the moon pool-第43部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



Dweller！



But　before　he　could　touch　the　Shining　One；　now　motion…

lessand　never　was　the　thing　more　horrible　than　then；　with

the　purely　human　suggestion　of　surprise　plain　in　its　poise

Larry　had　struck　him　aside。



I　tried　to　followand　was　held　by　Rador。　　He　was　trem…

blingbut　not　with　fear。　　In　his　face　was　incredulous　hope；

inexplicable　eagerness。



〃Wait！〃　he　said。　　〃Wait！〃



The　Shining　One　stretched　out　a　slow　spiral；　and　as　it　did

so　I　saw　the　bravest　thing　man　has　ever　witnessed。　　Instantly

O'Keefe　thrust　himself　between　it　and　Olaf；　pistol　out。　　The

tentacle　touched　him；　and　the　dull　blue　of　his　robe　flashed

out　into　blinding；　intense　azure　light。　　From　the　automatic　in

his　gloved　hand　came　three　quick　bursts　of　flame　straight

into　the　Thing。　　The　Dweller　drew　back；　the　bell…sounds

swelled。



Lugur　paused；　his　hand　darted　up；　and　in　it　was　one　of

the　silver　_Keth_　cones。　　But　before　he　could　flash　it　upon　the

Norseman；　Larry　had　unlooped　his　robe；　thrown　its　fold

over　Olaf；　and；　holding　him　with　one　hand　away　from　the

Shining　One；　thrust　with　the　other　his　pistol　into　the　dwarf's

stomach。　　His　lips　moved；　but　I　could　not　hear　what　he　said。

But　Lugur　understood；　for　his　hand　dropped。



Now　Yolara　was　thereall　this　had　taken　barely　more

than　five　seconds。　　She　thrust　herself　between　the　three　men

and　the　Dweller。　　She　spoke　to　itand　the　wild　buzzing　died

down；　the　gay　crystal　tinklings　burst　forth　again。　　The　Thing

murmured　to　herbegan　to　whirlfaster；　fasterpassed

down　the　ivory　pier；　out　upon　the　waters；　bearing　with　it；

meshed　in　its　light；　the　sacrificesswept　on　ever　more

swiftly；　triumphantly　and　turning；　turning；　with　its　ghastly

crew；　vanished　through　the　Veil！



Abruptly　the　polychromatic　path　snapped　out。　　The　silver

light　poured　in　upon　us。　　From　all　the　amphitheatre　arose　a

clamour；　a　shouting。　　Marakinoff；　his　eyes　staring；　was　lean…

ing　out；　listening。　　Unrestrained　now　by　Rador；　I　vaulted　the

wall　and　rushed　forward。　　But　not　before　I　had　heard　the

green　dwarf　murmur：



〃There　is　something　stronger　than　the　Shining　One！　　Two

thingsyeaa　strong　heartand　hate！〃



Olaf；　panting；　eyes　glazed；　trembling；　shrank　beneath　my

hand。



〃The　devil　that　took　my　Helma！〃　I　heard　him　whisper。

〃The　Shining　Devil！〃



〃Both　these　men；〃　Lugur　was　raging；　〃they　shall　dance

with　the　Shining　one。　　And　this　one；　too。〃　He　pointed　at　me

malignantly。



〃This　man　is　mine；〃　said　the　priestess；　and　her　voice　was

menacing。　　She　rested　her　hand　on　Larry's　shoulder。　　〃He

shall　not　dance。　　Nonor　his　friend。　　I　have　told　you　I　dare

not　for　this　one！〃　She　pointed　to　Olaf。



〃Neither　this　man；　nor　this；〃　said　Larry；　〃shall　be　harmed。

This　is　my　word；　Yolara！〃



〃Even　so；〃　she　answered　quietly；　〃my　lord！〃



I　saw　Marakinoff　stare　at　O'Keefe　with　a　new　and　curi…

ously　speculative　interest。　　Lugur's　eyes　grew　hellish；　he

raised　his　arms　as　though　to　strike　her。　　Larry's　pistol

prodded　him　rudely　enough。



〃No　rough　stuff　now；　kid！〃　said　O'Keefe　in　English。　　The

red　dwarf　quivered；　turnedcaught　a　robe　from　a　priest

standing　by；　and　threw　it　over　himself。　　The　_ladala_；　shouting；

gesticulating；　fighting　with　the　soldiers；　were　jostling　down

from　the　tiers　of　jet。



〃Come！〃　commanded　Yolaraher　eyes　rested　upon

Larry。　　〃Your　heart　is　great；　indeedmy　lord！〃　she　mur…

mured；　and　her　voice　was　very　sweet。　　〃Come！〃



〃This　man　comes　with　us；　Yolara；〃　said　O'Keefe　pointing

to　Olaf。



〃Bring　him；〃　she　said。　　〃Bring　himonly　tell　him　to　look

no　more　upon　me　as　before！〃　she　added　fiercely。



Beside　her　the　three　of　us　passed　along　the　stalls；　where

sat　the　fair…haired；　now　silent；　at　gaze；　as　though　in　the　grip

of　some　great　doubt。　　Silently　Olaf　strode　beside　me。　　Rador

had　disappeared。　　Down　the　stairway；　through　the　hall　of

turquoise　mist；　over　the　rushing　sea…stream　we　went　and

stood　beside　the　wall　through　which　we　had　entered。　　The

white…robed　ones　had　gone。



Yolara　pressed；　the　portal　opened。　　We　stepped　upon　the

car；　she　took　the　lever；　we　raced　through　the　faintly　lumi…

nous　corridor　to　the　house　of　the　priestess。



And　one　thing　now　I　knew　sick　at　heart　and　soul　the　truth

had　come　to　meno　more　need　to　search　for　Throckmartin。

Behind　that　Veil；　in　the　lair　of　the　Dweller；　dead…alive　like

those　we　had　just　seen　swim　in　its　shining　train　was　he；　and

Edith；　Stanton　and　Thora　and　Olaf　Huldricksson's　wife！



The　car　came　to　rest；　the　portal　opened；　Yolara　leaped

out　lightly；　beckoned　and　flitted　up　the　corridor。　　She　paused

before　an　ebon　screen。　　At　a　touch　it　vanished；　revealing　an

entrance　to　a　small　blue　chamber；　glowing　as　though　cut

from　the　heart　of　some　gigantic　sapphire；　bare；　save　that　in

its　centre；　upon　a　low　pedestal；　stood　a　great　globe　fashioned

from　milky　rock…crystal；　upon　its　surface　were　faint　tracings

as　of　seas　and　continents；　but；　if　so；　either　of　some　other

world　or　of　this　world　in　immemorial　past；　for　in　no　way

did　they　resemble　the　mapped　coastlines　of　our　earth。



Poised　upon　the　globe；　rising　from　it　out　into　space；　locked

in　each　other's　arms；　lips　to　lips；　were　two　figures；　a　woman

and　a　man；　so　exquisite；　so　lifelike；　that　for　the　moment　I

failed　to　realize　that　they；　too；　were　carved　of　the　crystal。

And　before　this　shrinefor　nothing　else　could　it　be；　I　knew

three　slender　cones　raised　themselves：　one　of　purest　white

flame；　one　of　opalescent　water；　and　the　third　ofmoon…

light！　　There　was　no　mistaking　them；　the　height　of　a　tall　man

each　stoodbut　how　water；　flame　and　light　were　held　so

evenly；　so　steadily　in　their　spire…shapes；　I　could　not　tell。



Yolara　bowed　lowlyonce；　twice；　thrice。　　She　turned　to

O'Keefe；　nor　by　slightest　look　or　gesture　betrayed　she　knew

others　were　there　than　he。　　The　blue　eyes　wide；　searching；

unfathomable；　she　drew　close；　put　white　hands　on　his　shoul…

ders；　looked　down　into　his　very　soul。



〃My　lord；〃　she　murmured。　　〃Now　listen　well　for　I；　Yolara；

give　you　three　thingsmyself；　and　the　Shining　One；　and　the

power　that　is　the　Shining　One'syea；　and　still　a　fourth　thing

that　is　all　threepower　over　all　upon　that　world　from

whence　you　came！　　These；　my　lord；　ye　shall　have。　　I　swear　it〃

she　turned　toward　the　altaruplifted　her　arms〃by　Siya

and　by　Siyana；　and　by　the　flame；　by　the　water；　and　by　the

light！〃1





*1　I　have　no　space　here　even　to　outline　the　eschatology　of　this　people；

nor　to　catalogue　their　pantheon。　　Siya　and　Siyana　typified　worldly　love。

Their　ritual　was；　however；　singularly　free　from　those　degrading　ele…

ments　usually　found　in　love…cults。　　Priests　and　priestesses　of　all　cults

dwelt　in　the　immense　seven…terraced　structure；　of　which　the　jet　amphi…

theatre　was　the　water　side。　　The　symbol；　icon；　representation；　of　Siya

and　Siyanathe　globe　and　the　up…striving　figurestypified　earthly

love；　feet　bound　to　earth；　but　eyes　among　the　stars。　　Hell　or　heaven　I

never　heard　formulated；　nor　t