the moon pool-第57节

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slaughter。　　When　it　was　over　there　was　no　more　a　sun　king

nor　any　of　the　ruddy…haired　folk；　slain　were　they；　slain　down

to　the　babe　at　breast。



〃But　still　the　tides　swept　higher；　still　dwindled　the　land！



〃As　it　shrank　multitudes　of　the　fleeing　people　were　led

through　Moon　Pool　Chamber　and　carried　here。　　They　were

what　now　are　called　the　_ladala_；　and　they　were　given　place

and　set　to　work；　and　they　thrived。　　Came　many　of　the　fair…

haired；　and　they　were　given　dwellings。　　They　sat　beside　the

evil　_Taithu_；　they　became　drunk　even　as　they　with　the　dan…

cing　of　the　Shining　One；　they　learnednot　all；　only　a　little

part　but　little　enoughof　their　arts。　　And　ever　the　Shining

One　danced　more　gaily　out　there　within　the　black　amphi…

theatre；　grew　ever　strongerand　ever　the　hordes　of　its

slaves　behind　the　Veil　increased。



〃Nor　did　the　_Taithu_　who　clung　to　the　old　ways　check　this

they　could　not。　　By　the　sinking　of　the　land　above；　their

own　spaces　were　imperilled。　　All　of　their　strength　and　all　of

their　wisdom　it　took　to　keep　this　land　from　perishing；　nor

had　they　help　from　those　others　mad　for　the　poison　of　the

Shining　One；　and　they　had　no　time　to　deal　with　them　nor

the　earth　race　with　whom　they　had　foregathered。




〃At　last　came　a　slow；　vast　flood。　　It　rolled　even　to　the

bases　of　the　walled　islets　of　the　city　of　the　godsand　within

these　now　were　all　that　were　left　of　my　people　on　earth　face。



〃I　am　of　those　people；〃　she　paused；　looking　at　me　proudly；

〃one　of　the　daughters　of　the　sun　king　whose　seed　is　still　alive

in　the　_ladala_！〃



As　Larry　opened　his　mouth　to　speak　she　waved　a　silencing　hand。



〃This　tide　did　not　recede；〃　she　went　on。　　〃And　after　a　time

the　remnant；　the　moon　king　leading　them；　joined　those　who

had　already　fled　below。　　The　rocks　became　still；　the　quakings

ceased；　and　now　those　Ancient　Ones　who　had　been　labouring

could　take　breath。　　And　anger　grew　within　them　as　they

looked　upon　the　work　of　their　evil　kin。　　Again　they　sought

the　Threeand　the　Three　now　knew　what　they　had　done　and

their　pride　was　humbled。　　They　would　not　slay　the　Shining

One　themselves；　for　still　they　loved　it；　but　they　instructed

these　others　how　to　undo　their　work；　how　also　they　might

destroy　the　evil　_Taithu_　were　it　necessary。



〃Armed　with　the　wisdom　of　the　Three　they　went　forth

but　now　the　Shining　One　was　strong　indeed。　　They　could　not

slay　it！



〃Nay；　it　knew　and　was　prepared；　they　could　not　even　pass

beyond　its　Veil　nor　seal　its　abode。　　Ah；　strong；　strong；　mighty

of　will；　full　of　craft　and　cunning　had　the　Shining　One　be…

come。　　So　they　turned　upon　their　kind　who　had　gone　astray

and　made　them　perish；　to　the　last。　　The　Shining　One　came

not　to　the　aid　of　its　servantsthough　they　called；　for　within

its　will　was　the　thought　that　they　were　of　no　further　use　to　it；

that　it　would　rest　awhile　and　dance　with　themwho　had　so

little　of　the　power　and　wisdom　of　its　_Taithu_　and　therefore

no　reins　upon　it。　　And　while　this　was　happening　black…haired

and　fair…haired　ran　and　hid　and　were　but　shaking　vessels　of

terror。



〃The　Ancient　Ones　took　counsel。　　This　was　their　decision；

that　they　would　go　from　the　gardens　before　the　Silver　Waters

leaving；　since　they　could　not　kill　it；　the　Shining　One　with

its　worshippers。　　They　sealed　the　mouth　of　the　passage　that

leads　to　the　Moon　Pool　Chamber　and　they　changed　the　face

of　the　cliff　so　that　none　might　tell　where　it　had　been。　　But

the　passage　itself　they　left　openhaving　foreknowledge　I

think；　of　a　thing　that　was　to　come　to　pass　in　the　far　future

perhaps　it　was　your　journey　here；　my　Larry　and　Goodwin

verily　I　think　so。　　And　they　destroyed　all　the　ways　save　that

which　we　three　trod　to　the　Dweller's　abode。



〃For　the　last　time　they　went　to　the　Threeto　pass　sen…

tence　upon　them。　　This　was　the　doomthat　here　they　should

remain；　alone；　among　the　_Akka_；　served　by　them；　until　that

time　dawned　when　they　would　have　will　to　destroy　the　evil

they　had　createdand　even　nowloved；　nor　might　they

seek　death；　nor　follow　their　judges　until　this　had　come　to

pass。　　This　was　the　doom　they　put　upon　the　Three　for　the

wickedness　that　had　sprung　from　their　pride；　and　they

strengthened　it　with　their　arts　that　it　might　not　be　broken。



〃Then　they　passedto　a　far　land　they　had　chosen　where

the　Shining　One　could　not　go；　beyond　the　Black　Precipices

of　Doul；　a　green　land〃



〃Ireland！〃　interrupted　Larry；　with　conviction；　〃I　knew　it。〃



〃Since　then　time　upon　time　had　passed；〃　she　went　on；

unheeding。　　〃The　people　called　this　place　Muria　after　their

sunken　land　and　soon　they　forgot　where　had　been　the

passage　the　_Taithu_　had　sealed。　　The　moon　king　became　the

Voice　of　the　Dweller　and　always　with　the　Voice　is　a　woman

of　the　moon　king's　kin　who　is　its　priestess。



〃And　many　have　been　the　journeys　upward　of　the　Shining

One；　through　the　Moon　Poolreturning　with　still　others　in

its　coils。



〃And　now　again　has　it　grown　restless；　longing　for　the

wider　spaces。　　It　has　spoken　to　Yolara　and　to　Lugur　even　as

it　did　to　the　dead　_Taithu_；　promising　them　dominion。　　And　it

has　grown　stronger；　drawing　to　itself　power　to　go　far　on　the

moon　stream　where　it　will。　　Thus　was　it　able　to　seize　your

friend；　Goodwin；　and　Olaf's　wife　and　babeand　many

more。　　Yolara　and　Lugur　plan　to　open　way　to　earth　face；　to

depart　with　their　court　and　under　the　Shining　One　grasp　the

world！



〃And　this　is　the　tale　the　Silent　Ones　bade　me　tell　you

and　it　is　done。〃



Breathlessly　I　had　listened　to　the　stupendous　epic　of　a

long…lost　world。　　Now　I　found　speech　to　voice　the　question

ever　with　me；　the　thing　that　lay　as　close　to　my　heart　as　did

the　welfare　of　Larry；　indeed　the　whole　object　of　my　quest

the　fate　of　Throckmartin　and　those　who　had　passed　with

him　into　the　Dweller's　lair；　yes；　and　of　Olaf's　wife；　too。



〃Lakla；〃　I　said；　〃the　friend　who　drew　me　here　and　those

he　loved　who　went　before　himcan　we　not　save　them？〃



〃The　Three　say　no；　Goodwin。〃　There　was　again　in　her

eyes　the　pity　with　which　she　had　looked　upon　Olaf。　　〃The

Shining　OneFEEDSupon　the　flame　of　life　itself；　setting　in

its　place　its　own　fires　and　its　own　will。　　Its　slaves　are　only

shells　through　which　it　gleams。　　Death；　say　the　Three；　is　the

best　that　can　come　to　them；　yet　will　that　be　a　boon　great　in…

deed。〃



〃But　they　have　souls；　_mavourneen_；〃　Larry　said　to　her。

〃And　they're　alive　stillin　a　way。　　Anyhow；　their　souls　have

not　gone　from　them。〃



I　caught　a　hope　from　his　wordssceptic　though　I　am

holding　that　the　existence　of　soul　has　never　been　proved　by

dependable　laboratory　methodsfor　they　recalled　to　me　that

when　I　had　seen　Throckmartin；　Edith　had　been　close　beside

him。



〃It　was　days　after　his　wife　was　taken；　that　the　Dweller

seized　Throckmartin；〃　I　cried。　　〃How；　if　their　wills；　their　life；

were　indeed　gone；　how　did　they　find　each　other　mid　all　that

horde？　　How　did　they　come　together　in　the　Dweller's　lair？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered；　slowly。　　〃You　say　they

lovedand　it　is　true　that　love　is　stronger　even　than　death！〃



〃One　thing　I　DON'T　understand〃this　was　Larry　again

〃is　why　a　girl　like　you　keeps　coming　out　of　the　black…haired

crowd；　so　frequently　and　one　might　say；　so　regularly；　Lakla。

Aren't　there　ever　any　red…headed　boysand　if　they　are　what

becomes　of　them？〃



〃That；　Larry；　I　cannot　answer；〃　she　said；　very　frankly。

〃There　was　a　pact　of　some　kind；　how　made　or　by　whom　I

know　not。　　But　for　long　the　Murians　feared　the　return　of　the

_Taithu_　and　greatly　they　feared　the　Three。　　Even　the　Shining

One　feared　those　who　had　created　itfor　a　time；　and　not

even　now　is　it　eager　to　face　themTHAT　I　know。　　Nor　are

Yolara　and　Lugur　so　SURE。　　It　may　be　that　the　Three　com…

manded　it：　but　how　or　why　I　know　not。　　I　only　know　that　it

is　truefor　here　am　I　and　from　where　else　would　I　have

come？〃



〃From　Ireland；〃　said　Larry　O'Keefe；　promptly。　　〃And

that's　where　you're　going。　　For　'tis　no　place　for　a　girl　like　you

to　have　been　brought　upLakla；　what　with　people　like

frogs；　and　a　half…god　three　quarters　devil；　and　red　oceans；

an'　the　only　Irish　things　yourself　and　the　Silent　Ones　up

there；　bless　their　hearts。　　It's　no　place　for　ye；　and　by　the　soul

of　St。　Patrick；　it's　out　of　it　soon　ye'll　be　gettin'！〃



Larry！　　Larry！　　If　it　had　but　been　trueand　I　could　see

Lakla　and　you　beside　me　now！











CHAPTER　XXXI



Larry　and　the　Frog…Men



LONG　had　been　her　tale　in　the　telling；　and　too　long；　perhaps；

have　I　been　in　the　repeatingbut　not　every　day　are　the

mists　rolled　away　to　reveal　undreamed　secrets　of　earth…

youth。　　And　I　have　set　it　down　here；　adding　nothing；　taking

nothing　from　it；　translating　liberally；　it　is　true；　but　constantly

striving；　while　putting　it　into　idea…forms　and　phraseology

to　be　readily　understood　by　my　readers；　to　keep　accurately　to

the　spirit。　　And　this；　I　must　repeat；　I　have　done　throughout

my　narrative；　whereve