gns.theplutopact-第33节

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e　Father；　the　Son；　the　Holy　Ghost　。　。　。　this　is　my　Body　。　。　。　take　。。。　eat　。　；　。　this　is　my　Blood　。　。　。　drink　。　。　。　may　God　save　us　all　。。。　have　mercy　on　our　souls　。　。　。　'
　　
　　Coyle　and　Kent　watched　as　though　hypnotised；　neither　feeling　any　cynicism。　Suddenly；　Coyle　stiffened；　his　fingers　instinctively　clutching　at　the　arm　of　the　man　beside　him。　Kent　followed　his　gaze。　An　attractive　woman　in　her　mid…thirties　and　a　girl　in　her　late　teens　knelt　side　by　side；　their　features　grief…stricken。　He　recognised　them　both…Jane　and　Sarah！
　　
　　Almost　in　a　trance；　Coyle　crossed　the　road；　looking　neither　to　right　nor　left；　his　movements　jerky；　like　a　human　automaton。
　　
　　Kent　made　as　if　to　follow；　then　checked　himself。　This　was　one　time　Coyle　did　not　need　him。
　　
　　Coyle　pushed　his　way　over　kneeling；　muttering　figures；　his　progress　slow。
　　
　　Finally；　he　reached　the　two　kneeling　persons　he　sought；　jostling　for　a　place　alongside　Jane。　The　ground　was　cold　and　wet；　saturating　his　trousers　where　he　knelt。　He　bowed　his　head。　After　a　time　he　sensed　his　wife　glancing　sideways　at　him；　and　he　turned　his　head。　Their　eyes　met。　No　surprise　on　her　part；　certainly　no　forgiveness。　Not　even　hatred。　Nothing。　For　her；　he　was　just　another　one　amongst　this　multitude。　She　turned　her　head　away；　praying。　Everybody　prayed　except　Coyle。
　　
　　The　Reverend　Mortimer's　voice　was　closer　now。　'　。　。　。　This　is　My　Blood　。　。　。　take；　drink　。　。　。　may　God　have　mercy　on　us　all。'
　　
　　Face　to　face；　Coyle　noted　the　amazement　in　the　vicar's　large　round　eyes。　The　chalice　was　thrust　into　his　hands。　He　took　it　clumsily；　almost　dropped　it。　The　wine　was　tasteless；　watered　liberally　to　cater　for　the　numbers。　The　bread　dissolved　on　his　palate　before　he　could　swallow　it。　He　managed　to　mumble　'Amen'　as　Mortimer　moved　on　to　Jane　and　Sarah。　It　was　only　then　that　Coyle　remembered　that　he　had　never　been　confirmed。
　　
　　As　more　people　arrived　in　the　street；　those　who　had　taken　munion　left　to　make　room　for　them。　Coyle　rose　unsteadily　to　his　feet；　but　Jane　and　Sarah　had　moved　on　ahead。　They　were　lost　to　his　view。
　　
　　Soon　he　found　himself　out　in　the　street　again；　where　an　even　larger　queue　had　formed　awaiting　their　turn。　A　sudden　shout；　and　bowed　heads　lifted　in　unison。　A　man　rose　up　amidst　the　praying　throng…a　ragged　vagrant；　his　tattered　garments　exposing　glimpses　of　grimy　skin；　an　almost　skeletal　hand　held　aloft。　His　face　was　hidden　amidst　a　mangy　beard；　so　that　it　was　virtually　impossible　to　determine　his　age。　His　high…pitched　voice　was　rising　to　a　frenzied　crescendo；　eyes　blazing　insanely；　his　mouth　was　a　toothless　cavity。
　　
　　'Fools！'　he　yelled。　'Do　you　not　realise　that　this　is　the　Day　of　Judgement…the　long　awaited　day　that　Balzur　prophesied；　when　Pluto　shall　e　to　claim　his　own　。　。　。　to　take　us　down　into　his　fiery　underworld；　where　there　is　nothing　but　eternal　agony！'
　　
　　A　gasp　of　horror　rippled　through　the　congregation。　A　woman　began　screaming；　a　child　crying。　Then；　with　unbelievable　agility；　the　speaker　leaped　away；　hurdling　the　cringing　people　in　his　path　until　he　was　lost　to　sight；　his　shrill　warning　still　echoing　in　their　minds。
　　
　　Silence。　Except　for　the　monotonous；　apparently　unmoved　tones　of　the　Reverend　Mortimer　as　he　shuffled　between　the　rows。　Take　eat　。。。　this　is　My　blood　。　。　。　'
　　
　　The　opposite　pavement　was　deserted。　Coyle's　eyes　scanned　it　for　Kent；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　the　Londoner。　Out　of　this　teeming　mass　only　Kent　had　not　turned　back　to　God。　He　would　see　it　through　on　his　own；　right　up　until　the　end；　whichever　way　it　went…an　atheist　and　a　fatalist。
　　
　　Coyle　debated　with　himself　for　some　minutes。　His　wife　and　daughter　had　doubtless　gone　home。　He　could　follow　them；　but　he　knew　he　would　not　be　wele。　Alternatively；　he　could　roam　the　streets　in　search　of　Kent。　In　the　end　he　decided　to　go　back　to　his　office。　He　could　prepare　some　copy　for　an　edition　which　would　probably　never　reach　the　printing　presses。　At　least　it　was　something　to　do　until　Anne　returned。
　　
　　As　he　moved　slowly　away；　an　armoured　truck　rounded　the　corner　and　drew　up　some　fifty　yards　away　from　the　packed　churchyard。
　　
　　The　military　were　taking　no　chances。　For　firmly　held　between　two　soldiers　was　the　miserable　tramp…like　figure；　now　silent　and　subdued。
　　
　　Canverdale　spent　the　rest　of　Sunday　attempting　to　list　his　new　duties　in　order　of　priority。　Everything；　of　course；　was　a　priority　nowadays…especially　with　the　unexpected　three　degrees　rise　in　the　radioactivity　pressure　gauge　earlier　that　day…but；　nevertheless；　certain　things　had　to　take　precedence。
　　
　　The　public　would　be　informed　on　television　at　the　end　of　the　evening's　programmes　that　the　Prime　Minister　（they　had　no　knowledge　yet　of　the　change　of　leadership）　had　another　broadcast　to　make。　That　meant　that　at　midday　on　the　Monday　the　coalition　would　be　officially　announced。　Canverdale　would　then　be　fully　in　charge。
　　
　　The　banks　would　remain　closed　tomorrow；　also　building　societies　and　post　offices。　That；　too；　would　be　announced　on　tonight's　late…night　news；　but　only　as　a　temporary　measure；　and　not　in　any　way　to　provoke　sensationalism。　He　decided　against　closing　the　stock　market。　Shares　would　crash；　obviously；　but　there　might　remain　some　spark　of　hope　if　he　allowed　trading　to　continue。　Likewise　the　foreign　exchange　market；　countries　abroad　must　not　presume　that　Britain　had　capitulated　to　the　disaster。　Bluff　and　stall…and　keep　in　constant　touch　with　Dyne。　He　sighed　with　relief　at　having　made　these　decisions；　and　fitted　a　cigarette　into　his　long　ivory　holder。　Flicking　his　lighter；　he　considered　some　other　factors。
　　
　　The　safety　of　the　public。　The　map　in　front　of　him　showed　the　sitings　of　special　shelters　for　use　in　the　event　of　nuclear　attack。　He　approved　the　efforts　of　the　Authorities　in　constructing　them；　but　there　were　two　main　drawbacks。　Firstly；　they　could　only　acmodate　a　small　percentage　of　the　populations　within　easy　reach　of　them；　and　secondly　this　was　no　ordinary　nuclear　attack。　It　was　not　a　case　of　one　or　two　atomic　bombs；　but　the　effect　of　thousands　of　them　exploding　simultaneously；　with　fall…out　ing　like　a　raging　blizzard！
　　
　　The　London　Undergrounds　would　be　packed　with　people。　Perhaps　there　was　some　way　of　filtering　the　ventilation　shafts　against　fall…out。　He　made　a　note　to　investigate　this　possibility　further；　then　added　another　concerning　the　length　of　time　it　would　be　necessary　for　people；　to　remain　below　ground。　He　envisaged　a　new　rat…like　population；　human　savages　existing　in　tunnels　of　squalor。　There　would　be　neither　lighting　nor　sewage；　nor　any　of　the　other　amenities　which　had　been　taken　for　granted　for　years。
　　
　　Finally；　the　main　decision　would　have　to　be　made　by　himself：　release　the　build…up　or　chance　an　explosion？　Die　above　or　below　ground？
　　
　　He　drank　yet　another　cold　cup　of　tea；　and　put　through　a　call　to　Dyne。　A　slight　sigh　of　relief。　The　needle　had　risen　only　one　more　degree　since　the　morning…the　expected　rate。　That　still　made　Saturday　D…Day；　and　the　needle　might　decide　to　jump　madly　at　any　moment。
　　
　　Hardly　had　he　replaced　the　receiver　when　another　call　came　through。　The　Sabbath　was　over。　One　day　of　respite；　and　now　Saturday's　madness　had　returned。　He　jotted　down　the　names　of　the　places　as　he　listened。　Notting　Hill。　Birmingham。　Wolverhampton。　Leicester。　Coventry。　Nottingham。　Bradford。
　　
　　'Alert　all　troops！'　Canverdale's　voice　was　weary。　The　order　was　superfluous；　but　he　could　not　think　of　anything　better。
　　
　　The　riots　had　begun　again！　It　was　the　desperate　rebellion　of　frightened　people　trapped　on　an　island　of　death。
　　
　　Canverdale　knew　that　he　would　not　have　the　chance　of　any　sleep。　Anarchy　had　forestalled　his　predictions　by　some　twenty…four　hours。　How　long　before　it　spread　to　other　countries；　whole　continents。　A　worldwide　holocaust　was　imminent！
　　
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　13
　　
　　Monday。　Again　Coyle　and　Anne　had　spent　the　night　in　the　office；　but　they　were　up　and　dressed　before　Kent　arrived。
　　
　　'What's　the　programme　for　today？'　Anne　enquired　as　she　adjusted　her　skirt。
　　
　　'Same　as　for　any　normal　Monday。'　Coyle　smiled　wanly。　'I'm　just　wondering　how　many　will　turn　up。　Doesn't　matter　really；　but　we've　got　to　make　a　pretence　of　some　kind　of　normality。　The　copy　I　worked　on　yesterday　can　go　to　the　type…setters。　The　printers　will　be　kept　fully　occupied　for　the　next　couple　of　days　with　the　parish　magazine。　I　see　there's　a　lot　of　forthing　weddings　in　the　next　fortnight。'
　　
　　'Poor　sods。'
　　
　　'Maybe　a　few　will　be　brought　forward。　Anyway；　it's　only　a　technicality。　A　few　words；　a　bit　of　paper。　Stupid　really；　but　that's　the　society　in　which　we　live。'
　　
　　'Bob'…she　hesitated；　met　his　gaze；　dropped　her　eyes…'Bob　。。。　we　are　。。。　you　and　I；　I　mean　。　。　。　we're　married　to　each　other；　aren't　we？　I　mean　。　。　。　well；　you　know　what　I　mean。　I'd　just　like　to　think　that　。　。　。'
　　
　　'Yes。'　He　slipped　an　arm　around　her　slender　waist；　and　drew　her　close　to　him。　'We're　married。　I　guess　bits　of　paper；　legal　documents；　have　lost　all　their　meaning　now　to　just　about　everybody。　Morally；　Jane　has　already　divorced　me。　Of　course；　I　shall　have　to