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gleaming　yellow；　feathered　scales　thin　as　sequins！　　Sharp；

curving　noses　like　the　beaks　of　the　giant　condors；　mouths

thin；　austere；　long；　powerful；　pointed　chins；　theFLESH

of　the　faces　white　as　the　whitest　marble；　and　wreathing　up　to

them；　covering　all　their　bodies；　the　shimmering；　curdled；

misty　fires　of　opalescence！



Olaf　stood　rigid；　my　own　heart　leaped　wildly。　　What

what　were　these　beings？



I　forced　myself　to　look　againand　from　their　gaze

streamed　a　current　of　reassurance；　of　good　willnay；　of

intense　spiritual　strength。　　I　saw　that　they　were　not　fierce；

not　ruthless；　not　inhuman；　despite　their　strangeness；　no；

they　were　kindly；　in　some　unmistakable　way；　benign　and

sorrowfulso　sorrowful！　　I　straightened；　gazed　back　at　them

fearlessly。　　Olaf　drew　a　deep　breath；　gazed　steadily　too；　the

hardness；　the　despair　wiped　from　his　face。



Now　Lakla　drew　closer　to　the　dais；　the　three　pairs　of　eyes

searched　hers；　the　woman's　with　an　ineffable　tenderness；

some　message　seemed　to　pass　between　the　Three　and　the

Golden　Girl。　　She　bowed　low；　turned　to　the　Norseman。



〃Place　Larry　there；〃　she　said　softly〃there　at　the　feet　of

the　Silent　Ones。〃



She　pointed　into　the　radiant　mist；　Olaf　started；　hesitated；

stared　from　Lakla　to　the　Three；　searched　for　a　moment　their

eyesand　something　like　a　smile　drifted　through　them。　　He

stepped　forward；　lifted　O'Keefe；　set　him　squarely　within　the

covering　light。　　It　wavered；　rolled　upward；　swirled　about　the

body；　steadied　againand　within　it　there　was　no　sign　of

Larry！



Again　the　mist　wavered；　shook；　and　seemed　to　climb

higher；　hiding　the　chins；　the　beaked　noses；　the　brows　of　that

incredible　Trinitybut　before　it　ceased　to　climb；　I　thought

the　yellow　feathered　heads　bent；　sensed　a　movement　as

though　they　lifted　something。



The　mist　fell；　the　eyes　gleamed　out　again；　inscrutable。



And　groping　out　of　the　radiance；　pausing　at　the　verge　of

the　dais；　leaping　down　from　it；　came　Larry；　laughing；　filled

with　life；　blinking　as　one　who　draws　from　darkness　into　sun…

shine。　　He　saw　Lakla；　sprang　to　her；　gripped　her　in　his　arms。



〃Lakla！〃　he　cried。　〃Mavourneen！〃　　She　slipped　from　his

embrace；　blushing；　glancing　at　the　Three　shyly；　half…fear…

fully。　　And　again　I　saw　the　tenderness　creep　into　the　inky；

flame…shot　orbs　of　the　woman　being；　and　a　tenderness　in　the

others　tooas　though　they　regarded　some　well…beloved

child。



〃You　lay　in　the　arms　of　Death；　Larry；〃　she　said。　　〃And　the

Silent　Ones　drew　you　from　him。　　Do　homage　to　the　Silent

Ones；　Larry；　for　they　are　good　and　they　are　mighty！〃



She　turned　his　head　with　one　of　the　long；　white　hands

and　he　looked　into　the　faces　of　the　Three；　looked　long；　was

shaken　even　as　had　been　Olaf　and　myself；　was　swept　by　that

same　wave　of　power　and　ofofwhat　can　I　call　it？HOLINESS

that　streamed　from　them。



Then　for　the　first　time　I　saw　real　awe　mount　into　his　face。

Another　moment　he　staredand　dropped　upon　one　knee

and　bowed　his　head　before　them　as　would　a　worshipper　be…

fore　the　shrine　of　his　saint。　　AndI　am　not　ashamed　to　tell　it

I　joined　him；　and　with　us　knelt　Lakla　and　Olaf　and　Rador。



The　mist　of　fiery　opal　swirled　up　about　the　Three；　hid

them。



And　with　a　long；　deep；　joyous　sigh　Lakla　took　Larry's

hand；　drew　him　to　his　feet；　and　silently　we　followed　them

out　of　that　hall　of　wonder。



But　why；　in　going；　did　the　thought　come　to　me　that　from

where　the　Three　sat　throned　they　ever　watched　the　cavern

mouth　that　was　the　door　into　their　abode；　and　looked　down

ever　into　the　unfathomable　depth　in　which　glowed　and

pulsed　that　mystic　flower；　colossal；　awesome；　of　green　flame

that　had　seemed　to　me　fire　of　life　itself？











CHAPTER　XXVI



The　Wooing　of　Lakla



I　HAD　SLEPT　soundly　and　dreamlessly；　I　wakened　quietly　in

the　great　chamber　into　which　Rador　had　ushered　O'Keefe

and　myself　after　that　culminating　experience　of　crowded；

nerve…racking　hoursthe　facing　of　the　Three。



Now；　lying　gazing　upward　at　the　high…vaulted　ceiling；　I

heard　Larry's　voice：



〃They　look　like　birds。〃　Evidently　he　was　thinking　of　the

Three；　a　silencethen：　〃Yes；　they　look　like　BIRDSand　they

look；　and　it's　meaning　no　disrespect　to　them　I　am　at　all；　they

look　like　LIZARDS〃and　another　silence〃they　look　like

some　sort　of　gods；　and；　by　the　good　sword…arm　of　Brian

Boru；　they　look　human；　too！　　And　it's　NONE　of　them　they　are

either；　so　whatwhat　thewhat　the　sainted　St。　Bridget　are

they？〃　Another　short　silence；　and　then　in　a　tone　of　awed

and　absolute　conviction：　〃That's　it；　sure！　　That's　what　they

areit　all　hangs　inthey　couldn't　be　anything　else〃



He　gave　a　whoop；　a　pillow　shot　over　and　caught　me　across

the　head。



〃Wake　up！〃　shouted　Larry。　　〃Wake　up；　ye　seething　caldron

of　fossilized　superstitions！　　Wake　up；　ye　bogy…haunted　man

of　scientific　unwisdom！〃



Under　pillow　and　insults　I　bounced　to　my　feet；　filled　for　a

moment　with　quite　real　wrath；　he　lay　back；　roaring　with

laughter；　and　my　anger　was　swept　away。



〃Doc；〃　he　said；　very　seriously；　after　this；　〃I　know　who　the

Three　are！〃



〃Yes？〃　I　queried；　with　studied　sarcasm。



〃Yes？〃　he　mimicked。　　〃Yes！　　Yeye〃　He　paused　under

the　menace　of　my　look；　grinned。　　〃Yes；　I　know；〃　he　con…

tinued。　　〃They're　of　the　Tuatha　De；　the　old　ones；　the　great

people　of　Ireland；　THAT'S　who　they　are！〃



I　knew；　of　course；　of　the　Tuatha　De　Danann；　the　tribes　of

the　god　Danu；　the　half…legendary；　half…historical　clan　who

found　their　home　in　Erin　some　four　thousand　years　before

the　Christian　era；　and　who　have　left　so　deep　an　impress　upon

the　Celtic　mind　and　its　myths。



〃Yes；〃　said　Larry　again；　〃the　Tuatha　Dethe　Ancient

Ones　who　had　spells　that　could　compel　Mananan；　who　is　the

spirit　of　all　the　seas；　an'　Keithor；　who　is　the　god　of　all　green

living　things；　an'　even　Hesus；　the　unseen　god；　whose　pulse　is

the　pulse　of　all　the　firmament；　yes；　an'　Orchil　too；　who　sits

within　the　earth　an'　weaves　with　the　shuttle　of　mystery　and

her　three　looms　of　birth　an'　life　an'　deatheven　Orchil

would　weave　as　they　commanded！〃



He　was　silentthen：



〃They　are　of　themthe　mighty　oneswhy　else　would　I

have　bent　my　knee　to　them　as　I　would　have　to　the　spirit　of

my　dead　mother？　　Why　else　would　Lakla；　whose　gold…brown

hair　is　the　hair　of　Eilidh　the　Fair；　whose　mouth　is　the　sweet

mouth　of　Deirdre；　an'　whose　soul　walked　with　mine　ages

agone　among　the　fragrant　green　myrtle　of　Erin；　serve　them？〃

he　whispered；　eyes　full　of　dream。



〃Have　you　any　idea　how　they　got　here？〃　I　asked；　not

unreasonably。



〃I　haven't　thought　about　that；〃　he　replied　somewhat　test…

ily。　　〃But　at　once；　me　excellent　man　o'　wisdom；　a　number

occur　to　me。　　One　of　them　is　that　this　little　party　of　three

might　have　stopped　here　on　their　way　to　Ireland；　an'　for　good

reasons　of　their　own　decided　to　stay　a　while；　an'　another　is

that　they　might　have　come　here　afterward；　havin'　got　wind

of　what　those　rats　out　there　were　contemplatin'；　and　have

stayed　on　the　job　till　the　time　was　ripe　to　save　Ireland　from

'em；　the　rest　of　the　world；　too；　of　course；〃　he　added　mag…

nanimously；　〃but　Ireland　in　particular。　　And　do　any　of　those

reasons　appeal　to　ye？〃



I　shook　my　head。



〃Well；　what　do　you　think？〃　he　asked　wearily。



〃I　think；〃　I　said　cautiously；　〃that　we　face　an　evolution　of

highly　intelligent　beings　from　ancestral　sources　radically　re…

moved　from　those　through　which　mankind　ascended。　　These

half…human；　highly　developed　batrachians　they　call　the　_Akka_

prove　that　evolution　in　these　caverned　spaces　has　certainly

pursued　one　different　path　than　on　earth。　　The　Englishman；

Wells；　wrote　an　imaginative　and　very　entertaining　book　con…

cerning　an　invasion　of　earth　by　Martians；　and　he　made　his

Martians　enormously　specialized　cuttlefish。　　There　was　noth…

ing　inherently　improbable　in　Wells'　choice。　　Man　is　the　ruling

animal　of　earth　today　solely　by　reason　of　a　series　of　acci…

dents；　under　a