the moon pool-第43节
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〃Oh； mama； pin a cold rose on me；
Two young frog…men are in love with me；
Shut my eyes so I can't see。〃
〃Sh！〃 Rador was warning； he began whispering。 〃For half
a _va_ we go along a way of death。 From its peril we pass into
another against whose dangers I can guard you。 But in part
this is in view of the roadway and it may be that Lugur will
see us。 If so； we must fight as best we can。 If we pass these
two roads safely； then is the way to the Crimson Sea clear；
nor need we fear Lugur nor any。 And there is another thing
that Lugur does not knowwhen he opens the Portal the
Silent Ones will hear and Lakla and the _Akka_ will be swift
to greet its opener。〃
〃Rador；〃 I asked； 〃how know YOU all this？〃
〃The handmaiden is my own sister's child；〃 he answered quietly。
O'Keefe drew a long breath。
〃Uncle；〃 he remarked casually in English； 〃meet the man
who's going to be your nephew！〃
cept by the avuncular title； which Rador； humorously
enough； apparently conceived to be one of respectful en…
dearment。
For me a light broke。 Plain now was the reason for his
foreknowledge of Lakla's appearance at the feast where
Larry had so narrowly escaped Yolara's spells； plain the
determining factor that had cast his lot with ours； and my
confidence； despite his discourse of mysterious perils； experi…
enced a remarkable quickening。
Speculation as to the marked differences in pigmentation
and appearance of niece and uncle was dissipated by my
consciousness that we were now moving in a dim half…light。
We were in a fairly wide tunnel。 Not far ahead the gleam
filtered； pale yellow like sunlight sifting through the leaves
of autumn poplars。 And as we drove closer to its source I
saw that it did indeed pass through a leafy screen hanging
over the passage end。 This Rador drew aside cautiously；
beckoned us and we stepped through。
It appeared to be a tunnel cut through soft green mould。
Its base was a flat strip of pathway a yard wide from which
the walls curved out in perfect cylindrical form； smoothed
and evened with utmost nicety。 Thirty feet wide they were at
their widest； then drew toward each other with no break in
their symmetry； they did not close。 Above was； roughly； a
ten…foot rift； ragged edged； through which poured light like
that in the heart of pale amber； a buttercup light shot
through with curiously evanescent bronze shadows。
〃Quick！〃 commanded Rador； uneasily； and set off at a
sharp pace。
Now； my eyes accustomed to the strange light； I saw that
the tunnel's walls were of moss。 In them I could trace fringe
leaf and curly leaf； pressings of enormous bladder caps
（Physcomitrium）； immense splashes of what seemed to be
the scarlet…crested Cladonia； traceries of huge moss veils；
crushings of teeth （peristome） gigantic； spore cases brown
and white； saffron and ivory； hot vermilions and cerulean
blues； pressed into an astounding mosaic by some titanic
force。
〃Hurry！〃 It was Rador calling。 I had lagged behind。
He quickened the pace to a half…run； we were climbing；
panting。 The amber light grew stronger； the rift above us
wider。 The tunnel curved； on the left a narrow cleft ap…
peared。 The green dwarf leaped toward it； thrust us within；
pushed us ahead of him up a steep rocky fissurewell…nigh；
indeed； a chimney。 Up and up this we scrambled until my
lungs were bursting and I thought I could climb no more。
The crevice ended； we crawled out and sank； even Rador；
upon a little leaf…carpeted clearing circled by lacy tree ferns。
Gasping； legs aching； we lay prone； relaxed； drawing back
strength and breath。 Rador was first to rise。 Thrice he bent
low as in homage； then
〃Give thanks to the Silent Onesfor their power has been
over us！〃 he exclaimed。
Dimly I wondered what he meant。 Something about the
fern leaf at which I had been staring aroused me。 I leaped to
my feet and ran to its base。 This was no fern； no！ It was fern
MOSS！ The largest of its species I had ever found in tropic
jungles had not been more than two inches high； and this
wastwenty feet！ The scientific fire I had experienced in the
tunnel returned uncontrollable。 I parted the fronds； gazed out
My outlook commanded a vista of milesand that vista！
A _Fata Morgana_ of plantdom！ A land of flowered sorcery！
Forests of tree…high mosses spangled over with blooms of
every conceivable shape and colour； cataracts and clusters；
avalanches and nets of blossoms in pastels； in dulled metal…
lics； in gorgeous flamboyant hues； some of them phosphor…
escent and shining like living jewels； some sparkling as
though with dust of opals； of sapphires； of rubies and topazes
and emeralds； thickets of convolvuli like the trumpets of the
seven archangels of Mara； king of illusion； which are shaped
from the bows of splendours arching his highest heaven！
And moss veils like banners of a marching host of Titans；
pennons and bannerets of the sunset； gonfalons of the Jinn；
webs of faery； oriflammes of elfland！
Springing up through that polychromatic flood myriads of
pediclesslender and straight as spears； or soaring in spirals；
or curving with undulations gracile as the white serpents of
Tanit in ancient Carthaginian grovesand all surmounted
by a fantasy of spore cases in shapes of minaret and turret；
domes and spires and cones； caps of Phrygia and bishops'
mitres； shapes grotesque and unnameableshapes delicate
and lovely！
They hung high poised； nodding and swayinglike gob…
lins hovering over _Titania's_ court； cacophony of Cathay ac…
centing the _Flower Maiden_ music of 〃Parsifal〃； _bizarrerie_
of the angled； fantastic beings that people the Javan pan…
theon watching a bacchanal of houris in Mohammed's para…
dise！
Down upon it all poured the amber light； dimmed in the
distances by huge； drifting darkenings lurid as the flying
mantles of the hurricane。
And through the light； like showers of jewels； myriads of
birds； darting； dipping； soaring； and still other myriads of
gigantic； shimmering butterflies。
A sound came to us； reaching out like the first faint susur…
rus of the incoming tide； sighing； sighing； growing stronger
now its mournful whispering quivered all about us； shook
usthen passing like a Presence； died away in far distances。
〃The Portal！〃 said Rador。 〃Lugur has entered！〃
He； too； parted the fronds and peered back along our
path。 Peering with him we saw the barrier through which we
had come stretching verdure…covered walls for miles three or
more away。 Like a mole burrow in a garden stretched the
trail of the tunnel； here and there we could look down
within the rift at its top； far off in it I thought I saw the glint
of spears。
〃They come！〃 whispered Rador。 〃Quick！ We must not
meet them here！〃
And then
〃Holy St。 Brigid！〃 gasped Larry。
From the rift in the tunnel's continuation； nigh a mile
beyond the cleft through which we had fled； lifted a crown
of hornsof tentacleserect； alert； of mottled gold and
crimson； lifted higherand from a monstrous scarlet head
beneath them blazed two enormous； obloid eyes； their depths
wells of purplish phosphorescence； higher stillnoseless；
earless； chinless； a livid； worm mouth from which a slender
scarlet tongue leaped like playing flames！ Slowly it rose
its mighty neck cuirassed with gold and scarlet scales from
whose polished surfaces the amber light glinted like flakes
of fire； and under this neck shimmered something like a
palely luminous silvery shield； guarding it。 The head of hor…
ror mountedand in the shield's centre； full ten feet across；
glowing； flickering； shining outcoldly； was a rose of white
flame； a 〃flower of cold fire〃 even as Rador had said。
Now swiftly the Thing upreared； standing like a scaled
tower a hundred feet above the rift； its eyes scanning that
movement I had seen along the course of its lair。 There was
a hissing； the crown of horns fell； whipped and writhed like
the tentacles of an octopus； the towering length dropped
back。
〃Quick！〃 gasped Rador and through the fern moss； along
the path and down the other side of the steep we raced。
Behind us for an instant there was a rushing as of a tor…
rent； a far…away； faint； agonized screamingsilence！
〃No fear NOW from those who followed；〃 whispered the
green dwarf； pausing。
〃Sainted St。 Patrick！〃 O'Keefe gazed ruminatively at his
automatic。 〃An' he expected me to kill THAT with this。 Well；
as Fergus O'Connor said when they sent him out to slaugh…
ter a wild bull with a potato knife： 'Ye'll niver rayilize how
I appreciate the confidence ye show in me！'
〃What was it； Doc？〃 he asked。
〃The dragon worm！〃 Rador said。
〃It was Helvede Ormthe hell worm！〃 groaned Olaf。
〃There you go again〃 blazed Larry； but the green dwarf
was hurrying down the path and s
