the moon pool-第51部分

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I　were　going　to　be　loving　little　turtle　doves。　　Also　he　figured

that　Yolara　had　a　lot　more　influence　with　the　Unholy　Fire…

works　than　Lugur。　　Also　that　being　a　woman　she　could　be

more　easily　handled。　　All　this　being　so；　what　was　the　logical

thing　for　himself　to　do？　　Sure；　you　get　me；　Steve！　　Throw

down　Lugur　and　make　an　alliance　with　me！　　So　HE　calmly

offered　to　ditch　the　red　dwarf　if　I　would　deliver　Yolara。

My　reward　from　Russia　was　to　be　said　emperorship！

Can　you　beat　it？　　Good　Lord！〃



He　went　off　into　a　perfect　storm　of　laughter。　　But　not　to

me　in　the　light　of　what　Russia　has　done　and　has　proved　her…

self　capable；　did　this　thing　seem　at　all　absurd；　rather　in　it　I

sensed　the　dawn　of　catastrophe　colossal。



〃And　yet；〃　he　was　quiet　enough　now；　〃I'm　a　bit　scared。

They've　got　the　_Keth_　ray　and　those　gravity…destroying

bombs〃



〃Gravity…destroying　bombs！〃　I　gasped。



〃Sure；〃　he　said。　　〃The　little　fairy　that　sent　the　trees　and

stones　kiting　up　from　Lugur's　garden。　　Marakinoff　licked　his

lips　over　them。　　They　cut　off　gravity；　just　about　as　the　shadow

screens　cut　off　lightand　consequently　whatever's　in　their

range　goes　shooting　just　naturally　up　to　the　moon



〃They　get　my　goat；　why　deny　it？〃　went　on　Larry。　　〃With

them　and　the　_Keth_　and　gentle　invisible　soldiers　walking

around　assassinating　at　willwell；　the　worst　Bolsheviki　are

only　puling　babes；　eh；　Doc？



〃I　don't　mind　the　Shining　One；〃　said　O'Keefe；　〃one　splash

of　a　downtown　New　York　high…pressure　fire　hose　would　do

for　it！　　But　the　othersare　the　goods！　　Believe　me！〃



But　for　once　O'Keefe's　confidence　found　no　echo　within

me。　Not　lightly；　as　he；　did　I　hold　that　dread　mystery；　the

Dwellerand　a　vision　passed　before　me；　a　vision　of　an

Apocalypse　undreamed　by　the　Evangelist。



A　vision　of　the　Shining　One　swirling　into　our　world；　a

monstrous；　glorious　flaming　pillar　of　incarnate；　eternal　Evil

of　peoples　passing　through　its　radiant　embrace　into　that

hideous；　unearthly　life…in…death　which　I　had　seen　enfold　the

sacrificesof　armies　trembling　into　dancing　atoms　of　dia…

mond　dust　beneath　the　green　ray's　rhythmic　deathof　cities

rushing　out　into　space　upon　the　wings　of　that　other　demoniac

force　which　Olaf　had　watched　at　workof　a　haunted　world

through　which　the　assassins　of　the　Dweller's　court　stole　in…

visible；　carrying　with　them　every　passion　of　hellof　the

rallying　to　the　Thing　of　every　sinister　soul　and　of　the　weak

and　the　unbalanced；　mystics　and　carnivores　of　humanity

alike；　for　well　I　knew　that；　once　loosed；　not　any　nation　could

hold　this　devil…god　for　long　and　that　swiftly　its　blight　would

spread！



And　then　a　world　that　was　all　colossal　reek　of　cruelty　and

terror；　a　welter　of　lusts；　of　hatreds　and　of　torment；　a　chaos

of　horror　in　which　the　Dweller　waxing　ever　stronger；　the

ghastly　hordes　of　those　it　had　consumed　growing　ever

greater；　wreaked　its　inhuman　will！



At　the　last　a　ruined　planet；　a　cosmic　plague；　spinning

through　the　shuddering　heavens；　its　verdant　plains；　its　mur…

muring　forests；　its　meadows　and　its　mountains　manned　only

by　a　countless　crew　of　soulless；　mindless　dead…alive；　their

shells　illumined　with　the　Dweller's　infernal　gloryand　flam…

ing　over　this　vampirized　earth　like　a　flare　from　some　hell

far；　infinitely　far；　beyond　the　reach　of　man's　farthest　flung

imaginingthe　Dweller！



Rador　jumped　to　his　feet；　walked　to　the　whispering　globe。

He　bent　over　its　base；　did　something　with　its　mechanism；

beckoned　to　us。　　The　globe　swam　rapidly；　faster　than　ever　I

had　seen　it　before。　　A　low　humming　arose；　changed　into　a

murmur；　and　then　from　it　I　heard　Lugur's　voice　clearly。



〃It　is　to　be　war　then？〃



There　was　a　chorus　of　assentfrom　the　Council；　I

thought。



〃I　will　take　the　tall　one　named_Larree_。〃　It　was　the　priest…

ess's　voice。　　〃After　the　three　_tal_；　you　may　have　him；　Lugur；

to　do　with　as　you　will。〃



〃No！〃　it　was　Lugur's　voice　again；　but　with　a　rasp　of　anger。

〃All　must　die。〃



〃He　shall　die；〃　again　Yolara。　　〃But　I　would　that　first　he

see　Lakla　passand　that　she　know　what　is　to　happen　to

him。〃



〃No！〃　I　startedfor　this　was　Marakinoff。　　〃Now　is　no

time；　Yolara；　for　one's　own　desires。　　This　is　my　counsel。　　At

the　end　of　the　three　_tal_　Lakla　will　come　for　our　answer。　　Your

men　will　be　in　ambush　and　they　will　slay　her　and　her　escort

quickly　with　the　_Keth_。　　But　not　till　that　is　done　must　the

three　be　slainand　then　quickly。　　With　Lakla　dead　we　shall

go　forth　to　the　Silent　Onesand　I　promise　you　that　I　will

find　the　way　to　destroy　them！〃



〃It　is　well！〃　It　was　Lugur。



〃It　IS　well；　Yolara。〃　It　was　a　woman's　voice；　and　I　knew

it　for　that　old　one　of　ravaged　beauty。　　〃Cast　from　your　mind

whatever　is　in　it　for　this　strangereither　of　love　or　hatred。

In　this　the　Council　is　with　Lugur　and　the　man　of　wisdom。〃



There　was　a　silence。　　Then　came　the　priestess's　voice；　sul…

len　butbeaten。



〃It　is　well！〃



〃Let　the　three　be　taken　now　by　Rador　to　the　temple　and

given　to　the　High　Priest　Sator〃thus　Lugur〃until　what

we　have　planned　comes　to　pass。〃



Rador　gripped　the　base　of　the　globe；　abruptly　it　ceased

its　spinning。　　He　turned　to　us　as　though　to　speak　and　even　as

he　did　so　its　bell　note　sounded　peremptorily　and　on　it　the

colour　films　began　to　creep　at　their　accustomed　pace。



〃I　hear；〃　the　green　dwarf　whispered。　　〃They　shall　be　taken

there　at　once。〃　The　globe　grew　silent。　　He　stepped　toward

us。



〃You　have　heard；〃　he　turned　to　us。



〃Not　on　your　life；　Rador；〃　said　Larry。　　〃Nothing　doing！〃

And　then　in　the　Murian's　own　tongue。　　〃We　follow　Lakla；

Rador。　　And　YOU　lead　the　way。〃　He　thrust　the　pistol　close

to　the　green　dwarf's　side。



Rador　did　not　move。



〃Of　what　use；　_Larree_？〃　he　said；　quietly。　　〃Me　you　can　slay

but　in　the　end　you　will　be　taken。　　Life　is　not　held　so　dear

in　Muria　that　my　men　out　there　or　those　others　who　can

come　quickly　will　let　you　byeven　though　you　slay　many。

And　in　the　end　they　will　overpower　you。〃



There　was　a　trace　of　irresolution　in　O'Keefe's　face。



〃And；〃　added　Rador；　〃if　I　let　you　go　I　dance　with　the

Shining　Oneor　worse！〃



O'Keefe's　pistol　hand　dropped。



〃You're　a　good　sport；　Rador；　and　far　be　it　from　me　to　get

you　in　bad；〃　he　said。　　〃Take　us　to　the　templewhen　we　get

therewell；　your　responsibility　ends；　doesn't　it？〃



The　green　dwarf　nodded；　on　his　face　a　curious　expres…

sionwas　it　relief？　　Or　was　it　emotion　higher　than　this？



He　turned　curtly。



〃Follow；〃　he　said。　　We　passed　out　of　that　gay　little　pavilion

that　had　come　to　be　home　to　us　even　in　this　alien　place。　　The

guards　stood　at　attention。



〃You；　Sattoya；　stand　by　the　globe；〃　he　ordered　one　of

them。　　〃Should　the　_Afyo　Maie_　ask；　say　that　I　am　on　my　way

with　the　strangers　even　as　she　has　commanded。〃



We　passed　through　the　lines　to　the　_corial_　standing　like　a

great　shell　at　the　end　of　the　runway　leading　into　the　green

road。



〃Wait　you　here；〃　he　sai