bl.necroscope2-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　She　seemed　to　have　won　the　day。　They　said　nothing　to　dispute　her　logic；　had　apparently　lost　all　interest　in　the　argument。　Anne　searched　her　mind　for　a　new　topic；　found　nothing；　relaxed　in　her　seat。
　Reticent。　Helen　turned　her　own　thoughts　over　in　her　head。　Yulian；　reticent？　Did　her　mother　mean　backward？　Of　course　not；　her　argument　had　been　all　against　that。　Shy？　Retiring？　Yes；　that's　what　she　must　have　meant。　Well；　and　he　must　seem　shy…if　one　didn't　know　better。　Helen　knew　better；　from　that　time　two　years　ago。　And　as　for　queer…hardly。　She　would　greatly　doubt　it；　anyway。　She　smiled　secretly。　Better　to　let　them　go　on　thinking　it；　though。　At　least　while　they　thought　he　was　a　woofter　they　wouldn't　worry　about　her　being　in　his　pany。　But　no；　Yulian　wasn't　entirely　gay。　AC；　DC；　maybe。
　Two　years　ago；　yes。。。
　It　had　taken　Helen　ages　to　get　him　to　talk　to　her。　She　remembered　the　circumstances　clearly。
　It　had　been　a　beautiful　Saturday；　their　second　day　of　a　ten…day　spell；　her　parents　and　Aunt　Georgina　gone　off　to　Salbe　for　a　day's　sea…　and　sun…bathing；　Yulian　and　Helen　were　left　in　charge　of　the　house；　he　with　his　Alsatian　pup　to　play　with　and　she　to　explore　the　gardens；　the　great　barn；　the　crumbling　old　stables　and　the　dark；　dense　copse。　Yulian　wasn't　into　bathing；　indeed　he　hated　the　sun　and　sea；　and　Helen　would　have　preferred　anything　rather　than　spend　time　with　her　parents。
　〃Walk　with　me？〃　she'd　pressed　Yulian；　finding　him　alone　with　the　gangling　pup　in　the　dim；　cool　library。　He　had　shook　his　head。
　Pale　in　the　shade　of　this　one　room　which　the　sun　never　seemed　to　reach；　he'd　lounged　awkwardly　on　a　settee；　fondling　the　pup's　floppy　ears　with　one　hand　and　holding　a　book　in　the　other。
　〃Why　not？　You　could　show　me　the　grounds。〃
　He　had　glanced　at　the　pup。　〃He　gets　tired　if　he　walks　too　far。　He's　still　not　quite　steady　on　his　legs。　And　I　burn　easily　in　the　sun。　I　really　don't　much　care　for　the　sun。　And　anyway；　I'm　reading。〃
　〃You're　not　much　fun　to　be　with；〃　she　had　told　him；　deliberately　pouting。　And　she'd　asked；　〃Is　there　still　straw　in　the　hayloft　over　the　barn？〃
　〃Hayloft？〃　Yulian　had　looked　surprised。　His　long；　not　unhandsome　face　had　formed　a　soft　oval　against　the　dark　velvet　of　the　back　of　the　settee。　〃I　haven't　been　up　there　in　years。〃
　〃What　are　you　reading；　anyway？〃　She　sat　down　beside　him；　reached　for　the　book　held　loosely　in　his　long…fingered；　soft…looking　hand。　He　drew　back；　kept　the　book　from　her。
　〃Not　for　little　girls；〃　he　said；　his　expression　unchanging。
　Frustrated；　she　tossed　her　hair；　glanced　all　about　the　large　room。　And　it　was　large；　that　room；　partitioned　in　the　middle；　just　like　a　public　library；　with　floor　to　ceiling　shelves　and　book…lined　alcoves　all　round　the　walls。　It　smelled　of　old　books；　dusty　and　musty。　No；　it　reeked　of　them；　so　that　you　almost　feared　to　breathe　in　case　your　lungs　got　filled　with　words　and　inks　and　desiccated　glue　and　paper　fibres。
　There　was　a　shallow　cupboard　in　one　corner　of　the　room　and　its　door　stood　open。　Tracks　in　the　threadbare　carpet　showed　where　Yulian　had　dragged　a　stepladder　to　a　certain　section　of　the　shelving。　The　books　on　the　top　shelf　were　almost　hidden　in　gloom；　where　old　cobwebs　were　gathering　dust。　But　unlike　the　neat　rows　of　books　in　the　lower　shelves；　they　were　piled　haphazardly；　lying　in　a　jumble　as　if　recently　disturbed。
　〃Oh？〃　she　stood　up。　〃I'm　a　little　girl；　am　I？　And　what　does　that　make　you？　We're　only　a　year　apart；　you　know。。。〃　She　went　to　the　stepladder；　started　to　climb。
　Yulian's　Adam's　apple　bobbed。　He　tossed　his　book　aside；　came　easily　to　his　feet。　〃You　leave　that　top　shelf　alone；〃　he　said　unemotionally；　ing　to　the　foot　of　the　ladder。
　She　ignored　him；　looked　at　the　titles；　read　out　loud：　〃Coates；　Human　Magnetism；　or　How　to　Hypnotise。　Huh！　Mumbo…jumbo！　Lycan。。。　er；　Lycanthropy。　Eh？　And。。。　The　Erotic　Beardsleyf　She　clapped　her　hands　delightedly。　〃What；　dirty　pictures；　Yulian？〃　She　took　the　book　from　the　shelf；　opened　it。　〃Oh！〃　she　said；　rather　more　quietly。　The　black　and　white　drawing　on　the　page　where　the　book　had　opened　was　rather　more　bestial　than　erotic。
　〃Put　it　down！〃　Yulian　hissed　from　below。
　Helen　put　down　the　Beardsley；　read　off　more　titles。　〃Vampirism…ugh！　Sexual　Powers　of　Satyrs　and　Nymphomaniacs。　Sadism　and　Sexual　Aberration。　And。。。　Parasitic　Creatures？　How　diverse！　And　not　dusty　at　all；　these　old　books。　Do　you　read　them　a　lot；　Yulian？〃
　He　gave　the　ladder　a　shake　and　insisted；　〃e　down　from　there！〃　His　voice　was　very　low；　almost　menacing。　It　was　guttural；　deeper　than　she'd　heard　it　before。　Almost　a　man's　voice　and　not　a　youth's　at　all。　Then　she　looked　down　at　him。
　Yulian　stood　below　her；　his　face　turned　up　at　a　sharp　angle　just　below　the　level　of　her　knees。　His　eyes　were　like　holes　punched　in　a　paper　face；　with　pupils　shiny　as　black　marbles。　She　stared　hard　at　him　but　their　eyes　didn't　meet；　because　he　wasn't　looking　at　her　face。
　〃Why；　I　do　believe；〃　she　told　him　then；　teasingly；　〃that　you're　quite　naughty；　really；　Yulian！　What　with　these　books　and　everything。。。〃　She　had　worn　her　short　dress　because　of　the　heat；　and　now　she　was　glad。
　He　looked　away；　touched　his　brow；　turned　aside。　〃You。。。　you　wanted　to　see　the　barn？〃　His　voice　was　soft　again。
　〃Can　we？〃　She　was　down　the　ladder　in　a　flash。　〃I　love　old　barns！　But　your　mother　said　it　wasn't　safe。〃
　〃I　think　it's　safe　enough；〃　he　answered。　〃Georgina　worries　about　everything。〃　He　had　called　his　mother　Georgina　since　he　was　a　little　boy。　She　didn't　seem　to　mind。
　They　went　through　the　rambling　house　to　the　front；　Yulian　excusing　himself　for　a　moment　to　go　to　his　room。　He　came　back　wearing　dark　spectacles　and　a　floppy；　wide…brimmed　hat。　〃Now　you　look　like　some　pallid　Mexican　brigand；〃　Helen　told　him；　leading　the　way。　And　with　the　black　Alsatian　pup　tumbling　at　their　heels；　they　made　their　way　to　the　barn。
　In　fact　it　was　a　very　simple　outbuilding　of　stone；　with　a　platform　of　planks　across　the　high　beams　to　form　a　hayloft。　Next　door　were　the　stables；　pletely　run…down；　just　a　derelict　old　huddle　of　buildings。　Until　five　or　six　years　ago　the　Bodescus　had　let　a　local　farmer　winter　his　ponies　on　the　grounds；　and　he'd　stored　hay　for　them　in　the　barn。
　〃Why　on　earth　do　you　need　such　a　big　place　to　live？〃　Helen　asked　as　they　entered　the　barn　through　a　squealing　door　into　shade　and　dusty　sunbeams　and　the　scurry　of　mice。
　〃I'm　sorry？〃　he　said　after　a　moment；　his　thoughts　elsewhere。
　〃This　place。　The　whole　place。　And　that　high　stone　wall　all　the　way　round　it。　How　much　land　does　it　enclose；　that　fell？　Three　acres？〃
　〃Just　over　three　and　a　half；〃　he　answered。〃A　great　rambling　house；　old　stables；　barns；　an　over…grown　paddock…even　a　shady　copse　to　walk　through　in　the　autumn；　when　the　colours　are　growing　old！　I　mean；　why　do　two　ordinary　people　need　so　much　space　just　to　live　in？〃
　〃Ordinary？〃　he　looked　at　her　curiously；　his　eyes　moistly　gleaming　behind　dark　lenses。　〃And　do　you　consider　your…self　ordinary？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Well　I　don't。　I　think　you're　quite　extraordinary。　So　am　I；　and　so　is　Georgina…all　of　us　for　different　reasons。〃　He　sounded　very　sincere；　almost　aggressive；　as　if　defying　her　to　contradict　him。　But　then　he　shrugged。　〃Anyway；　it's　not　a　question　of　why　we　need　it。　It's　ours；　that's　all。〃
　〃But　how　did　you　get　it？　I　mean；　you　couldn't　have　bought　it！　There　must　be　so　many　other；　well；　easier　places　to　live。〃
　Yulian　crossed　the　paved　floor　between　piles　of　old　slates　and　rusty；　broken…down　implements　to　the　foot　of　the　open　wooden　stairs。　〃Hayloft；〃　he　said；　turning　his　dark　eyes　on　her。　She　couldn't　see　those　eyes；　but　she　could　feel　them。
　Sometimes　his　movements　were　so　fluid　it　almost　seemed　as　if　he　were　sleep…walking。　They　were　like　that　now　as　he　climbed　the　stairs；　slowly；　step　by　deliberate　step。　〃There　is　still　straw；〃　he　said；　voice　languid　as　a　deep　pool。
　She　watched　him　until　he　passed　out　of　sight。　There　was　a　leanness　about　him；　a　hunger。　Her　father　thought　he　was　soft；　girlish；　but　Helen　guessed　otherwise。　She　saw　him　as　an　intelligent　animal；　as　a　wolf。　Sort　of　furtive；　but　unobtrusive；　and　always　there　on　the　edge　of　things；　just　waiting　for　his　chance。。。
　She　suddenly　felt　stifled　and　took　three　deep；　deliberate　gulps　of　air　before　following　him。　Going　carefully　up　the　wooden　steps；　she　said；　〃Now　I　remember！　It　was　your　great…grandfather's；　wasn't　it？　The　house；　I　mean。〃
　She　emerged　into　the　hayloft。　Three　great　bales　of　hay；　blanched　with　age；　stood　dusty　and　withered　in　a　pyramid。　One　end　of　the　loft　stood　open；　where　projecting　gables　spared　it　from　the　elements。　Thin；　hot　beams　of　sunlight　came　slanting　in　from　chinks　in　the　tiles；　trapping　dust…motes　like　flies　in　amber；　forming　yellow　spotlights　on　the　floorboards。
　Yulian　took　out　a　pocket　knife；　sliced　deftly　at　the　binding　of　the　uppermost　bale。　It　fell　to　pieces　like　an　ancient　book；　and　he　dragged　great　deep　armfuls　down　onto　the　boards。
　A　bed　for　a　gypsy；　thought　Helen。　Or　a　wanton。
　She　threw　herself　down；　was　conscious　that　her　dress　rode　up　above　her　knickers　where　she　lay　face　down。　She　did　nothing　to　adjust　it。　Instead　she　spread　her　legs　a　little；　wriggled　her　backside　and　contrived　to　make　the　movement　seem　perfectly　unconscious…whic