sk.thewastelands-第88节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　Susannah　looked　bewildered　and　doubtful。　〃What　is　this　thing；　do　you　think？　It　looks　like　a　gadget　in　a　science　fiction　movie。〃
　　Of　course　it　did；　Eddie　realized。　Susannah　had　probably　seen　a　home　security　system　or　two　in　her　time…she　had；　after　all；　lived　among　the　Manhattan　rich；　even　if　she　had　not　been　very　enthusiastically　accepted　by　them…but　there　was　a　world　of　difference　between　the　electronics　gear　available　in　her　when；　1963；　and　his　own；　which　was　1987。　We've　never　talked　much　about　the　differences；　either；　he　thought。　I　wonder　what　she'd　think　if　I　told　her　Ronald　Reagan　was　President　of　the　United　States　when　Roland　snatched　me？　Probably　that　I　was　crazy。
　　〃It's　a　security　system；〃　he　said。　Then；　although　his　nerves　and　instincts　screamed　out　against　it；　he　forced　himself　to　reach　out　with　his　right　hand　and　thumb　the　TALK/LISTEN　switch。
　　There　was　no　crackle　of　electricity；　no　deadly　blue　fire　went　racing　up　his　arm。　No　sign　that　the　thing　was　even　still　connected。
　　Maybe　Blaine　is　dead。　Maybe　he's　dead；　after　all。
　　But　he　didn't　really　believe　that。
　　〃Hello？〃　he　said；　and　in　his　mind's　eye　saw　tin…　unfortunate　Ardis；　screaming　as　he…　was　microwaved　by　the　blue　fire　dancing　all　over　his　face　and　body；　melting　his　eyes　and　setting　his　hair　ablaze。　〃Hello　。　。　。　Blaine？　Anybody　？〃
　　He　let　go　of　the　button　and　waited；　stiff　with　tension。　Susannah's　hand　crept　into　his；　cold　and　small。　There　was　still　no　answer；　and　Eddie…now　more　reluctant　than　ever…pushed　the　button　again。
　　〃Blaine？〃
　　He　let　go　of　the　button。　Waited。　And　when　there　was　still　no　answer；　a　dangerous　giddiness　overcame　him；　as　it　often　did　in　moments　of　stress　and　fear。　When　that　giddiness　took　him；　counting　the　cost　no　longer　seemed　to　matter。　Nothing　mattered。　It　had　been　like　that　when　he　had　outfaced　Balazar's　sallow…faced　contact　man　in　Nassau；　and　it　was　like　that　now。　And　if　Roland　had　seen　him　in　the　moment　this　lunatic　impa…tience　overtook　him；　he　would　have　seen　more　than　just　a　resemblance　between　Eddie　and　Cuthbert；　he　would　have　sworn　Eddie　was　Cuthbert。
　　He　jammed　the　button　in　with　his　thumb　and　began　to　bellow　into　the　speaker；　adopting　a　plummy　（and　pletely　bogus）　British　accent。　〃Hullo；　Blaine！　Cheerio；　old　fellow！　This　is　Robin　Leach；　host　of　Life…styles　of　the　Rich　and　Brainless；　here　to　tell　you　that　you　have　won　six　billion　dollars　and　a　new　Ford　Escort　in　the　Publishers　Clearing　House　Sweepstakes！〃
　　Pigeons　took　flight　above　them　in　soft；　startled　explosions　of　wings。　Susannah　gasped。　Her　face　wore　the　dismayed　expression　of　a　devout　woman　who　has　just　heard　her　husband　blaspheme　in　a　cathedral。　〃Eddie；　stop　it！　Stop　it！〃
　　Eddie　couldn't　stop　it。　His　mouth　was　smiling；　but　his　eyes　glittered　with　a　mixture　of　fear；　hysteria；　and　frustrated　anger。　〃You　and　your　monorail　girlfriend；　Patricia；　will　spend　a　lux…yoo…rious　month　in　scenic　Jimtown；　where　you'll　drink　only　the　finest　wine　and　eat　only　the　finest　virgins！　You…〃
　　〃。　。　。　shhhh　。　。　。〃
　　Eddie　broke　off；　looking　at　Susannah。　He　was　at　once　sure　that　it　had　been　she　who　had　shushed　him…not　only　because　she　had　already　tried　but　because　she　was　the　only　other　person　here…and　yet　at　the　same　time　he　knew　it　hadn't　been　Susannah。　That　had　been　another　voice：　the　voice　of　a　very　young　and　very　frightened　child。
　　〃Suze？　Did　you…〃
　　Susannah　was　shaking　her　head　and　raising　her　hand　at　the　same　time。　She　pointed　at　the　inter　box；　and　Eddie　saw　the　button　marked　MAND　was　glowing　a　very　faint　shell…pink。　It　was　the　same　color　as　the　mono　sleeping　in　its　berth　on　the　other　side　of　the　barrier。
　　〃Shhh。。。　don't　wake　him　up；〃　the　child's　voice　mourned。　It　drifted　from　the　speaker；　soft　as　an　evening　breeze。
　　〃What　。　。　。〃　Eddie　began。　Then　he　shook　his　head；　reached　toward　the　TALK/LISTEN　switch　and　pressed　it　gently。　When　he　spoke　again；　it　was　not　in　the　blaring　Robin　Leach　bellow　but　in　the　almost…whisper　of　a　conspirator。　〃What　are　you？　Who　are　you？〃
　　He　released　the　button。　He　and　Susannah　regarded　each　other　with　the　big　eyes　of　children　who　now　know　they　are　sharing　the　house　with　a　dangerous…perhaps　psychotic…adult。　How　have　they　e　by　the　knowledge？　Why；　because　another　child　has　told　them；　a　child　who　has　lived　with　the　psychotic　adult　for　a　long　time；　hiding　in　corners　and　stealing　out　only　when　it　knows　the　adult　is　asleep；　a　frightened　child　who　happens　to　be　almost　invisible。
　　There　was　no　answer。　Eddie　let　the　seconds　spin　out。　Each　one　seemed　long　enough　to　read　a　whole　novel　in。　He　was　reaching　for　the　button　again　when　the　faint　pink　glow　reappeared。
　　〃I'm　Little　Blaine；〃　the　child's　voice　whispered。　〃The　one　he　doesn't　see。　The　one　he　forgot。　The　one　he　thinks　he　left　behind　in　the　rooms　of　ruin　and　the　halls　of　the　dead。〃
　　Eddie　pushed　the　button　again　with　a　hand　that　had　picked　up　an　uncontrollable　shake。　He　could　hear　that　shake　in　his　voice；　as　well。　〃Who？　Who　is　the　one　who　doesn't　see？　Is　it　the　Bear？〃
　　No…not　the　bear；　not　he。　Shardik　lay　dead　in　the　forest；　many　miles　behind　them；　the　world　had　moved　on　even　since　then。　Eddie　suddenly　remembered　what　it　had　been　like　to　lay　his　ear　against　that　strange　unfound　door　in　the　clearing　where　die　bear　had　lived　its　violent　half…life；　that　door　with　its　somehow　terrible　stripes　of　yellow　and　black。　It　was　all　of　a　piece；　he　realized　now；　all　part　of　some　awful；　decaying　whole；　a　tattered　web　with　the　Dark　Tower　at　its　center　like　an　inpre…hensible　stone　spider。　All　of　Mid…World　had　bee　one　vast　haunted　mansion　in　these　strange　latter　days；　all　of　Mid…World　had　bee　The　Drawers；　all　of　Mid…World　had　bee　a　waste　land；　haunting　and　haunted。
　　He　saw　Susannah's　lips　form　the　words　of　the　real　answer　before　the　voice　from　the　inter　could　speak　them；　and　those　words　were　as　obvious　as　the　solution　to　a　riddle　once　the　answer　is　spoken。
　　〃Big　Blaine；〃　the　unseen　voice　whispered。　〃Big　Blaine　is　the　ghost　in　the　machine…the　ghost　in　all　the　machines。〃
　　Susannah's　hand　had　gone　to　her　throat　and　was　clutching　it；　as　if　she　intended　to　strangle　herself。　Her　eyes　were　full　of　terror；　but　they　were　not　glassy；　not　stunned；　they　were　sharp　with　understanding。　Per…haps　she　knew　a　voice　like　this　one　from　her　own　when…the　when　where　the　integrated　whole　that　was　Susannah　had　been　shunted　aside　by　the　warring　personalities　of　Detta　and　Odetta。　The　childish　voice　had　sur…prised　her　as　well　as　him；　but　her　agonized　eyes　said　she　was　no　stranger　to　the　concept　being　expressed。
　　Susannah　knew　all　about　the　madness　of　duality。
　　〃Eddie　we　have　to　go；〃　she　said。　Her　terror　turned　the　words　into　an　unpunctuated　auditory　smear。　He　could　hear　air　whistling　in　her　wind…pipe　like　a　cold　wind　around　a　chimney。　〃Eddie　we　have　to　get　away　Eddie　we　have　to　get　away　Eddie…〃
　　〃Too　late；〃　the　tiny；　mourning　voice　said。　〃He's　awake。　Big　Blaine　is　awake。　He　knows　you　are　here。　And　he's　ing。〃
　　Suddenly　lights…bright　orange　arc…sodiums…began　to　flash　on　in　pairs　above　them；　bathing　the　pillared　vastness　of　the　Cradle　in　a　harsh　glare　that　banished　all　shadows。　Hundreds　of　pigeons　darted　and　swooped　in　frightened；　aimless　flight；　startled　from　their　plex　of　interlocked　nests　high　above。
　　〃Wait！〃　Eddie　shouted。　〃Please；　wait！〃
　　In　his　agitation　he　forgot　to　push　the　button；　but　it　made　no　differ…ence；　Little　Blaine　responded　anyway。　〃No！　I　can't　let　him　catch　me！　I　can't　let　him　kill　me；　too！〃
　　The　light　on　the　inter　box　went　dark　again；　but　only　for　a　moment。　This　time　both　MAND　and　ENTER　lit　up；　and　their　color　was　not　pink　but　the　lurid　dark　red　of　a　blacksmith's　forge。
　　〃WHO　ARE　YOU？〃　a　voice　roared；　and　it　came　not　just　from　the　box　but　from　every　speaker　in　the　city　which　still　operated。　The　rotting　bodies　hanging　from　the　poles　shivered　with　the　vibrations　of　that　mighty　voice；　it　seemed　that　even　the　dead　would　run　from　Blaine；　if　they　could。　。
　　Susannah　shrank　back　in　her　chair；　the　heels　of　her　hands　pressed　to　her　ears；　her　face　long　with　dismay；　her　mouth　distorted　in　a　silent　scream。　Eddie　felt　himself　shrinking　toward　all　the　fantastic；　hallucinatory　terrors　of　eleven。　Had　it　been　this　voice　he　had　feared　when　he　and　Henry　stood　outside　The　Mansion？　That　he　had　perhaps　even　antici…pated？　He　didn't　know　。　。　。　but　he　did　know　how　Jack　in　that　old　story　must　have　felt　when　he　realized　that　he　had　tried　the　beanstalk　once　too　often；　and　awakened　the　giant。
　　〃HOW　DARE　YOU　DISTURB　MY　SLEEP？　TELL　ME　NOW；　OR　DIE　WHERE　YOU　STAND。〃
　　He　might　have　frozen　right　there；　leaving　Blaine…Big　Blaine…to　do　to　them　whatever　it　was　he　had　done　to　Ardis　（or　something　even　worse）；　perhaps　should　have　frozen；　locked　in　that　down…the…rabbit…hole；　fairy…tale　terror。　It　was　the　memory　of　the　small　voice　which　had　spoken　first　that　enabled　him　to　move。　It　had　been　the　voice　of　a　terrified　child；　but　it　had　tried　to　help　them；　terrified　or　not。
　　So　now　you　have　to　help　yourself；　he　thought。　You　woke　it　up；　deal　with　it；　for　Christ's　sake！
　　Eddie　reached　out　and　pushed　the　button　again。　〃My　name　is　Eddie　Dean。　The　woman　with　me　is　my　wife；　Susannah。　We're　。　。　。〃
　　He　looked　at　Susannah；　who　nodded　and　made　frantic　motions　for　him