cb.booksofblood-第37节

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　in　running　from　it。　Where　they　stood；　in　the　pitiful　shelter　of　their　cottage；　was　as　safe　as　any　nook　of　the　forest。　How　could　they　choose；　out　of　a　hundred　thousand　trees；　which　would　be　standing　when　the　thunder　had　passed？　Better　to　wait：　and　watch。
　　The　wife's　eyes　were　not　good；　and　she　doubted　what　she　saw　when　the　blackness　of　the　hill　changed　shape　and　reared　up　to　block　the　stars。　But　her　husband　had　seen　it　too：　the　unimaginably　huge　head；　vaster　in　the　deceiving　darkness；　looming　up　and　up；　dwarfing　the　hills　themselves　with　its　ambition。
　　He　fell　to　his　knees；　babbling　a　prayer；　his　arthritic　legs　twisted　beneath　him。
　　His　wife　screamed：　no　words　she　knew　could　keep　this　monster　at　bay…no　prayer；　no　plea；　had　power　over　it。
　　In　the　cottage；　Mick　woke　and　his　outstretched　arm；　twitching　with　a　sudden　cramp；　wiped　the　plate　and　the　lamp　off　the　table。
　　They　smashed。
　　Judd　woke。
　　The　screaming　outside　had　stopped。　The　woman　had　disappeared　from　the　doorway　into　the　forest。　Any　tree；　any　tree　at　all；　was　better　than　this　sight。　Her　husband　still　let　a　string　of　prayers　dribble　from　his　slack　mouth；　as　the　great　leg　of　the　giant　rose　to　take　another　step…Boom…The　cottage　shook。　Plates　danced　and　smashed　off　the　dresser。　A　clay　pipe　rolled　from　the　mantelpiece　and　shattered　in　the　ashes　of　the　hearth。
　　The　lovers　knew　the　noise　that　sounded　in　their　substance：　that　earth…thunder。
　　Mick　reached　for　Judd；　and　took　him　by　the　shoulder。
　　〃You　see；〃　he　said；　his　teeth　blue…grey　in　the　darkness　of　the　cottage。　〃See？　See？〃　There　was　a　kind　of　hysteria　bubbling　behind　his　words。　He　ran　to　the　door；　stumbling　over　a　chair　in　the　dark。　Cursing　and　bruised　he　staggered　out　into　the　night…Boom…The　thunder　was　deafening。　This　time　it　broke　all　the　windows　in　the　cottage。　In　the　bedroom　one　of　the　roof…joists　cracked　and　flung　debris　downstairs。
　　Judd　joined　his　lover　at　the　door。　The　old　man　was　now　face　down　on　the　ground；　his　sick　and　swollen　fingers　curled；　his　begging　lips　pressed　to　the　damp　soil。
　　Mick　was　looking　up；　towards　the　sky。　Judd　followed　his　gaze。
　　There　was　a　place　that　showed　no　stars。　It　was　a　darkness　in　the　shape　of　a　man；　a　vast；　broad　human　frame；　a　colossus　that　soared　up　to　meet　heaven。　It　was　not　quite　a　perfect　giant。　Its　outline　was　not　tidy；　it　seethed　and　swarmed。
　　He　seemed　broader　too；　this　giant；　than　any　real　man。　His　legs　were　abnormally　thick　and　stumpy；　and　his　arms　were　not　long。　The　hands；　as　they　clenched　and　unclenched；　seemed　oddly…jointed　and　over…delicate　for　its　torso。
　　Then　it　raised　one　huge；　flat　foot　and　placed　it　on　the　earth；　taking　a　stride　towards　them。
　　Boom…The　step　brought　the　roof　collapsing　in　on　the　cottage。
　　Everything　that　the　car…thief　had　said　was　true。　Popolac　was　a　city　and　a　giant；　and　it　had　gone　into　the　hills。
　　Now　their　eyes　were　being　accustomed　to　the　night　light。
　　They　could　see　in　ever　more　horrible　detail　the　way　this　monster　was　constructed。　It　was　a　masterpiece　of　human　engineering：　a　man　made　entirely　of　men。　Or　rather；　a　sexless　giant；　made　of　men　and　women　and　children。　All　the　citizens　of　Popolac　writhed　and　strained　in　the　body　of　this　flesh…knitted　giant；　their　muscles　stretched　to　breaking　point；　their　bones　close　to　snapping。
　　They　could　see　how　the　architects　of　Popolac　had　subtly　altered　the　proportions　of　the　human　body；　how　the　thing　had　been　made　squatter　to　lower　its　centre　of　gravity；　how　its　legs　had　been　made　elephantine　to　bear　the　weight　of　the　torso；　how　the　head　was　sunk　low　on　to　the　wide　shoulders；　so　that　the　problems　of　a　weak　neck　had　been　minimized。
　　Despite　these　malformations；　it　was　horribly　life…like。　The　bodies　that　were　bound　together　to　make　its　surface　were　naked　but　for　their　harnesses；　so　that　its　surface　glistened　in　the　starlight；　like　one　vast　human　torso。　Even　the　muscles　were　well　copied；　though　simplified。　They　could　see　the　way　the　roped　bodies　pushed　and　pulled　against　each　other　in　solid　cords　of　flesh　and　bone。　They　could　see　the　intertwined　people　that　made　up　the　body：　the　backs　like　turtles　packed　together　to　offer　the　sweep　of　the　pectorals；　the　lashed　and　knotted　acrobats　at　the　joints　of　the　arms　and　the　legs　alike；　rolling　and　unwinding　to　articulate　the　city。
　　But　surely　the　most　amazing　sight　of　all　was　the　face。
　　Cheeks　of　bodies；　cavernous　eye…sockets　in　which　heads　stared；　five　bound　together　for　each　eyeball；　a　broad；　flat　nose　and　a　mouth　that　opened　and　closed；　as　the　muscles　of　the　jaw　bunched　and　hollowed　rhythmically。　And　from　that　mouth；　lined　with　teeth　of　bald　children；　the　voice　of　the　giant；　now　only　a　weak　copy　of　its　former　powers；　spoke　a　single　note　of　idiot　music。
　　Popolac　walked　and　Popolac　sang。
　　Was　there　ever　a　sight　in　Europe　the　equal　of　it？
　　They　watched；　Mick　and　Judd；　as　it　took　another　step　towards　them。
　　The　old　man　had　wet　his　pants。　Blubbering　and　begging；　he　dragged　himself　away　from　the　ruined　cottage　into　the　surrounding　trees；　dragging　his　dead　legs　after　him。
　　The　Englishmen　remained　where　they　stood；　watching　the　spectacle　as　it　approached。　Neither　dread　nor　horror　touched　them　now；　just　an　awe　that　rooted　them　to　the　spot。　They　knew　this　was　a　sight　they　could　never　hope　to　see　again；　this　was　the　apex…after　this　there　was　only　mon　experience。　Better　to　stay　then；　though　every　step　brought　death　nearer；　better　to　stay　and　see　the　sight　while　it　was　still　there　to　be　seen。　And　if　it　killed　them；　this　monster；　then　at　least　they　would　have　glimpsed　a　miracle；　known　this　terrible　majesty　for　a　brief　moment。　It　seemed　a　fair　exchange。
　　Popolac　was　within　two　steps　of　the　cottage。　They　could　see　the　plexities　of　its　structure　quite　clearly。　The　faces　of　the　citizens　were　being　detailed：　white；　sweat…wet；　and　content　in　their　weariness。　Some　hung　dead　from　their　harnesses；　their　legs　swinging　back　and　forth　like　the　hanged。　Others；　children　particularly；　had　ceased　to　obey　their　training；　and　had　relaxed　their　positions；　so　that　the　form　of　the　body　was　degenerating；　beginning　to　seethe　with　the　boils　of　rebellious　cells。
　　Yet　it　still　walked；　each　step　an　incalculable　effort　of　coordination　and　strength。
　　Boom…The　step　that　trod　the　cottage　came　sooner　than　they　thought。
　　Mick　saw　the　leg　raised；　saw　the　faces　of　the　people　in　the　shin　and　ankle　and　foot…they　were　as　big　as　he　was　now…all　huge　men　chosen　to　take　the　full　weight　of　this　great　creation。
　　Many　were　dead。　The　bottom　of　the　foot；　he　could　see；　was　a　jigsaw　of　crushed　and　bloody　bodies；　pressed　to　death　under　the　weight　of　their　fellow　citizens。
　　The　foot　descended　with　a　roar。
　　In　a　matter　of　seconds　the　cottage　was　reduced　to　splinters　and　dust。
　　Popolac　blotted　the　sky　utterly。　It　was；　for　a　moment；　the　whole　world；　heaven　and　earth；　its　presence　filled　the　senses　to　overflowing。　At　this　proximity　one　look　could　not　enpass　it；　the　eye　had　to　range　backwards　and　forwards　over　its　mass　to　take　it　all　in；　and　even　then　the　mind　refused　to　accept　the　whole　truth。
　　A　whirling　fragment　of　stone；　flung　off　from　the　cottage　as　it　collapsed；　struck　Judd　full　in　the　face。　In　his　head　he　heard　the　killing　stroke　like　a　ball　hitting　a　wall：　a　play…yard　death。　No　pain：　no　remorse。　Out　like　a　light；　a　tiny；　insignificant　light；　his　death…cry　lost　in　the　pandemonium；　his　body　hidden　in　the　smoke　and　darkness。　Mick　neither　saw　nor　heard　Judd　die。
　　He　was　too　busy　staring　at　the　foot　as　it　settled　for　a　moment　in　the　ruins　of　the　cottage；　while　the　other　leg　mustered　the　will　to　move。
　　Mick　took　his　chance。　Howling　like　a　banshee；　he　ran　towards　the　leg；　longing　to　embrace　the　monster。　He　stumbled　in　the　wreckage；　and　stood　again；　bloodied；　to　reach　for　the　foot　before　it　was　lifted　and　he　was　left　behind。　There　was　a　clamour　of　agonized　breath　as　the　message　came　to　the　foot　that　it　must　move；　Mick　saw　the　muscles　of　the　shin　bunch　and　marry　as　the　leg　began　to　lift。　He　made　one　last　lunge　at　the　limb　as　it　began　to　leave　the　ground；　snatching　a　harness　or　a　rope；　or　human　hair；　or　flesh　itself…anything　to　catch　this　passing　miracle　and　be　part　of　it。　Better　to　go　with　it　wherever　it　was　going；　serve　it　in　its　purpose；　whatever　that　might　be；　better　to　die　with　it　than　live　without　it。
　　He　caught　the　foot；　and　found　a　safe　purchase　on　its　ankle。　Screaming　his　sheer　ecstasy　at　his　success　he　felt　the　great　leg　raised；　and　glanced　down　through　the　swirling　dust　to　the　spot　where　he　had　stood；　already　receding　as　the　limb　climbed。
　　The　earth　was　gone　from　beneath　him。　He　was　a　hitchhiker　with　a　god：　the　mere　life　he　had　left　was　nothing　to　him　now；　or　ever。　He　would　live　with　this　thing；　yes；　he　would　live　with　it…seeing　it　and　seeing　it　and　eating　it　with　his　eyes　until　he　died　of　sheer　gluttony。
　　He　screamed　and　howled　and　swung　on　the　ropes；　drinking　up　his　triumph。　Below；　far　below；　he　glimpsed　Judd's　body；　curled　up　pale　on　the　dark　ground；　irretrievable。　Love　and　life　and　sanity　were　gone；　gone　like　the　memory　of　his　name；　or　his　sex；　or　his　ambition。
　　It　all　meant　nothing。　Nothing　at　all。
　　Boom…Boom…Popolac　walked；　the　noise　of　its　steps　receding　to　the