The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Metal Monster, by A. Merritt

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Title: The Metal Monster

Author: A. Merritt

Release Date: September, 2002 [Etext #3479]
Posting Date: October 12, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE METAL MONSTER ***

Produced by Judy Boss

THE METAL MONSTER

By A. Merritt

PROLOGUE

Before the narrative which follows was placed in my hands, I had never
seen Dr. Walter T. Goodwin, its author.

When the manuscript revealing his adventures among the pre-historic
ruins of the Nan-Matal in the Carolines (The Moon Pool) had been given
me by the International Association of Science for editing and revision
to meet the requirements of a popular presentation, Dr. Goodwin had left
America. He had explained that he was still too shaken, too depressed,
to be able to recall experiences that must inevitably carry with them
freshened memories of those whom he loved so well and from whom, he
felt, he was separated in all probability forever.

I had understood that he had gone to some remote part of Asia to pursue
certain botanical studies, and it was therefore with the liveliest
surprise and interest that I received a summons from the President of
the Association to meet Dr. Goodwin at a designated place and hour.

Through my close study of the Moon Pool papers I had formed a mental
image of their writer. I had read, too, those volumes of botanical
research which have set him high above all other American scientists in
this field, gleaning from their curious mingling of extremely
technical observations and minutely accurate but extraordinarily poetic
descriptions, hints to amplify my picture of him. It gratified me to
find I had drawn a pretty good one.

The man to whom the President of the Association introduced me was
sturdy, well-knit, a little under average height. He had a broad but
rather low forehead that reminded me somewhat of the late electrical
wizard Steinmetz. Under level black brows shone eyes of clear hazel,
kindly, shrewd, a little wistful, lightly humorous; the eyes both of a
doer and a dreamer.

Not more than forty I judged him to be. A close