dk.coldfire-第54部分

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　Keeping　his　eyes　on　the　traffic　ahead；　he　said；　〃Who　was　the　woman　in　the　dream　if　she　wasn't　you？〃　〃I　don't　know；〃　Holly　said；　finishing　the　final　bite　of　the　last　muffin。　
　〃I　had　no　sense　of　her　identity。〃　
　〃Can　you　describe　her？〃　〃I　only　saw　her　reflection　in　that　window；　so　I　can't　tell　you　much；　I'm　afraid。〃　She　drank　the　last　of　the　coffee　from　her　big　Styrofoam　cup；　and　thought　a　moment。　It　was　easier　to　visualize　the　scenes　of　that　dream　than　it　should　have　been；　for　dreams　were　usually　quick　to　fade　from　memory。　
　Images　from　that　one　returned　to　her　quite　vividly；　however；　as　if　she　had　not　dreamed　them　but　experienced　them　in　real　life。　〃She　had　a　broad　clear　face；　more　handsome　in　a　womanly　way　than　pretty。　
　Wide…set　eyes；　full　mouth。　A　beauty　mark　high　on　her　right　cheek；　I　don't　think　it　could've　been　a　spot　on　the　glass；　just　a　little　round　dot。　Curly　hair。　Do　you　recognize　her？〃　〃No；〃　he　replied。　〃Can't　say　that　I　do。　Tell　me　what　you　saw　at　the　bottom　of　the　pond　when　the　lightning　flashed。〃　
　〃I'm　not　sure　what　it　was。〃　
　〃Describe　it　as　best　you　can。〃　
　She　pondered　for　a　moment；　then　shook　her　head。　〃I　can't。　The　woman's　face　was　fairly　easy　to　recall　because　when　I　saw　it　in　the　dream　I　knew　what　it　was；　a　face；　a　human　face。　But　whatever　was　lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　pond。　。　。　that　was　strange；　like　nothing　I'd　ever　seen　beù　fore。　
　I　didn't　know　what　I　was　looking　at；　and　I　had　such　a　brief　glimpse　of　it　and。　。　。　well；　now　it's　just　gone。　Is　there　really　something　peculiar　under　that　pond？〃　〃Not　that　I　know　of；〃　he　said。　〃Could　it've　been　a　sunken　boat；　a　rowboat；　anything　like　that？〃　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃Nothing　at　all　like　that。　Much　bigger。　Did　a　boat　sink　in　the　pond　once？〃　〃I　never　heard　of　it；　if　one　did。　It's　a　deceptive…looking　bit　of　water；　though。　You　expect　a　millpond　to　be　shallow；　but　this　one　is　deep；　forty　or　fifty　feet　toward　the　center。　It　never　dries　out；　and　it　doesn't　shrink　during　dry　years；　either；　because　it's　formed　over　an　artesian　well；　not　just　an　aquifer。〃　
　〃What's　the　difference？〃　〃An　aquifer　is　what　you　drill　into　when　you're　sinking　a　well；　it's　sort　of　a　reservoir　or　stream　of　underground　water。　Artesian　wells　are　rarer。　You　don't　drill　into　one　to　find　water；　'cause　the　water　is　already　ing　to　the　surface　under　pressure。　You'd　have　the　devil's　own　time　trying　to　stop　the　stuff　from　percolating　up。〃　
　The　snarl　of　traffic　began　to　loosen；　but　Jim　did　not　take　full　advantage　of　opportunities　to　change　lanes　and　swing　around　slower…moving　vehicles。　
　He　was　more　interested　in　her　answers　than　in　making　better　time。　
　He　said；　〃And　in　the　dream；　when　you　got　to　the　top　of　the　stairs…or　when　this　woman　got　to　the　top　of　the　stairs…you　saw　a　ten…year…old　boy　standing　there；　and　somehow　you　knew　he　was　me。〃　
　〃Yes。〃　
　〃I　don't　look　much　like　I　looked　when　I　was　ten；　so　how'd　you　recognize　me？〃　〃Mostly　it　was　your　eyes；〃　Holly　said。　〃They　haven't　changed　much　in　all　these　years。　They're　unmistakable。〃　
　〃Lots　of　people　have　blue　eyes。〃　
　〃Are　you　serious？　Honey；　your　blue　eyes　are　to　other　blue　eyes　what　Sinatra's　voice　is　to　Donald　Duck's。〃　
　〃You're　prejudiced。　What　did　you　see　in　the　wall？〃　She　described　it　again。　
　〃Alive　in　the　stone？　This　just　gets　stranger　and　stranger。〃　
　〃I　haven't　been　bored　in　days；〃　she　agreed。　
　Beyond　the　junction　with　Interstate　10；　traffic　on　the　San　Diego　Freeway　became　even　lighter；　and　finally　Jim　began　to　put　some　of　his　driving　skills　to　use。　He　handled　the　car　the　way　a　first…rate　jockey　handled　a　thoroughbred　horse；　finessing　from　it　that　extra　degree　of　performance　that　won　races。　The　Ford　was　only　a　stock　model　with　no　modification；　but　it　responded　to　him　as　if　it　wanted　to　be　a　Porsche。　
　After　a　while　Holly　began　to　ask　questions　of　her　own。　〃How　e　you're　a　millionaire　but　you　live　relatively　cheap？〃　〃Bought　a　house；　moved　out　of　my　apartment。　Quit　my　job。〃　
　〃Yeah；　but　a　modest　house。　And　your　furniture's　falling　apart。〃　
　〃I　needed　the　privacy　of　my　own　house　to　meditate　and　rest　between。　。　。　
　assignments。　But　I　didn't　need　fancy　furniture。〃　
　Following　a　few　minutes　of　mutual　silence；　she　said；　〃Did　I　catch　your　eye　the　way　you　caught　mine；　right　off　the　bat；　up　in　Portland？〃　He　smiled　but　didn't　look　away　from　the　highway。〃　So　are　you；　Miss　Thorne。'〃　〃So　you　admit　it！〃　Holly　said；　pleased。　〃It　was　a　e…on　line。〃　
　They　made　excellent　time　from　the　west　side　of　Los　Angeles　all　the　way　to　Ventura；　but　then　Jim　began　to　slack　off　again。　Mile　by　mile；　he　drove　with　less　aggression。　
　Initially　Holly　thought　he　was　lulled　by　the　view。　Past　Ventura；　Route　101　hugged　beautiful　stretches　of　coastline。　They　passed　Pitas　Point；　then　Rincon　Point；　and　the　beaches　of　Carpinteria。　The　blue　sea　rose；　the　blue　sky　fell；　the　golden　land　wedged　itself　between　them；　and　the　only　visible　turbulence　in　the　serene　summer　day　was　the　white…capped　surf；　which　slipped　to　the　shore　in　low　bers　and　broke　with　a　light；　foamy　spray。　
　But　there　was　a　turbulence　in　Jim　Ironheart；　too；　and　Holly　only　became　aware　of　his　new　edginess　when　she　realized　that　he　was　not　paying　any　attention　to　the　scenery。　He　had　slowed　down　not　to　enjoy　the　view　but；　she　suspected；　to　delay　their　arrival　at　the　farm　By　the　time　they　left　the　superhighway；　turned　inland　at　Santa　Barbara；　crossed　the　city；　and　headed　into　the　Santa　Ynez　Mountains；　Jim's　mood　was　undeniably　darker。　
　His　responses　to　her　conversational　sallies　grew　shorter；　more　distracted。　
　State　Route　154　led　out　of　the　mountains　into　an　appealing　land　of　low　hills　and　fields　painted　gold　by　dry　summer　grass；　clusters　of　California　live　oaks；　and　horse　ranches　with　neat　white　fencing。　This　was　not　the　farming…intense；　agribusiness　atmosphere　of　the　San　Joaquin　and　certain　other　valleys；　there　were　serious　vineyards　here　and　there；　but　the　occasional　farms　appeared　to　be；　as　often　as　not；　gentlemen's　operations　maintained　as　getaways　for　rich　men　in　Los　Angeles；　more　concerned　with　cultivating　a　picturesque　alternate　lifestyle　than　with　real　crops。　
　〃We'll　need　to　stop　in　New　Svenborg　to　get　a　few　things　before　we　head　out　to　the　farm；〃　Jim　said。　
　〃What　things？〃　〃I　don't　know。　But　when　we　stop。　。　。　I'll　know　what　we　need。〃　
　Lake　Cachuma　came　and　went　to　the　east。　They　passed　the　road　to　Solvang　on　the　west；　then　skirted　Santa　Ynez　itself　Before　Los　Olivos；　they　headed　east　on　another　state　route；　and　finally　into　New　Svenborg；　the　closest　town　to　Ironheart　Farm。　
　；　In　the　early　nineteen　hundreds；　groups　of　Danish…Americans　from　the　Midwest　had　settled　in　the　Santa　Ynez　Valley；　many　of　them　with　the　intention　of　establishing　munities　that　would　preserve　Danish　folk　arts　and　customs　and；　in　general；　the　ways　of　Danish　life。　The　most　successful　of　these　settlements　was　Solvang；　about　which　Holly　had　once　written　a　story；　it　had　bee　a　major　tourist　attraction　because　of　its　quaint　Danish　architecture；　shops；　and　restaurants。　
　New　Svenborg；　with　a　population　of　fewer　than　two　thousand；　was　not　as　elaborately；　thoroughly；　authentically；　insistently　Danish　as　Solvang。　
　Depressing　desert…style　stucco　buildings　with　white…rock　roofs；　weathered　clapboard　buildings　with　unpainted　front　porches　that　reminded　Holly　of　parts　of　rural　Texas；　Craftsman　bungalows；　and　white　Victorian　houses　with　lots　of　gingerbread　and　wide　front　porches　stood　beside　structures　that　were　distinctly　Danish　with　half　timbered　walls　and　thatched　roofs　and　leaded…glass　windows。　Half　a　dozen　windmills　dotted　the　town；　their　vanes　silhouetted　against　the　August　sky。　All　in　all；　it　was　one　of　those　singular　California　mixes　that　sometimes　resulted　in　delightful　and　unexpected　harmonies；　but　in　New　Svenborg；　the　mix　did　not　work；　and　the　mood　was　discordancy。　
　〃I　spent　the　end　of　my　childhood　and　my　entire　adolescence　here；〃　Jim　said　as　he　drove　slowly　down　the　quiet；　shadowy　main　street。　
　She　figured　that　his　moodiness　could　be　attributed　as　much　to　New　Svenborg　as　to　his　tragic　family　history。　
　To　an　extent；　that　was　unfair。　The　streets　were　lined　with　big　trees；　the　charming　streetlamps　appeared　to　have　been　imported　from　the　Old　Country；　and　most　of　the　sidewalks　were　gr