the moon pool-第61部分

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nerve…racking　hoursthe　facing　of　the　Three。



Now；　lying　gazing　upward　at　the　high…vaulted　ceiling；　I

heard　Larry's　voice：



〃They　look　like　birds。〃　Evidently　he　was　thinking　of　the

Three；　a　silencethen：　〃Yes；　they　look　like　BIRDSand　they

look；　and　it's　meaning　no　disrespect　to　them　I　am　at　all；　they

look　like　LIZARDS〃and　another　silence〃they　look　like

some　sort　of　gods；　and；　by　the　good　sword…arm　of　Brian

Boru；　they　look　human；　too！　　And　it's　NONE　of　them　they　are

either；　so　whatwhat　thewhat　the　sainted　St。　Bridget　are

they？〃　Another　short　silence；　and　then　in　a　tone　of　awed

and　absolute　conviction：　〃That's　it；　sure！　　That's　what　they

areit　all　hangs　inthey　couldn't　be　anything　else〃



He　gave　a　whoop；　a　pillow　shot　over　and　caught　me　across

the　head。



〃Wake　up！〃　shouted　Larry。　　〃Wake　up；　ye　seething　caldron

of　fossilized　superstitions！　　Wake　up；　ye　bogy…haunted　man

of　scientific　unwisdom！〃



Under　pillow　and　insults　I　bounced　to　my　feet；　filled　for　a

moment　with　quite　real　wrath；　he　lay　back；　roaring　with

laughter；　and　my　anger　was　swept　away。



〃Doc；〃　he　said；　very　seriously；　after　this；　〃I　know　who　the

Three　are！〃



〃Yes？〃　I　queried；　with　studied　sarcasm。



〃Yes？〃　he　mimicked。　　〃Yes！　　Yeye〃　He　paused　under

the　menace　of　my　look；　grinned。　　〃Yes；　I　know；〃　he　con…

tinued。　　〃They're　of　the　Tuatha　De；　the　old　ones；　the　great

people　of　Ireland；　THAT'S　who　they　are！〃



I　knew；　of　course；　of　the　Tuatha　De　Danann；　the　tribes　of

the　god　Danu；　the　half…legendary；　half…historical　clan　who

found　their　home　in　Erin　some　four　thousand　years　before

the　Christian　era；　and　who　have　left　so　deep　an　impress　upon

the　Celtic　mind　and　its　myths。



〃Yes；〃　said　Larry　again；　〃the　Tuatha　Dethe　Ancient

Ones　who　had　spells　that　could　compel　Mananan；　who　is　the

spirit　of　all　the　seas；　an'　Keithor；　who　is　the　god　of　all　green

living　things；　an'　even　Hesus；　the　unseen　god；　whose　pulse　is

the　pulse　of　all　the　firmament；　yes；　an'　Orchil　too；　who　sits

within　the　earth　an'　weaves　with　the　shuttle　of　mystery　and

her　three　looms　of　birth　an'　life　an'　deatheven　Orchil

would　weave　as　they　commanded！〃



He　was　silentthen：



〃They　are　of　themthe　mighty　oneswhy　else　would　I

have　bent　my　knee　to　them　as　I　would　have　to　the　spirit　of

my　dead　mother？　　Why　else　would　Lakla；　whose　gold…brown

hair　is　the　hair　of　Eilidh　the　Fair；　whose　mouth　is　the　sweet

mouth　of　Deirdre；　an'　whose　soul　walked　with　mine　ages

agone　among　the　fragrant　green　myrtle　of　Erin；　serve　them？〃

he　whispered；　eyes　full　of　dream。



〃Have　you　any　idea　how　they　got　here？〃　I　asked；　not

unreasonably。



〃I　haven't　thought　about　that；〃　he　replied　somewhat　test…

ily。　　〃But　at　once；　me　excellent　man　o'　wisdom；　a　number

occur　to　me。　　One　of　them　is　that　this　little　party　of　three

might　have　stopped　here　on　their　way　to　Ireland；　an'　for　good

reasons　of　their　own　decided　to　stay　a　while；　an'　another　is

that　they　might　have　come　here　afterward；　havin'　got　wind

of　what　those　rats　out　there　were　contemplatin'；　and　have

stayed　on　the　job　till　the　time　was　ripe　to　save　Ireland　from

'em；　the　rest　of　the　world；　too；　of　course；〃　he　added　mag…

nanimously；　〃but　Ireland　in　particular。　　And　do　any　of　those

reasons　appeal　to　ye？〃



I　shook　my　head。



〃Well；　what　do　you　think？〃　he　asked　wearily。



〃I　think；〃　I　said　cautiously；　〃that　we　face　an　evolution　of

highly　intelligent　beings　from　ancestral　sources　radically　re…

moved　from　those　through　which　mankind　ascended。　　These

half…human；　highly　developed　batrachians　they　call　the　_Akka_

prove　that　evolution　in　these　caverned　spaces　has　certainly

pursued　one　different　path　than　on　earth。　　The　Englishman；

Wells；　wrote　an　imaginative　and　very　entertaining　book　con…

cerning　an　invasion　of　earth　by　Martians；　and　he　made　his

Martians　enormously　specialized　cuttlefish。　　There　was　noth…

ing　inherently　improbable　in　Wells'　choice。　　Man　is　the　ruling

animal　of　earth　today　solely　by　reason　of　a　series　of　acci…

dents；　under　another　series　spiders　or　ants；　or　even　ele…

phants；　could　have　become　the　dominant　race。



〃I　think；〃　I　said；　even　more　cautiously；　〃that　the　race　to

which　the　Three　belong　never　appeared　on　earth's　surface；

that　their　development　took　place　here；　unhindered　through

aeons。　　And　if　this　be　true；　the　structure　of　their　brains；　and

therefore　all　their　reactions；　must　be　different　from　ours。

Hence　their　knowledge　and　command　of　energies　unfamiliar

to　usand　hence　also　the　question　whether　they　may　not

have　an　entirely　different　sense　of　values；　of　justiceand

that　is　rather　terrifying；〃　I　concluded。



Larry　shook　his　head。



〃That　last　sort　of　knocks　your　argument；　Doc；〃　he　said。

〃They　had　sense　of　justice　enough　to　help　ME　outand　cer…

tainly　they　know　lovefor　I　saw　the　way　they　looked　at

Lakla；　and　sorrowfor　there　was　no　mistaking　that　in　their

faces。



〃No；〃　he　went　on。　　〃I　hold　to　my　own　idea。　　They're　of　the

Old　People。　　The　little　leprechaun　knew　his　way　here；　an'

I'll　bet　it　was　they　who　sent　the　word。　　An'　if　the　O'Keefe　ban…

shee　comes　herewhich　save　the　mark！I'll　bet　she'll　drop

in　on　the　Silent　Ones　for　a　social　visit　before　she　an'　her　clan

get　busy。　　Well；　it'll　make　her　feel　more　at　home；　the　good　old

body。　　No；　Doc；　no；〃　he　concluded；　〃I'm　right；　it　all　fits　in　too

well　to　be　wrong。〃



I　made　a　last　despairing　attempt。



〃Is　there　anything　anywhere　in　Ireland　that　would　indicate

that　the　Tuatha　De　ever　looked　like　the　Three？〃　I　asked

and　again　I　had　spoken　most　unfortunately。



〃Is　there？〃　he　shouted。　　〃Is　there？　　By　the　kilt　of　Cormack

MacCormack；　I'm　glad　ye　reminded　me。　　It　was　worryin'　me

a　little　meself。　　There　was　Daghda；　who　could　put　on　the

head　of　a　great　boar　an'　the　body　of　a　giant　fish　and　cleave

the　waves　an'　tear　to　pieces　the　birlins　of　any　who　came

against　Erin；　an'　there　was　Rinn〃



How　many　more　of　the　metamorphoses　of　the　Old　People

I　might　have　heard；　I　do　not　know；　for　the　curtains　parted

and　in　walked　Rador。



〃You　have　rested　well；〃　he　smiled；　〃I　can　see。　　The　hand…

maiden　bade　me　call　you。　　You　are　to　eat　with　her　in　her

garden。〃



Down　long　corridors　we　trod　and　out　upon　a　gardened

terrace　as　beautiful　as　any　of　those　of　Yolara's　city；　bow…

ered；　blossoming；　fragrant；　set　high　upon　the　cliffs　beside　the

domed　castle。　　A　table；　as　of　milky　jade；　was　spread　at　one

corner；　but　the　Golden　Girl　was　not　there。　　A　little　path　ran

on　and　up；　hemmed　in　by　the　mass　of　verdure。　　I　looked　at

it　longingly；　Rador　saw　the　glance；　interpreted　it；　and　led　me

up　the　stepped　sharp　slope　into　a　rock　embrasure。



Here　I　was　above　the　foliage；　and　everywhere　the　view

was　clear。　　Below　me　stretched　the　incredible　bridge；　with　the

frog　people　hurrying　back　and　forth　upon　it。　　A　pinnacle　at

my　side　hid　the　abyss。　　My　eyes　followed　the　cavern　ledge。

Above　it　the　rock　rose　bare；　but　at　the　ends　of　the　semi…

circular　strand　a　luxur