cw.blackalibi-第16节

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around　its　seat。　Her　face　was　a　frozen　grimace　of　convulsive　anticipation。
　　It　gave　no　warning。　It　was　as　unpredictable　as　mercury　or　lightning。　Suddenly　it　sprang；　streaked　out　at　her　feet…and　a　little　beyond；　as　though　it　had　overreached　itself。　Its　tail　part　came　lashing；　switching　after　it。
　　All　she　did　was　shudder；　in　a　form　of　death　without　contact。　Then　she　deflated　as　suddenly　as　it　had　leaped；　her　waist　sank　in；　rippled　down　over　the　edge　of　the　seat；　and　she　sidled　inertly　to　the　ground；　retched　a　couple　of　times。　There　beside　her　own　discarded　black　coif；　with　the　two　jet　ornaments　spaced　on　the　front　of　it；　and　the　long　sinuous　length　of　whipped…around　veiling；　that　bulged　like　muscular　haunches　in　places；　that　the　wind　had　been　sending　creeping　stealthily　up　on　her　a　little　at　a　time。
　　Cruel　minutes　went　by；　in　a　gift　of　renewed　life　that　was　hardly　wanted　any　more；　it　had　been　so　expensive。　She　got　to　her　feet　again　somehow；　presently；　the　black　garment　on　her　a　biased　misfit　now；　too　high　up　on　one　shoulder；　down　off　the　other　one　entirely。　Smoky　ribbons　on　her　white　legs　where　there　had　been　stockings　before。　She　wasn't　a　civilized　being　any　more。　She　wasn't　a　young　girl　of　the　city。　She　wasn't　the　Viuda　de　Contreras'　daughter。　She　had　no　name；　she　had　no　address。　She　wasn't　feminine；　and　she　wasn't　masculine；　she'd　sunk　to　a　lower　genderless　plane。　She'd　forgotten　what　love　was；　and　her　tears　or　the　action　of　her　hand　had　carried　a　surly　red　streak　of　lipstick　from　the　corner　of　her　mouth　down　to　the　bottom　of　her　chin　and　under。　She　was　just　a　blindly　instinctive　thing；　struggling　feebly　to　get　from　the　dark　to　the　light；　to　get　from　fear　to　safety。
　　Terror　now　was　only　something　parative。　There　were　accesses　of　it　at　times；　then　at　other　times　there　were　diminutions　of　it；　there　never　at　any　time　was　a　plete　absence　of　it。　She　wavered　along；　on　the　move　once　more；　head　lolling　downward　on　her　chest；　legs　splaying　stiffly　out　behind　her；　first　one　then　the　other；　like　crutches。　There　were　stars　over　her；　but　they　were　cold　and　meaningless。　They　seemed　so　distant；　so　aloof；　pin…point　intelligences　without　pity；　looking　down　from　a　great　height　on　something　trapped　in　a　black　pit；　watching　it　go　around　and　around；　trying　to　find　its　way　out；　and　knowing　that　it　never　would。
　　Then　suddenly　a　new　terror　was　added　to　those　she　was　already　enduring。　A　chromatic　one；　this　time。　Color　began　to　well　up　into　the　cemetery；　giving　it　a　new　dimension；　giving　its　horrors　depth；　that　the　two…dimensional　black　and　gray　had　lacked　until　now。　It　was　like　a　reflection　from　a　distance；　she　couldn't　see　where　it　was　ing　from　at　first。　It　was　like　the　shine　of　red　fire　through　the　trees　and　between　the　graves；　not　rising　high；　but　creeping　closely　over　the　ground。
　　A　great；　angry　eye　was　opening　behind　her。　The　moon。　But　not　the　cool；　tapered　moon　of　lovers　and　of　wishes。　Full…bellied；　carnivorous。　With　animus　toward　the　living；　like　everything　else　in　here。　Fuming；　fevered；　glaring　diseasedly；　redolent　of　evil　and　of　things　they　had　taught　you　long　ago　in　church　not　to　believe　in。　Unhallowed　things。　Ghouls　and　goblins；　grinning　cadavers　that　pushed　their　way　up　out　of　graves；　all　subcuticle　muscular　ligaments　in　crisscross　patches；　like　something　on　a　medical　students'　dissection　table。　The　moon。　The　planet　that　controls　madness　and　psychopathic　urge　to　shed　blood。
　　It　doubled；　tripled　the　shadows　where　it　had　been　black　before。　And　in　the　places　where　it　had　been　less　than　black；　it　brought　a　horrifying；　threatening　simulation　of　motion；　filtering　through　the　restless　leaves　and　branches。　It　made　the　forms　and　figures　on　the　graves　seem　to　waver；　to　sidle　and　stir　and　shift　in　its　rays；　to　mottle　like　leprous　things　and　glower　and　leer；　where　they　had　at　least　been　still　before。　Trees　became　gnarled　shapes　bending　toward　her；　reaching　down　to　clutch　at　her。　Monuments　became　things　crouched　behind　the　bushes　and　the　flowers；　dropping　their　heads　lower　at　the　moment　she　skirted　by；　to　rear　up　again　and　slink　out　after　her　the　instant　her　back　was　to　them。　Even　her　own　shadow　turned　against　her　now；　treacherously　assailed　her　by　creeping　up　on　her　when　she　least　expected　it　or　flinging　itself　abruptly　at　her　from　one　side。
　　She　had　no　leisure　to　think　of　anything　but　the　present　moment；　in　the　midst　of　all　these　terrors；　but　if　she　had　she　would　have　realized　the　darkness　had　already　had　its　victory。　She　was　already　a　little　dead。　Whether　she　ever　got　out　of　here　again　or　whether　she　didn't　she　would　never　be　the　same。　Fright　had　pushed　her　permanently　back　into　some　atavistic　past；　lived　long　ago。
　　And　meantime　the　bilious　planet；　like　everything　else　in　the　place；　seemed　bent　on　pursuing　her。　It　slowly　climbed　the　sky　after　her；　clearing　itself　as　it　went。　From　angry　orange　to　a　sulphurous　yellow；　and　from　that　to　white；　the　bleached　white　of　a　skull；　eye　sockets　faintly　discernible；　inclining　downward　to　look　at　her　from　the　sky。
　　A　period　of　trancelike　inanition　followed　for　a　short　while；　she　was　conscious　of　still　stumbling　on；　but　her　mind　was　a　little　hazy。　Even　terror　had　bee　a　little　blunted；　lost　some　of　its　sharp　edge；　though　it　was　still　with　her。　She　was　experiencing　a　sort　of　hang…over　of　the　mental　faculties；　brought　on　by　shock　and　overstimulation。
　　And　then　suddenly　a　little　sound　came　to　her；　roused　her；　brought　her　back　to　whiplike　alertness　again。　A　little　sound　of　life；　the　first　she'd　heard　since　this　horrendous　solitude　had　begun。　The　first　besides　her　own　screams　and　footfalls；　the　first　objective　one　ing　from　outside　her　own　travail。　The　sweetest　thing　she'd　ever　heard；　sweeter　than　the　sweetest　note　of　music　ever　struck；　lovelier　than　the　loveliest　birdcall　ever　trilled。　A　little　discord；　a　thing　between　a　squeak　and　a；　grunt；　faint；　far…off；　ugly；　awkward；　gauche；　but；　oh；　how　wele。　The　distant　honk　of　a　car　horn　sounded　in　passage。
　　The　outside　world；　the　world　of　the　living；　was　someplace　near　here；　closer　at　hand　than　she'd　suspected。　She　stood　there　straining　her　ears；　forcing　them　beyond　their　powers　of　attunement；　to　try　to　catch　it　again。　It　wouldn't　e　again。　Just　once；　and　then　no　more。　She　held　her　breath；　she　even　quieted　one　of　the　stirring　strips　of　torn　garment　banging　from　her；　so　that　there　wouldn't　be　the　slightest　sound　about　her　that　might　cause　her　to　lose　it。　But　no；　it　wouldn't　e　again。
　　She　didn't　know　which　way　to　go；　for　she　hadn't　been　quick　enough　to　catch　which　way　it　had　seemed　to　e　from。　If　she　moved　incautiously　she　was　afraid　she　might　be　going　farther　away　instead　of　nearer　to　it；　end　up　by　losing　it　altogether。　It　hadn't　e　from　behind　her；　that　was　the　one　thing　she　was　sure　of。
　　Since　her　ears　couldn't　aid　her；　or　were　given　no　second　opportunity　to；　she　tried　to　force　her　eyes　to　do　service　in　their　stead。　But　the　darkness　seemed　to　lie　impartially　around　her　in　all　the　three　remaining　directions…　No；　wait；　didn't　there　seem　to　be　an　evenness　to　it；　over　there；　on　her　right；　as　though　there　were　a　surface　backing　it　instead　of　it　continuing　to　an　unconfined　depth？　Didn't　those　motelike　flicks　of　moonlight　peering　through　the　leaves　over　there　seem　upright　against　something；　instead　of　lying　flat　upon　the　ground？
　　She　struck　out　suddenly；　all　hopes　of　recovering　the　original　position　at　which　she'd　heard　the　telltale　sound　gladly　cast　away　on　the　single　chance　of　being　right　about　it。　Through　grass；　and　over　lumpy　rises　at　times　that；　though　they　might　well　have　been　graves；　were　robbed　of　all　power　to　terrify　her　now；　for　this　was　life　itself　that　was　beckoning　to　her　through　their　midst。　They　could　have　yawned　open　under　her　feet　and　she　would　have　still　leaped　across　them　from　lip　to　lip；　the　quicker　to　get　where　she　was　going。
　　And　there　it　was　at　last；　something　upright　looming　there　ahead　of　her；　ing　closer；　gliding　toward　her　with　her　running；　striking　at　last　against　the　flats　of　her　hands；　outstretched　to　it　in　appeal；　with　a　roughness　of　masonry；　a　scratchy　prickiness　of　mortar；　that　was　more　caressing　to　the　touch　than　velvet　or　satin　could　have　been。　The　boundary　wall；　the　limit　of　death；　the　line　beyond　which　it　did　not　go。
　　Pressed　against　it；　motionless　at　last；　arms　upright　at　her　sides；　she　put　her　lips　to　it；　kissed　it　in　poignant　gratitude。
　　She　must　have　been　making　her　way；　all　unsuspecting；　along　parallel　to　it　for　some　time　past；　although　it　was　set　out　at　a　considerable　distance　away　from　the　path　she　had　been　following。　It　obviously　wasn't　the　front　wail；　where　the　gate　was；　for　she　had　been　moving　steadily　away　from　that　the　whole　time。　Unless；　of　course；　she　had　made　a　plete；　blind　circuit　of　the　place　in　the　dark；　and　e　back　to　where　she　had　started　from。　But　more　likely　it　was　either　one　of　the　side　walls；　or　the　rear　one。　She　had　probably　gone　entirely　through　the　dread　place；　to　its　other　end。
　　There　was　a　noticeable　hum　now　in　the　air；　ing　from　the　other　side　of　it。　Faint　and　disembodied；　an　echoing　murmur　from　far　off；　but　still　able　to　intrude　upon　the　stillness　that　reigned　in　here。　It　was　the　hum；　the　drone；　that　es　from　houses；　from　streets；　in　the　distance；　in　the　night。