dk.coldfire-第14部分

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　〃Our　Lady　of　the　Desert。〃　
　Lifting　Jim　off　the　pillows　again；　he　said；　〃That's　right。　I'm　Father　Geary。　Leo　Geary。〃　
　Jim　was　able　to　help　himself　a　little　this　time。　The　water　tasted　sweet。　
　Father　Geary　said；　〃What　were　you　doing　in　the　desert？〃　〃Wandering。〃　
　〃Why？〃　Jim　didn't　answer。　
　〃Where　did　you　e　from？〃　Jim　said　nothing。　
　〃What　is　your　name？〃　〃Jim。〃　
　〃You're　not　carrying　any　ID。〃　
　〃Not　this　time；　no。〃　
　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　Jim　was　silent。　
　ù'　The　priest　said；　〃There　was　three　thousand　dollars　in　cash　in　your　pockets。　〃　〃Take　what　you　need。〃　
　The　priest　stared　at　him；　then　smiled。　〃Better　be　careful　what　you　offer；　son。　This　is　a　poor　church。　We　need　all　we　can　get。〃　
　Later　still；　Jim　woke　again。　The　priest　was　not　there。　The　house　was　silent。　Once　in　a　while　a　rafter　creaked　and　a　window　rattled　softly　as　desert　wind　stirred　fitfully　outside。　
　When　the　priest　returned；　Jim　said；　〃A　question；　Father。〃　
　〃What's　that？〃　His　voice　was　still　raspy；　but　he　sounded　a　bit　more　like　himself　〃If　there's　a　God；　why　does　He　allow　suffering？〃　Alarmed；　Father　Geary　said；　〃Are　you　feeling　worse？〃　〃No；　no。　Better。　I　don't　mean　my　suffering。　Just。　。　。　why　does　He　allow　suffering　in　general？〃　〃To　test　us；〃　the　priest　said。　
　〃Why　do　we　have　to　be　tested？〃　〃To　determine　if　we're　worthy。〃　
　〃Worthy　of　what？〃　〃Worthy　of　heaven；　of　course。　Salvation。　Eternal　life。　〃　〃Why　didn't　God　make　us　worthy？〃　〃Yes；　he　made　us　perfect；　without　sin。　But　then　we　sinned；　and　fell　from　grace。〃　
　〃How　could　we　sin　if　we　were　perfect？〃　〃Because　we　have　free　will。〃　
　〃I　don't　understand。〃　
　Father　Geary　frowned。　〃I'm　not　a　nimble　theologian。　Just　an　ordinary　priest。　All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　it's　part　of　the　divine　mystery。　We　fell　from　grace；　and　now　heaven　must　be　earned。〃　
　〃I　need　to　pee；〃　Jim　said。　
　〃All　right。〃　
　〃Not　the　bedpan　this　time。　I　think　I　can　make　it　to　the　bathroom　with　your　help。〃　
　〃I　think　maybe　you　can；　too。　You're　really　ing　around　nicely；　thank　God。〃　
　〃Free　will；〃　Jim　said。　
　The　priest　frowned。　
　By　late　afternoon；　nearly　twenty…four　hours　after　Jim　stumbled　into　the　church；　his　fever　registered　only　three…tenths　of　a　degree　on　the　thermometer。　His　muscles　were　no　longer　spasming；　his　joints　did　not　hurt　any　more　he　was　not　dizzy；　and　his　chest　did　not　ache　when　he　drew　a　deep　breath　Pain　still　flared　across　his　face　periodically。　When　he　spoke　he　did　without　moving　his　facial　muscles　more　than　absolutely　necessary；　because　the　cracks　in　his　lips　and　in　the　corners　of　his　mouth　reopened　easily　in　spite　of　the　prescription　cortisone　cream　that　Father　Geary　applied　every　few　hours。　
　He　could　sit　up　in　bed　of　his　own　volition　and　move　about　the　room　with　only　minimal　help。　When　his　appetite　returned；　as　well；　Father　Geary　gave　him　chicken　soup；　then　vanilla　ice　cream。　He　ate　carefully；　mindful　of　his　split　lips；　trying　to　avoid　tainting　the　food　with　the　taste　of　his　own　blood。　
　〃I'm　still　hungry；〃　Jim　said　when　he　finished。　
　〃Let's　see　if　you　can　keep　that　down　first。〃　
　〃I'm　fine。　It　was　only　sunstroke；　dehydration。〃　
　〃Sunstroke　can　kill；　son。　You　need　more　rest。〃　
　When　the　priest　relented　a　while　later　and　brought　him　more　ice　cream　Jim　spoke　through　half　clenched　teeth　and　frozen　lips：　〃Why　are　some　people　killers？　Not　cops；　I　mean。　Not　soldiers。　Not　those　who　kill　in　self　defense。　The　other　kind；　the　murderers。　Why　do　they　kill？〃　Settling　into　a　straight…backed　rocker　near　the　bed；　the　priest　regarded　him　with　one　raised　eyebrow。　〃That's　a　peculiar　question。〃　
　〃Is　it？　Maybe。　Do　you　have　an　answer？〃　〃The　simple　one　is…because　there's　evil　in　them。〃　
　They　sat　in　mutual　silence　for　a　minute　or　so。　Jim　ate　ice　cream；　and　the　rocky　priest　rocked　in　his　chair。　Another　twilight　crept　across　the　sky　beyond　the　windows。　
　Finally　Jim　said；　〃Murder；　accidents；　disease；　old　age。　。　。　Why　did　God　make　us　mortal　in　the　first　place？　Why　do　we　have　to　die？〃　〃Death's　not　the　end。　Or　at　least　that's　what　I　believe。　Death　is　only　our　means　of　passage；　only　the　train　that　conveys　us　to　our　reward。〃　
　〃Heaven；　you　mean。〃　
　The　priest　hesitated。　〃Or　the　other。〃　
　Jim　slept　for　a　couple　of　hours。　When　he　woke；　he　saw　the　priest　standing　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　watching　him　intently。　
　〃You　were　talking　in　your　sleep。〃　
　Jim　sat　up　in　bed。　〃Was　I？　What'd　I　say？〃　〃　There　is　an　enemy。'〃　〃That's　all　I　said？〃　〃Then　you　said；　It's　ing。　It'll　kill　us　all。'〃　A　shiver　of　dread　passed　through　Jim；　not　because　the　words　had　any　power　of　themselves；　and　not　because　he　understood　them；　but　because　he　sensed　that　on　a　subconscious　level　he　knew　all　too　well　what　he　had　meant。　
　He　said；　〃A　dream；　I　guess。　A　bad　dream。　That's　all。〃　
　But　shortly　past　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　during　that　second　night　in　the　rectory；　he　thrashed　awake；　sat　straight　up　in　bed；　and　heard　the　words　escaping　him　again；　〃It'll　kill　us　all。〃　The　room　was　lightless。　
　He　fumbled　for　the　lamp；　switched　it　on。　
　He　was　alone。　
　He　looked　at　the　windows。　Darkness　beyond。　
　He　had　the　bizarre　but　unshakable　feeling　that　something　hideous　and　merciless　had　been　hovering　near；　something　infinitely　more　savage　and　strange　than　anyone　in　recorded　history　had　ever　seen；　dreamed；　or　imagined。　Trembling；　he　got　out　of　bed。　He　was　wearing　an　ill…fitting　pair　of　the　priest's　pajamas。　For　a　moment　he　just　stood　there；　not　sure　what　to　do。　
　Then　he　switched　off　the　light　and；　barefoot；　went　to　one　window；　then　the　other。　He　was　on　the　second　floor。　The　night　was　silent；　deep；　and　peaceful。　If　something　had　been　out　there；　it　was　gone　now。　
　The　following　morning；　he　dressed　in　his　own　clothes；　which　Father　Geary　had　laundered　for　him。　He　spent　most　of　the　day　in　the　living　room；　in　a　big　easy　chair；　his　feet　propped　on　a　hassock；　reading　magazines　and　dozing；　while　the　priest　tended　to　parish　business。　
　Jim's　sunburnt　and　wind…abraded　face　was　stiffening。　Like　a　mask。　
　That　evening；　they　prepared　dinner　together。　At　the　kitchen　sink；　Father　Geary　cleaned　lettuce；　celery；　and　tomatoes　for　a　salad。　Jim　set　the　table　opened　a　bottle　of　cheap　Chianti　to　let　it　breathe；　then　sliced　canned　mushrooms　into　a　pot　of　spaghetti　sauce　on　the　stove。　
　They　worked　in　a　fortable　mutual　silence；　and　Jim　wondered　about　the　curious　relationship　that　had　evolved　between　them。　There　had　been　a　dreamlike　quality　to　the　past　couple　of　days；　as　if　he　had　not　merely　found　refuge　in　a　small　desert　town　but　in　a　place　of　peace　outside　the　real　world　a　town　in　the　Twilight　Zone。　The　priest　had　stopped　asking　questions　In　fact；　it　now　seemed　to　Jim　that　Father　Geary　had　never　been　half　probing　or　insistent　as　the　circumstances　warranted。　And　he　suspected　that　the　priest's　Christian　hospitality　did　not　usually　extend　to　the　sheltering　of　injured　and　suspicious　strangers。　Why　he　should　receive　special　consideration　at　Geary's　hands　was　a　mystery　to　him；　but　he　was　grateful　for　it。　
　When　he　had　sliced　half　the　mushrooms　in　the　can；　he　suddenly　s　〃Life　line。〃　
　Father　Geary　turned　from　the　sink；　a　stalk　of　celery　in　hand。　
　〃Pardon　me？〃　A　chill　swept　through　Jim；　and　he　almost　dropped　the　knife　into　the　sauce。　He　put　it　on　the　counter。　
　〃Jim？〃　Shivering；　he　turned　to　the　priest　and　said；　〃I've　got　to　get　to　an　airport。〃　
　〃An　airport？〃　〃Right　away；　Father。〃　
　The　priest's　plump　face　dimpled　with　perplexing；　wrinkling　his　tanned　forehead　far　past　his　long…vanished　hairline。　〃But　there's　no　airport　here。〃　
　〃How　far　to　the　nearest　one？〃　Jim　asked　urgently。　
　〃Well。　。　。　two　hours　by　car。　All　the　way　to　Las　Vegas。〃　
　〃You've　got　to　drive　me　there。〃　
　〃What？　Now？〃　〃Right　now；〃　Jim　said。　
　〃But〃　〃I　have　to　get　to　Boston。〃　
　〃But　you've　been　ill〃　〃I'm　better　now。〃　
　〃Your　face〃　〃It　hurts；　and　it　looks　like　hell；　but　it's　not　fatal。　Father；　I　have　to　get　to　Boston。〃　
　〃Why？〃　He　hesitated；　then　decided　on　a　degree　of　revelation。　〃If　I　don't　get　to　Boston；　someone　there　is　going　to　be　killed。　Someone　who　shouldn't　die。〃　
　〃Who？　Who's　going　to　die？〃　Jim　licked　his　peeling　lips。　〃I　don't　know。〃　
　〃You　don't　know？〃　〃But　I　will　when　I　get　there。〃　
　Father　Geary　stared　at　him　for　a　long　ti