the moon pool-第43章

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tant；　unquestionably　longingly；　irresistibly　like　a　child　mak…

ing　up　her　mind　whether　she　dared　or　dared　not　take　a

delectable　something　offered　her。



〃I　go　with　you；〃　said　O'Keefe；　this　time　in　her　own

speech。　　〃Come　on；　Doc！〃　He　reached　out　a　hand　to　me。



But　now　Yolara　spoke。　　Life　and　beauty　had　flowed　back

into　her　face；　and　in　the　purple　eyes　all　her　hosts　of　devils

were　gathered。



〃Do　you　forget　what　I　promised　you　before　Siya　and

Siyana？　　And　do　you　think　that　you　can　leave　meme

as　though　I　were　a　_choya_like　HER。〃　She　pointed　to　Lakla。

Do　you〃



〃Now；　listen；　Yolara；〃　Larry　interrupted　almost　plain…

tively。　　〃No　promise　has　passed　from　me　to　youand　why

would　you　hold　me？〃　He　passed　unconsciously　into　English。

〃Be　a　good　sport；　Yolara；〃　he　urged；　'You　HAVE　got　a　very

devil　of　a　temper；　you　know；　and　so　have　I；　and　we'd　be

really　awfully　uncomfortable　together。　　And　why　don't　you

get　rid　of　that　devilish　pet　of　yours；　and　be　good！〃



She　looked　at　him；　puzzled；　Marakinoff　leaned　over；　trans…

lated　to　Lugur。　　The　red　dwarf　smiled　maliciously；　drew　near

the　priestess；　whispered　to　her　what　was　without　doubt　as

near　as　he　could　come　in　the　Murian　to　Larry's　own　very

colloquial　phrases。



Yolara's　lips　writhed。



〃Hear　me；　Lakla！〃　she　cried。　　〃Now　would　I　not　let　you

take　this　man　from　me　were　I　to　dwell　ten　thousand　_laya_

in　the　agony　of　the　_Yekta's_　kiss。　　This　I　swear　to　youby

Thanaroa；　by　my　heart；　and　by　my　strengthand　may　my

strength　wither；　my　heart　rot　in　my　breast；　and　Thanaroa

forget　me　if　I　do！〃



〃Listen；　Yolara〃began　O'Keefe　again。



〃Be　silent；　you！〃　It　was　almost　a　shriek。　　And　her　hand

again　sought　in　her　breast　for　the　cone　of　rhythmic　death。



Lugur　touched　her　arm；　whispered　again；　The　glint　of

guile　shone　in　her　eyes；　she　laughed　softly；　relaxed。



〃The　Silent　Ones；　Lakla；　bade　you　say　that　theyallowed

me　three　_tal_　to　decide；〃　she　said　suavely。　　〃Go　now　in

peace；　Lakla；　and　say　that　Yolara　has　heard；　and　that　for

the　three　_tal_　theyallowher　she　will　take　council。〃　The

handmaiden　hesitated。



〃The　Silent　Ones　have　said　it；〃　she　answered　at　last。　　〃Stay

you　here；　strangers〃…the　long　lashes　drooped　as　her　eyes

met　O'Keefe's　and　a　hint　of　blush　was　in　her　cheeks〃stay

you　here；　strangers；　till　then。　　But；　Yolara；　see　you　on　that

heart　and　strength　you　have　sworn　by　that　they　come　to　no

harmelse　that　which　you　have　invoked　shall　come　upon

you　swiftly　indeedand　that　I　promise　you；〃　she　added。



Their　eyes　met；　clashed；　burned　into　each　otherblack

flame　from　Abaddon　and　golden　flame　from　Paradise。



〃Remember！〃　said　Lakla；　and　passed　through　the　portal。

The　gigantic　frog…man　boomed　a　thunderous　note　of　com…

mand；　his　grotesque　guards　turned　and　slowly　followed　their

mistress；　and　last　of　all　passed　out　the　monster　with　the

mace。











CHAPTER　XXI



Larry's　Defiance



A　CLAMOUR　arose　from　all　the　chambers；　stilled　in　an　in…

stant　by　a　motion　of　Yolara's　hand。　　She　stood　silent；　regard…

ing　O'Keefe　with　something　other　now　than　blind　wrath；

something　half　regretful；　half　beseeching。　　But　the　Irishman's

control　was　gone。



〃Yolara；〃his　voice　shook　with　rage；　and　he　threw　cau…

tion　to　the　wind〃now　hear　ME。　　I　go　where　I　will　and　when

I　will。　　Here　shall　we　stay　until　the　time　she　named　is　come。

And　then　we　follow　her；　whether　you　will　or　not。　　And　if

any　should　have　thought　to　stop　ustell　them　of　that　flame

that　shattered　the　vase；〃　he　added　grimly。



The　wistfulness　died　out　of　her　eyes；　leaving　them　cold。

But　no　answer　made　she　to　him。



〃What　Lakla　has　said；　the　Council　must　consider；　and　at

once。〃　The　priestess　was　facing　the　nobles。　　〃Now；　friends　of

mine；　and　friends　of　Lugur；　must　all　feud；　all　rancour；　be…

tween　us　end。〃　She　glanced　swiftly　at　Lugur。　　〃The　_ladala_

are　stirring；　and　the　Silent　Ones　threaten。　　Yet　fear　notfor

are　we　not　strong　under　the　Shining　One？　　And　nowleave

us。〃



Her　hand　dropped　to　the　table；　and　she　gave；　evidently；

a　signal；　for　in　marched　a　dozen　or　more　of　the　green　dwarfs。



〃Take　these　two　to　their　place；〃　she　commanded；　point…

ing　to　us。



The　green　dwarfs　clustered　about　us。　　Without　another

look　at　the　priestess　O'Keefe　marched　beside　me；　between

them；　from　the　chamber。　　And　it　was　not　until　we　had　reached

the　pillared　entrance　that　Larry　spoke。



〃I　hate　to　talk　like　that　to　a　woman；　Doc；〃　he　said；　〃and

a　pretty　woman；　at　that。　　But　first　she　played　me　with　a

marked　deck；　and　then　not　only　pinched　all　the　chips；　but

drew　a　gun　on　me。　　What　the　hell！she　nearly　had　me

MARRIEDto　her。　　I　don't　know　what　the　stuff　was　she　gave

me；　but；　take　it　from　me；　if　I　had　the　recipe　for　that　brew

I　could　sell　it　for　a　thousand　dollars　a　jolt　at　Forty…second

and　Broadway。



〃One　jigger　of　it；　and　you　forget　there　is　a　trouble　in　the

world；　three　of　them；　and　you　forget　there　is　a　world。　　No

excuse　for　it；　Doc；　and　I　don't　care　what　you　say　or　what

Lakla　may　sayit　wasn't　my　fault；　and　I　don't　hold　it　up

against　myself　for　a　damn。〃



〃I　must　admit　that　I'm　a　bit　uneasy　about　her　threats；〃　I

said；　ignoring　all　this。　　He　stopped　abruptly。



〃What're　you　afraid　of？〃



〃Mostly；〃　I　answered　dryly；　〃I　have　no　desire　to　dance

with　the　Shining　One！〃



〃Listen　to　me；　Goodwin；〃　He　took　up　his　walk　impa…

tiently。　　〃I've　all　the　love　and　admiration　for　you　in　the

world；　but　this　place　has　got　your　nerve。　　Hereafter　one

Larry　O'Keefe；　of　Ireland　and　the　little　old　U。　S。　A。；　leads

this　party。　　Nix　on　the　tremolo　stop；　nix　on　the　superstition！

I'm　the　works。　　Get　me？〃



〃Yes；　I　get　you！〃　I　exclaimed　testily　enough。　　〃But　to　use

your　own　phrase；　kindly　can　the　repeated　references　to

superstition。〃



〃Why　should　I？〃　He　was　almost　wrathful。　　〃You　scientific

people　build　up　whole　philosophies　on　the　basis　of　things

you　never　saw；　and　you　scoff　at　people　who　believe　in　other

things　that　you　think　THEY　never　saw　and　that　don't　come

under　what　you　label　scientific。　　You　talk　about　paradoxes

why；　your　scientist；　who　thinks　he　is　the　most　skeptical；　the

most　materialistic　aggregation　of　atoms　ever　gathered　at　the

exact　mathematical　centre　of　Missouri；　has　more　blind　faith

than　a　dervish；　and　more　credulity；　more　superstition；　than

a　cross…eyed　smoke　beating　it　past　a　country　graveyard　in

the　dark　of　the　moon！〃



〃Larry！〃　I　cried；　dazed。



〃Olaf's　no　better；〃　he　said。　　〃But　I　can　make　allowances　for

him。　　He's　a　sailor。　　No；　sir。　　What　this　expedition　needs　is　a

man　without　superstition。　　And　remember　this。　　The　lepre…

chaun　promised　that　I'd　have　full　warning　before　anything

happened。　　And　if　we　do　have　to　go　out；　we'll　see　that　banshee

bunch　clean　up　before　we　do；　and　pass　in　a　blaze　of　glory。

And　don't　forget　it。　　HereafterI'mincharge！〃



By　this　time　we　were　before　our　pavilion；　and　neither　of

us　in　a　very　amiable　mood　I'm　afraid。　　Rador　was　awaiting　us

with　a　score　of　his　men。



〃Let　none　pass　in　here　without　authorityand　let　none

pass　out　unless　I　accompany　them；〃　he　ordered　bruskly。

〃Summon　one　of　the　swiftest　of　the　_coria_　and　have　it　wait　in

readiness；〃　he　added；　as　though　by　afterthought。



But　when　we　had　entered　and　the　screens　were　drawn

together　his　manner　changed；　all　eagerness　he　questioned

us。　Briefly　we　told　him　of　the　happenings　at　the　feast；　of

Lakla's　dramatic　interruption；　and　of　what　had　followed。



〃Three　_tal_；〃　he　said　musingly；　〃three　_tal_　the　Silent　Ones

have　allowedand　Yolara　agreed。〃　He　sank　back；　silent　and

thoughtful。1





1　A　_tal_　in　Muria　is　the　equivalent　of　thirty　hours　of　earth　surface

time。W。　T。　G。







_〃Ja！〃　　It　was　Olaf。　〃_Ja！_　　I　told　you　the　Shining　Devil's　mis…

tress　was　all　evil。　_Ja！_　　Now　I　begin　again　that　tale　I　started

when　he　came〃he　glanced　toward　the　preoccupied　Rador。

〃And　tell　him　not　what　I　say　should　he　ask。　　For　I　trus