the moon pool-第29节

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it　before　it　knew　it　had　'em。　　Oh！　　Wow！　　Boy　Howdy！〃



I　heard　him　still　chuckling　gleefully　over　this　vision　as　I

passed　along　the　opal　wall　with　the　green　dwarf。



A　shell　was　awaiting　us。　　I　paused　before　entering　it　to

examine　the　polished　surface　of　runway　and　great　road。　　It

was　obsidianvolcanic　glass　of　pale　emerald；　unflawed；

translucent；　with　no　sign　of　block　or　juncture。　　I　examined

the　shell。



〃What　makes　it　go？〃　I　asked　Rador。　　At　a　word　from　him

the　driver　touched　a　concealed　spring　and　an　aperture　ap…

peared　beneath　the　control…lever；　of　which　I　have　spoken

in　a　preceding　chapter。　　Within　was　a　small　cube　of　black

crystal；　through　whose　sides　I　saw；　dimly；　a　rapidly　revolv…

ing；　glowing　ball；　not　more　than　two　inches　in　diameter。

Beneath　the　cube　was　a　curiously　shaped；　slender　cylinder

winding　down　into　the　lower　body　of　the　Nautilus　whorl。



〃Watch！〃　said　Rador。　　He　motioned　me　into　the　vehicle

and　took　a　place　beside　me。　　The　driver　touched　the　lever；　a

stream　of　coruscations　flew　from　the　ball　down　into　the

cylinder。　　The　shell　started　smoothly；　and　as　the　tiny　torrent

of　shining　particles　increased　it　gathered　speed。



〃The　corial　does　not　touch　the　road；〃　explained　Rador。

〃It　is　lifted　so　far〃he　held　his　forefinger　and　thumb　less

than　a　sixteenth　of　an　inch　apart〃above　it。〃



And　perhaps　here　is　the　best　place　to　explain　the　activa…

tion　of　the　shells　or　coria。　　The　force　utilized　was　atomic

energy。　　Passing　from　the　whirling　ball　the　ions　darted

through　the　cylinder　to　two　bands　of　a　peculiar　metal　affixed

to　the　base　of　the　vehicles　somewhat　like　skids　of　a　sled。

Impinging　upon　these　they　produced　a　partial　negation　of

gravity；　lifting　the　shell　slightly；　and　at　the　same　time　creat…

ing　a　powerful　repulsive　force　or　thrust　that　could　be　di…

rected　backward；　forward；　or　sidewise　at　the　will　of　the

driver。　　The　creation　of　this　energy　and　the　mechanism　of　its

utilization　were；　briefly；　as　follows：





＇Dr。　Goodwin's　lucid　and　exceedingly　comprehensive

description　of　this　extraordinary　mechanism　has　been

deleted　by　the　Executive　Council　of　the　International

Association　of　Science　as　too　dangerously　suggestive　to

scientists　of　the　Central　European　Powers　with　which

we　were　so　recently　at　war。　　It　is　allowable；　however；　to

state　that　his　observations　are　in　the　possession　of　ex…

perts　in　this　country；　who　are；　unfortunately；　hampered

in　their　research　not　only　by　the　scarcity　of　the　radio…

active　elements　that　we　know；　but　also　by　the　lack　of　the

element　or　elements　unknown　to　us　that　entered　into　the

formation　of　the　fiery　ball　within　the　cube　of　black

crystal。　　Nevertheless；　as　the　principle　is　so　clear；　it　is

believed　that　these　difficulties　will　ultimately　be　over…

come。〃J。　B。　K。；　President；　I。　A。　of　S。＇







The　wide；　glistening　road　was　gay　with　the　coria。　　They

darted　in　and　out　of　the　gardens；　within　them　the　fair…haired；

extraordinarily　beautiful　women　on　their　cushions　were　like

princesses　of　Elfland；　caught　in　gorgeous　fairy　webs；　resting

within　the　hearts　of　flowers。　　In　some　shells　were　flaxen…

haired　dwarfish　men　of　Lugur's　type；　sometimes　black…polled

brother　officers　of　Rador；　often　raven…tressed　girls；　plainly

hand…maidens　of　the　women；　and　now　and　then　beauties　of

the　lower　folk　went　by　with　one　of　the　blond　dwarfs。



We　swept　around　the　turn　that　made　of　the　jewel…like

roadway　an　enormous　horseshoe　and；　speedily；　upon　our

right　the　cliffs　through　which　we　had　come　in　our　journey

from　the　Moon　Pool　began　to　march　forward　beneath　their

mantles　of　moss。　　They　formed　a　gigantic　abutment；　a　titanic

salient。　　It　had　been　from　the　very　front　of　this　salient's　in…

vading　angle　that　we　had　emerged；　on　each　side　of　it　the

precipices；　faintly　glowing；　drew　back　and　vanished　into

distance。



The　slender；　graceful　bridges　under　which　we　skimmed

ended　at　openings　in　the　upflung；　far　walls　of　verdure。　　Each

had　its　little　garrison　of　soldiers。　　Through　some　of　the　open…

ings　a　rivulet　of　the　green　obsidian　river　passed。　　These　were

roadways　to　the　farther　country；　to　the　land　of　the　ladala；

Rador　told　me；　adding　that　none　of　the　lesser　folk　could

cross　into　the　pavilioned　city　unless　summoned　or　with　pass。



We　turned　the　bend　of　the　road　and　flew　down　that　farther

emerald　ribbon　we　had　seen　from　the　great　oval。　　Before　us

rose　the　shining　cliffs　and　the　lake。　　A　half…mile；　perhaps；

from　these　the　last　of　the　bridges　flung　itself。　　It　was　more

massive　and　about　it　hovered　a　spirit　of　ancientness　lacking

in　the　other　spans；　also　its　garrison　was　larger　and　at　its

base　the　tangent　way　was　guarded　by　two　massive　struc…

tures；　somewhat　like　blockhouses；　between　which　it　ran。

Something　about　it　aroused　in　me　an　intense　curiosity。



〃Where　does　that　road　lead；　Rador？〃　I　asked。



〃To　the　one　place　above　all　of　which　I　may　not　tell　you；

Goodwin；〃　he　answered。　　And　again　I　wondered。



We　skimmed　slowly　out　upon　the　great　pier。　　Far　to　the

left　was　the　prismatic；　rainbow　curtain　between　the　Cyclo…

pean　pillars。　　On　the　white　waters　graceful　shellslacustrian

replicas　of　the　Elf　chariotsswam；　but　none　was　near　that

distant　web　of　wonder。



〃Radorwhat　is　that？〃　I　asked。



〃It　is　the　Veil　of　the　Shining　One！〃　he　answered　slowly。



Was　the　Shining　One　that　which　we　named　the　Dweller？



〃What　is　the　Shining　One？〃　I　cried；　eagerly。　　Again　he　was

silent。　　Nor　did　he　speak　until　we　had　turned　on　our　home…

ward　way。



And　lively　as　my　interest；　my　scientific　curiosity；　were

I　was　conscious　suddenly　of　acute　depression。　　Beautiful；

wondrously　beautiful　this　place　wasand　yet　in　its　wonder

dwelt　a　keen　edge　of　menace；　of　uneaseof　inexplicable；

inhuman　woe；　as　though　in　a　secret　garden　of　God　a　soul

should　sense　upon　it　the　gaze　of　some　lurking　spirit　of　evil

which　some　way；　somehow；　had　crept　into　the　sanctuary　and

only　bided　its　time　to　spring。













CHAPTER　XVII



The　Leprechaun



THE　SHELL　carried　us　straight　back　to　the　house　of　Yolara。

Larry　was　awaiting　me。　　We　stood　again　before　the　tenebrous

wall　where　first　we　had　faced　the　priestess　and　the　Voice。

And　as　we　stood；　again　the　portal　appeared　with　all　its　dis…

concerting；　magical　abruptness。



But　now　the　scene　was　changed。　　Around　the　jet　table　were

grouped　a　number　of　figuresLugur；　Yolara　beside　him；

seven　others…all　of　them　fair…haired　and　all　men　save　one

who　sat　at　the　left　of　the　priestessan　old；　old　woman；　how

old　I　could　not　tell；　her　face　bearing　traces　of　beauty　that

must　once　have　been　as　great　as　Yolara's　own；　but　now

ravaged；　in　some　way　awesome；　through　its　ruins　the　fear…

ful；　malicious　gaiety　shining　out　like　a　spirit　of　joy　held

within　a　corpse！



Began　then　our　examination；　for　such　it　was。　　And　as　it

progressed　I　was　more　and　more　struck　by　the　change　in　the

O'Keefe。　　All　flippancy　was　gone；　rarely　did　his　sense　of

humour　reveal　itself　in　any　of　his　answers。　　He　was　like　a

cautious　swordsman；　fencing；　guarding；　studying　his　op…

ponent；　or　rather；　like　a　chess…player　who　keeps　sensing

some　far…reaching　purpose　in　the　game：　alert；　contained；

watchful。　　Always　he　stressed　the　power　of　our　surface　races；

their　multitudes；　their　solidarity。



Their　questions　were　myriad。　　What　were　our　occupations？

Our　system　of　government？　　How　great　were　the　waters？　　The

land？　　Intensely　interested　were　they　in　the　World　War；

querying　minutely　into　its　causes；　its　effects。　　In　our　weapons

their　interest　was　avid。　　And　they　were　exceedingly　minute　in

their　examination　of　us　as　to　the　ruins　which　had　excited

our　curiosity；　their　position　and　surroundingsand　if　others

than　ourselves　might　be　expected　to　find　and　pass　through

their　entrance！



At　this　I　shot　a　glance　at　Lugur。　　He　did　not　seem　unduly

interested。　　I　wondered　if　the　Russian　had　told　him　as　yet　of

the　girl　of　the　rosy　wall　of　the　Moon　Pool　Chamber　and　the

real　reasons　for　our　search。　　Then　I　answered　as　briefly　as

possibleomitting　all　reference　to　these　things。　　The　red

dwarf　watched　me　with　unmistakable　amusementand　I

knew　Marakinoff　had　told　him。　　But　clearly　Lugur　had　kept

his　information　even　from　Yolara；　and　as　clearly　she　had

spoken　to　none　of　that　episode　when　O'Keefe's　automatic

had　shattered　the　Keth…smitten　vase。　　Again　I　felt　that　sense

of　deep　bewildermentof　helpless　search　for　clue　to　all　the

tangle。



For　two　hours　we　were　questioned　and　then　the　priestess

called　Rador　and　let　us　go。



Larry　was　sombre　as　we　returned。　　He　walked　about　the

room　uneasily。



〃Hell's　brewing　here　all　right；〃　he　said　at　last；　stopping

before　me。　　〃I　can't　make　out　just　the　particular　brand

that's　all　that　bothers　me。　　We're　going　to　have　a　stiff　fight；

that's　sure。　　What　I　want　to　do　quick　is　to　find　the　Golden

Girl；　Doc。　　Haven't　seen　her　on　the　wall　lately；　have　you？〃

he　qu