the moon pool-第33章

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

had　its　little　garrison　of　soldiers。　　Through　some　of　the　open…

ings　a　rivulet　of　the　green　obsidian　river　passed。　　These　were

roadways　to　the　farther　country；　to　the　land　of　the　ladala；

Rador　told　me；　adding　that　none　of　the　lesser　folk　could

cross　into　the　pavilioned　city　unless　summoned　or　with　pass。



We　turned　the　bend　of　the　road　and　flew　down　that　farther

emerald　ribbon　we　had　seen　from　the　great　oval。　　Before　us

rose　the　shining　cliffs　and　the　lake。　　A　half…mile；　perhaps；

from　these　the　last　of　the　bridges　flung　itself。　　It　was　more

massive　and　about　it　hovered　a　spirit　of　ancientness　lacking

in　the　other　spans；　also　its　garrison　was　larger　and　at　its

base　the　tangent　way　was　guarded　by　two　massive　struc…

tures；　somewhat　like　blockhouses；　between　which　it　ran。

Something　about　it　aroused　in　me　an　intense　curiosity。



〃Where　does　that　road　lead；　Rador？〃　I　asked。



〃To　the　one　place　above　all　of　which　I　may　not　tell　you；

Goodwin；〃　he　answered。　　And　again　I　wondered。



We　skimmed　slowly　out　upon　the　great　pier。　　Far　to　the

left　was　the　prismatic；　rainbow　curtain　between　the　Cyclo…

pean　pillars。　　On　the　white　waters　graceful　shellslacustrian

replicas　of　the　Elf　chariotsswam；　but　none　was　near　that

distant　web　of　wonder。



〃Radorwhat　is　that？〃　I　asked。



〃It　is　the　Veil　of　the　Shining　One！〃　he　answered　slowly。



Was　the　Shining　One　that　which　we　named　the　Dweller？



〃What　is　the　Shining　One？〃　I　cried；　eagerly。　　Again　he　was

silent。　　Nor　did　he　speak　until　we　had　turned　on　our　home…

ward　way。



And　lively　as　my　interest；　my　scientific　curiosity；　were

I　was　conscious　suddenly　of　acute　depression。　　Beautiful；

wondrously　beautiful　this　place　wasand　yet　in　its　wonder

dwelt　a　keen　edge　of　menace；　of　uneaseof　inexplicable；

inhuman　woe；　as　though　in　a　secret　garden　of　God　a　soul

should　sense　upon　it　the　gaze　of　some　lurking　spirit　of　evil

which　some　way；　somehow；　had　crept　into　the　sanctuary　and

only　bided　its　time　to　spring。













CHAPTER　XVII



The　Leprechaun



THE　SHELL　carried　us　straight　back　to　the　house　of　Yolara。

Larry　was　awaiting　me。　　We　stood　again　before　the　tenebrous

wall　where　first　we　had　faced　the　priestess　and　the　Voice。

And　as　we　stood；　again　the　portal　appeared　with　all　its　dis…

concerting；　magical　abruptness。



But　now　the　scene　was　changed。　　Around　the　jet　table　were

grouped　a　number　of　figuresLugur；　Yolara　beside　him；

seven　others…all　of　them　fair…haired　and　all　men　save　one

who　sat　at　the　left　of　the　priestessan　old；　old　woman；　how

old　I　could　not　tell；　her　face　bearing　traces　of　beauty　that

must　once　have　been　as　great　as　Yolara's　own；　but　now

ravaged；　in　some　way　awesome；　through　its　ruins　the　fear…

ful；　malicious　gaiety　shining　out　like　a　spirit　of　joy　held

within　a　corpse！



Began　then　our　examination；　for　such　it　was。　　And　as　it

progressed　I　was　more　and　more　struck　by　the　change　in　the

O'Keefe。　　All　flippancy　was　gone；　rarely　did　his　sense　of

humour　reveal　itself　in　any　of　his　answers。　　He　was　like　a

cautious　swordsman；　fencing；　guarding；　studying　his　op…

ponent；　or　rather；　like　a　chess…player　who　keeps　sensing

some　far…reaching　purpose　in　the　game：　alert；　contained；

watchful。　　Always　he　stressed　the　power　of　our　surface　races；

their　multitudes；　their　solidarity。



Their　questions　were　myriad。　　What　were　our　occupations？

Our　system　of　government？　　How　great　were　the　waters？　　The

land？　　Intensely　interested　were　they　in　the　World　War；

querying　minutely　into　its　causes；　its　effects。　　In　our　weapons

their　interest　was　avid。　　And　they　were　exceedingly　minute　in

their　examination　of　us　as　to　the　ruins　which　had　excited

our　curiosity；　their　position　and　surroundingsand　if　others

than　ourselves　might　be　expected　to　find　and　pass　through

their　entrance！



At　this　I　shot　a　glance　at　Lugur。　　He　did　not　seem　unduly

interested。　　I　wondered　if　the　Russian　had　told　him　as　yet　of

the　girl　of　the　rosy　wall　of　the　Moon　Pool　Chamber　and　the

real　reasons　for　our　search。　　Then　I　answered　as　briefly　as

possibleomitting　all　reference　to　these　things。　　The　red

dwarf　watched　me　with　unmistakable　amusementand　I

knew　Marakinoff　had　told　him。　　But　clearly　Lugur　had　kept

his　information　even　from　Yolara；　and　as　clearly　she　had

spoken　to　none　of　that　episode　when　O'Keefe's　automatic

had　shattered　the　Keth…smitten　vase。　　Again　I　felt　that　sense

of　deep　bewildermentof　helpless　search　for　clue　to　all　the

tangle。



For　two　hours　we　were　questioned　and　then　the　priestess

called　Rador　and　let　us　go。



Larry　was　sombre　as　we　returned。　　He　walked　about　the

room　uneasily。



〃Hell's　brewing　here　all　right；〃　he　said　at　last；　stopping

before　me。　　〃I　can't　make　out　just　the　particular　brand

that's　all　that　bothers　me。　　We're　going　to　have　a　stiff　fight；

that's　sure。　　What　I　want　to　do　quick　is　to　find　the　Golden

Girl；　Doc。　　Haven't　seen　her　on　the　wall　lately；　have　you？〃

he　queried；　hopefully　fantastic。



〃Laugh　if　you　want　to；〃　he　went　on。　　〃But　she's　our　best

bet。　　It's　going　to　be　a　race　between　her　and　the　O'Keefe

bansheebut　I　put　my　money　on　her。　　I　had　a　queer　experi…

ence　while　I　was　in　that　garden；　after　you'd　left。〃　His　voice

grew　solemn。　　〃Did　you　ever　see　a　leprechaun；　Doc？〃　I　shook

my　head　again；　as　solemnly。　　〃He's　a　little　man　in　green；〃

said　Larry。　　〃Oh；　about　as　high　as　your　knee。　　I　saw　one　once

in　Carntogher　Woods。　　And　as　I　sat　there；　half　asleep；　in

Yolara's　garden；　the　living　spit　of　him　stepped　out　from　one

of　those　bushes；　twirling　a　little　shillalah。



〃'It's　a　tight　box　ye're　gettin'　in；　Larry　avick；'　said　he；

'but　don't　ye　be　downhearted；　lad。'



〃'I'm　carrying　on；'　said　I；　'but　you're　a　long　way　from

Ireland；'　I　said；　or　thought　I　did。



〃'Ye've　a　lot　o'　friends　there；'　he　answered。　　'An'　where

the　heart　rests　the　feet　are　swift　to　follow。　　Not　that　I'm

sayin'　I'd　like　to　live　here；　Larry；'　said　he。



〃'I　know　where　my　heart　is　now；'　I　told　him。　　'It　rests　on

a　girl　with　golden　eyes　and　the　hair　and　swan…white　breast

of　Eilidh　the　Fairbut　me　feet　don't　seem　to　get　me　to　her；'

I　said。〃



The　brogue　thickened。



〃An'　the　little　man　in　green　nodded　his　head　an'　whirled

his　shillalah。



〃'It's　what　I　came　to　tell　ye；'　says　he。　　'Don't　ye　fall　for

the　Bhean…Nimher；　the　serpent　woman　wit'　the　blue　eyes；

she's　a　daughter　of　Ivor；　ladan'　don't　ye　do　nothin'　to　make

the　brown…haired　coleen　ashamed　o'　ye；　Larry　O'Keefe。　　I

knew　yer　great；　great　grandfather　an'　his　before　him；　aroon；'

says　he；　'an'　wan　o'　the　O'Keefe　failin's　is　to　think　their

hearts　big　enough　to　hold　all　the　wimmen　o'　the　world。　　A

heart's　built　to　hold　only　wan　permanently；　Larry；'　he　says；

'an'　I'm　warnin'　ye　a　nice　girl　don't　like　to　move　into　a　place

all　cluttered　up　wid　another's　washin'　an'　mendin'　an'

cookin'　an'　other　things　pertainin'　to　general　wife　work。　　Not

that　I　think　the　blue…eyed　wan　is　keen　for　mendin'　an'

cookin'！'　says　he。



〃'You　don't　have　to　be　comin'　all　this　way　to　tell　me

that；'　I　answer。



〃'Well；　I'm　just　a　tellin'　you；'　he　says。　　'Ye've　got　some

rough　knocks　comin'；　Larry。　　In　fact；　ye're　in　for　a　devil　of　a

time。　　But；　remember　that　ye're　the　O'Keefe；'　says　he。　　'An'

while　the　bhoys　are　all　wid　ye；　avick；　ye've　got　to　be　on　the

job　yourself。'



〃'I　hope；'　I　tell　him；　'that　the　O'Keefe　banshee　can　find

her　way　here　in　timethat　is；　if　it's　necessary；　which　I　hope

it　won't　be。'



〃'Don't　ye　worry　about　that；'　says　he。　　'Not　that　she's

keen　on　leavin'　the　ould　sod；　Larry。　　The　good　ould　soul's　in

quite　a　state　o'　mind　about　ye；　aroon。　　I　don't　mind　tellin'　ye；

lad；　that　she's　mobilizing　all　the　clan　an'　if　she　HAS　to　come

for　ye；　avick；　they'll　be　wid　her　an'　they'll　sweep　this　joint

clean　before　ye　go。　　What　they'll　do　to　it'll　make　the　Big　Wind

look　like　a　summer　breeze　on