登陆注册
6072000000084

第84章

The Coming of Yolara"NEVER was there such a girl!" Thus Larry, dreamily, lean-ing head in hand on one of the wide divans of the chamber where Lakla had left us, pleading service to the Silent Ones.

"An', by the faith and the honour of the O'Keefes, an' by my dead mother's soul may God do with me as I do by her!"he whispered fervently.

He relapsed into open-eyed dreaming.

I walked about the room, examining it--the first oppor-tunity I had gained to inspect carefully any of the rooms in the abode of the Three.It was octagonal, carpeted with the thick rugs that seemed almost as though woven of soft min-eral wool, faintly shimmering, palest blue.I paced its diag-onal; it was fifty yards; the ceiling was arched, and either of pale rose metal or metallic covering; it collected the light from the high, slitted windows, and shed it, diffused, through the room.

Around the octagon ran a low gallery not two feet from the floor, balustraded with slender pillars, close set; broken at opposite curtained entrances over which hung thick, dull-gold curtainings giving the same suggestion of metallic or mineral substance as the rugs.Set within each of the eight sides, above the balcony, were colossal slabs of lapis lazuli, inset with graceful but unplaceable designs in scarlet and sapphire blue.

There was the great divan on which mused Larry; two smaller ones, half a dozen low seats and chairs carved appar-ently of ivory and of dull soft gold.

Most curious were tripods, strong, pikelike legs of golden metal four feet high, holding small circles of the lapis with intaglios of one curious symbol somewhat resembling the ideographs of the Chinese.

There was no dust--nowhere in these caverned spaces had I found this constant companion of ours in the world over-head.My eyes caught a sparkle from a corner.Pursuing it Ifound upon one of the low seats a flat, clear crystal oval, remarkably like a lens.I took it and stepped up on the balcony.Standing on tiptoe I found I commanded from the bottom of a window slit a view of the bridge approach.

Scanning it I could see no trace of the garrison there, nor of the green spear flashes.I placed the crystal to my eyes--and with a disconcerting abruptness the cavern mouth leaped before me, apparently not a hundred feet away; decidedly the crystal was a very excellent lens--but where were the guards?

I peered closely.Nothing! But now against the aperture Isaw a score or more of tiny, dancing sparks.An optical illu-sion, I thought, and turned the crystal in another direction.

There were no sparklings there.I turned it back again--and there they were.And what were they like? Realization came to me--they were like the little, dancing, radiant atoms that had played for a time about the emptiness where had stood Sorgar of the Lower Waters before he bad been shaken into the nothingness! And that green light I had noticed--the _Keth_!

A cry on my lips, I turned to Larry--and the cry died as the heavy curtainings at the entrance on my right undulated, parted as though a body had slipped through, shook and parted again and again--with the dreadful passing of unseen things!

"Larry!" I cried."Here! Quick!"

He leaped to his feet, gazed about wildly--and disap-peared! Yes--vanished from my sight like the snuffed flame of a candle or as though something moving with the speed of light itself had snatched him away!

Then from the divan came the sounds of struggle, the hissing of straining breaths, the noise of Larry cursing.Ileaped over the balustrade, drawing my own pistol--was caught in a pair of mighty arms, my elbows crushed to my sides, drawn down until my face pressed close to a broad, hairy breast--and through that obstacle--formless, shadow-less, transparent as air itself--I could still see the battle on the divan!

Now there were two sharp reports; the struggle abruptly ceased.From a point not a foot over the great couch, as though oozing from the air itself, blood began to drop, faster and ever faster, pouring out of nothingness.

And out of that same air, now a dozen feet away, leaped the face of Larry--bodyless, poised six feet above the floor, blazing with rage--floating weirdly, uncannily to a hideous degree, in vacancy.

His hands flashed out--armless; they wavered, appearing, disappearing--swiftly tearing something from him.Then there, feet hidden, stiff on legs that vanished at the ankles, striking out into vision with all the dizzy abruptness with which he had been stricken from sight was the O'Keefe, a smoking pistol in hand.

And ever that red stream trickled out of vacancy and spread over the couch, dripping to the floor.

I made a mighty movement to escape; was held more firmly--and then close to the face of Larry, flashing out with that terrifying instantaneousness even as had his, was the head of Yolara, as devilishly mocking as I had ever seen it, the cruelty shining through it like delicate white flames from hell--and beautiful!

"Stir not! Strike not--until I command!" She flung the words beyond her, addressed to the invisible ones who had accompanied her; whose presences I sensed filling the cham-ber.The floating, beautiful head, crowned high with corn-silk hair, darted toward the Irishman.He took a swift step back-ward.The eyes of the priestess deepened toward purple;sparkled with malice.

"So," she said."So, _Larree_--you thought you could go from me so easily!" She laughed softly."In my hidden hand I hold the _Keth_ cone," she murmured."Before you can raise the death tube I can smite you--and will.And consider, _Larree_, if the handmaiden, the _choya_ comes, I can vanish--so"--the mocking head disappeared, burst forth again--"and slay her with the _Keth_--or bid my people seize her and bear her to the Shining One!"Tiny beads of sweat stood out on O'Keefe's forehead, and I knew he was thinking not of himself, but of Lakla.

"What do you want with me, Yolara?" he asked hoarsely.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 九命帅猫

    九命帅猫

    一只不知从何而来的白猫,生下了三只不一般的九命怪猫。故事开始了……女主角养的是其中的一只,另外两只流浪不知在何处。某一天,她才突然发现她的爱猫居然是一只九命怪猫,而另外两只流浪的九命怪猫似乎和她很有缘分,居然一一出现在她的身边。可是,传说中的九命怪猫,是这个样子的吗?
  • 来临

    来临

    天津港边一艘废弃的货轮装满了腐烂的尸体和行尸走肉,病毒迅速传播直至吞噬京城。主人公大宇当此之时挺身而出带领兄弟三人展开了剿灭满城行尸走肉的漫漫征途……
  • 北极斗罗

    北极斗罗

    叶凌,8岁20级,未及12岁便已30级,成为一位魂尊;作为北海村无数年来天资最高之人,为了留下封号毅然决然离开村子游历大陆,自此,大陆上开启了一段传奇……
  • 带着世界升级

    带着世界升级

    起源之地,一个新的开始,看符眠重生异世如何带领人类从食物链底端站到世界之巅…
  • 升级系统在都市

    升级系统在都市

    叮,您杀死100000只蚂蚁,系统奖励1只神兽麒麟作为奖励。“什么?!杀死100000只蚂蚁居然奖励了一只神兽麒麟当宠物,哈哈哈哈!!!”“嘎,这是麒麟?这明明是一只猫啊!!”
  • 大雪窝

    大雪窝

    雪窝是坐落于东海之滨的历史文化古城,传说是雪神官邸所在地。明朝末年雪窝人张显祖和满族贵族后裔丽珠结亲繁育子孙,从军卫国,抵御倭寇。清末,社会动荡。雪窝后人张宝麒的叔父张福成回到家乡发动实业救国,雪窝有识之士纷纷响应。宝麒和儿子抛家舍业奔走在全国各地和革命党人一起开展推翻清帝振兴中华的活动。在漫长的岁月中,雪窝人一直有着爱国的热忱。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 山村名医

    山村名医

    为了保护姚玉莲不被欺负,刘大柱挺身而出。他学医术,练武功,救死扶伤,带领村民勤劳致富,从一个落魄的毛头小子变成远近闻名的大人物。村里的小媳妇大姑娘不淡定了,连城里的年轻女老板,还有女明星女老外都争先恐后的要跟他交朋友。“大柱,快到我的碗里来……”“不去,俺要回去给媳妇讲故事……”
  • 仙黯黎

    仙黯黎

    江湖路慢慢,陪伴之人甚少天地之大道,成就之人无数三千大道,我道独尊其他大道,皆是蝼蚁我若出世,群仙皆黯唯我独尊,可见黎明
  • 谍主沉浮

    谍主沉浮

    间谍,一个极为神秘的行业,陈雾,黄埔六期毕业生,一二八抗战时受伤,在南京陆军医院疗伤,机缘巧合得到了戴笠赏识,进入军统后,因为能力出众,陈雾在军统内部逐步高升。虽然身在军统,陈雾信仰坚定,一颗红心确始终未变。从一二八抗战后,陈雾利用自己的身份,掩护组织行动,搭救自己的同志,铲除叛徒,智斗日伪汉奸,传递重要情报,为抗日战争的胜利和解放战争的胜利作出不可磨灭的贡献,从一个小人物逐步成长为特工界的一代传奇。