the moon pool-第76部分

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

eyes　clearing；　looked　upstraight　into　the　faces　of　the

Three。　　The　angled　orbs　centred　upon　the　handmaiden；　soft…

ened　as　I　had　seen　them　do　when　first　we　had　faced　them。

She　smiled　up；　seemed　to　listen。



〃Come　closer；〃　she　commanded；　〃close　to　the　feet　of　the

Silent　Ones。〃



We　moved；　pausing　at　the　very　base　of　the　dais。　　The

sparkling　mists　thinned；　the　great　heads　bent　slightly　over　us；

through　the　veils　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　huge　columnar　necks；

enormous　shoulders　covered　with　draperies　as　of　pale…blue

fire。



I　came　back　to　attention　with　a　start；　for　Lakla　was

answering　a　question　only　heard　by　her；　and；　answering　it

aloud；　I　perceived　for　our　benefit；　for　whatever　was　the　mode

of　communication　between　those　whose　handmaiden　she

was；　and　her；　it　was　clearly　independent　of　speech。



〃He　has　been　told；〃　she　said；　〃even　as　you　commanded。〃



Did　I　see　a　shadow　of　pain　flit　across　the　flickering　eyes？

Wondering；　I　glanced　at　Lakla's　face　and　there　was　a　dawn

of　foreboding　and　bewilderment。　　For　a　little　she　held　her

listening　attitude；　then　the　gaze　of　the　Three　left　her；

focused　upon　the　O'Keefe。



〃Thus　speak　the　Silent　Onesthrough　Lakla；　their　hand…

maiden；〃　the　golden　voice　was　like　low　trumpet　notes。　　〃At

the　threshold　of　doom　is　that　world　of　yours　above。　　Yea；

even　the　doom；　Goodwin；　that　ye　dreamed　and　the　shadow

of　which；　looking　into　your　mind　they　see；　say　the　Three。

For　not　upon　earth　and　never　upon　earth　can　man　find　means

to　destroy　the　Shining　One。〃



She　listened　againand　the　foreboding　deepened　to　an

amazed　fear。



〃They　say；　the　Silent　Ones；〃　she　went　on；　〃that　they　know

not　whether　even　they　have　power　to　destroy。　　Energies　we

know　nothing　of　entered　into　its　shaping　and　are　part　of　it；

and　still　other　energies　it　has　gathered　to　itself〃she

paused；　a　shadow　of　puzzlement　crept　into　her　voice　〃and

other　energies　still；　forces　that　ye　DO　know　and　symbolize

by　certain　nameshatred　and　pride　and　lust　and　many

others　which　are　forces　real　as　that　hidden　in　the　_Keth_；　and

among　themfear；　which　weakens　all　those　others〃　Again

she　paused。



〃But　within　it　is　nothing　of　that　greatest　of　all；　that　which

can　make　powerless　all　the　evil　others；　that　which　we　call

love；〃　she　ended　softly。



〃I'd　like　to　be　the　one　to　put　a　little　more　FEAR　in　the

beast；〃　whispered　Larry　to　me；　grimly　in　our　own　English。

The　three　weird　heads　bent；　ever　so　slightlyand　I　gasped；

and　Larry　grew　a　little　white　as　Lakla　nodded



〃They　say；　Larry；〃　she　said；　〃that　there　you　touch　one

side　of　the　heart　of　the　matterfor　it　is　through　the　way　of

fear　the　Silent　Ones　hope　to　strike　at　the　very　life　of　the

Shining　One！〃



The　visage　Larry　turned　to　me　was　eloquent　of　wonder；

and　mine　reflected　itfor　what　REALLY　were　this　Three　to

whom　our　minds　were　but　open　pages；　so　easily　read？　　Not

long　could　we　conjecture；　Lakla　broke　the　little　silence。



〃This；　they　say；　is　what　is　to　happen。　　First　will　come　upon

us　Lugur　and　Yolara　with　all　their　host。　　Because　of　fear　the

Shining　One　will　lurk　behind　within　its　lair；　for　despite　all；

the　Dweller　DOES　dread　the　Three；　and　only　them。　　With　this

host　the　Voice　and　the　priestess　will　strive　to　conquer。　　And

if　they　do；　then　will　they　be　strong　enough；　too；　to　destroy

us　all。　　For　if　they　take　the　abode　they　banish　from　the

Dweller　all　fear　and　sound　the　end　of　the　Three。



〃Then　will　the　Shining　One　be　all　free　indeed；　free　to　go

out　into　the　world；　free　to　do　there　as　it　wills！



〃But　if　they　do　not　conquerand　the　Shining　One　comes

not　to　their　aid；　abandoning　them　even　as　it　abandoned　its

own　_Taithu_then　will　the　Three　be　loosed　from　a　part　of

their　doom；　and　they　will　go　through　the　Portal；　seek　the

Shining　One　beyond　the　Veil；　and；　piercing　it　through　fear's

opening；　destroy　it。〃



〃That's　quite　clear；〃　murmured　the　O'Keefe　in　my　ear。

〃Weaken　the　moralethen　smash。　　I've　seen　it　happen　a

dozen　times　in　Europe。　　While　they've　got　their　nerve　there's

not　a　thing　you　can　do；　get　their　nerveand　not　a　thing　can

they　do。　　And　yet　in　both　cases　they're　the　same　men。〃



Lakla　had　been　listening　again。　　She　turned；　thrust　out

hands　to　Larry；　a　wild　hope　in　her　eyesand　yet　a　hope　half

shamed。



〃They　say；〃　she　cried；　〃that　they　give　us　choice。　　Remem…

bering　that　your　world　doom　hangs　in　the　balance；　we　have

choicechoice　to　stay　and　help　fight　Yolara's　armiesand

they　say　they　look　not　lightly　on　that　help。　　Or　choice　to　go

and　if　so　be　you　choose　the　latter；　then　will　they　show　an…

other　way　that　leads　into　your　world！〃



A　flush　had　crept　over　the　O'Keefe's　face　as　she　was

speaking。　　He　took　her　hands　and　looked　long　into　the　golden

eyes；　glancing　up　I　saw　the　Trinity　were　watching　them　in…

tentlyimperturbably。



〃What　do　you　say；　_mavourneen_？〃　asked　Larry　gently。　　The

handmaiden　hung　her　head；　trembled。



〃Your　words　shall　be　mine；　O　one　I　love；〃　she　whispered。

〃So　going　or　staying；　I　am　beside　you。〃



〃And　you；　Goodwin？〃　he　turned　to　me。　　I　shrugged　my

shouldersafter　all　I　had　no　one　to　care。



〃lt's　up　to　you；　Larry；〃　I　remarked；　deliberately　choosing

his　own　phraseology。



The　O'Keefe　straightened；　squared　his　shoulders；　gazed

straight　into　the　flame…flickering　eyes。



〃We　stick！〃　he　said　briefly。



Shamefacedly　I　recall　now　that　at　the　time　I　thought　this

colloquialism　not　only　irreverent；　but　in　somewhat　bad　taste。

I　am　glad　to　say　I　was　alone　in　that　bit　of　weakness。　　The　face

that　Lakla　turned　to　Larry　was　radiant　with　love；　and　al…

though　the　shamed　hope　had　vanished　from　the　sweet　eyes；

they　were　shining　with　adoring　pride。　　And　the　marble　vis…

ages　of　the　Three　softened；　and　the　little　flames　died　down。



〃Wait；〃　said　Lakla；　〃there　is　one　other　thing　they　say　we

must　answer　before　they　will　hold　us　to　that　promise

wait〃



She　listened；　and　then　her　face　grew　whitewhite　as　those

of　the　Three　themselves；　the　glorious　eyes　widened；　stark

terror　filling　them；　the　whole　lithe　body　of　her　shook　like　a

reed　in　the　wind。



〃Not　that！〃　she　cried　out　to　the　Three。　　〃Oh；　not　that！　　Not

Larrylet　me　go　even　as　you　willbut　not　him！〃　She　threw

up　frantic　hands　to　the　woman…being　of　the　Trinity。　　〃Let

ME　bear　it　alone；〃　she　wailed。　　〃Alonemother！　　Mother！〃



The　Three　bent　their　heads　toward　her；　their　faces　pitiful；

and　from　the　eyes　of　the　woman　One　rolledtears！　　Larry

leaped　to　Lakla's　side。



_〃Mavourneen！〃_　he　cried。　　〃Sweetheart；　what　have　they

said　to　you？〃



He　glared　up　at　the　Silent　Ones；　his　hand　twitching　to…

ward　the　high…hung　pistol　holster。



The　handmaiden　swung　to　him；　threw　white　arms　around

his　neck；　held　her　head　upon　his　heart　until　her　sobbing

ceased。



〃This　theysaythe　Silent　Ones；〃　she　gasped　and　then　all

the　courage　of　her　came　back。　　〃O　heart　of　mine！〃　she　whis…

pered　to　Larry；　g