the moon pool-第51章

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

had　I　not　drunk　it；〃　I　added　in　Larry's　best　manner。



Her　eyes　danced；　trouble　flying。



〃Now；　that　was　well　spoken　for　such　a　man　of　wisdom

as　Rador　tells　me　you　are；〃　she　laughed；　and　a　little　pang

shot　through　me。　　Could　not　a　lover　of　science　present　a　com…

pliment　without　it　always　seeming　to　be　as　unusual　as　pluck…

ing　a　damask　rose　from　a　cabinet　of　fossils？



Mustering　my　philosophy；　I　smiled　back　at　her。　　Again　I

noted　that　broad；　classic　brow；　with　the　little　tendrils　of

shining　bronze　caressing　it；　the　tilted；　delicate；　nut…brown

brows　that　gave　a　curious　touch　of　innocent　_diablerie_　to

the　lovely　faceflowerlike；　pure；　high…bred；　a　touch　of　ro…

guishness；　subtly　alluring；　sparkling　over　the　maiden　Madon…

naness　that　lay　ever　like　a　delicate；　luminous　suggestion

beneath　it；　the　long；　black；　curling　lashesthe　tender；

rounded；　bare　left　breast



〃I　have　always　liked　you；〃　she　murmured　naively；　〃since

first　I　saw　you　in　that　place　where　the　Shining　One　goes

forth　into　your　world。　　And　I　am　glad　you　like　my　medicine

as　well　as　that　you　carry　in　the　black　box　that　you　left　be…

hind；〃　she　added　swiftly。



〃How　know　you　of　that；　Lakla？〃　I　gasped。



〃Oft　and　oft　I　came　to　him　there；　and　to　you；　while　you

lay　sleeping。　　How　call　you　HIM？〃　She　paused。



〃Larry！〃　I　said。



〃Larry！〃　she　repeated　it　excellently。　　〃And　you？〃



〃Goodwin；〃　said　Rador。



I　bowed　quite　as　though　I　were　being　introduced　to　some

charming　young　lady　met　in　that　old　life　now　seemingly

aeons　removed。



〃YesGoodwin。〃　she　said。　　〃Oft　and　oft　I　came。　　Some…

times　I　thought　you　saw　me。　　And　HEdid　he　not　dream　of

me　sometime？〃　she　asked　wistfully。



〃He　did。〃　I　said；　〃and　watched　for　you。〃　Then　amaze…

ment　grew　vocal。　　〃But　how　came　you？〃　I　asked。



〃By　a　strange　road；〃　she　whispered；　〃to　see　that　all　was

well　with　HIMand　to　look　into　his　heart；　for　I　feared　Yolara

and　her　beauty。　　But　I　saw　that　she　was　not　in　his　heart。〃　A

blush　burned　over　her；　turning　even　the　little　bare　breast

rosy。　　〃It　is　a　strange　road；〃　she　went　on　hurriedly。　　〃Many

times　have　I　followed　it　and　watched　the　Shining　One　bear

back　its　prey　to　the　blue　pool；　seen　the　woman　HE　seeks〃

she　made　a　quick　gesture　toward　Olaf〃and　a　babe　cast

from　her　arms　in　the　last　pang　of　her　mother　love；　seen

another　woman　throw　herself　into　the　Shining　One's　em…

brace　to　save　a　man　she　loved；　and　I　could　not　help！〃　Her

voice　grew　deep；　thrilled。　　〃The　friend；　it　comes　to　me；　who

drew　you　here；　Goodwin！〃



She　was　silent；　walking　as　one　who　sees　visions　and　listens

to　voices　unheard　by　others；　Rador　made　a　warning　gesture；

I　crowded　back　my　questions；　glanced　about　me。　　We　were

passing　over　a　smooth　strand；　hard　packed　as　some　beach　of

long…thrust…back　ocean。　　It　was　like　crushed　garnets；　each

grain　stained　deep　red；　faintly　sparkling。　　On　each　side　were

distances；　the　floor　stretching　away　into　them　bare　of　vege…

tationstretching　on　and　on　into　infinitudes　of　rosy　mist；

even　as　did　the　space　above。



Flanking　and　behind　us　marched　the　giant　batrachians；

fivescore　of　them　at　least；　black　scale　and　crimson　scale　lus…

trous　and　gleaming　in　the　rosaceous　radiance；　saucer　eyes

shining　circles　of　phosphorescence　green；　purple；　red；　spurs

clicking　as　they　crouched　along　with　a　gait　at　once　gro…

tesque　and　formidable。



Ahead　the　mist　deepened　into　a　ruddier　glow；　through　it

a　long；　dark　line　began　to　appearthe　mouth　I　thought　of

the　caverned　space　through　which　we　were　going；　it　was

just　before　us；　over　uswe　stood　bathed　in　a　flood　of　rubes…

cence！



A　sea　stretched　before　usa　crimson　sea；　gleaming　like

that　lost　lacquer　of　royal　coral　and　the　Flame　Dragon's

blood　which　Fu　S'cze　set　upon　the　bower　he　built　for　his

stolen　sun　maidenthat　going　toward　it　she　might　think　it

the　sun　itself　rising　over　the　summer　seas。　　Unmoved　by　wave

or　ripple；　it　was　placid　as　some　deep　woodland　pool　when

night　rushes　up　over　the　world。



It　seemed　moltenor　as　though　some　hand　great　enough

to　rock　earth　had　distilled　here　from　conflagrations　of　au…

tumn　sunsets　their　flaming　essences。



A　fish　broke　through；　large　as　a　shark；　blunt…headed；　flash…

ing　bronze；　ridged　and　mailed　as　though　with　serrate　plates

of　armour。　　It　leaped　high；　shaking　from　it　a　sparkling　spray

of　rubies；　dropped　and　shot　up　a　geyser　of　fiery　gems。



Across　my　line　of　vision；　moving　stately　over　the　sea；

floated　a　half　globe；　luminous；　diaphanous；　its　iridescence

melting　into　turquoise；　thence　to　amethyst；　to　orange；　to

scarlet　shot　with　rose；　to　vermilion；　a　translucent　green；

thence　back　into　the　iridescence；　behind　it　four　others；　and

the　least　of　them　ten　feet　in　diameter；　and　the　largest　no　less

than　thirty。　　They　drifted　past　like　bubbles　blown　from　froth

of　rainbows　by　pipes　in　mouths　of　Titans'　young。　　Then　from

the　base　of　one　arose　a　tangle　of　shimmering　strands；　long；

slender　whiplashes　that　played　about　and　sank　slowly　again

beneath　the　crimson　surface。



I　gaspedfor　the　fish　had　been　a　_ganoid_that　ancient；

armoured　form　that　was　perhaps　the　most　intelligent　of　all

life　on　our　planet　during　the　Devonian　era；　but　which　for

age　upon　age　had　vanished；　save　for　its　fossils　held　in　the

embrace　of　the　stone　that　once　was　their　soft　bottom　beds；

and　the　half…globes　were　_Medusae_；　jelly…fishbut　of　a　size；

luminosity；　and　colour　unheard　of。



Now　Lakla　cupped　her　mouth　with　pink　palms　and　sent　a

clarion　note　ringing　out。　　The　ledge　on　which　we　stood　con…

tinued　a　few　hundred　feet　before　us；　falling　abruptly；　though

from　no　great　height　to　the　Crimson　Sea；　at　right　and　left

it　extended　in　a　long　semicircle。　　Turning　to　the　right　whence

she　had　sent　her　call；　I　saw　rising　a　mile　or　more　away；

veiled　lightly　by　the　haze；　a　rainbow；　a　gigantic　prismatic

arch；　flattened；　I　thought；　by　some　quality　of　the　strange

atmosphere。　　It　sprang　from　the　ruddy　strand；　leaped　the

crimson　tide；　and　dropped　three　miles　away　upon　a　precip…

itous；　jagged　upthrust　of　rock　frowning　black　from　the　lac…

quered　depths。



And　surmounting　a　higher　ledge　beyond　this　upthrust　a

huge　dome　of　dull　gold；　Cyclopean；　striking　eyes　and　mind

with　something　unhumanly　alien；　baffling；　sending　the　mind

groping；　as　though　across　the　deserts　of　space；　from　some

far…flung　star；　should　fall　upon　us　linked　sounds；　coherent

certainly；　meaningful　surely；　vaguely　familiaryet　never

to　be　translated　into　any　symbol　or　thought　of　our　own

particular　planet。



The　sea　of　crimson　lacquer；　with　its　floating　moons　of

luminous　colourthis　bow　of　prismed　stone　leaping　to　the

weird　isle　crowned　by　the　anomalous；　aureate　excrescence

the　half　human　batrachians…the　elfland　through　which

we　had　passed；　with　all　its　hidden　wonders　and　terrors

I　felt　the　foundations　of　my　cherished　knowledge　shaking。

Was　this　all　a　dream？　　Was　this　body　of　mine　lying　some…

where；　fighting　a　fevered　death；　and　all　these　but　images

floating　through　the　breaking　chambers　of　my　brain？　　My

knees　shook；　involuntarily　I　groaned。



Lakla　turned；　looked　at　me　anxiously；　slipped　a　soft　arm

behind　me；　held　me　till　the　vertigo　passed。



〃Patience；〃　she　said。　　〃The　bearers　come。　　Soon　you　shall

rest。〃



I　looked；　down　toward　us　from　the　bow's　end　were　leap…

ing　swiftly　another　score　of　the　frog…men。　　Some　bore　lit…

ters；　high；　handled；　not　unlike　palanquins



〃Asgard！〃　Olaf　stood　beside　me；　eyes　burning；　pointing

to　the　arch。　　〃Bifrost　Bridge；　sharp　as　sword　edge；　over　which

souls　go　to　Valhalla。　　And　SHEshe　is　a　Valkyra　sword

maiden；　_Ja！_〃



I　gripped　the　Norseman's　hand。　　It　was　hot；　and　a　pang　of

remorse　shot　through　me。　　If　this　place　had　so　shaken　me；

how　must　it　have　shaken　Olaf？　　It　was　with　relief　that　I

watched　him；　at　Lakla's　gentle　command；　drop　into　one　of

the　litters　and　lie　back；　eyes　closed；　as