the moon pool-第42章
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〃And I feared that they would hasten to be first to bring you
that message to delight in your joy。 And so； _Larree_； I loosed
the _Keth_ upon themand gave them peace and rest within
the nothingness。 And the portal below was openalmost in
welcome！〃
Once more the malignant； silver pealing of her laughter。
〃What do you want with me？〃 There was wrath in his
eyes； and plainly he strove for control。
〃Want！〃 the silver voice hissed； grew calm。 〃Do not Siya
and Siyana grieve that the rite I pledged them is but half
doneand do they not desire it finished？ And am I not
beautiful？ More beautiful than your _choya_？〃
The fiendishness died from the eyes； they grew blue；
wondrous； the veil of invisibility slipped down from the
neck； the shoulders； half revealing the gleaming breasts。 And
weird； weird beyond all telling was that exquisite head and
bust floating there in airand beautiful； sinisterly beautiful
beyond all telling； too。 So even might Lilith； the serpent
woman； have shown herself tempting Adam！
〃And perhaps；〃 she said； 〃perhaps I want you because I
hate you； perhaps because I love youor perhaps for Lugur
or perhaps for the Shining One。〃
〃And if I go with you？〃 He said it quietly。
〃Then shall I spare the handmaidenandwho knows？
take back my armies that even now gather at the portal
and let the Silent Ones rot in peace in their abodefrom
which they had no power to keep me；〃 she added venom…
ously。
〃You will swear that； Yolara； swear to go without harming
the handmaiden？〃 he asked eagerly。 The little devils danced
in her eyes。 I wrenched my face from the smothering con…
tact。
〃Don't trust her； Larry！〃 I criedand again the grip
choked me。
〃Is that devil in front of you or behind you； old man？〃
he asked quietly； eyes never leaving the priestess。 〃If he's in
front I'll take a chance and wing himand then you scoot
and warn Lakla。〃
But I could not answer； nor； remembering Yolara's threat；
would I； had I been able。
〃Decide quickly！〃 There was cold threat in her voice。
The curtains toward which O'Keefe had slowly； step by
step； drawn close； opened。 They framed the handmaiden！
The face of Yolara changed to that gorgon mask that had
transformed it once before at sight of the Golden Girl。 In
her blind rage she forgot to cast the occulting veil。 Her hand
darted like a snake out of the folds； poising itself with the
little silver cone aimed at Lakla。
But before it was wholly poised； before the priestess could
loose its force； the handmaiden was upon her。 Swift as the
lithe white wolf hound she leaped； and one slender hand
gripped Yolara's throat； the other the wrist that lifted the
quivering death； white limbs wrapped about the hidden ones；
I saw the golden head bend； the hand that held the _Keth_
swept up with a vicious jerk； saw Lakla's teeth sink into the
wristthe blood spurt forth and heard the priestess shriek。
The cone fell； bounded toward me； with all my strength I
wrenched free the hand that held my pistol； thrust it against
the pressing breast and fired；
The clasp upon me relaxed； a red rain stained me； at my
feet a little pillar of blood jetted； a hand thrust itself from
nothingness； clawedand was still。
Now Yolara was down； Lakla meshed in her writhings and
fighting like some wild mother whose babes are serpent
menaced。 Over the two of them； astride； stood the O'Keefe； a
pike from one of the high tripods in his handthrusting；
parrying； beating on every side as with a broadsword against
poniard…clutching hands that thrust themselves out of va…
cancy striving to strike him； stepping here and there； always
covering； protecting Lakla with his own body even as a cave…
man of old who does battle with his mate for their lives。
The sword…club struckand on the floor lay the half body
of a dwarf； writhing with vanishments and reappearings of
legs and arms。 Beside him was the shattered tripod from
which Larry had wrenched his weapon。 I flung myself upon
it； dashed it down to break loose one of the remaining sup…
ports； struck in midfall one of the unseen even as his dagger
darted toward me！ The seat splintered； leaving in my clutch
a golden bar。 I jumped to Larry's side； guarding his back；
whirling it like a staff； felt it crunch oncetwicethrough
unseen bone and muscle。
At the door was a booming。 Into the chamber rushed a
dozen of the frog…men。 While some guarded the entrances；
others leaped straight to us； and forming a circle about us
began to strike with talons and spurs at unseen things that
screamed and sought to escape。 Now here and there about
the blue rugs great stains of blood appeared； heads of dwarfs；
torn arms and gashed bodies； half occulted； half revealed。
And at last the priestess lay silent； vanquished； white body
gleaming with that uncannyfragmentarinessfrom her
torn robes。 Then O'Keefe reached down； drew Lakla from
her。 Shakily； Yolara rose to her feet。 The handmaiden； face
still blazing with wrath； stepped before her； with difficulty
she steadied her voice。
〃Yolara；〃 she said； 〃you have defied the Silent Ones； you
have desecrated their abode； you came to slay these men who
are the guests of the Silent Ones and me； who am their hand…
maidenwhy did you do these things？〃
〃I came for him！〃 gasped the priestess； she pointed to
O'Keefe。
〃Why？〃 asked Lakla。
〃Because he is pledged to me；〃 replied Yolara； all the
devils that were hers in her face。 〃Because he wooed me！
Because he is mine！〃
〃That is a lie！〃 The handmaiden's voice shook with rage。
〃It is a lie！ But here and now he shall choose； Yolara。 And
if you he choose； you and he shall go forth from here un…
molestedfor Yolara； it is his happiness that I most desire；
and if you are that happinessyou shall go together。 And
now； Larry； choose！〃
Swiftly she stepped beside the priestess； swiftly wrenched
the last shreds of the hiding robes from her。
There they stoodYolara with but the filmiest net of
gauze about her wonderful body； gleaming flesh shining
through it； serpent woman…and wonderful； too； beyond the
dreams even of Phidiasand hell…fire glowing from the pur…
ple eyes。
And Lakla； like a girl of the Vikings； like one of those
warrior maids who stood and fought for dun and babes at the
side of those old heroes of Larry's own green isle； trans…
lucent ivory lambent through the rents of her torn draperies；
and in the wide； golden eyes flaming wrath； indeednot the
diabolic flames of the priestess but the righteous wrath of
some soul that looking out of paradise sees vile wrong in the
doing。
〃Lakla；〃 the O'Keefe's voice was subdued； hurt； 〃there IS
no choice。 I love you and only youand have from the moment
I saw you。 It's not easythis。 God； Goodwin； I feel
like an utter cad；〃 he flashed at me。 〃There is no choice；
Lakla；〃 he ended； eyes steady upon hers。
The priestess's face grew deadlier still。
〃What will you do with me？〃 she asked。
〃Keep you；〃 I said； 〃as hostage。〃
O'Keefe was silent； the Golden Girl shook her head。
〃Well would I like to；〃 her face grew dreaming； 〃but the
Silent Ones sayNO； they bid me let you go； Yolara〃
〃The Silent Ones；〃 the priestess laughed。 〃YOU； Lakla！
You fear； perhaps； to let me tarry here too close！〃
Storm gathered again in the handmaiden's eyes； she forced
it back。
〃No；〃 she answered； the Silent Ones so commandand
for their own purposes。 Yet do I think； Yolara； that you will
have little time to feed your wickednesstell that to Lugur
and to your Shining One！〃 she added slowly。
Mockery and disbelief rode high in the priestess's pose。
〃Am I to return alonelike this？〃 she asked。
〃Nay； Yolara； nay； you shall be accompanied；〃 said Lakla；
〃and by those who will guardand WATCHyou well。 They are
here even now。〃
The hangings parted； and into the chamber came Olaf
and Rador。
The priestess met the fierce hatred and contempt in the
eyes of the Norsemanand for the first time lost her bravado。
〃Let not HIM go with me；〃 she gaspedher eyes searched
the floor frantically。
〃He goes with you；〃 said Lakla； and threw about Yolara
a swathing that covered the exquisite； alluring body。 〃And
you shall pass through the Portal； not skulk along the path
of the worm！〃
She bent to Rador； whispered to him； he nodded； she had
told him； I supposed； the secret of its opening。
〃Come；〃 he said； and with the ice…eyed giant behind her；
Yolara； head bent； passed out of those hangings through
which； but a little before； unseen； triumph in her grasp；
she had slipped。
Then Lakla came to the unhappy O'Keefe； rested her
hands on his shoulders； looked deep into his eyes。
〃DID you woo her； even as she said？〃 she asked。
The Irishman flushed miserably。
〃I did not；〃 he said。 〃I was pleasant to her； of course；
because I thought it would bring me quicker to you； darlin'。〃
She looked at him doubtfully； then
〃I think you must have been VERYpleasant！〃 was all she
saidand leaning； kissed him forgivingly straight on the lips。
An extremely direct maiden was Lakla； with a truly sov…
ereign contempt for anything she might consider non…essen…
tials； and at this moment I decided she was wiser even than
I had thought her。
He stumbled； feet vanishing； reached down and picked up
something that in the grasping turned his hand to air。
〃One of the invisible cloaks；〃 he said to me。 〃There must
be quite a lot of them aboutI guess Yolara brought her
full staff of murderers。 They're a bit shopworn； probably
but we're considerably better off with 'em in our hands than
in hers。 And they may come in handywho knows？〃
There was a choking rattle at my feet； half the head of a
dwarf raised out of vacancy； beat twice upon the floor in
death throes； fell back。 Lakla shivered； gave a command。
The frog…men moved about； peering here and there； lifting
unseen folds revealing in stark rigidity torn form after form
of the priestess's men。
Lakla had been righther _Akka_ were thorough fighters！
She called； and to her came the frog…woman who was her
attendant。 To her the handmaiden spoke； pointing to the
batrachians who stood； paws and forearms melted beneath
the robes they had gathered。 She took them and passed out
more grotesque than ever； shattering into streaks of vacan…
cies； reappearing with flickers of shining scale and yellow
gems as the tattered pennants of invisibility fluttered about
her。
The frog…men reached down； swung each a dead dwarf in
his arms； and filed； booming triumphantly away
And then I remembered the cone of the _Keth_ which had
slipped from Yolara's hand； knew it had been that for which
her wild eyes searched。 But look as closely as we might；
search in every nook and c
