the moon pool-第66部分

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legs　and　arms。　　Beside　him　was　the　shattered　tripod　from

which　Larry　had　wrenched　his　weapon。　　I　flung　myself　upon

it；　dashed　it　down　to　break　loose　one　of　the　remaining　sup…

ports；　struck　in　midfall　one　of　the　unseen　even　as　his　dagger

darted　toward　me！　　The　seat　splintered；　leaving　in　my　clutch

a　golden　bar。　　I　jumped　to　Larry's　side；　guarding　his　back；

whirling　it　like　a　staff；　felt　it　crunch　oncetwicethrough

unseen　bone　and　muscle。



At　the　door　was　a　booming。　　Into　the　chamber　rushed　a

dozen　of　the　frog…men。　　While　some　guarded　the　entrances；

others　leaped　straight　to　us；　and　forming　a　circle　about　us

began　to　strike　with　talons　and　spurs　at　unseen　things　that

screamed　and　sought　to　escape。　　Now　here　and　there　about

the　blue　rugs　great　stains　of　blood　appeared；　heads　of　dwarfs；

torn　arms　and　gashed　bodies；　half　occulted；　half　revealed。

And　at　last　the　priestess　lay　silent；　vanquished；　white　body

gleaming　with　that　uncannyfragmentarinessfrom　her

torn　robes。　　Then　O'Keefe　reached　down；　drew　Lakla　from

her。　　Shakily；　Yolara　rose　to　her　feet。　　The　handmaiden；　face

still　blazing　with　wrath；　stepped　before　her；　with　difficulty

she　steadied　her　voice。



〃Yolara；〃　she　said；　〃you　have　defied　the　Silent　Ones；　you

have　desecrated　their　abode；　you　came　to　slay　these　men　who

are　the　guests　of　the　Silent　Ones　and　me；　who　am　their　hand…

maidenwhy　did　you　do　these　things？〃



〃I　came　for　him！〃　gasped　the　priestess；　she　pointed　to

O'Keefe。



〃Why？〃　asked　Lakla。



〃Because　he　is　pledged　to　me；〃　replied　Yolara；　all　the

devils　that　were　hers　in　her　face。　　〃Because　he　wooed　me！

Because　he　is　mine！〃



〃That　is　a　lie！〃　The　handmaiden's　voice　shook　with　rage。

〃It　is　a　lie！　　But　here　and　now　he　shall　choose；　Yolara。　　And

if　you　he　choose；　you　and　he　shall　go　forth　from　here　un…

molestedfor　Yolara；　it　is　his　happiness　that　I　most　desire；

and　if　you　are　that　happinessyou　shall　go　together。　　And

now；　Larry；　choose！〃



Swiftly　she　stepped　beside　the　priestess；　swiftly　wrenched

the　last　shreds　of　the　hiding　robes　from　her。



There　they　stoodYolara　with　but　the　filmiest　net　of

gauze　about　her　wonderful　body；　gleaming　flesh　shining

through　it；　serpent　woman…and　wonderful；　too；　beyond　the

dreams　even　of　Phidiasand　hell…fire　glowing　from　the　pur…

ple　eyes。



And　Lakla；　like　a　girl　of　the　Vikings；　like　one　of　those

warrior　maids　who　stood　and　fought　for　dun　and　babes　at　the

side　of　those　old　heroes　of　Larry's　own　green　isle；　trans…

lucent　ivory　lambent　through　the　rents　of　her　torn　draperies；

and　in　the　wide；　golden　eyes　flaming　wrath；　indeednot　the

diabolic　flames　of　the　priestess　but　the　righteous　wrath　of

some　soul　that　looking　out　of　paradise　sees　vile　wrong　in　the

doing。



〃Lakla；〃　the　O'Keefe's　voice　was　subdued；　hurt；　〃there　IS

no　choice。　　I　love　you　and　only　youand　have　from　the　moment

I　saw　you。　　It's　not　easythis。　　God；　Goodwin；　I　feel

like　an　utter　cad；〃　he　flashed　at　me。　　〃There　is　no　choice；

Lakla；〃　he　ended；　eyes　steady　upon　hers。



The　priestess's　face　grew　deadlier　still。



〃What　will　you　do　with　me？〃　she　asked。



〃Keep　you；〃　I　said；　〃as　hostage。〃



O'Keefe　was　silent；　the　Golden　Girl　shook　her　head。



〃Well　would　I　like　to；〃　her　face　grew　dreaming；　〃but　the

Silent　Ones　sayNO；　they　bid　me　let　you　go；　Yolara〃



〃The　Silent　Ones；〃　the　priestess　laughed。　〃YOU；　Lakla！

You　fear；　perhaps；　to　let　me　tarry　here　too　close！〃



Storm　gathered　again　in　the　handmaiden's　eyes；　she　forced

it　back。



〃No；〃　she　answered；　the　Silent　Ones　so　commandand

for　their　own　purposes。　　Yet　do　I　think；　Yolara；　that　you　will

have　little　time　to　feed　your　wickednesstell　that　to　Lugur

and　to　your　Shining　One！〃　she　added　slowly。



Mockery　and　disbelief　rode　high　in　the　priestess's　pose。

〃Am　I　to　return　alonelike　this？〃　she　asked。



〃Nay；　Yolara；　nay；　you　shall　be　accompanied；〃　said　Lakla；

〃and　by　those　who　will　guardand　WATCHyou　well。　　They　are

here　even　now。〃



The　hangings　parted；　and　into　the　chamber　came　Olaf

and　Rador。



The　priestess　met　the　fierce　hatred　and　contempt　in　the

eyes　of　the　Norsemanand　for　the　first　time　lost　her　bravado。



〃Let　not　HIM　go　with　me；〃　she　gaspedher　eyes　searched

the　floor　frantically。



〃He　goes　with　you；〃　said　Lakla；　and　threw　about　Yolara

a　swathing　that　covered　the　exquisite；　alluring　body。　　〃And

you　shall　pass　through　the　Portal；　not　skulk　along　the　path

of　the　worm！〃



She　bent　to　Rador；　whispered　to　him；　he　nodded；　she　had

told　him；　I　supposed；　the　secret　of　its　opening。



〃Come；〃　he　said；　and　with　the　ice…eyed　giant　behind　her；

Yolara；　head　bent；　passed　out　of　those　hangings　through

which；　but　a　little　before；　unseen；　triumph　in　her　grasp；

she　had　slipped。



Then　Lakla　came　to　the　unhappy　O'Keefe；　rested　her

hands　on　his　shoulders；　looked　deep　into　his　eyes。



〃DID　you　woo　her；　even　as　she　said？〃　she　asked。



The　Irishman　flushed　miserably。



〃I　did　not；〃　he　said。　　〃I　was　pleasant　to　her；　of　course；

because　I　thought　it　would　bring　me　quicker　to　you；　darlin'。〃



She　looked　at　him　doubtfully；　then



〃I　think　you　must　have　been　VERYpleasant！〃　was　all　she

saidand　leaning；　kissed　him　forgivingly　straight　on　the　lips。

An　extremely　direct　maiden　was　Lakla；　with　a　truly　sov…

ereign　contempt　for　anything　she　might　consider　non…essen…

tials；　and　at　this　moment　I　decided　she　was　wiser　even　than

I　had　thought　her。



He　stumbled；　feet　vanishing；　reached　down　and　picked　up

something　that　in　the　grasping　turned　his　hand　to　air。



〃One　of　the　invisible　cloaks；〃　he　said　to　me。　　〃There　must

be　quite　a　lot　of　them　aboutI　guess　Yolara　brought　her

full　staff　of　murderers。　　They're　a　bit　shopworn；　probably

but　we're　considerably　better　off　with　'em　in　our　hands　than

in　hers。　　And　they　may　come　in　handywho　knows？〃



There　was　a　choking　rattle　at　my　feet；　half　the　head　of　a

dwarf　raised　out　of　vacancy；　beat　twice　upon　the　floor　in

death　throes；　fell　back。　　Lakla　shivered；　gave　a　command。

The　frog…men　moved　about；　peering　here　and　there；　lifting

unseen　folds　revealing　in　stark　rigidity　torn　form　after　form

of　the　priestess's　men。



Lakla　had　been　righther　_Akka_　were　thorough　fighters！



She　called；　and　to　her　came　the　frog…woman　who　was　her

attendant。　　To　her　the　handmaiden　spoke；　pointing　to　the

batrachians　who　stood；　paws　and　forearms　melted　beneath

the　robes　they　had　gathered。　　She　took　them　and　passed　out

more　grotesque　than　ever；　shattering　into　streaks　of　vacan…

cies；　reappearing　with　flickers　of　shining　scale　and　yellow

gems　as　the　tattered　pennants　of　invisibility　fluttered　about

her。



The　frog…men　reached　down；　swung　each　a　dead　dwarf　in

his　arms；　and　filed；　booming　triumphantly　away



And　then　I　remembered　the　cone　of　the　_Keth_　which　had

slipped　from　Yolara's　hand；　knew　it　had　been　that　for　which

her　wild　eyes　searched。　　But　look　as　closely　as　we　might；

search　in　every　nook　and　cor