the moon pool-第16章
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although as real as any of those who stood beside me； un…
phantomlike as it is possible to be； had a distinct suggestion
ofprojection。
They were there before usgolden…eyed girl and gro…
tesque frog…womancomplete in every line and curve； and
still it was as though their bodies passed back through dis…
tances； as though； to try to express the wellnigh inexpressi…
ble； the two shapes we were looking upon were the end of an
infinite number stretching in fine linked chain far away； of
which the eyes saw only the nearest； while in the brain some
faculty higher than sight recognized and registered the un…
seen others。
The gigantic eyes of the frog…woman took us all in
unwinkingly。 Little glints of phosphorescence shone out
within the metallic green of the outer iris ring。 She stood
upright； her great legs bowed； the monstrous slit of a mouth
slightly open； revealing a row of white teeth sharp and
pointed as lancets； the paw resting on the girl's shoulder； half
covering its silken surface； and from its five webbed digits
long yellow claws of polished horn glistened against the
delicate texture of the flesh。
But if the frog…woman regarded us all； not so did the
maiden of the rosy wall。 Her eyes were fastened upon Larry；
drinking him in with extraordinary intentness。 She was tall；
far over the average of women； almost as tall； indeed； as
O'Keefe himself； not more than twenty years old； if that；
I thought。 Abruptly she leaned forward； the golden eyes
softened and grew tender； the red lips moved as though she
were speaking。
Larry took a quick step； and his face was that of one who
after countless births comes at last upon the twin soul lost to
him for ages。 The frog…woman turned her eyes upon the girl；
her huge lips moved； and I knew that she was talking！ The
girl held out a warning hand to O'Keefe； and then raised it；
resting each finger upon one of the five flowers of the carved
vine close beside her。 Once； twice； three times； she pressed
upon the flower centres； and I noted that her hand was curi…
ously long and slender； the digits like those wonderful taper…
ing ones the painters we call the primitive gave to their Vir…
gins。
Three times she pressed the flowers； and then looked in…
tently at Larry once more。 A slow； sweet smile curved the
crimson lips。 She stretched both hands out toward him again
eagerly； a burning blush rose swiftly over white breasts and
flowerlike face。
Like the clicking out of a cinematograph； the pulsing oval
faded and golden…eyed girl and frog…woman were gone！
And thus it was that Lakla； the handmaiden of the Silent
Ones； and Larry O'Keefe first looked into each other's
hearts！
Larry stood rapt； gazing at the stone。
〃Eilidh；〃 I heard him whisper； 〃Eilidh of the lips like the
red； red rowan and the golden…brown hair！〃
〃Clearly of the Ranadae；〃 said Marakinoff； 〃a develop…
ment of the fossil Labyrinthodonts： you saw her teeth； da？〃
〃Ranadae； yes；〃 I answered。 〃But from the Stegocephalia；
of the order Ecaudata〃
Never such a complete indignation as was in O'Keefe's
voice as he interrupted。
〃What do you meanfossils and Stego whatever it is？〃
he asked。 〃She was a girl； a wonder girla real girl； and
Irish； or I'm not an O'Keefe！〃
〃We were talking about the frog…woman； Larry；〃 I said；
conciliatingly。
His eyes were wild as he regarded us。
〃Say；〃 he said； 〃if you two had been in the Garden of
Eden when Eve took the apple； you wouldn't have had time
to give her a look for counting the scales on the snake！〃
He strode swiftly over to the wall。 We followed。 Larry
paused； stretched his hand up to the flowers on which the
tapering fingers of the golden…eyed girl had rested。
〃It was here she put up her hand；〃 he murmured。 He
pressed caressingly the carved calyxes； once； twice； a third
time even as she hadand silently and softly the wall began
to split； on each side a great stone pivoted slowly； and before
us a portal stood； opening into a narrow corridor glowing
with the same rosy lustre that had gleamed around the
flame…tipped shadows！
〃Have your gun ready； Olaf！〃 said Larry。 〃We follow
Golden Eyes；〃 he said to me。
〃Follow？〃 I echoed stupidly。
〃Follow！〃 he said。 〃She came to show us the way！ Follow？
I'd follow her through a thousand hells！〃
And with Olaf at one end； O'Keefe at the other； both of
them with automatics in hand； and Marakinoff and I be…
tween them； we stepped over the threshold。
At our right； a few feet away； the passage ended abruptly
in a square of polished stone； from which came faint rose
radiance。 The roof of the place was less than two feet over
O'Keefe's head。
A yard at left of us lifted a four…foot high； gently curved
barricade； stretching from wall to walland beyond it was
blackness； an utter and appalling blackness that seemed to
gather itself from infinite depths。 The rose…glow in which
we stood was cut off by the blackness as though it had sub…
stance； it shimmered out to meet it； and was checked as
though by a blow； indeed； so strong was the suggestion of
sinister； straining force within the rayless opacity that I
shrank back； and Marakinoff with me。 Not so O'Keefe。 Olaf
beside him； he strode to the wall and peered over。 He beck…
oned us。
〃Flash your pocket…light down there；〃 be said to me； point…
ing into the thick darkness below us。 The little electric circle
quivered down as though afraid； and came to rest upon a
surface that resembled nothing so much as clear； black ice。 I
ran the light acrosshere and there。 The floor of the corridor
was of a substance so smooth； so polished； that no man could
have walked upon it； it sloped downward at a slowly increas…
ing angle。
〃We'd have to have non…skid chains and brakes on our
feet to tackle that；〃 mused Larry。 Abstractedly be ran his
hands over the edge on which he was leaning。 Suddenly they
hesitated and then gripped tightly。
〃That's a queer one！〃 he exclaimed。 His right palm was
resting upon a rounded protuberance； on the side of which
were three small circular indentations。
〃A queer one〃 he repeatedand pressed his fingers
upon the circles。
There was a sharp click； the slabs that had opened to let
us through swung swiftly together； a curiously rapid vibra…
tion thrilled through us； a wind arose and passed over our
headsa wind that grew and grew until it became a whistling
shriek； then a roar and then a mighty humming； to which
every atom in our bodies pulsed in rhythm painful almost
to disintegration！
The rosy wall dwindled in a flash to a point of light and
disappeared！
Wrapped in the clinging； impenetrable blackness we were
racing； dropping； hurling at a frightful speedwhere？
And ever that awful humming of the rushing wind and
the lightning cleaving of the tangible darkso； it came to
me oddly； must the newly released soul race through the
sheer blackness of outer space up to that Throne of Justice；
where God sits high above all suns！
I felt Marakinoff creep close to me； gripped my nerve and
flashed my pocket…light； saw Larry standing； peering； peer…
ing ahead； and Huldricksson； one strong arm around his
shoulders； bracing him。 And then the speed began to slacken。
Millions of miles； it seemed； below the sound of the un…
earthly hurricane I heard Larry's voice； thin and ghostlike；
beneath its clamour。
〃Got it！〃 shrilled the voice。 〃Got it！ Don't worry！〃
The wind died down to the roar； passed back into the
whistling shriek and diminished to a steady whisper。 In the
comparative quiet O'Keefe's tones now came in normal
volume。
〃Some little shoot…the…chutes； what？〃 he shouted。 〃Say
if they had this at Coney Island or the Crystal Palace！ Press
all the way in these holes and she goes top…high。 Diminish
pressurediminish speed。 The curve of thisdashboard
here sends the wind shooting up over our headslike a
windshield。 What's behind you？〃
I flashed the light back。 The mechanism on which we
were ended in another wall exactly similar to that over which
O'Keefe crouched。
〃Well； we can't fall out； anyway；〃 he laughed。 〃Wish to
hell I knew where the brakes were！ Look out！〃
We dropped dizzily down an abrupt； seemingly endless
slope； fellfell as into an abyssthen shot abruptly out of
the blackness into a throbbing green radiance。 O'Keefe's
fingers must have pressed down upon the controls； for we
leaped forward almost with the speed of light。 I caught a
glimpse of luminous immensities on the verge of which we
flew； of depths inconceivable； and flitting through the incred…
ible spacesgigantic shadows as of the wings of Israfel；
which are so wide； say the Arabs； the world can cower
under them like a nestlingand thenagain the living
blackness！
〃What was that？〃 This from Larry； with the nearest ap…
proach to awe that he had yet shown。
〃Trolldom！〃 croaked the voice of Olaf。
〃Chert！〃 This from Marakinoff。 〃What a space！〃
〃Have you considered； Dr。 Goodwin；〃 be went on after a
pause； 〃a curious thing？ We know； or； at least； is it not that
nine out of ten astronomers believe； that the moon was
hurled out of this same region we now call the Pacific when
the earth was yet like molasses； almost molten； I should say。
And is it not curious that that which comes from the Moon
Chamber needs the moon…rays to bring it forth； is it not？
And is it not significant again that the stone depends upon
the moon for operating？ Da！ And lastsuch a space in
mother earth as we just glimpsed； how else could it have been
torn but by some gigantic birthlike that of the moon？ Da！
I do not put forward these as statements of factno！ But as
suggestions〃
I started； there was so much that this might explainan
unknown element that responded to the moon…rays in open…
ing the moon door； the blue Pool with its weird radioactivity；
and the force within it that reacted to the same light
stream
It was not inconceivable that a film had drawn over the
world wound； a film of earth…flesh which drew itself over
that colossal abyss after our planet had borne its satellite
that world womb did not close when her shining child sprang
forthit was possible； and all that we know of earth depth
is four miles of her eight thousand。
What is there at the heart of earth？ What of that radiant
unknown element upon the moon mount Tycho？ What of
that element unknown to us as part of earth which is seen
only in the corona of the sun at eclipse that we call coro…
nium？ Yet the earth is child of the sun as the moon is earth's
daughter。 And what of that other unknown element we find
glowing green in the far…flung nebulaegreen as that we had
just passed throughand that we call nebulium？ Yet the sun
is child of the nebulae
