bl.necroscope2-第15节

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　He　put　out　his　thoughts　again　to　touch　upon　the　minds　of　the　people　in　the　glade　of　stirless　trees　directly　above　him　where　he　lay。　He　did　not　think　at　them；　made　no　effort　to　municate；　merely　touched　their　thoughts　with　his　own。　A　man　and　a　woman。　Only　the　two　of　them。　Were　they　lovers？　Is　that　what　they　were　doing　here？　But　in　winter？　Yes；　it　was　winter；　and　the　ground　cold　and　hard。　And　what　of　the　blood？　Perhaps　it　was。。。　murder？　The　woman's　mind　was。。。　full　of　nightmares！　She　slept；　or　lay　unconscious；　but　panic　was　fresh　in　her　mind　and　her　heart　beat　fitfully；　in　a　fever　of　fear。　What　had　frightened　her？
　As　for　the　man：　he　was　dying。　It　was　his　blood　the　old　Thing　had　absorbed；　which　fuelled　his　vampire　system　even　now。　But　what　had　happened　to　these　two？　Had　he　lured　her　here；　attacked　her；　and　had　she　in　turn　cut　him　open　before　he　could　use　her？
　Thibor　tried　to　explore　the　dying　man's　mind　a　little　deeper。　There　was　pain…too　much　pain。　It　had　closed　the　man's　mind　down；　so　that　now　all　was　growing　numb；　succumbing　to　an　aching　void。　It　was　the　ultimate　void；　called　Death；　which　would　swallow　its　victim　utterly。
　But　pain；　yes…indeed　agony。　The　Thing　in　the　ground　put　out　extrusions　like　flexible；　fleshy　antennae　to　trace　the　man's　seeping　life　fluid；　red　worms　of　inhuman　flesh　extended　from　his　ages…wrinkled　face；　hollow　chest；　shrivelled　limbs；　burrowing　upward　like　tube…worms　or　the　siphons　of　some　loathsome　mollusc；　they　followed　the　scarlet　trace；　converging　upon　its　source。
　The　man's　right　leg　was　broken　above　the　knee。　Sharply　fractured　bone　had　sliced　open　arteries　like　a　knife；　arteries　which　even　now　pumped　thin　splashes　of　steaming　scarlet　on　to　the　cold；　dead　earth。　But　that　was　a　thought　which　was　too　much；　it　stirred　the　true　beast　in　the　Thibor…creature；　he　was　ravening　in　a　moment。　His　great　dog's　jaws　cracked　open　in　the　hard　earth；　crusted　lips　quivered　and　salivated；　flaring　nostrils　gaped　like　black　funnels。
　From　its　neck　the　Thing　sent　up　a　thick　snake　of　surging　protoplasm；　which　pushed　aside　rootlets　and　pebbles　and　dirt　until　it　emerged；　nodding　like　some　vile；　animated　mushroom；　in　the　glade　of　Thibor's　mausoleum。　He　formed　a　rudimentary　eye　in　its　tip；　expanded　its　pupil　the　better　to　see　in　the　darkness。
　He　saw　the　dying　man：　a　large；　handsome　man；　which　might　explain　the　good　strong　blood；　its　quality　and　quantity。　An　intelligent　man；　high　browed。　And　yet　crumpled　here　on　the　hard　earth；　with　his　life　leaking　out　of　him　down　to　the　last　few　droplets。
　Thibor　couldn't　save　him；　wouldn't　if　he　could。　But　neither　would　he　let　him　go　to　waste。　A　cursory　glance　of　his　obscene　eye；　to　ensure　that　the　woman　was　not　ing　out　of　her　faint；　and　then　he　sent　up　a　score　of　tiny　red　snouts　from　his　gaping　face：　hollow　tubes　like　little　pouting　mouths；　to　slide　into　the　raw　wound　and　draw　on　the　last　of　the　hot　juices　which　flooded　there。　Then…All　of　Thibor's　hellish　being　surrendered　itself　to　the　sheer　ecstasy…the　black　joy；　the　unholy　rapture…of　feeding；　of　drawing　red　sustenance　direct　from　a　victim's　veins。　It　was。。。　it　was　indescribable！
　It　was　a　man's　first　woman。　Not　his　first　fumbling；　hurried；　uncontrolled　eruption　on　to　some　girl's　belly　or　into　her　pubic　hair；　but　the　first　pumping　of　salving　semen　into　the　hot　core　of　a　groaning；　sated　woman。　It　was　a　man's　first　kill　in　battle；　when　his　enemy's　head　leaps　free　or　his　sword　strikes　home　in　heart　or　throat。　It　was　the　sharp；　stinging　agony　of　a　douse　in　some　mountain　pool；　the　sight　of　a　battlefield；　where　the　piled　bodies　of　an　army　reek　and　steam；　the　adoration　of　warriors　hoisting　high　a　man's　colours　in　recognition　of　his　victory。　It　was　as　sweet　as　all　of　these　things…but　alas；　it　was　over　all　too　quickly。
　The　man's　heart　no　longer　pumped。　His　blood；　what　little　remained；　was　still。　The　great　blotches　of　crimson　were　hardening　and　turning　leaf…mould　to　clotted　crusts。　Almost　before　it　had　begun；　the　marvellous　feast　was。。。　over？
　Perhaps　not。。。
　The　Thibor…thing's　sight　extension　turned　its　eye　upon　the　woman。　She　was　pale；　attractive；　fine…boned。　She　looked　like　the　fine　toy　lady　of　some　rich　Boyar；　full　of　thin　aristocratic　blood。　Feverish　highlights　of　colour　gave　her　cheeks　a　fresh　appearance；　but　the　rest　of　her　skin　was　pale　as　death。　Cold　and　growing　colder；　exposure　would　kill　her　if　the　old　Thing　in　the　ground　did　not。
　The　eye…stalk　extended；　elongated　out　of　the　earth。　Its　colour　was　grey…green；　mottled；　but　blood…red　veins　pulsed　in　it　now；　just　beneath　the　surface　of　its　protoplasmic　skin。　It　swayed　closer　to　the　woman　where　she　lay；　poised　itself　before　her　face。　Her　breath；　shallow；　almost　gasping；　filmed　the　eye　over　and　caused　it　to　draw　back。　In　her　neck；　a　pulse　fluttered　like　an　exhausted　bird。　Her　breast　rose　and　fell；　rose　and　fell。
　The　phallic　eye　swayed　close　to　her　throat；　lidlessly　observed　the　soft　pulse　of　the　jugular。　Slowly　the　eye　dissolved　away　and　the　red　veins　in　the　leprous　nodding　mushroom　shuddered　beneath　its　skin　and　turned　a　deeper　scarlet。　A　reptilian　mouth　and　jaws　formed；　taking　the　place　of　the　eye；　so　that　the　tentacle　might　well　seem　a　blind；　smooth；　mottled　snake。　The　jaws　yawned　open　and　a　forked　tongue　flickered　between　many　rows　of　needle…sharp　fangs。　Saliva　trickled　from　the　distended　jaws；　slopped　on　the　scummy　earth。　The　〃head〃　of　the　awful　member　drew　back；　formed　a　deadly　〃S〃　like　a　cobra　about　to　strike；　and…And　the　Thibor…creature　gave　himself　a　great　mental　shake　and　froze　all　his　physical　parts　to　instant　rigidity。　In　the　last　possible　moment　he　had　realised　what　he　was　about　to　do；　had　recognised　the　extreme　danger　of　his　own　naked　lust。
　These　were　not　the　old　times　but　the　new。　The　Twentieth　Century！　Except　in　ancient；　crumbling　records；　his　tomb　here　under　the　trees　was　forgotten。　But　if　he　took　this　woman's　life；　what　then？　Ah！　He　knew　what　then！

　Search　parties　would　e　out　looking　for　them　both。　They　would　be　found　sooner　or　later；　here　in　the　stirless　glade；　by　the　crumbling　mausoleum。　Someone　would　remember。　Some　old　fool　would　whisper：　〃But…that　place　is　forbidden！〃　and　another　would　say；　〃Aye；　for　they　buried　something　there　long；　long　ago。　My　grandfather's　grandfather　used　to　tell　tales　about　the　thing　buried　on　those　cruciform　hills；　to　put　fear　in　his　children　when　they　were　bad！〃
　Then　they'd　read　the　old　records　and　remember　the　old　ways；　and　in　broad；　streaming　daylight　they'd　e；　cut　down　the　trees；　uproot　the　ancient　slabs；　dig　in　the　rotting　soil　until　they　found　him。　They'd　stake　him　down　again；　but　this　time。。。　this　time。。。　this　time　they'd　take　his　head　and　burn　it！
　They'd　burn　all　of　him。。。
　Thibor　fought　a　fearsome　battle　with　himself。　The　vampire　in　him；　which　had　formed　the　major　part　of　him　for　nine　hundred　years；　was　almost　beyond　reason。　But　Thibor　himself　could　still　think　like　a　man；　and　his　reasoning　was　sound。　The　vampire…Thibor　was　greedy　for　the　moment；　but　the　man…Thibor　could　see　far　beyond　that。　And　he　had　already　laid　his　plans。　Plans　which　hinged　on　the　boy　Dragosani。
　Dragosani　was　at　school　in　Bucharest　now；　a　mere　lad　in　his　teens；　but　the　old　Thing　in　the　ground　had　already　corrupted　him。　He'd　taught　him　the　art　of　necromancy；　shown　him　how　to　divine　the　secrets　only　dead　things　know。　And　Dragosani　would　always　return；　would　always　e　back　here　in　his　search　for　new　knowledge；　because　the　ancient　Thing　in　the　putrid　earth　was　the　very　font　of　all　dark　mystery。
　Meanwhile；　a　vampire　seed　or　egg…the　Thibor…creature's　filthy；　leech…like　clone…was　growing　in　him　where　he　lay；　a　single　drop　of　alien　fluid　which　carried　the　plex　code　of　the　new　vampire。　But　that　was　a　slow；　slow　process。　One　day　Dragosani；　grown　to　a　man；　would　e　up　here　into　these　hills　and　the　egg　would　be　ready。　A　man　would　e　up　here　full　of　monstrous　talent；　seeking　the　ultimate　secrets　of　the　Wamphyri。。。　but　when　he　went　away；　he　would　carry　a　fledgling　vampire　with　him；　inside　him。
　After　that　he　would　e　again…would　have　to　e　again…by　which　time　Thibor　would　be　ready　for　the　final　phase　of　his　plan。　Dragosani　would　e；　Dragosani　and　Thibor　would　leave…together。　At　last　the　cycle　would　be　plete；　the　wheel　turned　full　circle；　when　again　the　immemorial　vampire　would　walk　the　earth…this　time　to　conquer　it！
　That　was　how　the　old　Thing　in　the　ground　had　planned　it；　and　that　was　how　it　would　be。　He　would　rise　up　from　here　and　go　out　again　into　the　world。　The　world　would　be　his！　But　not　if　he　killed　this　woman　here　and　now。　No；　for　that　would　be　total　madness；　the　very　end　of　him　and　all　his　dreams。。。
　The　vampire　in　him　succumbed　to　mon　sense；　reluctantly　allowed　the　twisted　but　human　mind　of　Thibor　to　take　ascendancy。　Blood…lust　receded；　was　replaced　by　curiosity；　which　in　turn　gave　way　to　dormant；　ages…repressed　urges。　New　feelings；　entirely　human　feelings；　awakened　in　the　old　Thing　in　the　ground。　He　was　neither　male　nor　female；　now；　Thibor…he　was　of　the　Wamphyri…but　he　had　once　been　a　man。　A　lustful　man。
　He　had　known　women；　many　women；　in　the　five　hundred　years　that　his　scourge　had　terrified　Wallachia；　Bulgaria；　Moldavia；　Russia　and　the　Ottoman。　Some　had　been　his　willingly；　but　most　had　not。　There　was　no　way　a　woman　could　be　had