"A. E. Merritt - The Moon Pool" - читать интересную книгу автора (Merritt A. E)

And above it, tangled in the plumes and spirals that throbbed and whirled were
seven glowing lights.
Through all the incessant but strangely ordered movement of theЧthingЧthese
lights held firm and steady. They were sevenЧlike seven little moons. One was of
a pearly pink, one of a delicate nacreous blue, one of lambent saffron, one of
the emerald you see in the shallow waters of tropic isles; a deathly white; a
ghostly amethyst; and one of the silver that is seen only when the flying fish
leap beneath the moon.
The tinkling music was louder still. It pierced the ears with a shower of tiny
lances; it made the heart beat jubilantlyЧand checked it dolorously. It closed
the throat with a throb of rapture and gripped it tight with the hand of
infinite sorrow!
Came to me now a murmuring cry, stilling the crystal notes. It was
articulateЧbut as though from something utterly foreign to this world. The ear
took the cry and translated with conscious labour into the sounds of earth. And
even as it compassed, the brain shrank from it irresistibly, and simultaneously
it seemed reached toward it with irresistible eagerness.
Throckmartin strode toward the front of the deck, straight toward the vision,
now but a few yards away from the stern. His face had lost all human semblance.
Utter agony and utter ecstasyЧthere they were side by side, not resisting each
other; unholy inhuman companions blending into a look that none of God's
creatures should wearЧand deep, deep as his soul! A devil and a God dwelling
harmoniously side by side! So must Satan, newly fallen, still divine, seeing
heaven and contemplating hell, have appeared.
And thenЧswiftly the moon path faded! The clouds swept over the sky as though a
hand had drawn them together. Up from the south came a roaring squall. As the
moon vanished what I had seen vanished with itЧblotted out as an image on a
magic lantern; the tinkling ceased abruptlyЧleaving a silence like that which
follows an abrupt thunder clap. There was nothing about us but silence and
blackness!
Through me passed a trembling as one who has stood on the very verge of the gulf
wherein the men of the Louisades says lurks the fisher of the souls of men, and
has been plucked back by sheerest chance.
Throckmartin passed an arm around me.
"It is as I thought," he said. In his voice was a new note; the calm certainty
that has swept aside a waiting terror of the unknown. "Now I know! Come with me
to my cabin, old friend. For now that you too have seen I can tell you"Чhe
hesitatedЧ"what it was you saw," he ended.
As we passed through the door we met the ship's first officer. Throckmartin
composed his face into at least a semblance of normality.
"Going to have much of a storm?" he asked.
"Yes," said the mate. "Probably all the way to Melbourne."
Throckmartin straightened as though with a new thought. He gripped the officer's
sleeve eagerly.
"You mean at least cloudy weatherЧfor"Чhe hesitatedЧ"for the next three nights,
say?"
"And for three more," replied the mate.
"Thank God!" cried Throckmartin, and I think I never heard such relief and hope
as was in his voice.
The sailor stood amazed. "Thank God?" he repeated. "ThankЧwhat d'ye mean?"