It sprang from the ledge9 and winged its prodigious10 length in one low arc over the sea’s crimson11 breast, as though in some ancient paroxysm of earth it had been hurled13 molten, crystallizing into that stupendous span and still flaming with the fires that had moulded it.
Closer we came and closer, while I watched spellbound; now we were at its head, and the litter-bearers swept upon it. All of five hundred feet wide it was, surface smooth as a city road, sides low walled, curving inward as though in the jetting-out of its making the edges of the plastic rock had curled.
On and on we sped; the high thrusting precipices14 upon which the bridge’s far end rested, frowned close; the enigmatic, dully shining dome15 loomed16 ever greater. Now we had reached that end; were passing over a smooth plaza17 whose level floor was enclosed, save for a rift18 in front of us, by the fanged19 tops of the black cliff’s.
From this rift stretched another span, half a mile long, perhaps, widening at its centre into a broad platform, continuing straight to two massive gates set within the face of the second cliff wall like panels, and of the same dull gold as the dome rising high beyond. And this smaller arch leaped a pit, an abyss, of which the outer precipices were the rim12 holding back from the pit the red flood.
We were rapidly approaching; now upon the platform; my bearers were striding closely along the side; I leaned far out — a giddiness seized me! I gazed down into depth upon vertiginous20 depth; an abyss indeed — an abyss dropping to world’s base like that in which the Babylonians believed writhed21 Talaat, the serpent mother of Chaos22; a pit that struck down into earth’s heart itself,
Now, what was that — distance upon unfathomable distance below? A stupendous glowing like the green fire of life itself. What was it like? I had it! It was like the corona23 of the sun in eclipse — that burgeoning24 that makes of our luminary25 when moon veils it an incredible blossoming of splendours in the black heavens.
And strangely, strangely, it was like the Dweller’s beauty when with its dazzling spirallings and writhings it raced amid its storm of crystal bell sounds!
The abyss was behind us; we had paused at the golden portals; they swung inward. A wide corridor filled with soft light was before us, and on its threshold stood — bizarre, yellow gems26 gleaming, huge muzzle27 wide in what was evidently meant for a smile of welcome — the woman frog of the Moon Pool wall.
Lakla raised her head; swept back the silken tent of her hair and gazed at me with eyes misty28 from weeping. The frog-woman crept to her side; gazed down upon Larry; spoke29 — SPOKE— to the Golden Girl in a swift stream of the sonorous30, reverberant31 monosyllables; and Lakla answered her in kind. The webbed digits32 swept over O’Keefe’s face, felt at his heart; she shook her head and moved ahead of us up the passage.
Still borne in the litters we went on, winding33, ascending34 until at last they were set down in a great hall carpeted with soft fragrant35 rushes and into which from high narrow slits36 streamed the crimson light from without.
I jumped over to Larry, there had been no change in his condition; still the terrifying limpness, the slow, infrequent pulsation37. Rador and Olaf — and the fever now seemed to be gone from him — came and stood beside me, silent.
“I go to the Three,” said Lakla. “Wait you here.” She passed through a curtaining; then as swiftly as she had gone she returned through the hangings, tresses braided, a swathing of golden gauze about her.
“Rador,” she said, “bear you Larry — for into your heart the Silent Ones would look. And fear nothing,” she added at the green dwarfs38 disconcerted, almost fearful start.
Rador bowed, was thrust aside by Olaf.
“No,” said the Norseman; “I will carry him.”
He lifted Larry like a child against his broad breast. The dwarf39 glanced quickly at Lakla; she nodded.
“Come!” she commanded, and held aside the folds.
Of that journey I have few memories. I only know that we went through corridor upon corridor; successions of vast halls and chambers40, some carpeted with the rushes, others with rugs into which the feet sank as into deep, soft meadows; spaces illumined by the rubrous light, and spaces in which softer lights held sway.
We paused before a slab41 of the same crimson stone as that the green dwarf had called the portal, and upon its polished surface weaved the same unnameable symbols. The Golden Girl pressed upon its side; it slipped softly back; a torrent42 of opalescence43 gushed44 out of the opening — and as one in a dream I entered.
We were, I knew, just under the dome; but for the moment, caught in the flood of radiance, I could see nothing. It was like being held within a fire opal — so brilliant, so flashing, was it. I closed my eyes, opened them; the lambency cascaded45 from the vast curves of the globular walls; in front of me was a long, narrow opening in them, through which, far away, I could see the end of the wizards’ bridge and the ledged46 mouth of the cavern47 through which we had come; against the light from within beat the crimson light from without — and was checked as though by a barrier.
I felt Lakla’s touch; turned.
A hundred paces away was a dais, its rim raised a yard above the floor. From the edge of this rim streamed upward a steady, coruscating48 mist of the opalescence, veined even as was that of the Dweller’s shining core and shot with milky49 shadows like curdled50 moonlight; up it stretched like a wall.
Over it, from it, down upon me, gazed three faces — two clearly male, one a woman’s. At the first I thought them statues, and then the eyes of them gave the lie to me; for the eyes were alive, terribly, and if I could admit the word — SUPERNATURALLY— alive.
They were thrice the size of the human eye and triangular51, the apex52 of the angle upward; black as jet, pupilless, filled with tiny, leaping red flames,
Over them were foreheads, not as ours — high and broad and visored; their sides drawn53 forward into a vertical54 ridge2, a prominence55, an upright wedge, somewhat like the visored heads of a few of the great lizards56 — and the heads, long, narrowing at the back, were fully57 twice the size of mankind’s!
Upon the brows were caps — and with a fearful certainty I knew that they were NOT caps — long, thick strands58 of gleaming yellow, feathered scales thin as sequins! Sharp, curving noses like the beaks59 of the giant condors60; mouths thin, austere61; long, powerful, pointed62 chins; the — FLESH— of the faces white as the whitest marble; and wreathing up to them, covering all their bodies, the shimmering63, curdled, misty fires of opalescence!
Olaf stood rigid64; my own heart leaped wildly. What — what were these beings?
I forced myself to look again — and from their gaze streamed a current of reassurance65, of good will — nay, of intense spiritual strength. I saw that they were not fierce, not ruthless, not inhuman66, despite their strangeness; no, they were kindly67; in some unmistakable way, benign68 and sorrowful — so sorrowful! I straightened, gazed back at them fearlessly. Olaf drew a deep breath, gazed steadily69 too, the hardness, the despair wiped from his face.
Now Lakla drew closer to the dais; the three pairs of eyes searched hers, the woman’s with an ineffable70 tenderness; some message seemed to pass between the Three and the Golden Girl. She bowed low, turned to the Norseman.
“Place Larry there,” she said softly —“there at the feet of the Silent Ones.”
She pointed into the radiant mist; Olaf started, hesitated, stared from Lakla to the Three, searched for a moment their eyes — and something like a smile drifted through them. He stepped forward, lifted O’Keefe, set him squarely within the covering light. It wavered, rolled upward, swirled71 about the body, steadied again — and within it there was no sign of Larry!
Again the mist wavered, shook, and seemed to climb higher, hiding the chins, the beaked72 noses, the brows of that incredible Trinity — but before it ceased to climb, I thought the yellow feathered heads bent73; sensed a movement as though they lifted something.
The mist fell; the eyes gleamed out again, inscrutable.
And groping out of the radiance, pausing at the verge74 of the dais, leaping down from it, came Larry, laughing, filled with life, blinking as one who draws from darkness into sunshine. He saw Lakla, sprang to her, gripped her in his arms.
“Lakla!” he cried. “Mavourneen!” She slipped from his embrace, blushing, glancing at the Three shyly, half-fearfully. And again I saw the tenderness creep into the inky, flame-shot orbs75 of the woman being; and a tenderness in the others too — as though they regarded some well-beloved child.
“You lay in the arms of Death, Larry,” she said. “And the Silent Ones drew you from him. Do homage76 to the Silent Ones, Larry, for they are good and they are mighty77!”
She turned his head with one of the long, white hands — and he looked into the faces of the Three; looked long, was shaken even as had been Olaf and myself; was swept by that same wave of power and of — of — what can I call it? — HOLINESS that streamed from them.
Then for the first time I saw real awe mount into his face. Another moment he stared — and dropped upon one knee and bowed his head before them as would a worshipper before the shrine78 of his saint. And — I am not ashamed to tell it — I joined him; and with us knelt Lakla and Olaf and Rador.
The mist of fiery79 opal swirled up about the Three; hid them.
And with a long, deep, joyous80 sigh Lakla took Larry’s hand, drew him to his feet, and silently we followed them out of that hall of wonder.
But why, in going, did the thought come to me that from where the Three sat throned they ever watched the cavern mouth that was the door into their abode81; and looked down ever into the unfathomable depth in which glowed and pulsed that mystic flower, colossal82, awesome83, of green flame that had seemed to me fire of life itself?
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1
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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flares
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| n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开 | |
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4
scarlets
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| 鲜红色，猩红色( scarlet的名词复数 ) | |
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5
blues
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| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
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6
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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7
sapphires
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| n.蓝宝石，钢玉宝石( sapphire的名词复数 )；蔚蓝色 | |
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8
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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9
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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10
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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11
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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12
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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13
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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14
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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15
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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16
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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17
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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18
rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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19
fanged
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| adj.有尖牙的，有牙根的，有毒牙的 | |
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20
vertiginous
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| adj.回旋的；引起头晕的 | |
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21
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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23
corona
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| n.日冕 | |
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24
burgeoning
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| adj.迅速成长的，迅速发展的v.发芽，抽枝( burgeon的现在分词 )；迅速发展；发（芽），抽（枝） | |
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25
luminary
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| n.名人，天体 | |
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26
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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27
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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28
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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29
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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30
sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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reverberant
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| a.起回声的 | |
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32
digits
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| n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾 | |
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33
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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36
slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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37
pulsation
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| n.脉搏，悸动，脉动；搏动性 | |
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38
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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39
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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40
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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41
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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42
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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43
opalescence
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| n.乳白光，蛋白色光；乳光 | |
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44
gushed
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| v.喷，涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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45
cascaded
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| 级联的 | |
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46
ledged
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| 有壁架的，有突出物的，有暗礁的 | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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48
coruscating
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| v.闪光，闪烁( coruscate的现在分词 ) | |
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49
milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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50
curdled
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| v.（使）凝结( curdle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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52
apex
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| n.顶点，最高点 | |
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53
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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54
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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55
prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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56
lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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57
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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58
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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59
beaks
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| n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者 | |
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60
condors
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| n.神鹰( condor的名词复数 ) | |
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61
austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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62
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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63
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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64
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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65
reassurance
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| n.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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66
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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67
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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68
benign
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| adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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71
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72
beaked
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| adj.有喙的，鸟嘴状的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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75
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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76
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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79
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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80
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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81
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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