the moon pool-第47章

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the　Threeand　the　Three　now　knew　what　they　had　done　and

their　pride　was　humbled。　　They　would　not　slay　the　Shining

One　themselves；　for　still　they　loved　it；　but　they　instructed

these　others　how　to　undo　their　work；　how　also　they　might

destroy　the　evil　_Taithu_　were　it　necessary。



〃Armed　with　the　wisdom　of　the　Three　they　went　forth

but　now　the　Shining　One　was　strong　indeed。　　They　could　not

slay　it！



〃Nay；　it　knew　and　was　prepared；　they　could　not　even　pass

beyond　its　Veil　nor　seal　its　abode。　　Ah；　strong；　strong；　mighty

of　will；　full　of　craft　and　cunning　had　the　Shining　One　be…

come。　　So　they　turned　upon　their　kind　who　had　gone　astray

and　made　them　perish；　to　the　last。　　The　Shining　One　came

not　to　the　aid　of　its　servantsthough　they　called；　for　within

its　will　was　the　thought　that　they　were　of　no　further　use　to　it；

that　it　would　rest　awhile　and　dance　with　themwho　had　so

little　of　the　power　and　wisdom　of　its　_Taithu_　and　therefore

no　reins　upon　it。　　And　while　this　was　happening　black…haired

and　fair…haired　ran　and　hid　and　were　but　shaking　vessels　of

terror。



〃The　Ancient　Ones　took　counsel。　　This　was　their　decision；

that　they　would　go　from　the　gardens　before　the　Silver　Waters

leaving；　since　they　could　not　kill　it；　the　Shining　One　with

its　worshippers。　　They　sealed　the　mouth　of　the　passage　that

leads　to　the　Moon　Pool　Chamber　and　they　changed　the　face

of　the　cliff　so　that　none　might　tell　where　it　had　been。　　But

the　passage　itself　they　left　openhaving　foreknowledge　I

think；　of　a　thing　that　was　to　come　to　pass　in　the　far　future

perhaps　it　was　your　journey　here；　my　Larry　and　Goodwin

verily　I　think　so。　　And　they　destroyed　all　the　ways　save　that

which　we　three　trod　to　the　Dweller's　abode。



〃For　the　last　time　they　went　to　the　Threeto　pass　sen…

tence　upon　them。　　This　was　the　doomthat　here　they　should

remain；　alone；　among　the　_Akka_；　served　by　them；　until　that

time　dawned　when　they　would　have　will　to　destroy　the　evil

they　had　createdand　even　nowloved；　nor　might　they

seek　death；　nor　follow　their　judges　until　this　had　come　to

pass。　　This　was　the　doom　they　put　upon　the　Three　for　the

wickedness　that　had　sprung　from　their　pride；　and　they

strengthened　it　with　their　arts　that　it　might　not　be　broken。



〃Then　they　passedto　a　far　land　they　had　chosen　where

the　Shining　One　could　not　go；　beyond　the　Black　Precipices

of　Doul；　a　green　land〃



〃Ireland！〃　interrupted　Larry；　with　conviction；　〃I　knew　it。〃



〃Since　then　time　upon　time　had　passed；〃　she　went　on；

unheeding。　　〃The　people　called　this　place　Muria　after　their

sunken　land　and　soon　they　forgot　where　had　been　the

passage　the　_Taithu_　had　sealed。　　The　moon　king　became　the

Voice　of　the　Dweller　and　always　with　the　Voice　is　a　woman

of　the　moon　king's　kin　who　is　its　priestess。



〃And　many　have　been　the　journeys　upward　of　the　Shining

One；　through　the　Moon　Poolreturning　with　still　others　in

its　coils。



〃And　now　again　has　it　grown　restless；　longing　for　the

wider　spaces。　　It　has　spoken　to　Yolara　and　to　Lugur　even　as

it　did　to　the　dead　_Taithu_；　promising　them　dominion。　　And　it

has　grown　stronger；　drawing　to　itself　power　to　go　far　on　the

moon　stream　where　it　will。　　Thus　was　it　able　to　seize　your

friend；　Goodwin；　and　Olaf's　wife　and　babeand　many

more。　　Yolara　and　Lugur　plan　to　open　way　to　earth　face；　to

depart　with　their　court　and　under　the　Shining　One　grasp　the

world！



〃And　this　is　the　tale　the　Silent　Ones　bade　me　tell　you

and　it　is　done。〃



Breathlessly　I　had　listened　to　the　stupendous　epic　of　a

long…lost　world。　　Now　I　found　speech　to　voice　the　question

ever　with　me；　the　thing　that　lay　as　close　to　my　heart　as　did

the　welfare　of　Larry；　indeed　the　whole　object　of　my　quest

the　fate　of　Throckmartin　and　those　who　had　passed　with

him　into　the　Dweller's　lair；　yes；　and　of　Olaf's　wife；　too。



〃Lakla；〃　I　said；　〃the　friend　who　drew　me　here　and　those

he　loved　who　went　before　himcan　we　not　save　them？〃



〃The　Three　say　no；　Goodwin。〃　There　was　again　in　her

eyes　the　pity　with　which　she　had　looked　upon　Olaf。　　〃The

Shining　OneFEEDSupon　the　flame　of　life　itself；　setting　in

its　place　its　own　fires　and　its　own　will。　　Its　slaves　are　only

shells　through　which　it　gleams。　　Death；　say　the　Three；　is　the

best　that　can　come　to　them；　yet　will　that　be　a　boon　great　in…

deed。〃



〃But　they　have　souls；　_mavourneen_；〃　Larry　said　to　her。

〃And　they're　alive　stillin　a　way。　　Anyhow；　their　souls　have

not　gone　from　them。〃



I　caught　a　hope　from　his　wordssceptic　though　I　am

holding　that　the　existence　of　soul　has　never　been　proved　by

dependable　laboratory　methodsfor　they　recalled　to　me　that

when　I　had　seen　Throckmartin；　Edith　had　been　close　beside

him。



〃It　was　days　after　his　wife　was　taken；　that　the　Dweller

seized　Throckmartin；〃　I　cried。　　〃How；　if　their　wills；　their　life；

were　indeed　gone；　how　did　they　find　each　other　mid　all　that

horde？　　How　did　they　come　together　in　the　Dweller's　lair？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered；　slowly。　　〃You　say　they

lovedand　it　is　true　that　love　is　stronger　even　than　death！〃



〃One　thing　I　DON'T　understand〃this　was　Larry　again

〃is　why　a　girl　like　you　keeps　coming　out　of　the　black…haired

crowd；　so　frequently　and　one　might　say；　so　regularly；　Lakla。

Aren't　there　ever　any　red…headed　boysand　if　they　are　what

becomes　of　them？〃



〃That；　Larry；　I　cannot　answer；〃　she　said；　very　frankly。

〃There　was　a　pact　of　some　kind；　how　made　or　by　whom　I

know　not。　　But　for　long　the　Murians　feared　the　return　of　the

_Taithu_　and　greatly　they　feared　the　Three。　　Even　the　Shining

One　feared　those　who　had　created　itfor　a　time；　and　not

even　now　is　it　eager　to　face　themTHAT　I　know。　　Nor　are

Yolara　and　Lugur　so　SURE。　　It　may　be　that　the　Three　com…

manded　it：　but　how　or　why　I　know　not。　　I　only　know　that　it

is　truefor　here　am　I　and　from　where　else　would　I　have

come？〃



〃From　Ireland；〃　said　Larry　O'Keefe；　promptly。　　〃And

that's　where　you're　going。　　For　'tis　no　place　for　a　girl　like　you

to　have　been　brought　upLakla；　what　with　people　like

frogs；　and　a　half…god　three　quarters　devil；　and　red　oceans；

an'　the　only　Irish　things　yourself　and　the　Silent　Ones　up

there；　bless　their　hearts。　　It's　no　place　for　ye；　and　by　the　soul

of　St。　Patrick；　it's　out　of　it　soon　ye'll　be　gettin'！〃



Larry！　　Larry！　　If　it　had　but　been　trueand　I　could　see

Lakla　and　you　beside　me　now！











CHAPTER　XXXI



Larry　and　the　Frog…Men



LONG　had　been　her　tale　in　the　telling；　and　too　long；　perhaps；

have　I　been　in　the　repeatingbut　not　every　day　are　the

mists　rolled　away　to　reveal　undreamed　secrets　of　earth…

youth。　　And　I　have　set　it　down　here；　adding　nothing；　taking

nothing　from　it；　translating　liberally；　it　is　true；　but　constantly

striving；　while　putting　it　into　idea…forms　and　phraseology

to　be　readily　understood　by　my　readers；　to　keep　accurately　to

the　spirit。　　And　this；　I　must　repeat；　I　have　done　throughout

my　narrative；　wherever　it　has　been　necessary　to　record　con…

versation　with　the　Murians。



Rising；　I　found　I　was　painfully　stiffas　muscle…bound　as

though　I　had　actually　trudged　many　miles。　　Larry；　imitating

me；　gave　an　involuntary　groan。



〃Faith；　_mavourneen_；〃　he　said　to　Lakla；　relapsing　uncon…

sciously　into　English；　〃your　roads　would　never　wear　out

shoe…leather；　but　they've　got　their　kick；　just　the　same！〃



She　understood　our　plight；　if　not　his　words；　gave　a　soft

little　cry　of　mingled　pity　and　self…reproach；　forced　us　back

upon　the　cushions。



〃Oh；　but　I'm　sorry！〃　mourned　Lakla；　leaning　over　us。　　〃I

had　forgottenfor　those　new　to　it　the　way　is　a　weary　one；

indeed〃



She　ran　to　the　doorway；　whistled　a　clear　high　note　down

the　passage。　　Through　the　hangings　came　two　of　the　frog…men。

She　spoke　to　them　rapidly。　　They　crouched　toward　us；　what

certainly　was　meant　for　an　amiable　grin　wrinkling　the　gro…

tesque　muzzles；　baring　the　glistening　rows　of　needle…teeth。

And　while　I　watched　them　with　the　fascination　that　they

never　lost　for　me；　the　monsters　calmly　swung　one　arm

around　our　knees；　lifted　us　up　like　babiesand　as　calmly

started　to　walk　away　with　us！



〃Put　me　down！　　Put　me　down；　I　say！〃　The　O'Keefe's　voice

was　both　outraged　and　angry；　squinting　around　I　saw　him

struggling　violently　to　get　to　his　feet。　　The　_Akka_　only　held

him　tighter；　booming　comfortingly；　peering　down　into　his

flushed　face　inquiringly。



〃But；　Larrydarlin'！〃　Lakla's　tones　werewell；　mater…

nally　surprised〃you're　stiff　and　sore；　and　Kra　can　carry

you　quite　easily。〃



〃I　WON'T　be　carried！〃　sputtered　the　O'Keefe。　　〃Damn　it；

Goodwin；　there　are　such　things　as　the　unities　even　here；　an'

for　a　lieutenant　of　the　Royal　Air　Force　to　be　picked　up　an'

carted　around　like　alike　a　bundle　of　ragsit's　not　disci…

pline！　　Put　me　down；　ye　_omadhaun_；　or　I'll　poke　ye　in　the

snout！〃　he　shouted　to　his　bearerwho　only　boomed　gently；

and　stared　at　the　handmaiden；　plainly　for　further　instructions。



〃But；　Larrydear！〃Lakla　was　plainly　distressed〃it

will　HURT　you　to　walk；　and　I　don't　WANT　you　to　hurt；　Larry

darlin'！〃



〃Holy　shade　of　St。　Patrick！〃　moaned　Larry；　again　he　made

a　mighty　effort　to　tear　himself　from　the　frog…man's　grip；

gave　up　with　a　groan。　　〃Listen；　_alanna_！〃　he　said　plaintively。

〃When　we　get　to　Ireland；　you　and　I；　we　won't　have　anybody

to　pick　us　up　and　carry　us　about　every　time　we　get　a　bit　tired。

And　it's　getting　me　in　bad　habits　you　are！〃



〃Oh；　YES；　we　will；　Larry！〃　cried　the　handmaiden；

〃because　many；　oh；　many；　of　my　_Akka_　will　go　with　us！〃



〃Will　you　tell　thisBOOB！to　put　me　down！〃　gritted　the

now　thoroughly　aroused　O'Keefe。　　I　couldn't　help　laughing；

he　glared　at　me。



〃Bo…oo…ob？〃　exclaimed　Lakla。



〃Yes；　boo…oo…ob！〃　said　O'Keefe；　〃an'　I　have　no　desire　to

explain　the　word　in　my　present　position；　light　of　my　soul！〃



The　handmaiden　sighed；　plainly　dejected。　　But　she　spoke

again　to　the　_Akka_；　who　gently　lowered　the　O'Keefe　to　the

floor。



〃I　don't　understand；〃　she　said　hopelessly；　〃if　you　want　to

walk；　why；　of　course；　you　shall；　Larry。〃　She　turned　to　me。



〃Do　you？〃　she　asked。



〃I　do　not；〃　I　said　firmly。



〃Well；　then；〃　murmured　Lakla；　〃go　you；　Larry　and　Good…

win；　with　Kra　and　Gulk；　and　let　them　minister　to　you。　　After；

sleep　a　littlefor　not　soon　will　Rador　and　Olaf　return。　　And

let　me　feel　your　lips　before　you　go；　Larrydarlin'！〃　She

covered　his　eyes　caressingly　with　her　soft　little　palms；　pushed

him　away。



〃Now　go；〃　said　Lakla；　〃and　rest！〃



Unashamed　I　lay　back　against　the　horny　chest　of　Gulk；

and　with　a　smile　noticed　that　Larry；　even　if　he　had　rebelled

at　being　carried；　did　not　disdain　the　support　of　Kra's　shin…

ing；　black…scaled　arm　which；　slipping　around　his　waist；　half…

lifted　him　along。



They　parted　a　hanging　and　dropped　us　softly　down　beside

a　little　pool；　sparkling　with　the　clear　water　that　had　hereto…

fore　been　brought　us　in　the　wide　basin