Larry and the Frog-Men
Long had been her in the telling, and too long, perhaps, have I been in the repeating—but not every day are the rolled away to of earth-youth. And I have set it here, adding nothing, taking nothing from it; liberally, it is true, but striving, while it into idea-forms and to be by my readers, to keep to the spirit. And this, I must repeat, I have done my narrative, it has been necessary to record with the Murians.
Rising, I I was stiff—as muscle-bound as though I had actually many miles. Larry, me, gave an groan.
"Faith, mavourneen," he said to Lakla, into English, "your would wear out shoe-leather, but they've got their kick, just the same!"
She our plight, if not his words; gave a soft little of and self-reproach; us upon the cushions.
"Oh, but I'm sorry!" Lakla, over us. "I had forgotten—for those new to it the way is a one, indeed—"
She ran to the doorway, a clear high note the passage. Through the came two of the frog-men. She spoke to them rapidly. They toward us, what was meant for an the muzzles, the of needle-teeth. And while I them with the that they for me, the one arm around our knees, us up like babies—and as started to walk away with us!
"Put me down! Put me down, I say!" The O'Keefe's voice was and angry; around I saw him to to his feet. The Akka only him tighter, comfortingly, into his inquiringly.
"But, Larry—darlin'!"—Lakla's were—well, surprised—"you're and sore, and Kra can you easily."
"I won't be carried!" the O'Keefe. "Damn it, Goodwin, there are such as the here, an' for a of the Royal Air Force to be up an' around like a—like a of rags—it's not discipline! Put me down, ye omadhaun, or I'll ye in the snout!" he to his bearer—who only gently, and at the handmaiden, for instructions.
"But, Larry—dear!"—Lakla was distressed—"it will you to walk; and I don't want you to hurt, Larry—darlin'!"
"Holy of St. Patrick!" Larry; again he a to tear himself from the frog-man's grip; gave up with a groan. "Listen, alanna!" he said plaintively. "When we to Ireland, you and I, we won't have to us up and us about every time we a tired. And it's me in you are!"
"Oh, yes, we will, Larry!" the handmaiden, "because many, oh, many, of my Akka will go with us!"
"Will you tell this—BOOB!—to put me down!" the now O'Keefe. I couldn't help laughing; he at me.
"Bo-oo-ob?" Lakla.
"Yes, boo-oo-ob!" said O'Keefe, "an' I have no to the word in my present position, light of my soul!"
The sighed, dejected. But she spoke again to the Akka, who the O'Keefe to the floor.
"I don't understand," she said hopelessly, "if you want to walk, why, of course, you shall, Larry." She to me.
"Do you?" she asked.
"I do not," I said firmly.
"Well, then," Lakla, "go you, Larry and Goodwin, with Kra and Gulk, and let them minister to you. After, sleep a little—for not soon will Rador and Olaf return. And let me your you go, Larry—darlin'!" She his with her soft little palms; pushed him away.
"Now go," said Lakla, "and rest!"
Unashamed I against the of Gulk; and with a noticed that Larry, if he had at being carried, did not the support of Kra's shining, black-scaled arm which, around his waist, half-lifted him along.
They a and us a little pool, with the clear water that had been us in the wide basins. Then they to us. And at this point the O'Keefe gave up.
"Whatever they're going to do we can't stop 'em, Doc!" he moaned. "Anyway, I as though I've been through a knot-hole, and I don't care—I don't care—as the song says."
When we were we were into the water. But not long did the Akka let us about the basin. They us out, and from to and us with unguents.
I think that in all the of grotesque, of tragic, of baffling, and in that world none was more than this—valeting. I to laugh, Larry joined me, and then Kra and Gulk joined in our with and gruntings. Then, having us and still chuckling, the two touched our arms and us out, into a room were with soft divans. Still smiling, I at once into sleep.
How long I I do not know. A low and through the window slit, through the room and me. Larry yawned; briskly.
"Sounds as though the of every in New York were us!" he observed. Simultaneously we to the window; through.
We were a little above the level of the bridge, and its full length was plain us. Thousands upon thousands of the Akka were upon it, and away other like a of the ledge's strand. On black and orange the light fell, them off in little points.
Upon the from which the smaller over the were Lakla, Olaf, and Rador; the acting as them and the she had called Nak, the Frog King.
"Come on!" Larry.
Out of the open portal we ran; over the World Heart Bridge—and into the group.
"Oh!" Lakla, "I didn't want you to wake up so soon, Larry—darlin'!"
"See here, mavourneen!" Indignation in the Irishman's voice. "I'm not going to be done up with baby-ribbons and away in a for safe-keeping while a is on; don't think it. Why didn't you call me?"
"You needed rest!" There was in the handmaiden's tones, the from her eyes. "You were and you hurt! You shouldn't have got up!"
"Needed the rest!" Larry. "Look here, Lakla, what do you think I am?"
"You're all I have," said that firmly, "and I'm going to take of you, Larry—darlin'! Don't you think anything else."
"Well, of my heart, my health and fragility, would it me, do you think, to be told what's going on?" he asked.
"Not at all, Larry!" answered the serenely. "Yolara through the Portal. She was very, very angry—"
"She was all the devil's woman that she is!" Olaf.
"Rador met the messenger," on the Golden Girl calmly. "The are to when Lugur and Yolara lead their against us. They will at those left behind. And in the meantime we shall have my Akka to meet Yolara's men. And on that we must all take counsel, you, Larry, and Rador, Olaf and Goodwin and Nak, the ruler of the Akka."
"Did the messenger give any idea when Yolara to make her little call?" asked Larry.
"Yes," she answered. "They prepare, and we may them in—" She gave the of about thirty-six hours of our time.
"But, Lakla," I said, the that I had long been voice, "should the Shining One come—with its slaves—are the Three to with it?"
There was in her own eyes.
"I do not know," she said at last, frankly. "You have their story. What they promise is that they will help. I do not know—any more than do you, Goodwin!"
I looked up at the which I the Trinity forth; upon us. And despite the awe, the assurance, I had when I them I, too, doubted.
"Well," said Larry, "you and I, uncle," he to Rador, "and Olaf here had decide just what part of the we'll lead—"
"Lead!" the was appalled. "You lead, Larry? Why you are to with Goodwin and with me—up there, there we can watch."
"Heart's beloved," O'Keefe was indeed. "A thousand times I've looked Death in the face, into his eyes. Yes, and with ten thousand of space under me an' the of the I was in. An' d'ye think I'll now on the an' watch while a game like this is being pulled? Ye don't know your husband, of my delight!"
And so we started toward the opening, of the frog-men us and about the structure. Nor did we stop until we came to the handmaiden's boudoir. There we seated ourselves.
"Now," said Larry, "two I want to know. First—how many can Yolara against us; second, how many of these Akka have we to meet them?"
Rador gave our for eighty thousand men as the Yolara without her city. Against this force, it appeared, we count, roughly, upon two hundred thousand of the Akka.
"And they're some fighters!" Larry. "Hell, with like that what're you about? It's over it's begun."
"But, Larree," Rador to this, "you that the will have the Keth—and other things; also that the soldiers have against the Akka and will be very well from their and clubs—and that their and can bite through the of Nak's warriors. They have many things—"
"Uncle," O'Keefe, "one thing they have is your nerve. Why, we're more than two to one. And take it from me—"
Without the tragedy!
