the moon pool-第58部分

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the　spirit。　　And　this；　I　must　repeat；　I　have　done　throughout

my　narrative；　wherever　it　has　been　necessary　to　record　con…

versation　with　the　Murians。



Rising；　I　found　I　was　painfully　stiffas　muscle…bound　as

though　I　had　actually　trudged　many　miles。　　Larry；　imitating

me；　gave　an　involuntary　groan。



〃Faith；　_mavourneen_；〃　he　said　to　Lakla；　relapsing　uncon…

sciously　into　English；　〃your　roads　would　never　wear　out

shoe…leather；　but　they've　got　their　kick；　just　the　same！〃



She　understood　our　plight；　if　not　his　words；　gave　a　soft

little　cry　of　mingled　pity　and　self…reproach；　forced　us　back

upon　the　cushions。



〃Oh；　but　I'm　sorry！〃　mourned　Lakla；　leaning　over　us。　　〃I

had　forgottenfor　those　new　to　it　the　way　is　a　weary　one；

indeed〃



She　ran　to　the　doorway；　whistled　a　clear　high　note　down

the　passage。　　Through　the　hangings　came　two　of　the　frog…men。

She　spoke　to　them　rapidly。　　They　crouched　toward　us；　what

certainly　was　meant　for　an　amiable　grin　wrinkling　the　gro…

tesque　muzzles；　baring　the　glistening　rows　of　needle…teeth。

And　while　I　watched　them　with　the　fascination　that　they

never　lost　for　me；　the　monsters　calmly　swung　one　arm

around　our　knees；　lifted　us　up　like　babiesand　as　calmly

started　to　walk　away　with　us！



〃Put　me　down！　　Put　me　down；　I　say！〃　The　O'Keefe's　voice

was　both　outraged　and　angry；　squinting　around　I　saw　him

struggling　violently　to　get　to　his　feet。　　The　_Akka_　only　held

him　tighter；　booming　comfortingly；　peering　down　into　his

flushed　face　inquiringly。



〃But；　Larrydarlin'！〃　Lakla's　tones　werewell；　mater…

nally　surprised〃you're　stiff　and　sore；　and　Kra　can　carry

you　quite　easily。〃



〃I　WON'T　be　carried！〃　sputtered　the　O'Keefe。　　〃Damn　it；

Goodwin；　there　are　such　things　as　the　unities　even　here；　an'

for　a　lieutenant　of　the　Royal　Air　Force　to　be　picked　up　an'

carted　around　like　alike　a　bundle　of　ragsit's　not　disci…

pline！　　Put　me　down；　ye　_omadhaun_；　or　I'll　poke　ye　in　the

snout！〃　he　shouted　to　his　bearerwho　only　boomed　gently；

and　stared　at　the　handmaiden；　plainly　for　further　instructions。



〃But；　Larrydear！〃Lakla　was　plainly　distressed〃it

will　HURT　you　to　walk；　and　I　don't　WANT　you　to　hurt；　Larry

darlin'！〃



〃Holy　shade　of　St。　Patrick！〃　moaned　Larry；　again　he　made

a　mighty　effort　to　tear　himself　from　the　frog…man's　grip；

gave　up　with　a　groan。　　〃Listen；　_alanna_！〃　he　said　plaintively。

〃When　we　get　to　Ireland；　you　and　I；　we　won't　have　anybody

to　pick　us　up　and　carry　us　about　every　time　we　get　a　bit　tired。

And　it's　getting　me　in　bad　habits　you　are！〃



〃Oh；　YES；　we　will；　Larry！〃　cried　the　handmaiden；

〃because　many；　oh；　many；　of　my　_Akka_　will　go　with　us！〃



〃Will　you　tell　thisBOOB！to　put　me　down！〃　gritted　the

now　thoroughly　aroused　O'Keefe。　　I　couldn't　help　laughing；

he　glared　at　me。



〃Bo…oo…ob？〃　exclaimed　Lakla。



〃Yes；　boo…oo…ob！〃　said　O'Keefe；　〃an'　I　have　no　desire　to

explain　the　word　in　my　present　position；　light　of　my　soul！〃



The　handmaiden　sighed；　plainly　dejected。　　But　she　spoke

again　to　the　_Akka_；　who　gently　lowered　the　O'Keefe　to　the

floor。



〃I　don't　understand；〃　she　said　hopelessly；　〃if　you　want　to

walk；　why；　of　course；　you　shall；　Larry。〃　She　turned　to　me。



〃Do　you？〃　she　asked。



〃I　do　not；〃　I　said　firmly。



〃Well；　then；〃　murmured　Lakla；　〃go　you；　Larry　and　Good…

win；　with　Kra　and　Gulk；　and　let　them　minister　to　you。　　After；

sleep　a　littlefor　not　soon　will　Rador　and　Olaf　return。　　And

let　me　feel　your　lips　before　you　go；　Larrydarlin'！〃　She

covered　his　eyes　caressingly　with　her　soft　little　palms；　pushed

him　away。



〃Now　go；〃　said　Lakla；　〃and　rest！〃



Unashamed　I　lay　back　against　the　horny　chest　of　Gulk；

and　with　a　smile　noticed　that　Larry；　even　if　he　had　rebelled

at　being　carried；　did　not　disdain　the　support　of　Kra's　shin…

ing；　black…scaled　arm　which；　slipping　around　his　waist；　half…

lifted　him　along。



They　parted　a　hanging　and　dropped　us　softly　down　beside

a　little　pool；　sparkling　with　the　clear　water　that　had　hereto…

fore　been　brought　us　in　the　wide　basins。　　Then　they　began

to　undress　us。　　And　at　this　point　the　O'Keefe　gave　up。



〃Whatever　they're　going　to　do　we　can't　stop　'em；　Doc！〃

he　moaned。　　〃Anyway；　I　feel　as　though　I've　been　pulled

through　a　knot…hole；　and　I　don't　careI　don't　careas　the

song　says。〃



When　we　were　stripped　we　were　lowered　gently　into　the

water。　　But　not　long　did　the　_Akka_　let　us　splash　about　the

shallow　basin。　　They　lifted　us　out；　and　from　jars　began　deftly

to　anoint　and　rub　us　with　aromatic　unguents。



I　think　that　in　all　the　medley　of　grotesque；　of　tragic；　of

baffling；　strange　and　perilous　experiences　in　that　under…

ground　world　none　was　more　bizarre　than　thisvaleting。

I　began　to　laugh；　Larry　joined　me；　and　then　Kra　and　Gulk

joined　in　our　merriment　with　deep　batrachian　cachinnations

and　gruntings。　　Then；　having　finished　apparelling　us　and　still

chuckling；　the　two　touched　our　arms　and　led　us　out；　into　a

room　whose　circular　sides　were　ringed　with　soft　divans。　　Still

smiling；　I　sank　at　once　into　sleep。



How　long　I　slumbered　I　do　not　know。　　A　low　and　thunder…

ous　booming　coming　through　the　deep　window　slit；　reverbe…

rated　through　the　room　and　awakened　me。　　Larry　yawned；

arose　briskly。



〃Sounds　as　though　the　bass　drums　of　every　jazz　band　in

New　York　were　serenading　us！〃　he　observed。　　Simultaneously

we　sprang　to　the　window；　peered　through。



We　were　a　little　above　the　level　of　the　bridge；　and　its　full

length　was　plain　before　us。　　Thousands　upon　thousands　of

the　_Akka_　were　crowding　upon　it；　and　far　away　other　hordes

filled　like　a　glittering　thicket　both　sides　of　the　cavern　ledge's

crescent　strand。　　On　black　scale　and　orange　scale　the　crimson

light　fell；　picking　them　off　in　little　flickering　points。



Upon　the　platform　from　which　sprang　the　smaller　span

over　the　abyss　were　Lakla；　Olaf；　and　Rador；　the　handmaiden

clearly　acting　as　interpreter　between　them　and　the　giant　she

had　called　Nak；　the　Frog　King。



〃Come　on！〃　shouted　Larry。



Out　of　the　open　portal　we　ran；　over　the　World　Heart

Bridgeand　straight　into　the　group。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Lakla；　〃I　didn't　want　you　to　wake　up　so　soon；

Larrydarlin'！〃



〃See　here；　_mavourneen_！〃　Indignation　thrilled　in　the　Irish…

man's　voice。　　〃I'm　not　going　to　be　done　up　with　baby…rib…

bons　and　laid　away　in　a　cradle　for　safe…keeping　while　a　fight

is　on；　don't　think　it。　　Why　didn't　you　call　me？〃



〃You　needed　rest！〃　There　was　indomitable　determination

in　the　handmaiden's　tones；　the　eternal　maternal　shining　de…

fiant　from　her　eyes。　　〃You　were　tired　and　you　hurt！　　You

shouldn't　have　got　up！〃



〃Needed　the　rest！〃　groaned　Larry。　　〃Look　here；　Lakla；

what　do　you　think　I　am？〃



〃You're　all　I　have；〃　said　that　maiden　firmly；　〃and　I'm　go…

ing　to　take　care　of　you；　Larrydarlin'！　　Don't　you　ever　think

anything　else。〃



〃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'