the moon pool- 第28部分

CHAPTER　XVIII



The　Amphitheatre　of　Jet



FOR　HOURs　the　black…haired　folk　had　been　streaming　across

the　bridges；　flowing　along　the　promenade　by　scores　and　by

hundreds；　drifting　down　toward　the　gigantic　seven…terraced

temple　whose　interior　I　had　never　as　yet　seen；　and　from

whose　towering　exterior；　indeed；　I　had　always　been　kept　far

enough　awayunobtrusively；　but　none　the　less　decisively

to　prevent　any　real　observation。　　The　structure；　I　had　esti…

mated；　nevertheless；　could　not　reach　less　than　a　thousand

feet　above　its　silvery　base；　and　the　diameter　of　its　circular

foundation　was　about　the　same。



I　wondered　what　was　bringing　the　_ladala_　into　Lora；　and

where　they　were　vanishing。　　All　of　them　were　flower…crowned

with　the　luminous；　lovely　bloomsold　and　young；　slender；

mocking…eyed　girls；　dwarfed　youths；　mothers　with　their

babes；　gnomed　oldsterson　they　poured；　silent　for　the　most

part　and　sullena　sullenness　that　held　acid　bitterness　even

as　their　subtle；　half…sinister；　half…gay　malice　seemed　tem…

pered　into　little　keen…edged　flames；　oddly；　menacingly　de…

fiant。



There　were　many　of　the　green…clad　soldiers　along　the　way；

and　the　garrison　of　the　only　bridge　span　I　could　see　had　cer…

tainly　been　doubled。



Wondering　still；　I　turned　from　my　point　of　observation

and　made　my　way　back　to　our　pavilion；　hoping　that　Larry；

who　had　been　with　Yolara　for　the　past　two　hours；　had　re…

turned。　　Hardly　had　I　reached　it　before　Rador　came　hurrying

up；　in　his　manner　a　curious　exultance　mingled　with　what　in

anyone　else　I　would　have　called　a　decided　nervousness。



〃Come！〃　he　commanded　before　I　could　speak。　　〃The　Coun…

cil　has　made　decisionand　_Larree_　is　awaiting　you。〃



〃What　has　been　decided？〃　I　panted　as　we　sped　along　the

mosaic　path　that　led　to　the　house　of　Yolara。　　〃And　why　is

Larry　awaiting　me？〃



And　at　his　answer　I　felt　my　heart　pause　in　its　beat　and

through　me　race　a　wave　of　mingled　panic　and　eagerness。



〃The　Shining　One　dances！〃　had　answered　the　green　dwarf。

〃And　you　are　to　worship！〃



What　was　this　dancing　of　the　Shining　One；　of　which　so

often　he　had　spoken？



Whatever　my　forebodings；　Larry　evidently　had　none。



〃Great　stuff！〃　he　cried；　when　we　had　met　in　the　great　ante…

chamber　now　empty　of　the　dwarfs。　　〃Hope　it　will　be　worth

seeinghave　to　be　something　damned　good；　though；　to

catch　me；　after　what　I've　seen　of　shows　at　the　front；〃　he

added。



And　remembering；　with　a　little　shock　of　apprehension；

that　he　had　no　knowledge　of　the　Dweller　beyond　my　poor

description　of　itfor　there　are　no　words　actually　to　describe

what　that　miracle　of　interwoven　glory　and　horror　wasI

wondered　what　Larry　O'Keefe　would　say　and　do　when　he

did　behold　it！



Rador　began　to　show　impatience。



〃Come！〃　he　urged。　　〃There　is　much　to　be　doneand　the

time　grows　short！〃



He　led　us　to　a　tiny　fountain　room　in　whose　miniature　pool

the　white　waters　were　concentrated；　pearl…like　and　opales…

cent　in　their　circling　rim。



〃Bathe！〃　he　commanded；　and　set　the　example　by　strip…

ping　himself　and　plunging　within。　　Only　a　minute　or　two　did

the　green　dwarf　allow　us；　and　he　checked　us　as　we　were

about　to　don　our　clothing。



Then；　to　my　intense　embarrassment；　without　warning；　two

of　the　black…haired　girls　entered；　bearing　robes　of　a　peculiar

dull…blue　hue。　　At　our　manifest　discomfort　Rador's　laughter

roared　out。　　He　took　the　garments　from　the　pair；　motioned

them　to　leave　us；　and；　still　laughing；　threw　one　around　me。

Its　texture　was　soft；　but　decidedly　metalliclike　some　blue

metal　spun　to　the　fineness　of　a　spider's　thread。　　The　garment

buckled　tightly　at　the　throat；　was　girdled　at　the　waist；　and；

below　this　cincture；　fell　to　the　floor；　its　folds　being　held　to…

gether　by　a　half…dozen　looped　cords；　from　the　shoulders　a

hood　resembling　a　monk's　cowl。



Rador　cast　this　over　my　head；　it　completely　covered　my

face；　but　was　of　so　transparent　a　texture　that　I　could　see；

though　somewhat　mistily；　through　it。　　Finally　he　handed　us

both　a　pair　of　long　gloves　of　the　same　material　and　high

stockings；　the　feet　of　which　were　glovedfive…toed。



And　again　his　laughter　rang　out　at　our　manifest　surprise。



〃The　priestess　of　the　Shining　One　does　not　altogether

trust　the　Shining　One's　Voice；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃And　these

are　to　guard　against　any　suddenerrors。　　And　fear　not；

Goodwin；〃　he　went　on　kindly。　　〃Not　for　the　Shining　One

itself　would　Yolara　see　harm　come　to　_Larree_　herenor；

because　of　him；　to　you。　　But　I　would　not　stake　much　on　the

great　white　one。　　And　for　him　I　am　sorry；　for　him　I　do　like

well。〃



〃Is　he　to　be　with　us？〃　asked　Larry　eagerly。



〃He　is　to　be　where　we　go；〃　replied　the　dwarf　soberly。



Grimly　Larry　reached　down　and　drew　from　his　uniform　his

automatic。　　He　popped　a　fresh　clip　into　the　pocket　fold　of　his

girdle。　　The　pistol　he　slung　high　up　beneath　his　arm…pit。



The　green　dwarf　looked　at　the　weapon　curiously。　　O'Keefe

tapped　it。



〃This；〃　said　Larry；　〃slays　quicker　than　the　_Keth_I　take

it　so　no　harm　shall　come　to　the　blue…eyed　one　whose　name　is

Olaf。　　If　I　should　raise　itbe　you　not　in　its　way；　Rador！〃　he

added　significantly。



The　dwarf　nodded　again；　his　eyes　sparkling。　　He　thrust　a

hand　out　to　both　of　us。



〃A　change　comes；〃　he　said。　　〃What　it　is　I　know　not；　nor

how　it　will　fall。　　But　this　rememberRador　is　more　friend

to　you　than　you　yet　can　know。　　And　now　let　us　go！〃　he　ended

abruptly。



He　led　us；　not　through　the　entrance；　but　into　a　sloping

passage　ending　in　a　blind　wall；　touched　a　symbol　graven

there；　and　it　opened；　precisely　as　had　the　rosy　barrier　of　the

Moon　Pool　Chamber。　　And；　just　as　there；　but　far　smaller；

was　a　passage　end；　a　low　curved　wall　facing　a　shaft　not　black

as　had　been　that　abode　of　living　darkness；　but　faintly　lumi…

nescent。　　Rador　leaned　over　the　wall。　　The　mechanism　clicked

and　started；　the　door　swung　shut；　the　sides　of　the　car　slipped

into　place；　and　we　swept　swiftly　down　the　passage；　over…

head　the　wind　whistled。　　In　a　few　moments　the　moving　plat…

form　began　to　slow　down。　　It　stopped　in　a　closed　chamber　no

larger　than　itself。



Rador　drew　his　poniard　and　struck　twice　upon　the　wall

with　its　hilt。　　Immediately　a　panel　moved　away；　revealing　a

space　filled　with　faint；　misty　blue　radiance。　　And　at　each　side

of　the　open　portal　stood　four　of　the　dwarfish　men；　grey…

headed；　old；　clad　in　flowing　garments　of　white；　each　point…

ing　toward　us　a　short　silver　rod。



Rador　drew　from　his　girdle　a　ring　and　held　it　out　to　the

first　dwarf。　　He　examined　it；　handed　it　to　the　one　beside　him；

and　not　until　each　had　inspected　the　ring　did　they　lower　their

curious　weapons；　containers　of　that　terrific　energy　they

called　the　_Keth_；　I　thought；　and　later　was　to　know　that　I　had

been　right。



We　stepped　out；　the　doors　closed　behind　us。　　The　place

was　weird　enough。　　Its　pave　was　a　greenish…blue　stone　re…

sembling　lapis　lazuli。　　On　each　side　were　high　pedestals　hold…

ing　carved　figures　of　the　same　material。　　There　were　perhaps

a　score　of　these；　but　in　the　mistiness　I　could　not　make　out

their　outlines。　　A　droning；　rushing　roar　beat　upon　our　ears；

filled　the　whole　cavern。



〃I　smell　the　sea；〃　said　Larry　suddenly。



The　roaring　became　deep…toned；　clamorous；　and　close　in

front　of　us　a　rift　opened。　　Twenty　feet　in　width；　it　cut　the

cavern　floor　and　vanished　into　the　blue　mist　on　each　side。

The　cleft　was　spanned　by　one　solid　slab　of　rock　not　more

than　two　yards　wide。　　It　had　neither　railing　nor　other　protec…

tion。



The　four　leading　priests　marched　out　upon　it　one　by　one；

and　we　followed。　　In　the　middle　of　the　span　they　knelt。　　Ten

feet　beneath　us　was　a　torrent　of　blue　sea…water　racing　with

prodigious　speed　between　polished　walls。　　It　gave　the　impres…

sion　of　vast　depth。　　It　roared　as　it　sped　by；　and　far　to　the　right

was　a　low　arch　through　which　it　disappeared。　　It　was　so　swift

that　its　surface　shone　like　polished　blue　steel；　and　from　it

came　the　blessed；　OUR　WORLDLY；　familiar　ocean　breath　that

strengthened　my　soul　amazingly　and　made　me　realize　how

earth…sick　I　was。



Whence　came　the　stream；　I　marvelled；　forgetting　for　the

moment；　as　we　passed　on　again；　all　else。　　Were　we　closer　to

the　surface　of　earth　than　I　had　thought；　or　was　this　some

mighty　flood　falling　through　an　opening　in　sea　floor；　Heaven

alone　knew　how　many　miles　above　us；　losing　itself　in　deeper

abysses　beyond　these？　　How　near　and　how　far　this　was　from

the　truth　I　was　to　learnand　never　did　truth　come　to　man

in　more　dreadful　guise！



The　roaring　fell　away；　the　blue　haze　lessened。　　In　front　of

us　stretched　a　wide　flight　of　steps；　huge　as　those　which　had

led　us　into　the　courtyard　of　Nan…Tauach　through　the　ruined

sea…gate。　　We　scaled　it；　it　narrowed；　from　above　light　poured

through　a　still　narrower　opening。　　Side　by　side　Larry　and　I

passed　out　of　it。



We　had　emerged　upon　an　enormous　platform　of　what

seemed　to　be　glistening　ivory。　　It　stretched　before　us　for　a

hundred　yards　or　more　and　then　shelved　gently　into　the

white　waters。　　Oppositenot　a　mile　awaywas　that　prodi…

gious　web　of　woven　rainbows　Rador　had　called　the　Veil　of

the　Shining　One。　　There　it　shone　in　all　its　unearthly　grandeur；

on　each　side　of　the　Cyclopean　pillars；　as　though　a　mountain

should　stretch　up　arms　raising　between　them　a　fairy　banner

of　auroral　glories。　　Beneath　it　was　the　curved；　scimitar　sweep

of　the　pier　with　its　clustered；　gleaming　temples。



Before　that　brief；　fascinated　glance　was　done；　there

dropped　upon　my　soul　a　sensation　as　of　brooding　weight　in…

tolerable；　a　spiritual　oppression　as　though　some　vastness　was

falling；　pressing；　stifling　me；　I　turnedand　Larry　caught　me

as　I　reeled。



〃Steady！　　Steady；　old　man！〃　he　whispered。



At　first　all　that　my　staggering　consciousness　could　realize

was　an　immensity；　an　immeasurable　uprearing　that　brought

w