the moon pool-第11章

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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　huge　and　black　moved；

like　a　gigantic