the moon pool-第11节
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that lay side by side with the deviltry in the laughing blue
eyes； nose of a thoroughbred with the suspicion of a tilt；
long； well…knit； slender figure that I knew must have all the
strength of fine steel； the uniform of a lieutenant in the
Royal Flying Corps of Britain's navy。
He laughed； stretched out a firm hand； and gripped mine。
〃Thank you really ever so much； old man；〃 he said。
I liked Larry O'Keefe from the beginningbut I did not
dream as the Tonga boys pulled us back to the Suwarna bow
that liking was to be forged into man's strong love for man
by fires which souls such as his and mineand yours who
read thiscould never dream。
Larry！ Larry O'Keefe； where are you now with your
leprechauns and banshee； your heart of a child； your laugh…
ing blue eyes； and your fearless soul？ Shall I ever see you
again； Larry O'Keefe； dear to me as some best beloved
younger brother？ Larry！
CHAPTER VII
Larry O'Keefe
PRESSING BACK the questions I longed to ask； I introduced
myself。 Oddly enough； I found that he knew me； or rather
my work。 He had bought； it appeared； my volume upon the
peculiar vegetation whose habitat is disintegrating lava rock
and volcanic ash； that I had entitled； somewhat loosely； I
could now perceive； Flora of the Craters。 For he explained
naively that he had picked it up； thinking it an entirely
different sort of a book； a novel in factsomething like
Meredith's Diana of the Crossways； which he liked greatly。
He had hardly finished this explanation when we touched
the side of the Suwarna； and I was forced to curb my curi…
osity until we reached the deck。
〃That thing you saw me sitting on；〃 he said； after he had
thanked the bowing little skipper for his rescue； 〃was all
that was left of one of his Majesty's best little hydroairplanes
after that cyclone threw it off as excess baggage。 And by the
way； about where are we？〃
Da Costa gave him our approximate position from the
noon reckoning。
O'Keefe whistled。 〃A good three hundred miles from
where I left the H。M。S。 Dolphin about four hours ago；〃 he
said。 〃That squall I rode in on was some whizzer！
〃The Dolphin；〃 he went on； calmly divesting himself of
his soaked uniform； 〃was on her way to Melbourne。 I'd been
yearning for a joy ride and went up for an alleged scouting
trip。 Then that blow shot out of nowhere； picked me up； and
insisted that I go with it。
〃About an hour ago I thought I saw a chance to zoom up
and out of it； I turned； and BLICK went my right wing； and
down I dropped。〃
〃I don't know how we can notify your ship； Lieutenant
O'Keefe；〃 I said。 〃We have no wireless。〃
〃Doctair Goodwin；〃 said Da Costa； 〃we could change our
course； sairperhaps〃
〃Thanksbut not a bit of it；〃 broke in O'Keefe。 〃Lord
alone knows where the Dolphin is now。 Fancy she'll be nos…
ing around looking for me。 Anyway； she's just as apt to run
into you as you into her。 Maybe we'll strike something with
a wireless； and I'll trouble you to put me aboard。〃 He hesi…
tated。 〃Where are you bound； by the way？〃 he asked。
〃For Ponape；〃 I answered。
〃No wireless there；〃 mused O'Keefe。 〃Beastly hole。
Stopped a week ago for fruit。 Natives seemed scared to death
at usor something。 What are you going there for？〃
Da Costa darted a furtive glance at me。 It troubled me。
O'Keefe noted my hesitation。
〃Oh； I beg your pardon；〃 he said。 〃Maybe I oughn't to
have asked that？〃
〃It's no secret； Lieutenant；〃 I replied。 〃I'm about to under…
take some exploration worka little digging among the
ruins on the Nan…Matal。〃
I looked at the Portuguese sharply as I named the place。
A pallor crept beneath his skin and again he made swiftly
the sign of the cross； glancing as he did so fearfully to the
north。 I made up my mind then to question him when op…
portunity came。 He turned from his quick scrutiny of the
sea and addressed O'Keefe。
〃There's nothing on board to fit you； Lieutenant。〃
〃Oh； just give me a sheet to throw around me； Captain；〃
said O'Keefe and followed him。 Darkness had fallen； and as
the two disappeared into Da Costa's cabin I softly opened
the door of my own and listened。 Huldricksson was breath…
ing deeply and regularly。
I drew my electric…flash； and shielding its rays from my
face； looked at him。 His sleep was changing from the heavy
stupor of the drug into one that was at least on the border…
land of the normal。 The tongue had lost its arid blackness
and the mouth secretions had resumed action。 Satisfied as to
his condition I returned to deck。
O'Keefe was there； looking like a spectre in the cotton
sheet he had wrapped about him。 A deck table had been
cleated down and one of the Tonga boys was setting it for
our dinner。 Soon the very creditable larder of the Suwarna
dressed the board； and O'Keefe； Da Costa； and I attacked it。
The night had grown close and oppressive。 Behind us the
forward light of the Brunhilda glided and the binnacle lamp
threw up a faint glow in which her black helmsman's face
stood out mistily。 O'Keefe had looked curiously a number
of times at our tow； but had asked no questions。
〃You're not the only passenger we picked up today；〃 I
told him。 〃We found the captain of that sloop； lashed to his
wheel； nearly dead with exhaustion； and his boat deserted by
everyone except himself。〃
〃What was the matter？〃 asked O'Keefe in astonishment。
〃We don't know；〃 I answered。 〃He fought us； and I had
to drug him before we could get him loose from his lashings。
He's sleeping down in my berth now。 His wife and little girl
ought to have been on board； the captain here says； but
they weren't。〃
〃Wife and child gone！〃 exclaimed O'Keefe。
〃From the condition of his mouth he must have been
alone at the wheel and without water at least two days and
nights before we found him；〃 I replied。 〃And as for looking
for anyone on these waters after such a timeit's hopeless。〃
〃That's true；〃 said O'Keefe。 〃But his wife and baby！ Poor；
poor devil！〃
He was silent for a time； and then； at my solicitation； be…
gan to tell us more of himself。 He had been little more than
twenty when he had won his wings and entered the war。 He
had been seriously wounded at Ypres during the third year
of the struggle； and when he recovered the war was over。
Shortly after that his mother had died。 Lonely and restless；
he had re…entered the Air Service； and had remained in it
ever since。
〃And though the war's long over； I get homesick for the
lark's land with the German planes playing tunes on their
machine guns and their Archies tickling the soles of my
feet；〃 he sighed。 〃If you're in love； love to the limit； and if
you hate； why hate like the devil and if it's a fight you're in；
get where it's hottest and fight like hellif you don't life's
not worth the living；〃 sighed he。
I watched him as he talked； feeling my liking for him
steadily increasing。 If I could but have a man like this be…
side me on the path of unknown peril upon which I had set
my feet I thought； wistfully。 We sat and smoked a bit； sip…
ping the strong coffee the Portuguese made so well。
Da Costa at last relieved the Cantonese at the wheel。
O'Keefe and I drew chairs up to the rail。 The brighter stars
shone out dimly through a hazy sky； gleams of phosphores…
cence tipped the crests of the waves and sparkled with an
almost angry brilliance as the bow of the Suwarna tossed
them aside。 O'Keefe pulled contentedly at a cigarette。 The
glowing spark lighted the keen； boyish face and the blue
eyes； now black and brooding under the spell of the tropic
night。
〃Are you American or Irish； O'Keefe？〃 I asked suddenly。
〃Why？〃 he laughed。
〃Because；〃 I answered； 〃from your name and your service
I would suppose you Irishbut your command of pure
Americanese makes me doubtful。〃
He grinned amiably。
〃I'll tell you how that is；〃 he said。 〃My mother was an
Americana Grace； of Virginia。 My father was the
O'Keefe； of Coleraine。 And these two loved each other so
well that the heart they gave me is half Irish and half
American。 My father died when I was sixteen。 I used to go
to the States with my mother every other year for a month
or two。 But after my father died we used to go to Ireland
every other year。 And there you areI'm as much Ameri…
can as I am Irish。
〃When I'm in love； or excited； or dreaming； or mad I
have the brogue。 But for the everyday purpose of life I like
the United States talk； and I know Broadway as well as I do
Binevenagh Lane； and the Sound as well as St。 Patrick's
Channel； educated a bit at Eton； a bit at Harvard； always
too much money to have to make any； in love lots of times；
and never a heartache after that wasn't a pleasant one； and
never a real purpose in life until I to
