第93章
The Building of the Moon PoolSHE PAUSED, running her long fingers through her own bronze-flecked ringlets.Selective breeding this, with a ven-geance, I thought; an ancient experiment in heredity which of course would in time result in the stamping out of the tendency to depart from type that lies in all organisms; re-sulting, obviously, at last, in three fixed forms of black-haired, ruddy-haired, and silver-haired--but this, with a shock of realization it came to me, was also an accurate description of the dark-polled _ladala_, their fair-haired rulers and of the golden-brown tressed Lakla!
How--questions began to stream through my mind; si-lenced by the handmaiden's voice.
"Above, far, far above the abode of the Shining One,"she said, "was their greatest temple, holding the shrines both of sun and moon.All about it were other temples hidden behind mighty walls, each enclosing its own space and squared and ruled and standing within a shallow lake; the sacred city, the city of the gods of this land--""It is the Nan-Matal that she is describing," I thought.
"Out upon all this looked the _Taithu_ who were now but the servants of the Shining One as it had been the messenger of the Three," she went on."When they returned the Shin-ing One spoke to them, promising them dominion over all that they had seen, yea, UNDER IT dominion of all earth itself and later perhaps of other earths!
"In the Shining One had grown craft, cunning; knowledge to gain that which it desired.Therefore it told its _Taithu_--and mayhap told them truth--that not yet was it time for THEM to go forth; that slowly must they pass into that outer world, for they had sprung from heart of earth and even it lacked power to swirl unaided into and through the above.
Then it counselled them, instructing them what to do.They hollowed the chamber wherein first I saw you, cutting their way to it that path down which from it you sped.
"It revealed to them that the force that is within moon flame is kin to the force that is within it, for the chamber of its birth was the chamber too of moon birth and into it went the subtle essence and powers that flow in that earth child:
and it taught them how to make that which fills what you call the Moon Pool whose opening is close behind its Veil hang-ing upon the gleaming cliffs.
"When this was done it taught them how to make and how to place the seven lights through which moon flame streams into Moon Pool--the seven lights that are kin to its own seven orbs even as its fires are kin to moon fires--and which would open for it a path that it could tread.And all this the _Taithu_ did, working so secretly that neither those of their race whose faces were set against the Shining One nor the busy men above know aught of it.
"When it was done they moved up the path, clustering within the Moon Pool Chamber.Moon flame streamed through the seven globes, poured down upon the pool; they saw mists arise, embrace, and become one with the moon flame--and then up through Moon Pool, shaping itself within the mists of light, whirling, radiant--the Shining One!
"Almost free, almost loosed upon the world it coveted!
"Again it counselled them, and they pierced the passage whose portal you found first; set the fires within its stones, and revealing themselves to the moon king and his priests spake to them even as the Shining One had instructed.
"Now was the moon king filled with fear when he looked upon the _Taithu_, shrouded with protecting mists of light in Moon Pool Chamber, and heard their words.Yet, being crafty, he thought of the power that would be his if he heeded and how quickly the strength of the sun king would dwindle.So he and his made a pact with the Shining One's messengers.
"When next the moon was round and poured its flames down upon Moon Pool, the _Taithu_ gathered there again, watched the child of the Three take shape within the pillars, speed away--and out! They heard a mighty shouting, a tumult of terror, of awe and of worship; a silence; a vast sighing--and they waited, wrapped in their mists of light, for they feared to follow nor were they near the paths that would have enabled them to look without.
"Another tumult--and back came the Shining One, mur-muring with joy, pulsing, triumphant, and clasped within its vapours a man and woman, ruddy-haired, golden-eyed, in whose faces rapture and horror lay side by side--gloriously, hideously.And still holding them it danced above the Moon Pool and--sank!
"Now must I be brief._Lat_ after _lat_ the Shining One went forth, returning with its sacrifices.And stronger after each it grew--and gayer and more cruel.Ever when it passed with its prey toward the pool, the _Taithu_ who watched felt a swift, strong intoxication, a drunkenness of spirit, stream-ing from it to them.And the Shining One forgot what it had promised them of dominion--and in this new evil delight they too forgot.
"The outer land was torn with hatred and open strife.
The moon king and his kind, through the guidance of the evil _Taithu_ and the favour of the Shining One, had become powerful and the sun king and his were darkened.And the moon priests preached that the child of the Three was the moon god itself come to dwell with them.
"Now vast tides arose and when they withdrew they took with them great portions of this country.And the land itself began to sink.Then said the moon king that the moon had called to ocean to destroy because wroth that another than he was worshipped.The people believed and there was slaughter.When it was over there was no more a sun king nor any of the ruddy-haired folk; slain were they, slain down to the babe at breast.
"But still the tides swept higher; still dwindled the land!