the moon pool-第52章

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the　litters　and　lie　back；　eyes　closed；　as　two　of　the　monsters

raised　its　yoke　to　their　scaled　shoulders。　　Nor　was　it　without

further　relief　that　I　myself　lay　back　on　the　soft　velvety

cushions　of　another。



The　cavalcade　began　to　move。　　Lakla　had　ordered　O'Keefe

placed　beside　her；　and　she　sat；　knees　crossed　Orient　fashion；

leaning　over　the　pale　head　on　her　lap；　the　white；　tapering

fingers　straying　fondly　through　his　hair。



Presently　I　saw　her　reach　up；　slowly　unwind　the　coronal

of　her　tresses；　shake　them　loose；　and　let　them　fall　like　a　veil

over　her　and　him。



Her　head　bent　low；　I　heard　a　soft　sobbingI　turned　away

my　gaze；　lorn　enough　in　my　own　heart；　God　knew！











CHAPTER　XXV



The　Three　Silent　Ones



THE　ARCH　was　closerand　in　my　awe　I　forgot　for　the

moment　Larry　and　aught　else。　　For　this　was　no　rainbow；

no　thing　born　of　light　and　mist；　no　Bifrost　Bridge　of　myth

no！　　It　was　a　flying　arch　of　stone；　stained　with　flares　of

Tyrian　purples；　of　royal　scarlets；　of　blues　dark　as　the　Gulf

Stream's　ribbon；　sapphires　soft　as　midday　May　skies；

splashes　of　chromes　and　greensa　palette　of　giantry；　a

bridge　of　wizardry；　a　hundred；　nay；　a　thousand；　times

greater　than　that　of　Utah　which　the　Navaho　call　Non…

negozche　and　worship；　as　well　they　may；　as　a　god；　and

which　is　itself　a　rainbow　in　eternal　rock。



It　sprang　from　the　ledge　and　winged　its　prodigious　length

in　one　low　arc　over　the　sea's　crimson　breast；　as　though　in

some　ancient　paroxysm　of　earth　it　had　been　hurled　molten；

crystallizing　into　that　stupendous　span　and　still　flaming　with

the　fires　that　had　moulded　it。



Closer　we　came　and　closer；　while　I　watched　spellbound；

now　we　were　at　its　head；　and　the　litter…bearers　swept　upon

it。　All　of　five　hundred　feet　wide　it　was；　surface　smooth　as　a

city　road；　sides　low　walled；　curving　inward　as　though　in　the

jetting…out　of　its　making　the　edges　of　the　plastic　rock　had

curled。



On　and　on　we　sped；　the　high　thrusting　precipices　upon

which　the　bridge's　far　end　rested；　frowned　close；　the　enig…

matic；　dully　shining　dome　loomed　ever　greater。　　Now　we　had

reached　that　end；　were　passing　over　a　smooth　plaza　whose

level　floor　was　enclosed；　save　for　a　rift　in　front　of　us；　by

the　fanged　tops　of　the　black　cliff's。



From　this　rift　stretched　another　span；　half　a　mile　long；

perhaps；　widening　at　its　centre　into　a　broad　platform；　con…

tinuing　straight　to　two　massive　gates　set　within　the　face　of

the　second　cliff　wall　like　panels；　and　of　the　same　dull　gold

as　the　dome　rising　high　beyond。　　And　this　smaller　arch　leaped

a　pit；　an　abyss；　of　which　the　outer　precipices　were　the　rim

holding　back　from　the　pit　the　red　flood。



We　were　rapidly　approaching；　now　upon　the　platform；　my

bearers　were　striding　closely　along　the　side；　I　leaned　far　out

a　giddiness　seized　me！　　I　gazed　down　into　depth　upon　ver…

tiginous　depth；　an　abyss　indeedan　abyss　dropping　to

world's　base　like　that　in　which　the　Babylonians　believed

writhed　Talaat；　the　serpent　mother　of　Chaos；　a　pit　that

struck　down　into　earth's　heart　itself；



Now；　what　was　thatdistance　upon　unfathomable　dis…

tance　below？　　A　stupendous　glowing　like　the　green　fire　of　life

itself。　　What　was　it　like？　　I　had　it！　　It　was　like　the　corona　of　the

sun　in　eclipsethat　burgeoning　that　makes　of　our　luminary

when　moon　veils　it　an　incredible　blossoming　of　splendours

in　the　black　heavens。



And　strangely；　strangely；　it　was　like　the　Dweller's　beauty

when　with　its　dazzling　spirallings　and　writhings　it　raced

amid　its　storm　of　crystal　bell　sounds！



The　abyss　was　behind　us；　we　had　paused　at　the　golden

portals；　they　swung　inward。　　A　wide　corridor　filled　with　soft

light　was　before　us；　and　on　its　threshold　stoodbizarre；

yellow　gems　gleaming；　huge　muzzle　wide　in　what　was　evi…

dently　meant　for　a　smile　of　welcomethe　woman　frog　of

the　Moon　Pool　wall。



Lakla　raised　her　head；　swept　back　the　silken　tent　of　her

hair　and　gazed　at　me　with　eyes　misty　from　weeping。　　The

frog…woman　crept　to　her　side；　gazed　down　upon　Larry；　spoke

SPOKEto　the　Golden　Girl　in　a　swift　stream　of　the　sono…

rous；　reverberant　monosyllables；　and　Lakla　answered　her　in

kind。　　The　webbed　digits　swept　over　O'Keefe's　face；　felt　at

his　heart；　she　shook　her　head　and　moved　ahead　of　us　up　the

passage。



Still　borne　in　the　litters　we　went　on；　winding；　ascending

until　at　last　they　were　set　down　in　a　great　hall　carpeted

with　soft　fragrant　rushes　and　into　which　from　high　narrow

slits　streamed　the　crimson　light　from　without。



I　jumped　over　to　Larry；　there　had　been　no　change　in　his

condition；　still　the　terrifying　limpness；　the　slow；　infrequent

pulsation。　　Rador　and　Olafand　the　fever　now　seemed　to　be

gone　from　himcame　and　stood　beside　me；　silent。



〃I　go　to　the　Three；〃　said　Lakla。　　〃Wait　you　here。〃　　She

passed　through　a　curtaining；　then　as　swiftly　as　she　had　gone

she　returned　through　the　hangings；　tresses　braided；　a　swath…

ing　of　golden　gauze　about　her。



〃Rador；〃　she　said；　〃bear　you　Larryfor　into　your　heart

the　Silent　Ones　would　look。　　And　fear　nothing；〃　she　added　at

the　green　dwarfs　disconcerted；　almost　fearful　start。



Rador　bowed；　was　thrust　aside　by　Olaf。



〃No；〃　said　the　Norseman；　〃I　will　carry　him。〃



He　lifted　Larry　like　a　child　against　his　broad　breast。　　The

dwarf　glanced　quickly　at　Lakla；　she　nodded。



〃Come！〃　she　commanded；　and　held　aside　the　folds。



Of　that　journey　I　have　few　memories。　　I　only　know　that

we　went　through　corridor　upon　corridor；　successions　of　vast

halls　and　chambers；　some　carpeted　with　the　rushes；　others

with　rugs　into　which　the　feet　sank　as　into　deep；　soft　mead…

ows；　spaces　illumined　by　the　rubrous　light；　and　spaces　in

which　softer　lights　held　sway。



We　paused　before　a　slab　of　the　same　crimson　stone　as　that

the　green　dwarf　had　called　the　portal；　and　upon　its　polished

surface　weaved　the　same　unnameable　symbols。　　The　Golden

Girl　pressed　upon　its　side；　it　slipped　softly　back；　a　torrent　of

opalescence　gushed　out　of　the　openingand　as　one　in　a

dream　I　entered。



We　were；　I　knew；　just　under　the　dome；　but　for　the　mo…

ment；　caught　in　the　flood　of　radiance；　I　could　see　nothing。　　It

was　like　being　held　within　a　fire　opalso　brilliant；　so　flash…

ing；　was　it。　　I　closed　my　eyes；　opened　them；　the　lambency

cascaded　from　the　vast　curves　of　the　globular　walls；　in　front

of　me　was　a　long；　narrow　opening　in　them；　through　which；

far　away；　I　could　see　the　end　of　the　wizards'　bridge　and　the

ledged　mouth　of　the　cavern　through　which　we　had　come；

against　the　light　from　within　beat　the　crimson　light　from

withoutand　was　checked　as　though　by　a　barrier。



I　felt　Lakla's　touch；　turned。



A　hundred　paces　away　was　a　dais；　its　rim　raised　a　yard

above　the　floor。　　From　the　edge　of　this　rim　streamed　upward

a　steady；　coruscating　mist　of　the　opalescence；　veined　even　as

was　that　of　the　Dweller's　shining　core　and　shot　with　milky

shadows　like　curdled　moonlight；　up　it　stretched　like　a　wall。



Over　it；　from　it；　down　upon　me；　gazed　three　facestwo

clearly　male；　one　a　woman's。　　At　the　first　I　thought　them

statues；　and　then　the　eyes　of　them　gave　the　lie　to　me；　for

the　eyes　were　alive；　terribly；　and　if　I　could　admit　the　word

SUPERNATURALLYalive。



They　were　thrice　the　size　of　the　human　eye　and　triangular；

the　apex　of　the　angle　upward；　black　as　jet；　pupilless；　filled

with　tiny；　leaping　red　flames；



Over　them　were　foreheads；　not　as　ourshigh　and　broad

and　visored；　their　sides　drawn　forward　into　a　vertical　ridge；

a　prominence；　an　upright　wedge；　somewhat　like　the　visored

heads　of　a　few　of　the　great　lizardsand　the　heads；　long；

narrowing　at　the　back；　were　fully　twice　the　size　of　man…

kind's！



Upon　the　brows　were　capsand　with　a　fearful　certainty

I　knew　that　they　were　NOT　capslong；　thick　strands　of

gleaming　yellow；　feathered　scales　thin　as　sequins！　　Sharp；

curving　noses　like　the　beaks　of　the　giant　condors；　mouths

thin；　austere；　long；　powerf