The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Dark Goddess, by Richard Sharpe Shaver

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Title: The Dark Goddess

Author: Richard Sharpe Shaver

Release Date: June 12, 2010 [EBook #32784]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The Dark Goddess

By Richard S. Shaver

[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of
Science and Fantasy February 1953. Extensive research did not uncover
any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death
to end her loneliness. But then came a voyager from space--a man--also
lonely....]

The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings. From
the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head. The long
dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own. The
great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any
human's. The gleaming green shoulders and shapely long arms ended in
graceful webbed fingers. The red tipped breasts were proud, naked mounts
where beauty lived forever. The pillaring waist--the strong-arched hips
that did not divide into legs but into two great serpentine
drivers--ended in the wide tail fins of a fish.

The dark sea-scented lapping green water was circled by tiers of marble
seats, where many human people sat, their eyes upon the throne-seat into
which the tremendous female figure vaulted in one powerful thrust from
the water, as a tall wave uncurls effortlessly upon a golden beach.

The people bowed their heads and waited for her words, and she sat for a
long time looking on them sadly and somehow conveying that they had long
disappointed her. When her voice came, a great bell of meaning in the
sea-cavern, the humans began to weep, for they knew now in their hearts
they had failed her.

"My people, when the first of you came here I welcomed you. I was glad,
for I had been long alone. I never kn