the moon pool-第48部分

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that　they　might　have　come　here　afterward；　havin'　got　wind

of　what　those　rats　out　there　were　contemplatin'；　and　have

stayed　on　the　job　till　the　time　was　ripe　to　save　Ireland　from

'em；　the　rest　of　the　world；　too；　of　course；〃　he　added　mag…

nanimously；　〃but　Ireland　in　particular。　　And　do　any　of　those

reasons　appeal　to　ye？〃



I　shook　my　head。



〃Well；　what　do　you　think？〃　he　asked　wearily。



〃I　think；〃　I　said　cautiously；　〃that　we　face　an　evolution　of

highly　intelligent　beings　from　ancestral　sources　radically　re…

moved　from　those　through　which　mankind　ascended。　　These

half…human；　highly　developed　batrachians　they　call　the　_Akka_

prove　that　evolution　in　these　caverned　spaces　has　certainly

pursued　one　different　path　than　on　earth。　　The　Englishman；

Wells；　wrote　an　imaginative　and　very　entertaining　book　con…

cerning　an　invasion　of　earth　by　Martians；　and　he　made　his

Martians　enormously　specialized　cuttlefish。　　There　was　noth…

ing　inherently　improbable　in　Wells'　choice。　　Man　is　the　ruling

animal　of　earth　today　solely　by　reason　of　a　series　of　acci…

dents；　under　another　series　spiders　or　ants；　or　even　ele…

phants；　could　have　become　the　dominant　race。



〃I　think；〃　I　said；　even　more　cautiously；　〃that　the　race　to

which　the　Three　belong　never　appeared　on　earth's　surface；

that　their　development　took　place　here；　unhindered　through

aeons。　　And　if　this　be　true；　the　structure　of　their　brains；　and

therefore　all　their　reactions；　must　be　different　from　ours。

Hence　their　knowledge　and　command　of　energies　unfamiliar

to　usand　hence　also　the　question　whether　they　may　not

have　an　entirely　different　sense　of　values；　of　justiceand

that　is　rather　terrifying；〃　I　concluded。



Larry　shook　his　head。



〃That　last　sort　of　knocks　your　argument；　Doc；〃　he　said。

〃They　had　sense　of　justice　enough　to　help　ME　outand　cer…

tainly　they　know　lovefor　I　saw　the　way　they　looked　at

Lakla；　and　sorrowfor　there　was　no　mistaking　that　in　their

faces。



〃No；〃　he　went　on。　　〃I　hold　to　my　own　idea。　　They're　of　the

Old　People。　　The　little　leprechaun　knew　his　way　here；　an'

I'll　bet　it　was　they　who　sent　the　word。　　An'　if　the　O'Keefe　ban…

shee　comes　herewhich　save　the　mark！I'll　bet　she'll　drop

in　on　the　Silent　Ones　for　a　social　visit　before　she　an'　her　clan

get　busy。　　Well；　it'll　make　her　feel　more　at　home；　the　good　old

body。　　No；　Doc；　no；〃　he　concluded；　〃I'm　right；　it　all　fits　in　too

well　to　be　wrong。〃



I　made　a　last　despairing　attempt。



〃Is　there　anything　anywhere　in　Ireland　that　would　indicate

that　the　Tuatha　De　ever　looked　like　the　Three？〃　I　asked

and　again　I　had　spoken　most　unfortunately。



〃Is　there？〃　he　shouted。　　〃Is　there？　　By　the　kilt　of　Cormack

MacCormack；　I'm　glad　ye　reminded　me。　　It　was　worryin'　me

a　little　meself。　　There　was　Daghda；　who　could　put　on　the

head　of　a　great　boar　an'　the　body　of　a　giant　fish　and　cleave

the　waves　an'　tear　to　pieces　the　birlins　of　any　who　came

against　Erin；　an'　there　was　Rinn〃



How　many　more　of　the　metamorphoses　of　the　Old　People

I　might　have　heard；　I　do　not　know；　for　the　curtains　parted

and　in　walked　Rador。



〃You　have　rested　well；〃　he　smiled；　〃I　can　see。　　The　hand…

maiden　bade　me　call　you。　　You　are　to　eat　with　her　in　her

garden。〃



Down　long　corridors　we　trod　and　out　upon　a　gardened

terrace　as　beautiful　as　any　of　those　of　Yolara's　city；　bow…

ered；　blossoming；　fragrant；　set　high　upon　the　cliffs　beside　the

domed　castle。　　A　table；　as　of　milky　jade；　was　spread　at　one

corner；　but　the　Golden　Girl　was　not　there。　　A　little　path　ran

on　and　up；　hemmed　in　by　the　mass　of　verdure。　　I　looked　at

it　longingly；　Rador　saw　the　glance；　interpreted　it；　and　led　me

up　the　stepped　sharp　slope　into　a　rock　embrasure。



Here　I　was　above　the　foliage；　and　everywhere　the　view

was　clear。　　Below　me　stretched　the　incredible　bridge；　with　the

frog　people　hurrying　back　and　forth　upon　it。　　A　pinnacle　at

my　side　hid　the　abyss。　　My　eyes　followed　the　cavern　ledge。

Above　it　the　rock　rose　bare；　but　at　the　ends　of　the　semi…

circular　strand　a　luxuriant　vegetation　began；　stretching　from

the　crimson　shores　back　into　far　distances。　　Of　browns　and

reds　and　yellows；　like　an　autumn　forest；　was　the　foliage；

with　here　and　there　patches　of　dark…green；　as　of　conifers。

Five　miles　or　more；　on　each　side；　the　forests　swept；　and　then

were　lost　to　sight　in　the　haze。



I　turned　and　faced　an　immensity　of　crimson　waters；　un…

broken；　a　true　sea；　if　ever　there　was　one。　　A　breeze　blew

the　first　real　wind　I　had　encountered　in　the　hidden　places；

under　it　the　surface；　that　had　been　as　molten　lacquer；　rippled

and　dimpled。　　Little　waves　broke　with　a　spray　of　rose…pearls

and　rubies。　　The　giant　Medusae　driftedstately；　luminous

kaleidoscopic　elfin　moons。



Far　down；　peeping　around　a　jutting　tower　of　the　cliff；　I　saw

dipping　with　the　motion　of　the　waves　a　floating　garden。　　The

flowers；　too；　were　luminousindeed　sparklinggleaming

brilliants　of　scarlet　and　vermilions　lighter　than　the　flood　on

which　they　lay；　mauves　and　odd　shades　of　reddish…blue。

They　gleamed　and　shone　like　a　little　lake　of　jewels。



Rador　broke　in　upon　my　musings。



〃Lakla　comes！　　Let　us　go　down。〃



It　was　a　shy　Lakla　who　came　slowly　around　the　end　of　the

path　and；　blushing　furiously；　held　her　hands　out　to　Larry。

And　the　Irishman　took　them；　placed　them　over　his　heart；

kissed　them　with　a　tenderness　that　had　been　lacking　in　the

half…mocking；　half…fierce　caresses　he　had　given　the　priestess。

She　blushed　deeper；　holding　out　the　tapering　fingersthen

pressed　them　to　her　own　heart。



〃I　like　the　touch　of　your　lips；　Larry；〃　she　whispered。

〃They　warm　me　here〃she　pressed　her　heart　again〃and

they　send　little　sparkles　of　light　through　me。〃　Her　brows

tilted　perplexedly；　accenting　the　nuance　of　diablerie；　deli…

cate　and　fascinating；　that　they　cast　upon　the　flower　face。



〃Do　you？〃　whispered　the　O'Keefe　fervently。　　〃Do　you；

Lakla？〃　He　bent　toward　her。　　She　caught　the　amused　glance

of　Rador；　drew　herself　aside　half…haughtily。



〃Rador；〃　she　said；　〃is　it　not　time　that　you　and　the　strong

one；　Olaf；　were　setting　forth？〃



〃Truly　it　is；　handmaiden；〃　he　answered　respectfully

enoughyet　with　a　current　of　laughter　under　his　words。

〃But　as　you　know　the　strong　one；　Olaf；　wished　to　see　his

friends　here　before　we　were　goneand　he　comes　even　now；〃

he　added；　glancing　down　the　pathway；　along　which　came

striding　the　Norseman。



As　he　faced　us　I　saw　that　a　transformation　had　been

wrought　in　him。　　Gone　was　the　pitiful　seeking；　and　gone　too

the　just　as　pitiful　hope。　　The　set　face　softened　as　he　looked　at

the　Golden　Girl　and　bowed　low　to　her。　　He　thrust　a　hand　to

O'Keefe　and　to　me。



〃There　is　to　be　battle；〃　he　said。　　〃I　go　with　Rador　to　call

the　armies　of　these　frog　people。　　As　for　meLakla　has

spoken。　　There　is　no　hope　forfor　mine　Helma　in　life；　but

there　is　hope　that　we　destroy　the　Shining　Devil　and　give

_mine_　Helma　peace。　　And　with　that　I　am　well　content；　_ja！_　Well

content！〃　He　gripped　our　hands　again。　　〃We　will　fight！〃　he

muttered。　　〃_Ja！_　And　I　will　have　vengeance！〃　The　sternness

returned；　and　with　a　salute　Rador　and　he　were　gone。



Two　great　tears　rolled　from　the　golden　eyes　of　Lakla。



〃Not　even　the　Silent　Ones　can　heal　those　the　Shining　One

has　taken；〃　she　said。　　〃He　asked　meand　it　was　better　that

I　tell　him。　　It　is　part　of　the　Three'sPUNISHMENTbut　of　that

you　will　soon　learn；〃　she　went　on　hurriedly。　　〃Ask　me　no

questions　now　of　the　Silent　Ones。　　I　thought　it　better　for　Olaf

to　go　with　Rador；　to　busy　himself；　to　give　his　mind　other

than　sorrow　upon　which　to　feed。〃



Up　the　path　came　five　of　the　frog…women；　bearing　plat…

ters　and　ewers。　　Their　bracelets　and　anklets　of　jewels　were

tinkling；　their　middles　covered　with　short　kirtles　of　woven

cloth　studded　with　the　sparkling　ornaments。



And　here　let　me　say　that　if　I　have　given　the　impression

that　the　_Akka_　are　simply　magnified　frogs；　I　regret　it。　　Frog…

like　they　are；　and　hence　my　phrase　for　thembut　as　unlike

the　frog；　as　we　know　it；　as　man　is　unlike　the　chimpanzee。

Springing；　I　hazard；　from　the　stegocephalia；　the　ancestor　of

the　frogs；　these　batrachians　followed　a　different　line　of　evo…

lution　and　acquired　the　upright　position　just　as　man　did　his

from　the　four…footed　folk。



The　great　staring　eyes；　the　shape　of　the　muzzle　were　frog…

like；　but　the　highly　developed　brain　had　set　upon　the　head

and　shape　of　it　vital　differences。　　The　forehead；　for　instance；

was　not　low；　flat；　and　retreatingits　frontal　arch　was　well

defined。　　The　head　was；　in　a　sense；　shapely；　and　with　the

females　the　great　horny　carapace　that　stood　over　it　like　a

fantastic　helmet　was　much　modified；　as　were　the　spurs　that

were　so　formidable　in　the　male；　colouration　was　different

also。　　The　torso　was　upright；　the　legs　a　little　bent；　giving　them

their　crouching　gaitbut　I　wander　from　my　subject。1





*1　The　_Akka_　are　viviparous。　　The　female　produces　progeny