the moon pool-第74部分

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horde？　　How　did　they　come　together　in　the　Dweller's　lair？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered；　slowly。　　〃You　say　they

lovedand　it　is　true　that　love　is　stronger　even　than　death！〃



〃One　thing　I　DON'T　understand〃this　was　Larry　again

〃is　why　a　girl　like　you　keeps　coming　out　of　the　black…haired

crowd；　so　frequently　and　one　might　say；　so　regularly；　Lakla。

Aren't　there　ever　any　red…headed　boysand　if　they　are　what

becomes　of　them？〃



〃That；　Larry；　I　cannot　answer；〃　she　said；　very　frankly。

〃There　was　a　pact　of　some　kind；　how　made　or　by　whom　I

know　not。　　But　for　long　the　Murians　feared　the　return　of　the

_Taithu_　and　greatly　they　feared　the　Three。　　Even　the　Shining

One　feared　those　who　had　created　itfor　a　time；　and　not

even　now　is　it　eager　to　face　themTHAT　I　know。　　Nor　are

Yolara　and　Lugur　so　SURE。　　It　may　be　that　the　Three　com…

manded　it：　but　how　or　why　I　know　not。　　I　only　know　that　it

is　truefor　here　am　I　and　from　where　else　would　I　have

come？〃



〃From　Ireland；〃　said　Larry　O'Keefe；　promptly。　　〃And

that's　where　you're　going。　　For　'tis　no　place　for　a　girl　like　you

to　have　been　brought　upLakla；　what　with　people　like

frogs；　and　a　half…god　three　quarters　devil；　and　red　oceans；

an'　the　only　Irish　things　yourself　and　the　Silent　Ones　up

there；　bless　their　hearts。　　It's　no　place　for　ye；　and　by　the　soul

of　St。　Patrick；　it's　out　of　it　soon　ye'll　be　gettin'！〃



Larry！　　Larry！　　If　it　had　but　been　trueand　I　could　see

Lakla　and　you　beside　me　now！











CHAPTER　XXXI



Larry　and　the　Frog…Men



LONG　had　been　her　tale　in　the　telling；　and　too　long；　perhaps；

have　I　been　in　the　repeatingbut　not　every　day　are　the

mists　rolled　away　to　reveal　undreamed　secrets　of　earth…

youth。　　And　I　have　set　it　down　here；　adding　nothing；　taking

nothing　from　it；　translating　liberally；　it　is　true；　but　constantly

striving；　while　putting　it　into　idea…forms　and　phraseology

to　be　readily　understood　by　my　readers；　to　keep　accurately　to

the　spirit。　　And　this；　I　must　repeat；　I　have　done　throughout

my　narrative；　wherever　it　has　been　necessary　to　record　con…

versation　with　the　Murians。



Rising；　I　found　I　was　painfully　stiffas　muscle…bound　as

though　I　had　actually　trudged　many　miles。　　Larry；　imitating

me；　gave　an　involuntary　groan。



〃Faith；　_mavourneen_；〃　he　said　to　Lakla；　relapsing　uncon…

sciously　into　English；　〃your　roads　would　never　wear　out

shoe…leather；　but　they've　got　their　kick；　just　the　same！〃



She　understood　our　plight；　if　not　his　words；　gave　a　soft

little　cry　of　mingled　pity　and　self…reproach；　forced　us　back

upon　the　cushions。



〃Oh；　but　I'm　sorry！〃　mourned　Lakla；　leaning　over　us。　　〃I

had　forgottenfor　those　new　to　it　the　way　is　a　weary　one；

indeed〃



She　ran　to　the　doorway；　whistled　a　clear　high　note　down

the　passage。　　Through　the　hangings　came　two　of　the　frog…men。

She　spoke　to　them　rapidly。　　They　crouched　toward　us；　what

certainly　was　meant　for　an　amiable　grin　wrinkling　the　gro…

tesque　muzzles；　baring　the　glistening　rows　of　needle…teeth。

And　while　I　watched　them　with　the　fascination　that　they

never　lost　for　me；　the　monsters　calmly　swung　one　arm

around　our　knees；　lifted　us　up　like　babiesand　as　calmly

started　to　walk　away　with　us！



〃Put　me　down！　　Put　me　down；　I　say！〃　The　O'Keefe's　voice

was　both　outraged　and　angry；　squinting　around　I　saw　him

struggling　violently　to　get　to　his　feet。　　The　_Akka_　only　held

him　tighter；　booming　comfortingly；　peering　down　into　his

flushed　face　inquiringly。



〃But；　Larrydarlin'！〃　Lakla's　tones　werewell；　mater…

nally　surprised〃you're　stiff　and　sore；　and　Kra　can　carry

you　quite　easily。〃



〃I　WON'T　be　carried！〃　sputtered　the　O'Keefe。　　〃Damn　it；

Goodwin；　there　are　such　things　as　the　unities　even　here；　an'

for　a　lieutenant　of　the　Royal　Air　Force　to　be　picked　up　an'

carted　around　like　alike　a　bundle　of　ragsit's　not　disci…

pline！　　Put　me　down；　ye　_omadhaun_；　or　I'll　poke　ye　in　the

snout！〃　he　shouted　to　his　bearerwho　only　boomed　gently；

and　stared　at　the　handmaiden；　plainly　for　further　instructions。



〃But；　Larrydear！〃Lakla　was　plainly　distressed〃it

will　HURT　you　to　walk；　and　I　don't　WANT　you　to　hurt；　Larry

darlin'！〃



〃Holy　shade　of　St。　Patrick！〃　moaned　Larry；　again　he　made

a　mighty　effort　to　tear　himself　from　the　frog…man's　grip；

gave　up　with　a　groan。　　〃Listen；　_alanna_！〃　he　said　plaintively。

〃When　we　get　to　Ireland；　you　and　I；　we　won't　have　anybody

to　pick　us　up　and　carry　us　about　every　time　we　get　a　bit　tired。

And　it's　getting　me　in　bad　habits　you　are！〃



〃Oh；　YES；　we　will；　Larry！〃　cried　the　handmaiden；

〃because　many；　oh；　many；　of　my　_Akka_　will　go　with　us！〃



〃Will　you　tell　thisBOOB！to　put　me　down！〃　gritted　the

now　thoroughly　aroused　O'Keefe。　　I　couldn't　help　laughing；

he　glared　at　me。



〃Bo…oo…ob？〃　exclaimed　Lakla。



〃Yes；　boo…oo…ob！〃　said　O'Keefe；　〃an'　I　have　no　desire　to

explain　the　word　in　my　present　position；　light　of　my　soul！〃



The　handmaiden　sighed；　plainly　dejected。　　But　she　spoke

again　to　the　_Akka_；　who　gently　lowered　the　O'Keefe　to　the

floor。



〃I　don't　understand；〃　she　said　hopelessly；　〃if　you　want　to

walk；　why；　of　course；　you　shall；　Larry。〃　She　turned　to　me。



〃Do　you？〃　she　asked。



〃I　do　not；〃　I　said　firmly。



〃Well；　then；〃　murmured　Lakla；　〃go　you；　Larry　and　Good…

win；　with　Kra　and　Gulk；　and　let　them　minister　to　you。　　After；

sleep　a　littlefor　not　soon　will　Rador　and　Olaf　return。　　And

let　me　feel　your　lips　before　you　go；　Larrydarlin'！〃　She

covered　his　eyes　caressingly　with　her　soft　little　palms；　pushed

him　away。



〃Now　go；〃　said　Lakla；　〃and　rest！〃



Unashamed　I　lay　back　against　the　horny　chest　of　Gulk；

and　with　a　smile　noticed　that　Larry；　even　if　he　had　rebelled

at　being　carried；　did　not　disdain　the　support　of　Kra's　shin…

ing；　black…scaled　arm　which；　slipping　around　his　waist；　half…

lifted　him　along。



They　parted　a　hanging　and　dropped　us　softly　down　beside

a　little　pool；　sparkling　with　the　clear　water　that　had　hereto…

fore　been　brought　us　in　the　wide　basins。　　Then　they　began

to　undress　us。　　And　at　this　point　the　O'Keefe　gave　up。



〃Whatever　they're　going　to　do　we　can't　stop　'em；　Doc！〃

he　moaned。　　〃Anyway；　I　feel　as　though　I've　been　pulled

through　a　knot…hole；　and　I　don't　careI　don't　careas　the

song　says。〃



When　we　were　stripped　we　were　lowered　gently　into　the

water。　　But　not　long　did　the　_Akka_　let　us　splash　about　the

shallow　basin。　　They　lifted　us　out；　and　from　jars　began　deftly

to　anoint　and　rub　us　with　aromatic　unguents。



I　think　that　in　all　the　medley　of　grotesque；　of　tragic；　of

baffling；　strange　and　perilous　experiences　in　that　under…

ground　world　none　was　more　bizarre　than　thisvaleting。

I　began　to　laugh；　Larry　joined　me；　and　then　Kra　and　Gulk

joined　in　our　merriment　with　deep　batrachian　cachinnations

and　gruntings。　　Then；　having　finished　apparelling　us　and　still

chuckling；　the　two　touched　our　arms　and　led　us　out；　into　a

room　whose　circular　sides　were　ringed　with　soft　divan