the moon pool- 第59部分

My　foot；　darting　out　behind　me；　touched　vacancy。　　The

roaring　of　the　racing　stream　deafened　me。　　I　felt　its　mists

about　me；　threw　myself　forward。



I　was　fallingfallingwith　the　Russian's　hand　strangling

me。　I　struck　water；　sank；　the　hands　that　gripped　my　throat

relaxed　for　a　moment　their　clutch。　　I　strove　to　writhe　loose；

felt　that　I　was　being　hurled　with　dreadful　speed　onfull

realization　cameon　the　breast　of　that　racing　torrent　drop…

ping　from　some　far　ocean　cleft　and　rushingwhere？　　A　little

time；　a　few　breathless　instants；　I　struggled　with　the　devil　who

clutched　meinflexibly；　indomitably。



Then　a　shrieking　as　of　all　the　pent　winds　of　the　universe

in　my　earsblackness！



Consciousness　returned　slowly；　agonizedly。



〃Larry！〃　I　groaned。　　〃Lakla！〃



A　brilliant　light　was　glowing　through　my　closed　lids。　　It

hurt。　　I　opened　my　eyes；　closed　them　with　swords　and　needles

of　dazzling　pain　shooting　through　them。　　Again　I　opened

them　cautiously。　　It　was　the　sun！



I　staggered　to　my　feet。　　Behind　me　was　a　shattered　wall　of

basalt　monoliths；　hewn　and　squared。　　Before　me　was　the　Pa…

cific；　smooth　and　blue　and　smiling。



And　not　far　away；　cast　up　on　the　strand　even　as　I　had

been；　wasMarakinoff！



He　lay　there；　broken　and　dead　indeed。　　Yet　all　the　waters

through　which　we　had　passednot　even　the　waters　of　death

themselvescould　wash　from　his　face　the　grin　of　triumph。

With　the　last　of　my　strength　I　dragged　the　body　from　the

strand　and　pushed　it　out　into　the　waves。　　A　little　billow　ran

up；　coiled　about　it；　and　carried　it　away；　ducking　and　bend…

ing。　　Another　seized　it；　and　another；　playing　with　it。　　It　floated

from　my　sightthat　which　had　been　Marakinoff；　with　all　his

schemes　to　turn　our　fair　world　into　an　undreamed…of…hell。



My　strength　began　to　come　back　to　me。　　I　found　a　thicket

and　slept；　slept　it　must　have　been　for　many　hours；　for　when

I　again　awakened　the　dawn　was　rosing　the　east。　　I　will　not　tell

my　sufferings。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　I　found　a　spring　and　some

fruit；　and　just　before　dusk　had　recovered　enough　to　writhe

up　to　the　top　of　the　wall　and　discover　where　I　was。



The　place　was　one　of　the　farther　islets　of　the　Nan…Matal。

To　the　north　I　caught　the　shadows　of　the　ruins　of　Nan…

Tauach；　where　was　the　moon　door；　black　against　the　sky。

Where　was　the　moon　doorwhich；　someway；　somehow；　I

must　reach；　and　quickly。



At　dawn　of　the　next　day　I　got　together　driftwood　and

bound　it　together　in　shape　of　a　rough　raft　with　fallen　creep…

ers。　　Then；　with　a　makeshift　paddle；　I　set　forth　for　Nan…

Tauach。　　Slowly；　painfully；　I　crept　up　to　it。　　It　was　late　after…

noon　before　I　grounded　my　shaky　craft　on　the　little　beach

between　the　ruined　sea…gates　and；　creeping　up　the　giant　steps；

made　my　way　to　the　inner　enclosure。



And　at　its　opening　I　stopped；　and　the　tears　ran　streaming

down　my　cheeks　while　I　wept　aloud　with　sorrow　and　with

disappointment　and　with　weariness。



For　the　great　wall　in　which　had　been　set　the　pale　slab

whose　threshold　we　had　crossed　to　the　land　of　the　Shining

One　lay　shattered　and　broken。　　The　monoliths　were　heaped

about；　the　wall　had　fallen；　and　about　them　shone　a　film　of

water；　half　covering　them。



There　was　no　moon　door！



Dazed　and　weeping；　I　drew　closer；　climbed　upon　their　out…

lying　fragments。　　I　looked　out　only　upon　the　sea。　　There　had

been　a　great　subsidence；　an　earth　shock；　perhaps；　tilting

downward　all　that　sidethe　echo；　little　doubt；　of　that　cata…

clysm　which　had　blasted　the　Dweller's　lair！



The　little　squared　islet　called　Tau；　in　which　were　hidden

the　seven　globes；　had　entirely　disappeared。　　Upon　the　waters

there　was　no　trace　of　it。



The　moon　door　was　gone；　the　passage　to　the　Moon　Pool

was　closed　to　meits　chamber　covered　by　the　sea！



There　was　no　road　to　Larrynor　to　Lakla！



And　there；　for　me；　the　world　ended。











End