the moon pool-第52章

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〃It's　good…by；　I　guess；　Doc。〃　His　voice　was　strained。

〃Good…by　and　good　luck；　old　boy。　　If　you　get　out；　and　you

WILL；　let　the　old　_Dolphin_　know　I'm　gone。　　And　carry　on；　pal

and　always　remember　the　O'Keefe　loved　you　like　a

brother。〃



I　squeezed　his　hands　desperately。　　Then　out　of　my　balance…

shaking　woe　a　strange　comfort　was　born。



〃Maybe　it's　not　good…by；　Larry！〃　I　cried。　　〃The　banshee　has

not　cried！〃



A　flash　of　hope　passed　over　his　face；　the　old　reckless　grin

shone　forth。



〃It's　so！〃　he　said。　　〃By　the　Lord；　it's　so！〃



Then　Lakla　bent　toward　me；　and　for　the　second　time

kissed　me。



〃Come！〃　she　said　to　Larry。　　Hand　in　hand　they　moved

away；　into　the　corridor　that　led　to　the　door　outside　of　which

waited　the　Shining　One　and　its　priestess。



And　unseen　by　them；　wrapped　as　they　were　within　their

love　and　sacrifice；　I　crept　softly　behind。　　For　I　had　deter…

mined　that　if　enter　the　Dweller's　embrace　they　must；　they

should　not　go　alone。



They　paused　before　the　Golden　Portals；　the　handmaiden

pressed　its　opening　lever；　the　massive　leaves　rolled　back。



Heads　high；　proudly；　serenely；　they　passed　through　and

out　upon　the　hither　span。　　I　followed。



On　each　side　of　us　stood　the　Dweller's　slaves；　faces　turned

rigidly　toward　their　master。　　A　hundred　feet　away　the　Shin…

ing　One　pulsed　and　spiralled　in　its　evilly　glorious　lambency

of　sparkling　plumes。



Unhesitating；　always　with　that　same　high　serenity；　Lakla

and　the　O'Keefe；　hands　clasped　like　little　children；　drew

closer　to　that　wondrous　shape。　　I　could　not　see　their　faces；

but　I　saw　awe　fall　upon　those　of　the　watching　dwarfs；　and

into　the　burning　eyes　of　Yolara　crept　a　doubt。　　Closer　they

drew　to　the　Dweller；　and　closer；　I　following　them　step　by

step。　　The　Shining　One's　whirling　lessened；　its　tinklings　were

faint；　almost　stilled。　　It　seemed　to　watch　them　apprehensively。

A　silence　fell　upon　us　all；　a　thick　silence；　brooding；　ominous；

palpable。　　Now　the　pair　were　face　to　face　with　the　child　of

the　Threeso　near　that　with　one　of　its　misty　tentacles　it

could　have　enfolded　them。



And　the　Shining　One　drew　back！



Yes；　drew　backand　back　with　it　stepped　Yolara；　the

doubt　in　her　eyes　deepening。　　Onward　paced　the　handmaiden

and　the　O'Keefeand　step　by　step；　as　they　advanced；　the

Dweller　withdrew；　its　bell　notes　chiming　out；　puzzled　ques…

tioninghalf　fearful！



And　back　it　drew；　and　back　until　it　had　reached　the　very

centre　of　that　platform　over　the　abyss　in　whose　depths　pulsed

the　green　fires　of　earth　heart。　　And　there　Yolara　gripped　her…

self；　the　hell　that　seethed　within　her　soul　leaped　out　of　her

eyes；　a　cry；　a　shriek　of　rage；　tore　from　her　lips。



As　at　a　signal；　the　Shining　One　flamed　high；　its　spirals　and

eddying　mists　swirled　madly；　the　pulsing　core　of　it　blazed

radiance。　　A　score　of　coruscating　tentacles　swept　straight

upon　the　pair　who　stood　intrepid；　unresisting；　awaiting　its

embrace。　　And　upon　me；　lurking　behind　them。



Through　me　swept　a　mighty　exaltation。　　It　was　the　end

thenand　I　was　to　meet　it　with　them。



Something　drew　us　back；　back　with　an　incredible　swift…

ness；　and　yet　as　gently　as　a　summer　breeze　sweeps　a　bit　of

thistle…down！　　Drew　us　back　from　those　darting　misty　arms

even　as　they　were　a　hair…breadth　from　us！　　I　heard　the　Dwel…

ler's　bell　notes　burst　out　ragingly！　　I　heard　Yolara　scream。



What　was　that？



Between　the　three　of　us　and　them　was　a　ring　of　curdled

moon　flames；　swirling　about　the　Shining　One　and　its　priest…

ess；　pressing　in　upon　them；　enfolding　them！



And　within　it　I　glimpsed　the　faces　of　the　Threeimplac…

able；　sorrowful；　filled　with　a　supernal　power！



Sparks　and　flashes　of　white　flame　darted　from　the　ring；

penetrating　the　radiant　swathings　of　the　Dweller；　striking

through　its　pulsing　nucleus；　piercing　its　seven　crowning　orbs。



Now　the　Shining　One's　radiance　began　to　dim；　the　seven

orbs　to　dull；　the　tiny　sparkling　filaments　that　ran　from　them

down　into　the　Dweller's　body　snapped；　vanished！　　Through

the　battling　nebulosities　Yolara's　face　swam　forthhorror…

filled；　distorted；　inhuman！



The　ranks　of　the　dead…alive　quivered；　moved；　writhed；　as

though　each　felt　the　torment　of　the　Thing　that　had　enslaved

them。　　The　radiance　that　the　Three　wielded　grew　more　in…

tense；　thicker；　seemed　to　expand。　　Within　it；　suddenly；　were

scores　of　flaming　trianglesscores　of　eyes　like　those　of　the

Silent　Ones！



And　the　Shining　One's　seven　little　moons　of　amber；　of

silver；　of　blue　and　amethyst　and　green；　of　rose　and　white；

split；　shattered；　were　gone！　　Abruptly　the　tortured　crystal

chimings　ceased。



Dulled；　all　its　soul…shaking　beauty　dead；　blotched　and

shadowed　squalidly；　its　gleaming　plumes　tarnished；　its　dan…

cing　spirals　stripped　from　it；　that　which　had　been　the　Shin…

ing　One　wrapped　itself　about　Yolarawrapped　and　drew

her　into　itself；　writhed；　swayed；　and　hurled　itself　over　the

edge　of　the　bridgedown；　down　into　the　green　fires　of　the

unfathomable　abysswith　its　priestess　still　enfolded　in　its

coils！



From　the　dwarfs　who　had　watched　that　terror　came


screams　of　panic　fear。　　They　turned　and　ran；　racing　franti…

cally　over　the　bridge　toward　the　cavern　mouth。



The　serried　ranks　of　the　dead…alive　trembled；　shook。　　Then

from　their　faces　tied　the　horror　of　wedded　ecstasy　and　an…

guish。　　Peace；　utter　peace；　followed　in　its　wake。



And　as　fields　of　wheat　are　bent　and　fall　beneath　the　wind；

they　fell。　　No　longer　dead…alive；　now　all　of　the　blessed　dead；

freed　from　their　dreadful　slavery！



Abruptly　from　the　sparkling　mists　the　cloud　of　eyes　was

gone。　　Faintly　revealed　in　them　were　only　the　heads　of　the

Silent　Ones。　　And　they　drew　before　us；　were　before　us！　　No

flames　now　in　their　ebon　eyesfor　the　flickering　fires　were

quenched　in　great　tears；　streaming　down　the　marble　white

faces。　　They　bent　toward　us；　over　us；　their　radiance　enfolded

us。　My　eyes　darkened。　　I　could　not　see。　　I　felt　a　tender　hand

upon　my　headand　panic　and　frozen　dread　and　nightmare

web　that　held　me　fled。



Then　they；　too；　were　gone。



Upon　Larry's　breast　the　handmaiden　was　sobbingsob…

bing　out　her　heartbut　this　time　with　the　joy　of　one　who　is

swept　up　from　the　very　threshold　of　hell　into　paradise。











CHAPTER　XXXV



〃LarryFarewell！〃



〃MY　HEART；　Larry〃　It　was　the　handmaiden's　murmur。

〃My　heart　feels　like　a　bird　that　is　flying　from　a　nest　of

sorrow。〃



We　were　pacing　down　the　length　of　the　bridge；　guards　of

the　_Akka_　beside　us；　others　following　with　those　companies　of

_ladala_　that　had　rushed　to　aid　us；　in　front　of　us　the　bandaged

Rador　swung　gently　within　a　litter；　beside　him；　in　another；

lay　Nak；　the　frog…kingmuch　less　of　him　than　there　had

been　before　the　battle　began；　but　living。



Hours　had　passed　since　the　terror　I　have　just　related。　　My



first　task　had　been　to　search　for　Throckmartin　and　his　wife

among　the　fallen　multitudes　strewn　thick　as　autumn　leaves

along　the　flying　arch　of　stone；　over　the　cavern　ledge；　and

back；　back　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。



At　last；　Lakla　and　Larry　helping；　we　found　them。　　They

lay　close　to　the　bridge…end；　not　partedlocked　tight　in　each

other's　arms；　pallid　face　to　face；　her　hair　streaming　over　his

breast！　　As　though　when　that　unearthly　life　the　Dweller　had

set　within　them　passed　away；　their　own　had　come　back　for

one　fleeting　instantand　they　had　known　each　other；　and

clasped　before　kindly　death　had　taken　them。



〃Love　is　stronger　than　all　things。〃　The　handmaiden　was

weeping　softly。　　〃Love　never　left　them。　　Love　was　stronger

than　the　Shining　One。　　And　when　its　evil　fled；　love　went　with

themwherever　souls　go。〃



Of　Stanton　and　Thora　there　was　no　trace；　nor；　after　our

discovery　of　those　other　two；　did　I　care　to　look　more。　　They

were　deadand　they　were　free。



We　buried　Throckmartin　and　Edith　beside　Olaf　in　Lakla's

bower。　　But　before　the　body　of　my　old　friend　was　placed

within　the　grave　I　gave　it　a　careful　and　sorrowful　examina…

tion。　　The　skin　was　firm　and　smooth；　but　cold；　not　the　cold　of

death；　but　with　a　chill　that　set　my　touching　fingers　tingling

unpleasantly。　　The　body　was　bloodless；　the　course　of　veins

and　arteries　marked　by　faintly　indented　white　furrows；　as

though　their　walls　had　long　collapsed。　　Lips；　mouth；　even　the

tongue；　was　paper　white。　　There　was　no　sign　of　dissolution　as

we　know　it；　no　shadow　or　stain　upon　the　marble　surface。

Whatever　the　force　that；　streaming　from　the　Dweller　or　im…

pregnating　its　lair；　had　energized　the　dead…alive；　it　was　bar…

rier　against　putrescence　of　any　kind；　that　at　least　was　certain。



But　it　was　not　barrier　against　the　poison　of　the　Medusae；

for；　our　sad　task　done；　and　looking　down　upon　the　waters；　I

saw　the　pale　forms　of　the　Dweller's　hordes　dissolving；　van…

ishing　into　the　shifting　glories　of　the　gigantic　moons　sailing

down　upon　them　from　every　quarter　of　the　Sea　of　Crimson。



While　the　frog…men；　those　late　levies　from　the　farthest　for…

ests；　were　clearing　bridge　and　ledge　of　cavern　of　the　litter　of

the　dead；　we　listened　to　a　leader　of　the　_ladala_。　　They　had　risen；

even　as　the　messenger　had　promised　Rador。　　Fierce　had　been

the　struggle　in　the　gardened　city　by　the　silver　waters　with

those　Lugur　and　Yolara　bad　left　behind　to　garrison　it。　　Deadly

had　been　the　slaughter　of　the　fair…haired；　reaping　the　har…

vest　of　hatred　they　had　been　sowing　so　long。　　Not　without

a　pang　of　regret　did　I　think　of　the　beautiful；　gaily　malicious

elfin　women　destroyedevil　though　they　may　have　been。



The　ancient　city　of　Lara　was　a　charnel。　　Of　all　the　rulers

not　twoscore　had　escaped；　and　these　into　regions　of　peril

which　to　describe　as　sanctuary　would　be　mockery。　　Nor　had

the　_ladala_　fared　so　well。　　Of　all　the　men　and　women；　for

women　as　well　as　men　had　taken　their　part　in　the　swift　war；

not　more　than　a　tenth　remained　alive。



And　the　dancing　motes　of　light　in　the　silver　air　were

thick；　thickthey　whispered。



They　told　us　of　the　Shining　One　rushing　through　the　Veil；

cometlike；　its　hosts　streaming　behind　it；　raging　with　it；　in

ranks　that　seemed　interminable！



Of　the　massacre　of　the　priests　and　priestesses　in　the　Cyclo…

pean　temple；　of　the　flashing　forth　of　the　summoning　lights　by

unseen　handsfollowed　by　the　tearing　of　the　rainbow　cur…

tain；　by　colossal　shatterings　of　the　radiant　cliffs；　the　vanish…

ing　behind　their　debris　of　all　trace　of　entrance　to　the　haunted

place　wherein　the　hordes　of　the　Shining　One　had　slaved

the　sealing　of　the　lair！



Then；　when　the　tempest　of　hate　had　ended　in　seething

Lara；　how；　thrilled　with　victory；　armed　with　the　weapons　of

those　they　had　slain；　they　had　lifted　the　Shadow；　passed

through　the　Portal；　met　and　slaughtered　the　fleeing　remnants

of　Yolara's　menonly　to　find　the　tempest　stilled　here；　too。



But　of　Marakinoff　they　had　seen　nothing！　　Had　the　Russian