the moon pool-第50章

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

the　development's　rate　was　incredibly　accelerated。　　Some　of

this　I　tried　to　explain　to　O'Keefe　as　we　sped　along；　reassur…

ing　him。



〃But　they　turned　to　moss　before　our　eyes！〃　he　said。



Again　I　explained；　patiently。　　But　he　seemed　to　derive　no

comfort　at　all　from　my　assurances　that　the　phenomena　were

entirely　natural　and；　aside　from　their　more　terrifying　aspect；

of　peculiar　interest　to　the　botanist。



〃I　know；〃　was　all　he　would　say。　　〃But　suppose　one　of　those

things　had　burst　while　we　were　going　throughGod！〃



I　was　wondering　how　I　could　with　comparative　safety

study　the　fungus　when　Rador　stopped；　in　front　of　us　was

again　the　road　ribbon。



〃Now　is　all　danger　passed；〃　he　said。　　〃The　way　lies　open

and　Lugur　has　fled〃



There　was　a　flash　from　the　road。　　It　passed　me　like　a　little

lariat　of　light。　　It　struck　Larry　squarely　between　the　eyes；

spread　over　his　face　and　drew　itself　within！



〃Down！〃　cried　Rador；　and　hurled　me　to　the　ground。　　My

head　struck　sharply；　I　felt　myself　grow　faint；　Olaf　fell　beside

me；　I　saw　the　green　dwarf　draw　down　the　O'Keefe；　he　col…

lapsed　limply；　face　still；　eyes　staring。　　A　shoutand　from　the

roadway　poured　a　host　of　Lugur's　men；　I　could　hear　Lugur

bellowing。



There　came　a　rush　of　little　feet；　soft；　fragrant　draperies

brushed　my　face；　dimly　I　watched　Lakla　bend　over　the　Irish…

man。



She　straightenedher　arms　swept　out　and　the　writhing

vine；　with　its　tendrilled　heads　of　ruby　bloom；　five　flames　of

misty　incandescence；　leaped　into　the　faces　of　the　soldiers

now　close　upon　us。　　It　darted　at　their　throats；　striking；　coil…

ing；　and　striking　again；　coiling　and　uncoiling　with　incredible

rapidity　and　flying　from　leverage　points　of　throats；　of　faces；

of　breasts　like　a　spring　endowed　with　consciousness；　volition

and　hatredand　those　it　struck　stood　rigid　as　stone　with

faces　masks　of　inhuman　fear　and　anguish；　and　those　still

unstricken　fled。



Another　rush　of　feetand　down　upon　Lugur's　forces

poured　the　frog…men；　their　booming　giant　leading；　thrusting

with　their　lances；　tearing　and　rending　with　talons　and　fangs

and　spurs。



Against　that　onslaught　the　dwarfs　could　not　stand。　　They

raced　for　the　shells；　I　heard　Lugur　shouting；　menacingly

and　then　Lakla's　voice；　pealing　like　a　golden　bugle　of　wrath。



〃Go；　Lugur！〃　she　cried。　　〃Gothat　you　and　Yolara　and

your　Shining　One　may　die　together！　　Death　for　you；　Lugur

death　for　you　all！　　Remember　Lugurdeath！〃



There　was　a　great　noise　within　my　headno　matter；

Lakla　was　hereLakla　herebut　too　lateLugur　had　out…

played　us；　moss　death　nor　dragon　worm　had　frightened　him

awayhe　had　crept　back　to　trap　usLakla　had　come　too

lateLarry　was　deadLarry！　　But　I　had　heard　no　banshee

wailingand　Larry　had　said　he　could　not　die　without　that

warningno；　Larry　was　not　dead。　　So　ran　the　turbulent　cur…

rent　of　my　mind。



A　horny　arm　lifted　me；　two　enormous；　oddly　gentle　saucer

eyes　were　staring　into　mine；　my　head　rolled；　I　caught　a

glimpse　of　the　Golden　Girl　kneeling　beside　the　O'Keefe。



The　noise　in　my　head　grew　thunderouswas　carrying　me

away　on　its　thunderswept　me　into　soft；　blind　darkness。











CHAPTER　XXIV



The　Crimson　Sea



I　WAS　in　the　heart　of　a　rose　pearl；　swinging；　swinging；　no；

I　was　in　a　rosy　dawn　cloud；　pendulous　in　space。　　Conscious…

ness　flooded　me；　in　reality　I　was　in　the　arms　of　one　of　the

man　frogs；　carrying　me　as　though　I　were　a　babe；　and　we

were　passing　through　some　place　suffused　with　glow　enough

like　heart　of　pearl　or　dawn　cloud　to　justify　my　awakening

vagaries。



Just　ahead　walked　Lakla　in　earnest　talk　with　Rador；　and

content　enough　was　I　for　a　time　to　watch　her。　　She　had

thrown　off　the　metallic　robes；　her　thick　braids　of　golden

brown　hair　with　their　flame　glints　of　bronze　were　twined　in

a　high　coronal　meshed　in　silken　net　of　green；　little　clustering

curls　escaped　from　it；　clinging　to　the　nape　of　the　proud　white

neck；　shyly　kissing　it。　　From　her　shoulders　fell　a　loose；　sleeve…

less　garment　of　shimmering　green　belted　with　a　high　golden

girdle；　skirt　folds　dropping　barely　below　the　knees。



She　had　cast　aside　her　buskins；　too；　and　the　slender；　high…

arched　feet　were　sandalled。　　Between　the　buckled　edges　of

her　kirtle　I　caught　gleams　of　translucent　ivory　as　exquisitely

moulded；　as　delectably　rounded；　as　those　revealed　so　naively

beneath　the　hem。



Something　was　knocking　at　the　doors　of　my　consciousness

some　tragic　thing。　　What　was　it？　　Larry！　　Where　was　Larry？

I　remembered；　raised　my　head　abruptly；　saw　at　my　side　an…

other　frog…man　carrying　O'Keefe；　and　behind　him；　Olaf；　step

instinct　with　grief；　following　like　some　faithful；　wistful　dog

who　has　lost　a　loved　master。　　Upon　my　movement　the

monster　bearing　me　halted；　looked　down　inquiringly；　uttered

a　deep；　booming　note　that　held　the　quality　of　interrogation。



Lakla　turned；　the　clear；　golden　eyes　were　sorrowful；　the

sweet　mouth　drooping；　but　her　loveliness；　her　gentleness；

that　undefinable　synthesis　of　all　her　tender　self　that　seemed

always　to　circle　her　with　an　atmosphere　of　lucid　normality；

lulled　my　panic。



〃Drink　this；〃　she　commanded；　holding　a　small　vial　to　my

lips。



Its　contents　were　aromatic；　unfamiliar　but　astonishingly

effective；　for　as　soon　as　they　passed　my　lips　I　felt　a　surge　of

strength；　consciousness　was　restored。



〃Larry！〃　I　cried。　　〃Is　he　dead？〃



Lakla　shook　her　head；　her　eyes　were　troubled。



〃No；〃　she　said；　〃but　he　is　like　one　deadand　yet

unlike〃



〃Put　me　down；〃　I　demanded　of　my　bearer。



He　tightened　his　hold；　round　eyes　upon　the　Golden　Girl。

She　spokein　sonorous；　reverberating　monosyllablesand

I　was　set　upon　my　feet；　I　leaped　to　the　side　of　the　Irishman。

He　lay　limp；　with　a　disquieting；　abnormal　sequacity；　as

though　every　muscle　were　utterly　flaccid；　the　antithesis　of

the　_rigor　mortis_；　thank　God；　but　terrifyingly　toward　the　other

end　of　its　arc；　a　syncope　I　had　never　known。　　The　flesh　was

stone　cold；　the　pulse　barely　perceptible；　long　intervalled；

the　respiration　undiscoverable；　the　pupils　of　the　eyes　were

enormously　dilated；　it　was　as　though　life　had　been　drawn

from　every　nerve。



〃A　light　flashed　from　the　road。　　It　struck　his　face　and

seemed　to　sink　in；〃　I　said。



〃I　saw；〃　answered　Rador；　〃but　what　it　was　I　know　not；

and　I　thought　I　knew　all　the　weapons　of　our　rulers。〃　He

glanced　at　me　curiously。　　〃Some　talk　there　has　been　that　the

stranger　who　came　with　you；　Double　Tongue；　was　making

new　death　tools　for　Lugur；〃　he　ended。



Marakinoff！　　The　Russian　at　work　already　in　this　store…

house　of　devastating　energies；　fashioning　the　weapons　for

his　plots！　　The　Apocalyptic　vision　swept　back　upon　me



〃He　is　not　dead。〃　Lakla's　voice　was　poignant。　　〃He　is　not

dead；　and　the　Three　have　wondrous　healing。　　They　can　re…

store　him　if　they　willand　they　will；　they　WILL！〃　For　a

moment　she　was　silent。　　〃Now　their　gods　help　Lugur　and

Yolara；〃　she　whispered；　〃for　come　what　may；　whether　the

Silent　Ones　be　strong　or　weak；　if　he　dies；　surely　shall　I　fall

upon　them　and　I　will　slay　those　twoyea；　though　I；　too

perish！〃



〃Yolara　and　Lugur　shall　both　die。〃　Olaf's　eyes　were　burn…

ing。　　〃But　Lugur　is　mine　to　slay。〃



That　pity　I　had　seen　before　in　Lakla's　eyes　when　she

looked　upon　the　Norseman　banished　the　white　wrath　from

them。　　She　turned；　half　hurriedly；　as　though　to　escape　his

gaze。



〃Walk　with　us；〃　she　said　to　me；　〃unless　you　are　still

weak。〃



I　shook　my　head；　gave　a　last　look　at　O'Keefe；　there　was

nothing　I　could　do；　I　stepped　beside　her。　　She　thrust　a　white

arm　into　mine　protectingly；　the　wonderfully　moulded　hand

with　its　long；　tapering　fingers　catching　about　my　wrist；　my

heart　glowed　toward　her。



〃Your　medicine　is　potent；　handmaiden；〃　I　answered。　　〃And

the　touch　of　your　hand　would　give　me　strength　enough；　even

had　I　not　drunk　it；〃　I　added　in　Larr