the moon pool-第24章
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stream of coruscations flew from the ball down into the
cylinder。 The shell started smoothly； and as the tiny torrent
of shining particles increased it gathered speed。
〃The corial does not touch the road；〃 explained Rador。
〃It is lifted so far〃he held his forefinger and thumb less
than a sixteenth of an inch apart〃above it。〃
And perhaps here is the best place to explain the activa…
tion of the shells or coria。 The force utilized was atomic
energy。 Passing from the whirling ball the ions darted
through the cylinder to two bands of a peculiar metal affixed
to the base of the vehicles somewhat like skids of a sled。
Impinging upon these they produced a partial negation of
gravity； lifting the shell slightly； and at the same time creat…
ing a powerful repulsive force or thrust that could be di…
rected backward； forward； or sidewise at the will of the
driver。 The creation of this energy and the mechanism of its
utilization were； briefly； as follows：
＇Dr。 Goodwin's lucid and exceedingly comprehensive
description of this extraordinary mechanism has been
deleted by the Executive Council of the International
Association of Science as too dangerously suggestive to
scientists of the Central European Powers with which
we were so recently at war。 It is allowable； however； to
state that his observations are in the possession of ex…
perts in this country； who are； unfortunately； hampered
in their research not only by the scarcity of the radio…
active elements that we know； but also by the lack of the
element or elements unknown to us that entered into the
formation of the fiery ball within the cube of black
crystal。 Nevertheless； as the principle is so clear； it is
believed that these difficulties will ultimately be over…
come。〃J。 B。 K。； President； I。 A。 of S。＇
The wide； glistening road was gay with the coria。 They
darted in and out of the gardens； within them the fair…haired；
extraordinarily beautiful women on their cushions were like
princesses of Elfland； caught in gorgeous fairy webs； resting
within the hearts of flowers。 In some shells were flaxen…
haired dwarfish men of Lugur's type； sometimes black…polled
brother officers of Rador； often raven…tressed girls； plainly
hand…maidens of the women； and now and then beauties of
the lower folk went by with one of the blond dwarfs。
We swept around the turn that made of the jewel…like
roadway an enormous horseshoe and； speedily； upon our
right the cliffs through which we had come in our journey
from the Moon Pool began to march forward beneath their
mantles of moss。 They formed a gigantic abutment； a titanic
salient。 It had been from the very front of this salient's in…
vading angle that we had emerged； on each side of it the
precipices； faintly glowing； drew back and vanished into
distance。
The slender； graceful bridges under which we skimmed
ended at openings in the upflung； far walls of verdure。 Each
had its little garrison of soldiers。 Through some of the open…
ings a rivulet of the green obsidian river passed。 These were
roadways to the farther country； to the land of the ladala；
Rador told me； adding that none of the lesser folk could
cross into the pavilioned city unless summoned or with pass。
We turned the bend of the road and flew down that farther
emerald ribbon we had seen from the great oval。 Before us
rose the shining cliffs and the lake。 A half…mile； perhaps；
from these the last of the bridges flung itself。 It was more
massive and about it hovered a spirit of ancientness lacking
in the other spans； also its garrison was larger and at its
base the tangent way was guarded by two massive struc…
tures； somewhat like blockhouses； between which it ran。
Something about it aroused in me an intense curiosity。
〃Where does that road lead； Rador？〃 I asked。
〃To the one place above all of which I may not tell you；
Goodwin；〃 he answered。 And again I wondered。
We skimmed slowly out upon the great pier。 Far to the
left was the prismatic； rainbow curtain between the Cyclo…
pean pillars。 On the white waters graceful shellslacustrian
replicas of the Elf chariotsswam； but none was near that
distant web of wonder。
〃Radorwhat is that？〃 I asked。
〃It is the Veil of the Shining One！〃 he answered slowly。
Was the Shining One that which we named the Dweller？
〃What is the Shining One？〃 I cried； eagerly。 Again he was
silent。 Nor did he speak until we had turned on our home…
ward way。
And lively as my interest； my scientific curiosity； were
I was conscious suddenly of acute depression。 Beautiful；
wondrously beautiful this place wasand yet in its wonder
dwelt a keen edge of menace； of uneaseof inexplicable；
inhuman woe； as though in a secret garden of God a soul
should sense upon it the gaze of some lurking spirit of evil
which some way； somehow； had crept into the sanctuary and
only bided its time to spring。
CHAPTER XVII
The Leprechaun
THE SHELL carried us straight back to the house of Yolara。
Larry was awaiting me。 We stood again before the tenebrous
wall where first we had faced the priestess and the Voice。
And as we stood； again the portal appeared with all its dis…
concerting； magical abruptness。
But now the scene was changed。 Around the jet table were
grouped a number of figuresLugur； Yolara beside him；
seven others…all of them fair…haired and all men save one
who sat at the left of the priestessan old； old woman； how
old I could not tell； her face bearing traces of beauty that
must once have been as great as Yolara's own； but now
ravaged； in some way awesome； through its ruins the fear…
ful； malicious gaiety shining out like a spirit of joy held
within a corpse！
Began then our examination； for such it was。 And as it
progressed I was more and more struck by the change in the
O'Keefe。 All flippancy was gone； rarely did his sense of
humour reveal itself in any of his answers。 He was like a
cautious swordsman； fencing； guarding； studying his op…
ponent； or rather； like a chess…player who keeps sensing
some far…reaching purpose in the game： alert； contained；
watchful。 Always he stressed the power of our surface races；
their multitudes； their solidarity。
Their questions were myriad。 What were our occupations？
Our system of government？ How great were the waters？ The
land？ Intensely interested were they in the World War；
querying minutely into its causes； its effects。 In our weapons
their interest was avid。 And they were exceedingly minute in
their examination of us as to the ruins which had excited
our curiosity； their position and surroundingsand if others
than ourselves might be expected to find and pass through
their entrance！
At this I shot a glance at Lugur。 He did not seem unduly
interested。 I wondered if the Russian had told him as yet of
the girl of the rosy wall of the Moon Pool Chamber and the
real reasons for our search。 Then I answered as briefly as
possibleomitting all reference to these things。 The red
dwarf watched me with unmistakable amusementand I
knew Marakinoff had told him。 But clearly Lugur had kept
his information even from Yolara； and as clearly she had
spoken to none of that episode when O'Keefe's automatic
had shattered the Keth…smitten vase。 Again I felt that sense
of deep bewildermentof helpless search for clue to all the
tangle。
For two hours we were questioned and then the priestess
called Rador and let us go。
Larry was sombre as we returned。 He walked about the
room uneasily。
〃Hell's brewing here all right；〃 he said at last； stopping
before me。 〃I can't make out just the particular brand
that's all that bothers me。 We're going to have a stiff fight；
that's sure。 What I want to do quick is to find the Golden
Girl； Doc。 Haven't seen her on the wall lately； have you？〃
he queried； hopefully fantastic。
〃Laugh if you want to；〃 he went on。 〃But she's our best
bet。 It's going to be a race between her and the O'Keefe
bansheebut I put my money on her。 I had a queer experi…
ence while I was in that garden； after you'd left。〃 His voice
grew solemn。 〃Did you ever see a leprechaun； Doc？〃 I shook
my head again； as solemnly。 〃He's a little man in green；〃
said Larry。 〃Oh； about as high as your knee。 I saw one once
in Carntogher Woods。 And as I sat there； half asleep； in
Yolara's garden； the living spit of him stepped out from one
of those bushes； twirling a little shillalah。
〃'It's a tight box ye're gettin' in； Larry avick；' said he；
'but don't ye be downhearted； lad。'
〃'I'm carrying on；' said I； 'but you're a long way from
Ireland；' I said； or thought I did。
〃'Ye've a lot o' friends there；' he answered。 'An' where
the heart rests the feet are swift to follow。 Not that I'm
sayin' I'd like to live here； Larry；' said he。
〃'I know where my heart is now；' I told him。 'It rests on
a girl with golden eyes and the hair and swan…white breast
of Eilidh the Fairbut me feet don't seem to get me to her；'
I said。〃
The brogue thickened。
〃An' the little man in green nodded his head an' whirled
his shillalah。
〃'It's what I came to tell ye；' says he。 'Don't ye fall for
the Bhean…Nimher； the serpent woman wit' the blue eyes；
she's a daughter of Ivor； ladan' don't ye do nothin' to make
the brown…haired coleen ashamed o' ye； Larry O'Keefe。 I
knew yer great； great grandfather an' his before him； aroon；'
says he； 'an' wan o' the O'Keefe failin's is to think their
hearts big enough to hold all the wimmen o' the world。 A
heart's built to hold only wan permanently； Larry；' he says；
'an' I'm warnin' ye a nice girl don't like to move into a place
all cluttered up wid another's washin' an' mendin' an'
cookin' an' other things pertainin' to general wife work。 Not
that I think the blue…eyed wan is keen for mendin' an'
cookin'！' says he。
〃'You don't have to be comin' all this way to tell me
that；' I answer。
〃'Well； I'm just a tellin' you；' he says。 'Ye've got some
rough knocks comin'； Larry。 In fact； ye're in for a devil of a
time。 But； remember that ye're the O'Keefe；' says he。 'An'
while the bhoys are all wid ye； avick； ye've got to be on the
job yourself。'
〃'I hope；' I tell him； 'that the O'Keefe banshee can find
her way here in timethat is； if it's necessary； which I hope
it won't be。'
〃'Don't ye worry about that；' says he。 'Not that she's
keen on leavin' the ould sod； Larry。 The good ould soul's in
quite a state o' mind about ye； aroon。 I don't mind tellin' ye；
lad； that she's mobilizing all the clan an' if she HAS to come
for ye； avick； they'll be wid her an' they'll sweep this joint
clean before ye go。 What they'll do to it'll make the Big Wind
look like a summer breeze on Lough Lene！ An' that's about
all； Larry。
