the moon pool-第21节

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ward。



Miles　away；　gigantic　luminous　cliffs　sprang　sheer　from

the　limits　of　a　lake　whose　waters　were　of　milky　opalescence。

It　was　from　these　cliffs　that　the　spangled　radiance　came；

shimmering　out　from　all　their　lustrous　surfaces。　　To　left　and

to　right；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　they　stretchedand

they　vanished　in　the　auroral　nebulosity　on　high！



〃Look　at　that！〃　exclaimed　Larry。　　I　followed　his　pointing

finger。　　On　the　face　of　the　shining　wall；　stretched　between　two

colossal　columns；　hung　an　incredible　veil；　prismatic；　gleam…

ing　with　all　the　colours　of　the　spectrum。　　It　was　like　a　web

of　rainbows　woven　by　the　fingers　of　the　daughters　of　the

Jinn。　　In　front　of　it　and　a　little　at　each　side　was　a　semi…circular

pier；　or；　better；　a　plaza　of　what　appeared　to　be　glistening；

pale…yellow　ivory。　　At　each　end　of　its　half…circle　clustered　a

few　low…walled；　rose…stone　structures；　each　of　them　sur…

mounted　by　a　number　of　high；　slender　pinnacles。



We　looked　at　each　other；　I　think；　a　bit　helplesslyand

back　again　through　the　opening。　　We　were　standing；　as　I　have

said；　at　its　base。　　The　wall　in　which　it　was　set　was　at　least　ten

feet　thick；　and　so；　of　course；　all　that　we　could　see　of　that

which　was　without　were　the　distances　that　revealed　them…

selves　above　the　outer　ledge　of　the　oval。



〃Let's　take　a　look　at　what's　under　us；〃　said　Larry。



He　crept　out　upon　the　ledge　and　peered　down；　the　rest　of

us　following。　　A　hundred　yards　beneath　us　stretched　gardens

that　must　have　been　like　those　of　many…columned　Iram；

which　the　ancient　Addite　King　had　built　for　his　pleasure　ages

before　the　deluge；　and　which　Allah；　so　the　Arab　legend　tells；

took　and　hid　from　man；　within　the　Sahara；　beyond　all　hope　of

findingjealous　because　they　were　more　beautiful　than　his

in　paradise。　　Within　them　flowers　and　groves　of　laced；　fern…

like　trees；　pillared　pavilions　nestled。



The　trunks　of　the　trees　were　of　emerald；　of　vermilion；　and

of　azure…blue；　and　the　blossoms；　whose　fragrance　was　borne

to　us；　shone　like　jewels。　　The　graceful　pillars　were　tinted

delicately。　　I　noted　that　the　pavilions　were　doublein　a　way；

two…storiedand　that　they　were　oddly　splotched　with　circles；

with　squares；　and　with　oblongs　ofopacity；　noted　too　that

over　many　this　opacity　stretched　like　a　roof；　yet　it　did　not

seem　material；　rather　was　itimpenetrable　shadow！



Down　through　this　city　of　gardens　ran　a　broad　shining

green　thoroughfare；　glistening　like　glass　and　spanned　at　reg…

ular　intervals　with　graceful；　arched　bridges。　　The　road　flashed

to　a　wide　square；　where　rose；　from　a　base　of　that　same　silvery

stone　that　formed　the　lip　of　the　Moon　Pool；　a　titanic　struc…

ture　of　seven　terraces；　and　along　it　flitted　objects　that　bore

a　curious　resemblance　to　the　shell　of　the　Nautilus。　　Within

them　werehuman　figures！　　And　upon　tree…bordered　prome…

nades　on　each　side　walked　others！



Far　to　the　right　we　caught　the　glint　of　another　emerald…

paved　road。



And　between　the　two　the　gardens　grew　sweetly　down　to

the　hither　side　of　that　opalescent　water　across　which　were

the　radiant　cliffs　and　the　curtain　of　mystery。



Thus　it　was　that　we　first　saw　the　city　of　the　Dweller；

blessed　and　accursed　as　no　place　on　earth；　or　under　or　above

earth　has　ever　beenor；　that　force　willing　which　some　call

God；　ever　again　shall　be！



〃Chert！〃　whispered　Marakinoff。　　〃Incredible！〃



〃Trolldom！〃　gasped　Olaf　Huldricksson。　　〃It　is　Trolldom！〃



〃Listen；　Olaf！〃　said　Larry。　　〃Cut　out　that　Trolldom　stuff！

There's　no　Trolldom；　or　fairies；　outside　Ireland。　　Get　that！

And　this　isn't　Ireland。　　And；　buck　up；　Professor！〃　This　to

Marakinoff。　　〃What　you　see　down　there　are　peopleJUST　PLAIN

PEOPLE。　　And　wherever　there's　people　is　where　I　live。　　Get　me？



〃There's　no　way　in　but　inand　no　way　out　but　out；〃　said

O'Keefe。　　〃And　there's　the　stairway。　　Eggs　are　eggs　no　matter

how　they're　cookedand　people　are　just　people；　fellow

travellers；　no　matter　what　dish　they　are　in；〃　he　concluded。

〃Come　on！〃



With　the　three　of　us　close　behind　him；　he　marched　toward

the　entrance。









CHAPTER　XIII



Yolara；　Priestess　of　the　Shining　One



〃YOU'D　better　have　this　handy；　Doc。〃　O'Keefe　paused　at　the

head　of　the　stairway　and　handed　me　one　of　the　automatics

he　had　taken　from　Marakinoff。



〃Shall　I　not　have　one　also？〃　rather　anxiously　asked　the

latter。



〃When　you　need　it　you'll　get　it；〃　answered　O'Keefe。　　〃I'll

tell　you　frankly；　though；　Professor；　that　you'll　have　to　show

me　before　I　trust　you　with　a　gun。　　You　shoot　too　straight

from　cover。〃



The　flash　of　anger　in　the　Russian's　eyes　turned　to　a　cold

consideration。



〃You　say　always　just　what　is　in　your　mind；　Lieutenant

O'Keefe；〃　he　mused。　　〃Dathat　I　shall　remember！〃　Later　I

was　to　recall　this　odd　observationand　Marakinoff　was　to

remember　indeed。



In　single　file；　O'Keefe　at　the　head　and　Olaf　bringing　up

the　rear；　we　passed　through　the　portal。　　Before　us　dropped　a

circular　shaft；　into　which　the　light　from　the　chamber　of　the

oval　streamed　liquidly；　set　in　its　sides　the　steps　spiralled；　and

down　them　we　went；　cautiously。　　The　stairway　ended　in　a

circular　well；　silentwith　no　trace　of　exit！　　The　rounded

stones　joined　each　other　evenlyhermetically。　　Carved　on

one　of　the　slabs　was　one　of　the　five　flowered　vines。　　I　pressed

my　fingers　upon　the　calyxes；　even　as　Larry　had　within　the

Moon　Chamber。



A　crackhorizontal；　four　feet　wideappeared　on　the

wall；　widened；　and　as　the　sinking　slab　that　made　it　dropped

to　the　level　of　our　eyes；　we　looked　through　a　hundred…feet…

long　rift　in　the　living　rock！　　The　stone　fell　steadilyand　we

saw　that　it　was　a　Cyclopean　wedge　set　within　the　slit　of　the

passageway。　　It　reached　the　level　of　our　feet　and　stopped。　　At

the　far　end　of　this　tunnel；　whose　floor　was　the　polished　rock

that　had；　a　moment　before；　fitted　hermetically　into　its　roof；

was　a　low；　narrow　triangular　opening　through　which　light

streamed。



〃Nowhere　to　go　but　out！〃　grinned　Larry。　　〃And　I'll　bet

Golden　Eyes　is　waiting　for　us　with　a　taxi！〃　He　stepped　for…

ward。　　We　followed；　slipping；　sliding　along　the　glassy　surface；

and　I；　for　one；　had　a　lively　apprehension　of　what　our　fate

would　be　should　that　enormous　mass　rise　before　we　had

emerged！　　We　reached　the　end；　crept　out　of　the　narrow　tri…

angle　that　was　its　exit。



We　stood　upon　a　wide　ledge　carpeted　with　a　thick　yellow

moss。　　I　looked　behindand　clutched　O'Keefe's　arm。　　The

door　through　which　we　had　come　had　vanished！　　There　was

only　a　precipice　of　pale　rock；　on　whose　surfaces　great　patches

of　the　amber　moss　hung；　around　whose　base　our　ledge　ran；

and　whose　summits；　if　summits　it　had；　were　hidden；　like　the

luminous　cliffs；　in　the　radiance　above　us。



〃Nowhere　to　go　but　aheadand　Golden　Eyes　hasn't　kept

her　date！〃　laughed　O'Keefebut　somewhat　grimly。



We　walked　a　few　yards　along　the　ledge　and；　rounding　a

corner；　faced　the　end　of　one　of　the　slender　bridges。　　From　this

vantage　point　the　oddly　shaped　vehicles　were　plain；　and　we

could　see　they　were；　indeed；　like　the　shell　of　the　Nautilus　and

elfinly　beautiful。　　Their　drivers　sat　high　upon　the　forward

whorl。　　Their　bodies　were　piled　high　with　cushions；　upon

which　lay　women　half…swathed　in　gay　silken　webs。　　From

the　pavilioned　gardens　smaller　channels　of　glistening　green

ran　into　the　broad　way；　much　as　automobile　runways　do　on

earth；　and　in　and　out　of　them　flashed　the　fairy　shells。



There　came　a　shout　from　one。　　Its　occupants　had　glimpsed

us。　They　pointed；　others　stopped　and　stared；　one　shell　turned

and　sped　up　a　runwayand　quickly　over　the　other　side　of

the　bridge　came　a　score　of　men。　　They　were　dwarfednone

of　them　more　than　five　feet　high；　prodigiously　broad　of

shoulder；　clearly　enormously　powerful。



〃Trolde！〃　muttered　Olaf；　stepping　beside　O'Keefe；　pistol

swinging　free　in　his　hand。



But　at　the　middle　of　the　bridge　the　leader　stopped；　waved

back　his　men；　and　came　toward　us　alone；　palms　outstretched

in　the　immemorial；　universal　gesture　of　truce。　　He　paused；

scanning　us　with　manifest　wonder；　we　returned　the　scrutiny

with　interest。　　The　dwarf's　face　was　as　white　as　Olaf'sfar

whiter　than　those　of　the　other　three　of　us；　the　features　clean…

cut　and　noble；　almost　classical；　the　wide　set　eyes　of　a　curious

greenish　grey　and　the　black　hair　curling　over　his　head　like

that　on　some　old　Greek　statue。



Dwarfed　though　he　was；　there　was　no　suggestion　of　de…

formity　about　him。　　The　gigantic　shoulders　were　covered　with

a　loose　green　tunic　that　looked　like　fine　linen。　　It　was　caught

in　at　the　waist　by　a　broad　girdle　studded　with　what　seemed

to　be　amazonites。　　In　it　was　thrust　a　long　curved　poniard

resembling　the　Malaysian　kris。　　His　legs　were　swathed　in　the

same　green　cloth　as　the　upper　garment。　　His　feet　were

sandalled。



My　gaze　returned　to　his　face；　and　in　it　I　found　something

subtly　disturbing；　an　expression　of　half…malicious　g