the moon pool-第29部分

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shoulders　and　breasts。　　But　for　all　her　amazing　beauty；　she

wassinister！　　There　was　cruelty　about　the　curving　mouth；

and　in　the　music　of　her　voicenot　conscious　cruelty；　but

the　more　terrifying；　careless　cruelty　of　nature　itself。



The　girl　of　the　rose　wall　had　been　beautiful；　yes！　　But　her

beauty　was　human；　understandable。　　You　could　imagine　her

with　a　babe　in　her　armsbut　you　could　not　so　imagine　this

woman。　　About　her　loveliness　hovered　something　unearthly。

A　sweet　feminine　echo　of　the　Dweller　was　Yolara；　the　Dwell…

er's　priestessand　as　gloriously；　terrifyingly　evil！











CHAPTER　XIV




The　Justice　of　Lora



AS　I　LOOKED　at　her　the　man　arose　and　made　his　way　round

the　table　toward　us。　　For　the　first　time　my　eyes　took　in

Lugur。　　A　few　inches　taller　than　the　green　dwarf；　he　was　far

broader；　more　filled　with　the　suggestion　of　appalling　strength。



The　tremendous　shoulders　were　four　feet　wide　if　an　inch；

tapering　down　to　mighty　thewed　thighs。　　The　muscles　of　his

chest　stood　out　beneath　his　tunic　of　red。　　Around　his　forehead

shone　a　chaplet　of　bright…blue　stones；　sparkling　among　the

thick　curls　of　his　silver…ash　hair。



Upon　his　face　pride　and　ambition　were　written　large

and　power　still　larger。　　All　the　mockery；　the　malice；　the　hint

of　callous　indifference　that　I　had　noted　in　the　other　dwarfish

men　were　there；　toobut　intensified；　touched　with　the

satanic。



The　woman　spoke　again。



〃Who　are　you　strangers；　and　how　came　you　here？〃　　She

turned　to　Rador。　　〃Or　is　it　that　they　do　not　understand　our

tongue？〃



〃One　understands　and　speaks　itbut　very　badly；　O

Yolara；〃　answered　the　green　dwarf。



〃Speak；　then；　that　one　of　you；〃　she　commanded。



But　it　was　Marakinoff　who　found　his　voice　first；　and　I

marvelled　at　the　fluency；　so　much　greater　than　mine；　with

which　he　spoke。



〃We　came　for　different　purposes。　　I　to　seek　knowledge　of　a

kind；　he〃pointing　to　me　〃of　another。　　This　man〃he

looked　at　Olaf〃to　find　a　wife　and　child。〃



The　grey…blue　eyes　had　been　regarding　O'Keefe　steadily

and　with　plainly　increasing　interest。



〃And　why　did　YOU　come？〃　she　asked　him。　　〃NayI　would

have　him　speak　for　himself；　if　he　can；〃　she　stilled　Marakinoff

peremptorily。



When　Larry　spoke　it　was　haltingly；　in　the　tongue　that　was

strange　to　him；　searching　for　the　proper　words。



〃I　came　to　help　these　menand　because　something　I

could　not　then　understand　called　me；　O　lady；　whose　eyes　are

like　forest　pools　at　dawn；〃　he　answered；　and　even　in　the　un…

familiar　words　there　was　a　touch　of　the　Irish　brogue；　and

little　merry　lights　danced　in　the　eyes　Larry　had　so　apostro…

phized。



〃I　could　find　fault　with　your　speech；　but　none　with　its

burden；〃　she　said。　　〃What　forest　pools　are　I　know　not；　and　the

dawn　has　not　shone　upon　the　people　of　Lora　these　many

sais　of　laya。1　　But　I　sense　what　you　mean！〃





*1　Later　I　was　to　find　that　Murian　reckoning　rested　upon　the　ex…

traordinary　increased　luminosity　of　the　cliffs　at　the　time　of　full　moon

on　earththis　action；　to　my　mind；　being　linked　either　with　the　effect

of　the　light　streaming　globes　upon　the　Moon　Pool；　whose　source　was

in　the　shining　cliffs；　or　else　upon　some　mysterious　affinity　of　their

radiant　element　with　the　flood　of　moonlight　on　earththe　latter；　most

probably；　because　even　when　the　moon　must　have　been　clouded　above；

it　made　no　difference　in　the　phenomenon。　　Thirteen　of　these　shinings

forth　constituted　a　laya；　one　of　them　a　lat。　　Ten　was　sa；　ten　times　ten

times　ten　a　said；　or　thousand；　ten　times　a　thousand　was　a　sais。　　A　sais

of　laya　was　then　literally　ten　thousand　years。　　What　we　would　call　an

hour　was　by　them　called　a　va。　　The　whole　time　system　was；　of　course；

a　mingling　of　time　as　it　had　been　known　to　their　remote；　surface…

dwelling　ancestors；　and　the　peculiar　determining　factors　in　the　vast　cavern。







The　eyes　deepened　to　blue　as　she　regarded　him。　　She　smiled。



〃Are　there　many　like　you　in　the　world　from　which　you　come？〃

she　asked　softly。　　〃Well；　we　soon　shall〃



Lugur　interrupted　her　almost　rudely　and　glowering。



〃Best　we　should　know　how　they　came　hence；〃　he　growled。



She　darted　a　quick　look　at　him；　and　again　the　little　devils

danced　in　her　wondrous　eyes。







Unquestionably　there　is　a　subtle　difference　between　time　as　we　know

it　and　time　in　this　subterranean　landits　progress　there　being　slower。

This；　however；　is　only　in　accord　with　the　well…known　doctrine　of　rela…

tivity；　which　predicates　both　space　and　time　as　necessary　inventions　of

the　human　mind　to　orient　itself　to　the　conditions　under　which　it　finds

itself。　　I　tried　often　to　measure　this　difference；　but　could　never　do　so

to　my　entire　satisfaction。　　The　closest　I　can　come　to　it　is　to　say　that

an　hour　of　our　time　is　the　equivalent　of　an　hour　and　five…eighths　in

Muria。　　For　further　information　upon　this　matter　of　relativity　the

reader　may　consult　any　of　the　numerous　books　upon　the　subject。

W。　T。　G。



〃Yes；　that　is　true；〃　she　said。　　〃How　came　you　here？〃



Again　it　was　Marakinoff　who　answeredslowly；　consider…

ing　every　word。



〃In　the　world　above；〃　he　said；　〃there　are　ruins　of　cities

not　built　by　any　of　those　who　now　dwell　there。　　To　us　these

places　called；　and　we　sought　for　knowledge　of　the　wise　ones

who　made　them。　　We　found　a　passageway。　　The　way　led　us

downward　to　a　door　in　yonder　cliff；　and　through　it　we　came

here。〃



〃Then　have　you　found　what　you　sought？〃　spoke　she。　　〃For

we　are　of　those　who　built　the　cities。　　But　this　gateway　in　the

rockwhere　is　it？〃



〃After　we　passed；　it　closed　upon　us；　nor　could　we　after

find　trace　of　it；〃　answered　Marakinoff。



The　incredulity　that　had　shown　upon　the　face　of　the　green

dwarf　fell　upon　theirs；　on　Lugur's　it　was　clouded　with　furious

anger。



He　turned　to　Rador。



〃I　could　find　no　opening；　lord；〃　said　the　green　dwarf

quickly。



And　there　was　so　fierce　a　fire　in　the　eyes　of　Lugur　as　he

swung　back　upon　us　that　O'Keefe's　hand　slipped　stealthily

down　toward　his　pistol。



〃Best　it　is　to　speak　truth　to　Yolara；　priestess　of　the　Shining

One；　and　to　Lugur；　the　Voice；〃　he　cried　menacingly。



〃It　is　the　truth；〃　I　interposed。　　〃We　came　down　the　pass…

age。　　At　its　end　was　a　carved　vine；　a　vine　of　five　flowers〃the

fire　died　from　the　red　dwarf's　eyes；　and　I　could　have　sworn

to　a　swift　pallor。　　〃I　rested　a　hand　upon　these　flowers；　and　a

door　opened。　　But　when　we　had　gone　through　it　and　turned；

behind　us　was　nothing　but　unbroken　cliff。　　The　door　had

vanished。〃



I　had　taken　my　cue　from　Marakinoff。　　If　he　had　eliminated

the　episode　of　car　and　Moon　Pool；　he　had　good　reason；　I　had

no　doubt；　and　I　would　be　as　cautious。　　And　deep　within　me

something　cautioned　me　to　say　nothing　of　my　quest；　to　stifle

all　thought　of　Throckmartinsomething　that　warned；　per…

emptorily；　finally；　as　though　it　were　a　message　from　Throck…

martin　himself！



〃A　vine　with　five　flowers！〃　exclaimed　the　red　dwarf