I listened to the tale of that utterly weird, stupendous drama of an unknown life, of unknown creatures, unknown forces, and of unconquerable hues of unknown Asia
It was dahen I left him for my own home Nor was it for many hours after that I laid his then incoht sleep--and found a troubled sleep