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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。 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…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 elusively thin that it was
shimmeringly sibilant； so mellow that it was maddening sweet；
piping like an elfin horn； which last was just what Bassett decided
would be like a peal from some bell of the gods reaching earthward
from across space。
He looked at Balatta with swift questioning； but the voice of the
Red One he had evoked had flung her face downward and moaning among
the bones。 He returned to contemplation of the prodigy。 Hollow it
was； and of no metal known on earth； was his conclusion。 It was
right…named by the ones of old…time as the Star…Born。 Only from
the stars could it have come； and no thing of chance was it。 It
was a creation of artifice and mind。 Such perfection of form； such
hollowness that it certainly possessed； could not be the result of
mere fortuitousness。 A child of intelligences； remote and
unguessable； working corporally in metals； it indubitably was。 He
stared at it in amaze； his brain a racing wild…fire of hypotheses
to account for this far…journeyer who had adventured the night of
space； threaded the stars； and now rose before him and above him；
exhumed by patient anthropophagi； pitted and lacquered by its fiery
bath in two atmospheres。
But was the colour a lacquer of heat upon some familiar metal？ Or
was it an intrinsic quality of the metal itself？ He thrust in the
blue…point of his pocket…knife to test the constitution of the
stuff。 Instantly the entire sphere burst into a mighty whispering；
sharp with protest； almost twanging goldenly； if a whisper could
possibly be considered to twang； rising higher； sinking deeper； the
two extremes of the registry of sound threatening to complete the
circle and coalesce into the bull…mouthed thundering he had so
often heard beyond the taboo distance。
Forgetful of safety； of his own life itself； entranced by the
wonder of the unthinkable and unguessable thing； he raised his
knife to strike heavily from a long stroke； but was prevented by
Balatta。 She upreared on her own knees in an agony of terror；
clasping his knees and supplicating him to desist。 In the
intensity of her desire to impress him； she put her forearm between
her teeth and sank them to the bone。
He scarcely observed her act； although he yielded automatically to
his gentler instincts and withheld the knife…hack。 To him； human
life had dwarfed to microscopic proportions before this colossal
portent of higher life from within the distances of the sidereal
universe。 As had she been a dog； he kicked the ugly little
bushwoman to her feet and compelled her to start with him on an
encirclement of the base。 Part way around； he encountered horrors。
Even； among the others； did he recognize the sun…shrivelled remnant
of the nine…years girl who had accidentally broken Chief Vngngn's
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