the moon pool-第49章

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distances　by　huge；　drifting　darkenings　lurid　as　the　flying

mantles　of　the　hurricane。



And　through　the　light；　like　showers　of　jewels；　myriads　of

birds；　darting；　dipping；　soaring；　and　still　other　myriads　of

gigantic；　shimmering　butterflies。



A　sound　came　to　us；　reaching　out　like　the　first　faint　susur…

rus　of　the　incoming　tide；　sighing；　sighing；　growing　stronger

now　its　mournful　whispering　quivered　all　about　us；　shook

usthen　passing　like　a　Presence；　died　away　in　far　distances。



〃The　Portal！〃　said　Rador。　　〃Lugur　has　entered！〃



He；　too；　parted　the　fronds　and　peered　back　along　our

path。　　Peering　with　him　we　saw　the　barrier　through　which　we

had　come　stretching　verdure…covered　walls　for　miles　three　or

more　away。　　Like　a　mole　burrow　in　a　garden　stretched　the

trail　of　the　tunnel；　here　and　there　we　could　look　down

within　the　rift　at　its　top；　far　off　in　it　I　thought　I　saw　the　glint

of　spears。



〃They　come！〃　whispered　Rador。　　〃Quick！　　We　must　not

meet　them　here！〃



And　then



〃Holy　St。　Brigid！〃　gasped　Larry。



From　the　rift　in　the　tunnel's　continuation；　nigh　a　mile

beyond　the　cleft　through　which　we　had　fled；　lifted　a　crown

of　hornsof　tentacleserect；　alert；　of　mottled　gold　and

crimson；　lifted　higherand　from　a　monstrous　scarlet　head

beneath　them　blazed　two　enormous；　obloid　eyes；　their　depths

wells　of　purplish　phosphorescence；　higher　stillnoseless；

earless；　chinless；　a　livid；　worm　mouth　from　which　a　slender

scarlet　tongue　leaped　like　playing　flames！　　Slowly　it　rose

its　mighty　neck　cuirassed　with　gold　and　scarlet　scales　from

whose　polished　surfaces　the　amber　light　glinted　like　flakes

of　fire；　and　under　this　neck　shimmered　something　like　a

palely　luminous　silvery　shield；　guarding　it。　　The　head　of　hor…

ror　mountedand　in　the　shield's　centre；　full　ten　feet　across；

glowing；　flickering；　shining　outcoldly；　was　a　rose　of　white

flame；　a　〃flower　of　cold　fire〃　even　as　Rador　had　said。



Now　swiftly　the　Thing　upreared；　standing　like　a　scaled

tower　a　hundred　feet　above　the　rift；　its　eyes　scanning　that

movement　I　had　seen　along　the　course　of　its　lair。　　There　was

a　hissing；　the　crown　of　horns　fell；　whipped　and　writhed　like

the　tentacles　of　an　octopus；　the　towering　length　dropped

back。



〃Quick！〃　gasped　Rador　and　through　the　fern　moss；　along

the　path　and　down　the　other　side　of　the　steep　we　raced。



Behind　us　for　an　instant　there　was　a　rushing　as　of　a　tor…

rent；　a　far…away；　faint；　agonized　screamingsilence！



〃No　fear　NOW　from　those　who　followed；〃　whispered　the

green　dwarf；　pausing。



〃Sainted　St。　Patrick！〃　O'Keefe　gazed　ruminatively　at　his

automatic。　　〃An'　he　expected　me　to　kill　THAT　with　this。　　Well；

as　Fergus　O'Connor　said　when　they　sent　him　out　to　slaugh…

ter　a　wild　bull　with　a　potato　knife：　'Ye'll　niver　rayilize　how

I　appreciate　the　confidence　ye　show　in　me！'



〃What　was　it；　Doc？〃　he　asked。



〃The　dragon　worm！〃　Rador　said。



〃It　was　Helvede　Ormthe　hell　worm！〃　groaned　Olaf。



〃There　you　go　again〃　blazed　Larry；　but　the　green　dwarf

was　hurrying　down　the　path　and　swiftly　we　followed；　Larry

muttering；　Olaf　mumbling；　behind　me。



The　green　dwarf　was　signalling　us　for　caution。　　He　pointed

through　a　break　in　a　grove　of　fifty…foot　cedar　mosseswe

were　skirting　the　glassy　road！　　Scanning　it　we　found　no　trace

of　Lugur　and　wondered　whether　he　too　had　seen　the　worm

and　had　fled。　　Quickly　we　passed　on；　drew　away　from　the

_coria_　path。　　The　mosses　began　to　thin；　less　and　less　they　grew；

giving　way　to　low　clumps　that　barely　offered　us　shelter。

Unexpectedly　another　screen　of　fern　moss　stretched　before

us。　Slowly　Rador　made　his　way　through　it　and　stood　hesitat…

ing。



The　scene　in　front　of　us　was　oddly　weird　and　depressing；

in　some　indefinable　waydreadful。　　Why；　I　could　not　tell；

but　the　impression　was　plain；　I　shrank　from　it。　　Then；　self…

analyzing；　I　wondered　whether　it　could　be　the　uncanny　re…

semblance　the　heaps　of　curious　mossy　fungi　scattered　about

had　to　beast　and　birdyes；　and　to　manthat　was　the　cause

of　it。　　Our　path　ran　between　a　few　of　them。　　To　the　left　they

were　thick。　　They　were　viridescent；　almost　metallic　hued

verd…antique。　　Curiously　indeed　were　they　like　distorted

images　of　dog　and　deerlike　forms；　of　birdsof　DWARFS　and

here　and　there　the　simulacra　of　the　giant　frogs！　　Spore　cases；

yellowish　green；　as　large　as　mitres　and　much　resembling　them

in　shape　protruded　from　the　heaps。　　My　repulsion　grew　into

a　distinct　nausea。



Rador　turned　to　us　a　face　whiter　far　than　that　with　which

he　had　looked　upon　the　dragon　worm。



〃Now　for　your　lives；〃　he　whispered；　〃tread　softly　here　as

I　doand　speak　not　at　all！〃



He　stepped　forward　on　tiptoe；　slowly　with　utmost　caution。

We　crept　after　him；　passed　the　heaps　beside　the　pathand

as　I　passed　my　skin　crept　and　I　shrank　and　saw　the　others

shrink　too　with　that　unnameable　loathing；　nor　did　the　green

dwarf　pause　until　he　had　reached　the　brow　of　a　small　hillock

a　hundred　yards　beyond。　　And　he　was　trembling。



〃Now　what　are　we　up　against？〃　grumbled　O'Keefe。



The　green　dwarf　stretched　a　hand；　stiffened；　gazed　over

to　the　left　of　us　beyond　a　lower　hillock　upon　whose　broad

crest　lay　a　file　of　the　moss　shapes。　　They　fringed　it；　their

mitres　having　a　grotesque　appearance　of　watching　what　lay

below。　　The　glistening　road　lay　thereand　from　it　came　a

shout。　　A　dozen　of　the　_coria_　clustered；　filled　with　Lugur's

men　and　in　one　of　them　Lugur　himself；　laughing　wickedly！



There　was　a　rush　of　soldiers　and　up　the　low　hillock　raced

a　score　of　them　toward　us。



〃Run！〃　shouted　Rador。



〃Not　much！〃　grunted　Larryand　took　swift　aim　at　Lugur。

The　automatic　spat：　Olaf's　echoed。　　Both　bullets　went　wild；

for　Lugur；　still　laughing；　threw　himself　into　the　protection　of

the　body　of　his　shell。　　But　following　the　shots；　from　the　file

of　moss　heaps　on　the　crest；　came　a　series　of　muffled　explo…

sions。　　Under　the　pistol's　concussions　the　mitred　caps　had

burst　and　instantly　all　about　the　running　soldiers　grew　a

cloud　of　tiny；　glistening　white　sporeslike　a　little　cloud　of

puff…ball　dust　many　times　magnified。　　Through　this　cloud　I

glimpsed　their　faces；　stricken　with　agony。



Some　turned　to　fly；　but　before　they　could　take　a　second

step　stood　rigid。



The　spore　cloud　drifted　and　eddied　about　them；　rained

down　on　their　heads　and　half　bare　breasts；　covered　their

garmentsand　swiftly　they　began　to　change！　　Their　features

grew　indistinctmerged！　　The　glistening　white　spores　that

covered　them　turned　to　a　pale　yellow；　grew　greenish；　spread

and　swelled；　darkened。　　The　eyes　of　one　of　the　soldiers　glinted

for　a　momentand　then　were　covered　by　the　swift　growth！



Where　but　a　few　moments　before　had　been　men　were　only

grotesque　heaps；　swiftly　melting；　swiftly　rounding　into　the

the　semblance　of　the　mounds　that　lay　behind　usand　al…

ready　beginning　to　take　on　their　gleam　of　ancient　virides…

cence！



The　Irishman　was　gripping　my　arm　fiercely；　the　pain

brought　me　back　to　my　senses。



〃Olaf's　right；〃　he　gasped。　　〃This　IS　hell！　　I'm　sick。〃　And　he

was；　frankly　and　without　restraint。　　Lugur　and　his　others

awakened　from　their　nightmare；　piled　into　the　_coria_；

wheeled；　raced　away。



〃On！〃　said　Rador　thickly。　　Two　perils　have　we　passed

the　Silent　Ones　watch　over　us！〃



Soon　we　were　again　among　the　familiar　and　so　unfamiliar

moss　giants。　　I　knew　what　I　had　seen　and　this　time　Larry

could　not　call　mesuperstitious。　　In　the　jungles　of　Borneo　I

had　examined　that　other　swiftly　developing　fungus　which

wreaks　the　vengeance　of　some　of　the　hill　tribes　upon　those

who　steal　their　women；　gripping　with　its　microscopic　hooks

into　the　flesh；　sending　quick；　tiny　rootlets　through　the　skin

down　into　the　capillaries；　sucking　life　and　thriving　and　never

to　be　torn　away　until　the　living　thing　it　clings　to　has　been

sapped　dry。　　Here　was　but　another　of　the　species　in　which

the　development's　rate　was　incredibly　accelerated。　　S