sk.thewastelands-第16节

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d　for　some　reason　saved　and　stored　in　the　front　hall　of　their　apartment。　In　the　cartoons；　worried；　cigarette…smoking　men　paced　ruts　in　the　carpet　while　they　waited　for　their　wives　to　give　birth。
　　As　his　eyes　grew　used　to　the　simple　geography　of　the　clearing；　Eddie　saw　that　there　were　a　great　many　more　than　five　of　these　assorted　freaks。　There　were　at　least　a　dozen　others　that　he　could　see　and　probably　more　hidden　behind　the　bony　remains　of　the　bear's　old　kills。　The　difference　was　that　the　others　weren't　moving。　The　members　of　the　bear's　mechani…cal　retinue　had　died；　one　by　one；　over　the　long　years　until　just　this　little　group　of　five　were　left　。。　。　and　they　did　not　sound　very　healthy；　with　their　squeaks　and　squalls　and　rusty　chitterings。　The　snake　in　particular　had　a　hesitant；　crippled　look　as　it　followed　the　mechanical　rat　around　and　around　the　circle。　Every　now　and　then　the　device　which　followed　the　snake…a　steel　block　that　walked　on　stubby　mechanical　legs…would　catch　up　with　it　and　give　the　snake　a　nudge；　as　if　telling　it　to　hurry　the　fuck　up。
　　Eddie　wondered　what　their　job　had　been。　Surely　not　protection；　the　bear　had　been　built　to　protect　itself；　and　Eddie　guessed　that　if　old　Shardik　had　e　upon　the　three　of　them　while　still　in　its　prime；　it　would　have　chewed　them　up　and　spat　them　out　in　short　order。　Perhaps　these　little　robots　had　been　its　maintenance　crew；　or　scouts；　or　messen…gers。　He　guessed　that　they　could　be　dangerous；　but　only　in　their　own　defense　。。。　or　their　master's。　They　did　not　seem　warlike。
　　There　was；　in　fact；　something　pitiful　about　them。　Most　of　the　crew　was　now　defunct；　their　master　was　gone；　and　Eddie　believed　they　knew　it　somehow。　It　was　not　menace　they　projected　but　a　strange；　inhuman　sadness。　Old　and　almost　worn　out；　they　paced　and　rolled　and　wriggled　their　anxious　way　around　the　worry…track　they　had　dug　in　this　godforsaken　clearing；　and　it　almost　seemed　to　Eddie　that　he　could　read　the　confused　run　of　their　thoughts；　Oh　dear；　oh　dear；　what　now？　What　is　our　purpose；　now　that　He　is　gone？　And　who　will　take　care　of　us；　now　that　He　is　gone？　Oh　dear；　oh　dear；　oh　dear　。　。　。
　　Eddie　felt　a　tug　on　the　back　of　his　leg　and　came　very　close　to　screaming　in　fear　and　surprise。　He　wheeled；　cocking　Roland's　gun；　and　saw　Susannah　looking　up　at　him　with　wide　eyes。　Eddie　let　out　a　long　breath　and　dropped　the　hammer　carefully　back　to　its　resting　position。　He　knelt；　put　his　hands　on　Susannah's　shoulders；　kissed　her　cheek；　then　whispered　in　her　ear：　〃I　came　really　close　to　putting　a　bullet　in　your　silly　head…what　are　you　doing　here？〃
　　〃Wanted　to　see；〃　she　whispered　back；　looking　not　even　slightly　abashed。　Her　eyes　shifted　to　Roland　as　he　also　hunkered　beside　her。　〃Besides；　it　was　spooky　back　there　by　myself。〃
　　She　had　sustained　a　number　of　small　scratches　crawling　after　them　through　the　brush；　but　Roland　had　to　admit　to　himself　that　she　could　be　as　quiet　as　a　ghost　when　she　wanted　to　be；　he　hadn't　heard　a　thing。　He　took　a　rag　（the　last　remnant　of　his　old　shirt）　from　his　back　pocket　and　wiped　the　little　trickles　of　blood　from　her　arms。　He　examined　his　work　for　a　moment　and　then　dabbed　at　a　small　nick　on　her　forehead　as　well。　〃Have　your　look；　then；〃　he　said。　His　voice　was　hardly　more　than　the　movement　of　his　lips。　〃I　guess　you　earned　it。〃
　　He　used　one　hand　to　open　a　sightline　at　her　level　in　the　hock　and　greenberry　bushes；　then　waited　while　she　stared　raptly　into　the　clearing。　At　last　she　pulled　back　and　Roland　allowed　the　bushes　to　close　again。
　　〃I　feel　sorry　for　them；〃　she　whispered。　〃Isn't　that　crazy？〃
　　〃Not　at　all；〃　Roland　whispered　back。　〃They　are　creatures　of　great　sadness；　I　think；　in　their　own　strange　way。　Eddie　is　going　to　put　them　out　of　their　misery。〃
　　Eddie　began　to　shake　his　head　at　once。
　　〃Yes；　you　are　。　。　。　unless　you　want　to　hunker　here　in　what　you　call　'the　toolies'　all　night。　Go　for　the　hats。　The　little　twirling　things。〃
　　〃What　if　I　miss？〃　Eddie　whispered　at　him　furiously。
　　Roland　shrugged。
　　Eddie　stood　up　and　reluctantly　cocked　the　gunslinger's　revolver　again。　He　looked　through　the　bushes　at　the　circling　servomechanisms；　going　around　and　around　in　their　lonely；　useless　orbit。　It'll　be　like　shoot…ing　puppies；　he　thought　glumly。　Then　he　saw　one　of　them…it　was　the　thing　that　looked　like　a　walking　box…extrude　an　ugly…looking　pincer　device　from　its　middle　and　clamp　it　for　a　moment　on　the　snake。　The　snake　made　a　surprised　buzzing　sound　and　leaped　ahead。　The　walking　box　withdrew　its　pincer。
　　Well　。　。　。　maybe　not　exactly　like　shooting　puppies；　Eddie　decided。　He　glanced　at　Roland　again。　Roland　looked　back　expressionlessly；　arms　folded　across　his　chest。
　　You　pick　some　goddam　strange　times　to　keep　school；　buddy。
　　Eddie　thought　of　Susannah；　first　shooting　the　bear　in　the　ass；　then　blowing　its　sensor　device　to　smithereens　as　it　bore　down　on　her　and　Roland；　and　felt　a　little　ashamed　of　himself。　And　there　was　more：　part　of　him　wanted　to　go　for　it；　just　as　part　of　him　had　wanted　to　go　up　against　Balazar　and　his　crew　of　plug…uglies　in　The　Leaning　Tower。　The　pulsion　was　probably　sick；　but　that　didn't　change　its　basic　attraction：　Let's　see　who　walks　away　。　。　let's　just　see。
　　Yeah；　that　was　pretty　sick；　all　right。
　　Pretend　it's　just　a　shooting　gallery；　and　you　want　to　win　your　honey　a　stuffed　dog；　he　thought。　Or　a　stuffed　bear。　He　drew　a　bead　on　the　walking　box　and　then　looked　around　impatiently　when　Roland　touched　his　shoulder。
　　〃Say　your　lesson；　Eddie。　And　be　true。〃
　　Eddie　hissed　impatiently　through　his　teeth；　angry　at　the　distraction；　but　Roland's　eyes　didn't　flinch　and　so　he　drew　a　deep　breath　and　tried　to　clear　everything　from　his　mind：　the　squeaks　and　squalls　of　equipment　that　had　been　running　too　long；　the　aches　and　pains　in　his　body；　the　knowledge　that　Susannah　was　here；　propped　up　on　the　heels　of　her　hands；　watching；　the　further　knowledge　that　she　was　closest　to　the　ground；　and　if　he　missed　one　of　the　gadgets　out　there；　she　would　be　the　handiest　target　if　it　decided　to　retaliate。
　　〃　'I　do　not　shoot　with　my　hand；　he　who　shoots　with　his　hand　has　forgotten　the　face　of　his　father。'　〃
　　That　was　a　joke；　he　thought；　he　wouldn't　know　his　old　man　if　he　passed　him　on　the　street。　But　he　could　feel　the　words　doing　their　work；　clearing　his　mind　and　settling　his　nerves。　He　didn't　know　if　he　was　the　stuff　of　which　gunslingers　were　made…the　idea　seemed　fabulously　unlikely　to　him；　even　though　he　knew　he　had　managed　to　hold　up　his　end　pretty　well　during　the　shootout　at　Balazar's　nightclub…but　he　did　know　that　part　of　him　liked　the　coldness　that　fell　over　him　when　he　spoke　the　words　of　the　old；　old　catechism　the　gunslinger　had　taught　them；　the　coldness　and　the　way　things　seemed　to　stand　forth　with　their　own　breathless　clarity。　There　was　another　part　of　him　which　understood　that　this　was　just　another　deadly　drug；　not　much　different　from　the　heroin　which　had　killed　Henry　and　almost　killed　him；　but　that　did　not　alter　the　thin；　tight　pleasure　of　the　moment。　It　drummed　in　him　like　taut　cables　vibrating　in　a　high　wind。
　　〃　'I　do　not　aim　with　my　hand；　he　who　aims　with　his　hand　has　forgot…ten　the　face　of　his　father。
　　〃　'I　aim　with　my　eye。
　　〃　'I　do　not　kill　with　my　gun；　he　who　kills　with　his　gun　has　forgotten　the　face　of　his　father。'　〃
　　Then；　without　knowing　he　meant　to　do　it；　he　stepped　out　of　the　trees　and　spoke　to　the　trundling　robots　on　the　far　side　of　the　clearing：
　　〃　'I　kill　with　my　heart。'〃
　　They　stopped　their　endless　circling。　One　of　them　let　out　a　high　buzz　that　might　have　been　alarm　or　a　warning。　The　radar…dishes；　each　no　bigger　than　half　a　Hershey　bar；　turned　toward　the　sound　of　his　voice。
　　Eddie　begun　to　fire。
　　The　sensors　exploded　like　day　pigeons；　one　after　the　other。　Pity　was　gone　from　Eddie's　heart；　there　was　only　that　coldness；　and　the　knowledge　that　he　would　not　stop；　could　not　stop；　until　the　job　was　done。
　　Thunder　filled　the　twilit　clearing　and　bounced　back　from　the　splint…ery　rock　wall　at　its　wide　end。　The　steel　snake　did　two　cartwheels　and　lay　twitching　in　the　dust。　The　biggest　mechanism…the　one　that　had　reminded　Eddie　of　his　childhood　Tonka　tractor…tried　to　flee。　Eddie　blew　its　radar…dish　to　kingdom　e　as　it　made　a　herky…jerky　run　at　the　side　of　the　rut。　It　fell　on　its　squarish　nose　with　thin　blue　flames　squirting　out　of　the　steel　sockets　which　held　its　glass　eyes。
　　The　only　sensor　he　missed　was　the　one　on　the　stainless　steel　rat；　that　shot　caromed　off　its　metal　back　with　a　high　mosquito　whine。　It　surged　out　of　the　rut；　made　a　half…circle　around　the　box…shaped　thing　which　had　been　following　the　snake；　and　charged　across　the　clearing　at　surprising　speed。　It　was　making　an　angry　clittering　sound；　and　as　it　closed　the　distance；　Eddie　could　see　it　had　a　mouth　lined　with　long；　sharp　points。　They　did　not　look　like　teeth；　they　looked　like　sewing…machine　needles；　blurring　up　and　down。　No；　he　guessed　these　things　were　really　not　much　like　puppies；　after　all。
　　〃Take　it；　Roland！〃　he　shouted　desperately；　but　when　he　snatched　a　quick　look　around　he　saw　that　Roland　was　still　standing　with　his　arms　crossed　on　his　chest；　his　expression　serene　and　distant。　He　might　have　been　thinking　of　chess　problems　or　old　love…letters。