the moon pool-第38部分

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progressed　I　was　more　and　more　struck　by　the　change　in　the

O'Keefe。　　All　flippancy　was　gone；　rarely　did　his　sense　of

humour　reveal　itself　in　any　of　his　answers。　　He　was　like　a

cautious　swordsman；　fencing；　guarding；　studying　his　op…

ponent；　or　rather；　like　a　chess…player　who　keeps　sensing

some　far…reaching　purpose　in　the　game：　alert；　contained；

watchful。　　Always　he　stressed　the　power　of　our　surface　races；

their　multitudes；　their　solidarity。



Their　questions　were　myriad。　　What　were　our　occupations？

Our　system　of　government？　　How　great　were　the　waters？　　The

land？　　Intensely　interested　were　they　in　the　World　War；

querying　minutely　into　its　causes；　its　effects。　　In　our　weapons

their　interest　was　avid。　　And　they　were　exceedingly　minute　in

their　examination　of　us　as　to　the　ruins　which　had　excited

our　curiosity；　their　position　and　surroundingsand　if　others

than　ourselves　might　be　expected　to　find　and　pass　through

their　entrance！



At　this　I　shot　a　glance　at　Lugur。　　He　did　not　seem　unduly

interested。　　I　wondered　if　the　Russian　had　told　him　as　yet　of

the　girl　of　the　rosy　wall　of　the　Moon　Pool　Chamber　and　the

real　reasons　for　our　search。　　Then　I　answered　as　briefly　as

possibleomitting　all　reference　to　these　things。　　The　red

dwarf　watched　me　with　unmistakable　amusementand　I

knew　Marakinoff　had　told　him。　　But　clearly　Lugur　had　kept

his　information　even　from　Yolara；　and　as　clearly　she　had

spoken　to　none　of　that　episode　when　O'Keefe's　automatic

had　shattered　the　Keth…smitten　vase。　　Again　I　felt　that　sense

of　deep　bewildermentof　helpless　search　for　clue　to　all　the

tangle。



For　two　hours　we　were　questioned　and　then　the　priestess

called　Rador　and　let　us　go。



Larry　was　sombre　as　we　returned。　　He　walked　about　the

room　uneasily。



〃Hell's　brewing　here　all　right；〃　he　said　at　last；　stopping

before　me。　　〃I　can't　make　out　just　the　particular　brand

that's　all　that　bothers　me。　　We're　going　to　have　a　stiff　fight；

that's　sure。　　What　I　want　to　do　quick　is　to　find　the　Golden

Girl；　Doc。　　Haven't　seen　her　on　the　wall　lately；　have　you？〃

he　queried；　hopefully　fantastic。



〃Laugh　if　you　want　to；〃　he　went　on。　　〃But　she's　our　best

bet。　　It's　going　to　be　a　race　between　her　and　the　O'Keefe

bansheebut　I　put　my　money　on　her。　　I　had　a　queer　experi…

ence　while　I　was　in　that　garden；　after　you'd　left。〃　His　voice

grew　solemn。　　〃Did　you　ever　see　a　leprechaun；　Doc？〃　I　shook

my　head　again；　as　solemnly。　　〃He's　a　little　man　in　green；〃

said　Larry。　　〃Oh；　about　as　high　as　your　knee。　　I　saw　one　once

in　Carntogher　Woods。　　And　as　I　sat　there；　half　asleep；　in

Yolara's　garden；　the　living　spit　of　him　stepped　out　from　one

of　those　bushes；　twirling　a　little　shillalah。



〃'It's　a　tight　box　ye're　gettin'　in；　Larry　avick；'　said　he；

'but　don't　ye　be　downhearted；　lad。'



〃'I'm　carrying　on；'　said　I；　'but　you're　a　long　way　from

Ireland；'　I　said；　or　thought　I　did。



〃'Ye've　a　lot　o'　friends　there；'　he　answered。　　'An'　where

the　heart　rests　the　feet　are　swift　to　follow。　　Not　that　I'm

sayin'　I'd　like　to　live　here；　Larry；'　said　he。



〃'I　know　where　my　heart　is　now；'　I　told　him。　　'It　rests　on

a　girl　with　golden　eyes　and　the　hair　and　swan…white　breast

of　Eilidh　the　Fairbut　me　feet　don't　seem　to　get　me　to　her；'

I　said。〃



The　brogue　thickened。



〃An'　the　little　man　in　green　nodded　his　head　an'　whirled

his　shillalah。



〃'It's　what　I　came　to　tell　ye；'　says　he。　　'Don't　ye　fall　for

the　Bhean…Nimher；　the　serpent　woman　wit'　the　blue　eyes；

she's　a　daughter　of　Ivor；　ladan'　don't　ye　do　nothin'　to　make

the　brown…haired　coleen　ashamed　o'　ye；　Larry　O'Keefe。　　I

knew　yer　great；　great　grandfather　an'　his　before　him；　aroon；'

says　he；　'an'　wan　o'　the　O'Keefe　failin's　is　to　think　their

hearts　big　enough　to　hold　all　the　wimmen　o'　the　world。　　A

heart's　built　to　hold　only　wan　permanently；　Larry；'　he　says；

'an'　I'm　warnin'　ye　a　nice　girl　don't　like　to　move　into　a　place

all　cluttered　up　wid　another's　washin'　an'　mendin'　an'

cookin'　an'　other　things　pertainin'　to　general　wife　work。　　Not

that　I　think　the　blue…eyed　wan　is　keen　for　mendin'　an'

cookin'！'　says　he。



〃'You　don't　have　to　be　comin'　all　this　way　to　tell　me

that；'　I　answer。



〃'Well；　I'm　just　a　tellin'　you；'　he　says。　　'Ye've　got　some

rough　knocks　comin'；　Larry。　　In　fact；　ye're　in　for　a　devil　of　a

time。　　But；　remember　that　ye're　the　O'Keefe；'　says　he。　　'An'

while　the　bhoys　are　all　wid　ye；　avick；　ye've　got　to　be　on　the

job　yourself。'



〃'I　hope；'　I　tell　him；　'that　the　O'Keefe　banshee　can　find

her　way　here　in　timethat　is；　if　it's　necessary；　which　I　hope

it　won't　be。'



〃'Don't　ye　worry　about　that；'　says　he。　　'Not　that　she's

keen　on　leavin'　the　ould　sod；　Larry。　　The　good　ould　soul's　in

quite　a　state　o'　mind　about　ye；　aroon。　　I　don't　mind　tellin'　ye；

lad；　that　she's　mobilizing　all　the　clan　an'　if　she　HAS　to　come

for　ye；　avick；　they'll　be　wid　her　an'　they'll　sweep　this　joint

clean　before　ye　go。　　What　they'll　do　to　it'll　make　the　Big　Wind

look　like　a　summer　breeze　on　Lough　Lene！　　An'　that's　about

all；　Larry。　　We　thought　a　voice　from　the　Green　Isle　would

cheer　ye。　　Don't　fergit　that　ye're　the　O'Keefe　an'　I　say　it

againall　the　bhoys　are　wid　ye。　　But　we　want　t'　kape　bein'

proud　o'　ye；　lad！'



〃An'　I　looked　again　and　there　was　only　a　bush　waving。〃



There　wasn't　a　smile　in　my　heartor　if　there　was　it　was

a　very　tender　one。



〃I'm　going　to　bed；〃　he　said　abruptly。　　〃Keep　an　eye　on　the

wall；　Doc！〃



Between　the　seven　sleeps　that　followed；　Larry　and　I　saw

but　little　of　each　other。　　Yolara　sought　him　more　and　more。

Thrice　we　were　called　before　the　Council；　once　we　were　at　a

great　feast；　whose　splendours　and　surprises　I　can　never　for…

get。　　Largely　I　was　in　the　company　of　Rador。　　Together　we

two　passed　the　green　barriers　into　the　dwellingplace　of　the

ladala。



They　seemed　provided　with　everything　needful　for　life。

But　everywhere　was　an　oppressiveness；　a　gathering　together

of　hate；　that　was　spiritual　rather　than　materialas　tangible

as　the　latter　and　far；　far　more　menacing！



〃They　do　not　like　to　dance　with　the　Shining　One；〃　was

Rador's　constant　and　only　reply　to　my　efforts　to　find　the

cause。



Once　I　had　concrete　evidence　of　the　mood。　　Glancing　be…

hind　me；　I　saw　a　white；　vengeful　face　peer　from　behind　a

tree…trunk；　a　hand　lift；　a　shining　dart　speed　from　it　straight

toward　Rador's　back。　　Instinctively　I　thrust　him　aside。　　He

turned　upon　me　angrily。　　I　pointed　to　where　the　little　missile

lay；　still　quivering；　on　the　ground。　　He　gripped　my　hand。



〃That；　some　day　I　will　repay！〃　he　said。　　I　looked　again　at

the　thing。　　At　its　end　was　a　tiny　cone　covered　with　a　glisten…


ing；　gelatinous　substance。



Rador　pulled　from　a　tree　beside　us　a　fruit　somewhat　like

an　apple。



〃Look！〃　he　said。　　He　dropped　it　upon　the　dartand　at

once；　before　my　eyes；　in　less　than　ten　seconds；　the　fruit　had

rotted　away！



〃That's　what　would　have　happened　to　Rador　but　for　you；

fri