the moon pool-第39节

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you　never　saw；　and　you　scoff　at　people　who　believe　in　other

things　that　you　think　THEY　never　saw　and　that　don't　come

under　what　you　label　scientific。　　You　talk　about　paradoxes

why；　your　scientist；　who　thinks　he　is　the　most　skeptical；　the

most　materialistic　aggregation　of　atoms　ever　gathered　at　the

exact　mathematical　centre　of　Missouri；　has　more　blind　faith

than　a　dervish；　and　more　credulity；　more　superstition；　than

a　cross…eyed　smoke　beating　it　past　a　country　graveyard　in

the　dark　of　the　moon！〃



〃Larry！〃　I　cried；　dazed。



〃Olaf's　no　better；〃　he　said。　　〃But　I　can　make　allowances　for

him。　　He's　a　sailor。　　No；　sir。　　What　this　expedition　needs　is　a

man　without　superstition。　　And　remember　this。　　The　lepre…

chaun　promised　that　I'd　have　full　warning　before　anything

happened。　　And　if　we　do　have　to　go　out；　we'll　see　that　banshee

bunch　clean　up　before　we　do；　and　pass　in　a　blaze　of　glory。

And　don't　forget　it。　　HereafterI'mincharge！〃



By　this　time　we　were　before　our　pavilion；　and　neither　of

us　in　a　very　amiable　mood　I'm　afraid。　　Rador　was　awaiting　us

with　a　score　of　his　men。



〃Let　none　pass　in　here　without　authorityand　let　none

pass　out　unless　I　accompany　them；〃　he　ordered　bruskly。

〃Summon　one　of　the　swiftest　of　the　_coria_　and　have　it　wait　in

readiness；〃　he　added；　as　though　by　afterthought。



But　when　we　had　entered　and　the　screens　were　drawn

together　his　manner　changed；　all　eagerness　he　questioned

us。　Briefly　we　told　him　of　the　happenings　at　the　feast；　of

Lakla's　dramatic　interruption；　and　of　what　had　followed。



〃Three　_tal_；〃　he　said　musingly；　〃three　_tal_　the　Silent　Ones

have　allowedand　Yolara　agreed。〃　He　sank　back；　silent　and

thoughtful。1





1　A　_tal_　in　Muria　is　the　equivalent　of　thirty　hours　of　earth　surface

time。W。　T。　G。







_〃Ja！〃　　It　was　Olaf。　〃_Ja！_　　I　told　you　the　Shining　Devil's　mis…

tress　was　all　evil。　_Ja！_　　Now　I　begin　again　that　tale　I　started

when　he　came〃he　glanced　toward　the　preoccupied　Rador。

〃And　tell　him　not　what　I　say　should　he　ask。　　For　I　trust　none

here　in　Trolldom；　save　the　_Jomfrau_the　White　Virgin！



〃After　the　oldster　was　_adsprede_〃Olaf　once　more　used

that　expressive　Norwegian　word　for　the　dissolving　of　Songar

〃I　knew　that　it　was　a　time　for　cunning。　　I　said　to　myself；

'If　they　think　I　have　no　ears　to　hear；　they　will　speak；　and

it　may　be　I　will　find　a　way　to　save　my　Helma　and　Dr。　Good…

win's　friends；　too。'　_Ja_；　and　they　did　speak。



〃The　red　_Trolde_　asked　the　Russian　how　came　it　he　was　a

worshipper　of　Thanaroa。〃　I　could　not　resist　a　swift　glance　of

triumph　toward　O'Keefe。　　〃And　the　Russian；〃　rumbled　Olaf；

〃said　that　all　his　people　worshipped　Thanaroa　and　had

fought　against　the　other　nations　that　denied　him。



〃And　then　we　had　come　to　Lugur's　palace。　　They　put　me

in　rooms；　and　there　came　to　me　men　who　rubbed　and　oiled

me　and　loosened　my　muscles。　　The　next　day　I　wrestled　with

a　great　dwarf　they　called　Valdor。　　He　was　a　mighty　man；　and

long　we　struggled；　and　at　last　I　broke　his　back。　　And　Lugur

was　pleased；　so　that　I　sat　with　him　at　feast　and　with　the

Russian；　too。　　And　again；　not　knowing　that　I　understood

them；　they　talked。



〃The　Russian　had　gone　fast　and　far。　　They　talked　of　Lugur

as　emperor　of　all　Europe；　and　Marakinoff　under　him。　　They

spoke　of　the　green　light　that　shook　life　from　the　oldster；　and

Lugur　said　that　the　secret　of　it　had　been　the　Ancient　Ones'

and　that　the　Council　had　not　too　much　of　it。　　But　the　Russian

said　that　among　his　race　were　many　wise　men　who　could

make　more　once　they　had　studied　it。



〃And　the　next　day　I　wrestled　with　a　great　dwarf　named

Tahola；　mightier　far　than　Valdor。　　Him　I　threw　after　a　long；

long　time；　and　his　back　also　I　broke。　　Again　Lugur　was

pleased。　　And　again　we　sat　at　table；　he　and　the　Russian　and　I。

This　time　they　spoke　of　something　these　_Trolde_　have　which

opens　up　a　_Svaelc_abysses　into　which　all　in　its　range　drops

up　into　the　sky！〃



〃What！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃I　know　about　them；〃　said　Larry。　　〃Wait！〃



〃Lugur　had　drunk　much；〃　went　on　Olaf。　　〃He　was　boast…

ful。　　The　Russian　pressed　him　to　show　this　thing。　　After　a

while　the　red　one　went　out　and　came　back　with　a　little　golden

box。　　He　and　the　Russian　went　into　the　garden。　　I　followed

them。　　There　was　a　_lille　Hoj_a　moundof　stones　in　that

garden　on　which　grew　flowers　and　trees。



〃Lugur　pressed　upon　the　box；　and　a　spark　no　bigger　than

a　sand　grain　leaped　out　and　fell　beside　the　stones。　　Lugur

pressed　again；　and　a　blue　light　shot　from　the　box　and　lighted

on　the　spark。　　The　spark　that　had　been　no　bigger　than　a　grain

of　sand　grew　and　grew　as　the　blue　struck　it。　　And　then　there

was　a　sighing；　a　wind　blewand　the　stones　and　the　flowers

and　the　trees　were　not。　　They　were　_forsvinde_vanished！



〃Then　Lugur；　who　had　been　laughing；　grew　quickly　sober；

for　he　thrust　the　Russian　backfar　back。　　And　soon　down

into　the　garden　came　tumbling　the　stones　and　the　trees；　but

broken　and　shattered；　and　falling　as　though　from　a　great

height。　　And　Lugur　said　that　of　THIS　something　they　had

much；　for　its　making　was　a　secret　handed　down　by　their　own

forefathers　and　not　by　the　Ancient　Ones。



〃They　feared　to　use　it；　he　said；　for　a　spark　thrice　as　large

as　that　he　had　used　would　have　sent　all　that　garden　falling

upward　and　might　have　opened　a　way　to　the　outside　before

he　said　just　this'BEFORE　WE　ARE　READY　TO　GO　OUT　INTO　IT！'



〃The　Russian　questioned　much；　but　Lugur　sent　for　more

drink　and　grew　merrier　and　threatened　him；　and　the　Russian

was　silent　through　fear。　　Thereafter　I　listened　when　I　could；

and　little　more　I　learned；　but　that　little　enough。　_Ja！_　　Lugur

is　hot　for　conquest；　so　Yolara　and　so　the　Council。　　They　tire

of　it　here　and　the　Silent　Ones　make　their　minds　not　too　easy；

no；　even　though　they　jeer　at　them！　　And　this　they　plan

to　rule　our　world　with　their　Shining　Devil。〃



The　Norseman　was　silent　for　a　moment；　then　voice　deep；

trembling



〃Trolldom　is　awake；　Helvede　crouches　at　Earth　Gate

whining　to　be　loosed　into　a　world　already　devil　ridden！　　And

we　are　but　three！〃



I　felt　the　blood　drive　out　of　my　heart。　　But　Larry's　was　the

fighting　face　of　the　O'Keefes　of　a　thousand　years。　　Rador

glanced　at　him；　arose；　stepped　through　the　curtains；　returned

swiftly　with　the　Irishman's　uniform。



〃Put　it　on；〃　he　said；　bruskly；　again　fell　back　into　his

silence　and　whatever　O'Keefe　had　been　about　to　say　was　sub…

merged　in　his　wild　and　joyful　whoop。　　He　ripped　from　him

glittering　tunic　and　leg　swathings。



〃Richard　is　himself　again！〃　he　shouted；　and　each　garment

as　he　donned　it；　fanned　his　old　devil…may…care　confidence

to　a　higher　flame。　　The　last　scrap　of　it　on；　he　drew　himself　up

before　us。



〃Bow　down；　ye　divils！〃　he　cried。　　〃Bang　your　heads　on　the

floor　and　do　homage　to　Larry　the　First；　Emperor　of　Great

Britain；　Autocrat　of　all　Ireland；　Scotland；　England；　and

Wales；　and　adjacent　waters　and　islands！　　Kneel；　ye　scuts；

kneel。〃



〃Larry；〃　I　cried；　〃are　you　going　crazy？〃



〃Not　a　bit　of　it；〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　that　and　more　if　Comrade

Marakinoff　is　on　the　level。　　Whoop！　　Bring　forth　the　royal

jewels　an'　put　a　whole　new　bunch　of　golden　strings　in　Tara's

harp　an'　down　with　the　Sassenach　forever！　　Whoop！〃



He　did　a　wild　jig。



〃Lord　how　good　the　old　togs　feel；〃　he　grinned。　　〃The

touch　of　'em　has　gone　to　my　head。　　But　it's　straight　stuff　I'm

telling　you　about　my　empire。〃



He　sobered。



〃Not　that　it's　not　serious　enough　at　that。　　A　lot　that　Olaf's

told　us　I've　surmised　from　hints　dropped　by　Yolara。　　But　I　got

the　full　key　to　it　from　the　Red　himself　when　he　stopped　me

just　beforebefore〃he　reddened〃well；　just　before　I　ac…

quired　that　brand…new　brand　of　souse。



〃Maybe　he　had　a　hintmaybe　he　just　surmised　that　I

knew　a　lot　more　than　I　did。　　And　he　thought　Yolara　and

I　were　going　to　be　loving　little　turtle　doves。　　Also　he　figured

that　Yolara　had　a　lot　more　influence　with　the　Unholy　Fire…

works　than　Lugur。　　Also　that　being　a　woman　she　could　be

more　easily　handled。　　All　this　being　so；　what　was　the　logical

thing　for　himself　to　do？　　Sure；　you　get　me；　Steve！　　Throw

down　Lugur　and　make　an　alliance　with　me！　　So　HE　calmly

offered　to　ditch　the　red　dwarf　if　I　would　deliver　Yolara。

My　reward　from　Russia　was　to　be　said　emperorship！

Can　you　beat　it？　　Good　Lord！〃



He　went　off　into　a　perfect　storm　of　laughter。　　But　not　to

me　in　the　light　of　what　Russia　has　done　and　has　proved　her…

self　capable；　did　this　thing　seem　at　all　absurd；　rather　in　it　I

sensed　the　dawn　of　catastrophe　colossal。



〃And　yet；〃　he　was　quiet　enough　now；　〃I'm　a　bit　scared。

They've　got　the　_Keth_　ray　and　those　gravity…destroying

bombs〃



〃Gravity…destroying　bombs！〃　I　gasped。



〃Sure；〃　he　said。　　〃The　little　fairy　that　sent　the　trees　and

stones　kiting　up　from　Lugur's　garden。　　Marakinoff　licked　his

lips　over　them。　　They　cut　off　gravity；　just　about　as　the　shadow