the moon pool-第24章

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travellers；　no　matter　what　dish　they　are　in；〃　he　concluded。

〃Come　on！〃



With　the　three　of　us　close　behind　him；　he　marched　toward

the　entrance。









CHAPTER　XIII



Yolara；　Priestess　of　the　Shining　One



〃YOU'D　better　have　this　handy；　Doc。〃　O'Keefe　paused　at　the

head　of　the　stairway　and　handed　me　one　of　the　automatics

he　had　taken　from　Marakinoff。



〃Shall　I　not　have　one　also？〃　rather　anxiously　asked　the

latter。



〃When　you　need　it　you'll　get　it；〃　answered　O'Keefe。　　〃I'll

tell　you　frankly；　though；　Professor；　that　you'll　have　to　show

me　before　I　trust　you　with　a　gun。　　You　shoot　too　straight

from　cover。〃



The　flash　of　anger　in　the　Russian's　eyes　turned　to　a　cold

consideration。



〃You　say　always　just　what　is　in　your　mind；　Lieutenant

O'Keefe；〃　he　mused。　　〃Dathat　I　shall　remember！〃　Later　I

was　to　recall　this　odd　observationand　Marakinoff　was　to

remember　indeed。



In　single　file；　O'Keefe　at　the　head　and　Olaf　bringing　up

the　rear；　we　passed　through　the　portal。　　Before　us　dropped　a

circular　shaft；　into　which　the　light　from　the　chamber　of　the

oval　streamed　liquidly；　set　in　its　sides　the　steps　spiralled；　and

down　them　we　went；　cautiously。　　The　stairway　ended　in　a

circular　well；　silentwith　no　trace　of　exit！　　The　rounded

stones　joined　each　other　evenlyhermetically。　　Carved　on

one　of　the　slabs　was　one　of　the　five　flowered　vines。　　I　pressed

my　fingers　upon　the　calyxes；　even　as　Larry　had　within　the

Moon　Chamber。



A　crackhorizontal；　four　feet　wideappeared　on　the

wall；　widened；　and　as　the　sinking　slab　that　made　it　dropped

to　the　level　of　our　eyes；　we　looked　through　a　hundred…feet…

long　rift　in　the　living　rock！　　The　stone　fell　steadilyand　we

saw　that　it　was　a　Cyclopean　wedge　set　within　the　slit　of　the

passageway。　　It　reached　the　level　of　our　feet　and　stopped。　　At

the　far　end　of　this　tunnel；　whose　floor　was　the　polished　rock

that　had；　a　moment　before；　fitted　hermetically　into　its　roof；

was　a　low；　narrow　triangular　opening　through　which　light

streamed。



〃Nowhere　to　go　but　out！〃　grinned　Larry。　　〃And　I'll　bet

Golden　Eyes　is　waiting　for　us　with　a　taxi！〃　He　stepped　for…

ward。　　We　followed；　slipping；　sliding　along　the　glassy　surface；

and　I；　for　one；　had　a　lively　apprehension　of　what　our　fate

would　be　should　that　enormous　mass　rise　before　we　had

emerged！　　We　reached　the　end；　crept　out　of　the　narrow　tri…

angle　that　was　its　exit。



We　stood　upon　a　wide　ledge　carpeted　with　a　thick　yellow

moss。　　I　looked　behindand　clutched　O'Keefe's　arm。　　The

door　through　which　we　had　come　had　vanished！　　There　was

only　a　precipice　of　pale　rock；　on　whose　surfaces　great　patches

of　the　amber　moss　hung；　around　whose　base　our　ledge　ran；

and　whose　summits；　if　summits　it　had；　were　hidden；　like　the

luminous　cliffs；　in　the　radiance　above　us。



〃Nowhere　to　go　but　aheadand　Golden　Eyes　hasn't　kept

her　date！〃　laughed　O'Keefebut　somewhat　grimly。



We　walked　a　few　yards　along　the　ledge　and；　rounding　a

corner；　faced　the　end　of　one　of　the　slender　bridges。　　From　this

vantage　point　the　oddly　shaped　vehicles　were　plain；　and　we

could　see　they　were；　indeed；　like　the　shell　of　the　Nautilus　and

elfinly　beautiful。　　Their　drivers　sat　high　upon　the　forward

whorl。　　Their　bodies　were　piled　high　with　cushions；　upon

which　lay　women　half…swathed　in　gay　silken　webs。　　From

the　pavilioned　gardens　smaller　channels　of　glistening　green

ran　into　the　broad　way；　much　as　automobile　runways　do　on

earth；　and　in　and　out　of　them　flashed　the　fairy　shells。



There　came　a　shout　from　one。　　Its　occupants　had　glimpsed

us。　They　pointed；　others　stopped　and　stared；　one　shell　turned

and　sped　up　a　runwayand　quickly　over　the　other　side　of

the　bridge　came　a　score　of　men。　　They　were　dwarfednone

of　them　more　than　five　feet　high；　prodigiously　broad　of

shoulder；　clearly　enormously　powerful。



〃Trolde！〃　muttered　Olaf；　stepping　beside　O'Keefe；　pistol

swinging　free　in　his　hand。



But　at　the　middle　of　the　bridge　the　leader　stopped；　waved

back　his　men；　and　came　toward　us　alone；　palms　outstretched

in　the　immemorial；　universal　gesture　of　truce。　　He　paused；

scanning　us　with　manifest　wonder；　we　returned　the　scrutiny

with　interest。　　The　dwarf's　face　was　as　white　as　Olaf'sfar

whiter　than　those　of　the　other　three　of　us；　the　features　clean…

cut　and　noble；　almost　classical；　the　wide　set　eyes　of　a　curious

greenish　grey　and　the　black　hair　curling　over　his　head　like

that　on　some　old　Greek　statue。



Dwarfed　though　he　was；　there　was　no　suggestion　of　de…

formity　about　him。　　The　gigantic　shoulders　were　covered　with

a　loose　green　tunic　that　looked　like　fine　linen。　　It　was　caught

in　at　the　waist　by　a　broad　girdle　studded　with　what　seemed

to　be　amazonites。　　In　it　was　thrust　a　long　curved　poniard

resembling　the　Malaysian　kris。　　His　legs　were　swathed　in　the

same　green　cloth　as　the　upper　garment。　　His　feet　were

sandalled。



My　gaze　returned　to　his　face；　and　in　it　I　found　something

subtly　disturbing；　an　expression　of　half…malicious　gaiety　that

underlay　the　wholly　prepossessing　features　like　a　vague

threat；　a　mocking　deviltry　that　hinted　at　entire　callousness

to　suffering　or　sorrow；　something　of　the　spirit　that　was

vaguely　alien　and　disquieting。



He　spokeand；　to　my　surprise；　enough　of　the　words　were

familiar　to　enable　me　clearly　to　catch　the　meaning　of　the

whole。　　They　were　Polynesian；　the　Polynesian　of　the　Samoans

which　is　its　most　ancient　form；　but　in　some　indefinable　way

archaic。　　Later　I　was　to　know　that　the　tongue　bore　the　same

relation　to　the　Polynesian　of　today　as　does　NOT　that　of

Chaucer；　but　of　the　Venerable　Bede；　to　modern　English。　　Nor

was　this　to　be　so　astonishing；　when　with　the　knowledge　came

the　certainty　that　it　was　from　it　the　language　we　call　Poly…

nesian　sprang。



〃From　whence　do　you　come；　strangersand　how　found

you　your　way　here？〃　said　the　green　dwarf。



I　waved　my　hand　toward　the　cliff　behind　us。　　His　eyes　nar…

rowed　incredulously；　he　glanced　at　its　drop；　upon　which

even　a　mountain　goat　could　not　have　made　its　way；　and

laughed。



〃We　came　through　the　rock；〃　I　answered　his　thought。

〃And　we　come　in　peace；〃　I　added。



〃And　may　peace　walk　with　you；〃　he　said　half…derisively

〃if　the　Shining　One　wills　it！〃



He　considered　us　again。



〃Show　me；　strangers；　where　you　came　through　the　rock；〃

he　commanded。　　We　led　the　way　to　where　we　had　emerged

from　the　well　of　the　stairway。



〃It　was　here；〃　I　said；　tapping　the　cliff。



〃But　I　see　no　opening；〃　he　said　suavely。



〃It　closed　behind　us；〃　I　answered；　and　then；　for　the　first

time；　realized　how　incredible　the　explanation　sounded。　　The

derisive　gleam　passed　through　his　eyes　again。　　But　he　drew

his　poniard　and　gravely　sounded　the　rock。



〃You　give　a　strange　turn　to　our　speech；〃　he　said。　　〃It

sounds　strangely；　indeedas　strange　as　your　answers。〃　He

looked　at　us　quizzically。　　〃I　wonder　where　you　learned　it！

Well；　all　that　you　can　explain　to　the　Afyo　Maie。〃　His　head

bowed　and　his　arms　swept　out　in　a　wide　salaam。　　〃Be　pleased

to　come　with　me！〃　he　ended　abruptly。



〃In　peace？〃　I　asked。



〃In　peace；〃　he　repliedthen　slowly〃with　me　at　least。〃



〃Oh；　come　on；　Doc！〃　cried　Larry。　　〃As　long　as　we're　here

let's　see　the　sights。　Allons　mon　vieux！〃　he　called　gaily　to　the

green　dwarf。　　The　latter；　understanding　the　spirit；　if　not　the

words；　looked　at　O'Keefe　with　a　twinkle　of　approval；　turned

then　to　the　great　Norseman　and　scanned　him　with　admira…

tion；　reached　out　and　squeezed　one　of　the　immense　biceps。



〃Lugur　will　welcome　you；　at　least；〃　he　murmured　as

though　to　himself。　　He　stood　aside　and　waved　a　hand　courte…

ously；　inviting　us　to　pass。　　We　crossed。　　At　the　base　of　the

span　one　of　the　elfin　shells　was　waiting。



Beyond；　scores　had　gathered；　their　occupants　evidently

discussing　us　in　much　excitement。　　The　green　dwarf　waved

us　to　the　piles　of　cushions　and　then　threw　himself　beside　us。

The　vehicle　started　off　smoot