dk.solesurvivor-第59节

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　　She　kissed　him　on　the　cheek。　'We've　got　to　go。'　She　turned　to　Joe；　'Will　you　drive？'
　　'Yes。'
　　To　Joshua；　she　said；　'May　I　take　your　cell　phone？'
　　He　gave　it　to　her。
　　Wings　of　furious　wind　beat　around　them　as　they　got　into　the　Ford。　The　keys　were　in　the　ignition。
　　As　Rose　pulled　the　car　door　shut；　she　said；　'Oh；　Jesus；'　and　leaned　forward；　gasping　for　breath。
　　'You　are　hurt。'
　　'Told　you。　I　got　knocked　around。'
　　'Where's　it　hurt？'
　　'We've　got　to　get　across　the　city；'　Rose　said；　'but　I　don't　want　to　go　back　past　Mahalia's。'
　　'You　could　have　a　broken　rib　or　two。'
　　Ignoring　him；　she　sat　up　straight；　and　her　breathing　improved　as　she　said；　'The　creeps　won't　want　to　risk　setting　up　a　roadblock　and　a　traffic　check　without　cooperation　from　the　local　authorities；　and　they　don't　have　time　to　get　that。　But　you　can　bet　your　ass　they'll　be　watching　passing　cars。'
　　'If　you've　got　a　broken　rib；　it　could　puncture　a　lung。'
　　'Joe；　damn　it；　we　don't　have　time。　We've　got　to　move　if　we're　going　to　keep　our　girl　alive。'
　　He　stared　at　her。　'Nina？'
　　She　met　his　eyes。　She　said；　'Nina；'　but　then　a　fearful　look　came　into　her　face；　and　she　turned　from　him。
　　'We　can　head　north　from　here　on　PCH；'　he　said；　'then　inland　on　Kanan…Dume　Road。　That's　a　county　route　up　to　Augora　Hills。　There　we　can　get　the　one…oh…one　east　to　the　two…ten。'
　　'Go　for　it。'
　　Faces　powdered　by　moonlight；　hair　wind…tossed；　the　four　who　would　leave　in　the　Mercedes　stood　watching；　back　dropped　by　leaping　stone　dolphins　and　thrashing　trees。
　　This　tableau　struck　Joe　as　both　exhilarating　and　ominous…and　he　could　not　identify　the　basis　of　either　perception；　other　than　to　admit　that　the　night　was　charged　with　an　uncanny　power　that　was　beyond　his　understanding。　Everything　his　gaze　fell　upon　seemed　to　have　monumental　significance；　as　if　he　were　in　a　state　of　heightened　consciousness；　and　even　the　moon　appeared　different　from　any　moon　that　he　had　ever　seen　before。
　　As　Joe　put　the　Ford　in　gear　and　began　to　pull　away　from　the　fountain；　the　young　woman　came　forward　to　place　her　hand　against　the　window　beside　Rose　Tucker's　face。　On　this　side　of　the　glass；　Rose　matched　her　palm　to　the　other。　The　young　woman　was　crying；　her　lovely　face　glimmering　with　moon…bright　tears；　and　she　moved　with　the　car　along　the　driveway；　hurrying　as　it　picked　up　speed；　matching　her　hand　to　Rose's　all　the　way　to　the　gate　before　at　last　pulling　back。
　　Joe　felt　almost　as　if　somewhere　earlier　in　the　night　he　had　stood　before　a　mirror　of　madness　and；　closing　his　eyes；　had　passed　through　his　own　reflection　into　lunacy。　Yet　he　did　not　want　to　return　through　the　silvered　surface　to　that　old　grey　world。　This　was　a　lunacy　that　he　found　increasingly　agreeable；　perhaps　because　it　offered　him　the　one　thing　he　desired　most　and　could　find　only　on　this　side　of　the　looking　glass…hope。
　　Slumped　in　the　passenger　seat　beside　him；　Rose　Tucker　said：　'Maybe　all　this　is　more　than　I　can　handle；　Joe。　I'm　so　tired…and　so　scared。　I'm　nobody　special　enough　to　do　what　needs　done；　not　nearly　special　enough　to　carry　a　weight　like　this。'
　　'You　seem　pretty　special　to　me；'　he　said。
　　'I'm　going　to　screw　it　up；'　she　said　as　she　entered　a　phone　number　on　the　keypad　of　the　cellular　phone。　'I'm　scared　shitless　that　I'm　not　going　to　be　strong　enough　to　open　that　door　and　take　us　all　through　it。'　She　pushed　the　Send　button。
　　'Show　me　the　door；　tell　me　where　it　goes；　and　I'll　help　you；'　he　said；　wishing　she　would　stop　speaking　in　metaphors　and　give　him　the　hard　facts。　'Why　is　Nina　so　important　to　whatever's　happening？　Where　is　she；　Rose？'
　　Someone　answered　the　cellular　call；　and　Rose　said；　'It's　me。　Move　Nina。　Move　her　now。'
　　Nina。
　　Rose　listened　for　a　moment　but　then　said　firmly；　'No；　now；　move　her　right　now；　in　the　next　five　minutes；　even　sooner　if　you　can。　They　linked　Mahalia　to　me　。　。　。　yeah；　and　in　spite　of　all　the　precautions　we'd　taken。　It's　only　a　matter　of　time　now…and　not　very　much　time…until　they　make　the　connection　to　you。'
　　Nina。
　　Joe　turned　off　the　Pacific　Coast　Highway　onto　the　county　road　to　Augora　Hills；　driving　up　through　a　rumpled　bed　of　dark　land　from　which　the　Santa　Ana　wind　flung　sheets　of　pale　dust。
　　'Take　her　to　Big　Bear；'　Rose　told　the　person　on　the　phone。
　　Big　Bear。　Since　Joe　had　talked　to　Mercy　Ealing　in　Colorado　…could　it　be　less　than　nine　hours　ago？…Nina　had　been　back　in　the　world；　miraculously　returned；　but　in　some　corner　where　he　could　not　find　her。　Soon；　however；　she　would　be　in　the　town　of　Big　Bear　on　the　shores　of　Big　Bear　Lake；　a　resort　in　the　nearby　San　Bernardino　Mountains；　a　place　he　knew　well。　Her　return　was　more　real　to　him　now　that　she　was　in　a　place　that　he　could　name；　the　byways　of　which　he　had　walked；　and　he　was　flooded　with　such　sweet　anticipation　that　he　wanted　to　shout　to　relieve　the　pressure　of　it。　He　kept　his　silence；　however；　and　he　rolled　the　name　between　the　fingers　of　his　mind；　rolled　it　over　and　over　as　if　it　were　a　shiny　coin：　Big　Bear。
　　Rose　spoke　into　the　phone：　'If　I　can。　。　。　I'm　going　to　be　there　in　a　couple　of　hours。　I　love　you。　Go。　Go　now。'
　　She　terminated　the　call；　put　the　phone　on　the　seat　between　her　legs；　closed　her　eyes；　and　leaned　against　the　door。
　　Joe　realized　that　she　was　not　making　much　use　of　her　left　hand。
　　It　was　curled　in　her　lap。　Even　in　the　dim　light　from　the　instrument　panel；　he　could　see　that　her　hand　was　shaking　uncontrollably。
　　'What's　wrong　with　your　arm？'
　　'Give　it　a　rest；　Joe。　It's　sweet　of　you　to　be　concerned；　but　you're　getting　to　be　a　nag。　I'll　be　fine　once　we　get　to　Nina。'
　　He　was　silent　for　half　a　mile。　Then：　'Tell　me　everything。　I　deserve　to　know。'
　　'You　do；　yes。　It's　not　a　long　story。。。　but　where　do　I　begin？'
　　
　　　4
　　Great　bristling　balls　of　tumbleweed；　robbed　of　their　green　by　the　merciless　Western　sun；　cracked　from　their　roots　by　the　withering　dryness　of　the　California　summer；　torn　from　their　homes　in　the　earth　by　the　shrieking　Santa　Ana　wind；　now　bounded　out　of　the　steep　canyons　and　across　the　narrow　highway；　silver…grey　in　the　headlights；　a　curiously　melancholy　sight；　families　of　thistled　skeletons　like　starved　and　harried　refugees　fleeing　worse　torment。
　　Joe　said；　'Start　with　those　people　back　there。　What　kind　of　cult　are　they？'
　　She　spelled　it　for　him：　Infiniface。
　　'It's　a　made　word；'　she　said；　'shorthand　for　〃Interface　with　the　Infinite。〃　And　they're　not　a　cult；　not　in　any　sense　you　mean　it。'
　　'Then　what　are　they？'
　　Instead　of　answering　immediately；　she　shifted　in　her　seat；　trying　to　get　more　fortable。
　　Checking　her　wristwatch；　she　said；　'Can　you　drive　faster？'
　　'Not　on　this　road。　In　fact；　better　put　on　your　safety　belt。'
　　'Not　with　my　left　side　feeling　like　it　does。'　Having　adjusted　her　position；　she　said；　'Do　you　know　the　name…Loren　Pollack？'
　　'The　software　genius。　The　poor　man's　Bill　Gates。'
　　'That's　what　the　press　sometimes　calls　him；　yes。　But　I　don't　think　the　word　poor　should　be　associated　with　someone　who　started　from　scratch　and　made　seven　billion　dollars　by　the　age　of　forty…two。'
　　'Maybe　not。'
　　She　closed　her　eyes　and　slumped　against　the　door；　supporting　her　weight　on　her　right　side。　Sweat　beaded　her　brow；　but　her　voice　was　strong。　'Two　years　ago；　Loren　Pollack　used　a　billion　dollars　of　his　money　to　form　a　charitable　trust。　Named　it　Infiniface。　He　believes　many　of　the　sciences；　through　research　facilitated　by　new　generations　of　super…fast　puters；　are　approaching　discoveries　that　will　bring　us　face　to　face　with　the　reality　of　a　Creator。'
　　'Sounds　like　a　cult　to　me。'
　　'Oh；　plenty　of　people　think　Pollack　is　a　flake。　But　he's　got　a　singular　ability　to　grasp　plex　research　from　a　wide　variety　of　sciences…and　he　has　vision。　You　know；　there's　a　whole　movement　of　modern　physics　that　sees　evidence　of　a　created　universe。'
　　Frowning；　Joe　said；　'What　about　chaos　theory？　I　thought　that　was　the　big　thing。'
　　'Chaos　theory　doesn't　say　the　universe　is　random　and　chaotic。　It's　an　extremely　broad　theory　that　among　many　other　things　notes　strangely　plex　relationships　in　apparently　chaotic　systems…like　the　weather。　Look　deeply　enough　in　any　chaos；　and　you　find　hidden　regularities。'
　　Actually；'　he　admitted；　'I　don't　know　a　damn　thing　about　it　…just　the　way　they　use　the　term　in　the　movies。'
　　'Most　movies　are　stupidity　machines…like　politicians。　So　if　Pollack　was　here；　he'd　tell　you　that　just　eighty　years　ago；　science　mocked　religion's　assertion　that　the　universe　was　created　ex　nihilo；　out　of　nothing。　Everyone　knew　something　couldn't　be　created　from　nothing…a　violation　of　all　the　laws　of　physics。　Now　we　understand　more　about　molecular　structure…and　particle　physicists　create　matter　cx　nihilo　all　the　time。'　Inhaling　with　a　hiss　through　clenched　teeth；　she　leaned　forward；　popped　open　the　glove　box；　and　rummaged　through　its　contents。　'I　was　hoping　for　aspirin　or　Excedrin。　I'd　chew　them　dry。'
　　'We　could　stop　somewhere…'
　　'No。　Drive。　Just　drive。　Big　Bear's　so　far。　。　。'　She　closed　the　glove　box　but　remained　sitting　forward；　as　though　that　position　gave　her　relief。　Anyway；　physics　and　biology　are　the　disciplines　that　most　fascinate　Pollack…especially　molecu