The Collected SF & Fantasy Works. Abraham Merritt

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, murmuring 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, streaming 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!

      “As it shrank multitudes of the fleeing people were led through Moon Pool Chamber and carried here. They were what now are called the ladala, and they were given place and set to work; and they thrived. Came many of the fair-haired; and they were given dwellings. They sat beside the evil Taithu; they became drunk even as they with the dancing of the Shining One; they learned — not all; only a little part but little enough — of their arts. And ever the Shining One danced more gaily out there within the black amphitheatre; grew ever stronger — and ever the hordes of its slaves behind the Veil increased.

      “Nor did the Taithu who clung to the old ways check this — they could not. By the sinking of the land above, their own spaces were imperilled. All of their strength and all of their wisdom it took to keep this land from perishing; nor had they help from those others mad for the poison of the Shining One; and they had no time to deal with them nor the earth race with whom they had foregathered.

      “At last came a slow, vast flood. It rolled even to the bases of the walled islets of the city of the gods — and within these now were all that were left of my people on earth face.

      “I am of those people,” she paused, looking at me proudly, “one of the daughters of the sun king whose seed is still alive in the ladala!”

      As Larry opened his mouth to speak she waved a silencing hand.

      “This tide did not recede,” she went on. “And after a time the remnant, the moon king leading them, joined those who had already fled below. The rocks became still, the quakings ceased, and now those Ancient Ones who had been labouring could take breath. And anger grew within them as they looked upon the work of their evil kin. Again they sought the Three — and the Three now knew what they had done and their pride was humbled. They would not slay the Shining One themselves, for still they loved it; but they instructed these others how to undo their work; how also they might destroy the evil Taithu were it necessary.

      “Armed with the wisdom of the Three they went forth — but now the Shining One was strong indeed. They could not slay it!

      “Nay, it knew and was prepared; they could not even pass beyond its Veil nor seal its abode. Ah, strong, strong, mighty of will, full of craft and cunning had the Shining One become. So they turned upon their kind who had gone astray and made them perish, to the last. The Shining One came not to the aid of its servants — though they called; for within its will was the thought that they were of no further use to it; that it would rest awhile and dance with them — who had so little of the power and wisdom of its Taithu and therefore no reins upon it. And while this was happening black-haired and fair-haired ran and hid and were but shaking vessels of terror.

      “The Ancient Ones took counsel. This was their decision; that they would go from the gardens before the Silver Waters — leaving, since they could not kill it, the Shining One with its worshippers. They sealed the mouth of the passage that leads to the Moon Pool Chamber and they changed the face of the cliff so that none might tell where it had been. But the passage itself they left open — having foreknowledge I think, of a thing that was to come to pass in the far future — perhaps it was your journey here, my Larry and Goodwin — verily I think so. And they destroyed all the ways save that which we three trod to the Dweller’s abode.

      “For the last time they went to the Three — to pass sentence upon them. This was the doom — that here they should remain, alone, among the Akka, served by them, until that time dawned when they would have will to destroy the evil they had created — and even now — loved; nor might they seek death, nor follow their judges until this had come to pass. This was the doom they put upon the Three for the wickedness that had sprung from their pride, and they strengthened it with their arts that it might not be broken.

      “Then they passed — to a far land they had chosen where the Shining One could not go, beyond the Black Precipices of Doul, a green land —”

      “Ireland!” interrupted Larry, with conviction, “I knew it.”

      “Since then time upon time had passed,” she went on, unheeding. “The people called this place Muria after their sunken land and soon they forgot where had been the passage the Taithu had sealed. The moon king became the Voice of the Dweller and always with the Voice is a woman of the moon king’s kin who is its priestess.

      “And many have been the journeys upward of the Shining One, through the Moon Pool — returning with still others in its coils.

      “And now again has it grown restless, longing for the wider spaces. It has spoken to Yolara and to Lugur even as it did to the dead Taithu, promising them dominion. And it has grown stronger, drawing to itself power to go far on the moon stream where it will. Thus was it able to seize your friend, Goodwin, and Olaf’s wife and babe — and many more. Yolara and Lugur plan to open way to earth face; to depart with their court and under the Shining One grasp the world!

      “And this is the tale the Silent Ones bade me tell you — and it is done.”

      Breathlessly I had listened to the stupendous epic of a long-lost world. Now I found speech to voice the question ever with me, the thing that lay as close to my heart as did the welfare of Larry, indeed the whole object of my quest — the fate of Throckmartin and those who had passed with him into the Dweller’s lair; yes, and of Olaf’s wife, too.

      “Lakla,” I said, “the friend who drew me here and those he loved who went before him — can we not save them?”

      “The Three say no, Goodwin.” There