the moon pool- 第39部分

Its　base　was　a　flat　strip　of　pathway　a　yard　wide　from　which

the　walls　curved　out　in　perfect　cylindrical　form；　smoothed

and　evened　with　utmost　nicety。　　Thirty　feet　wide　they　were　at

their　widest；　then　drew　toward　each　other　with　no　break　in

their　symmetry；　they　did　not　close。　　Above　was；　roughly；　a

ten…foot　rift；　ragged　edged；　through　which　poured　light　like

that　in　the　heart　of　pale　amber；　a　buttercup　light　shot

through　with　curiously　evanescent　bronze　shadows。



〃Quick！〃　commanded　Rador；　uneasily；　and　set　off　at　a

sharp　pace。



Now；　my　eyes　accustomed　to　the　strange　light；　I　saw　that

the　tunnel's　walls　were　of　moss。　　In　them　I　could　trace　fringe

leaf　and　curly　leaf；　pressings　of　enormous　bladder　caps

（Physcomitrium）；　immense　splashes　of　what　seemed　to　be

the　scarlet…crested　Cladonia；　traceries　of　huge　moss　veils；

crushings　of　teeth　（peristome）　gigantic；　spore　cases　brown

and　white；　saffron　and　ivory；　hot　vermilions　and　cerulean

blues；　pressed　into　an　astounding　mosaic　by　some　titanic

force。



〃Hurry！〃　It　was　Rador　calling。　　I　had　lagged　behind。



He　quickened　the　pace　to　a　half…run；　we　were　climbing；

panting。　　The　amber　light　grew　stronger；　the　rift　above　us

wider。　　The　tunnel　curved；　on　the　left　a　narrow　cleft　ap…

peared。　　The　green　dwarf　leaped　toward　it；　thrust　us　within；

pushed　us　ahead　of　him　up　a　steep　rocky　fissurewell…nigh；

indeed；　a　chimney。　　Up　and　up　this　we　scrambled　until　my

lungs　were　bursting　and　I　thought　I　could　climb　no　more。

The　crevice　ended；　we　crawled　out　and　sank；　even　Rador；

upon　a　little　leaf…carpeted　clearing　circled　by　lacy　tree　ferns。



Gasping；　legs　aching；　we　lay　prone；　relaxed；　drawing　back

strength　and　breath。　　Rador　was　first　to　rise。　　Thrice　he　bent

low　as　in　homage；　then



〃Give　thanks　to　the　Silent　Onesfor　their　power　has　been

over　us！〃　he　exclaimed。



Dimly　I　wondered　what　he　meant。　　Something　about　the

fern　leaf　at　which　I　had　been　staring　aroused　me。　　I　leaped　to

my　feet　and　ran　to　its　base。　　This　was　no　fern；　no！　　It　was　fern

MOSS！　　The　largest　of　its　species　I　had　ever　found　in　tropic

jungles　had　not　been　more　than　two　inches　high；　and　this

wastwenty　feet！　　The　scientific　fire　I　had　experienced　in　the

tunnel　returned　uncontrollable。　　I　parted　the　fronds；　gazed　out



My　outlook　commanded　a　vista　of　milesand　that　vista！

A　_Fata　Morgana_　of　plantdom！　　A　land　of　flowered　sorcery！



Forests　of　tree…high　mosses　spangled　over　with　blooms　of

every　conceivable　shape　and　colour；　cataracts　and　clusters；

avalanches　and　nets　of　blossoms　in　pastels；　in　dulled　metal…

lics；　in　gorgeous　flamboyant　hues；　some　of　them　phosphor…

escent　and　shining　like　living　jewels；　some　sparkling　as

though　with　dust　of　opals；　of　sapphires；　of　rubies　and　topazes

and　emeralds；　thickets　of　convolvuli　like　the　trumpets　of　the

seven　archangels　of　Mara；　king　of　illusion；　which　are　shaped

from　the　bows　of　splendours　arching　his　highest　heaven！



And　moss　veils　like　banners　of　a　marching　host　of　Titans；

pennons　and　bannerets　of　the　sunset；　gonfalons　of　the　Jinn；

webs　of　faery；　oriflammes　of　elfland！



Springing　up　through　that　polychromatic　flood　myriads　of

pediclesslender　and　straight　as　spears；　or　soaring　in　spirals；

or　curving　with　undulations　gracile　as　the　white　serpents　of

Tanit　in　ancient　Carthaginian　grovesand　all　surmounted

by　a　fantasy　of　spore　cases　in　shapes　of　minaret　and　turret；

domes　and　spires　and　cones；　caps　of　Phrygia　and　bishops'

mitres；　shapes　grotesque　and　unnameableshapes　delicate

and　lovely！



They　hung　high　poised；　nodding　and　swayinglike　gob…

lins　hovering　over　_Titania's_　court；　cacophony　of　Cathay　ac…

centing　the　_Flower　Maiden_　music　of　〃Parsifal〃；　_bizarrerie_

of　the　angled；　fantastic　beings　that　people　the　Javan　pan…

theon　watching　a　bacchanal　of　houris　in　Mohammed's　para…

dise！



Down　upon　it　all　poured　the　amber　light；　dimmed　in　the

distances　by　huge；　drifting　darkenings　lurid　as　the　flying

mantles　of　the　hurricane。



And　through　the　light；　like　showers　of　jewels；　myriads　of

birds；　darting；　dipping；　soaring；　and　still　other　myriads　of

gigantic；　shimmering　butterflies。



A　sound　came　to　us；　reaching　out　like　the　first　faint　susur…

rus　of　the　incoming　tide；　sighing；　sighing；　growing　stronger

now　its　mournful　whispering　quivered　all　about　us；　shook

usthen　passing　like　a　Presence；　died　away　in　far　distances。



〃The　Portal！〃　said　Rador。　　〃Lugur　has　entered！〃



He；　too；　parted　the　fronds　and　peered　back　along　our

path。　　Peering　with　him　we　saw　the　barrier　through　which　we

had　come　stretching　verdure…covered　walls　for　miles　three　or

more　away。　　Like　a　mole　burrow　in　a　garden　stretched　the

trail　of　the　tunnel；　here　and　there　we　could　look　down

within　the　rift　at　its　top；　far　off　in　it　I　thought　I　saw　the　glint

of　spears。



〃They　come！〃　whispered　Rador。　　〃Quick！　　We　must　not

meet　them　here！〃



And　then



〃Holy　St。　Brigid！〃　gasped　Larry。



From　the　rift　in　the　tunnel's　continuation；　nigh　a　mile

beyond　the　cleft　through　which　we　had　fled；　lifted　a　crown

of　hornsof　tentacleserect；　alert；　of　mottled　gold　and

crimson；　lifted　higherand　from　a　monstrous　scarlet　head

beneath　them　blazed　two　enormous；　obloid　eyes；　their　depths

wells　of　purplish　phosphorescence；　higher　stillnoseless；

earless；　chinless；　a　livid；　worm　mouth　from　which　a　slender

scarlet　tongue　leaped　like　playing　flames！　　Slowly　it　rose

its　mighty　neck　cuirassed　with　gold　and　scarlet　scales　from

whose　polished　surfaces　the　amber　light　glinted　like　flakes

of　fire；　and　under　this　neck　shimmered　something　like　a

palely　luminous　silvery　shield；　guarding　it。　　The　head　of　hor…

ror　mountedand　in　the　shield's　centre；　full　ten　feet　across；

glowing；　flickering；　shining　outcoldly；　was　a　rose　of　white

flame；　a　〃flower　of　cold　fire〃　even　as　Rador　had　said。



Now　swiftly　the　Thing　upreared；　standing　like　a　scaled

tower　a　hundred　feet　above　the　rift；　its　eyes　scanning　that

movement　I　had　seen　along　the　course　of　its　lair。　　There　was

a　hissing；　the　crown　of　horns　fell；　whipped　and　writhed　like

the　tentacles　of　an　octopus；　the　towering　length　dropped

back。



〃Quick！〃　gasped　Rador　and　through　the　fern　moss；　along

the　path　and　down　the　other　side　of　the　steep　we　raced。



Behind　us　for　an　instant　there　was　a　rushing　as　of　a　tor…

rent；　a　far…away；　faint；　agonized　screamingsilence！



〃No　fear　NOW　from　those　who　followed；〃　whispered　the

green　dwarf；　pausing。



〃Sainted　St。　Patrick！〃　O'Keefe　gazed　ruminatively　at　his

automatic。　　〃An'　he　expected　me　to　kill　THAT　with　this。　　Well；

as　Fergus　O'Connor　said　when　they　sent　him　out　to　slaugh…

ter　a　wild　bull　with　a　potato　knife：　'Ye'll　niver　rayilize　how

I　appreciate　the　confidence　ye　show　in　me！'



〃What　was　it；　Doc？〃　he　asked。



〃The　dragon　worm！〃　Rador　said。



〃It　was　Helvede　Ormthe　hell　worm！〃　groaned　Olaf。



〃There　you　go　again〃　blazed　Larry；　but　the　green　dwarf

was　hurrying　down　the　path　and　swiftly　we　followed；　Larry

muttering；　Olaf　mumbling；　behind　me。



The　green　dwarf　was　signalling　us　for　caution。　　He　pointed

through　a　break　in　a　grove　of　fifty…foot　cedar　mosseswe

were　skirting　the　glassy　road！　　Scanning　it　we　found　no　trace

of　Lugur　and　wondered　whether　he　too　had　seen　the　worm

and　had　fled。　　Quickly　we　passed　on；　drew　away　from　the

_coria_　path。　　The　mosses　began　to　thin；　less　and　less　they　grew；

giving　way　to　low　clumps　that　barely　offered　us　shelter。

Unexpectedly　another　screen　of　fern　moss　stretched　before

us。　Slowly　Rador　made　his　way　through　it　and　stood　hesitat…

ing。



The　scene　in　front　of　us　was　oddly　weird　and　depressing；

in　some　indefinable　waydreadful。　　Why；　I　could　not　tell；

but　the　impression　was　plain；　I　shrank　from　it。　　Then；　self…

analyzing；　I　wondered　whether　it　could　be　the　uncanny　re…

semblance　the　heaps　of　curious　mossy　fungi　scattered　about

had　to　beast　and　birdyes；　and　to　manthat　was　the　cause

of　it。　　Our　path　ran　between　a　few　of　them。　　To　the　left　they

were　thick。　　They　were　viridescent；　almost　metallic　hued

verd…antique。　　Curiously　indeed　were　they　like　distorted

images　of　dog　and　deerlike　forms；　of　birdsof　DWARFS　and

here　and　there　the　simulacra　of　the　giant　frogs！　　Spore　cases；

yellowish　green；　as　large　as　mitres　and　much　resembling　them

in　shape　protruded　from　the　heaps。　　My　repulsion　grew　into

a　distinct　nausea。



Rador　turned　to　us　a　face　whiter　far　than　that　with　which

he　had　looked　upon　the　dragon　worm。



〃Now　for　your　lives；〃　he　whispered；　〃tread　softly　here　as

I　doand　speak　not　at　all！〃



He　stepped　forward　on　tiptoe；　slowly　with　utmost　caution。

We　crept　after　him；　passed　the　heaps　beside　the　pathand

as　I　passed　my　skin　crept　and　I　shrank　and　saw　the　others

shrink　too　with　that　unnameable　loathing；　nor　did　the　green

dwarf　pause　until　he　had　reached　the　brow　of　a　small　hillock

a　hundred　yards　beyond。　　And　he　was　trembling。



〃Now　what　are　we　up　against？〃　grumbled　O'Keefe。



The　green　dwarf　stretched　a　hand；　stiffened；　gazed　over

to　the　left　of　us　beyond　a　lower　hillock　upon　whose　broad

crest　lay　a　file　of　the　moss　shapes。　　They　fringed　it；　their

mitres　having　a　grotesque　appearance　of　watching　what　lay

below。　　The　glistening　road　lay　thereand　from　it　came　a

shout。　　A　dozen　of　the　_coria_　clustered；　filled　with　Lugur's

men　and　in　one　of　them　Lugur　himself；　laughing　wickedly！



There　was　a　rush　of　soldiers　and　up　the　low　hillock　raced

a　score　of　them　toward　us。



〃Run！〃　shouted　Rador。



〃Not　much！〃　grunted　Larryand　took　swift　aim　at　Lugur。

The　automatic　spat：　Olaf's　echoed。　　Both　bullets　went　wild；

for　Lugur；　still　laughing；　threw　himself　into　the　protection　of

the　body　of　his　shell。　　But　following　the　shots；　from　the　file

of　moss　heaps　on　the　crest；　came　a　series　of　muffled　explo…

sions。　　Under　the　pistol's　concussions　the　mitred　caps　had

burst　and　instantly　all　about　the　running　soldiers　grew