the red one(红色的那人)-第6章
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any treason for the sake of love。 And； though the sight of her was
provocative of nausea and the contact of her provocative of despair；
although he could not escape her awfulness in his dream…haunted
nightmares of her； he nevertheless was aware of the cosmic verity of sex
that animated her and that made her own life of less value than the
happiness of her lover with whom she hoped to mate。 Juliet or Balatta？
Where was the intrinsic difference？ The soft and tender product of ultra…
civilization； or her bestial prototype of a hundred thousand years before
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THE RED ONE
her？ … there was no difference。
Bassett was a scientist first； a humanist afterward。 In the jungle…heart
of Guadalcanal he put the affair to the test； as in the laboratory he would
have put to the test any chemical reaction。 He increased his feigned ardour
for the bushwoman； at the same time increasing the imperiousness of his
will of desire over her to be led to look upon the Red One face to face。 It
was the old story； he recognized； that the woman must pay； and it occurred
when the two of them； one day； were catching the unclassified and
unnamed little black fish； an inch long； half…eel and half…scaled； rotund
with salmon…golden roe； that frequented the fresh water； and that were
esteemed； raw and whole； fresh or putrid； a perfect delicacy。 Prone in the
muck of the decaying jungle…floor； Balatta threw herself； clutching his
ankles with her hands kissing his feet and making slubbery noises that
chilled his backbone up and down again。 She begged him to kill her rather
than exact this ultimate love… payment。 She told him of the penalty of
breaking the taboo of the Red One … a week of torture； living； the details of
which she yammered out from her face in the mire until he realized that he
was yet a tyro in knowledge of the frightfulness the human was capable of
wreaking on the human。
Yet did Bassett insist on having his man's will satisfied； at the woman's
risk； that he might solve the mystery of the Red One's singing； though she
should die long and horribly and screaming。 And Balatta； being mere
woman； yielded。 She led him into the forbidden quadrant。 An abrupt
mountain； shouldering in from the north to meet a similar intrusion from
the south； tormented the stream in which they had fished into a deep and
gloomy gorge。 After a mile along the gorge； the way plunged sharply
upward until they crossed a saddle of raw limestone which attracted his
geologist's eye。 Still climbing； although he paused often from sheer
physical weakness； they scaled forest…clad heights until they emerged on a
naked mesa or tableland。 Bassett recognized the stuff of its composition
as black volcanic sand； and knew that a pocket magnet could have
captured a full load of the sharply angular grains he trod upon。
And then holding Balatta by the hand and leading her onward； he came
to it … a tremendous pit； obviously artificial； in the heart of the plateau。
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Old history； the South Seas Sailing Directions； scores of remembered data
and connotations swift and furious； surged through his brain。 It was
Mendana who had discovered the islands and named them Solomon's；
believing that he had found that monarch's fabled mines。 They had
laughed at the old navigator's child…like credulity； and yet here stood
himself； Bassett； on the rim of an excavation for all the world like the
diamond pits of South Africa。
But no diamond this that he gazed down upon。 Rather was it a pearl；
with the depth of iridescence of a pearl； but of a size all pearls of earth and
time； welded into one； could not have totalled； and of a colour undreamed
of in any pearl； or of anything else； for that matter； for it was the colour of
the Red One。 And the Red One himself Bassett knew it to be on the
instant。 A perfect sphere； full two hundred feet in diameter； the top of it
was a hundred feet below the level of the rim。 He likened the colour
quality of it to lacquer。 Indeed； he took it to be some sort of lacquer；
applied by man； but a lacquer too marvellously clever to have been
manufactured by the bush…folk。 Brighter than bright cherry…red； its
richness of colour was as if it were red builded upon red。 It glowed and
iridesced in the sunlight as if gleaming up from underlay under underlay
of red。
In vain Balatta strove to dissuade him from descending。 She threw
herself in the dirt； but； when he continued down the trail that spiralled the
pit…wall； she followed； cringing and whimpering her terror。 That the red
sphere had been dug out as a precious thing； was patent。 Considering the
paucity of members of the federated twelve villages and their primitive
tools and methods； Bassett knew that the toil of a myriad generations
could scarcely have made that enormous excavation。
He found the pit bottom carpeted with human bones； among which；
battered and defaced； lay village gods of wood and stone。 Some； covered
with obscene totemic figures and designs； were carved from solid tree
trunks forty or fifty feet in length。 He noted the absence of the shark and
turtle gods； so common among the shore villages； and was amazed at the
constant recurrence of the helmet motive。 What did these jungle savages
of the dark heart of Guadalcanal know of helmets？ Had Mendana's men…
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at…arms worn helmets and penetrated here centuries before？ And if not；
then whence had the bush…folk caught the motive？
Advancing over the litter of gods and bones； Balatta whimpering at his
heels； Bassett entered the shadow of the Red One and passed on under its
gigantic overhang until he touched it with his finger… tips。 No lacquer
that。 Nor was the surface smooth as it should have been in the case of
lacquer。 On the contrary； it was corrugated and pitted； with here and
there patches that showed signs of heat and fusing。 Also； the substance
of it was metal； though unlike any metal； or combination of metals； he had
ever known。 As for the colour itself； he decided it to be no application。
It was the intrinsic colour of the metal itself。
He moved his finger…tips； which up to that had merely rested； along the
surface； and felt the whole gigantic sphere quicken and live and respond。
It was incredible！ So light a touch on so vast a mass！ Yet did it quiver
under the finger…tip caress in rhythmic vibrations that became whisperings
and rustlings and mutterings of sound … but of sound so different； so
