the moon pool-第54节

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ing；　vibrant　with　all　its　transcendent；　devilish　beauty；　had

paused　and　was　contemplating　us。　　Now　I　could　see　clearly

that　nucleus；　that　core　shot　through　with　flashing　veins　of

radiance；　that　ever…shifting　shape　of　glory　through　the

shroudings　of　shimmering；　misty　plumes；　throbbing　lacy

opalescences；　vaporous　spirallings　of　prismatic　phantom

fires。　　Steady　over　it　hung　the　seven　little　moons　of　amethyst；

of　saffron；　of　emerald　and　azure　and　silver；　of　rose　of　life

and　moon　white。　　They　poised　themselves　like　a　diadem

calm；　serene；　immobileand　down　from　them　into　the　Dwel…

ler；　piercing　plumes　and　swirls　and　spirals；　ran　countless

tiny　strands；　radiations；　finer　than　the　finest　spun　thread　of

spider's　web；　gleaming　filaments　through　which　seemed　to

runPOWERfrom　the　seven　globes；　likeyes；　that　was　it

miniatures　of　the　seven　torrents　of　moon　flame　that　poured

through　the　septichromatic；　high　crystals　in　the　Moon　Pool's

chamber　roof。



Swam　out　of　the　coruscating　haze　theface！



Both　of　man　and　of　woman　it　waslike　some　ancient；

androgynous　deity　of　Etruscan　fanes　long　dust；　and　yet

neither　woman　nor　man；　human　and　unhuman；　seraphic　and

sinister；　benign　and　maleficand　still　no　more　of　these　four

than　is　flame；　which　is　beautiful　whether　it　warms　or　devours；

or　wind　whether　it　feathers　the　trees　or　shatters　them；　or

the　wave　which　is　wondrous　whether　it　caresses　or　kills。



Subtly；　undefinably　it　was　of　our　world　and　of　one　not

ours。　　Its　lineaments　flowed　from　another　sphere；　took　fleet…

ing　familiar　formand　as　swiftly　withdrew　whence　they　had

come；　something　amorphous；　unearthlyas　of　unknown　un…

heeding；　unseen　gods　rushing　through　the　depths　of　star…

hung　space；　and　still　of　our　own　earth；　with　the　very　soul　of

earth　peering　out　from　it；　caught　within　itand　in　some

unholyway　debased。



It　had　eyeseyes　that　were　now　only　shadows　darkening

within　its　luminosity　like　veils　falling；　and　falling；　OPENING

windows　into　the　unknowable；　deepening　into　softly　glowing

blue　pools；　blue　as　the　Moon　Pool　itself；　then　flashing

out；　and　this　only　when　thefacebore　its　most　human

resemblance；　into　twin　stars　large　almost　as　the　crown　of　lit…

tle　moons；　and　with　that　same　baffling　suggestion　of　peep…

holes　into　a　world　untrodden；　alien；　perilous　to　man！



〃Steady！〃　came　Lakla's　voice；　her　body　leaned　against

mine。



I　gripped　myself；　my　brain　steadied；　I　looked　again。　　And

I　saw　that　of　body；　at　least　body　as　we　know　it；　the　Shining

One　had　nonenothing　but　the　throbbing；　pulsing　core

streaked　with　lightning　veins　of　rainbows；　and　around　this；

never　still；　sheathing　it；　the　swirling；　glorious　veilings　of　its

hell　and　heaven　born　radiance。



So　the　Dweller　stoodand　gazed。



Then　up　toward　us　swept　a　reaching；　questing　spiral！



Under　my　hand　Lakla's　shoulder　quivered；　Dead…Alive

and　their　master　vanishedI　danced；　flickered；　WITHIN　the

rock；　felt　a　swift　sense　of　shrinking；　of　withdrawal；　slice

upon　slice　the　carded　walls　of　stone；　of　silvery　waters；　of

elfin　gardens　slipped　from　me　as　cards　are　withdrawn　from

a　pack；　one　by　oneslipped；　wheeled；　flattened；　and　length…

ened　out　as　I　passed　through　them　and　they　passed　from　me。



Gasping；　shaken；　weak；　I　stood　within　the　faceted　oval

chamber；　arm　still　about　the　handmaiden's　white　shoulder；

Larry's　hand　still　clutching　her　girdle。



The　roaring；　impalpable　gale　from　the　cosmos　was　retreat…

ing　to　the　outposts　of　spacewas　still；　the　intense；　streaming；

flooding　radiance　lesseneddied。



〃Now　have　you　beheld；〃　said　Lakla；　〃and　well　you　trod

the　road。　　And　now　shall　you　hear；　even　as　the　Silent　Ones

have　commanded；　what　the　Shining　One　isand　how　it

came　to　be。〃



The　steps　flashed　back；　the　doorway　into　the　chamber

opened。



Larry　as　silent　as　Iwe　followed　her　through　it。












CHAPTER　XXIX



The　Shaping　of　the　Shining　One



WE　REACHED　what　I　knew　to　be　Lakla's　own　boudoir；　if　I

may　so　call　it。　　Smaller　than　any　of　the　other　chambers　of　the

domed　castle　in　which　we　had　been；　its　intimacy　was　re…

vealed　not　only　by　its　faint　fragrance　but　by　its　high　mir…

rors　of　polished　silver　and　various　oddly　wrought　articles

of　the　feminine　toilet　that　lay　here　and　there；　things　I　after…

ward　knew　to　be　the　work　of　the　artisans　of　the　_Akka_

and　no　mean　metal　workers　were　they。　　One　of　the　window

slits　dropped　almost　to　the　floor；　and　at　its　base　was　a　wide；

comfortably　cushioned　seat　commanding　a　view　of　the

bridge　and　of　the　cavern　ledge。　　To　this　the　handmaiden

beckoned　us；　sank　upon　it；　drew　Larry　down　beside　her　and

motioned　me　to　sit　close　to　him。



〃Now　this；〃　she　said；　〃is　what　the　Silent　Ones　have　com…

manded　me　to　tell　you　two：　To　you　Larry；　that　knowing　you

may　weigh　all　things　in　your　mind　and　answer　as　your　spirit

bids　you　a　question　that　the　Three　will　askand　what　that

is　I　know　not；〃　she　murmured；　〃and　I；　they　say；　must　answer；

tooand　itfrightens　me！〃



The　great　golden　eyes　widened；　darkened　with　dread；　she

sighed；　shook　her　head　impatiently。



〃Not　like　us；　and　never　like　us；〃　she　spoke　low；　wonder…

ingly；　〃the　Silent　Ones　say　were　they。　　Nor　were　those　from

which　they　sprang　like　those　from　which　we　have　come。

Ancient；　ancient　beyond　thought　are　the　_Taithu_；　the　race　of

the　Silent　Ones。　　Far；　far　below　this　place　where　now　we　sit；

close　to　earth　heart　itself　were　they　born；　and　there　they

dwelt　for　time　upon　time；　_laya_　upon　_laya_　upon　_laya_with

others；　not　like　them；　some　of　which　have　vanished　time

upon　time　agone；　others　that　still　dwellbelowin　their

cradle。



〃It　is　hard〃she　hesitated〃hard　to　tell　thisthat　slips

through　my　mindbecause　I　know　so　little　that　even　as　the

Three　told　it　to　me　it　passed　from　me　for　lack　of　place　to

stand　upon；〃　she　went　on；　quaintly。　　〃Something　there　was

of　time　when　earth　and　sun　were　but　cold　mists　in　the

the　heavenssomething　of　these　mists　drawing　together；

whirling；　whirling；　faster　and　fasterdrawing　as　they

whirled　more　and　more　of　the　mistsgrowing　larger；　grow…

ing　warmforming　at　last　into　the　globes　they　are；　with

others　spinning　around　the　sunsomething　of　regions　within

this　globe　where　vast　fire　was　prisoned　and　bursting　forth

tore　and　rent　the　young　orbof　one　such　bursting　forth　that

sent　what　you　call　moon　flying　out　to　company　us　and　left

behind　those　spaces　whence　we　now　dwelland　ofof　life

particles　that　here　and　there　below　grew　into　the　race　of

the　Silent　Ones；　and　those　othersbut　not　the　_Akka_　which；

like　you；　they　say　came　from　aboveand　all　this　I　do　not

understanddo　you；　Goodwin？〃　she　appealed　to　me。



I　noddedfor　what　she　had　related　so　fragmentarily　was

in　reality　an　excellent　approach　to　the　Chamberlain…Moulton

theory　of　a　coalescing　nebula　contracting　into　the　sun　and

its　planets。



Astonishing　was　the　recognition　of　this　theory。　　Even　more

so　was　the　reference　to　the　life　particles；　the　idea　of　Arrhen…

ius；　the　great　Swede；　of　life　starting　on　earth　through　the

dropping　of　minute；　life　SPORES；　propelled　through　space　by

the　driving　power　of　light　and；　encountering　favourable

environment　here；　developing　through　the　vast　ages　into

man　and　every　other　living　thing　we　know。1





*1　Professor　Svante　August　Arrhenius；　in　his　_Worlds　in　the　Making_

the　conception　that　life　is　universally　diffused；　constantly　emitted　from

all　habitable　worlds　in　the　form　of　spores　which　traverse　space　for

years　and　ages；　the　majority　being　ultimately　destroyed　by　the　heat　of

some　blazing　star；　but　some　few　finding　a　resting…place　on　globes

which　have　reached　the　habitable　stage。W。　T。　G。







Nor　was　it　incredible　that　in　the　ancient　nebula　that　was

the　matrix　of　our　solar　system　similar；　or　rather　DISSIMILAR；

particles　in　all　but　the　subtle　essence　we　call　life；　might　have

become　entangled　and；　resisting　every　cataclysm　as　they　had

resisted　the　absolute　zero　of　outer　space；　found　in　these

caverned　spaces　their　proper　environment　to　develop　into　the

race　of　the　Silent　Ones　andonly　THEY　could　tell　what　else！



〃They　say；〃　the　handmaiden's　voice　was　surer；　〃they　say

that　in　theircradlenear　earth's　heart　they　grew；　grew

untroubled　by　the　turmoil　and　disorder　which　flayed　the

surface　of　this　globe。　　And　they　say　it　was　a　place　of　light

and　that　strength　came　to　them　from　earth　heartstrength

greater　than　you　and　those　from　which　you　sprang　ever　de…

rived　from　sun。



〃At　last；　ancient；　ancient　beyond　all　thought；　they　say

again；　was　this　timethey　began　to　know；　totorealize

themselves。　　And　wisdom　came　ever　more　swiftly。　　Up　from

their　cradle；　because　they　did　not　wish　to　dwell　longer　with

thoseothersthey　came　and　found　this　place。



〃When　all　the　face　of　earth　was　covered　with　waters　in

which　lived　only　tiny；　hungry　things　that　knew　naught　save

hunger　and　its　satisfaction；　THEY　had　attained　wisdom　that

enabled　them　to　make　paths　su