the moon pool- 第27部分

interested。　　I　wondered　if　the　Russian　had　told　him　as　yet　of

the　girl　of　the　rosy　wall　of　the　Moon　Pool　Chamber　and　the

real　reasons　for　our　search。　　Then　I　answered　as　briefly　as

possibleomitting　all　reference　to　these　things。　　The　red

dwarf　watched　me　with　unmistakable　amusementand　I

knew　Marakinoff　had　told　him。　　But　clearly　Lugur　had　kept

his　information　even　from　Yolara；　and　as　clearly　she　had

spoken　to　none　of　that　episode　when　O'Keefe's　automatic

had　shattered　the　Keth…smitten　vase。　　Again　I　felt　that　sense

of　deep　bewildermentof　helpless　search　for　clue　to　all　the

tangle。



For　two　hours　we　were　questioned　and　then　the　priestess

called　Rador　and　let　us　go。



Larry　was　sombre　as　we　returned。　　He　walked　about　the

room　uneasily。



〃Hell's　brewing　here　all　right；〃　he　said　at　last；　stopping

before　me。　　〃I　can't　make　out　just　the　particular　brand

that's　all　that　bothers　me。　　We're　going　to　have　a　stiff　fight；

that's　sure。　　What　I　want　to　do　quick　is　to　find　the　Golden

Girl；　Doc。　　Haven't　seen　her　on　the　wall　lately；　have　you？〃

he　queried；　hopefully　fantastic。



〃Laugh　if　you　want　to；〃　he　went　on。　　〃But　she's　our　best

bet。　　It's　going　to　be　a　race　between　her　and　the　O'Keefe

bansheebut　I　put　my　money　on　her。　　I　had　a　queer　experi…

ence　while　I　was　in　that　garden；　after　you'd　left。〃　His　voice

grew　solemn。　　〃Did　you　ever　see　a　leprechaun；　Doc？〃　I　shook

my　head　again；　as　solemnly。　　〃He's　a　little　man　in　green；〃

said　Larry。　　〃Oh；　about　as　high　as　your　knee。　　I　saw　one　once

in　Carntogher　Woods。　　And　as　I　sat　there；　half　asleep；　in

Yolara's　garden；　the　living　spit　of　him　stepped　out　from　one

of　those　bushes；　twirling　a　little　shillalah。



〃'It's　a　tight　box　ye're　gettin'　in；　Larry　avick；'　said　he；

'but　don't　ye　be　downhearted；　lad。'



〃'I'm　carrying　on；'　said　I；　'but　you're　a　long　way　from

Ireland；'　I　said；　or　thought　I　did。



〃'Ye've　a　lot　o'　friends　there；'　he　answered。　　'An'　where

the　heart　rests　the　feet　are　swift　to　follow。　　Not　that　I'm

sayin'　I'd　like　to　live　here；　Larry；'　said　he。



〃'I　know　where　my　heart　is　now；'　I　told　him。　　'It　rests　on

a　girl　with　golden　eyes　and　the　hair　and　swan…white　breast

of　Eilidh　the　Fairbut　me　feet　don't　seem　to　get　me　to　her；'

I　said。〃



The　brogue　thickened。



〃An'　the　little　man　in　green　nodded　his　head　an'　whirled

his　shillalah。



〃'It's　what　I　came　to　tell　ye；'　says　he。　　'Don't　ye　fall　for

the　Bhean…Nimher；　the　serpent　woman　wit'　the　blue　eyes；

she's　a　daughter　of　Ivor；　ladan'　don't　ye　do　nothin'　to　make

the　brown…haired　coleen　ashamed　o'　ye；　Larry　O'Keefe。　　I

knew　yer　great；　great　grandfather　an'　his　before　him；　aroon；'

says　he；　'an'　wan　o'　the　O'Keefe　failin's　is　to　think　their

hearts　big　enough　to　hold　all　the　wimmen　o'　the　world。　　A

heart's　built　to　hold　only　wan　permanently；　Larry；'　he　says；

'an'　I'm　warnin'　ye　a　nice　girl　don't　like　to　move　into　a　place

all　cluttered　up　wid　another's　washin'　an'　mendin'　an'

cookin'　an'　other　things　pertainin'　to　general　wife　work。　　Not

that　I　think　the　blue…eyed　wan　is　keen　for　mendin'　an'

cookin'！'　says　he。



〃'You　don't　have　to　be　comin'　all　this　way　to　tell　me

that；'　I　answer。



〃'Well；　I'm　just　a　tellin'　you；'　he　says。　　'Ye've　got　some

rough　knocks　comin'；　Larry。　　In　fact；　ye're　in　for　a　devil　of　a

time。　　But；　remember　that　ye're　the　O'Keefe；'　says　he。　　'An'

while　the　bhoys　are　all　wid　ye；　avick；　ye've　got　to　be　on　the

job　yourself。'



〃'I　hope；'　I　tell　him；　'that　the　O'Keefe　banshee　can　find

her　way　here　in　timethat　is；　if　it's　necessary；　which　I　hope

it　won't　be。'



〃'Don't　ye　worry　about　that；'　says　he。　　'Not　that　she's

keen　on　leavin'　the　ould　sod；　Larry。　　The　good　ould　soul's　in

quite　a　state　o'　mind　about　ye；　aroon。　　I　don't　mind　tellin'　ye；

lad；　that　she's　mobilizing　all　the　clan　an'　if　she　HAS　to　come

for　ye；　avick；　they'll　be　wid　her　an'　they'll　sweep　this　joint

clean　before　ye　go。　　What　they'll　do　to　it'll　make　the　Big　Wind

look　like　a　summer　breeze　on　Lough　Lene！　　An'　that's　about

all；　Larry。　　We　thought　a　voice　from　the　Green　Isle　would

cheer　ye。　　Don't　fergit　that　ye're　the　O'Keefe　an'　I　say　it

againall　the　bhoys　are　wid　ye。　　But　we　want　t'　kape　bein'

proud　o'　ye；　lad！'



〃An'　I　looked　again　and　there　was　only　a　bush　waving。〃



There　wasn't　a　smile　in　my　heartor　if　there　was　it　was

a　very　tender　one。



〃I'm　going　to　bed；〃　he　said　abruptly。　　〃Keep　an　eye　on　the

wall；　Doc！〃



Between　the　seven　sleeps　that　followed；　Larry　and　I　saw

but　little　of　each　other。　　Yolara　sought　him　more　and　more。

Thrice　we　were　called　before　the　Council；　once　we　were　at　a

great　feast；　whose　splendours　and　surprises　I　can　never　for…

get。　　Largely　I　was　in　the　company　of　Rador。　　Together　we

two　passed　the　green　barriers　into　the　dwellingplace　of　the

ladala。



They　seemed　provided　with　everything　needful　for　life。

But　everywhere　was　an　oppressiveness；　a　gathering　together

of　hate；　that　was　spiritual　rather　than　materialas　tangible

as　the　latter　and　far；　far　more　menacing！



〃They　do　not　like　to　dance　with　the　Shining　One；〃　was

Rador's　constant　and　only　reply　to　my　efforts　to　find　the

cause。



Once　I　had　concrete　evidence　of　the　mood。　　Glancing　be…

hind　me；　I　saw　a　white；　vengeful　face　peer　from　behind　a

tree…trunk；　a　hand　lift；　a　shining　dart　speed　from　it　straight

toward　Rador's　back。　　Instinctively　I　thrust　him　aside。　　He

turned　upon　me　angrily。　　I　pointed　to　where　the　little　missile

lay；　still　quivering；　on　the　ground。　　He　gripped　my　hand。



〃That；　some　day　I　will　repay！〃　he　said。　　I　looked　again　at

the　thing。　　At　its　end　was　a　tiny　cone　covered　with　a　glisten…


ing；　gelatinous　substance。



Rador　pulled　from　a　tree　beside　us　a　fruit　somewhat　like

an　apple。



〃Look！〃　he　said。　　He　dropped　it　upon　the　dartand　at

once；　before　my　eyes；　in　less　than　ten　seconds；　the　fruit　had

rotted　away！



〃That's　what　would　have　happened　to　Rador　but　for　you；

friend！〃　he　said。



Come　now　between　this　and　the　prelude　to　the　latter　half

of　the　drama　whose　history　this　narrative　isonly　scattering

and　necessarily　fragmentary　observations。



Firstthe　nature　of　the　ebon　opacities；　blocking　out　the

spaces　between　the　pavilion…pillars　or　covering　their　tops　like

roofs；　These　were　magnetic　fields；　light　absorbers；　negativ…

ing　the　vibrations　of　radiance；　literally　screens　of　electric

force　which　formed　as　impervious　a　barrier　to　light　as　would

have　screens　of　steel。



They　instantaneously　made　night　appear　in　a　place　where

no　night　was。　　But　they　interposed　no　obstacle　to　air　or　to

sound。　　They　were　extremely　simple　in　their　inceptionno

more　miraculous　than　is　glass；　which；　inversely；　admits　the

vibrations　of　light；　but　shuts　out　those　coarser　ones　we　call

airand；　partly；　those　others　which　produce　upon　our　audi…

tory　nerves　the　effects　we　call　sound。



Briefly　their　mechanism　was　this：





＇For　the　same　reason　that　Dr。　Goodwin's　exposition

of　the　mechanism　of　the　atomic　engines　was　deleted；

his　description　of　the　light…destroying　screens　has　been

deleted　by　the　Executive　Council。J。　B。　F。；　President；

I。　A。　of　S。＇







There　were　two　favoured　classes　of　the　ladalathe

soldiers　and　the　dream…makers。　　The　dream…makers　were　the

most　astonishing　social　phenomena；　I　think；　of　all。　　Denied

by　their　circumscribed　environment　the　wider　experiences　of

us　of　the　outer　world；　the　Murians　had　perfected　an　amaz…

ing　system　of　escape　through　the　imagination。



They　were；　too；　intensely　musical。　　Their　favourite　instru…

ments　were　double　flutes；　immensely　complex　pipe…organs；

harps；　great　and　small。　　They　had　another　remarkable　in…

strument　made　up　of　a　double　octave　of　small　drums　which

gave　forth　percussions　remarkably　disturbing　to　the　emo…

tional　centres。



It　was　this　love　of　music　that　gave　rise　to　one　of　the　few

truly　humorous　incidents　of　our　caverned　life。　　Larry　came

to　meit　was　just　after　our　fourth　sleep；　I　remember。



〃Come　on　to　a　concert；〃　he　said。



We　skimmed　off　to　one　of　the　bridge　garrisons。　　Rador

called　the　two…score　guards　to　attention；　and　then；　to　my

utter　stupefaction；　the　whole　company；　O'Keefe　leading

them；　roared　out　the　anthem；　〃God　Save　the　King。〃　　They

sangin　a　closer　approach　to　the　English　than　might　have

been　expected　scores　of　miles　below　England's　level。　　〃Send

him　victorious！　　Happy　and　glorious！〃　they　bellowed。



He　quivered　with　suppressed　mirth　at　my　paralysis　of

surprise。



〃Taught　'em　that　for　Marakinoff's　benefit！〃　he　gasped。

〃Wait　till　that　Red　hears　it。　　He'll　blow　up。



〃Just　wait　until　you　hear　Yolara　lisp　a　pretty　little　thing　I

taught　her；〃　said　Larry　as　we　set　back　for　what　we　now

called　home。　　There　was　an　impish　twinkle　in　his　eyes。



And　I　did　hear。　　For　it　was　not　many　minutes　later　that　the

priestess　condescended　to　command　me　to　come　to　her　with

O'Keefe。



〃Show　Goodwin　how　much　you　have　learned　of　our

speech；　O　lady　of　the　lips　of　honeyed　flame！〃　murmured

Larry。



She　hesitated；　smiled　at　him；　and　then　from　that　perfect

mouth；　out　of　the　exquisite　throat；　in　the　voice　that　was　like

the　chiming　of　little　silver　bells；　she　trilled　a　melody　familiar

to　me　indeed：





〃She's　only　a　bird　in　a　gilded　cage；

　　A　bee…yu…tiful　sight　to　see〃





And　so　on　to　the　bitter　end。



〃She　thinks　it's　a　love…song；〃　said　Larry　when　we　had　left。

〃It's　only　part　of　a　repertoire　I'm　teaching　her。　　Honestly；

Doc；　it's　the　only　way　I　can　keep　my　mind　clear　when　I'm

with　her；〃　he　went　on　earnestly。　　〃She's　a　devil…ess　from　hell

but　a　wonder。　　Whenever　I　find　myself　going　I　get　her　to

sing　that；　or　Take　Back　Your　Gold！　　or　some　other　ancient

lay；　and　I'm　back　againprontowith　the　right　perspective！

POP　goes　all　the　mystery！　　'Hell！'　I　say；　'she's　only　a　woman！'〃











CHAPTER　XVIII



The　Amphitheatre　of　Jet



FOR　HO