the moon pool-第51部分

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〃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；　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　hangin