the moon pool-第32章

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〃But　they　did　that　in　Ireland　even　before　Dalua　piped　away

his　first　man's　shadow。　　And　in　Goodwin's　land　they　make

shipscoria　that　go　on　waterso　you　can　pass　by　them　and

see　only　sea　and　sky；　and　those　water　coria　are　each　of　them

many　times　greater　than　this　whole　palace　of　yours。〃



But　the　priestess　laughed　on。



〃It　did　get　me　a　little；〃　whispered　Larry。　　〃That　wasn't

quite　up　to　my　mark。　　But　God！　　If　we　could　find　that　trick

out　and　take　it　back　with　us！〃



〃Not　so；　Larree！〃　Yolara　gasped；　through　her　laughter。

〃Not　so！　　Goodwin's　cry　betrayed　you！〃



Her　good　humour　had　entirely　returned；　she　was　like　a

mischievous　child　pleased　over　some　successful　trick；　and

like　a　child　she　cried〃I'll　show　you！〃signalled　again；

whispered　to　the　maid　who；　quickly　returning；　laid　before

her　a　long　metal　case。　　Yolara　took　from　her　girdle　something

that　looked　like　a　small　pencil；　pressed　it　and　shot　a　thin

stream　of　light　for　all　the　world　like　an　electric　flash；　upon

its　hasp。　　The　lid　flew　open。　　Out　of　it　she　drew　three　flat；　oval

crystals；　faint　rose　in　hue。　　She　handed　one　to　O'Keefe　and

one　to　me。



〃Look！〃　she　commanded；　placing　the　third　before　her　own

eyes。　　I　peered　through　the　stone　and　instantly　there　leaped

into　sight；　out　of　thin　airsix　grinning　dwarfs！　　Each　was

covered　from　top　of　head　to　soles　of　feet　in　a　web　so　tenuous

that　through　it　their　bodies　were　plain。　　The　gauzy　stuff

seemed　to　vibrateits　strands　to　run　together　like　quick…

silver。　　I　snatched　the　crystal　from　my　eyes　andthe　chamber

was　empty！　　Put　it　backand　there　were　the　grinning　six！



Yolara　gave　another　sign　and　they　disappeared；　even　from

the　crystals。



〃It　is　what　they　wear；　Larree；〃　explained　Yolara；　gra…

ciously。　　〃It　is　something　that　came　to　us　fromthe　Ancient

Ones。　　But　we　have　so　few〃she　sighed。



〃Such　treasures　must　be　two…edged　swords；　Yolara；〃

commented　O'Keefe。　　〃For　how　know　you　that　one　within

them　creeps　not　to　you　with　hand　eager　to　strike？〃



〃There　is　no　danger；〃　she　said　indifferently。　　〃I　am　the

keeper　of　them。〃



She　mused　for　a　space；　then　abruptly：



〃And　now　no　more。　　You　two　are　to　appear　before　the

Council　at　a　certain　timebut　fear　nothing。　　You；　Goodwin；

go　with　Rador　about　our　city　and　increase　your　wisdom。

But　you；　Larree；　await　me　here　in　my　garden〃　she　smiled

at　him；　provocativelymaliciously；　too。　　〃For　shall　not　one

who　has　resisted　a　world　of　goddesses　be　given　all　chance　to

worship　when　at　last　he　finds　his　own？〃



She　laughedwhole…heartedly　and　was　gone。　　And　at　that

moment　I　liked　Yolara　better　than　ever　I　had　before　and

alasbetter　than　ever　I　was　to　in　the　future。



I　noted　Rador　standing　outside　the　open　jade　door　and

started　to　go；　but　O'Keefe　caught　me　by　the　arm。



〃Wait　a　minute；〃　he　urged。　　〃About　Golden　Eyesyou

were　going　to　tell　me　somethingit's　been　on　my　mind　all

through　that　little　sparring　match。〃



I　told　him　of　the　vision　that　had　passed　through　my　closing

lids。　　He　listened　gravely　and　then　laughed。



〃Hell　of　a　lot　of　privacy　in　this　place！〃　he　grinned。　　〃Ladies

who　can　walk　through　walls　and　others　with　regular　invisi…

ble　cloaks　to　let　'em　flit　wherever　they　please。　　Oh；　well；

don't　let　it　get　on　your　nerves；　Doc。　　Rememberevery…

thing's　natural！　　That　robe　stuff　is　just　camouflage　of　course。

But　Lord；　if　we　could　only　get　a　piece　of　it！〃



〃The　material　simply　admits　all　light…vibrations；　or　per…

haps　curves　them；　just　as　the　opacities　cut　them　off；〃　I

answered。　　〃A　man　under　the　X…ray　is　partly　invisible；　this

makes　him　wholly　so。　　He　doesn't　register；　as　the　people　of

the　motion…picture　profession　say。〃



〃Camouflage；〃　repeated　Larry。　　〃And　as　for　the　Shining

OneSay！〃　he　snorted。　　〃I'd　like　to　set　the　O'Keefe　banshee

up　against　it。　　I'll　bet　that　old　resourceful　Irish　body　would

give　it　the　first　three　bites　and　a　strangle　hold　and　wallop

it　before　it　knew　it　had　'em。　　Oh！　　Wow！　　Boy　Howdy！〃



I　heard　him　still　chuckling　gleefully　over　this　vision　as　I

passed　along　the　opal　wall　with　the　green　dwarf。



A　shell　was　awaiting　us。　　I　paused　before　entering　it　to

examine　the　polished　surface　of　runway　and　great　road。　　It

was　obsidianvolcanic　glass　of　pale　emerald；　unflawed；

translucent；　with　no　sign　of　block　or　juncture。　　I　examined

the　shell。



〃What　makes　it　go？〃　I　asked　Rador。　　At　a　word　from　him

the　driver　touched　a　concealed　spring　and　an　aperture　ap…

peared　beneath　the　control…lever；　of　which　I　have　spoken

in　a　preceding　chapter。　　Within　was　a　small　cube　of　black

crystal；　through　whose　sides　I　saw；　dimly；　a　rapidly　revolv…

ing；　glowing　ball；　not　more　than　two　inches　in　diameter。

Beneath　the　cube　was　a　curiously　shaped；　slender　cylinder

winding　down　into　the　lower　body　of　the　Nautilus　whorl。



〃Watch！〃　said　Rador。　　He　motioned　me　into　the　vehicle

and　took　a　place　beside　me。　　The　driver　touched　the　lever；　a

stream　of　coruscations　flew　from　the　ball　down　into　the

cylinder。　　The　shell　started　smoothly；　and　as　the　tiny　torrent

of　shining　particles　increased　it　gathered　speed。



〃The　corial　does　not　touch　the　road；〃　explained　Rador。

〃It　is　lifted　so　far〃he　held　his　forefinger　and　thumb　less

than　a　sixteenth　of　an　inch　apart〃above　it。〃



And　perhaps　here　is　the　best　place　to　explain　the　activa…

tion　of　the　shells　or　coria。　　The　force　utilized　was　atomic

energy。　　Passing　from　the　whirling　ball　the　ions　darted

through　the　cylinder　to　two　bands　of　a　peculiar　metal　affixed

to　the　base　of　the　vehicles　somewhat　like　skids　of　a　sled。

Impinging　upon　these　they　produced　a　partial　negation　of

gravity；　lifting　the　shell　slightly；　and　at　the　same　time　creat…

ing　a　powerful　repulsive　force　or　thrust　that　could　be　di…

rected　backward；　forward；　or　sidewise　at　the　will　of　the

driver。　　The　creation　of　this　energy　and　the　mechanism　of　its

utilization　were；　briefly；　as　follows：





＇Dr。　Goodwin's　lucid　and　exceedingly　comprehensive

description　of　this　extraordinary　mechanism　has　been

deleted　by　the　Executive　Council　of　the　International

Association　of　Science　as　too　dangerously　suggestive　to

scientists　of　the　Central　European　Powers　with　which

we　were　so　recently　at　war。　　It　is　allowable；　however；　to

state　that　his　observations　are　in　the　possession　of　ex…

perts　in　this　country；　who　are；　unfortunately；　hampered

in　their　research　not　only　by　the　scarcity　of　the　radio…

active　elements　that　we　know；　but　also　by　the　lack　of　the

element　or　elements　unknown　to　us　that　entered　into　the

formation　of　the　fiery　ball　within　the　cube　of　black

crystal。　　Nevertheless；　as　the　principle　is　so　clear；　it　is

believed　that　these　difficulties　will　ultimately　be　over…

come。〃J。　B。　K。；　President；　I。　A。　of　S。＇







The　wide；　glistening　road　was　gay　with　the　coria。　　They

darted　in　and　out　of　the　gardens；　within　them　the　fair…haired；

extraordinarily　beautiful　women　on　their　cushions　were　like

princesses　of　Elfland；　caught　in　gorgeous　fairy　webs；　resting

within　the　hearts　of　flowers。　　In　some　shells　were　flaxen…

haired　dwarfish　men　of　Lugur's　type；　sometimes　black…polled

brother　officers　of　Rador；　often　raven…tressed　girls；　plainly

hand…maidens　of　the　women；　and　now　and　then　beauties　of

the　lower　folk　went　by　with　one　of　the　blond　dwarfs。



We　swept　around　the　turn　that　made　of　the　jewel…like

roadway　an　enormous　horseshoe　and；　speedily；　upon　our

right　the　cliffs　through　which　we　had　come　in　our　journey

from　the　Moon　Pool　began　to　march　forward　beneath　their

mantles　of　moss。　　They　formed　a　gigantic　abutment；　a　titanic

salient。　　It　had　been　from　the　very　front　of　this　salient's　in…

vading　angle　that　we　had　emerged；　on　each　side　of　it　the

precipices；　faintly　glowing；　drew　back　and　vanished　into

distance。



The　slender；　graceful　bridges　under　which　we　skimmed

ended　at　openings　in　the　upflung；　far　walls　of　verdure。　　Each

had　its　little　garrison　of　soldiers。　　Through　some　of　th