the moon pool-第48章

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that　they　have　challenged　the　Silent　Ones　I　think　he　WILL

dare。　　Also；　he　will　find　our　tracksand　it　may　be　that　he

knows　this　hidden　way。〃



〃Well；　for　God's　sake！〃　O'Keefe's　appalled　bewilderment

was　almost　ludicrous。　　〃If　HE　knows　all　that；　and　YOU　knew

all　that；　why　didn't　you　let　me　click　him　when　I　had　the　chance？〃



〃_Larree_；〃　the　green　dwarf　was　oddly　humble。　　〃It　seemed

good　to　me；　tooat　first。　　And　then　I　heard　a　command；

heard　it　clearly；　to　stop　youthat　Lugur　die　not　now；　lest　a

greater　vengeance　fail！〃



〃Command？　　From　whom？〃　The　Irishman's　voice　distilled

out　of　the　blackness　the　very　essence　of　bewilderment。



〃I　thought；〃　Rador　was　whispering〃I　thought　it　came

from　the　Silent　Ones！〃



〃Superstition！〃　groaned　O'Keefe　in　utter　exasperation。

〃Always　superstition！　　What　can　you　do　against　it！



〃Never　mind；　Rador。〃　His　sense　of　humour　came　to　his

aid。　　〃It's　too　late　now；　anyway。　　Where　do　we　go　from　here；

old　dear？〃　he　laughed。



〃We　tread　the　path　of　one　I　am　not　fain　to　meet；〃　answered

Rador。　　〃But　if　meet　we　must；　point　the　death　tubes　at　the

pale　shield　he　bears　upon　his　throat　and　send　the　flame　into

the　flower　of　cold　fire　that　is　its　centrenor　look　into　his

eyes！〃



Again　Larry　gasped；　and　I　with　him。



〃It's　getting　too　deep　for　me；　Doc；〃　he　muttered　de…

jectedly。　　〃Can　you　make　head　or　tail　of　it？〃



〃No；〃　I　answered；　shortly　enough；　〃but　Rador　fears　some…

thing　and　that's　his　description　of　it。〃



〃Sure；〃　he　replied；　〃only　it's　a　code　I　don't　understand。〃

I　could　feel　his　grin。　　〃All　right　for　the　flower　of　cold　fire；

Rador；　and　I　won't　look　into　his　eyes；〃　he　went　on　cheerfully。

〃But　hadn't　we　better　be　moving？〃



〃Come！〃　said　the　soldier；　again　hand　in　hand　we　went

blindly　on。



O'Keefe　was　muttering　to　himself。



〃Flower　of　cold　fire！　　Don't　look　into　his　eyes！　　Some　joint！

Damned　superstition。〃　Then　he　chuckled　and　carolled；　softly：





〃Oh；　mama；　pin　a　cold　rose　on　me；

Two　young　frog…men　are　in　love　with　me；

Shut　my　eyes　so　I　can't　see。〃







〃Sh！〃　Rador　was　warning；　he　began　whispering。　　〃For　half

a　_va_　we　go　along　a　way　of　death。　　From　its　peril　we　pass　into

another　against　whose　dangers　I　can　guard　you。　　But　in　part

this　is　in　view　of　the　roadway　and　it　may　be　that　Lugur　will

see　us。　　If　so；　we　must　fight　as　best　we　can。　　If　we　pass　these

two　roads　safely；　then　is　the　way　to　the　Crimson　Sea　clear；

nor　need　we　fear　Lugur　nor　any。　　And　there　is　another　thing

that　Lugur　does　not　knowwhen　he　opens　the　Portal　the

Silent　Ones　will　hear　and　Lakla　and　the　_Akka_　will　be　swift

to　greet　its　opener。〃



〃Rador；〃　I　asked；　〃how　know　YOU　all　this？〃



〃The　handmaiden　is　my　own　sister's　child；〃　he　answered　quietly。



O'Keefe　drew　a　long　breath。



〃Uncle；〃　he　remarked　casually　in　English；　〃meet　the　man

who's　going　to　be　your　nephew！〃

cept　by　the　avuncular　title；　which　Rador；　humorously

enough；　apparently　conceived　to　be　one　of　respectful　en…

dearment。



For　me　a　light　broke。　　Plain　now　was　the　reason　for　his

foreknowledge　of　Lakla's　appearance　at　the　feast　where

Larry　had　so　narrowly　escaped　Yolara's　spells；　plain　the

determining　factor　that　had　cast　his　lot　with　ours；　and　my

confidence；　despite　his　discourse　of　mysterious　perils；　experi…

enced　a　remarkable　quickening。



Speculation　as　to　the　marked　differences　in　pigmentation

and　appearance　of　niece　and　uncle　was　dissipated　by　my

consciousness　that　we　were　now　moving　in　a　dim　half…light。

We　were　in　a　fairly　wide　tunnel。　　Not　far　ahead　the　gleam

filtered；　pale　yellow　like　sunlight　sifting　through　the　leaves

of　autumn　poplars。　　And　as　we　drove　closer　to　its　source　I

saw　that　it　did　indeed　pass　through　a　leafy　screen　hanging

over　the　passage　end。　　This　Rador　drew　aside　cautiously；

beckoned　us　and　we　stepped　through。



It　appeared　to　be　a　tunnel　cut　through　soft　green　mould。

Its　base　was　a　flat　strip　of　pathway　a　yard　wide　from　which

the　walls　curved　out　in　perfect　cylindrical　form；　smoothed

and　evened　with　utmost　nicety。　　Thirty　feet　wide　they　were　at

their　widest；　then　drew　toward　each　other　with　no　break　in

their　symmetry；　they　did　not　close。　　Above　was；　roughly；　a

ten…foot　rift；　ragged　edged；　through　which　poured　light　like

that　in　the　heart　of　pale　amber；　a　buttercup　light　shot

through　with　curiously　evanescent　bronze　shadows。



〃Quick！〃　commanded　Rador；　uneasily；　and　set　off　at　a

sharp　pace。



Now；　my　eyes　accustomed　to　the　strange　light；　I　saw　that

the　tunnel's　walls　were　of　moss。　　In　them　I　could　trace　fringe

leaf　and　curly　leaf；　pressings　of　enormous　bladder　caps

（Physcomitrium）；　immense　splashes　of　what　seemed　to　be

the　scarlet…crested　Cladonia；　traceries　of　huge　moss　veils；

crushings　of　teeth　（peristome）　gigantic；　spore　cases　brown

and　white；　saffron　and　ivory；　hot　vermilions　and　cerulean

blues；　pressed　into　an　astounding　mosaic　by　some　titanic

force。



〃Hurry！〃　It　was　Rador　calling。　　I　had　lagged　behind。



He　quickened　the　pace　to　a　half…run；　we　were　climbing；

panting。　　The　amber　light　grew　stronger；　the　rift　above　us

wider。　　The　tunnel　curved；　on　the　left　a　narrow　cleft　ap…

peared。　　The　green　dwarf　leaped　toward　it；　thrust　us　within；

pushed　us　ahead　of　him　up　a　steep　rocky　fissurewell…nigh；

indeed；　a　chimney。　　Up　and　up　this　we　scrambled　until　my

lungs　were　bursting　and　I　thought　I　could　climb　no　more。

The　crevice　ended；　we　crawled　out　and　sank；　even　Rador；

upon　a　little　leaf…carpeted　clearing　circled　by　lacy　tree　ferns。



Gasping；　legs　aching；　we　lay　prone；　relaxed；　drawing　back

strength　and　breath。　　Rador　was　first　to　rise。　　Thrice　he　bent

low　as　in　homage；　then



〃Give　thanks　to　the　Silent　Onesfor　their　power　has　been

over　us！〃　he　exclaimed。



Dimly　I　wondered　what　he　meant。　　Something　about　the

fern　leaf　at　which　I　had　been　staring　aroused　me。　　I　leaped　to

my　feet　and　ran　to　its　base。　　This　was　no　fern；　no！　　It　was　fern

MOSS！　　The　largest　of　its　species　I　had　ever　found　in　tropic

jungles　had　not　been　more　than　two　inches　high；　and　this

wastwenty　feet！　　The　scientific　fire　I　had　experienced　in　the

tunnel　returned　uncontrollable。　　I　parted　the　fronds；　gazed　out



My　outlook　commanded　a　vista　of　milesand　that　vista！

A　_Fata　Morgana_　of　plantdom！　　A　land　of　flowered　sorcery！



Forests　of　tree…high　mosses　spangled　over　with　blooms　of

every　conceivable　shape　and　colour；　cataracts　and　clusters；

avalanches　and　nets　of　blossoms　in　pastels；　in　dulled　metal…

lics；　in　gorgeous　flamboyant　hues；　some　of　them　phosphor…

escent　and　shining　like　living　jewels；　some　sparkling　as

though　with　dust　of　opals；　of　sapphires；　of　rubies　and　topazes

and　emeralds；　thickets　of　convolvuli　like　the　trumpets　of　the

seven　archangels　of　Mara；　king　of　illusion；　which　are　shaped

from　the　bows　of　splendours　arching　his　highest　heaven！



And　moss　veils　like　banners　of　a　marching　host　of　Titans；

pennons　and　bannerets　of　the　sunset；　gonfalons　of　the　Jinn；

webs　of　faery；　oriflammes　of　elfland！



Springing　up　through　that　polychromatic　flood　myriads　of

pediclesslender　and　straight　as　spears；　or　soaring　in　spirals；

or　curving　with　undulations　gracile　as　the　white　serpents　of

Tanit　in　ancient　Carthaginian　grovesand　all　surmounted

by　a　fantasy　of　spore　cases　in　shapes　of　minaret　and　turret；

domes　and　spires　and　cones；　caps　of　Phrygia　and　bishops'

mitres；　shapes　grotesque　and　unnameableshapes　delicate

and　lovely！



They　hung　high　poised；　nodding　and　swayinglike　gob…

lins　hovering　over　_Titania's_　court；　cacophony　of　Cathay　ac…

centing　the　_Flower　Maiden_　music　of　〃Parsifal〃；　_bizarrerie_

of　the　angled；　fantastic　beings　that　people　the　Javan　pan…

theon　watching　a　bacchanal　of　houris　in　Mohammed's　para…

dise！



Down　upon　it　all　poured　the　amber　light；　dimmed　in　the

distances　by　huge；　drifting　darkenings　lurid　as　the　flying

mantles　of　the　hurricane。



And　through　the　light；　like　showers　of