the moon pool-第21章

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child



〃Then　you　cameand　that　is　all。　　And　nowwhat　is　it

you　know？〃



Very　briefly　I　went　over　my　story。　　His　eyes　gleamed　now

and　then；　but　he　did　not　interrupt　me。



〃A　great　secret！　　A　colossal　secret！〃　he　muttered；　when　I

had　ended。　　〃We　cannot　leave　it　hidden。〃



〃The　first　thing　to　do　is　to　try　the　door；〃　said　Larry；　mat…

ter　of　fact。



〃There　is　no　use；　my　young　friend；〃　assured　Marakinoff

mildly。



〃Nevertheless　we'll　try；〃　said　Larry。　　We　retraced　our

way　through　the　winding　tunnel　to　the　end；　but　soon　even

O'Keefe　saw　that　any　idea　of　moving　the　slab　from　within

was　hopeless。　　We　returned　to　the　Chamber　of　the　Pool。　　The

pillars　of　light　were　fainter；　and　we　knew　that　the　moon　was

sinking。　　On　the　world　outside　before　long　dawn　would　be

breaking。　　I　began　to　feel　thirstand　the　blue　semblance　of

water　within　the　silvery　rim　seemed　to　glint　mockingly　as

my　eyes　rested　on　it。



〃Da！〃　it　was　Marakinoff；　reading　my　thoughts　uncannily。

〃Da！　　We　will　be　thirsty。　　And　it　will　be　very　bad　for　him　of

us　who　loses　control　and　drinks　of　that；　my　friend。　　Da！〃



Larry　threw　back　his　shoulders　as　though　shaking　a　burden

from　them。



〃This　place　would　give　an　angel　of　joy　the　willies；〃　he

said。　　〃I　suggest　that　we　look　around　and　find　something　that

will　take　us　somewhere。　　You　can　bet　the　people　that　built　it

had　more　ways　of　getting　in　than　that　once…a…month　family

entrance。　　Doc；　you　and　Olaf　take　the　left　wall；　the　professor

and　I　will　take　the　right。〃



He　loosened　one　of　his　automatics　with　a　suggestive　move…

ment。



〃After　you；　Professor；〃　he　bowed；　politely；　to　the　Russian。

We　parted　and　set　forth。



The　chamber　widened　out　from　the　portal　in　what　seemed

to　be　the　arc　of　an　immense　circle。　　The　shining　walls　held　a

perceptible　curve；　and　from　this　curvature　I　estimated　that

the　roof　was　fully　three　hundred　feet　above　us。



The　floor　was　of　smooth；　mosaic…fitted　blocks　of　a　faintly

yellow　tinge。　　They　were　not　light…emitting　like　the　blocks

that　formed　the　walls。　　The　radiance　from　these　latter；　I

noted；　had　the　peculiar　quality　of　THICKENING　a　few　yards

from　its　source；　and　it　was　this　that　produced　the　effect　of

misty；　veiled　distances。　　As　we　walked；　the　seven　columns　of

rays　streaming　down　from　the　crystalline　globes　high　above

us　waned　steadily；　the　glow　within　the　chamber　lost　its　pris…

matic　shimmer　and　became　an　even　grey　tone　somewhat　like

moonlight　in　a　thin　cloud。



Now　before　us；　out　from　the　wall；　jutted　a　low　terrace。　　It

was　all　of　a　pearly　rose…coloured　stone；　slender；　graceful　pil…

lars　of　the　same　hue。　　The　face　of　the　terrace　was　about　ten

feet　high；　and　all　over　it　ran　a　bas…relief　of　what　looked　like

short…trailing　vines；　surmounted　by　five　stalks；　on　the　tip　of

each　of　which　was　a　flower。



We　passed　along　the　terrace。　　It　turned　in　an　abrupt　curve。

I　heard　a　hail；　and　there；　fifty　feet　away；　at　the　curving　end

of　a　wall　identical　with　that　where　we　stood；　were　Larry　and

Marakinoff。　　Obviously　the　left　side　of　the　chamber　was　a

duplicate　of　that　we　had　explored。　　We　joined。　　In　front　of　us

the　columned　barriers　ran　back　a　hundred　feet；　forming　an

alcove。　　The　end　of　this　alcove　was　another　wall　of　the　same

rose　stone；　but　upon　it　the　design　of　vines　was　much　heavier。



We　took　a　step　forwardthere　was　a　gasp　of　awe　from

the　Norseman；　a　guttural　exclamation　from　Marakinoff。　　For

on；　or　rather　within；　the　wall　before　us；　a　great　oval　began　to

glow；　waxed　almost　to　a　flame　and　then　shone　steadily　out　as

though　from　behind　it　a　light　was　streaming　through　the

stone　itself！



And　within　the　roseate　oval　two　flame…tipped　shadows

appeared；　stood　for　a　moment；　and　then　seemed　to　float　out

upon　its　surface。　　The　shadows　wavered；　the　tips　of　flame　that

nimbused　them　with　flickering　points　of　vermilion　pulsed

outward；　drew　back；　darted　forth　again；　and　once　more

withdrew　themselvesand　as　they　did　so　the　shadows　thick…

enedand　suddenly　there　before　us　stood　two　figures！



One　was　a　girla　girl　whose　great　eyes　were　golden　as　the

fabled　lilies　of　Kwan…Yung　that　were　born　of　the　kiss　of　the

sun　upon　the　amber　goddess　the　demons　of　Lao…Tz'e　carved

for　him；　whose　softly　curved　lips　were　red　as　the　royal　coral；

and　whose　golden…brown　hair　reached　to　her　knees！



And　the　second　was　a　gigantic　frogA　WOMAN　frog；　head

helmeted　with　carapace　of　shell　around　which　a　fillet　of　bril…

liant　yellow　jewels　shone；　enormous　round　eyes　of　blue

circled　with　a　broad　iris　of　green；　monstrous　body　of　banded

orange　and　white　girdled　with　strand　upon　strand　of　the

flashing　yellow　gems；　six　feet　high　if　an　inch；　and　with　one

webbed　paw　of　its　short；　powerfully　muscled　forelegs　resting

upon　the　white　shoulder　of　the　golden…eyed　girl！



Moments　must　have　passed　as　we　stood　in　stark　amaze…

ment；　gazing　at　that　incredible　apparition。　　The　two　figures；

although　as　real　as　any　of　those　who　stood　beside　me；　un…

phantomlike　as　it　is　possible　to　be；　had　a　distinct　suggestion

ofprojection。



They　were　there　before　usgolden…eyed　girl　and　gro…

tesque　frog…womancomplete　in　every　line　and　curve；　and

still　it　was　as　though　their　bodies　passed　back　through　dis…

tances；　as　though；　to　try　to　express　the　wellnigh　inexpressi…

ble；　the　two　shapes　we　were　looking　upon　were　the　end　of　an

infinite　number　stretching　in　fine　linked　chain　far　away；　of

which　the　eyes　saw　only　the　nearest；　while　in　the　brain　some

faculty　higher　than　sight　recognized　and　registered　the　un…

seen　others。



The　gigantic　eyes　of　the　frog…woman　took　us　all　in

unwinkingly。　　Little　glints　of　phosphorescence　shone　out

within　the　metallic　green　of　the　outer　iris　ring。　　She　stood

upright；　her　great　legs　bowed；　the　monstrous　slit　of　a　mouth

slightly　open；　revealing　a　row　of　white　teeth　sharp　and

pointed　as　lancets；　the　paw　resting　on　the　girl's　shoulder；　half

covering　its　silken　surface；　and　from　its　five　webbed　digits

long　yellow　claws　of　polished　horn　glistened　against　the

delicate　texture　of　the　flesh。



But　if　the　frog…woman　regarded　us　all；　not　so　did　the

maiden　of　the　rosy　wall。　　Her　eyes　were　fastened　upon　Larry；

drinking　him　in　with　extraordinary　intentness。　　She　was　tall；

far　over　the　average　of　women；　almost　as　tall；　indeed；　as

O'Keefe　himself；　not　more　than　twenty　years　old；　if　that；

I　thought。　　Abruptly　she　leaned　forward；　the　golden　eyes

softened　and　grew　tender；　the　red　lips　moved　as　though　she

were　speaking。



Larry　took　a　quick　step；　and　his　face　was　that　of　one　who

after　countless　births　comes　at　last　upon　the　twin　soul　lost　to

him　for　ages。　　The　frog…woman　turned　her　eyes　upon　the　girl；

her　huge　lips　moved；　and　I　knew　that　she　was　talking！　　The

girl　held　out　a　warning　hand　to　O'Keefe；　and　then　raised　it；

resting　each　finger　upon　one　of　the　five　flowers　of　the　carved

vine　close　beside　her。　　Once；　twice；　three　times；　she　pressed

upon　the　flower　centres；　and　I　noted　that　her　hand　was　curi…

ously　long　and　slender；　the　digits　like　those　wonderful　taper…

ing　ones　the　painters　we　call　the　primitive　gave　to　their　Vir…

gins。



Three　times　she　pressed　the　flowers；　and　then　looked　in…

tently　at　Larry　once　more。　　A　slow；　sweet　smile　curved　the

crimson　lips。　　She　stretched　both　hands　out　toward　him　again

eagerly；　a　burning　blush　rose　swiftly　over　white　breasts　and

flowerlike　face。



Like　the　clicking　out　of　a　cinematograph；　the　pulsing　oval

faded　and　golden…eyed　girl　and　frog…woman　were　gone！



And　thus　it　was　that　Lakla；　the　handmaiden　of　the　Silent

Ones；　and　Larry　O'Keefe　first　looked　into　each　other's

hearts！



Larry　stood　rapt；　gazing　at　the　stone。



〃Eilidh；〃　I　heard　him　whisper；　〃Eilidh　of　the　lips　like　the

red；　red　rowan　and　the　golden…brown　hair！〃



〃Clearly　of　the　Ranadae；〃　said　Marakinoff；　〃a　develop…

ment　of　the　fossil　Labyrinthodonts：　you　saw　her　teeth；　da？〃



〃Ranadae；　yes；〃　I　answered。　　〃But　fro