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Polaris, v. 1, issue 2, March 1940
Page 9
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POLARIS 9 whose downward gaze had the frightening indifference of all ancient things. There was an aspect of waiting about the metal statue, whose head touched the darkness and the increasing stars. No one had guessed when it was made and set there as guardian of the bridge. It is of the same material, and built of cunning segments, rather than sculptured. Looking briefly at the high, indistinct face, it turned away from the bridge and the nameless crouching giant to go into the ruinous streets. Here was Doom. The shards of a city that once knew merchants and toilers and the glittering of rich--peopled now with memories and shadows and the whisper of the breeze. Silent now were the streets whose paving had sounded with the trample of multitudes; silent also the tumbled houses. There were no high structures, these had fallen unmarked during years of neglect. The air was stagnant and weary, and the dark holes in the street and buildings were like the orifices of a nameless skull. A moon had come up out of the chaos of stars, and swung above the fretted outline of the ruined city, where an immemorial silence reigned. No throb of bird-wing, no rustle of furred feet disturbed the still evening. There were only starts attendant on the moon, and a bluish silence which filled the town like water. For centuries the vines and roots of jungle things had accumulated about the city, enveloping it and gnawing at outlying districts. For centuries the bubbling hues of sunset had glazed with yellow lacquer those dark streets, and crept along unseen walls. Throughout the multitudinous days of its collapse there had been clouds over it and bright skies and rains: the thunder of the elements had beaten down on it, the sun and storm had battled, each claiming it his fortress. But that night, all was fled save silence. I saw what once had been a shop--the front was crumbled, and a rotten beam lay half across the opening, but there was a litter of incredible wreckage within--goods that had been fashioned for purchasers dead a thousand years, despised even by the beast. Someone had come there and sorted out the useful, undamaged things, but like the rest, these lay in an unclaimed pile. Perhaps the scavenger was there a day before us--perhaps he had become the prey of some animal eight hundred years ago. There was nothing to tell why he had not borne off his spoil. I would have liked to go into some of the buildings which ranged spectrally along the road. Now one, and then another took my fancy, but we had no time if we meant to end our mission by a safe hour. There was one pile of white marble standing alone in a little field, as if it had been a temple or a strong man's house. And I saw another; round, with many bordering pillars, like an immense spider; whose purpose I could not understand. I would have explored these had there been no hurry. But I knew that we must get back before there was too much moonlight, and the beasts came out. They are very terrible at such times. And so we went on, and found many roots in the caverns beyond the city. THE END - - - - Watch for SHANGRI-LA!
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POLARIS 9 whose downward gaze had the frightening indifference of all ancient things. There was an aspect of waiting about the metal statue, whose head touched the darkness and the increasing stars. No one had guessed when it was made and set there as guardian of the bridge. It is of the same material, and built of cunning segments, rather than sculptured. Looking briefly at the high, indistinct face, it turned away from the bridge and the nameless crouching giant to go into the ruinous streets. Here was Doom. The shards of a city that once knew merchants and toilers and the glittering of rich--peopled now with memories and shadows and the whisper of the breeze. Silent now were the streets whose paving had sounded with the trample of multitudes; silent also the tumbled houses. There were no high structures, these had fallen unmarked during years of neglect. The air was stagnant and weary, and the dark holes in the street and buildings were like the orifices of a nameless skull. A moon had come up out of the chaos of stars, and swung above the fretted outline of the ruined city, where an immemorial silence reigned. No throb of bird-wing, no rustle of furred feet disturbed the still evening. There were only starts attendant on the moon, and a bluish silence which filled the town like water. For centuries the vines and roots of jungle things had accumulated about the city, enveloping it and gnawing at outlying districts. For centuries the bubbling hues of sunset had glazed with yellow lacquer those dark streets, and crept along unseen walls. Throughout the multitudinous days of its collapse there had been clouds over it and bright skies and rains: the thunder of the elements had beaten down on it, the sun and storm had battled, each claiming it his fortress. But that night, all was fled save silence. I saw what once had been a shop--the front was crumbled, and a rotten beam lay half across the opening, but there was a litter of incredible wreckage within--goods that had been fashioned for purchasers dead a thousand years, despised even by the beast. Someone had come there and sorted out the useful, undamaged things, but like the rest, these lay in an unclaimed pile. Perhaps the scavenger was there a day before us--perhaps he had become the prey of some animal eight hundred years ago. There was nothing to tell why he had not borne off his spoil. I would have liked to go into some of the buildings which ranged spectrally along the road. Now one, and then another took my fancy, but we had no time if we meant to end our mission by a safe hour. There was one pile of white marble standing alone in a little field, as if it had been a temple or a strong man's house. And I saw another; round, with many bordering pillars, like an immense spider; whose purpose I could not understand. I would have explored these had there been no hurry. But I knew that we must get back before there was too much moonlight, and the beasts came out. They are very terrible at such times. And so we went on, and found many roots in the caverns beyond the city. THE END - - - - Watch for SHANGRI-LA!
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