the moon pool-第26章

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



The　green　dwarf　looked　at　the　weapon　curiously。　　O'Keefe

tapped　it。



〃This；〃　said　Larry；　〃slays　quicker　than　the　_Keth_I　take

it　so　no　harm　shall　come　to　the　blue…eyed　one　whose　name　is

Olaf。　　If　I　should　raise　itbe　you　not　in　its　way；　Rador！〃　he

added　significantly。



The　dwarf　nodded　again；　his　eyes　sparkling。　　He　thrust　a

hand　out　to　both　of　us。



〃A　change　comes；〃　he　said。　　〃What　it　is　I　know　not；　nor

how　it　will　fall。　　But　this　rememberRador　is　more　friend

to　you　than　you　yet　can　know。　　And　now　let　us　go！〃　he　ended

abruptly。



He　led　us；　not　through　the　entrance；　but　into　a　sloping

passage　ending　in　a　blind　wall；　touched　a　symbol　graven

there；　and　it　opened；　precisely　as　had　the　rosy　barrier　of　the

Moon　Pool　Chamber。　　And；　just　as　there；　but　far　smaller；

was　a　passage　end；　a　low　curved　wall　facing　a　shaft　not　black

as　had　been　that　abode　of　living　darkness；　but　faintly　lumi…

nescent。　　Rador　leaned　over　the　wall。　　The　mechanism　clicked

and　started；　the　door　swung　shut；　the　sides　of　the　car　slipped

into　place；　and　we　swept　swiftly　down　the　passage；　over…

head　the　wind　whistled。　　In　a　few　moments　the　moving　plat…

form　began　to　slow　down。　　It　stopped　in　a　closed　chamber　no

larger　than　itself。



Rador　drew　his　poniard　and　struck　twice　upon　the　wall

with　its　hilt。　　Immediately　a　panel　moved　away；　revealing　a

space　filled　with　faint；　misty　blue　radiance。　　And　at　each　side

of　the　open　portal　stood　four　of　the　dwarfish　men；　grey…

headed；　old；　clad　in　flowing　garments　of　white；　each　point…

ing　toward　us　a　short　silver　rod。



Rador　drew　from　his　girdle　a　ring　and　held　it　out　to　the

first　dwarf。　　He　examined　it；　handed　it　to　the　one　beside　him；

and　not　until　each　had　inspected　the　ring　did　they　lower　their

curious　weapons；　containers　of　that　terrific　energy　they

called　the　_Keth_；　I　thought；　and　later　was　to　know　that　I　had

been　right。



We　stepped　out；　the　doors　closed　behind　us。　　The　place

was　weird　enough。　　Its　pave　was　a　greenish…blue　stone　re…

sembling　lapis　lazuli。　　On　each　side　were　high　pedestals　hold…

ing　carved　figures　of　the　same　material。　　There　were　perhaps

a　score　of　these；　but　in　the　mistiness　I　could　not　make　out

their　outlines。　　A　droning；　rushing　roar　beat　upon　our　ears；

filled　the　whole　cavern。



〃I　smell　the　sea；〃　said　Larry　suddenly。



The　roaring　became　deep…toned；　clamorous；　and　close　in

front　of　us　a　rift　opened。　　Twenty　feet　in　width；　it　cut　the

cavern　floor　and　vanished　into　the　blue　mist　on　each　side。

The　cleft　was　spanned　by　one　solid　slab　of　rock　not　more

than　two　yards　wide。　　It　had　neither　railing　nor　other　protec…

tion。



The　four　leading　priests　marched　out　upon　it　one　by　one；

and　we　followed。　　In　the　middle　of　the　span　they　knelt。　　Ten

feet　beneath　us　was　a　torrent　of　blue　sea…water　racing　with

prodigious　speed　between　polished　walls。　　It　gave　the　impres…

sion　of　vast　depth。　　It　roared　as　it　sped　by；　and　far　to　the　right

was　a　low　arch　through　which　it　disappeared。　　It　was　so　swift

that　its　surface　shone　like　polished　blue　steel；　and　from　it

came　the　blessed；　OUR　WORLDLY；　familiar　ocean　breath　that

strengthened　my　soul　amazingly　and　made　me　realize　how

earth…sick　I　was。



Whence　came　the　stream；　I　marvelled；　forgetting　for　the

moment；　as　we　passed　on　again；　all　else。　　Were　we　closer　to

the　surface　of　earth　than　I　had　thought；　or　was　this　some

mighty　flood　falling　through　an　opening　in　sea　floor；　Heaven

alone　knew　how　many　miles　above　us；　losing　itself　in　deeper

abysses　beyond　these？　　How　near　and　how　far　this　was　from

the　truth　I　was　to　learnand　never　did　truth　come　to　man

in　more　dreadful　guise！



The　roaring　fell　away；　the　blue　haze　lessened。　　In　front　of

us　stretched　a　wide　flight　of　steps；　huge　as　those　which　had

led　us　into　the　courtyard　of　Nan…Tauach　through　the　ruined

sea…gate。　　We　scaled　it；　it　narrowed；　from　above　light　poured

through　a　still　narrower　opening。　　Side　by　side　Larry　and　I

passed　out　of　it。



We　had　emerged　upon　an　enormous　platform　of　what

seemed　to　be　glistening　ivory。　　It　stretched　before　us　for　a

hundred　yards　or　more　and　then　shelved　gently　into　the

white　waters。　　Oppositenot　a　mile　awaywas　that　prodi…

gious　web　of　woven　rainbows　Rador　had　called　the　Veil　of

the　Shining　One。　　There　it　shone　in　all　its　unearthly　grandeur；

on　each　side　of　the　Cyclopean　pillars；　as　though　a　mountain

should　stretch　up　arms　raising　between　them　a　fairy　banner

of　auroral　glories。　　Beneath　it　was　the　curved；　scimitar　sweep

of　the　pier　with　its　clustered；　gleaming　temples。



Before　that　brief；　fascinated　glance　was　done；　there

dropped　upon　my　soul　a　sensation　as　of　brooding　weight　in…

tolerable；　a　spiritual　oppression　as　though　some　vastness　was

falling；　pressing；　stifling　me；　I　turnedand　Larry　caught　me

as　I　reeled。



〃Steady！　　Steady；　old　man！〃　he　whispered。



At　first　all　that　my　staggering　consciousness　could　realize

was　an　immensity；　an　immeasurable　uprearing　that　brought

with　it　the　same　throat…gripping　vertigo　as　comes　from　gaz…

ing　downward　from　some　great　heightthen　a　blur　of　white

facesintolerable　shinings　of　hundreds　upon　thousands　of

eyes。　　Huge；　incredibly　huge；　a　colossal　amphitheatre　of　jet；

a　stupendous　semi…circle；　held　within　its　mighty　arc　the　ivory

platform　on　which　I　stood。



It　reared　itself　almost　perpendicularly　hundreds　of　feet　up

into　the　sparkling　heavens；　and　thrust　down　on　each　side　its

ebon　bulwarkslike　monstrous　paws。　　Now；　the　giddiness

from　its　sheer　greatness　passing；　I　saw　that　it　was　indeed　an

amphitheatre　sloping　slightly　backward　tier　after　tier；　and

that　the　white　blur　of　faces　against　its　blackness；　the　gleam…

ing　of　countless　eyes　were　those　of　myriads　of　the　people　who

sat　silent；　flower…garlanded；　their　gaze　focused　upon　the　rain…

bow　curtain　and　sweeping　over　me　like　a　torrenttangible；

appalling！



Five　hundred　feet　beyond；　the　smooth；　high　retaining　wall

of　the　amphitheatre　raised　itselfabove　it　the　first　terrace

of　the　seats；　and　above　this；　dividing　the　tiers　for　another　half

a　thousand　feet　upward；　set　within　them　like　a　panel；　was　a

dead…black　surface　in　which　shone　faintly　with　a　bluish　radi…

ance　a　gigantic　disk；　above　it　and　around　it　a　cluster　of　in…

numerable　smaller　ones。



On　each　side　of　me；　bordering　the　platform；　were　scores

of　small　pillared　alcoves；　a　low　wall　stretching　across　their

fronts；　delicate；　fretted　grills　shielding　them；　save　where　in

each　lattice　an　opening　staredit　came　to　me　that　they　were

like　those　stalls　in　ancient　Gothic　cathedrals　wherein　for

centuries　had　kneeled　paladins　and　people　of　my　own　race

on　earth's　fair　face。　　And　within　these　alcoves　were　gathered；

score　upon　score；　the　elfin　beauties；　the　dwarfish　men　of　the

fair…haired　folk。　　At　my　right；　a　few　feet　from　the　opening

through　which　we　had　come；　a　passageway　led　back　between

the　fretted　stalls。　　Half…way　between　us　and　the　massive　base

of　the　amphitheatre　a　dais　rose。　　Up　the　platform　to　it　a　wide

ramp　ascended；　and　on　ramp　and　dais　and　along　the　centre

of　the　gleaming　platform　down　to　where　it　kissed　the　white

waters；　a　broad　ribbon　of　the　radiant　flowers　lay　like　a　fairy

carpet。



On　one　side　of　this　dais；　meshed　in　a　silken　web　that　hid

no　line　or　curve　of　her　sweet　body；　white　flesh　gleaming

through　its　folds；　stood　Yolara；　and　opposite　her；　crowned

with　a　circlet　of　flashing　blue　stones；　his　mighty　body　stark

bare；　was　Lugur！



O'Keefe　drew　a　long　breath；　Rador　touched　my　arm　and；

still　dazed；　I　let　myself　be　drawn　into　the　aisle　and　through

a　corridor　that　ran　behind　the　alcoves。　　At　the　back　of　one　of

these　the　green　dwarf　paused；　opened　a　door；　and　motioned

us　within。



Entering；　I　found　that　we　were　exactly　opposite　where　the

ramp　ran　up　to　the　daisand　that　Yolara　was　not　more　than

fifty　feet　away。　　She　glanced　at　O'Keefe　and　smiled。　　Her　eyes

were　ablaze　with　little　dancing　points　of　light；　her　body

seemed　to　palpitate；　the　rounded　delicate　muscles　beneath

the　translucent　skin　to　run　with　joyful　little　eager　waves！



Larry　whistled　softly。



〃There's　Marakinoff！〃　he　said。



I　looked　where　he　pointed。　　Opposite　us　sat　the　Russian；

clothed　as　we　were；　leaning　forward；　his　eyes　eager　behind

his　glasses；　but　if　he　saw　us　he　gave　no　sign。



〃And　there's　Olaf！〃　said　O'Keefe。



Beneath　the　carved　stall　in　which　sat　the　Russian　was　an

aperture　and　within　it　was　Huldricksson。　　Unprotected　by

pillars　or　by　grills；　opening　clear　upon　the　platform；　near　him

stretched　the　trail　of　flowers　up　to　the　great　dais　which　Lugur

and　Yolara　the　priestess　guarded。　　He　sat　alone；　and　my　heart

went　out　to　him。



O'Keefe's　face　softened。



〃Bring　him　here；〃　he　said　to　Rador。



The　green　dwarf　was　looking　at　the　Norseman；　too；　a

shade　of　pity　upon　his　mocking　face。　　He　shook　his　head。



〃Wait！〃　he　said。　　〃You　can　do　nothing　nowand　it　may

be　there　will　be　no　need　to　do　anything；〃　he　added；　but　I

could　feel　that　there　was　little　of　conviction　in　his　words。











CHAPTER　XIX



The　Madness　of　Olaf



YOLARA　threw　her　white　arms　high。　　From　the　mountainous

tiers　came　a　mighty　sigh；　a　rippling　ran　through　them。　　And

upon　the　moment；　before　Yolara's　arms　fell；　there　issued；

apparently　from　the　air　around　us；　a　peal　of　sound　that

might　have　been　the　shouting　of　some　playful　god　hurling

great　suns　through　the　net　of　stars。　　It　was　like　the　deepest

notes　of　all　the　organs　in　the　world　combined　in　one；　sum…

moning；　majestic；　cosmic！



It　held　within　it　the　thunder　of　the　spheres　rolling　through

the　infinite；　the　birth…song　of　suns　made　manifest　in　the

womb　of　space；　echoes　of　creation's　supernal　chord！　　It　shook

the　body　like　a　pulse　from　the　heart　of　the　universepulsed

and　died　away。



On　its　death　came　a　blaring　as　of　all　the　trumpets　of　con…

quering　hosts　since　the　first　Pharaoh　led　his　swarms

triumphal；　compelling！　　Alexander's　clamouring　hosts；

brazen…throated　wolf…horns　of　Caesar's　legions；　blare　of

trumpets　of　Genghis　Khan　and　his　golden　horde；　clangor　of

the　locust　levies　of　Tamerlane；　bugles　of　Napoleon's　armies

war…shout　of　all　earth's　conquerors！　　And　it　died！



Fast　upon　it；　a　throbbing；　muffled　tumult　of　harp　sounds；

mellownesses　of　myriads　of　wood　horns；　the　subdued　sweet

shrilling　of　multitudes　of　flutes；　Pandean　pipingsinviting；

carrying　with　them　the　calling　of　waterfalls　in　the　hidden

places；　rushing　brooks　and　murmuring　forest　windscall…

ing；　calling；　languorous；　lulling；　dripping　into　the　brain　like

the　very　honeyed　essence　of　sound。



And　after　them　a　silence　in　which　the　memory　of　the

music　seemed　to　beat；　to　beat　ever　more　faintly；　through

every　quivering　nerve。



From　me　all　fear；　all　apprehension；　had　fled。　　In　their

place　was　nothing　but　joy