sk.thewastelands-第95节

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　　〃You　dasn't！〃　Tick…Tock　said　in　a　screamy　whisper。
　　〃Yes　I　do；〃　Jake　said　grimly；　and　pulled　the　trigger　of　the　Tick…Tock　Man's　runout　gun。　There　was　a　Hat　crack；　much　less　dramatic　than　the　Schmeisser's　Teutonic　roar。　A　small　black　hole　appeared　high　up　on　the　right　side　of　Tick…Tock's　forehead。　The　Tick…Tock　Man　went　on　staring　up　at　Jake；　disbelief　in　his　remaining　eye。
　　Jake　tried　to　make　himself　shoot　him　again　and　couldn't　do　it。
　　Suddenly　a　flap　of　the　Tick…Tock　Man's　scalp　peeled　away　like　old　wallpaper　and　dropped　on　his　right　cheek。　Roland　would　have　known　what　this　meant；　Jake；　however；　was　now　almost　beyond　coherent　thought。　A　dark；　panicky　horror　was　spinning　across　his　mind　like　a　tornado　funnel。　He　cringed　back　in　the　big　chair　as　the　hand　on　his　ankle　fell　away　and　the　Tick…Tock　Man　collapsed　forward　on　his　face。
　　The　door。　He　had　to　open　the　door　and　let　the　gunslinger　in。
　　Focusing　on　that　and　nothing　but；　Jake　let　the　pearl…handled　revolver　clatter　to　the　iron　grating　and　pushed　himself　out　of　the　chair。　He　was　reaching　again　for　the　button　he　thought　he　had　seen　Tick…Tock　push　when　a　pair　of　hands　settled　around　his　throat　and　dragged　him　back…ward；　away　from　the　podium。
　　〃I　said　I'd　kill　you　for　it；　my　narsty　little　pal；〃　a　voice　whispered　in　his　ear；　〃and　the　Gasherman　always　keeps　his　promises。〃
　　Jake　flailed　behind　him　with　both　hands　and　found　nothing　but　thin　air。　Gasher's　fingers　sank　into　his　throat；　choking　relentlessly。　The　world　started　to　turn　gray　in　front　of　his　eyes。　Gray　quickly　deepened　to　purple；　and　purple　to　black。
　　
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　　A　PUMP　STARTED　UP；　and　the　valve…wheel　in　the　center　of　the　hatch　spun　rapidly。　Gods　be　thanked！　Roland　thought。　He　seized　the　wheel　with　his　right　hand　almost　before　it　had　stopped　moving　and　yanked　it　open。　The　other　door　was　ajar；　from　beyond　it　came　the　sounds　of　men　fighting　and　Oy's　bark；　now　shrill　with　pain　and　fury。
　　Roland　kicked　the　door　open　with　his　boot　and　saw　Gasher　throttling　Jake。　Oy　had　left　Copperhead　and　was　now　trying　to　make　Gasher　let　go　of　Jake；　but　Gasher's　boot　was　doing　double　duty：　protecting　its　owner　from　the　bumbler's　teeth；　and　protecting　Oy　from　the　virulent　infection　which　ran　in　Gasher's　blood。　Brandon　stabbed　Oy　in　the　flank　again　in　an　effort　to　make　him　stop　worrying　Gasher's　ankle；　but　Oy　paid　no　heed。　Jake　hung　from　his　captor's　dirty　hands　like　a　puppet　whose　strings　have　been　cut。　His　face　was　bluish…white；　his　swollen　lips　a　delicate　shade　of　lavender。
　　Gasher　looked　up。　〃You；〃　he　snarled。
　　〃Me；〃　Roland　agreed。　He　fired　once　and　tin；　left　side　of　Gasher's　head　disintegrated。　The　man　went　flying　backward；　bloodstained　yellow　scarf　unravelling；　and　landed　on　top　of　the　Tick…Tock　Man。　His　feet　drummed　spastically　on　the　iron　grillework　for　a　moment　and　then　fell　still。
　　The　gunslinger　shot　Brandon　twice；　fanning　the　hammer　of　his　revolver　with　the　flat　of　his　right　hand。　Brandon；　who　had　been　bent　over　Oy　for　another　stroke；　spun　around；　struck　the　wall；　and　slid　slowly　down　it；　clutching　at　one　of　the　tubes。　Green　swamplight　spilled　out　from　between　his　loosening　fingers。
　　Oy　limped　to　where　Jake　lay　and　began　licking　his　pale；　still　face。
　　Copperhead　and　Hoots　had　seen　enough。　They　ran　side　by　side　for　the　small　door　through　which　Tilly　had　gone　to　get　the　dipper　of　water。　It　was　the　wrong　time　for　chivalry；　Roland　shot　them　both　in　the　back。　He　would　have　to　move　fast　now；　very　fast　indeed；　and　he　would　not　risk　being　waylaid　by　these　two　if　they　should　chance　to　rediscover　their　guts。
　　A　cluster　of　bright　orange　lights　came　on　at　the　top　of　the　capsule…shaped　enclosure；　and　an　alarm　began　to　go　off：　in　broad；　hoarse　blats　that　bartered　the　walls。　After　a　moment　or　two；　the　emergency　lights　began　to　pulse　in　sync　with　the　alarm。
　　
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　　EDDIE　WAS　RETURNING　TO　Susannah　when　the　alarm　began　to　wail。　He　yelled　in　surprise　and　raised　the　Ruger；　pointing　it　at　nothing。　〃What's　happening？〃
　　Susannah　shook　her　head…she　had　no　idea。　The　alarm　was　scary；　but　that　was　only　part　of　the　problem；　it　was　also　loud　enough　to　be　physically　painful。　Those　amplified　jags　of　sound　made　Eddie　think　of　a　tractor…trailer　horn　raised　to　the　tenth　power。
　　At　that　moment；　the　orange　arc…sodiums　began　to　pulse。　When　he　reached　Susannah's　chair；　Eddie　saw　that　the　MAND　and　ENTER　buttons　were　also　pulsing　in　bright　red　beats。　They　looked　like　winking　eyes。
　　〃Blaine；　what's　happening？〃　he　shouted。　He　looked　around　but　saw　only　wildly　jumping　shadows。　〃Are　you　doing　this？〃
　　Blaine's　only　response　was　laughter…terrible　mechanical　laughter　that　made　Eddie　think　of　the　clockwork　clown　that　had　stood　outside　the　House　of　Horrors　at　Coney　Island　when　he　was　a　little　kid。
　　〃Blaine；　stop　it！〃　Susannah　shrieked。　〃How　can　we　think　of　an　answer　to　your　riddle　with　that　air…raid　siren　going　off？〃
　　The　laughter　stopped　us　suddenly　as　it　began；　but　Blaine　made　no　reply。　Or　perhaps　he　did；　from　beyond　the　bars　that　separated　them　from　the　platform；　huge　engines　powered　by　frictionless　slo…trans　turbines　awoke　at　the　mand　of　the　dipolar　puters　the　Tick…Tock　Man　had　so　lusted　after。　For　the　first　time　in　a　decade；　Blaine　the　Mono　was　awake　and　cycling　up　toward　running　speed。
　　
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　　THE　ALARM；　WHICH　HAD　indeed　been　built　to　warn　Lud's　long…dead　residents　of　an　impending　air　attack　（and　which　had　not　even　been　tested　in　almost　a　thousand　years）；　blanketed　the　city　with　sound。　All　the　lights　which　still　operated　came　on　and　began　to　pulse　in　sync。　Pubes　above　the　streets　and　Grays　below　them　were　alike　convinced　that　the　end　they　had　always　feared　was　finally　upon　them。　The　Grays　suspected　some　cataclysmic　mechanical　breakdown　was　occurring。　The　Pubes；　who　had　always　believed　that　the　ghosts　lurking　in　the　machines　below　the　city　would　some　day　rise　up　to　take　their　long…delayed　vengeance　on　the　still　living；　were　probably　closer　to　the　actual　truth　of　what　was　happening。
　　Certainly　there　had　been　an　intelligence　left　in　the　ancient　put…ers　below　the　city；　a　single　living　organism　which　had　long　ago　ceased　to　exist　sanely　under　conditions　that；　within　its　merciless　dipolar　circuits；　could　only　be　absolute　reality。　It　had　held　its　increasingly　alien　logic　within　its　banks　of　memory　for　eight　hundred　years　and　might　have　held　them　so　for　eight　hundred　more；　if　not　for　the　arrival　of　Roland　and　his　friends；　yet　this　mens　non　corpus　had　brooded　and　grown　ever　more　insane　with　each　passing　year；　even　in　its　increasing　periods　of　sleep　it　could　be　said　to　dream；　and　these　dreams　grew　steadily　more　abnormal　as　the　world　moved　on。　Now；　although　the　unthinkable　machinery　which　maintained　the　Beams　had　weakened；　this　insane　and　inhuman　intelli…gence　had　awakened　in　the　rooms　of　ruin　and　had　begun　once　more；　although　as　bodiless　as　any　ghost；　to　stumble　through　the　halls　of　the　dead。
　　In　other　words；　Blaine　the　Mono　was　preparing　to　get　out　of　Dodge。
　　
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　　ROLAND　HEARD　A　FOOTSTEP　behind　him　as　he　knelt　by　Jake　and　turned；　raising　his　gun。　Tilly；　her　dough…colored　face　a　mask　of　confusion　and　superstitious　fear；　raised　her　hands　and　shrieked：　〃Don't　kill　me；　sai！　Please！　Don't　kill　me！〃
　　〃Run；　then；〃　Roland　said　curtly；　and　as　Tilly　began　to　move；　he　struck　her　calf　with　the　barrel　of　his　revolver。　〃Not　that　way…through　the　door　I　came　in。　And　if　you　ever　see　me　again；　I'll　be　the　last　thing　you　ever　see。　Now　go！〃
　　She　disappeared　into　the　leaping；　circling　shadows。
　　Roland　dropped　his　head　to　Jake's　chest；　slamming　his　palm　against　his　other　ear　to　deaden　the　pulse　of　the　alarm。　He　heard　the　boy's　heartbeat；　slow　but　strong。　He　slipped　his　arms　around　the　boy；　and　as　he　did；　Jakes's　eyes　fluttered　open。　〃You　didn't　let　me　fall　this　time。〃　His　voice　was　no　more　than　a　hoarse　whisper。
　　〃No。　Not　this　time；　and　not　ever　again。　Don't　try　your　voice。〃
　　〃Where's　Oy？〃
　　〃Oy！〃　the　bumbler　barked。　〃Oy！〃
　　Brandon　had　slashed　Oy　several　times；　but　none　of　the　wounds　seemed　mortal　or　even　serious。　It　was　clear　that　he　was　in　some　pain；　but　it　was　equally　clear　he　was　transported　with　joy。　He　regarded　Jake　with　sparkling　eyes；　his　pink　tongue　lolling　out。　〃Ake；　Ake；　Ake！〃
　　Jake　burst　into　tears　and　reached　for　him；　Oy　limped　into　the　circle　of　his　arms　and　allowed　himself　to　be　hugged　for　a　moment。
　　Roland　got　up　and　looked　around。　His　gaze　fixed　on　the　door　on　the　far　side　of　the　room。　The　two　men　he'd　backshot　had　been　heading　in　that　direction；　and　the　woman　had　also　wanted　to　go　that　way。　The　gunslinger　went　toward　the　door　with　Jake　in　his　arms　and　Oy　at　his　heel。　He　kicked　one　of　the　dead　Grays　aside；　and　ducked　through。　The　room　beyond　was　a　kitchen。　It　managed　to　look　like　a　hog…wallow　in　spite　of　the　built…in　appliances　and　the　stainless　steel　walls；　the　Grays　were　apparently　not　much　interested　in　housekeeping。
　　〃Drink；〃　Jake　whispered。　〃Please　。。。　so　thirsty。〃
　　Roland　felt　a　queer　doubling；　as　if　time　had　folded　backward　on　itself。　He　remembered　lurching　out　of　the　desert；　crazy　with　the　heat　and　the　emptiness。　He　remembered　passing　out　in　the　stable　of　the　way　station；　half…dead　from　thirst；　and　waking　at　the　taste　of　cool