the moon pool-第55章

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*1　The　_Akka_　are　viviparous。　　The　female　produces　progeny　at　five…

year　intervals；　never　more　than　two　at　a　time。　　They　are　monogamous；

like　certain　of　our　own　_Ranidae_。　　Pending　my　monograph　upon　what

little　I　had　time　to　learn　of　their　interesting　habits　and　customs；　the

curious　will　find　instruction　and　entertainment　in　Brandes　and　Schven…

ichen's　_Brutpfleige　der　Schwanzlosen　Bat　rachier_；　p。　395；　and　Lilian　V。

Sampson's　_Unusual　Modes　of　Breeding　among　Anura_；　Amer。　Nat。

xxxiv。；　1900。W。　T。　G。







They　set　their　burdens　down。　　Larry　looked　at　them　with

interest。



〃You　surely　have　those　things　well　trained；　Lakla；〃　he

said。



〃Things！〃　　The　handmaiden　arose；　eyes　flashing　with　indig…

nation。　　〃You　call　my　_Akka_　things！〃



〃Well；〃　said　Larry；　a　bit　taken　aback；　〃what　do　you　call　them？〃



〃My　_Akka　are　a　PEOPLE；〃　she　retorted。　　〃As　much　a　people

as　your　race　or　mine。　　They　are　good　and　loyal；　and　they　have

speech　and　arts；　and　they　slay　not；　save　for　food　or　to　pro…

tect　themselves。　　And　I　think　them　beautiful；　Larry；　BEAUTIFUL！〃

She　stamped　her　foot。　　〃And　you　call　themTHINGS！〃



Beautiful！　　These？　　Yet；　after　all；　they　were；　in　their　gro…

tesque　fashion。　　And　to　Lakla；　surrounded　by　them；　from

babyhood；　they　were　not　strange；　at　all。　　Why　shouldn't　she

think　them　beautiful？　　The　same　thought　must　have　struck

O'Keefe；　for　he　flushed　guiltily。



〃I　think　them　beautiful；　too；　Lakla；〃　he　said　remorsefully。

〃It's　my　not　knowing　your　tongue　too　well　that　traps　me。

TRULY；　I　think　them　beautifulI'd　tell　them　so；　if　I　knew

their　talk。〃



Lakla　dimpled；　laughedspoke　to　the　attendants　in　that

strange　speech　that　was　unquestionably　a　language；　they

bridled；　looked　at　O'Keefe　with　fantastic　coquetry；　cracked

and　boomed　softly　among　themselves。



〃They　say　they　like　YOU　better　than　the　men　of　Muria；〃

laughed　Lakla。



〃Did　I　ever　think　I'd　be　swapping　compliments　with　lady

frogs！〃　he　murmured　to　me。　　〃Buck　up；　Larrykeep　your

eyes　on　the　captive　Irish　princess！〃　he　muttered　to　himself。



〃Rador　goes　to　meet　one　of　the　_ladala_　who　is　slipping

through　with　news；〃　said　the　Golden　Girl　as　we　addressed

ourselves　to　the　food。　　〃Then；　with　Nak；　he　and　Olaf　go　to

muster　the　_Akka_for　there　will　be　battle；　and　we　must　pre…

pare。　　Nak；〃　she　added；　〃is　he　who　went　before　me　when　you

were　dancing　with　Yolara；　Larry。〃　She　stole　a　swift；　mis…

chievous　glance　at　him。　　〃He　is　headman　of　all　the　_Akka_。〃



〃Just　what　forces　can　we　muster　against　them　when　they

come；　darlin'？〃　said　Larry。



〃Darlin'？〃the　Golden　Girl　had　caught　the　caress　of　the

word〃what's　that？〃



〃It's　a　little　word　that　means　Lakla；〃　he　answered。　　〃It

doesthat　is；　when　I　say　it；　when　you　say　it；　then　it　means

Larry。〃



〃I　like　that　word；〃　mused　Lakla。



〃You　can　even　say　Larry　darlin'！〃　suggested　O'Keefe。



〃Larry　darlin'！〃　said　Lakla。　　〃When　they　come　we　shall

have　first　of　all　my　_Akka_〃



〃Can　they　fight；　_mavourneen_？〃　interrupted　Larry。



〃Can　they　fight！　　My　_Akka_！〃　Again　her　eyes　flashed。　　〃They

will　fight　to　the　last　of　themwith　the　spears　that　give　the

swift　rotting；　covered；　as　they　are；　with　the　jelly　of　those

_Saddu_　there〃　She　pointed　through　a　rift　in　the　foliage

across　which；　on　the　surface　of　the　sea；　was　floating　one　of

the　moon　globesand　now　I　know　why　Rador　had　warned

Larry　against　a　plunge　there。　　〃With　spears　and　clubs　and

with　teeth　and　nails　and　spursthey　are　a　strong　and　brave

people；　Larrydarlin'；　and　though　they　hurl　the　_Keth_　at

them；　it　is　slow　to　work　upon　them；　and　they　slay　even　while

they　are　passing　into　the　nothingness！〃



〃And　have　we　none　of　the　_Keth_？〃　he　asked。



〃No〃she　shook　her　head〃none　of　their　weapons　have

we　here；　although　it　wasit　was　the　Ancient　Ones　who

shaped　them。〃



〃But　the　Three　are　of　the　Ancient　Ones？〃　I　cried。　　〃Surely

they　can　tell〃



〃No；〃　she　said　slowly。　　〃Nothere　is　something　you　must

knowand　soon；　and　then　the　Silent　Ones　say　you　will　un…

derstand。　　You；　especially；　Goodwin；　who　worship　wisdom。〃



〃Then；〃　said　Larry；　〃we　have　the　_Akka_；　and　we　have　the

four　men　of　us；　and　among　us　three　guns　and　about　a　hun…

dred　cartridgesan'an'　the　power　of　the　Threebut　what

about　the　Shining　One；　Fireworks〃



〃I　do　not　know。〃　Again　the　indecision　that　had　been　in

her　eyes　when　Yolara　had　launched　her　defiance　crept　back。

〃The　Shining　One　is　strongand　he　has　hisslaves！〃



〃Well；　we'd　better　get　busy　good　and　quick！〃　the　O'Keefe's

voice　rang。　　But　Lakla；　for　some　reason　of　her　own；　would

pursue　the　matter　no　further。　　The　trouble　fled　from　her　eyes

they　danced。



〃Larry　darlin'？〃　she　murmured。　　〃I　like　the　touch　of　your

lips〃



〃You　do？〃　he　whispered；　all　thought　flying　of　anything

but　the　beautiful；　provocative　face　so　close　to　his。　　〃Then；

_acushla_；　you're　goin'　to　get　acquainted　with　'em！　　Turn　your

head；　Doc！〃　he　said。



And　I　turned　it。　　There　was　quite　a　long　silence；　broken　by

an　interested；　soft　outburst　of　gentle　boomings　from　the

serving　frog…maids。　　I　stole　a　glance　behind　me。　　Lakla's　head

lay　on　the　Irishman's　shoulder；　the　golden　eyes　misty　sun…

pools　of　love　and　adoration；　and　the　O'Keefe；　a　new　look　of

power　and　strength　upon　his　clear…cut　features；　was　gazing

down　into　them　with　that　look　which　rises　only　from　the

heart　touched　for　the　first　time　with　that　true；　all…powerful

love；　which　is　the　pulse　of　the　universe　itself；　the　real　music

of　the　spheres　of　which　Plato　dreamed；　the　love　that　is

stronger　than　death　itself；　immortal　as　the　high　gods　and　the

true　soul　of　all　that　mystery　we　call　life。



Then　Lakla　raised　her　hands；　pressed　down　Larry's　head；

kissed　him　between　the　eyes；　drew　herself　with　a　trembling

little　laugh　from　his　embrace。



〃The　future　Mrs。　Larry　O'Keefe；　Goodwin；〃　said　Larry　to

me　a　little　unsteadily。



I　took　their　handsand　Lakla　kissed　me！



She　turned　to　the　boomingsmilingfrog…maids；　gave

them　some　command；　for　they　filed　away　down　the　path。

Suddenly　I　felt；　well；　a　little　superfluous。



〃If　you　don't　mind；〃　I　said；　〃I　think　I'll　go　up　the　path

there　again　and　look　about。〃



But　they　were　so　engrossed　with　each　other　that　they　did

not　even　hear　meso　I　walked　away；　up　to　the　embrasure

where　Rador　had　taken　me。　　The　movement　of　the　batra…

chians　over　the　bridge　had　ceased。　　Dimly　at　the　far　end　I

could　see　the　cluster　of　the　garrison。　　My　thoughts　flew　back

to　Lakla　and　to　Larry。



What　was　to　be　the　end？



If　we　won；　if　we　were　able　to　pass　from　this　place；　could

she　live　in　our　world？　　A　product　of　these　caverns　with　their

atmosphere　and　light　that　seemed　in　some　subtle　way　to　be

both　food　and　drinkhow　would　she　react　to　the　unfamiliar

foods　and　air　and　light　of　outer　earth？　　Further；　here　so　far

as　I　was　able　to　discover；　there　were　no　malignant　bacilli

what　immunity　could　Lakla　have　then　to　those　microscopic

evils　without；　which　only　long　ages　of　sickness　and　death

have　bought　for　us　a　modicum　of　protection？　　I　began　to　be

oppressed。　　Surely　they　bad　been　long　enough　by　themselves。

I　went　down　the　path。



I　heard　Larry。



〃It's　a　green　land；　_mavourneen_。　　And　the　sea　rocks　and

dimples　around　itblue　as　the　heavens；　green　as　the　isle

itself；　and　foam　horses　toss　their　white　manes；　and　the　great

clean　winds　blow　over　it；　and　the　sun　shines　down　on　it　like

your　eyes；　_acushla_〃



〃And　are　you　a　king　of　Ireland；　Larry　darlin'？〃　Thus

Lakla



But　enough！



At　last　we　turned　to　goand　around　the　corner　of　the　path

I　caught　another　glimpse　of　what　I　have　called　the　lake　of

jewels。　　I　pointed　to　it。



〃Those　are　lovely　flowers；　Lakla；〃　I　said。　　〃I　have　never

seen　anything　like　them　in　the　place　from　whence　we　come。〃



She　followed　my　pointing　fingerlaughed。



〃Come；〃　she　said；　〃let　me　show　you　them。〃



She　ran　down　an　intersecting　way；　we　following；　came　out