the moon pool-第65节

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where　beyond　the　cavern　ledge　had　launched　them　unper…

ceived；　stealing　up　to　the　farther　side　of　the　island　and　risk…

ing　all　in　one　bold　stroke。　　Well；　Lugur；　no　matter　what　he

held　of　wickedness；　held　also　high　courage。



The　cavern　was　paved　with　the　dead…alive；　the　_Akka_　car…

rying　them　out　by　the　hundreds；　casting　them　into　the　waters。

Through　the　lane　down　which　the　Dweller　had　passed　we

went　as　quickly　as　we　could；　coming　at　last　to　the　space

where　the　_coria_　waited。　　And　not　long　after　we　swung　past

where　the　shadow　had　hung　and　hovered　over　the　shining

depths　of　the　Midnight　Pool。



Upon　Lakla's　insistence　we　passed　on　to　the　palace　of

Lugur；　not　to　Yolara'sI　do　not　know　why；　but　go　there

then　she　would　not。　　And　within　one　of　its　columned　rooms；

maidens　of　the　black…haired　folks；　the　wistfulness；　the　fear；

all　gone　from　their　sparkling　eyes；　served　us。



There　came　to　me　a　huge　desire　to　see　the　destruction

they　had　told　us　of　the　Dweller's　lair；　to　observe　for　myself

whether　it　was　not　possible　to　make　a　way　of　entrance　and

to　study　its　mysteries。



I　spoke　of　this；　and　to　my　surprise　both　the　handmaiden

and　the　O'Keefe　showed　an　almost　embarrassed　haste　to

acquiesce　in　my　hesitant　suggestion。



〃Sure；〃　cried　Larry；　〃there's　lots　of　time　before　night！〃



He　caught　himself　sheepishly；　cast　a　glance　at　Lakla。



〃I　keep　forgettin'　there's　no　night　here；〃　he　mumbled。



〃What　did　you　say；　Larry？〃　asked　she。



〃I　said　I　wish　we　were　sitting　in　our　home　in　Ireland；

watching　the　sun　go　down；〃　he　whispered　to　her。　　Vaguely　I

wondered　why　she　blushed。



But　now　I　must　hasten。　　We　went　to　the　temple；　and　here

at　least　the　ghastly　litter　of　the　dead　had　been　cleaned　away。

We　passed　through　the　blue…caverned　space；　crossed　the

narrow　arch　that　spanned　the　rushing　sea　stream；　and；　as…

cending；　stood　again　upon　the　ivoried　pave　at　the　foot　of　the

frowning；　towering　amphitheatre　of　jet。



Across　the　Silver　Waters　there　was　sign　of　neither　Web　of

Rainbows　nor　colossal　pillars　nor　the　templed　lips　that　I　had

seen　curving　out　beneath　the　Veil　when　the　Shining　One

had　swirled　out　to　greet　its　priestess　and　its　voice　and　to

dance　with　the　sacrifices。　　There　was　but　a　broken　and　rent

mass　of　the　radiant　cliffs　against　whose　base　the　lake　lapped。



Long　I　lookedand　turned　away　saddened。　　Knowing　even

as　I　did　what　the　irised　curtain　had　hidden；　still　it　was　as

though　some　thing　of　supernal　beauty　and　wonder　had　been

swept　away；　never　to　be　replaced；　a　glamour　gone　for　ever；

a　work　of　the　high　gods　destroyed。



〃Let's　go　back；〃　said　Larry　abruptly。



I　dropped　a　little　behind　them　to　examine　a　bit　of　carving

and；　after　all；　they　did　not　want　me。　　I　watched　them　pacing

slowly　ahead；　his　arm　around　her；　black　hair　close　to　bronze…

gold　ringlets。　　Then　I　followed。　　Half　were　they　over　the

bridge　when　through　the　roar　of　the　imprisoned　stream　I

heard　my　name　called　softly。



〃Goodwin！　　Dr。　Goodwin！〃



Amazed；　I　turned。　　From　behind　the　pedestal　of　a　carved

group　slunkMarakinoff！　　My　premonition　had　been　right。

Some　way　he　had　escaped；　slipped　through　to　here。　　He　held

his　hands　high；　came　forward　cautiously。



〃I　am　finished；〃　he　whispered〃Done！　　I　don't　care　what

THEY'LL　do　to　me。〃　He　nodded　toward　the　handmaiden　and

Larry；　now　at　the　end　of　the　bridge　and　passing　on；　oblivious

of　all　save　each　other。　　He　drew　closer。　　His　eyes　were　sunken；

burning；　mad；　his　face　etched　with　deep　lines；　as　though　a

graver's　tool　had　cut　down　through　it。　　I　took　a　step　back…

ward。



A　grin；　like　the　grimace　of　a　fiend；　blasted　the　Russian's

visage。　　He　threw　himself　upon　me；　his　hands　clenching　at

my　throat！



〃Larry！〃　I　yelledand　as　I　spun　around　under　the　shock

of　his　onslaught；　saw　the　two　turn；　stand　paralyzed；　then　race

toward　me。



〃But　YOU'LL　carry　nothing　out　of　here！〃　shrieked　Marakinoff。　　〃No！〃



My　foot；　darting　out　behind　me；　touched　vacancy。　　The

roaring　of　the　racing　stream　deafened　me。　　I　felt　its　mists

about　me；　threw　myself　forward。



I　was　fallingfallingwith　the　Russian's　hand　strangling

me。　I　struck　water；　sank；　the　hands　that　gripped　my　throat

relaxed　for　a　moment　their　clutch。　　I　strove　to　writhe　loose；

felt　that　I　was　being　hurled　with　dreadful　speed　onfull

realization　cameon　the　breast　of　that　racing　torrent　drop…

ping　from　some　far　ocean　cleft　and　rushingwhere？　　A　little

time；　a　few　breathless　instants；　I　struggled　with　the　devil　who

clutched　meinflexibly；　indomitably。



Then　a　shrieking　as　of　all　the　pent　winds　of　the　universe

in　my　earsblackness！



Consciousness　returned　slowly；　agonizedly。



〃Larry！〃　I　groaned。　　〃Lakla！〃



A　brilliant　light　was　glowing　through　my　closed　lids。　　It

hurt。　　I　opened　my　eyes；　closed　them　with　swords　and　needles

of　dazzling　pain　shooting　through　them。　　Again　I　opened

them　cautiously。　　It　was　the　sun！



I　staggered　to　my　feet。　　Behind　me　was　a　shattered　wall　of

basalt　monoliths；　hewn　and　squared。　　Before　me　was　the　Pa…

cific；　smooth　and　blue　and　smiling。



And　not　far　away；　cast　up　on　the　strand　even　as　I　had

been；　wasMarakinoff！



He　lay　there；　broken　and　dead　indeed。　　Yet　all　the　waters

through　which　we　had　passednot　even　the　waters　of　death

themselvescould　wash　from　his　face　the　grin　of　triumph。

With　the　last　of　my　strength　I　dragged　the　body　from　the

strand　and　pushed　it　out　into　the　waves。　　A　little　billow　ran

up；　coiled　about　it；　and　carried　it　away；　ducking　and　bend…

ing。　　Another　seized　it；　and　another；　playing　with　it。　　It　floated

from　my　sightthat　which　had　been　Marakinoff；　with　all　his

schemes　to　turn　our　fair　world　into　an　undreamed…of…hell。



My　strength　began　to　come　back　to　me。　　I　found　a　thicket

and　slept；　slept　it　must　have　been　for　many　hours；　for　when

I　again　awakened　the　dawn　was　rosing　the　east。　　I　will　not　tell

my　sufferings。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　I　found　a　spring　and　some

fruit；　and　just　before　dusk　had　recovered　enough　to　writhe

up　to　the　top　of　the　wall　and　discover　where　I　was。



The　place　was　one　of　the　farther　islets　of　the　Nan…Matal。

To　the　north　I　caught　the　shadows　of　the　ruins　of　Nan…

Tauach；　where　was　the　moon　door；　black　against　the　sky。

Where　was　the　moon　doorwhich；　someway；　somehow；　I

must　reach；　and　quickly。



At　dawn　of　the　next　day　I　got　together　driftwood　and

bound　it　together　in　shape　of　a　rough　raft　with　fallen　creep…

ers。　　Then；　with　a　makeshift　paddle；　I　set　forth　for　Nan…

Tauach。　　Slowly；　painfully；　I　crept　up　to　it。　　It　was　late　after…

noon　before　I　grounded　my　shaky　craft　on　the　little　beach

between　the　ruined　sea…gates　and；　creeping　up　the　giant　steps；

made　my　way　to　the　inner　enclosure。



And　at　its　opening　I　stopped；　and　the　tears　ran　streaming

down　my　cheeks　while　I　wept　aloud　with　sorrow　and　with

disappointment　and　with　weariness。



For　the　great　wall　in　which　had　been　set　the　pale　slab

whose　threshold　we　had　crossed　to　the　land　of　the　Shining

One　lay　shattered　and　broken。　　The　monoliths　were　heaped

about；　the　wall　had　fallen；　and　about　them　shone　a　film　of

water；　half　covering　them。



There　was　no　moon　door！



Dazed　and　weeping；　I　drew　closer；　climbed　upon　their　out…

lying　fragments。　　I　looked　out　only　upon　the　sea。　　There　had

been　a　great　subsidence；　an　earth　shock；　perhaps；　tilting

downward　all　that　sidethe　echo；　little　doubt；　of　that　cata…

clysm　which　had　blasted　the　Dweller's　lair！



The　little　squared　islet　called　Tau；　in　which　were　hidden

the　seven　globes；　had　entirely　disappeared。　　Upon　the　waters

there　was　no　trace　of　it。



The　moon　door　was　gone；　the　passage　to　the　Moon　Pool

was　closed　to　meits　chamber　covered　by　the　sea！



There　was　no　road　to　Larrynor　to　Lakla！



And　there；　for　me；　the　world　ended。











End