the moon pool-第29章

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then　a　shadow　of　a　shadowthen　a　breath；　and　the　breath

went　out　upon　the　wind！〃　He　shivered。　　〃Like　the　old

gnome；〃　he　whispered；　〃that　they　called　Songar　of　the

Lower　Waters！〃



He　shook　his　head　as　though　he　cast　a　dream　from　him。

Then；　all　alert



〃But　that　was　in　Iceland　ages　agone。　　And　there's　nothing

like　that　here；　Doc！〃　He　laughed。　　〃It　doesn't　scare　me　one

little　bit；　old　boy。　　The　pretty　devil　lady's　got　the　wrong　　slant。

When　　you've　　had　　a　　pal　　standing　　　beside　　　you　　　one　　　moment

full　of　life；　and　joy；　and　power；　and　potentialities；　telling

what　he's　going　to　do　to　make　the　world　hum　when　he　gets

through　the　slaughter；　just　running　over　with　zip　and　pep　of

life；　Docand　the　next　instant；　right　in　the　middle　of　a

laugha　piece　of　damned　shell　takes　off　half　his　head　and

with　it　joy　and　power　and　all　the　rest　of　it〃his　face

twitched〃well；　old　man；　in　the　face　of　THAT　mystery　a

disappearing　act　such　as　the　devil　lady　treated　us　to　doesn't

make　much　of　a　dent。　　Not　on　me。　　But　by　the　brogans　of

Brian　Boruif　we　could　have　had　some　of　that　stuff　to　turn

on　during　the　waroh；　boy！〃



He　was　silent；　evidently　contemplating　the　idea　with　vast

pleasure。　　And　as　for　me；　at　that　moment　my　last　doubt　of

Larry　O'Keefe　vanished；　I　saw　that　he　did　believe；　really

believed；　in　his　banshees；　his　leprechauns　and　all　the　old

dreams　of　the　Gaelbut　only　within　the　limits　of　Ireland。



In　one　drawer　of　his　mind　was　packed　all　his　superstition；

his　mysticism；　and　what　of　weakness　it　might　carry。　　But　face

him　with　any　peril　or　problem　and　the　drawer　closed　in…

stantaneously　leaving　a　mind　that　was　utterly　fearless；　in…

credulous；　and　ingenious；　swept　clean　of　all　cobwebs　by　as

fine　a　skeptic　broom　as　ever　brushed　a　brain。



〃Some　stuff！〃　Deepest　admiration　was　in　his　voice。　　〃If

we'd　only　had　it　when　the　war　was　onimagine　half　a　dozen

of　us　scooting　over　the　enemy　batteries　and　the　gunners

underneath　all　at　once　beginning　to　shake　themselves　to

pieces！　　Wow！〃　His　tone　was　rapturous。



〃It's　easy　enough　to　explain；　Larry；〃　I　said。　　〃The　effect；

that　isfor　what　the　green　ray　is　made　of　I　don't　know；　of

course。　　But　what　it　does；　clearly；　is　stimulate　atomic　vibra…

tion　to　such　a　pitch　that　the　cohesion　between　the　particles　of

matter　is　broken　and　the　body　flies　to　bitsjust　as　a　fly…

wheel　does　when　its　speed　gets　so　great　that　the　particles

of　which　IT　is　made　can't　hold　together。〃



〃Shake　themselves　to　pieces　is　right；　then！〃　he　exclaimed。



〃Absolutely　right；〃　I　nodded。　　〃Everything　in　Nature　vi…

brates。　　And　all　matterwhether　man　or　beast　or　stone　or

metal　or　vegetableis　made　up　of　vibrating　molecules；

which　are　made　up　of　vibrating　atoms　which　are　made　up

of　truly　infinitely　small　particles　of　electricity　called　elec…

trons；　and　electrons；　the　base　of　all　matter；　are　themselves

perhaps　only　a　vibration　of　the　mysterious　ether。



〃If　a　magnifying　glass　of　sufficient　size　and　strength　could

be　placed　over　us　we　could　see　ourselves　as　sievesour

space　lattice；　as　it　is　called。　　And　all　that　is　necessary　to　break

down　the　lattice；　to　shake　us　into　nothingness；　is　some　agent

that　will　set　our　atoms　vibrating　at　such　a　rate　that　at　last

they　escape　the　unseen　cords　and　fly　off。



〃The　green　ray　of　Yolara　is　such　an　agent。　　It　set　up　in　the

dwarf　that　incredibly　rapid　rhythm　that　you　saw　and

shook　him　not　to　atomsbut　to　electrons！〃



〃They　had　a　gun　on　the　West　Fronta　seventy…five；〃　said

O'Keefe；　〃that　broke　the　eardrums　of　everybody　who　fired

it；　no　matter　what　protection　they　used。　　It　looked　like　all

the　other　seventy…fivesbut　there　was　something　about　its

sound　that　did　it。　　They　had　to　recast　it。〃



〃It's　practically　the　same　thing；〃　I　replied。　　〃By　some　freak

its　vibratory　qualities　had　that　effect。　　The　deep　whistle　of

the　sunken　Lusitania　would；　for　instance；　make　the　Singer

Building　shake　to　its　foundations；　while　the　Olympic　did　not

affect　the　Singer　at　all　but　made　the　Woolworth　shiver　all

through。　　In　each　case　they　stimulated　the　atomic　vibration

of　the　particular　building〃



I　paused；　aware　all　at　once　of　an　intense　drowsiness。

O'Keefe；　yawning；　reached　down　to　unfasten　his　puttees。



〃Lord；　I'm　sleepy！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Can't　understand　it

what　you　saymostinterestingLord！〃　he　yawned　again；

straightened。　　〃What　made　Reddy　take　such　a　shine　to　the

Russian？〃　he　asked。



〃Thanaroa；〃　I　answered；　fighting　to　keep　my　eyes　open。



〃What？〃



〃When　Lugur　spoke　that　name　I　saw　Marakinoff　signal

him。　　Thanaroa　is；　I　suspect；　the　original　form　of　the　name

of　Tangaroa；　the　greatest　god　of　the　Polynesians。　　There's　a

secret　cult　to　him　in　the　islands。　　Marakinoff　may　belong　to

ithe　knows　it　anyway。　　Lugur　recognized　the　signal　and

despite　his　surprise　answered　it。〃



〃So　he　gave　him　the　high　sign；　eh？〃　mused　Larry。　　〃How

could　they　both　know　it？〃



〃The　cult　is　a　very　ancient　one。　　Undoubtedly　it　had　its

origin　in　the　dim　beginnings　before　these　people　migrated

here；〃　I　replied。　　〃It's　a　linkoneof　the　few　links　between

up　there　and　the　lost　past〃



〃Trouble　then；〃　mumbled　Larry。　　〃Hell　brewing！　　I　smell　it

Say；　Doc；　is　this　sleepiness　natural？　　Wonder　where　my

gas　maskis〃　he　added；　half　incoherently。



But　I　myself　was　struggling　desperately　against　the

drugged　slumber　pressing　down　upon　me。



〃Lakla！〃　I　heard　O'Keefe　murmur。　　〃Lakla　of　the　golden

eyesno　Eilidhthe　Fair！〃　He　made　an　immense　effort；

half　raised　himself；　grinned　faintly。



〃Thought　this　was　paradise　when　I　first　saw　it；　Doc；〃　he

sighed。　　〃But　I　know　now；　if　it　is；　No…Man's　Land　was　the

greatest　place　on　earth　for　a　honeymoon。　　Theythey've　got

us；　Doc〃　He　sank　back。　　〃Good　luck；　old　boy；　wherever

you're　going。〃　His　hand　waved　feebly。　　〃Gladknewyou。

Hopeseeyou'gain〃



His　voice　trailed　into　silence。　　Fighting；　fighting　with　every

fibre　of　brain　and　nerve　against　the　sleep；　I　felt　myself　being

steadily　overcome。　　Yet　before　oblivion　rushed　down　upon

me　I　seemed　to　see　upon　the　grey…screened　wall　nearest　the

Irishman　an　oval　of　rosy　light　begin　to　glow；　watched；　as　my

falling　lids　inexorably　fell；　a　flame…tipped　shadow　waver

on　it；　thicken；　condenseand　there　looking　down　upon

Larry；　her　eyes　great　golden　stars　in　which　intensest　curios…

ity　and　shy　tenderness　struggled；　sweet　mouth　half　smiling；

was　the　girl　of　the　Moon　Pool's　Chamber；　the　girl　whom　the

green　dwarf　had　namedLakla：　the　vision　Larry　had　in…

voked　before　that　sleep　which　I　could　no　longer　deny　had

claimed　him



Closer　she　camecloser…the　eyes　were　over　us。



Then　oblivion　indeed！











CHAPTER　XVI



Yolara　of　Muria　vs。　the　O'Keefe



I　AWAKENED　with　all　the　familiar；　homely　sensation　of　a

shade　having　been　pulled　up　in　a　darkened　room。　　I　thrilled

with　a　wonderful　sense　of　deep　rest　and　restored　resiliency。

The　ebon　shadow　had　vanished　from　above　and　down　into

the　room　was　pouring　the　silvery　light。　　From　the　fountain

pool　came　a　mighty　splashing　and　shouts　of　laughter。　　I

jumped　and　drew　the　curtain。　　O'Keefe　and　Rador　were　swim…

ming　a　wild　race；　the　dwarf　like　an　otter；　out…distancing　and

playing　around　the　Irishman　at　will。



Had　that　overpowering　sleepand　now　I　confess　that　my

struggle　against　it　had　been　largely　inspired　by　fear　that　it

was　the　abnormal　slumber　which　Throckmartin　had　de…

scribed　as　having　heralded　the　approach　of　the　Dweller　be…

fore　it　had　carried　away　Thora　and　Stantonhad　that　sleep

been　after　all　nothing　but　natural　reaction　of　tired　nerves

and　brains？



And　that　last　vision　of　the　golden…eyed　girl　bending　over

Larry？　　Had　that　also　been　a　delusion　of　an　overstressed

mind？　　Well；　it　might　have　been；　I　could　not　tell。　　At　any　rate；

I　decided；　I　would　speak　about　it　to　O'Keefe　once　we　were

alone　againand　then　giving　myself　up　to　the　urge　of　buoy…

ant　well…being　I　shouted　like　a　boy；　stripped　and　joined