NARODNY, THE RUSSIAN, sat in his laboratory. Narodny's laboratory was a full mile under earth. It was one of a hundred caverns2, some small and some vast, cut out of the living rock. It was a realm of which he was sole ruler. In certain caverns garlands of small suns shone; and in others little moons waxed and waned3 over earth; and there was a cavern1 in which reigned4 perpetual dawn, dewy, over lily beds and violets and roses; and another in which crimson5 sunsets baptized in the blood of slain6 day dimmed and died and were born again behind the sparkling curtains of the aurora7. And there was one cavern ten miles from side to side in which grew flowering trees and trees which bore fruits unknown to man for many generations. Over this great orchard8 one yellow sun-like orb9 shone, and clouds trailed veils of rain upon the trees and miniature thunder drummed at Narodny's summoning.
Narodny was a poet — the last poet. He did not write his poems in words but in colors, sounds, and visions made material. Also he was a great scientist. In his Peculiar10 field the greatest. Thirty years before, Russia's Science Council had debated whether to grant him the leave of absence he had asked, or to destroy him. They knew him to be unorthodox. How deadly so they did not know, else after much deliberation they would not have released him. It must be remembered that of all nations, Russia then was the most mechanized; most robot-ridden.
Narodny did not hate mechanization. He was indifferent to it. Being truly intelligent he hated nothing, Also he was indifferent to the whole civilization man had developed and into which he had been born. He had no feeling of kinship to humanity. Outwardly, in body, he belonged to the species. Not so in mind. Like Loeb, a thousand years before, he considered mankind a race of crazy half-monkeys, intent upon suicide. Now and then, out of the sea of lunatic mediocrity, a wave uplifted that held for a moment a light from the sun of truth — but soon it sank back and the light was gone. Quenched11 in the sea of stupidity. He knew that he was one of those waves.
He had gone, and he had been lost to sight by all. In a few years he was forgotten. Fifteen years ago, unknown and under another name, he had entered America and secured rights to a thousand acres in what of old had been called Westchester. He had picked this place because investigation12 had revealed to him that of ten localities on this planet it was most free from danger of earthquake or similar seismic13 disturbance14. The man who owned it had been whimsical; possibly an atavist — like Narodny, although Narodny would never have thought of himself as that. At any rate, instead of an angled house of glass such as the thirtieth century built, this man had reconstructed a rambling16 old stone house of the nineteenth century. Few people lived upon the open land in those days; most had withdrawn17 into the city-states. New York, swollen19 by its meals of years, was a fat belly20 full of mankind still many miles away. The land around the house was forest covered.
A week after Narodny had taken this house, the trees in front of it had melted away leaving a three-acre, smooth field. It was not as though they had been cut, but as though they had been dissolved. Later that night a great airship had appeared upon this field — abruptly22, as though it had blinked out of another dimension. It was rocket-shaped but noiseless. And immediately a fog had fallen upon airship and house, hiding them. Within this fog, if one could have seen, was a wide tunnel leading from the air-cylinder's door to the door of the house. And out of the airship came swathed figures, ten of them, who walked along that tunnel, were met by Narodny, and the door of the old house closed on them.
A little later they returned, Narodny with them, and out of an opened hatch of the airship rolled a small flat car on which was a mechanism23 of crystal cones25 rising around each other to a central cone24 some four feet high. The cones were upon a thick base of some glassy material in which was imprisoned26 a restless green radiance. Its rays did not penetrate27 that which held it, but it seemed constantly seeking, with suggestion of prodigious28 force, to escape. For hours the strange thick fog held. Twenty miles up in the far reaches of the stratosphere, a faintly sparkling cloud grew, like a condensation29 of cosmic dust. And just before dawn the rock of the hill behind the house melted away like a curtain that had covered a great tunnel. Five of the men came out of the house and went into the airship. It lifted silently from the ground, slipped into the aperture30 and vanished. There was a whispering sound, and when it had died away the breast of the hill was whole again. The rocks had been drawn18 together like a closing curtain and boulders31 studded it as before. That the breast was now slightly concave where before it had been convex, none would have noticed.
For two weeks the sparkling cloud was observed far up in the stratosphere, was commented upon idly, and then was seen no more. Narodny's caverns were finished.
Half of the rock from which they had been hollowed had gone with that sparkling cloud. The balance, reduced to its primal32 form of energy, was stored in blocks of the vitreous material that had supported the cones, and within them it moved as restlessly and always with that same suggestion of prodigious force. And it was force, unthinkably potent33; from it came the energy that made the little suns and moons, and actuated the curious mechanisms34 that regulated pressure in the caverns, supplied the air, created the rain, and made of Narodny's realm a mile deep under earth the Paradise of poetry, of music, of color and of form which he had conceived in his brain and with the aid of those ten others had caused to be.
Now of the ten there is no need to speak further. Narodny was the Master. But three, like him, were Russians; two were Chinese; of the remaining five, three were women — one German in ancestry35, one Basque, one an Eurasian; a Hindu who traced his descent from the line of Gautama; a Jew who traced his from Solomon.
All were one with Narodny in indifference36 to the world; each with him in his viewpoint on life; and each and all lived in his or her own Eden among the hundred caverns except when it interested them to work with each other. Time meant nothing to them. Their researches and discoveries were solely37 for their own uses and enjoyments38. If they had given them to the outer world they would have only been ammunition39 for warfare40 either between men upon Earth or men against some other planet. Why hasten humanity's suicide? Not that they would have felt regret at the eclipse of humanity. But why trouble to expedite it? Time meant nothing to them because they could live as long as they desired — barring accident. And while there was rock in the world, Narodny could convert it into energy to maintain his Paradise — or to create others.
The old house began to crack and crumble41. It fell — much more quickly than the elements could have brought about its destruction. Then trees grew among the ruins of its foundations; and the field that had been so strangely cleared was overgrown with trees. The land became a wood in a few short years; silent except for the roar of an occasional rocket passing over it and the songs of birds that had found there a sanctuary42.
But deep down in earth, within the caverns, were music and song and mirth and beauty. Gossamer43 nymphs circled under the little moons. Pan piped. There was revelry of antique harvesters under the small suns. Grapes grew and ripened44, were pressed, and red and purple wine was drunk by Bacchantes who fell at last asleep in the arms of fauns and satyrs. Oreads danced under the pale moon-bows and sometimes Centaurs45 wheeled and trod archaic46 measures beneath them to the drums of their hoofs47 upon the mossy floor. The old Earth lived again.
Narodny listened to drunken Alexander raving48 to Thais among the splendors49 of conquered Persepolis; and he heard the crackling of the flames that at the whim15 of the courtesan destroyed it. He watched the siege of Troy and counted with Homer the Achaean ships drawn up on the strand50 before Troy's walls; or saw with Herodotus the tribes that marched behind Xerxes — the Caspians in their cloaks of skin with their bows of cane51; the Ethiopians in the skins of leopards52 with spears of antelope53 horns; the Libyans in their dress of leather with javelins54 made hard by fire; the Thracians with the heads of foxes upon their heads; the Moschians who wore helmets made of wood and the
Cabalians who wore the skulls55 of men. For him the Eleusinian and the Osirian mysteries were re-enacted, and he watched the women of Thrace tear to fragments Orpheus, the first great musician. At his will, he could see the rise and fall of the Empire of the Aztecs, the Empire of the Incas; or beloved Caesar slain in Rome's Senate; or the archers56 at Agincourt; or the Americans in Belleau Wood. Whatever man had written — whether poets, historians, philosophers or scientists — his strangely shaped mechanisms could bring before him, changing the words into phantoms57 real as though living.
He was the last and greatest of the poets — but also he was the last and greatest of the musicians. He could bring back the songs of ancient Egypt, or the chants of more ancient Ur. The songs that came from Moussorgsky's soul of Mother-earth, the harmonies of Beethoven's deaf ear, or the chants and rhapsodies from the heart of Chopin. He could do more than restore the music of the past. He was master of sound. To him, the music of the spheres was real. He could take the rays of the stars and planets and weave them into symphonies. Or convert the sun's rays into golden tones no earthly orchestras had ever expressed. And the silver music of the moon — the sweet music of the moon of spring, the full-throated music of the harvest moon, the brittle60 crystalling music of the winter moon with its arpeggios of meteors — he could weave into strains such as no human ears had ever heard.
So Narodny, the last and greatest of poets, the last and greatest of musicians, the last and greatest of artists — and in his inhuman61 way, the greatest of scientists — lived with the ten of his choosing in his caverns. And, with them, he consigned62 the surface of earth and all who dwelt upon it to a negative Hell — Unless something happening there might imperil his Paradise!
Aware of the possibility of that danger, among his mechanisms were those which brought to eyes and ears news of what was happening on earth's surface. Now and then, they amused themselves with these.
It so happened that on that night when the Warper64 of Space had dealt his blow at the space ships and had flung a part of the great Crater65 of Copernicus into another dimension, Narodny had been weaving the rays of Moon, Jupiter and Saturn66 into Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata67. The moon was a four-day crescent. Jupiter was at one cusp, and Saturn hung like a pendant below the bow. Shortly Orion would stride across the Heavens and bright Regulus and red Aldebaran, the Eye of the Bull, would furnish him with other chords of starlight remoulded into sound.
Suddenly the woven rhythms were ripped — hideously68. A devastating70 indescribable dissonance invaded the cavern. Beneath it, the nymphs who had been dancing languorously71 to the strains quivered like mist wraiths72 in a sudden blast and were gone: the little moons flared73, then ceased to glow. The tonal instruments were dead. And Narodny was felled as though by a blow.
After a time the little moons began to glow again, but dimly; and from the tonal mechanisms came broken, crippled music. Narodny stirred and sat up, his lean, high-cheeked face more Satanic than ever. Every nerve was numb74; then as they revived, agony crept along them. He sat, fighting the agony, until he could summon help. He was answered by one of the Chinese, and soon Narodny was himself again.
He said: “It was a spatial75 disturbance, Lao. And it was like nothing I have ever known. It came in upon the rays, of that I am sure. Let us look out upon the moon.”
They passed to another cavern and stood before an immense television screen. They adjusted it, and upon it appeared the moon, rapidly growing larger as though it were hurtling toward them. Then upon the screen appeared a space ship speeding earthward. They focused upon it, and opened it to their vision; searching it until they came to the control room where were Bartholomew, James Tarvish and Martin, their gaze upon Earth rapidly and more rapidly expanding in the heavens. Narodny and the Chinese watched them, reading their lips. Tarvish said: “Where can we land, Martin? The robots will be watching for us everywhere. They will see to it that we are destroyed before we can give our message and our warning to the world. They control the governments — or at least control them sufficiently76 to seize us upon landing. And if we should escape and gather men around us, then it means civil war and that in turn means fatal delay in the building of the space fleet — even if we should win.”
Martin said: “We must land safely — escape the robots — find some to control or destroy them. God, Tarvish — you saw what that devil they call the Wrongness of Space can do. He threw the side of the crater out of our dimension as a boy would throw a stone into a pond!”
Bartholomew said: “He could take Earth and break it up piecemeal77 — ”
Narodny and Lao looked at each other. Narodny said: “That is enough. We know.” The Chinese nodded. Narodny said: “I estimated that they would reach Earth in four hours.” Again Lao nodded. Narodny said: “We will talk to them, Lao; although I had thought we were done with mankind. I do not like this which they call so quaintly78 the Wrongness of Space — nor the stone he threw into my music.”
They brought a smaller screen into position before the larger one. They oriented it to the speeding space
Ship and stepped in front of it. The small screen shimmered79 with whirling vortices of pallid80 blue luminescence; the vortices drew together and became one vast cone that reached on and on to the greater screen as though not feet but thousands of miles separated them. And as the tip of the cone touched the control room of the space ship mirrored in the screen, Tarvish, upon the actual ship, gripped Martin's arm.
“Look there!”
There was an eddying81 in the air, like that over roads on a hot summer day. The eddying became a shimmering82 curtain of pallid blue luminescence — steadied until it was an oval doorway83 opening into vast distances. And then abruptly, within that doorway, stood two men — one tall and lean and saturnine84 with the sensitive face of a dreamer and the other a Chinese, his head a great yellow dome85 and on his face the calm of Buddha86 — and it was strange indeed to see in the cavern of earth these same two men standing87 before the blue-coned screen and upon the greater one their images within the imaged room on which the tip of the cone rested.
Narodny spoke88, and in his voice there was a human indifference and sureness that chilled them, yet gave them courage. He said: “We mean you no harm. You cannot harm us. We have long been withdrawn from men. What happens on the surface of Earth means nothing to us. What may happen beneath the surface means much. Whatever it is you have named the Wrongness of Space has already annoyed me. I perceive that he can do more than annoy. I gather that the robots in one way or another are on his side. You are against him. Therefore, our first step must be to help you against the robots. Place me in possession of all facts. Be brief, for we cannot maintain our position here for more than half an hour without discomfort89.”
Martin said: “Whoever you are, wherever you are, we trust you. Here is the story — ”
For fifteen minutes Narodny and the Chinese listened to their tale of struggle against the robots, of their escape and of the blasting of Copernicus in the effort of the Wrongness of Space to prevent their return.
Narodny said: “Enough. Now I understand. How long can you remain in space? I mean — what are your margins90 of power and of food?”
Martin answered: “Six days.”
Narodny said: “Ample time for success — or failure. Remain aloft for that time, then descend91 to where you started — ”
Suddenly he smiled: “I care nothing for mankind — yet I would not harm them, willingly. And it has occurred to me that I owe them, after all, a great debt. Except for them — I would not be. Also, it occurs to me that the robots have never produced a poet, a musician, an artist — “ He laughed: “But it is in my mind that they are capable of one great art at least! We shall see.”
The oval was abruptly empty; then it too was gone. Bartholomew said: “Call the others. I am for obeying. But they must know.” And when the others had heard, they too voted to obey, and the space ship, course changed, began to circle, as slowly as it could, the earth.
Down in the chamber92 of the screens, Narodny laughed and laughed again. He said: “Lao, is it that we have advanced so in these few years? Or that men have retrogressed? No, it is this curse of mechanization that destroys imagination. For look you, how easy is this problem of the robots. They began as man-made machines. Mathematical, soulless, insensible to any emotion. So was primal matter of which all on earth are made, rock and water, tree and grass, metal, animal, fish, worm, and men. But somewhere, somehow, something was added to this primal matter, combined with it — used it. It was what we call life. And life is consciousness. And therefore largely emotion. Life established its rhythm — and its rhythm being different in rock and crystal, metal, fish, and so on, and man, we have these varying things.
“Well, it seems that life has begun to establish its rhythm in the robots. Consciousness has touched them. The proof? They have established the idea of common identity — group consciousness. That in itself involves emotion. But they have gone further. They have attained93 the instinct of self-preservation. And that, my wise friend, connotes fear — fear of extinction94. And fear connotes anger, hatred95, arrogance96 — and many other things. The robots, in short, have become emotional to a degree. And therefore vulnerable to whatever may amplify97 and control their emotions. They are no longer mechanisms.
“So, Lao, I have in mind an experiment that will provide me study and amusement through many years. Originally, the robots are the children of mathematics. I ask — to what is mathematics most closely related. I answer — to rhythm — to sound — to sounds which will raise to the nth degree the rhythms to which they will respond. Both mathematically and emotionally,”
Lao said: “The sonic sequences?”
Narodny answered: “Exactly. But we must have a few with which to experiment. To do that means to dissolve the upper gate. But that is nothing. Tell Maringy and Euphroysne to do it. Net a ship and bring it here. Bring it down gently. You will have to kill the men in it, of course, but do it mercifully. Then let them bring me the robots. Use the green flame on one or two — the rest will follow, I'll warrant you.”
The hill behind where the old house had stood trembled. A circle of pale green light gleamed on its breast. It dimmed, where it had been was the black mouth of a tunnel. An airship, half-rocket, half-winged, making its way to New York, abruptly dropped, circled, and streaked98 back. It fell gently like a moth58, close to the yawning mouth of the tunnel.
Its door opened, and out came two men, pilots, cursing. There was a little sigh from the tunnel's mouth and a silvery misty99 cloud sped from it, over the pilots and straight through the opened door. The pilots staggered and crumpled100 to the ground. In the airship half a dozen other men slumped101 to the floor, smiled, and died.
There were a full score robots in the ship. They stood, looking at the dead men and at each other. Out of the tunnel came two figures swathed in metallic102 glimmering103 robes. They entered the ship. One said:
“Robots, assemble.”
The metal men stood, motionless. Then one sent out a shrill104 call. From all parts of the ship the metal men moved. They gathered behind the one who had sent the call. They stood behind him, waiting.
In the hand of one of those who had come from the tunnel was what might have been an antique flash-light. From it sped a thin green flame. It struck the foremost robot on the head, sliced down from the head to base of trunk. Another flash, and the green flame cut him from side to side. He fell, sliced by that flame into four parts. The four parts lay, inert105 as their metal, upon the floor of the compartment106.
One of the shrouded107 figures said: “Do you want further demonstration108 — or will you follow us?”
The robots put heads together; whispered. Then one said: “We will follow.” '
They marched into the tunnel, the robots making no resistance nor effort to escape. Again there was the sighing, and the rocks closed the tunnel mouth. They game to a place whose floor sank with them until it had reached the caverns. The machine-men still went docilely109. Was it because of curiosity mixed with disdain110 for these men whose bodies could be broken so easily by one blow of the metal appendages111 that served them for arms? Perhaps.
They came to the cavern where Narodny and the others awaited them. Marinoff led them in and halted them. These were the robots used in the flying ships — their heads cylindrical113, four arm appendages, legs triple jointed114, torsos slender. The robots, it should be understood, were differentiated115 in shape according to their occupations. Narodny said:
“Welcome, robots. Who is your leader?”
One answered: “We have no leaders. We act as one.”
Narodny laughed: “Yet by speaking for them you have shown yourself leader. Step closer. Do not fear — yet.”
The robot said: “We feel no fear. Why should we? Even if you should destroy us who are here, you cannot destroy the billions of us outside. Nor can you breed fast enough, become men soon enough, to cope with us who enter into life strong and complete from the beginning.”
He flecked an appendage112 toward Narodny and there was contempt in the gesture. But before he could draw it back a bracelet116 of green flame circled it at the shoulder. It had darted117 like a thrown loop from something in Narodny's hand. The robot's arm dropped clanging to the floor, cleanly severed118. The robot stared at it unbelievingly, threw forward his other three arms to pick it up. Again the green flame encircled them, encircled also his legs above the second joints119. The robot crumpled and pitched forward, crying in high-pitched shrill tones to the others.
Swiftly the green flame played among them. Legless, armless, some decapitated, all the robots fell except two.
“Two will be enough,” said Narodny. “But they will not need arms — only feet.”
The flashing green bracelets120 encircled the appendages and excised121 them. The pair were marched away. The bodies of the others were taken apart, studied and under Narodny's direction curious experiments were made. Music filled the cavern, strange chords, unfamiliar122 progressions, shattering arpeggios and immense vibrations124 of sound that could be felt but not heard by the human ear. And finally this last deep vibration123 burst into hearing as a vast drone, hummed up and up into swift tingling125 tempest of crystalline brittle notes, and still ascending126 passed into shrill high pipings, and continued again unheard, as had the prelude127 to the droning. And thence it rushed back, the piping and the crystalline storm reversed, into the drone and the silence — then back and up.
And the bodies of the broken robots began to quiver, to tremble, as though every atom within them were in ever increasing, rhythmic128 motion. Up rushed the music and down — again and again. If ended abruptly in midflight with one crashing note.
The broken bodies ceased their quivering. Tiny starshaped cracks appeared in their metal. Once more the note sounded and the cracks widened. The metal splintered.
Narodny said: “Well, there is the frequency for the rhythm of our robots. The destructive unison129. I hope for the sake of the world outside it is not also the rhythm of many of their buildings and bridges. But after all, in any war there must be casualties on both sides.”
Lao said: “Earth will be an extraordinary spectacle for a few days.”
Narodny said: “It's going to be an extraordinarily130 uncomfortable Earth for a few days, and without doubt many will die and many more go mad. But is there any other way?”
There was no answer. He said; “Bring in the two robots.” They brought them in.
Narodny said: “Robots — were there ever any of you who could poetize?”
They answered: “What is poetize?” Narodny laughed: “Never mind. Have you ever sung — made music — painted? Have you ever — dreamed?”
One robot said with cold irony131: “Dreamed? No — for we do not sleep. We leave all that to men. It is why we have conquered them.”
Narodny said, almost gently: “Not yet, robot. Have you ever — danced? No? It is an art you are about to learn.”
The unheard note began, droned up and through the tempest and away and back again. And up and down — and up and down, though not so loudly as before. And suddenly the feet of the robots began to move, to shuffle132. Their leg-joints bent133; their bodies swayed. The note seemed to move now here and now there about the chamber, they always following it, grotesquely135. Like huge metal marionettes, they followed it. The music ended in the crashing note. And it was as though every vibrating atom of the robot bodies had met some resistible obstruction136. Their bodies quivered and from their voice mechanisms came a shriek137 that was a hideous69 blend of machine and life. Once more the drone, and once more and once more and again the abrupt21 stop. There was a brittle crackling all over the conical heads, all over the bodies. The star-shaped splinterings appeared. Once again the drone — but the two robots stood, unresponding. For through the com plicated mechanisms which under their carapaces138 animated139 them were similar splinterings.
The robots were dead!
Narodny said: “By tomorrow we can amplify the sonor to make it effective in a 3000-mile circle. We will use the upper cavern, of course. Equally of course, it means we must take the ship out again. In three days, Marinoff, you should be able to cover the other continents. See to it that the ship is completely proof against the vibrations. To work. We must act quickly — before the robots can discover how to neutralize141 them.”
It was exactly at noon next day that over all North America a deep unexplainable droning was heard. It seemed to come not only from deep within earth, but from every side. It mounted rapidly through a tempest of tingling crystalline notes into a shrill piping and was gone . . . then back it rushed from piping to the drone . . . then up and out and down . . . again and again. And over all North America the hordes142 of robots stopped in whatever they were doing. Stopped . . . and then began to dance. They danced in the airships and scores of those ships crashed before the human crews could gain control. They danced by the thousands in the streets of the cities — in grotesque134 rigadoons, in bizarre sarabands, with shuffle and hop59, and jig144 the robots danced while the people fled in panic and hundreds of them were crushed and died in those panics. In the great factories, and in the tunnels of the lower cities, and in the mines — everywhere the sound was heard — and it was heard everywhere — the robots danced . . . to the piping of Narodny, the last great poet . . . the last great musician.
And then came the crashing note — and over all the country the dance halted. And began again . . . and ceased . . . and began again . . . .
Until at last the streets, the lower tunnels of the lower levels, the mines, the factories, the homes, were littered with metal bodies shot through and through with star-shaped splinterings.
In the cities the people cowered145, not knowing what blow was to fall upon them . . . or milled about in fearmaddened crowds, and many more died . . . .
Then suddenly the dreadful droning, the shattering tempest, the intolerable high piping ended. And everywhere the people fell, sleeping among the dead robots, as though they never had been strung to the point of breaking, sapped of strength and abruptly relaxed.
As though it had vanished, America was deaf to cables, to all communication beyond the gigantic circle of sound.
But that midnight over all Europe the drone sounded and Europe's robots began their dance of death . . . and when it had ended a strange and silent rocket ship that had hovered146 high above the stratosphere sped almost with the speed of light and hovered over Asia — and next day Africa heard the drone while the natives answered it with their tom-toms — then South America heard it and last of all far-off Australia . . . and everywhere terror trapped the peoples and panic and madness took their toll147.. ..
Until of all that animate140 metal horde143 that had tethered Earth and humanity there were a few scant148 hundreds left — escaped from the death dance through some variant149 in their constitution. And, awakening150 from that swift sleep, all over Earth those who had feared and hated the robots and their slavery rose against those who had fostered the metal domination, and blasted the robot factories to dust.
Again the hill above the caverns opened, the strange torpedo151 ship blinked into sight like a ghost, as silently as a ghost floated into the hill and the rocks closed behind it.
Narodny and the others stood before the gigantic television screen, shifting upon it images of city after city, country after country, over all Earth's surface. Lao, the Chinese, said: “Many men died, but many are left. They may not understand — but to them it was worth it.”
Narodny mused63: “It drives home the lesson, what man does not pay for, he values little. Our friends aloft will have little opposition152 now I think.”
He shook his head, doubtfully, “But I still do not like that Wrongness of Space. I do not want my music spoiled again by him, Lao. Shall we hurl153 the Moon out of the universe, Lao?”
Lao laughed: “And what then would you do for moon-music?”
Narodny said: “True. Well, let us see what men can do. There is always time — perhaps.”
The difficulties which beset154 humanity did not interest the poet Narodny. While the world governments were reorganized — factories turned out space ships for Earth's fleet — men were trained in handling these ships — supplies were gathered — weapons were perfected — and when the message from Luna, outlining the course to be followed and setting the starting date, arrived, the space fleet of Earth was ready to leave.
Narodny watched the ships take off. He shook his head, doubtfully. But soon harmonies were swelling155 through the great cavern of the orchards156 and nymphs and fauns dancing under the fragrant157 blossoming trees — and the world again forgotten by Narodny.
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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aurora
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| n.极光 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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12
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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13
seismic
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| a.地震的，地震强度的 | |
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14
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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15
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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19
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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20
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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21
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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23
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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24
cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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25
cones
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| n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒 | |
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26
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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28
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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29
condensation
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| n.压缩，浓缩；凝结的水珠 | |
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30
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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31
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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32
primal
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| adj.原始的；最重要的 | |
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33
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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34
mechanisms
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| n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用 | |
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35
ancestry
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| n.祖先，家世 | |
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36
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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37
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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38
enjoyments
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| 愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受 | |
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39
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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40
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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41
crumble
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| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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42
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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43
gossamer
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| n.薄纱，游丝 | |
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44
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
centaurs
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| n.（希腊神话中）半人半马怪物( centaur的名词复数 ) | |
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46
archaic
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| adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的，已不通用的 | |
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47
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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49
splendors
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| n.华丽( splendor的名词复数 )；壮丽；光辉；显赫 | |
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50
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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51
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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52
leopards
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| n.豹( leopard的名词复数 )；本性难移 | |
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53
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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54
javelins
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| n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 ) | |
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55
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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56
archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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57
phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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58
moth
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| n.蛾，蛀虫 | |
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59
hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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60
brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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61
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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62
consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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63
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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64
warper
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| n.整经机，整经工 | |
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65
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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66
Saturn
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| n.农神，土星 | |
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67
sonata
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| n.奏鸣曲 | |
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68
hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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69
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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70
devastating
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| adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的 | |
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71
languorously
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| adv.疲倦地，郁闷地 | |
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72
wraiths
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| n.幽灵( wraith的名词复数 )；（传说中人在将死或死后不久的）显形阴魂 | |
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73
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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74
numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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75
spatial
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| adj.空间的，占据空间的 | |
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76
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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77
piecemeal
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| adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块 | |
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78
quaintly
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| adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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79
shimmered
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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80
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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81
eddying
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| 涡流，涡流的形成 | |
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82
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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83
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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84
saturnine
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| adj.忧郁的，沉默寡言的，阴沉的，感染铅毒的 | |
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85
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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86
Buddha
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| n.佛；佛像；佛陀 | |
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87
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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88
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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89
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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90
margins
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| 边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数 | |
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91
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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92
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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93
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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94
extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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95
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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96
arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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97
amplify
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| vt.放大，增强；详述，详加解说 | |
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98
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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99
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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100
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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101
slumped
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| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
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102
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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103
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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104
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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105
inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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106
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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107
shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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108
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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109
docilely
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| adv.容易教地，易驾驶地，驯服地 | |
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110
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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111
appendages
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| n.附属物( appendage的名词复数 )；依附的人；附属器官；附属肢体（如臂、腿、尾等） | |
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112
appendage
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| n.附加物 | |
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113
cylindrical
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| adj.圆筒形的 | |
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114
jointed
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| 有接缝的 | |
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115
differentiated
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| 区分，区别，辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 )； 区别对待； 表明…间的差别，构成…间差别的特征 | |
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116
bracelet
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| n.手镯，臂镯 | |
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117
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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118
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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119
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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120
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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121
excised
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| v.切除，删去( excise的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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122
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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123
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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124
vibrations
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| n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动 | |
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125
tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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126
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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127
prelude
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| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
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128
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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129
unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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130
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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131
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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132
shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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133
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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134
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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135
grotesquely
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| adv. 奇异地,荒诞地 | |
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136
obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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137
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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138
carapaces
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| n.（龟、蟹等的）硬壳( carapace的名词复数 ) | |
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139
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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neutralize
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| v.使失效、抵消，使中和 | |
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142
hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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143
horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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144
jig
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| n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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145
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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146
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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147
toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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148
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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variant
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| adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体 | |
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150
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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151
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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152
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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153
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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154
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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155
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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156
orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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