the moon pool-第44章
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fruit of obliviongrapes of Lethethat cling to the tide…
swept walls of the caverns of the Hebrides。
Through them； beyond them； around and about them；
drifted and eddied a hordegreat as that with which Tamer…
lane swept down upon Rome； vast as the myriads which
Genghis Khan rolled upon the califsmen and women and
childrenclothed in tatters； half nude and wholly naked；
slant…eyed Chinese； sloe…eyed Malays； islanders black and
brown and yellow； fierce…faced warriors of the Solomons
with grizzled locks fantastically bedizened； Papuans； feline
Javans； Dyaks of hill and shore； hook…nosed Phoenicians；
Romans； straight…browed Greeks； and Vikings centuries BEYOND
their lives： scores of the black…haired Murians； white
faces of our own Westernersmen and women and children
drifting； eddyingeach stamped with that mingled horror
and rapture； eyes filled with ecstasy and terror entwined；
marked by God and devil in embracethe seal of the Shin…
ing Onethe dead…alive； the lost ones！
The loot of the Dweller！
Soul…sick； I gazed。 They lifted to us visages of dread； they
swept down toward us； glaring upwarda bank against
which other and still other waves of faces rolled； were
checked； paused； until as far as I could see； like billows
piled upon an ever…growing barrier； they stretched beneath
usstaringstaring！
Now there was a movementfar； far away； a concentrat…
ing of the lambency； the dead…alive swayed； oscillated； sep…
aratedforming a long lane against whose outskirts they
crowded with avid； hungry insistence。
First only a luminous cloud； then a whirling pillar of
splendours through the lane camethe Shining One。 As it
passed； the dead…alive swirled in its wake like leaves behind
a whirlwind； eddying； twisting； and as the Dweller raced by
them； brushing them with its spirallings and tentacles； they
shone forth with unearthly； awesome gleamingslike ves…
sels of alabaster in which wicks flare suddenly。 And when it
had passed they closed behind it； staring up at us once more。
The Dweller paused beneath us。
Out of the drifting ruck swam the body of Throckmartin！
Throckmartin； my friend； to find whom I had gone to the
pallid moon door； my friend whose call I had so laggardly
followed。 On his face was the Dweller's dreadful stamp； the
lips were bloodless； the eyes were wide； lucent； something
like pale； phosphorescence gleaming within themand soul…
less。
He stared straight up at me； unwinking； unrecognizing。
Pressing against his side was a woman； young and gentle；
and lovelylovely even through the mask that lay upon
her face。 And her wide eyes； like Throckmartin's； glowed
with the lurking； unholy fires。 She pressed against him
closely； though the hordes kept up the faint churning； these
two kept ever together； as though bound by unseen fetters。
And I knew the girl for Edith； his wife； who in vain effort
to save him had cast herself into the Dweller's embrace！
〃Throckmartin！〃 I cried。 〃Throckmartin！ I'm here！〃
Did he hear？ I know now； of course； he could not。
But then I waitedhope striving to break through the
nightmare hands that gripped my heart。
Their wide eyes never left me。 There was another move…
ment about them； others pushed past them； they drifted
back； swaying； eddyingand still staring were lost in the
awful throng。
Vainly I strained my gaze to find them again； to force
some sign of recognition； some awakening of the clean life
we know。 But they were gone。 Try as I would I could not see
themnor Stanton and the northern woman named Thora
who had been the first of that tragic party to be taken by
the Dweller。
〃Throckmartin！〃 I cried again； despairingly。 My tears
blinded me。
I felt Lakla's light touch。
〃Steady；〃 she commanded； pitifully。 〃Steady； Goodwin。
You cannot help themnow！ Steady andwatch！〃
Below us the Shining One had pausedspiralling； swirl…
ing； vibrant with all its transcendent； devilish beauty； had
paused and was contemplating us。 Now I could see clearly
that nucleus； that core shot through with flashing veins of
radiance； that ever…shifting shape of glory through the
shroudings of shimmering； misty plumes； throbbing lacy
opalescences； vaporous spirallings of prismatic phantom
fires。 Steady over it hung the seven little moons of amethyst；
of saffron； of emerald and azure and silver； of rose of life
and moon white。 They poised themselves like a diadem
calm； serene； immobileand down from them into the Dwel…
ler； piercing plumes and swirls and spirals； ran countless
tiny strands； radiations； finer than the finest spun thread of
spider's web； gleaming filaments through which seemed to
runPOWERfrom the seven globes； likeyes； that was it
miniatures of the seven torrents of moon flame that poured
through the septichromatic； high crystals in the Moon Pool's
chamber roof。
Swam out of the coruscating haze theface！
Both of man and of woman it waslike some ancient；
androgynous deity of Etruscan fanes long dust； and yet
neither woman nor man； human and unhuman； seraphic and
sinister； benign and maleficand still no more of these four
than is flame； which is beautiful whether it warms or devours；
or wind whether it feathers the trees or shatters them； or
the wave which is wondrous whether it caresses or kills。
Subtly； undefinably it was of our world and of one not
ours。 Its lineaments flowed from another sphere； took fleet…
ing familiar formand as swiftly withdrew whence they had
come； something amorphous； unearthlyas of unknown un…
heeding； unseen gods rushing through the depths of star…
hung space； and still of our own earth； with the very soul of
earth peering out from it； caught within itand in some
unholyway debased。
It had eyeseyes that were now only shadows darkening
within its luminosity like veils falling； and falling； OPENING
windows into the unknowable； deepening into softly glowing
blue pools； blue as the Moon Pool itself； then flashing
out； and this only when thefacebore its most human
resemblance； into twin stars large almost as the crown of lit…
tle moons； and with that same baffling suggestion of peep…
holes into a world untrodden； alien； perilous to man！
〃Steady！〃 came Lakla's voice； her body leaned against
mine。
I gripped myself； my brain steadied； I looked again。 And
I saw that of body； at least body as we know it； the Shining
One had nonenothing but the throbbing； pulsing core
streaked with lightning veins of rainbows； and around this；
never still； sheathing it； the swirling； glorious veilings of its
hell and heaven born radiance。
So the Dweller stoodand gazed。
Then up toward us swept a reaching； questing spiral！
Under my hand Lakla's shoulder quivered； Dead…Alive
and their master vanishedI danced； flickered； WITHIN the
rock； felt a swift sense of shrinking； of withdrawal； slice
upon slice the carded walls of stone； of silvery waters； of
elfin gardens slipped from me as cards are withdrawn from
a pack； one by oneslipped； wheeled； flattened； and length…
ened out as I passed through them and they passed from me。
Gasping； shaken； weak； I stood within the faceted oval
chamber； arm still about the handmaiden's white shoulder；
Larry's hand still clutching her girdle。
The roaring； impalpable gale from the cosmos was retreat…
ing to the outposts of spacewas still； the intense； streaming；
flooding radiance lesseneddied。
〃Now have you beheld；〃 said Lakla； 〃and well you trod
the road。 And now shall you hear； even as the Silent Ones
have commanded； what the Shining One isand how it
came to be。〃
The steps flashed back； the doorway into the chamber
opened。
Larry as silent as Iwe followed her through it。
CHAPTER XXIX
The Shaping of the Shining One
WE REACHED what I knew to be Lakla's own boudoir； if I
may so call it。 Smaller than any of the other chambers of the
domed castle in which we had been； its intimacy was re…
vealed not only by its faint fragrance but by its high mir…
rors of polished silver and various oddly wrought articles
of the feminine toilet that lay here and there； things I after…
ward knew to be the work of the artisans of the _Akka_
and no mean metal workers were they。 One of the window
slits dropped almost to the floor； and at its base was a wide；
comfortably cushioned seat commanding a view of the
bridge and of the cavern ledge。 To this the handmaiden
beckoned us； sank upon it； drew Larry down beside her and
motioned me to sit close to him。
〃Now this；〃 she said； 〃is what the Silent Ones have com…
manded me to tell you two： To you Larry； that knowing you
may weigh all things in your mind and answer as your spirit
bids you a question that the Three will askand what that
is I know not；〃 she murmured； 〃and I； they say； must answer；
tooand itfrightens me！〃
The great golden eyes widened； darkened with dread； she
sighed； shook her head impatiently。
〃Not like us； and never like us；〃 she spoke low； wonder…
ingly； 〃the Silent Ones say were they。 Nor were those from
which they sprang like those from which we have come。
Ancient； ancient beyond thought are the _Taithu_； the race of
the Silent Ones。 Far； far below this place where now we sit；
close to earth heart itself were they born； and there they
dwelt for time upon time； _laya_ upon _laya_ upon _laya_with
others； not like them； some of which have vanished time
upon time agone； others that still dwellbelowin their
cradle。
〃It is hard〃she hesitated〃hard to tell thisthat slips
through my mindbecause I know so little that even as the
Three told it to me it passed from me for lack of place to
stand upon；〃 she went on； quaintly。 〃Something there was
of time when earth and sun were but cold mists in the
the heavenssomething of these mists drawing together；
whirling； whirling； faster and fasterdrawing as they
whirled more and more of the mistsgrowing larger； grow…
ing warmforming at last into the globes they are； with
others spinning around the sunsomething of regions within
this globe where vast fire was prisoned and bursting forth
tore and rent the young orbof one such bursting forth that
sent what you call moon flying out to company us and left
behind those spaces whence we now dwelland ofof life
particles that here and there below grew into the race of
the Silent Ones； and those othersbut not the _Akka_ which；
like you； they say came from aboveand all this I do not
understanddo you； Goodwin？〃 she appealed to me。
I noddedfor what she had related so fragmentarily was
in reality an excellent approach to the Chamberlain…Moulton
theory of a coalescing nebula contracting into the sun and
its planets。
Astonishing was the recognition of this theory。 Even more
so was the reference to the life particles； the idea of Ar
