the moon pool-第63部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


of　her　guards。　　A　dwarf　raced　back　between　the　palisades　of

dead…alive。



Now　the　priestess　cried　out；　her　voice　ringing　like　a　silver

clarion。



〃Ye　are　done；　ye　Three！　　The　Shining　One　stands　at　your

door；　demanding　entrance。　　Your　beasts　are　slain　and　your

power　is　gone。　　Who　are　ye；　says　the　Shining　One；　to　deny

it　entrance　to　the　place　of　its　birth？〃



〃Ye　do　not　answer；〃　she　cried　again；　〃yet　know　we　that

ye　hear！　　The　Shining　One　offers　these　terms：　Send　forth　your

handmaiden　and　that　lying　stranger　she　stole；　send　them

forth　to　usand　perhaps　ye　may　live。　　But　if　ye　send　them

not　forth；　then　shall　ye　too　dieand　soon！〃



We　waited；　silent；　even　as　did　Yolaraand　again　there

was　no　answer　from　the　Three。



The　priestess　laughed；　the　blue　eyes　flashed。



〃It　is　ended！〃　she　cried。　　〃If　you　will　not　open；　needs　must

we　open　for　you！〃



Over　the　bridge　was　marching　a　long　double　file　of　the

dwarfs。　　They　bore　a　smoothed　and　handled　tree…trunk　whose

head　was　knobbed　with　a　huge　hall　of　metal。　　Past　the　priest…

ess；　past　the　Shining　One；　they　carried　it；　fifty　of　them　to

each　side　of　the　ram；　and　behind　them　steppedMarakin…

off！



Larry　awoke　to　life。



〃Now；　thank　God；〃　he　rasped；　〃I　can　get　that　devil；　any…

way！〃



He　drew　his　pistol；　took　careful　aim。　　Even　as　he　pressed

the　trigger　there　rang　through　the　abode　a　tremendous

clanging。　　The　ram　was　battering　at　the　gates。　　O'Keefe's　bul…

let　went　wild。　　The　Russian　must　have　heard　the　shot；　per…

haps　the　missile　was　closer　than　we　knew。　　He　made　a　swift

leap　behind　the　guards；　was　lost　to　sight。



Once　more　the　thunderous　clanging　rang　through　the

castle。



Lakla　drew　herself　erect；　down　upon　her　dropped　the

listening　aloofness。　　Gravely　she　bowed　her　head。



〃It　is　time；　O　love　of　mine。〃　She　turned　to　O'Keefe。　　〃The

Silent　Ones　say　that　the　way　of　fear　is　closed；　but　the　way

of　love　is　open。　　They　call　upon　us　to　redeem　our　promise！〃



For　a　hundred　heart…beats　they　clung　to　each　other；　breast

to　breast　and　lip　to　lip。　　Below；　the　clangour　was　increasing；

the　great　trunk　swinging　harder　and　faster　upon　the　metal

gates。　　Now　Lakla　gently　loosed　the　arms　of　the　O'Keefe；　and

for　another　instant　those　two　looked　into　each　other's　souls。

The　handmaiden　smiled　tremulously。



〃I　would　it　might　have　been　otherwise；　Larry　darlin'；〃

she　whispered。　　〃But　at　leastwe　pass　together；　dearest　of

mine！〃



She　leaped　to　the　window。



〃Yolara！〃　the　golden　voice　rang　out　sweetly。　　The　clang…

ing　ceased。　　〃Draw　back　your　men。　　We　open　the　Portal　and

come　forth　to　you　and　the　Shining　OneLarry　and　I。〃



The　priestess's　silver　chimes　of　laughter　rang　out；　cruel；

mocking。



〃Come；　then；　quickly；〃　she　jeered。　　〃For　surely　both　the

Shining　One　and　I　yearn　for　you！〃　Her　malice…laden　laughter

chimed　high　once　more。　　〃Keep　us　not　lonely　long！〃　the

priestess　mocked。



Larry　drew　a　deep　breath；　stretched　both　hands　out　to　me。



〃It's　good…by；　I　guess；　Doc。〃　His　voice　was　strained。

〃Good…by　and　good　luck；　old　boy。　　If　you　get　out；　and　you

WILL；　let　the　old　_Dolphin_　know　I'm　gone。　　And　carry　on；　pal

and　always　remember　the　O'Keefe　loved　you　like　a

brother。〃



I　squeezed　his　hands　desperately。　　Then　out　of　my　balance…

shaking　woe　a　strange　comfort　was　born。



〃Maybe　it's　not　good…by；　Larry！〃　I　cried。　　〃The　banshee　has

not　cried！〃



A　flash　of　hope　passed　over　his　face；　the　old　reckless　grin

shone　forth。



〃It's　so！〃　he　said。　　〃By　the　Lord；　it's　so！〃



Then　Lakla　bent　toward　me；　and　for　the　second　time

kissed　me。



〃Come！〃　she　said　to　Larry。　　Hand　in　hand　they　moved

away；　into　the　corridor　that　led　to　the　door　outside　of　which

waited　the　Shining　One　and　its　priestess。



And　unseen　by　them；　wrapped　as　they　were　within　their

love　and　sacrifice；　I　crept　softly　behind。　　For　I　had　deter…

mined　that　if　enter　the　Dweller's　embrace　they　must；　they

should　not　go　alone。



They　paused　before　the　Golden　Portals；　the　handmaiden

pressed　its　opening　lever；　the　massive　leaves　rolled　back。



Heads　high；　proudly；　serenely；　they　passed　through　and

out　upon　the　hither　span。　　I　followed。



On　each　side　of　us　stood　the　Dweller's　slaves；　faces　turned

rigidly　toward　their　master。　　A　hundred　feet　away　the　Shin…

ing　One　pulsed　and　spiralled　in　its　evilly　glorious　lambency

of　sparkling　plumes。



Unhesitating；　always　with　that　same　high　serenity；　Lakla

and　the　O'Keefe；　hands　clasped　like　little　children；　drew

closer　to　that　wondrous　shape。　　I　could　not　see　their　faces；

but　I　saw　awe　fall　upon　those　of　the　watching　dwarfs；　and

into　the　burning　eyes　of　Yolara　crept　a　doubt。　　Closer　they

drew　to　the　Dweller；　and　closer；　I　following　them　step　by

step。　　The　Shining　One's　whirling　lessened；　its　tinklings　were

faint；　almost　stilled。　　It　seemed　to　watch　them　apprehensively。

A　silence　fell　upon　us　all；　a　thick　silence；　brooding；　ominous；

palpable。　　Now　the　pair　were　face　to　face　with　the　child　of

the　Threeso　near　that　with　one　of　its　misty　tentacles　it

could　have　enfolded　them。



And　the　Shining　One　drew　back！



Yes；　drew　backand　back　with　it　stepped　Yolara；　the

doubt　in　her　eyes　deepening。　　Onward　paced　the　handmaiden

and　the　O'Keefeand　step　by　step；　as　they　advanced；　the

Dweller　withdrew；　its　bell　notes　chiming　out；　puzzled　ques…

tioninghalf　fearful！



And　back　it　drew；　and　back　until　it　had　reached　the　very

centre　of　that　platform　over　the　abyss　in　whose　depths　pulsed

the　green　fires　of　earth　heart。　　And　there　Yolara　gripped　her…

self；　the　hell　that　seethed　within　her　soul　leaped　out　of　her

eyes；　a　cry；　a　shriek　of　rage；　tore　from　her　lips。



As　at　a　signal；　the　Shining　One　flamed　high；　its　spirals　and

eddying　mists　swirled　madly；　the　pulsing　core　of　it　blazed

radiance。　　A　score　of　coruscating　tentacles　swept　straight

upon　the　pair　who　stood　intrepid；　unresisting；　awaiting　its

embrace。　　And　upon　me；　lurking　behind　them。



Through　me　swept　a　mighty　exaltation。　　It　was　the　end

thenand　I　was　to　meet　it　with　them。



Something　drew　us　back；　back　with　an　incredible　swift…

ness；　and　yet　as　gently　as　a　summer　breeze　sweeps　a　bit　of

thistle…down！　　Drew　us　back　from　those　darting　misty　arms

even　as　they　were　a　hair…breadth　from　us！　　I　heard　the　Dwel…

ler's　bell　notes　burst　out　ragingly！　　I　heard　Yolara　scream。



What　was　that？



Between　the　three　of　us　and　them　was　a　ring　of　curdled

moon　flames；　swirling　about　the　Shining　One　and　its　priest…

ess；　pressing　in　upon　them；　enfolding　them！



And　within　it　I　glimpsed　the　faces　of　the　Threeimplac…

able；　sorrowful；　filled　with　a　supernal　power！



Sparks　and　flashes　of　white　flame　darted　from　the　ring；

penetrating　the　radiant　swathings　of　the　Dweller；　striking

through　its　pulsing　nucleus；　piercing　its　seven　crowning　orbs。



Now　the　Shining　One's　radiance　began　to　dim；　the　seven

orbs　to　dull；　the　tiny　sparkling　filaments　that　ran　from　them

down　into　the　Dweller's　body　snapped；　vanished！　　Through

the　battling　nebulosities　Yolara's　face　swam　forthhorror…

filled；　distorted；　inhuman！



The　ranks　of　the　dead…alive　quivered；　moved；　writhed；　as

though　each　felt　the　torment　of　the　Thing　that　had　enslaved

them。　　The　radiance　that　the　Three　wielded　grew　more　in…

tense；　thicker；　seemed　to　expand。　　Within　it；　suddenly；　were

scores　of　flaming　trianglesscores　of　eyes　like　those　of　the

Silent　Ones！



And　the　Shining　One's　seven　little　moons　of　amber；　of

silver；　of　blue　and　amethyst　and　green；　of　rose　and　white；

split；　shattered；　were　gone！　　Abruptly　the　tortured　crystal

chimings　ceased。



Dulled；　all　its　soul…shaking　beauty　dead；　blotched　and

shadowed　squalidly；　its　gleaming　plumes　tarnished；　its　dan…

cing　spirals　stripped　from　it；　that　which　had　been　the　Shin…

ing　One　wrapped　itself　about　Yolarawrapped　and　drew

her　into　itself；　writhed；　swayed；　and　hurled　itself　over　the

edge　of　the　bridgedown；　down　into　the　green　fires　of　the

unfathomable　abysswith　its　priestess　still　enfolded　in　its

coils！



From　the　dwarfs　who　had　watched　that　terror　came


screams　of　panic　fear。　　They　turned　and　ran；　racing　franti…

cally　over　the　bridge　toward　the　cavern　mouth。



The　serried　ranks　of　the　dead…alive　trembled；　shook。　　Then

from　their　faces　tied　the　horror　of　wedded　ecstasy　and　an…

guish。　　Peace；　utter　peace；　followed　in　its　wake。



And　as　fields　of　wheat　are　bent　and　fall　beneath　the　wind；

they　fell。　　No　longer　dead…alive；　now　all　of　the　blessed　dead；

freed　from　their　dreadful　slavery！



Abruptly　from　the　sparkling　mists　the　cloud　of　eyes　was

gone。　　Faintly　revealed　in　them　were　only　the　heads　of　the

Silent　Ones。　　And　they　drew　before　us；　were　before　us！　　No

flames　now　in　their　ebon　eyesfor　the　flickering　fires　were

quenched　in　great　tears；　streaming　down　the　marble　white

faces。　　They　bent　toward　us；　over　us；　their　radiance　enfolded

us。　My　eyes　darken