sk.thewastelands-第15节

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　his　mind；　he　didn't　see　how　Mort　could　not　know　。　。　。　but　Roland　was　shaking　his　head。
　　〃Walter　would　have　been　extremely　subtle。　Mort　would　have　thought　the　priest　disguise　his　own　idea　。。。　or　so　I　believe。　He　would　not　have　recognized　the　voice　of　an　intruder…of　Walter…whispering　deep　within　his　mind；　telling　him　what　to　do。〃
　　〃Jack　Mort；〃　Eddie　marvelled。　〃It　was　Jack　Mort　all　the　time。〃
　　〃Yes　。　。　。　with　assistance　from　Walter。　And　so　I　ended　up　saving　Jake's　life　after　all。　When　I　made　Mort　jump　from　the　subway　platform　in　front　of　the　train；　I　changed　everything。〃
　　Susannah　asked；　〃If　this　Walter　was　able　to　enter　our　world…through　his　own　private　door；　maybe…whenever　he　wanted；　couldn't　he　have　used　someone　else　to　push　your　little　boy？　If　he　could　sug…gest　to　Mort　that　he　dress　up　like　a　priest；　then　he　could　make　somebody　else　do　it　。。。　What；　Eddie？　Why　are　you　shaking　your　head？〃
　　〃Because　I　don't　think　Walter　would　want　that　to　happen。　What　Walter　wanted　is　what　is　happening　。。。　for　Roland　to　be　losing　his　mind；　bit　by　bit。　Isn't　that　right？〃
　　The　gunslinger　nodded。
　　〃Walter　couldn't　have　done　it　that　way　even　if　he　had　wanted　to；〃　Eddie　added；　〃because　he　was　dead　long　before　Roland　found　the　doors　on　the　beach。　When　Roland　went　through　that　last　one　and　into　Jack　Mort's　head；　ole　Walt's　messin…around　days　were　done。〃
　　Susannah　thought　about　this；　then　nodded　her　head。　〃I　see　。。。　I　think。　This　time…travel　business　is　some　confusing　shit；　isn't　it？〃
　　Roland　began　to　pick　up　his　goods　and　strap　them　back　into　place。　〃Time　we　were　moving　on。〃
　　Eddie　stood　up　and　shrugged　into　his　pack。　〃You　can　take　fort　from　one　thing；　at　least；〃　he　told　Roland。　〃You…or　this　ka…tet　business…were　able　to　save　the　kid　after　all。〃
　　Roland　had　been　knotting　the　harness…strings　at　his　chest。　Now　he　looked　up；　and　the　blazing　clarity　of　his　eyes　made　Eddie　flinch　backward。　〃Have　I？〃　he　asked　harshly。　〃Have　I　really？　I'm　going　insane　an　inch　at　a　time；　trying　to　live　with　two　versions　of　the　same　reality。　I　had　hoped　at　first　that　one　or　the　other　would　begin　to　fade　away；　but　that's　not　happening。　In　fact；　the　exact　opposite　is　happening：　those　two　realities　are　growing　louder　and　louder　in　my　head；　clamoring　at　each　other　like　opposing　factions　which　must　soon　go　to　war。　So　tell　me　this；　Eddie：　How　do　you　suppose　Jake　feels？　How　do　you　suppose　it　feels　to　know　you　are　dead　in　one　world　and　alive　in　another？〃
　　The　lark　sang　again；　but　none　of　them　noticed。　Eddie　stared　into　the　faded　blue　eyes　blazing　out　of　Roland's　pale　face　and　could　not　think　of　a　thing　to　say。
　　
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　　THEY　CAMPED　ABOUT　FIFTEEN　miles　due　east　of　the　dead　bear　that　night；　slept　the　sleep　of　the　pletely　exhausted　（even　Roland　slept　the　night　through；　although　his　dreams　were　nightmare　carnival…rides）；　and　were　up　the　next　morning　at　sunrise。　Eddie　kindled　a　small　fire　without　speaking；　and　glanced　at　Susannah　as　a　pistol…shot　rang　out　in　the　woods　nearby。
　　〃Breakfast；〃　she　said。
　　Roland　returned　three　minutes　later　with　a　hide　slung　over　one　shoulder。　On　it　lay　the　freshly　gutted　corpse　of　a　rabbit。　Susannah　cooked　it。　They　ate　and　moved　on。
　　Eddie　kept　trying　to　imagine　what　it　would　be　like　to　have　a　memory　of　your　own　death。　On　that　one　he　kept　ing　up　short。
　　
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　　SHORTLY　AFTER　NOON　THEY　entered　an　area　where　most　of　the　trees　had　been　pulled　over　and　the　bushes　mashed　flat…it　looked　as　though　a　cyclone　had　touched　down　here　many　years　before；　creating　a　wide　and　dismal　alley　of　destruction。
　　〃We're　close　to　the　place　we　want　to　find；〃　Roland　said。　〃He　pulled　down　everything　to　clear　the　sightlines。　Our　friend　the　bear　wanted　no　surprises。　He　was　big；　but　not　placent。〃
　　〃Has　it　left　us　any　surprises？〃　Eddie　asked。
　　〃He　may　have　done　so。〃　Roland　smiled　a　little　and　touched　Eddie　on　the　shoulder。　〃But　there's　this…they'll　be　old　surprises。〃
　　Their　progress　through　this　zone　of　destruction　was　slow。　Most　of　the　fallen　trees　were　very　old…many　had　almost　rejoined　the　soil　from　which　they　had　sprung…but　they　still　made　enough　of　a　tangle　to　create　a　formidable　obstacle　course。　It　would　have　been　difficult　enough　if　all　three　of　them　had　been　able…bodied；　with　Susannah　strapped　to　the　gunslinger's　back　in　her　harness；　it　became　an　exercise　in　aggravation　and　endurance。
　　The　flattened　trees　and　jumbles　of　underbrush　served　to　obscure　the　bear's　backtrail；　and　that　also　worked　to　slow　their　speed。　Until　mid…day　they　had　followed　claw…marks　as　clear　as　trail…blazes　on　the　trees。　Here；　however；　near　its　starting　point；　the　bear's　rage　had　not　been　full…blown；　and　these　handy　signs　of　its　passage　disappeared。　Roland　moved　slowly；　looking　for　droppings　in　the　bushes　and　tufts　of　hair　on　the　tree…trunks　over　which　the　bear　had　climbed。　It　took　all　afternoon　to　cross　three　miles　of　this　decayed　jumble。
　　Eddie　had　just　decided　they　were　going　to　lose　the　light　and　would　have　to　camp　in　these　creepy　surroundings　when　they　came　to　a　thin　skirt　of　alders。　Beyond　it；　he　could　hear　a　stream　babbling　noisily　over　a　bed　of　stones。　Behind　them；　the　setting　sun　was　radiating　spokes　of　sullen　red　light　across　the　jumbled　ground　they　had　just　crossed；　turning　the　fallen　trees　into　crisscrossing　black　shapes　like　Chinese　ideograms。
　　Roland　called　a　halt　and　eased　Susannah　down。　He　stretched　his　back；　twisting　it　this　way　and　that　with　his　hands　on　his　hips。
　　〃That　it　for　the　night？〃　Eddie　asked。
　　Roland　shook　his　head。　〃Give　Eddie　your　gun；　Susannah。〃
　　She　did　as　he　said；　looking　at　him　questioningly。
　　〃e　on；　Eddie。　The　place　we　want　is　on　the　other　side　of　those　trees。　We'll　have　a　look。　We　might　do　a　little　work；　as　well。〃
　　〃What　makes　you　think…〃
　　〃Open　your　ears。〃
　　Eddie　listened　and　realized　he　heard　machinery。　He　further　realized　that　he　had　been　hearing　it　for　some　time　now。　〃I　don't　want　to　leave　Susannah。〃
　　〃We're　not　going　far　and　she　has　a　good　loud　voice。　Besides；　if　there's　danger；　it's　ahead…we'll　be　between　it　and　her。〃
　　Eddie　looked　down　at　Susannah。
　　〃Go　on…just　make　sure　you're　back　soon。〃　She　looked　back　the　way　they　had　e　with　thoughtful　eyes。　〃I　don't　know　if　there's　ha　ants　here　or　not；　but　it　feels　like　there　are。〃
　　〃We'll　be　back　before　dark；〃　Roland　promised。　He　started　toward　the　screen　of　alders；　and　after　a　moment；　Eddie　followed　him。
　　
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　　FIFTEEN　YARDS　INTO　THE　trees；　Eddie　realized　that　they　were　following　a　path；　one　the　bear　had　probably　made　for　itself　over　the　years。　The　alders　bent　above　them　in　a　tunnel。　The　sounds　were　louder　now；　and　he　began　to　sort　them　out。　One　was　a　low；　deep；　humming　noise。　He　could　feel　it　in　his　feet…a　faint　vibration；　as　if　some　large　piece　of　machinery　was　running　in　the　earth。　Above　it；　closer　and　more　urgent；　were　crisscrossing　sounds　like　bright　scratches…squeals；　squeaks；　chitterings。
　　Roland　placed　his　mouth　against　Eddie's　ear　and　said；　〃I　think　there's　little　danger　if　we're　quiet。〃
　　They　moved　on　another　five　yards　and　then　Roland　stopped　again。　He　drew　his　gun　and　used　the　barrel　to　brush　aside　a　branch　which　hung　heavy　with　sunset…tinted　leaves。　Eddie　looked　through　this　small　opening　and　into　the　clearing　where　the　bear　had　lived　for　so　long…the　base　of　operations　from　which　he　had　set　forth　on　his　many　expeditions　of　pillage　and　terror。
　　There　was　no　undergrowth　here；　the　ground　had　been　beaten　bald　long　since。　A　stream　emerged　from　the　base　of　a　rock　wall　about　fifty　feet　high　and　ran　through　the　arrowhead…shaped　clearing。　On　their　side　of　the　stream；　backed　up　against　the　wall；　was　a　metal　box　about　nine　feet　high。　Its　roof　was　curved；　and　it　reminded　Eddie　of　a　subway　entrance。　The　front　was　painted　in　diagonal　yellow　and　black　stripes。　The　earth　which　floored　the　clearing　was　not　black；　like　the　topsoil　in　the　forest；　but　a　strange　powdery　gray。　It　was　littered　with　bones；　and　after　a　moment　Eddie　realized　that　what　he　had　taken　for　gray　soil　was　more　bones；　bones　so　old　they　were　crumbling　back　to　dust。
　　Things　were　moving　in　the　dirt…the　things　making　the　squealing；　chittering　noises。　Four　。　。　。　no；　five　of　them。　Small　metal　devices；　the　largest　about　the　size　of　a　Collie　pup。　They　were　robots；　Eddie　realized；　or　something　like　robots。　They　were　similar　to　each　other　and　to　the　bear　they　had　undoubtedly　served　in　one　way　only…atop　each　of　them；　a　tiny　radar…dish　turned　rapidly。
　　More　thinking　caps；　Eddie　thought。　My　God；　what　kind　of　world　is　this；　anyway？
　　The　largest　of　these　devices　looked　a　little　like　the　Tonka　tractor　Eddie　had　gotten　for　his　sixth　or　seventh　birthday；　its　treads　churned　up　tiny　gray　clouds　of　bone…dust　as　it　rolled　along。　Another　looked　like　a　stainless　steel　rat。　A　third　appeared　to　be　a　snake　constructed　of　jointed　steel　segments…it　writhed　and　humped　its　way　along。　They　formed　a　rough　circle　on　the　far　side　of　the　stream；　going　around　and　around　on　a　deep　course　they　had　carved　in　the　ground。　Looking　at　them　made　Eddie　think　of　cartoons　he　had　seen　in　the　stacks　of　old　Saturday　Evening　Post　magazines　his　mother　had　for　some　reason　saved　and　stored　in　the　front　hall　of　their　apartment。　In　the　cartoons；　worried；　c