the moon pool-第60章

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phosphorescence　like　smoke　of　moon　fire。　　We　were　shadows

and　yet　we　had　substance；　we　were　incorporated　with；　a

part　of；　the　rockand　yet　we　were　living　flesh　and　blood；　we

stretchednor　will　I　qualify　thiswe　STRETCHED　through

mile　upon　mile　of　space　that　weirdly　enough　gave　at　one

and　the　same　time　an　absolute　certainty　of　immense　horizon…

tal　lengths　and　a　vertical　concentration　that　contained　noth…

ing　of　length；　nothing　of　space　whatever；　we　stood　THERE

upon　the　face　of　the　stoneand　still　we　were　HERE　within

the　faceted　oval　before　the　screen　of　radiance！



〃Steady！〃　It　was　Lakla's　voiceand　not　beside　me　THERE；

but　at　my　ear　close　before　the　screen。　　〃Steady；　Goodwin！

Andsee！〃



The　sparkling　haze　cleared。　　Enormous　reaches　stretched

before　me。　　Shimmering　up　through　them；　and　as　though

growing　in　some　medium　thicker　than　air；　was　mass　upon

mass　of　verdurefruiting　trees　and　trees　laden　with　pale

blossoms；　arbours　and　bowers　of　pallid　blooms；　like　that　sea

fruit　of　obliviongrapes　of　Lethethat　cling　to　the　tide…

swept　walls　of　the　caverns　of　the　Hebrides。



Through　them；　beyond　them；　around　and　about　them；

drifted　and　eddied　a　hordegreat　as　that　with　which　Tamer…

lane　swept　down　upon　Rome；　vast　as　the　myriads　which

Genghis　Khan　rolled　upon　the　califsmen　and　women　and

childrenclothed　in　tatters；　half　nude　and　wholly　naked；

slant…eyed　Chinese；　sloe…eyed　Malays；　islanders　black　and

brown　and　yellow；　fierce…faced　warriors　of　the　Solomons

with　grizzled　locks　fantastically　bedizened；　Papuans；　feline

Javans；　Dyaks　of　hill　and　shore；　hook…nosed　Phoenicians；

Romans；　straight…browed　Greeks；　and　Vikings　centuries　BEYOND

their　lives：　scores　of　the　black…haired　Murians；　white

faces　of　our　own　Westernersmen　and　women　and　children

drifting；　eddyingeach　stamped　with　that　mingled　horror

and　rapture；　eyes　filled　with　ecstasy　and　terror　entwined；

marked　by　God　and　devil　in　embracethe　seal　of　the　Shin…

ing　Onethe　dead…alive；　the　lost　ones！



The　loot　of　the　Dweller！



Soul…sick；　I　gazed。　　They　lifted　to　us　visages　of　dread；　they

swept　down　toward　us；　glaring　upwarda　bank　against

which　other　and　still　other　waves　of　faces　rolled；　were

checked；　paused；　until　as　far　as　I　could　see；　like　billows

piled　upon　an　ever…growing　barrier；　they　stretched　beneath

usstaringstaring！



Now　there　was　a　movementfar；　far　away；　a　concentrat…

ing　of　the　lambency；　the　dead…alive　swayed；　oscillated；　sep…

aratedforming　a　long　lane　against　whose　outskirts　they

crowded　with　avid；　hungry　insistence。



First　only　a　luminous　cloud；　then　a　whirling　pillar　of

splendours　through　the　lane　camethe　Shining　One。　　As　it

passed；　the　dead…alive　swirled　in　its　wake　like　leaves　behind

a　whirlwind；　eddying；　twisting；　and　as　the　Dweller　raced　by

them；　brushing　them　with　its　spirallings　and　tentacles；　they

shone　forth　with　unearthly；　awesome　gleamingslike　ves…

sels　of　alabaster　in　which　wicks　flare　suddenly。　　And　when　it

had　passed　they　closed　behind　it；　staring　up　at　us　once　more。



The　Dweller　paused　beneath　us。



Out　of　the　drifting　ruck　swam　the　body　of　Throckmartin！

Throckmartin；　my　friend；　to　find　whom　I　had　gone　to　the

pallid　moon　door；　my　friend　whose　call　I　had　so　laggardly

followed。　　On　his　face　was　the　Dweller's　dreadful　stamp；　the

lips　were　bloodless；　the　eyes　were　wide；　lucent；　something

like　pale；　phosphorescence　gleaming　within　themand　soul…

less。



He　stared　straight　up　at　me；　unwinking；　unrecognizing。

Pressing　against　his　side　was　a　woman；　young　and　gentle；

and　lovelylovely　even　through　the　mask　that　lay　upon

her　face。　　And　her　wide　eyes；　like　Throckmartin's；　glowed

with　the　lurking；　unholy　fires。　　She　pressed　against　him

closely；　though　the　hordes　kept　up　the　faint　churning；　these

two　kept　ever　together；　as　though　bound　by　unseen　fetters。



And　I　knew　the　girl　for　Edith；　his　wife；　who　in　vain　effort

to　save　him　had　cast　herself　into　the　Dweller's　embrace！



〃Throckmartin！〃　I　cried。　　〃Throckmartin！　　I'm　here！〃



Did　he　hear？　　I　know　now；　of　course；　he　could　not。



But　then　I　waitedhope　striving　to　break　through　the

nightmare　hands　that　gripped　my　heart。



Their　wide　eyes　never　left　me。　　There　was　another　move…

ment　about　them；　others　pushed　past　them；　they　drifted

back；　swaying；　eddyingand　still　staring　were　lost　in　the

awful　throng。



Vainly　I　strained　my　gaze　to　find　them　again；　to　force

some　sign　of　recognition；　some　awakening　of　the　clean　life

we　know。　　But　they　were　gone。　　Try　as　I　would　I　could　not　see

themnor　Stanton　and　the　northern　woman　named　Thora

who　had　been　the　first　of　that　tragic　party　to　be　taken　by

the　Dweller。



〃Throckmartin！〃　I　cried　again；　despairingly。　　My　tears

blinded　me。



I　felt　Lakla's　light　touch。



〃Steady；〃　she　commanded；　pitifully。　　〃Steady；　Goodwin。

You　cannot　help　themnow！　　Steady　andwatch！〃



Below　us　the　Shining　One　had　pausedspiralling；　swirl…

ing；　vibrant　with　all　its　transcendent；　devilish　beauty；　had

paused　and　was　contemplating　us。　　Now　I　could　see　clearly

that　nucleus；　that　core　shot　through　with　flashing　veins　of

radiance；　that　ever…shifting　shape　of　glory　through　the

shroudings　of　shimmering；　misty　plumes；　throbbing　lacy

opalescences；　vaporous　spirallings　of　prismatic　phantom

fires。　　Steady　over　it　hung　the　seven　little　moons　of　amethyst；

of　saffron；　of　emerald　and　azure　and　silver；　of　rose　of　life

and　moon　white。　　They　poised　themselves　like　a　diadem

calm；　serene；　immobileand　down　from　them　into　the　Dwel…

ler；　piercing　plumes　and　swirls　and　spirals；　ran　countless

tiny　strands；　radiations；　finer　than　the　finest　spun　thread　of

spider's　web；　gleaming　filaments　through　which　seemed　to

runPOWERfrom　the　seven　globes；　likeyes；　that　was　it

miniatures　of　the　seven　torrents　of　moon　flame　that　poured

through　the　septichromatic；　high　crystals　in　the　Moon　Pool's

chamber　roof。



Swam　out　of　the　coruscating　haze　theface！



Both　of　man　and　of　woman　it　waslike　some　ancient；

androgynous　deity　of　Etruscan　fanes　long　dust；　and　yet

neither　woman　nor　man；　human　and　unhuman；　seraphic　and

sinister；　benign　and　maleficand　still　no　more　of　these　four

than　is　flame；　which　is　beautiful　whether　it　warms　or　devours；

or　wind　whether　it　feathers　the　trees　or　shatters　them；　or

the　wave　which　is　wondrous　whether　it　caresses　or　kills。



Subtly；　undefinably　it　was　of　our　world　and　of　one　not

ours。　　Its　lineaments　flowed　from　another　sphere；　took　fleet…

ing　familiar　formand　as　swiftly　withdrew　whence　they　had

come；　something　amorphous；　unearthlyas　of　unknown　un…

heeding；　unseen　gods　rushing　through　the　depths　of　star…

hung　space；　and　still　of　our　own　earth；　with　the　very　soul　of

earth　peering　out　from　it；　caught　within　itand　in　some

unholyway　debased。



It　had　eyeseyes　that　were　now　only　shadows　darkening

within　its　luminosity　like　veils　falling；　and　falling；　OPENING

windows　into　the　unknowable；　deepening　into　softly　glowing

blue　pools；　blue　as　the　Moon　Pool　itself；　then　flashing

out；　and　this　only　when　thefacebore　its　most　human

resemblance；　into　twin　stars　large　almost　as　the　crown　of　lit…

tle　moons；　and　with　that　same　baffling　suggestion　of　peep…

holes　into　a　world　untrodden；　alien；　perilous　to　man！



〃Steady！〃　came　Lakla's　voice；　her　body　leaned　against

mine。



I　gripped　myself；　my　brain　steadied；　I　looked　again。　　And

I　saw　that　of　body；　at　least　body　as　we　know　it；　the　Shining

One　had　nonenothing　but　the　throbbing；　pulsing　core

streaked　with　lightning　veins　of　rainbows；　and　around　this；

never　still；　sheathing　it；　the　swirling；　glorious　veilings　of　its

hell　and　heaven　born　radiance。



So　the　Dweller　stoodand　gazed。



Then　up　toward　us　swept　a　reaching；　questing　spiral！



Under　my　hand　Lakla's　shoulder　quivered；　Dead…Alive

and　their　master　vanishedI　danced；　flickered；　WITHIN　the

rock；　felt　a　swift　sense　of　shrinking；　of　withdrawal；　slice

upon　slice　the　carded　walls　of　stone；　of　silv