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with　life；　blinking　as　one　who　draws　from　darkness　into　sun…

shine。　　He　saw　Lakla；　sprang　to　her；　gripped　her　in　his　arms。



〃Lakla！〃　he　cried。　〃Mavourneen！〃　　She　slipped　from　his

embrace；　blushing；　glancing　at　the　Three　shyly；　half…fear…

fully。　　And　again　I　saw　the　tenderness　creep　into　the　inky；

flame…shot　orbs　of　the　woman　being；　and　a　tenderness　in　the

others　tooas　though　they　regarded　some　well…beloved

child。



〃You　lay　in　the　arms　of　Death；　Larry；〃　she　said。　　〃And　the

Silent　Ones　drew　you　from　him。　　Do　homage　to　the　Silent

Ones；　Larry；　for　they　are　good　and　they　are　mighty！〃



She　turned　his　head　with　one　of　the　long；　white　hands

and　he　looked　into　the　faces　of　the　Three；　looked　long；　was

shaken　even　as　had　been　Olaf　and　myself；　was　swept　by　that

same　wave　of　power　and　ofofwhat　can　I　call　it？HOLINESS

that　streamed　from　them。



Then　for　the　first　time　I　saw　real　awe　mount　into　his　face。

Another　moment　he　staredand　dropped　upon　one　knee

and　bowed　his　head　before　them　as　would　a　worshipper　be…

fore　the　shrine　of　his　saint。　　AndI　am　not　ashamed　to　tell　it

I　joined　him；　and　with　us　knelt　Lakla　and　Olaf　and　Rador。



The　mist　of　fiery　opal　swirled　up　about　the　Three；　hid

them。



And　with　a　long；　deep；　joyous　sigh　Lakla　took　Larry's

hand；　drew　him　to　his　feet；　and　silently　we　followed　them

out　of　that　hall　of　wonder。



But　why；　in　going；　did　the　thought　come　to　me　that　from

where　the　Three　sat　throned　they　ever　watched　the　cavern

mouth　that　was　the　door　into　their　abode；　and　looked　down

ever　into　the　unfathomable　depth　in　which　glowed　and

pulsed　that　mystic　flower；　colossal；　awesome；　of　green　flame

that　had　seemed　to　me　fire　of　life　itself？











CHAPTER　XXVI



The　Wooing　of　Lakla



I　HAD　SLEPT　soundly　and　dreamlessly；　I　wakened　quietly　in

the　great　chamber　into　which　Rador　had　ushered　O'Keefe

and　myself　after　that　culminating　experience　of　crowded；

nerve…racking　hoursthe　facing　of　the　Three。



Now；　lying　gazing　upward　at　the　high…vaulted　ceiling；　I

heard　Larry's　voice：



〃They　look　like　birds。〃　Evidently　he　was　thinking　of　the

Three；　a　silencethen：　〃Yes；　they　look　like　BIRDSand　they

look；　and　it's　meaning　no　disrespect　to　them　I　am　at　all；　they

look　like　LIZARDS〃and　another　silence〃they　look　like

some　sort　of　gods；　and；　by　the　good　sword…arm　of　Brian

Boru；　they　look　human；　too！　　And　it's　NONE　of　them　they　are

either；　so　whatwhat　thewhat　the　sainted　St。　Bridget　are

they？〃　Another　short　silence；　and　then　in　a　tone　of　awed

and　absolute　conviction：　〃That's　it；　sure！　　That's　what　they

areit　all　hangs　inthey　couldn't　be　anything　else〃



He　gave　a　whoop；　a　pillow　shot　over　and　caught　me　across

the　head。



〃Wake　up！〃　shouted　Larry。　　〃Wake　up；　ye　seething　caldron

of　fossilized　superstitions！　　Wake　up；　ye　bogy…haunted　man

of　scientific　unwisdom！〃



Under　pillow　and　insults　I　bounced　to　my　feet；　filled　for　a

moment　with　quite　real　wrath；　he　lay　back；　roaring　with

laughter；　and　my　anger　was　swept　away。



〃Doc；〃　he　said；　very　seriously；　after　this；　〃I　know　who　the

Three　are！〃



〃Yes？〃　I　queried；　with　studied　sarcasm。



〃Yes？〃　he　mimicked。　　〃Yes！　　Yeye〃　He　paused　under

the　menace　of　my　look；　grinned。　　〃Yes；　I　know；〃　he　con…

tinued。　　〃They're　of　the　Tuatha　De；　the　old　ones；　the　great

people　of　Ireland；　THAT'S　who　they　are！〃



I　knew；　of　course；　of　the　Tuatha　De　Danann；　the　tribes　of

the　god　Danu；　the　half…legendary；　half…historical　clan　who

found　their　home　in　Erin　some　four　thousand　years　before

the　Christian　era；　and　who　have　left　so　deep　an　impress　upon

the　Celtic　mind　and　its　myths。



〃Yes；〃　said　Larry　again；　〃the　Tuatha　Dethe　Ancient

Ones　who　had　spells　that　could　compel　Mananan；　who　is　the

spirit　of　all　the　seas；　an'　Keithor；　who　is　the　god　of　all　green

living　things；　an'　even　Hesus；　the　unseen　god；　whose　pulse　is

the　pulse　of　all　the　firmament；　yes；　an'　Orchil　too；　who　sits

within　the　earth　an'　weaves　with　the　shuttle　of　mystery　and

her　three　looms　of　birth　an'　life　an'　deatheven　Orchil

would　weave　as　they　commanded！〃



He　was　silentthen：



〃They　are　of　themthe　mighty　oneswhy　else　would　I

have　bent　my　knee　to　them　as　I　would　have　to　the　spirit　of

my　dead　mother？　　Why　else　would　Lakla；　whose　gold…brown

hair　is　the　hair　of　Eilidh　the　Fair；　whose　mouth　is　the　sweet

mouth　of　Deirdre；　an'　whose　soul　walked　with　mine　ages

agone　among　the　fragrant　green　myrtle　of　Erin；　serve　them？〃

he　whispered；　eyes　full　of　dream。



〃Have　you　any　idea　how　they　got　here？〃　I　asked；　not

unreasonably。



〃I　haven't　thought　about　that；〃　he　replied　somewhat　test…

ily。　　〃But　at　once；　me　excellent　man　o'　wisdom；　a　number

occur　to　me。　　One　of　them　is　that　this　little　party　of　three

might　have　stopped　here　on　their　way　to　Ireland；　an'　for　good

reasons　of　their　own　decided　to　stay　a　while；　an'　another　is

that　they　might　have　come　here　afterward；　havin'　got　wind

of　what　those　rats　out　there　were　contemplatin'；　and　have

stayed　on　the　job　till　the　time　was　ripe　to　save　Ireland　from

'em；　the　rest　of　the　world；　too；　of　course；〃　he　added　mag…

nanimously；　〃but　Ireland　in　particular。　　And　do　any　of　those

reasons　appeal　to　ye？〃



I　shook　my　head。



〃Well；　what　do　you　think？〃　he　asked　wearily。



〃I　think；〃　I　said　cautiously；　〃that　we　face　an　evolution　of

highly　intelligent　beings　from　ancestral　sources　radically　re…

moved　from　those　through　which　mankind　ascended。　　These

half…human；　highly　developed　batrachians　they　call　the　_Akka_

prove　that　evolution　in　these　caverned　spaces　has　certainly

pursued　one　different　path　than　on　earth。　　The　Englishman；

Wells；　wrote　an　imaginative　and　very　entertaining　book　con…

cerning　an　invasion　of　earth　by　Martians；　and　he　made　his

Martians　enormously　specialized　cuttlefish。　　There　was　noth…

ing　inherently　improbable　in　Wells'　choice。　　Man　is　the　ruling

animal　of　earth　today　solely　by　reason　of　a　series　of　acci…

dents；　under　another　series　spiders　or　ants；　or　even　ele…

phants；　could　have　become　the　dominant　race。



〃I　think；〃　I　said；　even　more　cautiously；　〃that　the　race　to

which　the　Three　belong　never　appeared　on　earth's　surface；

that　their　development　took　place　here；　unhindered　through

aeons。　　And　if　this　be　true；　the　structure　of　their　brains；　and

therefore　all　their　reactions；　must　be　different　from　ours。

Hence　their　knowledge　and　command　of　energies　unfamiliar

to　usand　hence　also　the　question　whether　they　may　not

have　an　entirely　different　sense　of　values；　of　justiceand

that　is　rather　terrifying；〃　I　concluded。



Larry　shook　his　head。



〃That　last　sort　of　knocks　your　argument；　Doc；〃　he　said。

〃They　had　sense　of　justice　enough　to　help　ME　outand　cer…

tainly　they　know　lovefor　I　saw　the　way　they　looked　at

Lakla；　and　sorrowfor　there　was　no　mistaking　that　in　their

faces。



〃No；〃　he　went　on。　　〃I　hold　to　my　own　idea。　　They're　of　the

Old　People。　　The　little　leprechaun　knew　his　way　here；　an'

I'll　bet　it　was　they　who　sent　the　word。　　An'　if　the　O'Keefe　ban…

shee　comes　herewhich　save　the　mark！I'll　bet　she'll　drop

in　on　the　Silent　Ones　for　a　social　visit　before　she　an'　her　clan

get　busy。　　Well；　it'll　make　her　feel　more　at　home；　the　good　old

body。　　No；　Doc；　no；〃　he　concluded；　〃I'm　right；　it　all　fits　in　too

well　to　be　wrong。〃



I　made　a　last　despairing　attempt。



〃Is　there　anything　anywhere　in　Ireland　that　would　indicate

that　the　Tuatha　De　ever　looked　like　the　Three？〃　I　asked

and　again　I　had　spoken　most　unfortunately。



〃Is　there？〃　he　shouted。　　〃Is　there？　　By　the　kilt　of　Cormack

MacCormack；　I'm　glad　ye　reminded　me。　　It　was　worryin'　me

a　little　meself。　　There　was　Daghda；　who　could　put　on　the

head　of　a　great　boar　an'　the　body　of　a　giant　fish　and　cleave

the　waves　an'　tear　to　pieces　the　birlins　of　any　who　came

against　Erin；　an'　there　was　Rinn〃



How　many　more　of　the　metamorphoses　of　the　Old　People

I　might　have　heard；　I　do　not　know；　for　the　curtains　parted

and　in　walked　Rador。



〃You　have　rested　well；〃　he　smiled；　〃I　can　see。　　The　hand…

maiden　bade　me　call　you。　　You　are　to　eat　with　her　in　her

garden。〃



Down　long　corridors　we　trod　and　out　upon　a　gardened

terrace　as　beautiful　as　any　of　those　of　Yolara's　city；　bow…

ered；　blossoming；　fragrant；　set　high　upon　the　cliffs　beside　the

domed　castle。　　A　table；　as　of　milky　jade；　was　spread　at　one

corner；　but　the　Golden　Girl　was　not　there。　　A　little　path　ran

on　and　up；　hemmed　in　by　the　mass　of　verdure。　　I　looked　at

it　longingly；　Rador　saw　the　glance；　interpreted　it；　and　led　me

up　the　stepped　sharp　slope　into　a　rock　embrasure。



Here　I　was　above　the　foliage；　and　everywhere　the　view

was　clear。　　Below　me　stretched　the　incredible　bridge；　with　the

frog　people　hurrying　back　and　forth　upon　it。　　A　pinnacle　at

my　side　hid　the　abyss。　　My　eyes　followed　the　cavern　ledge。

Above　it　the　rock　rose　bare；　but　at　the　ends　of　the　semi…

circular　strand　a　luxuriant　vegetation　began；　stretching　from

the　crimson　shores　back　into　far　distances。　　Of　browns　and

reds　and　yellows；　like　an　autumn　forest；　was　the　foliage；

with　here　and　there　patches　of　dark…green；　as　of　conifers。

Five　miles　or　more；　on　each　side；　the　forests　swept；　and　then

were　lost　to　sight　in　the　haze。



I　turned　and　faced　an　immensity　of　crimson　waters；　un…

broken；　a　true　sea；　if　ever　there　was　one。　　A　breeze　blew

the　first　real　wind　I　had　encountered　in　the　hidden　places；

under　it　the　surface；　that　had　been　as　molten　lacquer；　rippled

and　dimpled。　　Little　waves　broke　with　a　spray　of　rose…pearls

and　rubies。　　The　giant　Medusae　driftedstately；　luminous

kaleidoscopic　elfin　moons。



Far　down；　peeping　around　a　jutting　tower　of　the　cliff；　I　saw

dipping　with　the　motion　of　the　waves　a　floating　garden。　　The

flowers；　too；　were　luminousindeed　sparklinggleaming

brilliants　of　scarlet　and　vermilions　lighter　than　the　flood　on

which　they　lay；　mauves　and　odd　shades　of　reddish…blue。

They　gleamed　and　shone　like　a　little　lake　of　jewels。



Rador　broke　in　upon　my　musings。



〃Lakla　comes！　　Let　us　go　down。〃



It　was　a　shy　Lakla　who　came　slowly　around　the　end　of　the

path　and；　blushing　furiously；　held　her　hands　out　to　Larry。

And　the　Irishman　took　them；　placed　them　over　his　heart；

kissed　them　with　a　tenderness　that　had　been　lacking　in　the

half…mocking；　half…fierce　caresses　he　had　given　the　priestess。

She　blushed　deeper；　holding　out　the　tapering　fingersthen

pressed　them　to　her　own　heart。



〃I　like　the　touch　of　your　lips；　Larry；〃　she　whispered。

〃They　warm　me　here〃she　pressed　her　heart　again〃and

they　send　little　sparkles　of　light　through　me。〃　Her　brows

tilted　perplexedly；　accenting　the　nuance　of　diablerie；　deli…

cate　and　fascinating；　that　they　cast　upon　the　flower　face。



〃Do　you？〃　whispered　the　O'Keefe　fervently。　　〃Do　you；

Lakla？〃　He　bent　toward　her。　　She　caught　the　amused　glance

of　Rador；　drew　herself　aside　half…haughtily。



〃Rador；〃　she