the moon pool-第58章
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torn robes。 Then O'Keefe reached down； drew Lakla from
her。 Shakily； Yolara rose to her feet。 The handmaiden； face
still blazing with wrath； stepped before her； with difficulty
she steadied her voice。
〃Yolara；〃 she said； 〃you have defied the Silent Ones； you
have desecrated their abode； you came to slay these men who
are the guests of the Silent Ones and me； who am their hand…
maidenwhy did you do these things？〃
〃I came for him！〃 gasped the priestess； she pointed to
O'Keefe。
〃Why？〃 asked Lakla。
〃Because he is pledged to me；〃 replied Yolara； all the
devils that were hers in her face。 〃Because he wooed me！
Because he is mine！〃
〃That is a lie！〃 The handmaiden's voice shook with rage。
〃It is a lie！ But here and now he shall choose； Yolara。 And
if you he choose； you and he shall go forth from here un…
molestedfor Yolara； it is his happiness that I most desire；
and if you are that happinessyou shall go together。 And
now； Larry； choose！〃
Swiftly she stepped beside the priestess； swiftly wrenched
the last shreds of the hiding robes from her。
There they stoodYolara with but the filmiest net of
gauze about her wonderful body； gleaming flesh shining
through it； serpent woman…and wonderful； too； beyond the
dreams even of Phidiasand hell…fire glowing from the pur…
ple eyes。
And Lakla； like a girl of the Vikings； like one of those
warrior maids who stood and fought for dun and babes at the
side of those old heroes of Larry's own green isle； trans…
lucent ivory lambent through the rents of her torn draperies；
and in the wide； golden eyes flaming wrath； indeednot the
diabolic flames of the priestess but the righteous wrath of
some soul that looking out of paradise sees vile wrong in the
doing。
〃Lakla；〃 the O'Keefe's voice was subdued； hurt； 〃there IS
no choice。 I love you and only youand have from the moment
I saw you。 It's not easythis。 God； Goodwin； I feel
like an utter cad；〃 he flashed at me。 〃There is no choice；
Lakla；〃 he ended； eyes steady upon hers。
The priestess's face grew deadlier still。
〃What will you do with me？〃 she asked。
〃Keep you；〃 I said； 〃as hostage。〃
O'Keefe was silent； the Golden Girl shook her head。
〃Well would I like to；〃 her face grew dreaming； 〃but the
Silent Ones sayNO； they bid me let you go； Yolara〃
〃The Silent Ones；〃 the priestess laughed。 〃YOU； Lakla！
You fear； perhaps； to let me tarry here too close！〃
Storm gathered again in the handmaiden's eyes； she forced
it back。
〃No；〃 she answered； the Silent Ones so commandand
for their own purposes。 Yet do I think； Yolara； that you will
have little time to feed your wickednesstell that to Lugur
and to your Shining One！〃 she added slowly。
Mockery and disbelief rode high in the priestess's pose。
〃Am I to return alonelike this？〃 she asked。
〃Nay； Yolara； nay； you shall be accompanied；〃 said Lakla；
〃and by those who will guardand WATCHyou well。 They are
here even now。〃
The hangings parted； and into the chamber came Olaf
and Rador。
The priestess met the fierce hatred and contempt in the
eyes of the Norsemanand for the first time lost her bravado。
〃Let not HIM go with me；〃 she gaspedher eyes searched
the floor frantically。
〃He goes with you；〃 said Lakla； and threw about Yolara
a swathing that covered the exquisite； alluring body。 〃And
you shall pass through the Portal； not skulk along the path
of the worm！〃
She bent to Rador； whispered to him； he nodded； she had
told him； I supposed； the secret of its opening。
〃Come；〃 he said； and with the ice…eyed giant behind her；
Yolara； head bent； passed out of those hangings through
which； but a little before； unseen； triumph in her grasp；
she had slipped。
Then Lakla came to the unhappy O'Keefe； rested her
hands on his shoulders； looked deep into his eyes。
〃DID you woo her； even as she said？〃 she asked。
The Irishman flushed miserably。
〃I did not；〃 he said。 〃I was pleasant to her； of course；
because I thought it would bring me quicker to you； darlin'。〃
She looked at him doubtfully； then
〃I think you must have been VERYpleasant！〃 was all she
saidand leaning； kissed him forgivingly straight on the lips。
An extremely direct maiden was Lakla； with a truly sov…
ereign contempt for anything she might consider non…essen…
tials； and at this moment I decided she was wiser even than
I had thought her。
He stumbled； feet vanishing； reached down and picked up
something that in the grasping turned his hand to air。
〃One of the invisible cloaks；〃 he said to me。 〃There must
be quite a lot of them aboutI guess Yolara brought her
full staff of murderers。 They're a bit shopworn； probably
but we're considerably better off with 'em in our hands than
in hers。 And they may come in handywho knows？〃
There was a choking rattle at my feet； half the head of a
dwarf raised out of vacancy； beat twice upon the floor in
death throes； fell back。 Lakla shivered； gave a command。
The frog…men moved about； peering here and there； lifting
unseen folds revealing in stark rigidity torn form after form
of the priestess's men。
Lakla had been righther _Akka_ were thorough fighters！
She called； and to her came the frog…woman who was her
attendant。 To her the handmaiden spoke； pointing to the
batrachians who stood； paws and forearms melted beneath
the robes they had gathered。 She took them and passed out
more grotesque than ever； shattering into streaks of vacan…
cies； reappearing with flickers of shining scale and yellow
gems as the tattered pennants of invisibility fluttered about
her。
The frog…men reached down； swung each a dead dwarf in
his arms； and filed； booming triumphantly away
And then I remembered the cone of the _Keth_ which had
slipped from Yolara's hand； knew it had been that for which
her wild eyes searched。 But look as closely as we might；
search in every nook and corner as we did； we could not find
it。 Had the dying hand of one of her men clutched it and had
it been borne away with them？ With the thought Larry and
I raced after the scaled warriors； searched every body they
carried。 It was not there。 Perhaps the priestess had found it；
retrieved it swiftly without our seeing。
Whatever was truethe cone was gone。 And what a
weapon that one little holder of the shaking death would
have been for us！
CHAPTER XXVIII
In the Lair of the Dweller
IT IS WITH marked hesitation that I begin this chapter； be…
cause in it I must deal with an experience so contrary to
every known law of physics as to seem impossible。 Until
this time； barring； of course； the mystery of the Dweller； I
had encountered nothing that was not susceptible of natural…
istic explanation； nothing； in a word； outside the domain of
science itself； nothing that I would have felt hesitancy in
reciting to my colleagues of the International Association of
Science。 Amazing； unfamiliarADVANCEDas many of the
phenomena were； still they lay well within the limits of what
we have mapped as the possible； in regions； it is true； still
virgin to the mind of man； but toward which that mind is
steadily advancing。
But thiswell； I confess that I have a theory that is nat…
uralistic； but so abstruse； so difficult to make clear within the
short confines of the space I have to give it； so dependent
upon conceptions that even the highest…trained scientific
brains find difficult to grasp； that I despair。
I can only say that the thing occurred； that it took place
in precisely the manner I am about to narrate； and that I
experienced it。
Yet； in justice to myself； I must open up some paths of
preliminary approach toward the heart of the perplexity。
And the first path is the realization that our world WHATEVER
it is； is certainly NOT the world as we see it！ Regarding this I
shall ref
