the moon pool-第57章

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the　divan！



Now　there　were　two　sharp　reports；　the　struggle　abruptly

ceased。　　From　a　point　not　a　foot　over　the　great　couch；　as

though　oozing　from　the　air　itself；　blood　began　to　drop；　faster

and　ever　faster；　pouring　out　of　nothingness。



And　out　of　that　same　air；　now　a　dozen　feet　away；　leaped

the　face　of　Larrybodyless；　poised　six　feet　above　the　floor；

blazing　with　ragefloating　weirdly；　uncannily　to　a　hideous

degree；　in　vacancy。



His　hands　flashed　outarmless；　they　wavered；　appearing；

disappearingswiftly　tearing　something　from　him。　　Then

there；　feet　hidden；　stiff　on　legs　that　vanished　at　the　ankles；

striking　out　into　vision　with　all　the　dizzy　abruptness　with

which　he　had　been　stricken　from　sight　was　the　O'Keefe；　a

smoking　pistol　in　hand。



And　ever　that　red　stream　trickled　out　of　vacancy　and

spread　over　the　couch；　dripping　to　the　floor。



I　made　a　mighty　movement　to　escape；　was　held　more

firmlyand　then　close　to　the　face　of　Larry；　flashing　out　with

that　terrifying　instantaneousness　even　as　had　his；　was　the

head　of　Yolara；　as　devilishly　mocking　as　I　had　ever　seen　it；

the　cruelty　shining　through　it　like　delicate　white　flames　from

helland　beautiful！



〃Stir　not！　　Strike　notuntil　I　command！〃　She　flung　the

words　beyond　her；　addressed　to　the　invisible　ones　who　had

accompanied　her；　whose　presences　I　sensed　filling　the　cham…

ber。　　The　floating；　beautiful　head；　crowned　high　with　corn…silk

hair；　darted　toward　the　Irishman。　　He　took　a　swift　step　back…

ward。　　The　eyes　of　the　priestess　deepened　toward　purple；

sparkled　with　malice。



〃So；〃　she　said。　　〃So；　_Larree_you　thought　you　could　go

from　me　so　easily！〃　She　laughed　softly。　　〃In　my　hidden　hand

I　hold　the　_Keth_　cone；〃　she　murmured。　　〃Before　you　can　raise

the　death　tube　I　can　smite　youand　will。　　And　consider；

_Larree_；　if　the　handmaiden；　the　_choya_　comes；　I　can　vanish

so〃the　mocking　head　disappeared；　burst　forth　again

〃and　slay　her　with　the　_Keth_or　bid　my　people　seize　her

and　bear　her　to　the　Shining　One！〃



Tiny　beads　of　sweat　stood　out　on　O'Keefe's　forehead；　and

I　knew　he　was　thinking　not　of　himself；　but　of　Lakla。



〃What　do　you　want　with　me；　Yolara？〃　he　asked　hoarsely。



〃Nay；〃　came　the　mocking　voice。　　〃Not　Yolara　to　you；

_Larree_call　me　by　those　sweet　names　you　taught　me

Honey　of　the　Wild　Bee…e…s；　Net　of　Hearts〃　Again　her

laughter　tinkled。



〃What　do　you　want　with　me？〃　his　voice　was　strained；　the

lips　rigid。



〃Ah；　you　are　afraid；　_Larree_。〃　There　was　diabolic　jubila…

tion　in　the　words。　　〃What　should　I　want　but　that　you　return

with　me？　　Why　else　did　I　creep　through　the　lair　of　the　dragon

worm　and　pass　the　path　of　perils　but　to　ask　you　that？　　And

the　_choya_　guards　you　not　well。〃　Again　she　laughed。　　〃We

came　to　the　cavern's　end　and；　there　were　her　_Akka_。　　And　the

_Akka_　can　see　usas　shadows。　　But　it　was　my　desire　to　sur…

prise　you　with　my　coming；　Larree；〃　the　voice　was　silken。

〃And　I　feared　that　they　would　hasten　to　be　first　to　bring　you

that　message　to　delight　in　your　joy。　　And　so；　_Larree_；　I　loosed

the　_Keth_　upon　themand　gave　them　peace　and　rest　within

the　nothingness。　　And　the　portal　below　was　openalmost　in

welcome！〃



Once　more　the　malignant；　silver　pealing　of　her　laughter。



〃What　do　you　want　with　me？〃　There　was　wrath　in　his

eyes；　and　plainly　he　strove　for　control。



〃Want！〃　the　silver　voice　hissed；　grew　calm。　　〃Do　not　Siya

and　Siyana　grieve　that　the　rite　I　pledged　them　is　but　half

doneand　do　they　not　desire　it　finished？　　And　am　I　not

beautiful？　　More　beautiful　than　your　_choya_？〃



The　fiendishness　died　from　the　eyes；　they　grew　blue；

wondrous；　the　veil　of　invisibility　slipped　down　from　the

neck；　the　shoulders；　half　revealing　the　gleaming　breasts。　　And

weird；　weird　beyond　all　telling　was　that　exquisite　head　and

bust　floating　there　in　airand　beautiful；　sinisterly　beautiful

beyond　all　telling；　too。　　So　even　might　Lilith；　the　serpent

woman；　have　shown　herself　tempting　Adam！



〃And　perhaps；〃　she　said；　〃perhaps　I　want　you　because　I

hate　you；　perhaps　because　I　love　youor　perhaps　for　Lugur

or　perhaps　for　the　Shining　One。〃



〃And　if　I　go　with　you？〃　He　said　it　quietly。



〃Then　shall　I　spare　the　handmaidenandwho　knows？

take　back　my　armies　that　even　now　gather　at　the　portal

and　let　the　Silent　Ones　rot　in　peace　in　their　abodefrom

which　they　had　no　power　to　keep　me；〃　she　added　venom…

ously。



〃You　will　swear　that；　Yolara；　swear　to　go　without　harming


the　handmaiden？〃　he　asked　eagerly。　　The　little　devils　danced

in　her　eyes。　　I　wrenched　my　face　from　the　smothering　con…

tact。



〃Don't　trust　her；　Larry！〃　I　criedand　again　the　grip

choked　me。



〃Is　that　devil　in　front　of　you　or　behind　you；　old　man？〃

he　asked　quietly；　eyes　never　leaving　the　priestess。　　〃If　he's　in

front　I'll　take　a　chance　and　wing　himand　then　you　scoot

and　warn　Lakla。〃



But　I　could　not　answer；　nor；　remembering　Yolara's　threat；

would　I；　had　I　been　able。



〃Decide　quickly！〃　There　was　cold　threat　in　her　voice。



The　curtains　toward　which　O'Keefe　had　slowly；　step　by

step；　drawn　close；　opened。　　They　framed　the　handmaiden！

The　face　of　Yolara　changed　to　that　gorgon　mask　that　had

transformed　it　once　before　at　sight　of　the　Golden　Girl。　　In

her　blind　rage　she　forgot　to　cast　the　occulting　veil。　　Her　hand

darted　like　a　snake　out　of　the　folds；　poising　itself　with　the

little　silver　cone　aimed　at　Lakla。



But　before　it　was　wholly　poised；　before　the　priestess　could

loose　its　force；　the　handmaiden　was　upon　her。　　Swift　as　the

lithe　white　wolf　hound　she　leaped；　and　one　slender　hand

gripped　Yolara's　throat；　the　other　the　wrist　that　lifted　the

quivering　death；　white　limbs　wrapped　about　the　hidden　ones；

I　saw　the　golden　head　bend；　the　hand　that　held　the　_Keth_

swept　up　with　a　vicious　jerk；　saw　Lakla's　teeth　sink　into　the

wristthe　blood　spurt　forth　and　heard　the　priestess　shriek。

The　cone　fell；　bounded　toward　me；　with　all　my　strength　I

wrenched　free　the　hand　that　held　my　pistol；　thrust　it　against

the　pressing　breast　and　fired；



The　clasp　upon　me　relaxed；　a　red　rain　stained　me；　at　my

feet　a　little　pillar　of　blood　jetted；　a　hand　thrust　itself　from

nothingness；　clawedand　was　still。



Now　Yolara　was　down；　Lakla　meshed　in　her　writhings　and

fighting　like　some　wild　mother　whose　babes　are　serpent

menaced。　　Over　the　two　of　them；　astride；　stood　the　O'Keefe；　a

pike　from　one　of　the　high　tripods　in　his　handthrusting；

parrying；　beating　on　every　side　as　with　a　broadsword　against

poniard…clutching　hands　that　thrust　themselves　out　of　va…

cancy　striving　to　strike　him；　stepping　here　and　there；　always

covering；　protecting　Lakla　with　his　own　body　even　as　a　cave…

man　of　old　who　does　battle　with　his　mate　for　their　lives。



The　sword…club　struckand　on　the　floor　lay　the　half　body

of　a　dwarf；　writhing　with　vanishments　and　reappearings　of

legs　and　arms。　　Beside　him　was　the　shattered　tripod　from

which　Larry　had　wrenched　his　weapon。　　I　flung　myself　upon

it；　dashed　it　down　to　break　loose　one　of　the　remaining　sup…

ports；　struck　in　midfall　one　of　the　unseen　even　as　his　dagger

darted　toward　me！　　The　seat　splintered；　leaving　in　my　clutch

a　golden　bar。　　I　jumped　to　Larry's　side；　guarding　his　back；

whirling　it　like　a　staff；　felt　it　crunch　oncetwicethrough

unseen　bone　and　muscle。



At　the　door　was　a　booming。　　Into　the　chamber　rushed　a

dozen　of　the　frog…men。　　While　some　guarded　the　entrances；

others　leaped　straight　to　us；　and　forming　a　circle　about　us

began　to　strike　with　talons　and　spurs　at　unseen　things　that

screamed　and　sought　to　escape。　　Now　here　and　there　about

the　blue　rugs　great　stains　of　blood　appeared；　heads　of　dwarfs；

torn　arms　and　gashed　bodies；　half　occulted；　half　revealed。

And　at　last　the　priestess　lay　silent；　vanquished；　white　body

gleaming　with　that　uncannyfragmentarinessfrom　her

torn　robes。　　Then　O'Keefe　reached　down；　drew　Lakla　from

her。　　Shakily；　Yolara　rose　to　her　feet。　　The　handmaiden；　f