the moon pool-第25章

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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。　　We　thought　a　voice　from　the　Green　Isle　would

cheer　ye。　　Don't　fergit　that　ye're　the　O'Keefe　an'　I　say　it

againall　the　bhoys　are　wid　ye。　　But　we　want　t'　kape　bein'

proud　o'　ye；　lad！'



〃An'　I　looked　again　and　there　was　only　a　bush　waving。〃



There　wasn't　a　smile　in　my　heartor　if　there　was　it　was

a　very　tender　one。



〃I'm　going　to　bed；〃　he　said　abruptly。　　〃Keep　an　eye　on　the

wall；　Doc！〃



Between　the　seven　sleeps　that　followed；　Larry　and　I　saw

but　little　of　each　other。　　Yolara　sought　him　more　and　more。

Thrice　we　were　called　before　the　Council；　once　we　were　at　a

great　feast；　whose　splendours　and　surprises　I　can　never　for…

get。　　Largely　I　was　in　the　company　of　Rador。　　Together　we

two　passed　the　green　barriers　into　the　dwellingplace　of　the

ladala。



They　seemed　provided　with　everything　needful　for　life。

But　everywhere　was　an　oppressiveness；　a　gathering　together

of　hate；　that　was　spiritual　rather　than　materialas　tangible

as　the　latter　and　far；　far　more　menacing！



〃They　do　not　like　to　dance　with　the　Shining　One；〃　was

Rador's　constant　and　only　reply　to　my　efforts　to　find　the

cause。



Once　I　had　concrete　evidence　of　the　mood。　　Glancing　be…

hind　me；　I　saw　a　white；　vengeful　face　peer　from　behind　a

tree…trunk；　a　hand　lift；　a　shining　dart　speed　from　it　straight

toward　Rador's　back。　　Instinctively　I　thrust　him　aside。　　He

turned　upon　me　angrily。　　I　pointed　to　where　the　little　missile

lay；　still　quivering；　on　the　ground。　　He　gripped　my　hand。



〃That；　some　day　I　will　repay！〃　he　said。　　I　looked　again　at

the　thing。　　At　its　end　was　a　tiny　cone　covered　with　a　glisten…


ing；　gelatinous　substance。



Rador　pulled　from　a　tree　beside　us　a　fruit　somewhat　like

an　apple。



〃Look！〃　he　said。　　He　dropped　it　upon　the　dartand　at

once；　before　my　eyes；　in　less　than　ten　seconds；　the　fruit　had

rotted　away！



〃That's　what　would　have　happened　to　Rador　but　for　you；

friend！〃　he　said。



Come　now　between　this　and　the　prelude　to　the　latter　half

of　the　drama　whose　history　this　narrative　isonly　scattering

and　necessarily　fragmentary　observations。



Firstthe　nature　of　the　ebon　opacities；　blocking　out　the

spaces　between　the　pavilion…pillars　or　covering　their　tops　like

roofs；　These　were　magnetic　fields；　light　absorbers；　negativ…

ing　the　vibrations　of　radiance；　literally　screens　of　electric

force　which　formed　as　impervious　a　barrier　to　light　as　would

have　screens　of　steel。



They　instantaneously　made　night　appear　in　a　place　where

no　night　was。　　But　they　interposed　no　obstacle　to　air　or　to

sound。　　They　were　extremely　simple　in　their　inceptionno

more　miraculous　than　is　glass；　which；　inversely；　admits　the

vibrations　of　light；　but　shuts　out　those　coarser　ones　we　call

airand；　partly；　those　others　which　produce　upon　our　audi…

tory　nerves　the　effects　we　call　sound。



Briefly　their　mechanism　was　this：





＇For　the　same　reason　that　Dr。　Goodwin's　exposition

of　the　mechanism　of　the　atomic　engines　was　deleted；

his　description　of　the　light…destroying　screens　has　been

deleted　by　the　Executive　Council。J。　B。　F。；　President；

I。　A。　of　S。＇







There　were　two　favoured　classes　of　the　ladalathe

soldiers　and　the　dream…makers。　　The　dream…makers　were　the

most　astonishing　social　phenomena；　I　think；　of　all。　　Denied

by　their　circumscribed　environment　the　wider　experiences　of

us　of　the　outer　world；　the　Murians　had　perfected　an　amaz…

ing　system　of　escape　through　the　imagination。



They　were；　too；　intensely　musical。　　Their　favourite　instru…

ments　were　double　flutes；　immensely　complex　pipe…organs；

harps；　great　and　small。　　They　had　another　remarkable　in…

strument　made　up　of　a　double　octave　of　small　drums　which

gave　forth　percussions　remarkably　disturbing　to　the　emo…

tional　centres。



It　was　this　love　of　music　that　gave　rise　to　one　of　the　few

truly　humorous　incidents　of　our　caverned　life。　　Larry　came

to　meit　was　just　after　our　fourth　sleep；　I　remember。



〃Come　on　to　a　concert；〃　he　said。



We　skimmed　off　to　one　of　the　bridge　garrisons。　　Rador

called　the　two…score　guards　to　attention；　and　then；　to　my

utter　stupefaction；　the　whole　company；　O'Keefe　leading

them；　roared　out　the　anthem；　〃God　Save　the　King。〃　　They

sangin　a　closer　approach　to　the　English　than　might　have

been　expected　scores　of　miles　below　England's　level。　　〃Send

him　victorious！　　Happy　and　glorious！〃　they　bellowed。



He　quivered　with　suppressed　mirth　at　my　paralysis　of

surprise。



〃Taught　'em　that　for　Marakinoff's　benefit！〃　he　gasped。

〃Wait　till　that　Red　hears　it。　　He'll　blow　up。



〃Just　wait　until　you　hear　Yolara　lisp　a　pretty　little　thing　I

taught　her；〃　said　Larry　as　we　set　back　for　what　we　now

called　home。　　There　was　an　impish　twinkle　in　his　eyes。



And　I　did　hear。　　For　it　was　not　many　minutes　later　that　the

priestess　condescended　to　command　me　to　come　to　her　with

O'Keefe。



〃Show　Goodwin　how　much　you　have　learned　of　our

speech；　O　lady　of　the　lips　of　honeyed　flame！〃　murmured

Larry。



She　hesitated；　smiled　at　him；　and　then　from　that　perfect

mouth；　out　of　the　exquisite　throat；　in　the　voice　that　was　like

the　chiming　of　little　silver　bells；　she　trilled　a　melody　familiar

to　me　indeed：





〃She's　only　a　bird　in　a　gilded　cage；

　　A　bee…yu…tiful　sight　to　see〃





And　so　on　to　the　bitter　end。



〃She　thinks　it's　a　love…song；〃　said　Larry　when　we　had　left。

〃It's　only　part　of　a　repertoire　I'm　teaching　her。　　Honestly；

Doc；　it's　the　only　way　I　can　keep　my　mind　clear　when　I'm

with　her；〃　he　went　on　earnestly。　　〃She's　a　devil…ess　from　hell

but　a　wonder。　　Whenever　I　find　myself　going　I　get　her　to

sing　that；　or　Take　Back　Your　Gold！　　or　some　other　ancient

lay；　and　I'm　back　againprontowith　the　right　perspective！

POP　goes　all　the　mystery！　　'Hell！'　I　say；　'she's　only　a　woman！'〃











CHAPTER　XVIII



The　Amphitheatre　of　Jet



FOR　HOURs　the　black…haired　folk　had　been　streaming　across

the　bridges；　flowing　along　the　promenade　by　scores　and　by

hundreds；　drifting　down　toward　the　gigantic　seven…terraced

temple　whose　interior　I　had　never　as　yet　seen；　and　from

whose　towering　exterior；　indeed；　I　had　always　been　kept　far

enough　awayunobtrusively；　but　none　the　less　decisively

to　prevent　any　real　observation。　　The　structure；　I　had　esti…

mated；　nevertheless；　could　not　reach　less　than　a　thousand

feet　above　its　silvery　base；　and　the　diameter　of　its　circular

foundation　was　about　the　same。



I　wondered　what　was　bringing　the　_ladala_　into　Lora；　and

where　they　were　vanishing。　　All　of　them　were　flower…crowned

with　the　luminous；　lovely　bloomsold　and　young；　slender；

mocking…eyed　girls；　dwarfed　youths；　mothers　with　their

babes；　gnomed　oldsterson　they　poured；　silent　for　the　most

part　and　sullena　sullenness　that　held　acid　bitterness　even

as　their　subtle；　half…sinister；　half…gay　malice　seemed　tem…

pered　into　little　keen…edged　flames；　oddly；　menacingly　de…

fiant。



There　were　many　of　the　green…clad　soldiers　along　the　way；

and　the　garrison　of　the　only　bridge　span　I　could　see　had　cer…

tainly　been　doubled。



Wondering　still；　I　turned　from　my　point　of　observation

and　made　my　way　back　to　our　pavilion；　hoping　that　Larry；

who　had　been　with　Yolara　for　the　past　two　hours；　had　re…

turned。　　Hardly　had　I　reached　it　before　Rador　came　hurrying

up；　in　his　manner　a　curious　exultance　mingled　with　what　in

anyone　else　I　would　have　called　a　decided　nervousness。



〃Come！〃　he　commanded　before　I　could　speak。　　〃The　Coun…

cil　has　made　decisionand　_Larree_　is　awaiting　you。〃



〃What　has　been　decided？〃　I　panted　as　we　sped　along　the

mosaic　path　that　led　to　the　house　of　Yolara。　　〃And　why　is

Larry　awaiting　me？〃



And　at　his　answer　I　felt　my　heart　pause　in　its　beat　and

through　me　race　a　wave　of　mingled　panic　and　eagerness。



〃The　Shining　One　dances！〃　had　answered　the　green　dwarf。

〃And　you　are　to　worship！〃



What　was　this　dancing　of　the　Shining　One；　of　which　so

often　he　had　spoken？



Whatever　my　forebodings；　Larry　evidently　had　none。



〃Great　stuff！〃　he　cried；　when　we　had　met　in　the　great　ante…

chamber　now　empty　of　the　dwarfs。　　〃Hope　it　will　be　worth

seeinghave　to　be　something　damned　good；　though；　to

catch　me；　after　what　I've　seen　of　shows　at　the　front；〃　he

added。



And　remembering；　with　a　little　shock　of　apprehension；

that　he　had　no　knowledge　of　the　Dweller　beyond　my　poor

description　of　itfor　there　are　no　words　actually　to　describe

what　that　miracle　of　interwoven　glory　and　horror　wasI

wondered　what　Larry　O'Keefe　would　say　and　do　when　he

did　behold　it！



Rador　began　to　show　impatience。



〃Come！〃　he　urged。　　〃There　is　much　to　be　doneand　the

time　grows　short！〃



He　led　us　to　a　tiny　fountain　room　in　whose　miniature　pool

the　white　waters　were　concentrated；　pearl…like　and　opales…

cent　in　their　circling　rim。



〃Bathe！〃　he　commanded；　and　set　the　example　by　strip…

ping　himself　and　plunging　within。　　Only　a　minute　or　two　did

the　green　dwarf　allow　us；　and　he　checked　us　as　we　were

about　to　don　our　clothing。



Then；　to　my　intense　embarrassment；　without　warning；　two

of　the　black…haired　girls　entered；　bearing　robes　of　a　peculiar

dull…blue　hue。　　At　our　manifest　discomfort　Rador's　laughter

roared　out。　　He　took　the　garments　from　the　pair；　motioned

them　to　leave　us；　and；　still　laughing；　threw　one　around　me。

Its　texture　was　soft；　but　decidedly　metalliclike　some　blue

metal　spun　to　the　fineness　of　a　spider's　thread。　　The　garment

buckled　tightly　at　the　throat；　was　girdled　at　the　waist；　and；

below　this　cincture；　fell　to　the　floor；　its　folds　being　held　to…

gether　by　a　half…dozen　looped　cords；　from　the　shoulders　a

hood　resembling　a　monk's　cowl。



Rador　cast　this　over　my　head；　it　completely　covered　my

face；　but　was　of　so　transparent　a　texture　that　I　could　see；

though　somewhat　mistily；　through　it。　　Finally　he　handed　us

both　a　pair　of　long　gloves　of　the　same　material　and　high

stockings；　the　feet　of　which　were　glovedfive…toed。



And　again　his　laughter　rang　out　at　our　manifest　surprise。



〃The　priestess　of　the　Shining　One　does　not　altogether

trust　the　Shining　One's　Voice；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃And　these

are　to　guard　against　any　suddenerrors。　　And　fear　not；

Goodwin；〃　he　went　on　kindly。　　〃Not　for　the　Shining　One

itself　would　Yolara　see　harm　come　to　_Larree_　herenor；

because　of　him；　to　you。　　But　I　would　not　stake　much　on　the

great　white　one。　　And　for　him　I　am　sorry；　for　him　I　do　like

well。〃



〃Is　he　to　be　with　us？〃　asked　Larry　eagerly。



〃He　is　to　be　where　we　go；〃　replied　the　dwarf　soberly。



Grimly　Larry　reached　down　and　drew　from　his　uniform　his

automatic。　　He　popped　a　fresh　clip　into　the　pocket　fold　of　his

girdle。　　The　pistol　he　slung　high　up　beneath　his　arm…pit。



The　green　dwarf　looked　at　the　weapon　curiou