the moon pool-第8章
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〃Sail he b'long port side！〃
Da Costa straightened and gazed while I raised my glass。
The vessel was a scant mile away； and must have been visible
long before the sleepy watcher had seen her。 She was a
sloop about the size of the Suwarna； without power。 All
sails set； even to a spinnaker she carried； she was making
the best of the little breeze。 I tried to read her name； but
the vessel jibed sharply as though the hands of the man at
the wheel had suddenly dropped the helmand then with
equal abruptness swung back to her course。 The stern came
in sight； and on it I read Brunhilda。
I shifted my glasses to the man at wheel。 He was crouch…
ing down over the spokes in a helpless； huddled sort of way；
and even as I looked the vessel veered again； abruptly as
before。 I saw the helmsman straighten up and bring the
wheel about with a vicious jerk。
He stood so for a moment； looking straight ahead； entirely
oblivious of us； and then seemed again to sink down within
himself。 It came to me that his was the action of a man striv…
ing vainly against a weariness unutterable。 I swept the deck
with my glasses。 There was no other sign of life。 I turned to
find the Portuguese staring intently and with puzzled air at
the sloop； now separated from us by a scant half mile。
〃Something veree wrong I think there； sair；〃 he said in
his curious English。 〃The man on deck I know。 He is cap…
tain and owner of the Br…rwun'ild。 His name Olaf Huldricks…
son； what you sayNorwegian。 He is eithair veree sick or
veree tiredbut I do not undweerstand where is the crew
and the starb'd boat is gone〃
He shouted an order to the engineer and as he did so the
faint breeze failed and the sails of the Brunhilda flapped
down inert。 We were now nearly abreast and a scant hun…
dred yards away。 The engine of the Suwarna died and the
Tonga boys leaped to one of the boats。
〃You Olaf Huldricksson！〃 shouted Da Costa。 〃What's a
matter wit' you？〃
The man at the wheel turned toward us。 He was a giant；
his shoulders enormous； thick chested； strength in every line
of him； he towered like a viking of old at the rudder bar of
his shark ship。
I raised the glass again； his face sprang into the lens and
never have I seen a visage lined and marked as though by
ages of unsleeping misery as was that of Olaf Huldricksson！
The Tonga boys had the boat alongside and were waiting
at the oars。 The little captain was dropping into it。
〃Wait！〃 I cried。 I ran into my cabin； grasped my emerg…
ency medical kit and climbed down the rope ladder。 The
Tonga boys bent to the oars。 We reached the side and Da
Costa and I each seized a lanyard dangling from the stays
and swung ourselves on board。 Da Costa approached Hul…
dricksson softly。
〃What's the matter； Olaf？〃 he beganand then was silent；
looking down at the wheel。 The hands of Huldricksson were
lashed fast to the spokes by thongs of thin； strong cord； they
were swollen and black and the thongs had bitten into the
sinewy wrists till they were hidden in the outraged flesh；
cutting so deeply that blood fell； slow drop by drop； at his
feet！ We sprang toward him； reaching out hands to his fetters
to loose them。 Even as we touched them； Huldricksson
aimed a vicious kick at me and then another at Da Costa
which sent the Portuguese tumbling into the scuppers。
〃Let be！〃 croaked Huldricksson； his voice was thick and
lifeless as though forced from a dead throat； his lips were
cracked and dry and his parched tongue was black。 〃Let be！
Go！ Let be！〃
The Portuguese had picked himself up； whimpering with
rage and knife in hand； but as Huldricksson's voice reached
him he stopped。 Amazement crept into his eyes and as he
thrust the blade back into his belt they softened with pity。
〃Something veree wrong wit' Olaf；〃 he murmured to me。
〃I think he crazee！〃 And then Olaf Huldricksson began to
curse us。 He did not speakhe howled from that hideously
dry mouth his imprecations。 And all the time his red eyes
roamed the seas and his hands； clenched and rigid on the
wheel； dropped blood。
〃I go below；〃 said Da Costa nervously。 〃His wife； his
daughter〃 he darted down the companionway and was
gone。
Huldricksson； silent once more； had slumped down over
the wheel。
Da Costa's head appeared at the top of the companion
steps。
〃There is nobody； nobody；〃 he pausedthen〃nobody
nowhere！〃 His hands flew out in a gesture of hopeless in…
comprehension。 〃I do not understan'。〃
Then Olaf Huldricksson opened his dry lips and as he
spoke a chill ran through me； checking my heart。
〃The sparkling devil took them！〃 croaked Olaf Huldricks…
son； 〃the sparkling devil took them！ Took my Helma and my
little Freda！ The sparkling devil came down from the moon
and took them！〃
He swayed； tears dripped down his cheeks。 Da Costa
moved toward him again and again Huldricksson watched
him； alertly； wickedly； from his bloodshot eyes。
I took a hypodermic from my case and filled it with mor…
phine。 I drew Da Costa to me。
〃Get to the side of him；〃 I whispered； 〃talk to him。〃 He
moved over toward the wheel。
〃Where is your Helma and Freda； Olaf？〃 he said。
Huldricksson turned his head toward him。 〃The shining
devil took them；〃 he croaked。 〃The moon devil that
spark〃
A yell broke from him。 I had thrust the needle into his
arm just above one swollen wrist and had quickly shot the
drug through。 He struggled to release himself and then be…
gan to rock drunkenly。 The morphine； taking him in his
weakness； worked quickly。 Soon over his face a peace
dropped。 The pupils of the staring eyes contracted。 Once；
twice； he swayed and then； his bleeding； prisoned hands held
high and still gripping the wheel； he crumpled to the deck。
With utmost difficulty we loosed the thongs； but at last it
was done。 We rigged a little swing and the Tonga boys slung
the great inert body over the side into the dory。 Soon we had
Huldricksson in my bunk。 Da Costa sent half his crew over
to the sloop in charge of the Cantonese。 They took in all sail；
stripping Huldricksson's boat to the masts and then with
the Brunhilda nosing quietly along after us at the end of a
long hawser； one of the Tonga boys at her wheel； we re…
sumed the way so enigmatically interrupted。
I cleansed and bandaged the Norseman's lacerated wrists
and sponged the blackened； parched mouth with warm water
and a mild antiseptic。
Suddenly I was aware of Da Costa's presence and turned。
His unease was manifest and held； it seemed to me； a queer；
furtive anxiety。
〃What you think of Olaf； sair？〃 he asked。 I shrugged my
shoulders。 〃You think he killed his woman and his babee？〃
He went on。 〃You think he crazee and killed all？〃
〃Nonsense； Da Costa；〃 I answered。 〃You saw the boat
was gone。 Most probably his crew mutinied and to torture
him tied him up the way you saw。 They did the same thing
with Hilton of the Coral Lady； you'll remember。〃
〃No；〃 he said。 〃No。 The crew did not。 Nobody there on
board when Olaf was tied。〃
〃What！〃 I cried； startled。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean；〃 he said slowly； 〃that Olaf tie himself！〃
〃Wait！〃 he went on at my incredulous gesture of dissent。
〃Wait； I show you。〃 He had been standing with hands behind
his back and now I saw that he held in them the cut thongs
that had bound Huldricksson。 They were blood…stained and
each ended in a broad leather tip skilfully spliced into the
cord。 〃Look；〃 he said； pointing to these leather ends。 I
looked and saw in them deep indentations of teeth。 I snatched
one of the thongs and opened the mouth of the unconscious
man on the bunk。 Carefully I placed the leather within it and
gently forced the jaws shut on it。 It was true。 Those marks
were where Olaf Huldricksson's jaws had gripped。
〃Wait！〃 Da Costa repeated； 〃I show you。〃 He took other
cords and rested his hands on the supports of a chair back。
Rapidly he twisted one of the thongs around his left hand；
drew a loose knot； shifted the cord up toward his elbow。
This left wrist and hand still free and with them he twisted
the other cord around the right wrist； drew a similar knot。
His hands were now in the exact position that Huldricks…
son's had been on the Brunhilda but with cords and knots
hanging loose。 Then Da Costa reached down his head； took
a leather end in his teeth and with a jerk drew the thong
that noosed his left hand tight； similarly he drew tight the
second。
He strained at his fetters。 There before my eyes he had
pinioned himself so that without aid he could not release
himself。 And he was exactly as Huldricksson had been！
〃You will have to cut me loose； sair；〃 he said。 〃I cannot
move them。 It is an old trick on these seas。 Sometimes it is
necessary that a man stand at the wheel many hours with…
out help； and he does this so that if he sleep the wheel wake
him； yes； sair。〃
I looked from him to the man on the bed。
〃But why； sair；〃 said Da Costa slowly； 〃did Olaf have to
tie his hands？〃
I looked at him； uneasily。
〃I don't know；〃 I answered。 〃Do you？〃
He fidgeted； avoided my eyes； and then rapidly； almost
surreptitiously crossed himself。
〃No；〃 he replied。 〃I know nothing。 Some things I have
heardbut they tell many tales on these seas。〃
He started for the door。 Before he reached it he turned。
〃But this I do know；〃 he half whispered； 〃I am damned glad
there is no full moon tonight。〃 And passed out； leaving me
staring after him in amazement。 What did the Portuguese
know？
I bent over the sleeper。 On his face was no trace of that
unholy mingling of opposites the Dweller stamped upon its
victims。
And yetwhat was it the Norseman had said？
〃The sparkling devil took them！〃 Nay； he had been even
more explicit〃The sparkling devil that came down from
the moon！〃
Could it be that the Dweller had swept upon the Brun…
hilda； drawing down the moon path Olaf Huldricksson's
wife and babe even as it had drawn Throckmartin？
As I sat thinking the cabin grew suddenly dark and from
above came a shouting and patter of feet。 Down upon us
swept one of the abrupt； violent squalls that are met with in
those latitudes。 I lashed Huldricksson fast in the berth and
ran up on deck。
The long； peaceful swells had changed into angry； choppy
waves from the tops of which the spindrift streamed in long
stinging lashes。
A half…hour passed； the squall died as quickly as it had
arisen。 The sea quieted。 Over in the west； from beneath the
tattered； flying edge of the storm； dropped the red globe of
the setting sun； dropped slowly until it touched the sea rim。
I watched itand rubbed my eyes and stared again。 For
over its flaming portal something hu
