with　me；　was　so　great　that　I　forgot　to　be　angry。
  CHAPTER　X
  The　Moon　Pool
  DA　COSTA；　who　had　come　aboard　unnoticed　by　either　of　us；
  now　tapped　me　on　the　arm。
  〃Doctair　Goodwin；〃　he　said；　〃can　I　see　you　in　my　cabin；
  sair？〃
  At　last；　then；　he　was　going　to　speak。　　I　followed　him。
  〃Doctair；〃　he　said；　when　we　had　entered；　〃this　is　a　veree
  strange　thing　that　has　happened　to　Olaf。　　Veree　strange。　　An'
  the　natives　of　Ponape；　they　have　been　very　much　excite'
  lately。
  〃Of　what　they　fear　I　know　nothing；　nothing！〃　Again　that
  quick；　furtive　crossing　of　himself。　　〃But　this　I　have　to　tell
  you。　　There　came　to　me　from　Ranaloa　last　month　a　man；　a
  Russian；　a　doctair；　like　you。　　His　name　it　was　Marakinoff。　　I
  take　him　to　Ponape　an'　the　natives　there　they　will　not　take
  him　to　the　Nan…Matal　where　he　wish　to　gono！　　So　I　take
  him。　　We　leave　in　a　boat；　wit'　much　instrument　carefully　tied
  up。　I　leave　him　there　wit'　the　boat　an'　the　food。　　He　tell　me
  to　tell　no　one　an'　pay　me　not　to。　　But　you　are　a　friend　an'
  Olaf　he　depend　much　upon　you　an'　so　I　tell　you；　sair。〃
  〃You　know　nothing　more　than　this；　Da　Costa？〃　I　asked。
  〃Nothing　of　another　expedition？〃
  〃No；〃　he　shook　his　head　vehemently。　　〃Nothing　more。〃
  〃Hear　the　name　Throckmartin　while　you　were　there？〃
  I　persisted。
  〃No；〃　his　eyes　were　steady　as　he　answered　but　the　pallor
  had　crept　again　into　his　face。
  I　was　not　so　sure。　　But　if　he　knew　more　than　he　had　told
  me　why　was　he　afraid　to　speak？　　My　anxiety　deepened　and
  later　I　sought　relief　from　it　by　repeating　the　conversation　to
  O'Keefe。
  〃A　Russian；　eh；〃　he　said。　　〃Well；　they　can　be　damned　nice；
  or　damnedotherwise。　　Considering　what　you　did　for　me；　I
  hope　I　can　look　him　over　before　the　Dolphin　shows　up。〃
  Next　morning　we　raised　Ponape；　without　further　incident；
  and　before　noon　the　Suwarna　and　the　Brunhilda　had　dropped
  anchor　in　the　harbour。　　Upon　the　excitement　and　manifest
  dread　of　the　natives；　when　we　sought　among　them　for　car…
  riers　and　workmen　to　accompany　us；　I　will　not　dwell。　　It　is
  enough　to　say　that　no　payment　we　offered　could　induce　a
  single　one　of　them　to　go　to　the　Nan…Matal。　　Nor　would　they
  say　why。
  Finally　it　was　agreed　that　the　Brunhilda　should　be　left　in
  charge　of　a　half…breed　Chinaman；　whom　both　Da　Costa　and
  Huldricksson　knew　and　trusted。　　We　piled　her　long…boat　up
  with　my　instruments　and　food　and　camping　equipment。　　The
  Suwarna　took　us　around　to　Metalanim　Harbour；　and　there；
  with　the　tops　of　ancient　sea　walls　deep　in　the　blue　water　be…
  neath　us；　and　the　ruins　looming　up　out　of　the　mangroves；　a
  scant　mile　from　us；　left　us。
  Then　with　Huldricksson　manipulating　our　small　sail；　and
  Larry　at　the　rudder；　we　rounded　the　titanic　wall　that　swept
  down　into　the　depths；　and　turned　at　last　into　the　canal　that
  Throckmartin；　on　his　map；　had　marked　as　that　which；　run…
  ning　between　frowning　Nan…Tauach　and　its　satellite　islet；
  Tau；　led　straight　to　the　gate　of　the　place　of　ancient　mysteries。
  And　as　we　entered　that　channel　we　were　enveloped　by　a
  silence；　a　silence　so　intense；　soweighted　that　it　seemed　to
  have　substance；　an　alien　silence　that　clung　and　stifled　and
  still　stood　aloof　from　usthe　living。　　It　was　a　stillness；　such
  as　might　follow　the　long　tramping　of　millions　into　the　grave；
  it　wasparadoxical　as　it　may　befilled　with　the　withdrawal
  of　life。
  Standing　down　in　the　chambered　depths　of　the　Great
  Pyramid　I　had　known　something　of　such　silencebut　never
  such　intensity　as　this。　　Larry　felt　it　and　I　saw　him　look　at　me
  askance。　　If　Olaf；　sitting　in　the　bow；　felt　it；　too；　he　gave　no
  sign；　his　blue　eyes；　with　again　the　glint　of　ice　within　them；
  watched　the　channel　before　us。
  As　we　passed；　there　arose　upon　our　left　sheer　walls　of
  black　basalt　blocks；　cyclopean；　towering　fifty　feet　or　more；
  broken　here　and　there　by　the　sinking　of　their　deep　founda…
  tions。
  In　front　of　us　the　mangroves　widened　out　and　filled　the
  acanal。　　On　our　right　the　lesser　walls　of　Tau；　sombre　blocks
  smoothed　and　squared　and　set　with　a　cold；　mathematical
  nicety　that　filled　me　with　vague　awe；　slipped　by。　　Through
  breaks　I　caught　glimpses　of　dark　ruins　and　of　great　fallen
  stones　that　seemed　to　crouch　and　menace　us；　as　we　passed。
  Somewhere　there；　hidden；　were　the　seven　globes　that　poured
  the　moon　fire　down　upon　the　Moon　Pool。
  Now　we　were　among　the　mangroves　and；　sail　down；　the
  three　of　us　pushed　and　pulled　the　boat　through　their　tangled
  roots　and　branches。　　The　noise　of　our　passing　split　the　silence
  like　a　profanation；　and　from　the　ancient　bastions　came　mur…
  mursforbidding；　strangely　sinister。　　And　now　we　were
  through；　floating　on　a　little　open　space　of　shadow…filled
  water。　　Before　us　lifted　the　gateway　of　Nan…Tauach；　gigantic；
  broken；　incredibly　old；　shattered　portals　through　which　had
  passed　men　and　women　of　earth's　dawn；　old　with　a　weight
  of　years　that　pressed　leadenly　upon　the　eyes　that　looked
  upon　it；　and　yet　was　in　some　curious　indefinable　waymen…
  acingly　defiant。
  Beyond　the　gate；　back　from　the　portals；　stretched　a　flight
  of　enormous　basalt　slabs；　a　giant's　stairway　indeed；　and
  from　each　side　of　it　marched　the　high　walls　that　were　the
  Dweller's　pathway。　　None　of　us　spoke　as　we　grounded　the
  boat　and　dragged　it　upon　a　half…submerged　pier。　　And　when
  we　did　speak　it　was　in　whispers。
  〃What　next？〃　asked　Larry。
  〃I　think　we　ought　to　take　a　look　around；〃　I　replied　in　the
  same　low　tones。　　〃We'll　climb　the　wall　here　and　take　a　flash
  about。　　The　whole　place　ought　to　be　plain　as　day　from　that
  height。〃
  Huldricksson；　his　blue　eyes　alert；　nodded。　　With　the　great…
  est　difficulty　we　clambered　up　the　broken　blocks。
  To　the　east　and　south　of　us；　set　like　children's　blocks　in
  the　midst　of　the　sapphire　sea；　lay　dozens　of　islets；　none　of
  them　covering　more　than　two　square　miles　of　surface；　each
  of　them　a　perfect　square　or　oblong　within　its　protecting
  walls。
  On　none　was　there　sign　of　life；　save　for　a　few　great　birds
  that　hovered　here　and　there；　and　gulls　dipping　in　the　blue
  waves　beyond。
  We　turned　our　gaze　down　upon　the　island　on　which　we
  stood。　　It　was；　I　estimated；　about　three…quarters　of　a　mile
  square。　　The　sea　wall　enclosed　it。　it　was　really　an　enormous
  basalt…sided　open　cube；　and　within　it　two　other　open　cubes。
  The　enclosure　between　the　first　and　second　wall　was　stone
  paved；　with　here　and　there　a　broken　pillar　and　long　stone
  benches。　　The　hibiscus；　the　aloe　tree；　and　a　number　of　small
  shrubs　had　found　place；　but　seemed　only　to　intensify　its　stark
  loneliness。
  〃Wonder　where　the　Russian　can　be？〃　asked　Larry。
  I　shook　my　head。　　There　was　no　sign　of　life　here。　　Had
  Marakinoff　goneor　had　the　Dweller　taken　him；　too？　　What…
  ever　had　happened；　there　was　no　trace　of　him　below　us　or
  on　any　of　the　islets　within　our　range　of　vision。　　We　scram…
  bled　down　the　side　of　the　gateway。　　Olaf　looked　at　me　wist…
  fully。
  〃We　start　the　search　now；　Olaf；〃　I　said。　　〃And　first；
  O'Keefe；　let　us　see　whether　the　grey　stone　is　really　here。
  After　that　we　will　set　up　camp；　and　while　I　unpack；　you　and
  Olaf　search　the　island。　　It　won't　take　long。〃
  Larry　gave　a　look　at　his　service　automatic　and　grinned。
  〃Lead　on；　Macduff；〃　he　said。　　We　made　our　way　up　the　steps；
  through　the　outer　enclosures　and　into　the　central　square；　I
  confess　to　a　fire　of　scientific　curiosity　and　eagerness　tinged
  with　a　dread　that　O'Keefe's　analysis　might　be　true。　　Would
  we　find　the　moving　slab　and；　if　so；　would　it　be　as　Throck…
  martin　had　described？　　If　so；　then　even　Larry　would　have　to
  admit　that　here　was　something　that　theories　of　gases　and
  luminous　emanations　would　not　explain；　and　the　first　test　of
  the　whole　amazing　story　would　be　passed。　　But　if　not
  And　there　before　us；　the　faintest　tinge　of　grey　setting　it
  apart　from　its　neighbouring　blocks　of　basalt；　was　the　moon
  door！
  There　was　no　mistaking　it。　　This　was；　in　very　deed；　the
  portal　through　which　Throckmartin　had　seen　pass　that　glori…
  ously　dreadful　apparition　he　called　the　Dweller。　　At　its　base
  was　the　curious；　seemingly　polished　cup…like　depression
  within　which；　my　lost　friend　had　told　me；　the　opening　door
  swung。
  What　was　that　portalmore　enigmatic　than　was　ever
  sphinx？　　And　what　lay　beyond　it？　　What　did　that　smooth
  stone；　whose　wan　deadness　whispered　of　ages…old　corridors
  of　time　opening　out　into　alien；　unimaginable　vistas；　hide？　　It
  had　cost　the　world　of　science　Throckmartin's　great　brain
  as　it　had　cost　Throckmartin　those　he　loved。　　It　had　drawn　me
  to　it　in　search　of　Throckmartinand　its　shadow　had　fallen
  upon　the　soul　of　Olaf　the　Norseman；　and　upon　what　thou…
  sands　upon　thousands　more　I　wondered；　since　the　brains
  that　had　conceived　it　had　vanished　with　their　secret　knowl…
  edge？
  What　lay　beyond　it？
  I　stretched　out　a　shaking　hand　and　touched　the　surface　of
  the　slab。　　A　faint　thrill　pass