the moon pool-第75部分

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

room　whose　circular　sides　were　ringed　with　soft　divans。　　Still

smiling；　I　sank　at　once　into　sleep。



How　long　I　slumbered　I　do　not　know。　　A　low　and　thunder…

ous　booming　coming　through　the　deep　window　slit；　reverbe…

rated　through　the　room　and　awakened　me。　　Larry　yawned；

arose　briskly。



〃Sounds　as　though　the　bass　drums　of　every　jazz　band　in

New　York　were　serenading　us！〃　he　observed。　　Simultaneously

we　sprang　to　the　window；　peered　through。



We　were　a　little　above　the　level　of　the　bridge；　and　its　full

length　was　plain　before　us。　　Thousands　upon　thousands　of

the　_Akka_　were　crowding　upon　it；　and　far　away　other　hordes

filled　like　a　glittering　thicket　both　sides　of　the　cavern　ledge's

crescent　strand。　　On　black　scale　and　orange　scale　the　crimson

light　fell；　picking　them　off　in　little　flickering　points。



Upon　the　platform　from　which　sprang　the　smaller　span

over　the　abyss　were　Lakla；　Olaf；　and　Rador；　the　handmaiden

clearly　acting　as　interpreter　between　them　and　the　giant　she

had　called　Nak；　the　Frog　King。



〃Come　on！〃　shouted　Larry。



Out　of　the　open　portal　we　ran；　over　the　World　Heart

Bridgeand　straight　into　the　group。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Lakla；　〃I　didn't　want　you　to　wake　up　so　soon；

Larrydarlin'！〃



〃See　here；　_mavourneen_！〃　Indignation　thrilled　in　the　Irish…

man's　voice。　　〃I'm　not　going　to　be　done　up　with　baby…rib…

bons　and　laid　away　in　a　cradle　for　safe…keeping　while　a　fight

is　on；　don't　think　it。　　Why　didn't　you　call　me？〃



〃You　needed　rest！〃　There　was　indomitable　determination

in　the　handmaiden's　tones；　the　eternal　maternal　shining　de…

fiant　from　her　eyes。　　〃You　were　tired　and　you　hurt！　　You

shouldn't　have　got　up！〃



〃Needed　the　rest！〃　groaned　Larry。　　〃Look　here；　Lakla；

what　do　you　think　I　am？〃



〃You're　all　I　have；〃　said　that　maiden　firmly；　〃and　I'm　go…

ing　to　take　care　of　you；　Larrydarlin'！　　Don't　you　ever　think

anything　else。〃



〃Well；　pulse　of　my　heart；　considering　my　delicate　health

and　general　fragility；　would　it　hurt　me；　do　you　think；　to　be

told　what's　going　on？〃　he　asked。



〃Not　at　all；　Larry！〃　answered　the　handmaiden　serenely。

〃Yolara　went　through　the　Portal。　　She　was　very；　VERY　angry〃



〃She　was　all　the　devil's　woman　that　she　is！〃　rumbled　Olaf。



〃Rador　met　the　messenger；〃　went　on　the　Golden　Girl

calmly。　　〃The　_ladala_　are　ready　to　rise　when　Lugur　and　Yo…

lara　lead　their　hosts　against　us。　　They　will　strike　at　those　left

behind。　　And　in　the　meantime　we　shall　have　disposed　my

_Akka_　to　meet　Yolara's　men。　　And　on　that　disposal　we　must

all　take　counsel；　you；　Larry；　and　Rador；　Olaf　and　Goodwin

and　Nak；　the　ruler　of　the　_Akka_。〃



〃Did　the　messenger　give　any　idea　when　Yolara　expects

to　make　her　little　call？〃　asked　Larry。



〃Yes；〃　she　answered。　　〃They　prepare；　and　we　may　expect

them　in〃　She　gave　the　equivalent　of　about　thirty…six　hours

of　our　time。



〃But；　Lakla；〃　I　said；　the　doubt　that　I　had　long　been　hold…

ing　finding　voice；　〃should　the　Shining　One　comewith　its

slavesare　the　Three　strong　enough　to　cope　with　it？〃



There　was　troubled　doubt　in　her　own　eyes。



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　said　at　last；　frankly。　　〃You　have

heard　their　story。　　What　they　promise　is　that　they　will　help。

I　do　not　knowany　more　than　do　you；　Goodwin！〃



I　looked　up　at　the　dome　beneath　which　I　knew　the　dread

Trinity　stared　forth；　even　down　upon　us。　　And　despite　the

awe；　the　assurance；　I　had　felt　when　I　stood　before　them　I；

too；　doubted。



〃Well；〃　said　Larry；　〃you　and　I；　uncle；〃　he　turned　to

Rador；　〃and　Olaf　here　had　better　decide　just　what　part　of　the

battle　we'll　lead〃



〃Lead！〃　the　handmaiden　was　appalled。　〃YOU　lead；　Larry？

Why　you　are　to　stay　with　Goodwin　and　with　meup　there；

there　we　can　watch。〃



〃Heart's　beloved；〃　O'Keefe　was　stern　indeed。　　〃A　thousand

times　I've　looked　Death　straight　in　the　face；　peered　into　his

eyes。　　Yes；　and　with　ten　thousand　feet　of　space　under　me　an'

bursting　shells　tickling　the　ribs　of　the　boat　I　was　in。　　An'

d'ye　think　I'll　sit　now　on　the　grandstand　an'　watch　while　a

game　like　this　is　being　pulled？　　Ye　don't　know　your　future

husband；　soul　of　my　delight！〃



And　so　we　started　toward　the　golden　opening；　squads　of

the　frog…men　following　us　soldierly　and　disappearing　about

the　huge　structure。　　Nor　did　we　stop　until　we　came　to　the

handmaiden's　boudoir。　　There　we　seated　ourselves。



〃Now；〃　said　Larry；　〃two　things　I　want　to　know。　　First

how　many　can　Yolara　muster　against　us；　second；　how　many

of　these　_Akka_　have　we　to　meet　them？〃



Rador　gave　our　equivalent　for　eighty　thousand　men　as　the

force　Yolara　could　muster　without　stripping　her　city。　　Against

this　force；　it　appeared；　we　could　count；　roughly；　upon　two

hundred　thousand　of　the　_Akka_。



〃And　they're　some　fighters！〃　exclaimed　Larry。　　〃Hell；　with

odds　like　that　what're　you　worrying　about？　　It's　over　before

it's　begun。〃



〃But；　_Larree_；〃　objected　Rador　to　this；　〃you　forget　that　the

nobles　will　have　the　_Keth_and　other　things；　also　that　the

soldiers　have　fought　against　the　_Akka_　before　and　will　be

shielded　very　well　from　their　spears　and　clubsand　that

their　blades　and　javelins　can　bite　through　the　scales　of　Nak's

warriors。　　They　have　many　things〃



〃Uncle；〃　interjected　O'Keefe；　〃one　thing　they　have　is　your

nerve。　　Why；　we're　more　than　two　to　one。　　And　take　it　from

me〃



Without　warning　dropped　the　tragedy！











CHAPTER　XXXII



〃Your　Love；　Your　Lives；　Your　Souls！〃



LAKLA　had　taken　no　part　in　the　talk　since　we　had　reached

her　bower。　　She　had　seated　herself　close　to　the　O'Keefe。

Glancing　at　her　I　had　seen　steal　over　her　face　that　brood…

ing；　listening　look　that　was　hers　whenever　in　that　mysterious

communion　with　the　Three。　　It　vanished；　swiftly　she　arose；

interrupted　the　Irishman　without　ceremony。



〃Larry　darlin'；〃　said　the　handmaiden。　　〃The　Silent　Ones

summon　us！〃



〃When　do　we　go？〃　I　asked；　Larry's　face　grew　bright　with

interest。



〃The　time　is　now；〃　she　saidand　hesitated。　　〃Larry　dear；

put　your　arms　about　me；〃　she　faltered；　〃for　there　is　some…

thing　cold　that　catches　at　my　heartand　I　am　afraid。〃



At　his　exclamation　she　gathered　herself　together；　gave　a

shaky　little　laugh。



〃It's　because　I　love　you　so　that　fear　has　power　to　plague

me；〃　she　told　him。



Without　another　word　he　bent　and　kissed　her；　in　silence

we　passed　on；　his　arm　still　about　her　girdled　waist；　golden

head　and　black　close　together。　　Soon　we　stood　before　the

crimson　slab　that　was　the　door　to　the　sanctuary　of　the　Silent

Ones。　　She　poised　uncertainly　before　it；　then　with　a　defiant

arching　of　the　proud　little　head　that　sent　all　the　bronze…

flecked　curls　flying；　she　pressed。　　It　slipped　aside　and　once

more　the　opalescence　gushed　out；　flooding　all　about　us。



Dazzled　as　before；　I　followed　through　the　lambent　cas…

cades　pouring　from　the　high；　carved　walls；　paused；　and　my

eyes　clearing；　look