the moon pool-第34节

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raised　his　arms　as　though　to　strike　her。　　Larry's　pistol

prodded　him　rudely　enough。



〃No　rough　stuff　now；　kid！〃　said　O'Keefe　in　English。　　The

red　dwarf　quivered；　turnedcaught　a　robe　from　a　priest

standing　by；　and　threw　it　over　himself。　　The　_ladala_；　shouting；

gesticulating；　fighting　with　the　soldiers；　were　jostling　down

from　the　tiers　of　jet。



〃Come！〃　commanded　Yolaraher　eyes　rested　upon

Larry。　　〃Your　heart　is　great；　indeedmy　lord！〃　she　mur…

mured；　and　her　voice　was　very　sweet。　　〃Come！〃



〃This　man　comes　with　us；　Yolara；〃　said　O'Keefe　pointing

to　Olaf。



〃Bring　him；〃　she　said。　　〃Bring　himonly　tell　him　to　look

no　more　upon　me　as　before！〃　she　added　fiercely。



Beside　her　the　three　of　us　passed　along　the　stalls；　where

sat　the　fair…haired；　now　silent；　at　gaze；　as　though　in　the　grip

of　some　great　doubt。　　Silently　Olaf　strode　beside　me。　　Rador

had　disappeared。　　Down　the　stairway；　through　the　hall　of

turquoise　mist；　over　the　rushing　sea…stream　we　went　and

stood　beside　the　wall　through　which　we　had　entered。　　The

white…robed　ones　had　gone。



Yolara　pressed；　the　portal　opened。　　We　stepped　upon　the

car；　she　took　the　lever；　we　raced　through　the　faintly　lumi…

nous　corridor　to　the　house　of　the　priestess。



And　one　thing　now　I　knew　sick　at　heart　and　soul　the　truth

had　come　to　meno　more　need　to　search　for　Throckmartin。

Behind　that　Veil；　in　the　lair　of　the　Dweller；　dead…alive　like

those　we　had　just　seen　swim　in　its　shining　train　was　he；　and

Edith；　Stanton　and　Thora　and　Olaf　Huldricksson's　wife！



The　car　came　to　rest；　the　portal　opened；　Yolara　leaped

out　lightly；　beckoned　and　flitted　up　the　corridor。　　She　paused

before　an　ebon　screen。　　At　a　touch　it　vanished；　revealing　an

entrance　to　a　small　blue　chamber；　glowing　as　though　cut

from　the　heart　of　some　gigantic　sapphire；　bare；　save　that　in

its　centre；　upon　a　low　pedestal；　stood　a　great　globe　fashioned

from　milky　rock…crystal；　upon　its　surface　were　faint　tracings

as　of　seas　and　continents；　but；　if　so；　either　of　some　other

world　or　of　this　world　in　immemorial　past；　for　in　no　way

did　they　resemble　the　mapped　coastlines　of　our　earth。



Poised　upon　the　globe；　rising　from　it　out　into　space；　locked

in　each　other's　arms；　lips　to　lips；　were　two　figures；　a　woman

and　a　man；　so　exquisite；　so　lifelike；　that　for　the　moment　I

failed　to　realize　that　they；　too；　were　carved　of　the　crystal。

And　before　this　shrinefor　nothing　else　could　it　be；　I　knew

three　slender　cones　raised　themselves：　one　of　purest　white

flame；　one　of　opalescent　water；　and　the　third　ofmoon…

light！　　There　was　no　mistaking　them；　the　height　of　a　tall　man

each　stoodbut　how　water；　flame　and　light　were　held　so

evenly；　so　steadily　in　their　spire…shapes；　I　could　not　tell。



Yolara　bowed　lowlyonce；　twice；　thrice。　　She　turned　to

O'Keefe；　nor　by　slightest　look　or　gesture　betrayed　she　knew

others　were　there　than　he。　　The　blue　eyes　wide；　searching；

unfathomable；　she　drew　close；　put　white　hands　on　his　shoul…

ders；　looked　down　into　his　very　soul。



〃My　lord；〃　she　murmured。　　〃Now　listen　well　for　I；　Yolara；

give　you　three　thingsmyself；　and　the　Shining　One；　and　the

power　that　is　the　Shining　One'syea；　and　still　a　fourth　thing

that　is　all　threepower　over　all　upon　that　world　from

whence　you　came！　　These；　my　lord；　ye　shall　have。　　I　swear　it〃

she　turned　toward　the　altaruplifted　her　arms〃by　Siya

and　by　Siyana；　and　by　the　flame；　by　the　water；　and　by　the

light！〃1





*1　I　have　no　space　here　even　to　outline　the　eschatology　of　this　people；

nor　to　catalogue　their　pantheon。　　Siya　and　Siyana　typified　worldly　love。

Their　ritual　was；　however；　singularly　free　from　those　degrading　ele…

ments　usually　found　in　love…cults。　　Priests　and　priestesses　of　all　cults

dwelt　in　the　immense　seven…terraced　structure；　of　which　the　jet　amphi…

theatre　was　the　water　side。　　The　symbol；　icon；　representation；　of　Siya

and　Siyanathe　globe　and　the　up…striving　figurestypified　earthly

love；　feet　bound　to　earth；　but　eyes　among　the　stars。　　Hell　or　heaven　I

never　heard　formulated；　nor　their　equivalents；　unless　that　existence

in　the　Shining　One's　domain　could　serve　for　either。　　Over　all　this　was

Thanaroa；　remote；　unheeding；　but　still　maker　and　ruler　of　allan

absentee　First　Cause　personified！　　Thanaroa　seemed　to　be　the　one

article　of　belief　in　the　creed　of　the　soldiersRador；　with　his　reverence

for　the　Ancient　Ones；　was　an　exception。　　Whatever　there　was；　indeed；

of　high；　truly　religious　impulse　among　the　Murians；　this　far；　High

God　had。　　I　found　this　exceedingly　interesting；　because　it　had　long　been

my　theoryto　put　the　matter　in　the　shape　of　a　geometrical　formula

that　the　real　attractiveness　of　gods　to　man　increases　uniformly　accord…

ing　to　the　square　of　their　distanceW。　　T。　G。







Her　eyes　grew　purple　dark。



〃Let　none　dare　to　take　you　from　me！　　Nor　ye　go　from　me

unbidden！〃　she　whispered　fiercely。



Then　swiftly；　still　ignoring　us；　she　threw　her　arms　about

O'Keefe；　pressed　her　white　body　to　his　breast；　lips　raised；

eyes　closed；　seeking　his。　　O'Keefe's　arms　tightened　around

her；　his　head　dropped　lips　seeking；　finding　herspassion…

ately！　　From　Olaf　came　a　deep　indrawn　breath　that　was　al…

most　a　groan。　　But　not　in　my　heart　could　I　find　blame　for　the

Irishman！



The　priestess　opened　eyes　now　all　misty　blue；　thrust　him

back；　stood　regarding　him。　　O'Keefe；　dead…white；　raised　a

trembling　hand　to　his　face。



〃And　thus　have　I　sealed　my　oath；　O　my　lord！〃　she　whis…

pered。　　For　the　first　time　she　seemed　to　recognize　our　pres…

ence；　stared　at　us　a　moment；　then　through　us；　and　turned　to

O'Keefe。



〃Go；　now！〃　she　said。　　〃Soon　Rador　shall　come　for　you。

Thenwell；　after　that　let　happen　what　will！〃











She　smiled　once　more　at　himso　sweetly；　turned　toward

the　figures　upon　the　great　globe；　sank　upon　her　knees　before

them。　　Quietly　we　crept　away；　still　silent；　made　our　way　to

the　little　pavilion。　　But　as　we　passed　we　heard　a　tumult　from

the　green　roadway；　shouts　of　men；　now　and　then　a　woman's

scream。　　Through　a　rift　in　the　garden　I　glimpsed　a　jostling

crowd　on　one　of　the　bridges：　green　dwarfs　struggling　with

the　_ladala_and　all　about　droned　a　humming　as　of　a　giant

hive　disturbed！



Larry　threw　himself　down　upon　one　of　the　divans；　cov…

ered　his　face　with　his　hands；　dropped　them　to　catch　in　Olaf's

eyes　troubled　reproach；　looked　at　me。



〃_I_　couldn't　help　it；〃　he　said；　half　defiantlyhalf…miser…

ably。　　〃God；　what　a　woman！　　I　COULDN'T　help　it！〃



〃Larry；〃　I　asked。　　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　her　you　didn't　love

herthen？〃



He　gazed　at　methe　old　twinkle　back　in　his　eye。



〃Spoken　like　a　scientist；　Doc！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃I　suppose

if　a　burning　angel　struck　you　out　of　nowhere　and　threw　it…

self　about　you；　you　would　most　dignifiedly　tell　it　you　didn't

want　to　be　burned。　　For　God's　sake；　don't　talk　nonsense；

Goodwin！〃　he　ended；　almost　peevishly。



〃Evil！　　Evil！〃　The　Norseman's　voice　was　deep；　nearly　a

chant。　　〃All　here　is　of　evil：　Trolldom　and　Helvede　it　is；　Ja！

And　that　she　_djaevelsk_　of　beautywhat　is　she　but　harlot　of

that　shining　devil　they　worship。　　I；　Olaf　Huldricksson；　know

what　she　meant　when　she　held　out　to　you　power　over　all　the

world；　_Ja！_as　if　the　world　had　not　devils　enough　in　it　now！〃



〃What？〃　The　cry　came　from　both　O'Keefe　and　myself　at

once。



Olaf　made　a　gesture　of　caution；　relapsed　into　sullen

silence。　　There　were　footsteps　on　the　path；　and　into　sight

came　Radorbut　a　Rador　changed。　　Gone　was　every　vestige

of　his　mockery；　curiously　solemn；　he　saluted　O'Keefe　and

Olaf　with　that　salute　which；　before　this；　I　had　seen　given

only　to　Yolara　and　to　Lugur。　　There　came　a　swift　quickening

of　the　tumultdied　away。　　He　shrugged　mighty　shoulders。



〃The　_ladala_　are　awake！〃　he　said。　　〃So　much　for　what　two

brave　men　can　do！〃　He　paused　thoughtfully。　　〃Bones　and　dust

jostle　not　each　other　for　place　against　the　grave　wall！〃　he

added　oddly。　　〃But　if　bones　and　dust　have　revealed　to　them

that　they　stilllive〃



He　stopped　abruptly；　eyes　seeking　the　globe　that　bore　and

sent　forth　speech。1





*1　I　find　that　I　have　neglected　to　explain　the　working　of　these　inter…

esting　mechanisms　that　were　telephonic；　dictaphonic；　telegraphic　in

one。　　I　must　assume　that　my　readers　are　familiar　with　the　receiving

apparatus　of　wireless　telegraphy；　which　must　be　〃tuned〃　by　the　oper…

ator　until　its　own　vibratory　quality　is　in　exact　harmony　with　the

vibrationsthe　extremely　rapid　impactsof　those　short　electric　wave…

lengths　we　call　Hertzian；　and　which　carry　the　wireless　messages。　　I

must　assume　also　that　they　are　familiar　with　the　elementary　fact　of

physics　that　the　vibrations　of　light　and　sound　are　interchangeable。

The　hearing…talking　globes　utilize　both　these　principles；　and　with　con…

summate　simplicity。　　The　light　with　which　they　shone　was　produced

by　an　atomic　〃motor〃　within　their　base；　similar　to　that　which　activated

the　merely　illumin