osc.am2.redprophet-第24部分

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him；　though；　because　suddenly　the　boy　was　invisible。　But　Lolla…Wossiky　had　no　care　for　what　he　saw；　for　what　he　felt　was　the　most　impossible　thing　of　all：
　　Silence。　Green　silence。　The　black　noise　was　utterly；　pletely　gone。　His　land…sense　had　returned；　and　the　ancient　injury　was　healed。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　knelt　there；　gasping　for　breath；　as　the　land　returned　to　him　the　way　that　it　had　been　before。　All　these　years　had　passed；　he　had　forgotten　how　strong　it　was；　to　see　in　all　directions；　hear　the　breath　of　every　animal；　smell　the　scent　of　every　plant。　A　man　who　has　been　dry　and　thirsty　until　he　was　at　the　point　of　death；　and　suddenly　cold　water　pours　down　his　throat　so　fast　he　can't　swallow；　can't　breathe；　it's　what　he　longed　for；　but　much　too　strong；　much　too　sudden；　can't　contain　it；　can't　endure　it
　　〃It　didn't　work；〃　the　boy　whispered。　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　opened　his　good　eye；　and　now　for　the　first　time　saw　the　boy　as　a　natural　man。　Alvin　was　staring　at　his　bad　eye。　Lolla…Wossiky　wondered　why；　he　reached　up；　touched　his　missing　eye。　The　lid　still　hung　over　an　empty　socket。　Then　he　understood。　The　boy　thought　that　was　what　he　was　supposed　to　heal。　No；　no；　don't　be　disappointed；　child；　you　healed　me　from　the　deep　injury；　what　do　I　care　about　this　tiny　wound？　I　never　lost　my　sight；　it　was　my　land…sense　that　was　gone；　and　you　gave　it　back　to　me。
　　He　meant　to　shout　all　this　to　the　boy；　cry　out　and　sing　for　the　joy　of　it。　But　it　was　all　too　strong　for　him。　The　words　never　came　to　his　lips。　He　couldn't　even　send　him　visions　now　because　both　of　them　were　now　awake。　The　dream　was　over。　They　had　each　been　dream　beast　for　the　other。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　seized　the　boy　with　both　hands；　pulled　him　close；　kissed　him　on　the　forehead；　hard　and　strong；　like　a　father　to　a　son；　like　brothers；　like　true　friends　the　day　before　they　die。　Then　he　ran　to　the　window；　swung　out　and　dropped　to　the　ground。　The　earth　yielded　to　his　feet　as　it　did　to　other　Red　men；　as　it　hadn't　done　for　him　in　so　many　years；　the　grass　rose　up　stronger　where　he　stepped；　the　bushes　parted　for　him；　the　leaves　softened　and　yielded　as　he　ran　among　the　trees；　and　now　he　did　cry　out；　shouted；　sang；　caring　not　at　all　who　heard　him。　Animals　didn't　run　from　him；　as　they　used　to；　now　they　came　to　hear　his　song；　songbirds　awoke　to　sing　with　him；　a　deer　leapt　from　the　wood　and　ran　beside　him　through　a　meadow；　and　he　rested　his　hand　upon　her　flank。
　　He　ran　until　he　had　no　breath；　and　in　all　that　time　he　met　no　enemy；　he　felt　no　pain；　he　was　whole　again；　in　every　way　that　mattered。　He　stood　on　the　bank　of　the　Wobbish　River；　across　from　the　mouth　of　the　Tippy…Canoe；　panting；　laughing；　gasping　for　air。
　　Only　then　did　he　realize　that　his　hand　was　still　dripping　blood　from　where　he　had　cut　himself　to　give　pain　to　the　White　boy。　His　pants　and　shirt　were　thick　with　it。　White　man's　clothing！　I　never　needed　it。　He　stripped　it　off　and　flung　it　into　the　river。
　　A　funny　thing　happened。　The　clothing　didn't　move。　It　sat　on　the　surface　of　the　water；　not　sinking；　not　sliding　leftward　with　the　current。
　　How　could　this　be？　Wasn't　the　dream　over？　Wasn't　he　fully　awake　yet？
　　Lolla…Wossiky　closed　his　eye。
　　Immediately　he　saw　a　terrible　thing　and　shouted　in　fear。　As　soon　as　he　closed　his　eye；　he　saw　the　black　noise　again；　a　great　sheet　of　it；　hard　and　frozen。　It　was　the　river。　It　was　the　water。　It　was　made　of　death。
　　He　opened　his　eye；　and　it　was　water　again；　but　still　his　clothing　didn't　move。
　　He　closed　his　eye；　and　saw　that　where　the　clothing　was；　light　sparkled　on　the　surface　of　the　black。　It　pooled；　it　shone；　it　dazzled。　It　was　his　own　blood　shining。
　　Now　he　could　see　that　the　black　noise　wasn't　a　thing。　It　was　nothing。　Emptiness。　The　place　where　the　land　ended；　and　emptiness　began；　it　was　the　edge　of　the　world。　But　where　his　own　blood　sparkled；　it　was　like　a　bridge　across　nothingness。　Lolla…Wossiky　knelt；　his　eye　still　closed；　and　reached　out　with　his　cut　and　still…bleeding　hand；　touched　the　water。
　　It　was　solid；　warm　and　solid。　He　smeared　his　blood　across　the　surface；　and　it　made　a　platform。　He　crawled　out　onto　the　platform。　It　was　smooth　and　hard　as　ice；　only　warm；　weling。
　　He　opened　his　eye。　It　was　a　river　again；　except　that　under　him　it　was　solid。　Wherever　his　blood　had　touched；　the　water　was　hard　and　smooth。
　　He　crawled　out　to　where　the　clothing　was；　slid　it　ahead　of　him。　All　the　way　out　to　the　middle　of　the　river　he　crawled；　and　beyond　the　middle；　making　a　thin；　glowing　bridge　of　blood　to　the　other　side。
　　What　he　was　doing　was　impossible。　The　boy　had　done　much　more　than　heal　him。　He　had　changed　the　order　of　things。　It　was　frightening　and　wonderful。　Lolla…Wossiky　looked　down　into　the　water　between　his　hands。　His　own　one…eyed　reflection　looked　back　up　at　him。　Then　he　closed　his　eye；　and　a　whole　new　vision　leapt　to　view。
　　He　saw　himself　standing　in　a　clearing；　speaking　to　a　hundred　Red　men；　a　thousand；　from　every　tribe。　He　saw　them　build　a　city　of　lodges；　a　thousand；　five　thousand；　ten　thousand　Reds；　all　of　them　strong　and　whole；　free　of　the　White　man's　likker；　the　White　man's　hate。　In　his　vision　they　called　him　the　Prophet；　but　he　insisted　that　he　was　not　that　at　all。　He　was　only　the　door；　the　open　door。　Step　through；　he　said；　and　be　strong；　one　people；　one　land。
　　The　door。　Tenskwa…Tawa。
　　In　his　vision；　his　mother's　face　appeared；　and　she　said　that　word　to　him。　Tenskwa…Tawa。　It　is　your　name　now；　for　the　dreamer　is　awake。
　　And　more；　he　saw　much　more　that　night；　staring　downward　into　the　solid　water　of　the　Wobbish　River；　he　saw　so　much　that　he　could　never　tell　it　all；　in　that　hour　on　the　water　he　saw　the　whole　history　of　the　land；　the　life　of　every　man　and　woman；　White　or　Red　or　Black；　who　ever　set　foot　on　it。　He　saw　the　beginning　and　he　saw　the　end。　Great　wars　and　petty　cruelties；　all　the　murderings　of　men；　all　the　sins；　but　also　all　the　goodness；　all　the　beauty。
　　And　above　all；　a　vision　of　the　Crystal　City。　The　city　made　of　water　as　solid　and　as　clear　as　glass；　water　that　would　never　melt；　formed　into　crystal　towers　so　high　that　they　should　have　cast　shadows　seven　miles　across　the　land。　But　because　they　were　so　pure　and　clear　they　cast　no　shadow　at　all；　the　sunlight　passed　unblocked　through　every　inch　and　yard　and　mile　of　it。　Wherever　a　man　or　woman　stood；　they　could　look　deep　into　the　crystal　and　see　all　the　visions　that　Lolla…Wossiky　saw　now。　Perfect　understanding；　that　was　what　they　had；　seeing　with　eyes　of　pure　sunlight　and　speaking　with　the　voice　of　lightning。
　　Lolla…Wossiky；　who　from　now　on　would　be　named　Tenskwa…Tawa；　did　not　know　if　he　would　build　the　Crystal　City；　or　live　in　it；　or　even　see　it　before　he　died。　It　was　enough　to　do　the　first　things　that　he　saw　in　the　solid　water　of　the　Wobbish　River。　He　looked　and　looked　until　his　mind　couldn't　see　more。　Then　he　crawled　across　to　the　far　shore；　climbed　onto　the　bank；　and　walked　until　he　came　to　the　meadow　he　had　seen　in　the　vision。
　　This　was　where　he　would　call　the　Reds　together；　teach　them　what　he　saw　in　his　vision；　and　help　them　to　be；　not　the　strongest；　but　strong；　not　the　largest；　but　large；　not　the　freest；　but　free。
　　
　　***
　　
　　A　certain　keg　in　the　crotch　of　a　certain　tree。　All　summer　it　was　hidden　from　view。　But　the　rain　still　found　it；　and　the　heat　of　high　summer；　and　the　insects；　and　the　teeth　of　salt…hungry　squirrels。　Wetting；　drying；　heating；　cooling；　no　keg　can　last　forever　in　such　conditions。　It　split；　just　a　little；　but　enough；　the　liquid　inside　seeped　out；　drop　by　drop；　in　a　few　hours　the　keg　was　empty。
　　It　didn't　matter。　No　one　ever　looked　for　it。　No　one　ever　missed　it。　No　one　mourned　when　it　broke　apart　from　ice　in　the　winter；　the　fragments　tumbling　down　the　tree　into　the　snow。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　5　　A　Sign
　　
　　When　word　started　spreading　about　a　one…eyed　Red　man　who　was　called　the　Prophet；　Governor　Bill　Harrison　laughed　and　said；　〃Why；　that　ain't　nobody　but　my　old　friend　Lolla…Wossiky。　When　he　runs　out　of　that　likker　keg　he　stole　from　me；　he'll　quit　seeing　visions。〃
　　After　a　little　while；　though；　Governor　Harrison　took　note　of　how　much　store　was　set　by　the　Prophet's　words；　and　how　the　Reds　spoke　his　n