the moon pool-第45节

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curls　escaped　from　it；　clinging　to　the　nape　of　the　proud　white

neck；　shyly　kissing　it。　　From　her　shoulders　fell　a　loose；　sleeve…

less　garment　of　shimmering　green　belted　with　a　high　golden

girdle；　skirt　folds　dropping　barely　below　the　knees。



She　had　cast　aside　her　buskins；　too；　and　the　slender；　high…

arched　feet　were　sandalled。　　Between　the　buckled　edges　of

her　kirtle　I　caught　gleams　of　translucent　ivory　as　exquisitely

moulded；　as　delectably　rounded；　as　those　revealed　so　naively

beneath　the　hem。



Something　was　knocking　at　the　doors　of　my　consciousness

some　tragic　thing。　　What　was　it？　　Larry！　　Where　was　Larry？

I　remembered；　raised　my　head　abruptly；　saw　at　my　side　an…

other　frog…man　carrying　O'Keefe；　and　behind　him；　Olaf；　step

instinct　with　grief；　following　like　some　faithful；　wistful　dog

who　has　lost　a　loved　master。　　Upon　my　movement　the

monster　bearing　me　halted；　looked　down　inquiringly；　uttered

a　deep；　booming　note　that　held　the　quality　of　interrogation。



Lakla　turned；　the　clear；　golden　eyes　were　sorrowful；　the

sweet　mouth　drooping；　but　her　loveliness；　her　gentleness；

that　undefinable　synthesis　of　all　her　tender　self　that　seemed

always　to　circle　her　with　an　atmosphere　of　lucid　normality；

lulled　my　panic。



〃Drink　this；〃　she　commanded；　holding　a　small　vial　to　my

lips。



Its　contents　were　aromatic；　unfamiliar　but　astonishingly

effective；　for　as　soon　as　they　passed　my　lips　I　felt　a　surge　of

strength；　consciousness　was　restored。



〃Larry！〃　I　cried。　　〃Is　he　dead？〃



Lakla　shook　her　head；　her　eyes　were　troubled。



〃No；〃　she　said；　〃but　he　is　like　one　deadand　yet

unlike〃



〃Put　me　down；〃　I　demanded　of　my　bearer。



He　tightened　his　hold；　round　eyes　upon　the　Golden　Girl。

She　spokein　sonorous；　reverberating　monosyllablesand

I　was　set　upon　my　feet；　I　leaped　to　the　side　of　the　Irishman。

He　lay　limp；　with　a　disquieting；　abnormal　sequacity；　as

though　every　muscle　were　utterly　flaccid；　the　antithesis　of

the　_rigor　mortis_；　thank　God；　but　terrifyingly　toward　the　other

end　of　its　arc；　a　syncope　I　had　never　known。　　The　flesh　was

stone　cold；　the　pulse　barely　perceptible；　long　intervalled；

the　respiration　undiscoverable；　the　pupils　of　the　eyes　were

enormously　dilated；　it　was　as　though　life　had　been　drawn

from　every　nerve。



〃A　light　flashed　from　the　road。　　It　struck　his　face　and

seemed　to　sink　in；〃　I　said。



〃I　saw；〃　answered　Rador；　〃but　what　it　was　I　know　not；

and　I　thought　I　knew　all　the　weapons　of　our　rulers。〃　He

glanced　at　me　curiously。　　〃Some　talk　there　has　been　that　the

stranger　who　came　with　you；　Double　Tongue；　was　making

new　death　tools　for　Lugur；〃　he　ended。



Marakinoff！　　The　Russian　at　work　already　in　this　store…

house　of　devastating　energies；　fashioning　the　weapons　for

his　plots！　　The　Apocalyptic　vision　swept　back　upon　me



〃He　is　not　dead。〃　Lakla's　voice　was　poignant。　　〃He　is　not

dead；　and　the　Three　have　wondrous　healing。　　They　can　re…

store　him　if　they　willand　they　will；　they　WILL！〃　For　a

moment　she　was　silent。　　〃Now　their　gods　help　Lugur　and

Yolara；〃　she　whispered；　〃for　come　what　may；　whether　the

Silent　Ones　be　strong　or　weak；　if　he　dies；　surely　shall　I　fall

upon　them　and　I　will　slay　those　twoyea；　though　I；　too

perish！〃



〃Yolara　and　Lugur　shall　both　die。〃　Olaf's　eyes　were　burn…

ing。　　〃But　Lugur　is　mine　to　slay。〃



That　pity　I　had　seen　before　in　Lakla's　eyes　when　she

looked　upon　the　Norseman　banished　the　white　wrath　from

them。　　She　turned；　half　hurriedly；　as　though　to　escape　his

gaze。



〃Walk　with　us；〃　she　said　to　me；　〃unless　you　are　still

weak。〃



I　shook　my　head；　gave　a　last　look　at　O'Keefe；　there　was

nothing　I　could　do；　I　stepped　beside　her。　　She　thrust　a　white

arm　into　mine　protectingly；　the　wonderfully　moulded　hand

with　its　long；　tapering　fingers　catching　about　my　wrist；　my

heart　glowed　toward　her。



〃Your　medicine　is　potent；　handmaiden；〃　I　answered。　　〃And

the　touch　of　your　hand　would　give　me　strength　enough；　even

had　I　not　drunk　it；〃　I　added　in　Larry's　best　manner。



Her　eyes　danced；　trouble　flying。



〃Now；　that　was　well　spoken　for　such　a　man　of　wisdom

as　Rador　tells　me　you　are；〃　she　laughed；　and　a　little　pang

shot　through　me。　　Could　not　a　lover　of　science　present　a　com…

pliment　without　it　always　seeming　to　be　as　unusual　as　pluck…

ing　a　damask　rose　from　a　cabinet　of　fossils？



Mustering　my　philosophy；　I　smiled　back　at　her。　　Again　I

noted　that　broad；　classic　brow；　with　the　little　tendrils　of

shining　bronze　caressing　it；　the　tilted；　delicate；　nut…brown

brows　that　gave　a　curious　touch　of　innocent　_diablerie_　to

the　lovely　faceflowerlike；　pure；　high…bred；　a　touch　of　ro…

guishness；　subtly　alluring；　sparkling　over　the　maiden　Madon…

naness　that　lay　ever　like　a　delicate；　luminous　suggestion

beneath　it；　the　long；　black；　curling　lashesthe　tender；

rounded；　bare　left　breast



〃I　have　always　liked　you；〃　she　murmured　naively；　〃since

first　I　saw　you　in　that　place　where　the　Shining　One　goes

forth　into　your　world。　　And　I　am　glad　you　like　my　medicine

as　well　as　that　you　carry　in　the　black　box　that　you　left　be…

hind；〃　she　added　swiftly。



〃How　know　you　of　that；　Lakla？〃　I　gasped。



〃Oft　and　oft　I　came　to　him　there；　and　to　you；　while　you

lay　sleeping。　　How　call　you　HIM？〃　She　paused。



〃Larry！〃　I　said。



〃Larry！〃　she　repeated　it　excellently。　　〃And　you？〃



〃Goodwin；〃　said　Rador。



I　bowed　quite　as　though　I　were　being　introduced　to　some

charming　young　lady　met　in　that　old　life　now　seemingly

aeons　removed。



〃YesGoodwin。〃　she　said。　　〃Oft　and　oft　I　came。　　Some…

times　I　thought　you　saw　me。　　And　HEdid　he　not　dream　of

me　sometime？〃　she　asked　wistfully。



〃He　did。〃　I　said；　〃and　watched　for　you。〃　Then　amaze…

ment　grew　vocal。　　〃But　how　came　you？〃　I　asked。



〃By　a　strange　road；〃　she　whispered；　〃to　see　that　all　was

well　with　HIMand　to　look　into　his　heart；　for　I　feared　Yolara

and　her　beauty。　　But　I　saw　that　she　was　not　in　his　heart。〃　A

blush　burned　over　her；　turning　even　the　little　bare　breast

rosy。　　〃It　is　a　strange　road；〃　she　went　on　hurriedly。　　〃Many

times　have　I　followed　it　and　watched　the　Shining　One　bear

back　its　prey　to　the　blue　pool；　seen　the　woman　HE　seeks〃

she　made　a　quick　gesture　toward　Olaf〃and　a　babe　cast

from　her　arms　in　the　last　pang　of　her　mother　love；　seen

another　woman　throw　herself　into　the　Shining　One's　em…

brace　to　save　a　man　she　loved；　and　I　could　not　help！〃　Her

voice　grew　deep；　thrilled。　　〃The　friend；　it　comes　to　me；　who

drew　you　here；　Goodwin！〃



She　was　silent；　walking　as　one　who　sees　visions　and　listens

to　voices　unheard　by　others；　Rador　made　a　warning　gesture；

I　crowded　back　my　questions；　glanced　about　me。　　We　were

passing　over　a　smooth　strand；　hard　packed　as　some　beach　of

long…thrust…back　ocean。　　It　was　like　crushed　garnets；　each

grain　stained　deep　red；　faintly　sparkling。　　On　each　side　were

distances；　the　floor　stretching　away　into　them　bare　of　vege…

tationstretching　on　and　on　into　infinitudes　of　rosy　mist；

even　as　did　the　space　above。



Flanking　and　behind　us　marched　the　giant　batrachians；

fivescore　of　them　at　least；　black　scale　and　crimson　scale　lus…

trous　and　gleaming　in　the　rosaceous　radiance；　saucer　eyes

shining　circles　of　phosphorescence　green；　purple；　red；　spurs

clicking　as　they　crouched　along　with　a　gait　at　once　gro…

tesque　and　formidable。



Ahead　the　mist　deepened　into　a　ruddier　glow；　through　it

a　long；　dark　line　began　to　appearthe　mouth　I　thought　of

the　caverned　space　through　which　we　were　going；　it　was

just　before　us；　over　uswe　stood　bathed　in　a　flood　of　rubes…

cence！



A　sea　stretched　before　usa　crimson　sea；　gleaming　like

that　lost　lacquer　of　royal　coral　and　the　Flame　Dragon's

blood　which　Fu　S'cze　set　upon　the　bower　he　built　for　his

stolen　sun　maidenthat　going　toward　it　she　might　think　it

the　sun　itself　rising　over　the　summer　seas。　　Unmoved　by　wave

or　ripple；　it　was　placid　as　some　deep　woodland　pool　when

night　rushes　up　over　the　world。



It　seemed　moltenor　as　though　some　hand　great　enough

to　rock　earth　had　distilled　here　from　conflagrations　of　au…

tumn　sunsets　their　flaming　essences。



A　fish　broke　through；　large　as　a　shark；　blunt…headed；　flash…

ing　bronze；　ridged　and　mailed　as　though　with　serrate　plates

of　armour。　　It　leaped　high；　shaking　from　it　a　sparkling　spray

of　rubies；　dropped　and　shot　up　a　geyser　of　fiery　gems。



Across　my　line　of　vision；　moving　stately　over　the　sea；

floated　a　half　globe；　luminous；　diaphanous；　its　iridescence

melting　into　turquoise；　thence　to　amethyst；　to　orange；　to

scarlet　shot　with　rose；　to　vermilion；　a　translucent　green；

thence　back　into　the　iridescence；　behind　it　four　others；　and

the　least　of　them　ten　feet　in　diameter；　and　the　largest　no　less

than　thirty。　　They　drifted　past　like　bubbles　blown　from　froth

of　rainbows　by　pipes　in　mouths　of　Titans'　young。　　Then　from

the　base　of　one　arose　a　tangle　of　shimmering　strands；　long；

slender　whi