“Larry darlin’,” said the handmaiden. “The Silent Ones summon us!”
“When do we go?” I asked; Larry’s face grew bright with interest.
“The time is now,” she said — and hesitated. “Larry dear, put your arms about me,” she faltered2, “for there is something cold that catches at my heart — and I am afraid.”
At his exclamation3 she gathered herself together; gave a shaky little laugh.
“It’s because I love you so that fear has power to plague me,” she told him.
Without another word he bent4 and kissed her; in silence we passed on, his arm still about her girdled waist, golden head and black close together. Soon we stood before the crimson5 slab6 that was the door to the sanctuary7 of the Silent Ones. She poised9 uncertainly before it; then with a defiant10 arching of the proud little head that sent all the bronze-flecked curls flying, she pressed. It slipped aside and once more the opalescence11 gushed12 out, flooding all about us.
Dazzled as before, I followed through the lambent cascades13 pouring from the high, carved walls; paused, and my eyes clearing, looked up — straight into the faces of the Three. The angled orbs14 centred upon the handmaiden; softened15 as I had seen them do when first we had faced them. She smiled up; seemed to listen.
“Come closer,” she commanded, “close to the feet of the Silent Ones.”
We moved, pausing at the very base of the dais. The sparkling mists thinned; the great heads bent slightly over us; through the veils I caught a glimpse of huge columnar necks, enormous shoulders covered with draperies as of pale-blue fire.
I came back to attention with a start, for Lakla was answering a question only heard by her, and, answering it aloud, I perceived for our benefit; for whatever was the mode of communication between those whose handmaiden she was, and her, it was clearly independent of speech.
“He has been told,” she said, “even as you commanded.”
Did I see a shadow of pain flit across the flickering16 eyes? Wondering, I glanced at Lakla’s face and there was a dawn of foreboding and bewilderment. For a little she held her listening attitude; then the gaze of the Three left her; focused upon the O’Keefe.
“Thus speak the Silent Ones — through Lakla, their handmaiden,” the golden voice was like low trumpet17 notes. “At the threshold of doom18 is that world of yours above. Yea, even the doom, Goodwin, that ye dreamed and the shadow of which, looking into your mind they see, say the Three. For not upon earth and never upon earth can man find means to destroy the Shining One.”
She listened again — and the foreboding deepened to an amazed fear.
“They say, the Silent Ones,” she went on, “that they know not whether even they have power to destroy. Energies we know nothing of entered into its shaping and are part of it; and still other energies it has gathered to itself”— she paused; a shadow of puzzlement crept into her voice “and other energies still, forces that ye DO know and symbolize19 by certain names — hatred20 and pride and lust21 and many others which are forces real as that hidden in the Keth; and among them — fear, which weakens all those others —” Again she paused.
“But within it is nothing of that greatest of all, that which can make powerless all the evil others, that which we call — love,” she ended softly.
“I’d like to be the one to put a little more FEAR in the beast,” whispered Larry to me, grimly in our own English. The three weird22 heads bent, ever so slightly — and I gasped23, and Larry grew a little white as Lakla nodded —
“They say, Larry,” she said, “that there you touch one side of the heart of the matter — for it is through the way of fear the Silent Ones hope to strike at the very life of the Shining One!”
The visage Larry turned to me was eloquent24 of wonder; and mine reflected it — for what REALLY were this Three to whom our minds were but open pages, so easily read? Not long could we conjecture25; Lakla broke the little silence.
“This, they say, is what is to happen. First will come upon us Lugur and Yolara with all their host. Because of fear the Shining One will lurk26 behind within its lair27; for despite all, the Dweller28 DOES dread29 the Three, and only them. With this host the Voice and the priestess will strive to conquer. And if they do, then will they be strong enough, too, to destroy us all. For if they take the abode30 they banish31 from the Dweller all fear and sound the end of the Three.
“Then will the Shining One be all free indeed; free to go out into the world, free to do there as it wills!
“But if they do not conquer — and the Shining One comes not to their aid, abandoning them even as it abandoned its own Taithu — then will the Three be loosed from a part of their doom, and they will go through the Portal, seek the Shining One beyond the Veil, and, piercing it through fear’s opening, destroy it.”
“That’s quite clear,” murmured the O’Keefe in my ear. “Weaken the morale32 — then smash. I’ve seen it happen a dozen times in Europe. While they’ve got their nerve there’s not a thing you can do; get their nerve — and not a thing can they do. And yet in both cases they’re the same men.”
Lakla had been listening again. She turned, thrust out hands to Larry, a wild hope in her eyes — and yet a hope half shamed.
“They say,” she cried, “that they give us choice. Remembering that your world doom hangs in the balance, we have choice — choice to stay and help fight Yolara’s armies — and they say they look not lightly on that help. Or choice to go — and if so be you choose the latter, then will they show another way that leads into your world!”
A flush had crept over the O’Keefe’s face as she was speaking. He took her hands and looked long into the golden eyes; glancing up I saw the Trinity were watching them intently — imperturbably33.
“What do you say, mavourneen?” asked Larry gently. The handmaiden hung her head; trembled.
“Your words shall be mine, O one I love,” she whispered. “So going or staying, I am beside you.”
“And you, Goodwin?” he turned to me. I shrugged34 my shoulders — after all I had no one to care.
“It’s up to you, Larry,” I remarked, deliberately35 choosing his own phraseology.
The O’Keefe straightened, squared his shoulders, gazed straight into the flame-flickering eyes.
“We stick!” he said briefly36.
Shamefacedly I recall now that at the time I thought this colloquialism37 not only irreverent, but in somewhat bad taste. I am glad to say I was alone in that bit of weakness. The face that Lakla turned to Larry was radiant with love, and although the shamed hope had vanished from the sweet eyes, they were shining with adoring pride. And the marble visages of the Three softened, and the little flames died down.
“Wait,” said Lakla, “there is one other thing they say we must answer before they will hold us to that promise — wait —”
She listened, and then her face grew white — white as those of the Three themselves; the glorious eyes widened, stark38 terror filling them; the whole lithe39 body of her shook like a reed in the wind.
“Not that!” she cried out to the Three. “Oh, not that! Not Larry — let me go even as you will — but not him!” She threw up frantic40 hands to the woman-being of the Trinity. “Let ME bear it alone,” she wailed41. “Alone — mother! Mother!”
The Three bent their heads toward her, their faces pitiful, and from the eyes of the woman One rolled — tears! Larry leaped to Lakla’s side.
”Mavourneen!“ he cried. “Sweetheart, what have they said to you?”
He glared up at the Silent Ones, his hand twitching42 toward the high-hung pistol holster.
The handmaiden swung to him; threw white arms around his neck; held her head upon his heart until her sobbing43 ceased.
“This they — say — the Silent Ones,” she gasped and then all the courage of her came back. “O heart of mine!” she whispered to Larry, gazing deep into his eyes, his anxious face cupped between her white palms. “This they say — that should the Shining One come to succour Yolara and Lugur, should it conquer its fear — and — do this — then is there but one way left to destroy it — and to save your world.”
She swayed; he gripped her tightly.
“But one way — you and I must go — together — into its embrace! Yea, we must pass within it — loving each other, loving the world, realizing to the full all that we sacrifice and sacrificing all, our love, our lives, perhaps even that you call soul, O loved one; must give ourselves ALL to the Shining One — gladly, freely, our love for each other flaming high within us — that this curse shall pass away! For if we do this, pledge the Three, then shall that power of love we carry into it weaken for a time all that evil which the Shining One has become — and in that time the Three can strike and slay44!”
The blood rushed from my heart; scientist that I am, essentially45, my reason rejected any such solution as this of the activities of the Dweller. Was it not, the thought flashed, a propitiation by the Three out of their own weakness — and as it flashed I looked up to see their eyes, full of sorrow, on mine — and knew they read the thought. Then into the whirling vortex of my mind came steadying reflections — of history changed by the power of hate, of passion, of ambition, and most of all, by love. Was there not actual dynamic energy in these things — was there not a Son of Man who hung upon a cross on Calvary?
“Dear love o’ mine,” said the O’Keefe quietly, “is it in your heart to say YES to this?”
“Larry,” she spoke46 low, “what is in your heart is in mine; but I did so want to go with you, to live with you — to — to bear you children, Larry — and to see the sun.”
My eyes were wet; dimly through them I saw his gaze on me.
“If the world IS at stake,” he whispered, “why of course there’s only one thing to do. God knows I never was afraid when I was fighting up there — and many a better man than me has gone West with shell and bullet for the same idea; but these things aren’t shell and bullet — but I hadn’t Lakla then — and it’s the damned DOUBT I have behind it all.”
He turned to the Three — and did I in their poise8 sense a rigidity47, an anxiety that sat upon them as alienly as would divinity upon men?
“Tell me this, Silent Ones,” he cried. “If we do this, Lakla and I, is it SURE you are that you can slay the — Thing, and save my world? Is it SURE you are?”
For the first and the last time, I heard the voice of the Silent Ones. It was the man-being at the right who spoke.
“We are sure,” the tones rolled out like deepest organ notes, shaking, vibrating, assailing48 the ears as strangely as their appearance struck the eyes. Another moment the O’Keefe stared at them. Once more he squared his shoulders; lifted Lakla’s chin and smiled into her eyes.
“We stick!” he said again, nodding to the Three.
Over the visages of the Trinity fell benignity49 that was — awesome50; the tiny flames in the jet orbs vanished, leaving them wells in which brimmed serenity51, hope — an extraordinary joyfulness52. The woman sat upright, tender gaze fixed53 upon the man and girl. Her great shoulders raised as though she had lifted her arms and had drawn54 to her those others. The three faces pressed together for a fleeting55 moment; raised again. The woman bent forward — and as she did so, Lakla and Larry, as though drawn by some outer force, were swept upon the dais.
Out from the sparkling mist stretched two hands, enormously long, six-fingered, thumbless, a faint tracery of golden scales upon their white backs, utterly56 unhuman and still in some strange way beautiful, radiating power and — all womanly!
They stretched forth57; they touched the bent heads of Lakla and the O’Keefe; caressed58 them, drew them together, softly stroked them — lovingly, with more than a touch of benediction59. And withdrew!
The sparkling mists rolled up once more, hiding the Silent Ones. As silently as once before we had gone we passed out of the place of light, beyond the crimson stone, back to the handmaiden’s chamber60.
Only once on our way did Larry speak.
“Cheer up, darlin’,” he said to her, “it’s a long way yet before the finish. An’ are you thinking that Lugur and Yolara are going to pull this thing off? Are you?”
The handmaiden only looked at him, eyes love and sorrow filled.
“They are!” said Larry. “They are! Like HELL they are!”
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1
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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2
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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3
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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4
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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5
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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6
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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7
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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8
poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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9
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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11
opalescence
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| n.乳白光，蛋白色光；乳光 | |
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12
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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13
cascades
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| 倾泻( cascade的名词复数 )； 小瀑布（尤指一连串瀑布中的一支）； 瀑布状物； 倾泻（或涌出）的东西 | |
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14
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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15
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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16
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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17
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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18
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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19
symbolize
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| vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表 | |
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20
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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21
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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22
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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23
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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24
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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25
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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26
lurk
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| n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏 | |
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27
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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28
dweller
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| n.居住者，住客 | |
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29
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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30
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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31
banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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32
morale
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| n.道德准则，士气，斗志 | |
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33
imperturbably
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| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
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34
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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35
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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36
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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37
colloquialism
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| n.俗话，白话，口语 | |
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38
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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39
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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40
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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41
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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43
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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44
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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45
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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46
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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47
rigidity
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| adj.钢性，坚硬 | |
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48
assailing
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| v.攻击( assail的现在分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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49
benignity
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| n.仁慈 | |
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50
awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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51
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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52
joyfulness
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53
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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54
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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55
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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56
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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57
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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58
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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60
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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