sk.thewastelands-第36节
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Someone tugged Mr。 Martin's arm。 It was Wiper Bob； only he no longer looked like an engine…wiper。 He had taken off his oil…stained dungarees and put on a clean pair of overalls。 On his head was his old pillowtick engi…neer's cap。
〃Charlie's is right over there； on that siding；〃 he said。 〃Charlie will make the run to Topeka； Mr。 Martin。 Charlie will get you there in time for your daughter's piano recital。〃
〃That old steamer？〃 scoffed Mr。 Briggs。 〃Charlie would still be fifty miles out of Topeka at sundown！〃
〃Charlie can do it；〃 Engineer Bob insisted。 〃Without a train to pull； I know he can！ I have been cleaning his engine and his boiler in my spare time； you see。〃
〃We'll give it a try；〃 said Mr。 Martin。 〃I would be sorry to miss Susannah's first recital！〃
Charlie was all ready to go； Engineer Bob had filled his tender with fresh coal； and the firebox was so hot its sides were red。 He helped Mr。 Martin up into the cab and backed Charlie off the rusty； forgotten siding and onto the main track for the first time in years。 Then； as he engaged Forward First； he pulled on the lanyard and Charlie gave his old brave cry： WHOOO…OOOOO！
All over St。 Louis the children heard that cry； and ran out into their yards to watch the rusty old steam loco pass。 〃Look！〃 they cried。 〃It's Charlie！ Charlie the Choo…Choo is back！ Hurrah！〃 They all waved； and as Charlie steamed out of town； gathering speed； he blew his own whistle； just as he had in the old days： WHOOOO…OOOOOOO！
Clickety…clack went Charlie's wheels！
Chuffa…chuffa went the smoke from Charlie's stack！
Brump…brump went the conveyor as it fed coal into the firebox！
Talk about zip！ Talk about zowie！ Golly gee； gosh； and wowie！ Charlie had never gone so fast before！ The countryside went whizzing by in a blur！ They passed the cars on Route 41 as if they were standing still！
〃Hoptedoodle！〃 cried Mr。 Martin； waving his hat in the air。 〃This is some lootive； Bob！ I don't know why we ever retired it！ How do you keep the coal…conveyor loaded at this speed？〃
Engineer Bob only smiled； because he knew Charlie was feeding himself。 And； beneath the clickety…clack and the chuffa…chuffa and the brump…hrump； he could hear Charlie singing his old song in his low； gruff voice：
Don't ask me silly questions；
I won't play silly games；
I'm just a simple choo…choo train
And I'll always be the same。
I only want to race along
Beneath the bright blue sky；
And be a happy choo…choo train
Until the day I die。
Charlie got Mr。 Martin to his daughter's piano recital on time （of course）； and Susannah was just tickled pink to see her old friend Charlie again （of course）； and they all went back to St。 Louis together with Susannah yanking hell out of the train…whistle the whole way。 Mr。 Martin got Charlie and Engineer Bob a gig pulling kids around the brand…new Mid…World Amusement Park and Fun Fair in California； and you will find them there to this day； pulling laughing children hither and thither in that world of lights and music and good； wholesome fun。 Engineer Bob's hair is white； and Charlie doesn't talk as much as he once did； but both of them still have plenty of zip and zowie； and every now and then the children hear Charlie singing his old song in his soft； gruff voice。
THE END
〃Don't ask me silly questions； I won't play silly games；〃 Jake mut…tered； looking at the final picture。 It showed Charlie the Choo…Choo pulling two bunting…decked passenger cars filled with happy children from the roller coaster to the Ferns wheel。 Engineer Bob sat in the cab； pulling the whistle…cord and looking as happy as a pig in shit。 Jake sup…posed Engineer Bob's smile was supposed to convey supreme happiness； but to him it looked like the grin of a lunatic。 Charlie and Engineer Bob both looked like lunatics 。 。 。 and the more Jake looked at the kids； the more he thought that their expressions looked like grimaces of terror。 Let us off this train； those faces seemed to say。 Please； just let us off this train alive。
And be a happy choo…choo train until the day I die。
Jake closed the book and looked at it thoughtfully。 Then he opened it again and began to leaf through the pages； circling certain words and phrases that seemed to call out to him。
The Mid…World Railway pany 。 。 。 Engineer Bob 。 。 。 a small； gruff voice 。 。 。 WHOO…OOOO 。 。 。 the first real friend he'd had since his wife died； long ago； in New York 。 。 。 Mr。 Martin 。 。 。 the world has moved on 。。。 Susannah 。 。 。
He put his pen down。 Why did these words and phrases call to him？ The one about New York seemed obvious enough； but what about the others？ For that matter； why this book？ That he had been meant to buy it was beyond question。 If he hadn't had the money in his pocket； he felt sure he would have simply grabbed it and bolted from the store。 But why？ He felt like a pass needle。 The needle knows nothing about magnetic north； it only knows it must point in a certain direction； like it or not。
The only thing Jake knew for sure was that he was very； very tired； and if he didn't crawl into bed soon； he was going to fall asleep at his desk。 He took off his shirt； then gazed down at the front of Charlie the Choo…Choo again。
That smile。 He just didn't trust that smile。
Not a bit。
23
SLEEP DIDN'T E AS soon as Jake had hoped。 The voices began to argue again about whether he was alive or dead； and they kept him awake。 At last he sat up in bed with his eyes closed and his fisted hands planted against his temples。
Quit！ he screamed at them。 Just quit！ You were gone all day； be gone again！
I would if he'd just admit I'm dead； one of the voices said sulkily。
I would if he'd just take a for God's sake look around and admit I'm clearly alive； the other snapped back。
He was going to scream right out loud。 There was no way to hold it back； he could feel it ing up his throat like vomit。 He opened his eyes； saw his pants lying over the seat of his desk chair； and an idea occurred to him。 He got out of bed； went to the chair； and felt in the right front pocket of the pants。
The silver key was still there； and the moment his fingers closed around it； the voices ceased。
Tell him； he thought； with no idea who the thought was for。 Tell him to grab the key。 The key makes the voices go。
He went back to bed and was asleep with the key clasped loosely in his hand three minutes after his head hit the pillow。
III
DOOR AND DEMON
1
EDDIE WAS ALMOST ASLEEP when a voice spoke clearly in his ear： Tell him to grab the key。 The key makes the voices go。
He sat bolt upright； looking around wildly。 Susannah was sound asleep beside him； that voice had not been hers。
Nor anyone else's； it seemed。 They had been moving through the woods and along the path of the Beam for eight days now； and this evening they had camped in the deep cleft of a pocket valley。 Close by on the left； a large stream roared brashly past； headed in the same direc…tion as they were： southeast。 To the right； firs rose up a steep slope of land。 There were no intruders here； only Susannah asleep and Roland awake。 He sat huddled beneath his blanket at the edge of the stream's cut； staring out into the darkness。
Tell him to grab the key。 The key makes the voices go。
Eddie hesitated for only a moment。 Roland's sanity was in the bal…ance now； the balance was tipping the wrong way； and the worst part of it was this： no one knew it better than the man himself。 At this point； Eddie was prepared to clutch at any straw。
He had been using a folded square of deerskin as a pillow。 He reached beneath it and removed a bundle wrapped in a piece of hide。 He walked over to Roland； and was disturbed to see that the gunslinger did not notice him until he was less than four steps from his unprotected back。 There had been a time…and it was not so long ago…when Roland would have known Eddie was awake even before Eddie sat up。 He would have heard the change in his breathing。
He was more alert than this back on the beach； when he was half…dead from the lobster…thing's bite； Eddie thought grimly。
Roland at last turned his head and glanced at him。 His eyes were bright with pain and weariness； but Eddie recognized these things as no more than a surface glitter。 Beneath it； he sensed a growing confusion that would almost surely bee madness if it continued to develop unchecked。 Pity tugged at Eddie's heart。
〃Can't sleep？〃 Roland asked。 His voice was slow； almost drugged。
〃I almost was； and then I woke up；〃 Eddie said。 〃Listen…〃
〃I think I'm getting ready to die。〃 Roland looked at Eddie。 The bright shine left his eyes； and now looking into them was like staring into a pair of deep； dark wells that seemed to have no bottom。 Eddie shud…dered； more because of that empty stare than because of what Roland had said。 〃And do you know what I hope lies in the clearing where the path ends； Eddie？〃
〃Roland…〃
〃Silence；〃 Roland said。 He exhaled a dusty sigh。 〃Just silence。 That will be enough。 An end to 。。。 this。〃
He planted his fists against his temples； and Eddie thought： I've se
