the moon pool-第21章
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along the white waters for〃 He used a phrase of which I
could make nothing。 〃Beyond this city of the Shining One
and on the hither shores of the white waters dwell the mayia
ladalathe common ones。〃 He took a deep draft from his
flagon。 〃There are； first； the fair…haired ones； the children
of the ancient rulers；〃 he continued。 〃There are； second； we
the soldiers； and last； the mayia ladala； who dig and till and
weave and toil and give our rulers and us their daughters；
and dance with the Shining One！〃 he added。
〃Who rules？〃 I asked。
〃The fair…haired； under the Council of Nine； who are
under Yolara； the Priestess and Lugur； the Voice；〃 he
answered； 〃who are in turn beneath the Shining One！〃 There
was a ring of bitter satire in the last。
〃And those three who were judged？〃this from Larry。
〃They were of the mayia ladala；〃 he replied； 〃like those
two I gave you。 But they grow restless。 They do not like to
dance with the Shining Onethe blasphemers！〃 He raised
his voice in a sudden great shout of mocking laughter。
In his words I caught a fleeting picture of the racean
ancient； luxurious； close…bred oligarchy clustered about some
mysterious deity； a soldier class that supported them； and
underneath all the toiling； oppressed hordes。
〃And is that all？〃 asked Larry。
〃No；〃 he answered。 〃There is the Sea of Crimson
where〃
Without warning the globe beside us sent out a vicious
note； Rador turned toward it； his face paling。 Its surface
crawled with whisperingsangry； peremptory！
〃I hear！〃 he croaked； gripping the table。 〃I obey！〃
He turned to us a face devoid for once of its malice。
〃Ask me no more questions； strangers；〃 he said。 〃And
now； if you are done； I will show you where you may sleep
and bathe。〃
He arose abruptly。 We followed him through the hang…
ings； passed through a corridor and into another smaller
chamber； roofless； the sides walled with screens of dark grey。
Two cushioned couches were there and a curtained door
leading into an open； outer enclosure in which a fountain
played within a wide pool。
〃Your bath；〃 said Rador。 He dropped the curtain and
came back into the room。 He touched a carved flower at one
side。 There was a tiny sighing from overhead and instantly
across the top spread a veil of blackness； impenetrable to
light but certainly not to air； for through it pulsed little
breaths of the garden fragrances。 The room filled with a cool
twilight； refreshing； sleep…inducing。 The green dwarf pointed
to the couches。
〃Sleep！〃 he said。 〃Sleep and fear nothing。 My men are on
guard outside。〃 He came closer to us； the old mocking
gaiety sparkling in his eyes。
〃But I spoke too quickly；〃 he whispered。 〃Whether it is
because the Afyo Maie fears their tonguesor〃 he
laughed at Larry。 〃The maids are NOT yours！〃 Still laughing
he vanished through the curtains of the room of the foun…
tain before I could ask him the meaning of his curious gift；
its withdrawal； and his most enigmatic closing remarks。
〃Back in the great old days of Ireland；〃 thus Larry break…
ing into my thoughts raptly； the brogue thick； 〃there was
Cairill mac CairillCairill Swiftspear。 An' Cairill wronged
Keevan of Emhain Abhlach； of the blood of Angus of the
great people when he was sleeping in the likeness of a pale
reed。 Then Keevan put this penance on Cairillthat for a
year Cairill should wear his body in Emhain Abhlach； which
is the Land of Faery and for that year Keevan should wear
the body of Cairill。 And it was done。
〃In that year Cairill met Emar of the Birds that are one
white； one red； and one blackand they loved； and from that
love sprang Ailill their son。 And when Ailill was born he
took a reed flute and first he played slumber on Cairill； and
then he played old age so that Cairill grew white and with…
ered； then Ailill played again and Cairill became a shadow
then a shadow of a shadowthen a breath； and the breath
went out upon the wind！〃 He shivered。 〃Like the old
gnome；〃 he whispered； 〃that they called Songar of the
Lower Waters！〃
He shook his head as though he cast a dream from him。
Then； all alert
〃But that was in Iceland ages agone。 And there's nothing
like that here； Doc！〃 He laughed。 〃It doesn't scare me one
little bit； old boy。 The pretty devil lady's got the wrong slant。
When you've had a pal standing beside you one moment
full of life； and joy； and power； and potentialities； telling
what he's going to do to make the world hum when he gets
through the slaughter； just running over with zip and pep of
life； Docand the next instant； right in the middle of a
laugha piece of damned shell takes off half his head and
with it joy and power and all the rest of it〃his face
twitched〃well； old man； in the face of THAT mystery a
disappearing act such as the devil lady treated us to doesn't
make much of a dent。 Not on me。 But by the brogans of
Brian Boruif we could have had some of that stuff to turn
on during the waroh； boy！〃
He was silent； evidently contemplating the idea with vast
pleasure。 And as for me； at that moment my last doubt of
Larry O'Keefe vanished； I saw that he did believe； really
believed； in his banshees； his leprechauns and all the old
dreams of the Gaelbut only within the limits of Ireland。
In one drawer of his mind was packed all his superstition；
his mysticism； and what of weakness it might carry。 But face
him with any peril or problem and the drawer closed in…
stantaneously leaving a mind that was utterly fearless； in…
credulous； and ingenious； swept clean of all cobwebs by as
fine a skeptic broom as ever brushed a brain。
〃Some stuff！〃 Deepest admiration was in his voice。 〃If
we'd only had it when the war was onimagine half a dozen
of us scooting over the enemy batteries and the gunners
underneath all at once beginning to shake themselves to
pieces！ Wow！〃 His tone was rapturous。
〃It's easy enough to explain； Larry；〃 I said。 〃The effect；
that isfor what the green ray is made of I don't know； of
course。 But what it does； clearly； is stimulate atomic vibra…
tion to such a pitch that the cohesion between the particles of
matter is broken and the body flies to bitsjust as a fly…
wheel does when its speed gets so great that the particles
of which IT is made can't hold together。〃
〃Shake themselves to pieces is right； then！〃 he exclaimed。
〃Absolutely right；〃 I nodded。 〃Everything in Nature vi…
brates。 And all matterwhether man or beast or stone or
metal or vegetableis made up of vibrating molecules；
which are made up of vibrating atoms which are made up
of truly infinitely small particles of electricity called elec…
trons； and electrons； the base of all matter； are themselves
perhaps only a vibration of the mysterious ether。
〃If a magnifying glass of sufficient size and strength could
be placed over us we could see ourselves as sievesour
space lattice； as it is called。 And all that is necessary to break
down the lattice； to shake us into nothingness； is some agent
that will set our atoms vibrating at such a rate that at last
they escape the unseen cords and fly off。
〃The green ray of Yolara is such an agent。 It set up in the
dwarf that incredibly rapid rhythm that you saw and
shook him not to atomsbut to electrons！〃
〃They had a gun on the West Fronta seventy…five；〃 said
O'Keefe； 〃that broke the eardrums of everybody who fired
it； no matter what protection they used。 It looked like all
the other seventy…fivesbut there was something about its
sound that did it。 They had to recast it。〃
〃It's practically the same thing；〃 I replied。 〃By some freak
its vibratory qualities had that effect。 The deep whistle of
the sunken Lusitania would； for instance； make the Singer
Building shake to its foundations； while the Olympic did not
affect the Singer at all but made the Woolworth shiver all
through。 In each case they stimulated the atomic vibration
of the particular building〃
I paused； aware all at once of an intense drowsiness。
O'Keefe； yawning； reached down to unfasten his puttees。
〃Lord； I'm sleepy！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Can't understand it
what you saymostinterestingLord！〃 he yawned again；
straightened。 〃What made Reddy take such a shine to the
Russian？〃 he asked。
〃Thanaroa；〃 I answered； fighting to keep my eyes open。
〃What？〃
〃When Lugur spoke that name I saw Marakinoff signal
him。 Thanaroa is； I suspect； the original form of the name
of Tangaroa； the greatest god of the Polynesians。 There's a
secret cult to him in the islands。 Marakinoff may belong to
ithe knows it anyway。 Lugur recognized the signal and
despite his surprise answered it。〃
〃So he gave him the high sign； eh？〃 mused Larry。 〃How
could they both know it？〃
〃The cult is a very ancient one。 Undoubtedly it had its
origin in the dim beginnings before these people migrated
here；〃 I replied。 〃It's a linkoneof the few links between
up there and the lost past〃
〃Trouble then；〃 mumbled Larry。 〃Hell brewing！ I smell it
Say； Doc； is this sleepiness natural？ Wonder where my
gas maskis〃 he added； half incoherently。
But I myself was struggling desperately against the
drugged slumber pressing down upon me。
〃Lakla！〃 I heard O'Keefe murmur。 〃Lakla of the golden
eyesno Eilidhthe Fair！〃 He made an immense effort；
half raised himself； grinned faintly。
〃Thought this was paradise when I first saw it； Doc；〃 he
sighed。 〃But I know now； if it is； No…Man's Land was the
greatest place on earth for a honeymoon。 Theythey've got
us； Doc〃 He sank back。 〃Good luck； old boy； wherever
you're going。〃 His hand waved feebly。 〃Gladknewyou。
Hopeseeyou'gain〃
His voice trailed into silence。 Fighting； fighting with every
fibre of brain and nerve against the sleep； I felt myself being
steadily overcome。 Yet before oblivion rushed down upon
me I seemed to see upon the grey…screened wall nearest the
Irishman an oval of rosy light begin to glow； watched； as my
falling lids inexorably fell； a flame…tipped shadow waver
on it； thicken； condenseand there looking down upon
Larry； her eyes great golden stars in which intensest curios…
ity and shy tenderness struggled； sweet mouth half smiling；
was the girl of the Moon Pool's Chamber； the girl whom the
green dwarf had namedLakla： the vision Larry had in…
voked before that sleep which I could no longer deny had
claimed him
Closer she camecloser…the eyes were over us。
Then oblivion indeed！
CHAPTER XVI
Yolara of Muria vs。 the O'Keefe
I AWAKENED with all the familiar； homely sensation of a
shade having been pulled up in a darkened room。 I thrilled
with a wonderful sense of deep rest and restored resiliency。
The ebon shadow had vanished from above and down into
the room
