osc.am2.redprophet-第55部分

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！


。　If　water　ran　so　fast　here；　why　didn't　the　valley　fill　right　up　to　make　a　lake？　Why　wasn't　there　a　single　stream　running　off　the　mound　outside？　Where　would　such　a　stream　e　from；　anyway？　The　mound　was　man…made；　like　all　the　other　mounds　scattered　all　through　the　country；　though　none　of　the　others　was　so　old。　You　don't　get　springs　ing　out　of　man…made　hills。　It　made　him　suspicious　of　this　water；　to　have　it　be　so　impossible。　e　to　think　of　it；　though；　quite　a　few　impossible　things　had　happened　to　him　in　his　life；　and　this　was　far　from　being　the　most　peculiar。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　said　to　drink　if　the　mound　offered　him　water；　so　he　knelt　and　drank；　plunging　his　face　right　into　the　water　and　sucking　the　water　straight　into　his　mouth。　It　didn't　take　away　the　taste　of　the　fruit。　If　anything；　it　was　stronger　after　he　drank。
　　He　knelt　on　the　bank；　studying　the　opposite　shore　of　the　brook。　The　water　was　flowing　differently　there。　In　fact；　it　was　lapping　the　shore　like　ocean　waves；　and　once　that　thought　occurred　to　Alvin　he　saw　that　the　shape　of　the　opposite　shore　was　just　like　the　map　of　the　east　coast　that　Armor…of…God　showed　him。　The　memory　came　back　clear　and　sharp。　Here　where　the　shore　bowed　outward；　that　was　Carolina　in　the　Crown　Colonies。　This　deep　bay　was　the　Chase…a…pick；　and　here　was　the　mouth　of　the　Potty…Mack；　which　made　the　border　between　the　United　States　and　the　Crown　Colonies。
　　Alvin　stood　and　stepped　across　the　stream。
　　It　was　just　grass。　He　didn't　see　no　rivers　or　towns；　no　boundaries；　no　roads。　But　from　the　coast；　he　could　pretty　much　guess　where　the　Hio　country　was；　and　where　this　very　mound　would　be。　He　took　two　steps；　and　all　of　a　sudden　there　he　saw　Ta…Kumsaw　and　Taleswapper；　setting　on　the　ground　in　front　of　him；　looking　up　at　him　as　surprised　as　could　be。
　　〃You　climbed　up　after　all；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃Nothing　of　the　sort；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃We've　been　right　here　since　you　left。〃
　　〃Why　did　you　e　back　down？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃But　I　ain't　down　at　all；〃　said　Alvin。　〃I'm　down　here　in　the　valley　of　the　mound。〃
　　〃Valley？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃We're　down　here　below　the　mound；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　Then　Alvin　understood。　Not　so　as　to　put　it　into　words；　but　well　enough　to　use　it；　to　use　what　the　mound　had　given　him。　He　could　travel　across　the　face　of　the　land　like　this；　a　hundred　miles　in　a　step；　and　see　the　people　that　he　needed　to　see。　The　people　that　he　knew。　Measure。　Alvin　touched　his　forehead　in　salute　to　the　two　men　who　waited　for　him；　then　took　a　small　step。　They　disappeared。
　　He　found　the　town　of　Vigor　Church　easy　enough。　First　person　he　saw　was　Armor…of…God；　kneeling　in　prayer。　Alvin　didn't　say　nothing　to　him；　for　fear　Armor　might　take　it　as　a　vision　of　the　dead。　Where　would　Armor　be；　though？　In　his　own　house？　In　that　case　Vinegar　Riley's　place　would　be　back　this　way；　east　of　town。　He　turned　around。
　　He　saw　his　own　father；　setting　with　Mother。　Pa　was　smoothing　out　some　musket　balls　he'd　cast。　And　Ma　was　whispering　to　him；　all　urgent。　She　was　angry；　and　so　was　Pa。　〃Women　and　children；　that's　what　they　are　in　that　town。　Even　if　the　Prophet　and　Ta…Kumsaw　killed　our　boys；　them　women　and　children　there　didn't　do　it。　You'll　be　no　better　than　them　if　you　raise　a　hand　against　them。　I　won't　see　you　e　back　into　this　house；　I'll　never　see　you　again　if　you　kill　one　soul　of　them。　I　swear　it；　Alvin　Miller。〃
　　Pa　just　kept　on　polishing；　except　once　when　he　said；　〃They　killed　my　boys。〃
　　Alvin　tried　to　answer；　opened　his　mouth　to　say；　〃But　I　ain't　dead；　Pa！〃
　　It　didn't　work。　He　couldn't　say　a　word。　He　wasn't　brought　up　here　to　give　a　vision　to　his　parents；　neither。　It　was　Measure　he　had　to　find；　or　Pa's　own　musket　ball　would　kill　the　Shining　Man。
　　It　wasn't　far；　not　even　a　step。　Alvin　just　inched　his　feet　forward；　and　Ma　and　Pa　disappeared。　He　caught　a　glimpse　of　Calm　and　David；　shooting　their　guns　　probably　at　targets。　And　Wastenot　and　Wantnot；　ramming　something　ramming　shot　down　the　barrel　of　a　cannon。　Glimpses　of　other　folks；　though　because　he　didn't　know　or　care　about　them　he　didn't　see　them　clear。　Finally　he　saw　Measure。
　　He　had　to　be　dead。　His　neck　was　broke；　judging　from　the　angle　of　his　head；　and　his　arms　and　legs　were　all　broke；　too。　Alvin　didn't　dare　move；　or　he'd　travel　a　mile　in　an　instant；　and　Measure　would　disappear　just　like　the　others。　Alvin　just　stood　there；　and　sent　his　spark　out　into　the　body　of　his　brother；　lying　before　him　on　the　ground。
　　Alvin　never　felt　such　pain　in　all　his　life。　It　wasn't　Measure's　pain；　it　was　his　own。　It　was　Alvin's　sense　of　how　things　ought　to　be；　of　the　right　shape　of　things；　inside　Measure's　body；　nothing　was　going　right。　Parts　of　him　were　dying；　the　blood　was　packed　into　his　belly　and　crushing　his　own　life　out；　his　brain　wasn't　connected　to　his　body　no　more；　it　was　the　most　terrible　mess　Alvin　ever　saw；　everything　wrong；　so　wrong　that　it　hurt　him　to　see　it；　a　pain　so　sharp　he　cried　out。　But　Measure　didn't　hear　him。　Measure　was　beyond　hearing。　If　Measure　wasn't　dead　he　was　half　an　inch　from　being　dead；　and　that　was　sure。
　　Alvin　went　to　his　heart　first。　It　was　still　pumping；　but　there　wasn't　much　blood　left　in　the　veins；　it　was　all　lost　in　Measure's　chest　and　belly。　That　was　the　first　thing　Alvin　had　to　mend；　heal　up　the　blood　vessels　and　get　the　blood　back　where　it　belonged；　flowing　in　its　channels。
　　Time；　it　all　took　time。　All　the　broken　ribs；　the　cut…up　organs。　All　the　bones；　joining　them　without　so　much　as　a　hand　to　help　move　something　into　the　right　place　　some　of　the　bones　were　so　out　of　line　that　he　couldn't　heal　them　at　all。　He'd　have　to　wait　until　Measure　woke　up　enough　to　help　him。
　　So　Alvin　got　inside　Measure's　brain；　the　nerves　running　down　his　spine；　and　healed　it　all；　put　it　back　the　way　it　had　to　be。
　　Measure　woke　with　one　long；　terrible　scream　of　agony。　He　was　alive　and　the　pain　was　back；　sharper　and　clearer　than　it　ever　was　before。　I'm　sorry；　Measure。　I　can't　heal　you　up　without　letting　the　pain　e　back。　And　I　got　to　heal　you；　or　too　many　innocent　folks　are　dead。
　　Alvin　didn't　even　notice　that　it　was　already　night；　and　half　his　work　still　lay　ahead　of　him。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　14　　Tippy　Canoe
　　
　　In　Prophetstown；　no　one　but　the　children　slept　that　night。　The　adults　all　felt　the　circling　White　army；　the　bidings　and　hexes　cast　by　the　White　troops　were　like　trumpets　and　banners　to　the　land…sense　of　the　Reds。
　　Not　all　of　them　found　they　had　the　courage　to　keep　their　oath；　now　that　iron…and…fire　death　was　hours　away。　But　they　kept　the　oath　this　far：　They　gathered　their　families　and　slipped　out　of　Prophetstown；　passing　silently　between　panies　of　White　soldiers；　who　neither　heard　nor　saw　them。　Knowing　they　could　not　die　without　defending　themselves；　they　left；　so　that　not　one　Red　would　mar　the　perfection　of　the　Prophet's　refusal　to　fight。
　　Tenskwa…Tawa　was　not　surprised　that　some　left；　he　was　surprised　that　so　many　stayed。　Almost　all。　So　many　who　believed　in　him；　so　many　who　would　prove　that　trust　in　blood。　He　dreaded　the　morning；　the　pain　of　a　single　murder　close　at　hand　had　cursed　him　with　the　black　noise　for　many　years。　True；　it　was　his　father　who　was　killed；　so　the　pain　was　more；　but　did　he　love　the　people　of　Prophetstown　any　less　than　he　had　loved　his　father？
　　Yet　he　had　to　fend　off　the　black　noise；　keep　his　wits　about　him；　or　all　their　deaths　would　be　in　vain。　If　their　dying　acplished　nothing；　he　wouldn't　have　them　do　it。　So　many　times　he　had　searched　the　crystal　tower；　tying　to　find　some　way　to　approach　this　day；　some　path　that　would　lead　to　something　good。　The　best　that　he　could　find　was　the　land　divided；　Red　west　of　the　Mizzipy；　White　to　the　east。　Even　that；　though；　could　be　found　only　through　the　narrowest　of　paths。　So　much　depended　on　the　White　boys；　so　much　on　Tenskwa…Tawa；　so　much　on　White　Murderer　Harrison　himself。　For　in　all　the　paths　in　which　Harrison　showed　any　mercy；　the　massacre　of　Tippy…Canoe　did　nothing　to　stop　the　destruction　of　the　Reds；　and；　with　them；　the　land。　In　all　those　paths；　the　Red　men　dwindled；　confined　to　tiny　preserves　of　desolate　land；　until　the　whole　land　was　White；　and　therefore　brutalized　into　submission；　stripped　and　cut　and　ravished；　giving　vast