the moon pool-第66章

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〃Well；　pulse　of　my　heart；　considering　my　delicate　health

and　general　fragility；　would　it　hurt　me；　do　you　think；　to　be

told　what's　going　on？〃　he　asked。



〃Not　at　all；　Larry！〃　answered　the　handmaiden　serenely。

〃Yolara　went　through　the　Portal。　　She　was　very；　VERY　angry〃



〃She　was　all　the　devil's　woman　that　she　is！〃　rumbled　Olaf。



〃Rador　met　the　messenger；〃　went　on　the　Golden　Girl

calmly。　　〃The　_ladala_　are　ready　to　rise　when　Lugur　and　Yo…

lara　lead　their　hosts　against　us。　　They　will　strike　at　those　left

behind。　　And　in　the　meantime　we　shall　have　disposed　my

_Akka_　to　meet　Yolara's　men。　　And　on　that　disposal　we　must

all　take　counsel；　you；　Larry；　and　Rador；　Olaf　and　Goodwin

and　Nak；　the　ruler　of　the　_Akka_。〃



〃Did　the　messenger　give　any　idea　when　Yolara　expects

to　make　her　little　call？〃　asked　Larry。



〃Yes；〃　she　answered。　　〃They　prepare；　and　we　may　expect

them　in〃　She　gave　the　equivalent　of　about　thirty…six　hours

of　our　time。



〃But；　Lakla；〃　I　said；　the　doubt　that　I　had　long　been　hold…

ing　finding　voice；　〃should　the　Shining　One　comewith　its

slavesare　the　Three　strong　enough　to　cope　with　it？〃



There　was　troubled　doubt　in　her　own　eyes。



〃I　do　not　know；〃　she　said　at　last；　frankly。　　〃You　have

heard　their　story。　　What　they　promise　is　that　they　will　help。

I　do　not　knowany　more　than　do　you；　Goodwin！〃



I　looked　up　at　the　dome　beneath　which　I　knew　the　dread

Trinity　stared　forth；　even　down　upon　us。　　And　despite　the

awe；　the　assurance；　I　had　felt　when　I　stood　before　them　I；

too；　doubted。



〃Well；〃　said　Larry；　〃you　and　I；　uncle；〃　he　turned　to

Rador；　〃and　Olaf　here　had　better　decide　just　what　part　of　the

battle　we'll　lead〃



〃Lead！〃　the　handmaiden　was　appalled。　〃YOU　lead；　Larry？

Why　you　are　to　stay　with　Goodwin　and　with　meup　there；

there　we　can　watch。〃



〃Heart's　beloved；〃　O'Keefe　was　stern　indeed。　　〃A　thousand

times　I've　looked　Death　straight　in　the　face；　peered　into　his

eyes。　　Yes；　and　with　ten　thousand　feet　of　space　under　me　an'

bursting　shells　tickling　the　ribs　of　the　boat　I　was　in。　　An'

d'ye　think　I'll　sit　now　on　the　grandstand　an'　watch　while　a

game　like　this　is　being　pulled？　　Ye　don't　know　your　future

husband；　soul　of　my　delight！〃



And　so　we　started　toward　the　golden　opening；　squads　of

the　frog…men　following　us　soldierly　and　disappearing　about

the　huge　structure。　　Nor　did　we　stop　until　we　came　to　the

handmaiden's　boudoir。　　There　we　seated　ourselves。



〃Now；〃　said　Larry；　〃two　things　I　want　to　know。　　First

how　many　can　Yolara　muster　against　us；　second；　how　many

of　these　_Akka_　have　we　to　meet　them？〃



Rador　gave　our　equivalent　for　eighty　thousand　men　as　the

force　Yolara　could　muster　without　stripping　her　city。　　Against

this　force；　it　appeared；　we　could　count；　roughly；　upon　two

hundred　thousand　of　the　_Akka_。



〃And　they're　some　fighters！〃　exclaimed　Larry。　　〃Hell；　with

odds　like　that　what're　you　worrying　about？　　It's　over　before

it's　begun。〃



〃But；　_Larree_；〃　objected　Rador　to　this；　〃you　forget　that　the

nobles　will　have　the　_Keth_and　other　things；　also　that　the

soldiers　have　fought　against　the　_Akka_　before　and　will　be

shielded　very　well　from　their　spears　and　clubsand　that

their　blades　and　javelins　can　bite　through　the　scales　of　Nak's

warriors。　　They　have　many　things〃



〃Uncle；〃　interjected　O'Keefe；　〃one　thing　they　have　is　your

nerve。　　Why；　we're　more　than　two　to　one。　　And　take　it　from

me〃



Without　warning　dropped　the　tragedy！











CHAPTER　XXXII



〃Your　Love；　Your　Lives；　Your　Souls！〃



LAKLA　had　taken　no　part　in　the　talk　since　we　had　reached

her　bower。　　She　had　seated　herself　close　to　the　O'Keefe。

Glancing　at　her　I　had　seen　steal　over　her　face　that　brood…

ing；　listening　look　that　was　hers　whenever　in　that　mysterious

communion　with　the　Three。　　It　vanished；　swiftly　she　arose；

interrupted　the　Irishman　without　ceremony。



〃Larry　darlin'；〃　said　the　handmaiden。　　〃The　Silent　Ones

summon　us！〃



〃When　do　we　go？〃　I　asked；　Larry's　face　grew　bright　with

interest。



〃The　time　is　now；〃　she　saidand　hesitated。　　〃Larry　dear；

put　your　arms　about　me；〃　she　faltered；　〃for　there　is　some…

thing　cold　that　catches　at　my　heartand　I　am　afraid。〃



At　his　exclamation　she　gathered　herself　together；　gave　a

shaky　little　laugh。



〃It's　because　I　love　you　so　that　fear　has　power　to　plague

me；〃　she　told　him。



Without　another　word　he　bent　and　kissed　her；　in　silence

we　passed　on；　his　arm　still　about　her　girdled　waist；　golden

head　and　black　close　together。　　Soon　we　stood　before　the

crimson　slab　that　was　the　door　to　the　sanctuary　of　the　Silent

Ones。　　She　poised　uncertainly　before　it；　then　with　a　defiant

arching　of　the　proud　little　head　that　sent　all　the　bronze…

flecked　curls　flying；　she　pressed。　　It　slipped　aside　and　once

more　the　opalescence　gushed　out；　flooding　all　about　us。



Dazzled　as　before；　I　followed　through　the　lambent　cas…

cades　pouring　from　the　high；　carved　walls；　paused；　and　my

eyes　clearing；　looked　upstraight　into　the　faces　of　the

Three。　　The　angled　orbs　centred　upon　the　handmaiden；　soft…

ened　as　I　had　seen　them　do　when　first　we　had　faced　them。

She　smiled　up；　seemed　to　listen。



〃Come　closer；〃　she　commanded；　〃close　to　the　feet　of　the

Silent　Ones。〃



We　moved；　pausing　at　the　very　base　of　the　dais。　　The

sparkling　mists　thinned；　the　great　heads　bent　slightly　over　us；

through　the　veils　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　huge　columnar　necks；

enormous　shoulders　covered　with　draperies　as　of　pale…blue

fire。



I　came　back　to　attention　with　a　start；　for　Lakla　was

answering　a　question　only　heard　by　her；　and；　answering　it

aloud；　I　perceived　for　our　benefit；　for　whatever　was　the　mode

of　communication　between　those　whose　handmaiden　she

was；　and　her；　it　was　clearly　independent　of　speech。



〃He　has　been　told；〃　she　said；　〃even　as　you　commanded。〃



Did　I　see　a　shadow　of　pain　flit　across　the　flickering　eyes？

Wondering；　I　glanced　at　Lakla's　face　and　there　was　a　dawn

of　foreboding　and　bewilderment。　　For　a　little　she　held　her

listening　attitude；　then　the　gaze　of　the　Three　left　her；

focused　upon　the　O'Keefe。



〃Thus　speak　the　Silent　Onesthrough　Lakla；　their　hand…

maiden；〃　the　golden　voice　was　like　low　trumpet　notes。　　〃At

the　threshold　of　doom　is　that　world　of　yours　above。　　Yea；

even　the　doom；　Goodwin；　that　ye　dreamed　and　the　shadow

of　which；　looking　into　your　mind　they　see；　say　the　Three。

For　not　upon　earth　and　never　upon　earth　can　man　find　means

to　destroy　the　Shining　One。〃



She　listened　againand　the　foreboding　deepened　to　an

amazed　fear。



〃They　say；　the　Silent　Ones；〃　she　went　on；　〃that　they　know

not　whether　even　they　have　power　to　destroy。　　Energies　we

know　nothing　of　entered　into　its　shaping　and　are　part　of　it；

and　still　other　energies　it　has　gathered　to　itself〃she

paused；　a　shadow　of　puzzlement　crept　into　her　voice　〃and

other　energies　still；　forces　that　ye　DO　know　and　symbolize

by　certain　nameshatred　and　pride　and　lust　and　many

others　which　are　forces　real　as　that　hidden　in　the　_Keth_；　and

among　themfear；　which　weakens　all　those　others〃　Again

she　paused。



〃But　within　it　is　nothing　of　that　greatest　of　all；　that　which

can　make　powerless　all　the　evil　others；　that　which　we　call

love；〃　she　ended　softly。



〃I'd　like　to　be　the　one　to　put　a　little　more　FEAR　in　the

beast；〃　whispered　Larry　to　me；　grimly　in　our　own　English。

The　three　weird　heads　bent；　ever　so　slightlyand　I　gasped；

and　Larry　grew　a　little　white　as　Lakla　nodded



〃They　say；　Larry；〃　she　said；　〃that　there　you　touch　one

side　of　the　heart　of　the　matterfor　it　is　through　the　way　of

fear　the　Silent　Ones　hope　to　strike　at　the　very　life　of　the

Shining　One！〃



The　visage　Larry　turned　to　me　was　eloquent　of　wonder；

and　mine　reflected　itfor　what　REALLY　were　this　Three　to

whom　our　minds　were　but　open　pages；　so　easily　read？　　Not

long　could　we　conjecture；　Lakla　broke　the　little　silence。



〃This；　they　say；　is　w