osc.am2.redprophet-第20部分

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right　road　　it's　plain　you've　been　a　long　time　on　the　wrong　one。〃
　　〃I　wondered；〃　said　Eleanor　　and　she　stopped；　glanced　down　at　Lolla…Wossiky's　loincloth；　and　then　looked　at　her　husband。
　　〃Oh；　yes；　we　talked　about　that　last　night。　I've　got　some　old　trousers　and　a　shirt　I　don't　use　anymore；　and　Eleanor's　making　me　new　ones　anyway；　so　I　thought；　now　that　you're　baptized；　you　really　ought　to　start　dressing　like　a　Christian。〃
　　〃Very　hot　day；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃Yes；　well；　Christians　believe　in　modesty　of　dress；　Lolla…Wossiky。〃　Armor　laughed　and　hit　him　on　the　shoulder　again。
　　〃I　can　bring　the　clothes　up　this　afternoon；〃　said　Eleanor。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　thought　this　was　a　very　stupid　idea。　Red　men　always　looked　stupid　dressed　in　White　man's　clothes。　But　he　didn't　want　to　argue　with　them　because　they　were　trying　to　be　very　friendly。　And　maybe　the　baptism　would　work　after　all；　if　he　put　on　White　man's　clothes。　Maybe　then　the　black　noise　would　go　away。
　　So　he　didn't　answer。　He　just　looked　at　where　the　yellow…hair　boy　yvas　running　around　in　circles；　shouting；　〃Alvin！　Ally！〃　Lolla…Wossiky　tried　very　hard　to　see　the　boy　that　he　was　chasing。　He　saw　a　foot　touching　the　ground　and　raising　dust；　a　hand　moving　through　the　air；　but　never　quite　saw　the　boy　himself。　Very　strange　thing。
　　Eleanor　was　waiting　for　him　to　answer。　Lolla…Wossiky　said　nothing；　since　he　was　now　watching　the　boy　who　wasn't　there。　Finally　Armor…of…God　laughed　and　said；　〃Bring　the　clothes　up；　Eleanor。　We'll　dress　him　like　a　Christian；　all　right；　and　maybe　tomorrow　he　can　lend　a　hand　on　building　the　church；　start　learning　a　Christian　trade。　Get　a　saw　into　his　hand。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　didn't　actually　hear　that　last；　or　he　might　have　taken　off　into　the　woods　right　away。　He　had　seen　what　happened　to　Red　men　who　started　using　White　man's　tools。　The　way　they　got　cut　off　from　the　land；　bit　by　bit；　every　time　they　hefted　that　metal。　Even　guns。　A　Red　man　starts　using　guns　for　hunting；　he's　half　White　the　first　time　he　pulls　the　trigger；　only　thing　a　Red　man　can　use　a　gun　for　is　killing　White　men；　that's　what　Ta…Kumsaw　always　said；　and　he　was　right。　But　Lolla…Wossiky　didn't　hear　Armor　talk　about　wanting　Lolla…Wossiky　to　use　a　saw　because　he　had　just　made　the　most　remarkable　discovery。　When　he　closed　his　good　eye；　he　could　see　that　boy。　Just　like　the　one…eyed　bear　in　the　river。　Open　his　eye；　and　there　was　the　yellow…head　boy　chasing　and　shouting；　but　no　Alvin　Miller　Junior。　Close　his　eye；　and　there　was　nothing　but　the　black　noise　and　the　traces　of　the　green　　and　then；　right　in　the　middle；　there　was　the　boy；　bright　and　shining　with　light　as　if　he　had　the　sun　in　his　back　pocket；　laughing　and　playing　with　a　voice　like　music。
　　And　then　he　didn't　see　him　at　all。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　opened　his　eye。　There　was　Reverend　Thrower。　Armor　and　Eleanor　were　gone　　all　the　men　were　back　to　work　on　the　church。　It　was　Thrower　who　made　the　boy　disappear；　that　was　plain　enough。　Or　maybe　not　　because　now；　with　Thrower　standing　by　him；　Lolla…Wossiky　could　see　the　boy　with　his　good　eye。　Just　like　any　other　child。
　　〃Lolla…Wossiky；　it　occurs　to　me　that　you　really　ought　to　have　a　Christian　name。　I've　never　baptized　a　Red　before；　and　so　I　just　thoughtlessly　used　your　uncivilized　nomenclature。　You're　supposed　to　take　a　new　name；　a　Christian　name。　Not　necessarily　a　saint's　name　　we're　not　Papists　　but　something　to　suggest　your　new　mitment　to　Christ。　〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　nodded。　He　knew　he　would　need　a　new　name；　if　the　baptism　turned　out　to　work　after　all。　Once　he　met　his　dream　beast　and　went　back　home；　he　would　get　a　name。　He　tried　to　explain　this　to　Thrower；　but　the　White　minister　didn't　really　understand。　Finally；　though；　he　grasped　the　idea　that　Lolla…Wossiky　wanted　a　new　name　and　meant　to　get　one　soon；　so　he　was　mollified。
　　〃While　we're　both　right　here；　by　the　way；〃　said；　Thrower；　〃I　wondered　if　I　might　examine　your　head。　I　am　working　on　developing　some　orderly　categorizations　for　the　infant　science　of　phrenology。　It　is　the　idea　that　particular　talents　and　propensities　in　the　human　soul　are　reflected　in　or　perhaps　even　caused　by　protuberances　and　depressions　in　the　shape　of　the　skull。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　didn't　have　any　idea　what　Thrower　was　talking　about；　so　he　nodded　silently。　This　usually　worked　with　White　men　who　were　talking　nonsense；　and　Thrower　was　no　exception。　The　end　of　it　was　that　Thrower　felt　all　over　Lolla…Wossiky's　head；　stopping　now　and　then　to　make　sketches　and　notes　on　a　piece　of　paper；　muttering　things　like　〃Interesting。。。　Ha！〃　and　〃So　much　for　that　theory。〃　When　it　was　over；　Thrower　thanked　him。　〃You've　contributed　greatly　to　the　cause　of　science；　Mr。　Wossiky。　You　are　living　proof　that　a　Red　man　does　not　necessarily　have　the　bumps　of　savagery　and　cannibalism。　Instead　you　have　the　normal　array　of　knacks　and　lacks　that　any　human　has。　Red　men　are　not　intrinsically　different　from　White　men；　at　least　not　in　any　simple；　easily　categorized　way。　In　fact；　you　have　every　sign　of　being　quite　a　remarkable　speaker；　with　a　profoundly　developed　sense　of　religion。　It　is　no　accident　that　you　are　the　first　Red　man　to　accept　the　gospel　in　my　ministry　here　in　America。　I　must　say　that　your　phrenological　pattern　has　many　great　similarities　to　my　own。　In　short；　my　dear　new…baptized　Christian；　I　would　not　be　surprised　if　you　ended　up　being　a　missionary　of　the　gospel　yourself。　Preaching　to　great　multitudes　of　Red　men　and　women　and　bringing　them　to　an　understanding　of　heaven。　Contemplate　that　vision；　Mr。　Wossiky。　If　I　am　not　mistaken；　it　is　your　future。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　barely　caught　the　gist　of　what　Thrower　said。　Something　about　him　being　a　preacher。　Something　about　telling　the　future。　Lolla…Wossiky　tried　to　make　sense　of　this；　but　it　didn't　work。
　　By　nightfall；　Lolla…Wossiky　was　dressed　in　White　man's　clothes；　looking　like　a　fool。　His　likker　had　worn　off　and　he　hadn't　had　a　chance　to　dodge　back　into　the　woods　and　get　his　four　swallows；　so　the　black　noise　was　getting　very　bad。　Worse　yet；　it　looked　to　be　a　rainy　night；　so　he　couldn't　see　with　his　eye；　and　with　the　black　noise　as　bad　as　it　was；　his　land　sense　couldn't　lead　him　to　his　keg；　either。
　　The　result　was　that　he　was　staggering　worse　than　when　he　had　likker　in　him；　the　ground　heaved　and　tossed　so　much　under　his　feet。　He　fell　over　trying　to　get　out　of　his　chair　at　Armor's　supper　table。　Eleanor　insisted　that　he　had　to　spend　the　night　there。　〃We　can't　have　him　sleep　in　the　woods；　not　when　it　rains；〃　she　said；　and　as　if　to　buttress　her　point　there　was　a　clap　of　thunder　and　rain　started　pelting　the　roof　and　walls。　Eleanor　made　up　a　bed　on　the　floor　of　the　kitchen　while　Thrower　and　Armor　went　around　the　house　closing　shutters。　Gratefully　Lolla…Wossiky　crawled　to　the　bed；　not　even　removing　the　stiff　unfortable　trousers　and　shirt；　and　lay　down；　his　eye　closed；　tying　to　endure　the　stabbing　in　his　head；　the　pain　of　the　black　noise　like　knives　cutting　out　his　brain　slice　by　slice。
　　As　usual；　they　thought　he　was　asleep。
　　〃He　seems　drunker　than　he　did　this　morning；〃　said　Thrower。
　　〃I　know　he　never　left　the　hill；〃　said　Armor。　〃There's　not　a　chance　he　got　a　drink　anywhere。〃
　　〃I've　heard　it　said　that　when　a　drunk　bees　sober；〃　said　Thrower；　〃at　first　he　acts　more　drunk　than　when　he　has　alcohol　in　him。〃
　　〃I　hope　that's　all　it　is；〃　said　Armor。
　　〃I　daresay　he　was　somewhat　disappointed　at　the　baptism　today；〃　said　Thrower。　〃Of　course　it's　impossible　to　understand　what　a　savage　is　feeling；　but〃
　　〃I　wouldn't　call　him　a　savage；　Reverend　Thrower；〃　said　Eleanor。　〃I　think　in　his　own　way　he's　civilized。〃
　　〃You　might　as　well　call　a　badger　civilized；　then；〃　said　Thrower。　〃In　his　own　way；　anyway。〃
　　〃I　mean　to　say；〃　Eleanor　said；　her　voice　even　quieter　and　meeker…sounding；　but　therefore　carrying　all　the　more　weight；　〃that　I　saw　him　reading。〃
　　〃Turning　pages　you　mean；〃　said　Thrower。　〃He　couldn't　be　reading。〃
　　〃No。　He　read；　and　his　lips　formed　the　words；〃　she　said。　〃The　signs　on　the　wall　in　the　front　room；　where　we　serve　customers。　He　read　the　words。〃
　　〃It's　possible；　you　know；〃　said　Armor。　〃I　know　for　a　fact　that　the　Irrakwa　read　just　as　good　as　any　White　men。　I　been　there　to　do　business　often　enough；