the moon pool-第36章

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meet　them　here！〃



And　then



〃Holy　St。　Brigid！〃　gasped　Larry。



From　the　rift　in　the　tunnel's　continuation；　nigh　a　mile

beyond　the　cleft　through　which　we　had　fled；　lifted　a　crown

of　hornsof　tentacleserect；　alert；　of　mottled　gold　and

crimson；　lifted　higherand　from　a　monstrous　scarlet　head

beneath　them　blazed　two　enormous；　obloid　eyes；　their　depths

wells　of　purplish　phosphorescence；　higher　stillnoseless；

earless；　chinless；　a　livid；　worm　mouth　from　which　a　slender

scarlet　tongue　leaped　like　playing　flames！　　Slowly　it　rose

its　mighty　neck　cuirassed　with　gold　and　scarlet　scales　from

whose　polished　surfaces　the　amber　light　glinted　like　flakes

of　fire；　and　under　this　neck　shimmered　something　like　a

palely　luminous　silvery　shield；　guarding　it。　　The　head　of　hor…

ror　mountedand　in　the　shield's　centre；　full　ten　feet　across；

glowing；　flickering；　shining　outcoldly；　was　a　rose　of　white

flame；　a　〃flower　of　cold　fire〃　even　as　Rador　had　said。



Now　swiftly　the　Thing　upreared；　standing　like　a　scaled

tower　a　hundred　feet　above　the　rift；　its　eyes　scanning　that

movement　I　had　seen　along　the　course　of　its　lair。　　There　was

a　hissing；　the　crown　of　horns　fell；　whipped　and　writhed　like

the　tentacles　of　an　octopus；　the　towering　length　dropped

back。



〃Quick！〃　gasped　Rador　and　through　the　fern　moss；　along

the　path　and　down　the　other　side　of　the　steep　we　raced。



Behind　us　for　an　instant　there　was　a　rushing　as　of　a　tor…

rent；　a　far…away；　faint；　agonized　screamingsilence！



〃No　fear　NOW　from　those　who　followed；〃　whispered　the

green　dwarf；　pausing。



〃Sainted　St。　Patrick！〃　O'Keefe　gazed　ruminatively　at　his

automatic。　　〃An'　he　expected　me　to　kill　THAT　with　this。　　Well；

as　Fergus　O'Connor　said　when　they　sent　him　out　to　slaugh…

ter　a　wild　bull　with　a　potato　knife：　'Ye'll　niver　rayilize　how

I　appreciate　the　confidence　ye　show　in　me！'



〃What　was　it；　Doc？〃　he　asked。



〃The　dragon　worm！〃　Rador　said。



〃It　was　Helvede　Ormthe　hell　worm！〃　groaned　Olaf。



〃There　you　go　again〃　blazed　Larry；　but　the　green　dwarf

was　hurrying　down　the　path　and　swiftly　we　followed；　Larry

muttering；　Olaf　mumbling；　behind　me。



The　green　dwarf　was　signalling　us　for　caution。　　He　pointed

through　a　break　in　a　grove　of　fifty…foot　cedar　mosseswe

were　skirting　the　glassy　road！　　Scanning　it　we　found　no　trace

of　Lugur　and　wondered　whether　he　too　had　seen　the　worm

and　had　fled。　　Quickly　we　passed　on；　drew　away　from　the

_coria_　path。　　The　mosses　began　to　thin；　less　and　less　they　grew；

giving　way　to　low　clumps　that　barely　offered　us　shelter。

Unexpectedly　another　screen　of　fern　moss　stretched　before

us。　Slowly　Rador　made　his　way　through　it　and　stood　hesitat…

ing。



The　scene　in　front　of　us　was　oddly　weird　and　depressing；

in　some　indefinable　waydreadful。　　Why；　I　could　not　tell；

but　the　impression　was　plain；　I　shrank　from　it。　　Then；　self…

analyzing；　I　wondered　whether　it　could　be　the　uncanny　re…

semblance　the　heaps　of　curious　mossy　fungi　scattered　about

had　to　beast　and　birdyes；　and　to　manthat　was　the　cause

of　it。　　Our　path　ran　between　a　few　of　them。　　To　the　left　they

were　thick。　　They　were　viridescent；　almost　metallic　hued

verd…antique。　　Curiously　indeed　were　they　like　distorted

images　of　dog　and　deerlike　forms；　of　birdsof　DWARFS　and

here　and　there　the　simulacra　of　the　giant　frogs！　　Spore　cases；

yellowish　green；　as　large　as　mitres　and　much　resembling　them

in　shape　protruded　from　the　heaps。　　My　repulsion　grew　into

a　distinct　nausea。



Rador　turned　to　us　a　face　whiter　far　than　that　with　which

he　had　looked　upon　the　dragon　worm。



〃Now　for　your　lives；〃　he　whispered；　〃tread　softly　here　as

I　doand　speak　not　at　all！〃



He　stepped　forward　on　tiptoe；　slowly　with　utmost　caution。

We　crept　after　him；　passed　the　heaps　beside　the　pathand

as　I　passed　my　skin　crept　and　I　shrank　and　saw　the　others

shrink　too　with　that　unnameable　loathing；　nor　did　the　green

dwarf　pause　until　he　had　reached　the　brow　of　a　small　hillock

a　hundred　yards　beyond。　　And　he　was　trembling。



〃Now　what　are　we　up　against？〃　grumbled　O'Keefe。



The　green　dwarf　stretched　a　hand；　stiffened；　gazed　over

to　the　left　of　us　beyond　a　lower　hillock　upon　whose　broad

crest　lay　a　file　of　the　moss　shapes。　　They　fringed　it；　their

mitres　having　a　grotesque　appearance　of　watching　what　lay

below。　　The　glistening　road　lay　thereand　from　it　came　a

shout。　　A　dozen　of　the　_coria_　clustered；　filled　with　Lugur's

men　and　in　one　of　them　Lugur　himself；　laughing　wickedly！



There　was　a　rush　of　soldiers　and　up　the　low　hillock　raced

a　score　of　them　toward　us。



〃Run！〃　shouted　Rador。



〃Not　much！〃　grunted　Larryand　took　swift　aim　at　Lugur。

The　automatic　spat：　Olaf's　echoed。　　Both　bullets　went　wild；

for　Lugur；　still　laughing；　threw　himself　into　the　protection　of

the　body　of　his　shell。　　But　following　the　shots；　from　the　file

of　moss　heaps　on　the　crest；　came　a　series　of　muffled　explo…

sions。　　Under　the　pistol's　concussions　the　mitred　caps　had

burst　and　instantly　all　about　the　running　soldiers　grew　a

cloud　of　tiny；　glistening　white　sporeslike　a　little　cloud　of

puff…ball　dust　many　times　magnified。　　Through　this　cloud　I

glimpsed　their　faces；　stricken　with　agony。



Some　turned　to　fly；　but　before　they　could　take　a　second

step　stood　rigid。



The　spore　cloud　drifted　and　eddied　about　them；　rained

down　on　their　heads　and　half　bare　breasts；　covered　their

garmentsand　swiftly　they　began　to　change！　　Their　features

grew　indistinctmerged！　　The　glistening　white　spores　that

covered　them　turned　to　a　pale　yellow；　grew　greenish；　spread

and　swelled；　darkened。　　The　eyes　of　one　of　the　soldiers　glinted

for　a　momentand　then　were　covered　by　the　swift　growth！



Where　but　a　few　moments　before　had　been　men　were　only

grotesque　heaps；　swiftly　melting；　swiftly　rounding　into　the

the　semblance　of　the　mounds　that　lay　behind　usand　al…

ready　beginning　to　take　on　their　gleam　of　ancient　virides…

cence！



The　Irishman　was　gripping　my　arm　fiercely；　the　pain

brought　me　back　to　my　senses。



〃Olaf's　right；〃　he　gasped。　　〃This　IS　hell！　　I'm　sick。〃　And　he

was；　frankly　and　without　restraint。　　Lugur　and　his　others

awakened　from　their　nightmare；　piled　into　the　_coria_；

wheeled；　raced　away。



〃On！〃　said　Rador　thickly。　　Two　perils　have　we　passed

the　Silent　Ones　watch　over　us！〃



Soon　we　were　again　among　the　familiar　and　so　unfamiliar

moss　giants。　　I　knew　what　I　had　seen　and　this　time　Larry

could　not　call　mesuperstitious。　　In　the　jungles　of　Borneo　I

had　examined　that　other　swiftly　developing　fungus　which

wreaks　the　vengeance　of　some　of　the　hill　tribes　upon　those

who　steal　their　women；　gripping　with　its　microscopic　hooks

into　the　flesh；　sending　quick；　tiny　rootlets　through　the　skin

down　into　the　capillaries；　sucking　life　and　thriving　and　never

to　be　torn　away　until　the　living　thing　it　clings　to　has　been

sapped　dry。　　Here　was　but　another　of　the　species　in　which

the　development's　rate　was　incredibly　accelerated。　　Some　of

this　I　tried　to　explain　to　O'Keefe　as　we　sped　along；　reassur…

ing　him。



〃But　they　turned　to　moss　before　our　eyes！〃　he　said。



Again　I　explained；　patiently。　　But　he　seemed　to　derive　no

comfort　at　all　from　my　assurances　that　the　phenomena　were

entirely　natural　and；　aside　from　their　more　terrifying　aspect；

of　peculiar　interest　to　the　botanist。



〃I　know；〃　was　all　he　would　say。　　〃But　suppose　one　of　those

things　had　burst　while　we　were　going　throughGod！〃



I　was　wondering　how　I　could　with　comparative　safety

study　the　fungus　when　Rador　stopped；　in　front　of　us　was

again　the　road　ribbon。



〃Now　is　all　danger　passed；〃　he　said。　　〃The　way　lies　open

and　Lugur　has　fled〃



There　was　a　flash　from　the　road。　　It　passed　me　like　a　little

lariat　of　light。　　It　struck　Larry　squarely　between　the　eyes；

spread　over　his　face　and　drew　itself　within！



〃Down！〃　cried　Rador；　and　hurled　me　to　the　ground。　　My

head　struck　sharply；　I　felt　myself　grow　faint；　Olaf　fell　beside

me；　I　saw　the　green　dwarf　draw　down　the　O'Keefe；　he　col…

lapsed　limply；　face　still；　eyes　staring。　　A　shoutand　from　the

roadway　poured　a　host　of　Lugur's　men；　I　could　hear　Lugur

bellowing。



There　came　a　rush　of　little　feet；　soft；　fragrant　draperies

brushed　my　face；　dimly　I　watched　Lakla　bend　over　the　Irish…

man。



She　straightenedher　arms　swept　out　and　the　writhing

vine；　with　its　tendrilled　heads　of　ruby　bloom；　five　flames　of

misty　incandescence；　leaped　into　the　faces　of　the　soldiers

now　close　upon　us。　　It　darted　at　their　throats；　striking；　coil…

ing；　and　striking　again；　coiling　and　uncoiling　with　incredible

rapidity　and　flying　from　leverage　points　of　throats；　of　faces；

of　breasts　like　a　spring　endowed　with　consciousness；　volition

and　hatredand　those　it　struck　stood　rigid　as　stone　with

faces　masks　of　inhuman　fear　and　anguish；　and　those　still

unstricken　fled。



Another　rush　of　feetand　down　upon　Lugur's　forces

poured　the　frog…men；　their　booming　giant　leading；　thrusting

with　their　lances；　tearing　and　rending　with　talons　and　fangs

and　spurs。



Against　that　onslaught　the　dwarfs　could　not　stand。　　They

raced　for　the　shells；　I　heard　Lugur　shouting；　menacingly

and　then　Lakla's　voice；　pealing　like　a　golden　bugle　of　wrath。



〃Go；　Lugur！〃　she　cried。　　〃Gothat　you　and　Yolara　and

your　Shining　One　may　die　together！　　Death　for　you；　Lugur

death　for　you　all！　　Remember　Lugurdeath！〃



There　was　a　great　noise　within　my　headno　matter；

Lakla　was　hereLakla　herebut　too　lateLugur　had　out…

played　us；　moss　death　nor　dragon　worm　had　frightened　him

awayhe　had　crept　back　to　trap　usLakla　had　come　too

lateLarry　was　deadLarry！　　But　I　had　heard　no　banshee

wailingand　Larry　had　said　he　could　not　die　without　that

warningno；　Larry　was　not　dead。　　So　ran　the　turbulent　cur…

rent　of　my　mind。



A　horny　arm　lifted　me；　two　enormous；　oddly　gentle　saucer

eyes　were　staring　into　mine；　my　head　rolled；　I　caught　a

glimpse　of　the　Golden　Girl　kneeling　beside　the　O'Keefe。



The　noise　in　my　head　grew　thunderouswas　carrying　me

away　on　its　thunderswept　me　into　soft；　blind　darkness。











CHAPTER　XXIV



The　Crimson　Sea



I　WAS　in　the　heart　of　a　rose　pearl；　swinging；　swinging；　no；

I　was　in　a　rosy　dawn　cloud；　pendulous　in　space。　　Conscious…

ness　flooded　me；　in　reality　I　was　in　the　arms　of　one　of　the

man　frogs；　carrying　me　as　though　I　were　a　babe；　and　we

were　passing　through　some　place　suffused　with　glow　enough

like　heart　of　pearl　or　dawn　cloud　to　justify　my　awakening

vagaries。



Just　ahead　walked　Lakla　in　earnest　talk　with　Rador；　and

content　enough　was　I　for　a　time　to　watch　her。　　She　had

thrown　off　the　metallic　robes；　her　thick　braids　of　golden

brown　hair　with　their　flame　glints　of　bronze　were　twined　in

a　high　coronal　meshed　in　silken　net　of　green；　little　clustering

curls　escaped　from　it；　clinging　to　the　nape　of　the　proud　white

neck；　shyly　kissing　it。　　From　her