sk.thewastelands-第64节

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　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Jake？〃
　　〃Yes…it　looks　like　the　George　Washington　Bridge。〃
　　〃It　sure　does；〃　Eddie　agreed。
　　〃But　what's　the　GWB　doing　in　Missouri？〃　Jake　asked。
　　Eddie　looked　at　him。　〃Say　what；　sport？〃
　　Jake　looked　confused。　〃Mid…World；　I　mean。　You　know。〃
　　Eddie　was　looking　at　him　harder　than　ever。　〃How　do　you　know　this　is　Mid…World？　You　weren't　with　us　when　we　came　to　that　marker。〃
　　Jake　stuffed　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　looked　down　at　his　mocca…sins。　〃Dreamed　it；〃　he　said　briefly。　〃You　don't　think　I　booked　this　trip　with　my　dad's　travel…agent；　do　you？〃
　　Roland　touched　Eddie's　shoulder。　〃Let　it　alone　for　now。〃　Eddie　glanced　briefly　at　Roland　and　nodded。
　　They　stood　looking　at　the　bridge　a　little　longer。　They'd　had　time　to　get　used　to　the　city　skyline；　but　this　was　something　new。　It　dreamed　in　the　distance；　a　faint　shape　sketched　against　the　blue　midmorning　sky。　Roland　could　make　out　four　sets　of　impossibly　tall　metal　towers…one　set　at　each　end　of　the　bridge　and　two　in　the　middle。　Between　them；　gigantic　cables　swooped　through　the　air　in　long　arcs。　Between　these　arcs　and　the　base　of　the　bridge　were　many　vertical　lines…either　more　cables　or　metal　beams；　he　could　not　tell　which。　But　he　also　saw　gaps；　and　realized　after　a　long　time　that　the　bridge　was　no　longer　perfectly　level。
　　〃Yonder　bridge　is　going　to　be　in　the　river　soon；　I　think；〃　Roland　said。
　　〃Well；　maybe；〃　Eddie　said　reluctantly；　〃but　it　doesn't　really　look　that　bad　to　me。〃
　　Roland　sighed。　〃Don't　hope　for　too　much；　Eddie。〃
　　〃What's　that　supposed　to　mean？〃　Eddie　heard　the　touchiness　in　his　voice；　but　it　was　too　late　to　do　anything　about　it　now。
　　〃It　means　that　I　want　you　to　believe　your　eyes；　Eddie…that's　all。　There　was　a　saying　when　I　was　growing　up：　'Only　a　fool　believes　he's　dreaming　before　he　wakes　up。'　Do　you　understand？〃
　　Eddie　felt　a　sarcastic　reply　on　his　tongue　and　banished　it　after　a　brief　struggle。　It　was　just　that　Roland　had　a　way…it　was　unintentional；　he　was　sure；　but　that　didn't　make　it　any　easier　to　deal　with…of　making　him　feel　like　such　a　kid。
　　〃I　guess　I　do；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃It　means　the　same　thing　as　my　mother's　favorite　saying。〃
　　〃And　what　was　that？〃
　　〃Hope　for　the　best　and　expect　the　worst；〃　Eddie　said　sourly。
　　Roland's　face　lightened　in　a　smile。　〃I　think　I　like　your　mother's　saying　better。〃
　　〃But　it　is　still　standing！〃　Eddie　burst　out。　〃I　agree　it's　not　in　such　fantastic　shape…probably　nobody's　done　a　really　thorough　maintenance　check　on　it　for　a　thousand　years　or　so…but　it　is　still　there。　The　whole　city　is！　Is　it　so　wrong　to　hope　we　might　find　some　things　that'll　help　us　there？　Or　some　people　that'll　feed　us　and　talk　to　us；　like　the　old　folks　back　in　River　Crossing；　instead　of　shooting　at　us？　Is　it　so　wrong　to　hope　our　luck　might　be　turning？〃
　　In　the　silence　which　followed；　Eddie　realized　with　embarrassment　that　he　had　been　making　a　speech。
　　〃No。〃　There　was　a　kindness　in　Roland's　voice…that　kindness　which　always　surprised　Eddie　when　it　came。　〃It's　never　wrong　to　hope。〃　He　looked　around　at　Eddie　and　the　others　like　a　man　ing　out　of　a　deep　dream。　〃We're　done　travelling　for　today。　It's　time　we　had　our　own　pala…ver；　I　think；　and　it's　going　to　take　awhile。〃
　　The　gunslinger　left　the　road　and　walked　into　the　high　grass　without　looking　back。　After　a　moment；　the　other　three　followed。
　　
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　　UNTIL　THEY　MET　THE　old　people　in　River　Crossing；　Susannah　had　seen　Roland　strictly　in　terms　of　television　shows　she　rarely　watched：　Cheyenne；　The　Rifleman；　and；　of　course；　the　archetype　of　them　all；　Gunsmoke。　That　was　one　she　had　sometimes　listened　to　on　tin…　radio　with　her　father　before　it　came　on　TV　（she　thought　of　how　foreign　the　idea　of　radio　drama　would　be　to　Eddie　and　Jake　and　smiled…Roland's　was　not　the　only　world　which　had　moved　on）。　She　could　still　remember　what　the　narrator　said　at　the　beginning　of　every　one　of　those　radio　playlets：　〃It　makes　a　man　watchful　。　。　。　and　a　little　lonely。〃
　　Until　River　Crossing；　that　had　summed　Roland　up　perfectly　for　her。　He　was　not　broad…shouldered；　as　Marshal　Dillon　had　been；　nor　anywhere　near　as　tall；　and　his　face　seemed　to　her　more　that　of　a　tired　poet　than　a　wild…west　lawman；　but　she　had　still　seen　him　as　an　existential　version　of　that　make…believe　Kansas　peace　officer；　whose　only　mission　in　life　（other　than　an　occasional　drink　in　The　Longbranch　with　his　friends　Doc　and　Kitty）　had　been　to　Clean　Up　Dodge。
　　Now　she　understood　that　Roland　had　once　been　much　more　than　a　cop　riding　a　Daliesque　range　at　the　end　of　the　world。　He　had　been　a　diplomat；　a　mediator；　perhaps　even　a　teacher。　Most　of　all；　he　had　been　a　soldier　of　what　these　people　called　〃the　white；〃　by　which　she　guessed　they　meant　the　civilizing　forces　that　kept　people　from　killing　each　other　enough　of　the　time　to　allow　some　sort　of　progress。　In　his　time　he　had　been　more　wandering　knight…errant　than　bounty　hunter。　And　in　many　ways；　this　still　was　his　time；　the　people　of　River　Crossing　had　certainly　thought　so。　Why　else　would　they　have　knelt　in　the　dust　to　receive　his　blessing？
　　In　light　of　this　new　perception；　Susannah　could　see　how　cleverly　the　gunslinger　had　managed　them　since　that　awful　morning　in　the　speaking　ring；　Each　time　they　had　begun　a　line　of　conversation　which　would　lead　to　the　paring　of　notes…and　what　could　be　more　natural；　given　the　cataclysmic　and　inexplicable　〃drawing〃　each　of　them　had　experienced？…Roland　had　been　there；　stepping　in　quickly　and　turning　the　conversation　into　other　channels　so　smoothly　that　none　of　them　（even　she；　who　had　spent　almost　four　years　up　to　her　neck　in　the　civil…rights　movement）　had　noticed　what　he　was　doing。
　　Susannah　thought　she　understood　why…he　had　done　it　in　order　to　give　Jake　time　to　heal。　But　understanding　his　motives　didn't　change　her　own　feelings…astonishment；　amusement；　chagrin…about　how　neatly　he　had　handled　them。　She　remembered　something　Andrew；　her　chauffeur；　had　said　shortly　before　Roland　had　drawn　her　into　this　world。　Something　about　President　Kennedy　being　the　last　gunslinger　of　the　western　world。　She　had　scoffed　then；　but　now　she　thought　she　understood。　There　was　a　lot　more　JFK　than　Matt　Dillon　in　Roland。　She　suspected　that　Roland　possessed　little　of　Kennedy's　imagination；　but　when　it　came　to　romance　。　。　。　dedication　。　。　。　charisma　。　。　。
　　And　guile；　she　thought。　Don't　forget　guile。
　　She　surprised　herself　by　suddenly　bursting　into　laughter。
　　Roland　had　seated　himself　cross…legged。　Now　he　turned　toward　her；　raising　his　eyebrows。　〃Something　funny？〃
　　〃Very。　Tell　me　something…how　many　languages　can　you　speak？〃
　　The　gunslinger　thought　it　over。　〃Five；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I　used　to　speak　the　Sellian　dialects　fairly　well；　but　I　believe　I've　forgotten　every…thing　but　the　curses。〃
　　Susannah　laughed　again。　It　was　a　cheerful；　delighted　sound。　〃You　a　fox；　Roland；〃　she　said。　〃Indeed　you　are。〃
　　Jake　looked　interested。　〃Say　a　swear　in　Strelleran；〃　he　said。
　　〃Sellian；〃　Roland　corrected。　He　thought　a　minute；　then　said　some…thing　very　fast　and　greasy…to　Eddie　it　sounded　a　little　as　if　he　was　gargling　with　some　very　thick　liquid。　Week…old　coffee；　say。　Roland　grinned　as　he　said　it。
　　Jake　grinned　back。　〃What　does　it　mean？〃
　　Roland　put　an　arm　around　the　boy's　shoulders　for　a　moment。　〃That　we　have　a　lot　of　things　to　talk　about。〃
　　
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　　〃WE　ARE　KA…TET；〃　ROLAND　began；　〃which　means　a　group　of　people　bound　together　by　fate。　The　philosophers　of　my　land　said　a　ka…tet　could　only　be　broken　by　death　or　treachery。　My　great　teacher；　Cort；　said　that　since　death　and　treachery　are　also　spokes　on　the　wheel　of　ka；　such　a　binding　can　never　be　broken。　As　the　years　pass　and　I　see　more；　I　e　more　and　more　to　Cort's　way　of　looking　at　it。
　　〃Each　member　of　a　ka…tet　is　like　a　piece　in　a　puzzle。　Taken　by　itself；　each　piece　is　a　mystery；　but　when　they　are　put　together；　they　make　a　picture　。。。　or　part　of　a　picture。　It　may　take　a　great　many　ka…tets　to　finish　one　picture。　You　mustn't　be　surprised　if　you　discover　your　lives　have　been　touching　in　ways　you　haven't　seen　until　now。　For　one　thing；　each　of　you　three　is　capable　of　knowing　each　other's　thoughts…〃
　　〃What？〃　Eddie　cried。
　　〃It's　true。　You　share　your　thoughts　so　naturally　that　you　haven't　even　been　aware　it's　happening；　but　it　has　been。　It's　easier　for　me　to　see；　no　doubt；　because　I　am　not　a　full　member　of　this　ka…tet…possibly　because　I　am　not　from　your　world…and　so　cannot　take　part　pletely　in　the　thought…sharing　ability。　But　I　can　send。　Susannah　。。。　do　you　remember　when　we　were　in　the　circle？〃
　　〃Yes。　You　told　me　to　let　the　demon　go　when　you　told　me。　But　you　didn't　say　that　out　loud。〃
　　〃Eddie　。。。　do　you　remember　when　we　were　in　the　bear's　clearing；　and　the　mechanical　bat　came　at　you？〃
　　〃Yes。　You　told　me　to　get　down。〃
　　〃He　never　opened　his　mouth；　Eddie；〃　Susannah　said。
　　〃Yes；　you　did！　You　yelled！　I　heard　you；　man！〃
　　〃I　yelled；　all　right；　but　I　did　it　with　my　mind。〃　The　gunslinger　turned　to　Jake。　〃Do　you　remember？　In　the　house？〃
　　〃When　the　board　I　was　pulling　on　wouldn't　e　up；　you　told　me　to　pull　on　the　other　one。　But　if　you　can't　read　my　mind；　Roland；　how　did　you　know　what　land　of　trouble　I　was　in？〃
　　〃I　saw。　I　heard　noth