the moon pool-第69部分

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〃Throckmartin！〃　I　cried。　　〃Throckmartin！　　I'm　here！〃



Did　he　hear？　　I　know　now；　of　course；　he　could　not。



But　then　I　waitedhope　striving　to　break　through　the

nightmare　hands　that　gripped　my　heart。



Their　wide　eyes　never　left　me。　　There　was　another　move…

ment　about　them；　others　pushed　past　them；　they　drifted

back；　swaying；　eddyingand　still　staring　were　lost　in　the

awful　throng。



Vainly　I　strained　my　gaze　to　find　them　again；　to　force

some　sign　of　recognition；　some　awakening　of　the　clean　life

we　know。　　But　they　were　gone。　　Try　as　I　would　I　could　not　see

themnor　Stanton　and　the　northern　woman　named　Thora

who　had　been　the　first　of　that　tragic　party　to　be　taken　by

the　Dweller。



〃Throckmartin！〃　I　cried　again；　despairingly。　　My　tears

blinded　me。



I　felt　Lakla's　light　touch。



〃Steady；〃　she　commanded；　pitifully。　　〃Steady；　Goodwin。

You　cannot　help　themnow！　　Steady　andwatch！〃



Below　us　the　Shining　One　had　pausedspiralling；　swirl…

ing；　vibrant　with　all　its　transcendent；　devilish　beauty；　had

paused　and　was　contemplating　us。　　Now　I　could　see　clearly

that　nucleus；　that　core　shot　through　with　flashing　veins　of

radiance；　that　ever…shifting　shape　of　glory　through　the

shroudings　of　shimmering；　misty　plumes；　throbbing　lacy

opalescences；　vaporous　spirallings　of　prismatic　phantom

fires。　　Steady　over　it　hung　the　seven　little　moons　of　amethyst；

of　saffron；　of　emerald　and　azure　and　silver；　of　rose　of　life

and　moon　white。　　They　poised　themselves　like　a　diadem

calm；　serene；　immobileand　down　from　them　into　the　Dwel…

ler；　piercing　plumes　and　swirls　and　spirals；　ran　countless

tiny　strands；　radiations；　finer　than　the　finest　spun　thread　of

spider's　web；　gleaming　filaments　through　which　seemed　to

runPOWERfrom　the　seven　globes；　likeyes；　that　was　it

miniatures　of　the　seven　torrents　of　moon　flame　that　poured

through　the　septichromatic；　high　crystals　in　the　Moon　Pool's

chamber　roof。



Swam　out　of　the　coruscating　haze　theface！



Both　of　man　and　of　woman　it　waslike　some　ancient；

androgynous　deity　of　Etruscan　fanes　long　dust；　and　yet

neither　woman　nor　man；　human　and　unhuman；　seraphic　and

sinister；　benign　and　maleficand　still　no　more　of　these　four

than　is　flame；　which　is　beautiful　whether　it　warms　or　devours；

or　wind　whether　it　feathers　the　trees　or　shatters　them；　or

the　wave　which　is　wondrous　whether　it　caresses　or　kills。



Subtly；　undefinably　it　was　of　our　world　and　of　one　not

ours。　　Its　lineaments　flowed　from　another　sphere；　took　fleet…

ing　familiar　formand　as　swiftly　withdrew　whence　they　had

come；　something　amorphous；　unearthlyas　of　unknown　un…

heeding；　unseen　gods　rushing　through　the　depths　of　star…

hung　space；　and　still　of　our　own　earth；　with　the　very　soul　of

earth　peering　out　from　it；　caught　within　itand　in　some

unholyway　debased。



It　had　eyeseyes　that　were　now　only　shadows　darkening

within　its　luminosity　like　veils　falling；　and　falling；　OPENING

windows　into　the　unknowable；　deepening　into　softly　glowing

blue　pools；　blue　as　the　Moon　Pool　itself；　then　flashing

out；　and　this　only　when　thefacebore　its　most　human

resemblance；　into　twin　stars　large　almost　as　the　crown　of　lit…

tle　moons；　and　with　that　same　baffling　suggestion　of　peep…

holes　into　a　world　untrodden；　alien；　perilous　to　man！



〃Steady！〃　came　Lakla's　voice；　her　body　leaned　against

mine。



I　gripped　myself；　my　brain　steadied；　I　looked　again。　　And

I　saw　that　of　body；　at　least　body　as　we　know　it；　the　Shining

One　had　nonenothing　but　the　throbbing；　pulsing　core

streaked　with　lightning　veins　of　rainbows；　and　around　this；

never　still；　sheathing　it；　the　swirling；　glorious　veilings　of　its

hell　and　heaven　born　radiance。



So　the　Dweller　stoodand　gazed。



Then　up　toward　us　swept　a　reaching；　questing　spiral！



Under　my　hand　Lakla's　shoulder　quivered；　Dead…Alive

and　their　master　vanishedI　danced；　flickered；　WITHIN　the

rock；　felt　a　swift　sense　of　shrinking；　of　withdrawal；　slice

upon　slice　the　carded　walls　of　stone；　of　silvery　waters；　of

elfin　gardens　slipped　from　me　as　cards　are　withdrawn　from

a　pack；　one　by　oneslipped；　wheeled；　flattened；　and　length…

ened　out　as　I　passed　through　them　and　they　passed　from　me。



Gasping；　shaken；　weak；　I　stood　within　the　faceted　oval

chamber；　arm　still　about　the　handmaiden's　white　shoulder；

Larry's　hand　still　clutching　her　girdle。



The　roaring；　impalpable　gale　from　the　cosmos　was　retreat…

ing　to　the　outposts　of　spacewas　still；　the　intense；　streaming；

flooding　radiance　lesseneddied。



〃Now　have　you　beheld；〃　said　Lakla；　〃and　well　you　trod

the　road。　　And　now　shall　you　hear；　even　as　the　Silent　Ones

have　commanded；　what　the　Shining　One　isand　how　it

came　to　be。〃



The　steps　flashed　back；　the　doorway　into　the　chamber

opened。



Larry　as　silent　as　Iwe　followed　her　through　it。












CHAPTER　XXIX



The　Shaping　of　the　Shining　One



WE　REACHED　what　I　knew　to　be　Lakla's　own　boudoir；　if　I

may　so　call　it。　　Smaller　than　any　of　the　other　chambers　of　the

domed　castle　in　which　we　had　been；　its　intimacy　was　re…

vealed　not　only　by　its　faint　fragrance　but　by　its　high　mir…

rors　of　polished　silver　and　various　oddly　wrought　articles

of　the　feminine　toilet　that　lay　here　and　there；　things　I　after…

ward　knew　to　be　the　work　of　the　artisans　of　the　_Akka_

and　no　mean　metal　workers　were　they。　　One　of　the　window

slits　dropped　almost　to　the　floor；　and　at　its　base　was　a　wide；

comfortably　cushioned　seat　commanding　a　view　of　the

bridge　and　of　the　cavern　ledge。　　To　this　the　handmaiden

beckoned　us；　sank　upon　it；　drew　Larry　down　beside　her　and

motioned　me　to　sit　close　to　him。



〃Now　this；〃　she　said；　〃is　what　the　Silent　Ones　have　com…

manded　me　to　tell　you　two：　To　you　Larry；　that　knowing　you

may　weigh　all　things　in　your　mind　and　answer　as　your　spirit

bids　you　a　question　that　the　Three　will　askand　what　that

is　I　know　not；〃　she　murmured；　〃and　I；　they　say；　must　answer；

tooand　itfrightens　me！〃



The　great　golden　eyes　widened；　darkened　with　dread；　she

sighed；　shook　her　head　impatiently。



〃Not　like　us；　and　never　like　us；〃　she　spoke　low；　wonder…

ingly；　〃the　Silent　Ones　say　were　they。　　Nor　were　those　from

which　they　sprang　like　those　from　which　we　have　come。

Ancient；　ancient　beyond　thought　are　the　_Taithu_；　the　race　of

the　Silent　Ones。　　Far；　far　below　this　place　where　now　we　sit；

close　to　earth　heart　itself　were　they　born；　and　there　they

dwelt　for　time　upon　time；　_laya_　upon　_laya_　upon　_laya_with

others；　not　like　them；　some　of　which　have　vanished　time

upon　time　agone；　others　that　still　dwellbelowin　their

cradle。



〃It　is　hard〃she　hesitated〃hard　to　tell　thisthat　slips

through　my　mindbecause　I　know　so　little　that　even　as　the

Three　told　it　to　me　it　passed　from　me　for　lack　of　place　to

stand　upon；〃　she　went　on；　quaintly。　　〃Something　there　was

of　time　when　earth　and　sun　were　but　cold　mists　in　the

the　heavenssomething　of　these　mists　drawing　together；

whirling；　whirling；　faster