osc.am2.redprophet-第54节

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　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Taleswapper　whispered。　〃I　was　wrong　to　say　that。〃
　　〃Lolla…Wossiky！〃　cried　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃I　did　not　want　to　be　right；　my　brother！〃
　　〃Is　he　alive？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　He　turned　his　head　to　press　his　cheek　against　the　grass；　his　eyes；　though；　bored　at　Taleswapper　as　if　to　kill　him　with　a　look。　〃Taleswapper；　the　words　you　were　saying。　What　did　they　mean？　What　did　you　see？〃
　　〃I　saw　nothing；〃　said　Taleswapper。　And　then；　though　he　only　learned　the　truth　as　the　words　came　out；　he　said；　〃It　was　Alvin's　vision　I　was　speaking。　It's　what　he　saw。　My　brothers　and　father　march　before。　The　heavens　drop　with　human　gore。　His　vision；　my　poem。〃
　　〃And　where　is　the　boy？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃All　night　on　that　Mound；　and　where　is　he　now？〃　Ta…Kumsaw　jumped　to　his　feet；　orienting　himself　toward　Eight…Face　Mound；　toward　the　very　center　of　it。　〃No　one　stays　there　through　the　whole　night；　and　now　the　sun　is　rising　and　he　hasn't　e。〃　Ta…Kumsaw　abruptly　turned　to　face　Taleswapper。　〃He　can't　e　down。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　　〃He　needs　me；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃I　can　feel　it。　A　terrible　wound　is　in　him。　All　his　strength　is　bleeding　into　the　earth。〃
　　〃What's　on　that　hill！　What　wounded　him？〃
　　〃Who　knows　what　a　White　boy　finds　inside？〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　Then　he　turned　to　face　the　Mound　again；　as　if　he　had　felt　a　new　summoning。　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　then　walked　quickly　toward　the　Mound。
　　Taleswapper　followed；　saying　nothing　about　the　incongruity　　Ta…Kumsaw　vowing　to　make　war　against　Whites　until　all　were　dead　or　gone　from　this　land；　and　yet　hurrying　back　to　Eight…Face　Mound　to　save　a　White　boy。
　　They　stood　together　at　the　place　where　Alvin　climbed。
　　〃Can　you　see　the　place？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　〃There　is　no　path；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃But　you　saw　it　yesterday；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Yesterday　there　was　a　path。〃
　　〃Then　some　other　way；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃Your　own　way　onto　the　Mound。〃
　　〃Another　way　would　not　take　me　to　the　same　place。〃
　　〃e　now；　Ta…Kumsaw；　the　Mound　is　big；　but　not　so　big　you　can't　find　someone　up　there　in　an　hour　of　looking。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　gazed　disdainfully　at　Taleswapper。
　　Abashed；　Taleswapper　spoke　less　confidently。　〃So　you　have　to　take　the　same　path　to　reach　the　same　place？〃
　　〃How　do　I　know？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃I　never　heard　of　one　going　up　the　Mound；　and　another　following　by　the　same　path。〃
　　〃Don't　you　ever　go　here　in　twos　or　threes？〃
　　〃This　is　the　place　where　the　land　speaks　to　all　creatures　who　live　here。　The　speech　of　the　land　is　grass　and　trees；　the　adornment　is　beasts　and　birds。〃
　　Taleswapper　noted　that　when　he　wished　to；　Ta…Kumsaw　could　speak　the　English　language　like　any　White　man。　No：　like　a　well…educated　White　man。　Adornment。　Where　in　the　Hio　country　could　he　learn　a　word　like　that？　〃So　we　can't　get　in？〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw's　face　showed　no　expression。
　　〃Well；　I　say　we　go　up　anyway。　We　know　the　road　he　took　　let's　take　it；　whether　we　can　see　it　or　not。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　said　nothing。
　　〃Are　you　just　going　to　stand　here；　then；　and　let　him　die　up　there？〃
　　In　answer；　Ta…Kumsaw　took　a　single　step　that　brought　him　face　to　face　　no；　breast　to　breast　　with　Taleswapper。　Ta…Kumsaw　gripped　his　hand；　threw　his　other　arm　around　Taleswapper；　held　him　close。　Their　legs　were　tangled；　Taleswapper　for　a　moment　imagined　how　they　must　look；　if　there　had　been　anyone　to　see　them　　whether　someone　would　know　which　leg　belonged　to　which　man；　they　were　so　close　together。　He　felt　the　Red　man's　heart　beating；　its　rhythm　more　manding　within　Taleswapper's　body　than　the　unsensed　beat　of　his　own　hot　pulse。　〃We　are　not　two　men；〃　whispered　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃Not　Red　and　White　men　here；　with　blood　between　us。　We　are　one　man　with　two　souls；　a　Red　soul　and　a　White　soul；　one　man。〃
　　〃All　right；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃Let　it　be　as　you　say。〃
　　Still　holding　Taleswapper　tightly；　Ta…Kumsaw　turned　within　the　embrace；　their　heads　pressed　against　each　other；　their　ears　so　close…joined　Taleswapper　could　hear　nothing　but　Ta…Kumsaw's　pulse　like　the　pounding　of　ocean　waves　inside　his　ear。　But　now；　their　bodies　so　tightly　joined　that　they　seemed　to　have　a　single　heartbeat；　Taleswapper　could　see　a　clear　path　leading　up　the　face　of　the　Mound。
　　〃Do　you〃　began　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃I　see　it；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Stay　this　close　to　me；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃Now　we　are　like　Alvin　　a　Red　soul　and　a　White　soul　in　a　single　body。〃
　　It　was　awkward；　even　ridiculous；　to　attempt　to　climb　the　Mound　this　way。　Yet　when　their　movement　up　the　path　jostled　them　apart；　even　the　tiniest　fraction；　the　path　seemed　to　grow　more　difficult；　hidden　behind　an　errant　growth　of　some　vine；　some　bush；　some　dangling　limb。　So　Taleswapper　clung　to　Ta…Kumsaw　as　tightly　as　the　Red　man　clung　to　him；　and　together　they　made　their　difficult　way　up　the　hill。
　　At　the　top　Taleswapper　was　astonished　to　see　that　instead　of　a　single　Mound；　they　were　at　the　crest　of　a　ring　of　eight　separate　Mounds；　with　an　octagonal　valley　between　them。　More　important；　Ta…Kumsaw　was　also　surprised。　He　seemed　uncertain；　his　grip　on　Taleswapper　was　not　as　tight；　he　was　no　longer　in　control。
　　〃Where　does　a　White　man　go　in　this　place？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃Down；　of　course；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃When　a　White　man　sees　a　valley；　he　goes　down　into　it；　to　find　what's　there。〃
　　〃Is　this　how　it　always　is　for　you？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃Not　knowing　where　you　are；　where　anything　is？〃
　　Only　then　did　Taleswapper　realize　that　Ta…Kumsaw　lacked　his　land…sense　here。　He　was　as　blind　as　a　White　man　in　this　place。
　　〃Let's　go　down；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃And　look　　we　don't　have　to　cling　so　tightly　now。　It's　a　grassy　hill；　and　we　don't　need　a　path。〃
　　They　crossed　a　stream　and　found　him　in　a　meadow；　with　a　mist　low　on　the　ground　around　them。　Alvin　was　not　injured；　but　he　lay　trembling　　as　if　fevered；　though　his　brow　was　cool　　and　his　breathing　was　shallow　and　quick。　As　Ta…Kumsaw　had　said：　dying。
　　Taleswapper　touched　him；　caressed　him；　then　shook　him；　trying　to　wake　the　boy。　Alvin　showed　no　sign　that　he　was　aware　of　them。　Ta…Kumsaw　was　no　help。　He　sat　beside　the　boy；　holding　his　hand；　whining　so　softly　that　Taleswapper　doubted　he　knew　he　was　making　a　sound。
　　But　Taleswapper　was　not　one　to　give　in　to　despair；　if　in　fact　that　was　what　Ta…Kumsaw　was　feeling。　He　looked　around。　Nearby　was　a　tree；　looking　like　spring；　its　leaves　so　yellow…green　that　in　the　light　of　dawn　they　might　have　been　made　of　thin…hammered　gold。　Hanging　from　the　tree　was　a　light…colored　fruit。　No；　a　white　fruit。　And　suddenly；　as　soon　as　he　saw　it；　Taleswapper　smelled　it；　pungent　and　sweet；　so　that　he　could　almost　taste　it。
　　He　acted；　not　thinking　what　he　would　do；　but　doing　it。　He　walked　to　the　tree；　plucked　the　fruit；　carried　it　back　to　Alvin　where　he　lay　on　the　ground；　a　child　so　small。　Taleswapper　passed　it　under　Alvin's　nose；　so　the　odor　of　it　might　be　like　smelling　salts；　and　revive　him。　Alvin's　breathing　suddenly　became　great　deep　gasps。　His　eyes　opened；　his　lips　parted；　and　from　gritted　teeth　came　a　whine　almost　exactly　like　Ta…Kumsaw's　keening；　almost　exactly　like　a　kicked　dog。
　　〃Take　a　bite；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　reached　out；　snatched　Alvin's　lower　jaw　in　one　hand　and　upper　jaw　in　the　other；　his　fingers　interlaced　at　Alvin's　teeth；　and　with　great　effort　prised　Alvin's　jaws　apart。　Taleswapper　thrust　the　fruit　between　Alvin's　teeth；　Ta…Kumsaw　forced　the　jaws　closed　again。　The　fruit　broke　open；　spilling　clear　fluid　into　Alvin's　mouth　and　dribbling　down　his　cheek　into　the　grass。　Slowly；　with　great　effort；　Alvin　began　to　chew。　Tears　flowed　from　his　eyes。　He　swallowed。　Suddenly　he　reached　out　his　hands；　caught　Taleswapper　by　the　neck　and　Ta…Kumsaw　by　the　hair；　and　pulled　himself　up　to　a　sitting　position。　Clinging　to　them　both；　drawing　their　faces　so　close　to　his　that　they　all　breathed　each　other's　breath；　Alvin　wept　until　their　faces　all　were　wet；　and　because　Ta…Kumsaw　and　Taleswapper　were　also　weeping；　none　could　be　sure　whose　tears　cast　a　glaze　across　the　skin　of　each　man's　face。
　　Alvin　said　little；　but　enough。　He　told　them　all　that　happened　at　Tippy…Canoe　Creek　that　day；　of　blood　in　the　river；　a　thousand　survivors　crossing　on　the　water　made　smooth　and　hard；　blood　on　White　men's　hands；　and　on　one　man's　hands　in　particular。
　　〃Not　enough；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　Taleswapper　offered　no　argument。　It　was　not　for　a　White　man　to　tell　Ta…Kumsaw　that　the　killers　of　his　people　had　received　a　punishment　exactly　proportioned　to　their　sin。　Besides；　Taleswapper　wasn't　sure　he　believed　it　himself。
　　Alvin　told　them　how　he　had　spent　the　evening　and　the　night　before；　restoring　Measure　from　the　edge　of　death；　and　how　he　spent　the　morning；　taking　away　the　immeasurable　agony　as　nine　thousand　innocent　deaths　shouted　in　the　Prophet's　mind　　nine　thousand　times　that　one　black　shout　that　years　before　had　maddened　him。　Which　was　harder　　healing　Measure　or　healing　Lolla…Wossiky？　〃It　was　like　you　said；〃　Alvin　whispered　to　Taleswapper。　〃I　just　can't　build　that　brick　wall　faster　than　it　breaks　down。〃　Then；　exhausted　but　at　peace　now；　Alvin　slept。
　　Taleswapper　and　Ta…Kumsaw　faced　each　other；　Alvin　curled　between　them；　his　breathing　soft　and　slow。
　　〃I　know　his　wound　no