dk.coldfire-第65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！


　Jim　sat　up。　〃Okay；　it　could　talk　if　it　wanted　to；　but　maybe　it　doesn't　want　to。〃　
　〃We　already　decided　we　can't　let　it　set　all　the　rules；　Jim。〃　
　〃But　I　don't　understand　why　we　have　to　antagonize　it。〃　
　〃I'm　not　antagonizing　it。〃　
　〃I　think　we　should　be　at　least　a　little　respectful。〃　
　〃Oh；　I　respect　the　hell　out　of　it。〃　
　〃You　don't　seem　to。〃　
　〃I'm　convinced　it　could　squash　us　like　bugs　if　it　wanted　to；　and　that　gives　me　tremendous　respect　for　it。〃　
　〃That's　not　the　kind　of　respect　I　mean。〃　
　〃That's　the　only　kind　of　respect　it's　earned　from　me　so　far；〃　she　said；　pacing　around　him　now　instead　of　back　and　forth。　〃When　it　stops　trying　to　manipulate　me；　stops　trying　to　scare　the　crap　out　of　me；　starts　giving　me　answers　that　ring　true；　then　maybe　I'll　respect　it　for　other　reasons。〃　
　〃You're　getting　a　little　spooky；〃　he　said。　
　〃Me？〃　〃You're　so　hostile。〃　
　〃I　am　not。〃　
　He　was　frowning　at　her。　〃Looks　like　blind　hostility　to　me。〃　
　〃It's　adversarial　journalism。　It's　the　modern　reporter's　tone　and　theme。　
　You　don't　question　your　subject　and　later　explain　him　to　readers；　you　attack　him。　You　have　an　agenda；　a　version　of　the　truth　you　want　to　report　regardless　of　the　full　truth；　and　you　fulfill　it。　I　never　approved　of　it；　never　indulged　in　it；　which　is　why　I　was　always　losing　out　on　stories　and　promotions　to　other　reporters。　Now；　here；　tonight；　I'm　all　for　the　attack　part。　
　The　big　difference　is；　I　do　care　about　getting　to　the　truth；　not　shaping　it；　and　I　just　want　to　twist　and　yank　some　real　facts　out　of　this　alien　of　ours。〃　
　〃Maybe　he　won't　show　up。〃　
　〃He　said　he　would。〃　
　Jim　shook　his　head。　〃But　why　should　he　if　you're　going　to　be　like　this？〃　〃You're　saying　he　might　be　afraid　of　me？　What　kind　of　higher　power　is　that？〃　The　bells　rang；　and　she　jumped　in　alarm。　
　Jim　got　to　his　feet。　〃Just　take　it　easy。〃　
　The　bells　fell　silent；　rang　again；　fell　silent。　When　they　rang　a　third　time；　a　sullen　red　light　appeared　at　one　point　in　the　wall。　It　grew　more　intense；　assumed　a　brighter　shade；　then　suddenly　burst　across　the　domed　room　like　a　blazing　fireworks　display；　after　which　the　bells　stopped　ringing　and　the　multitude　of　sparks　coalesced　into　the　pulsing；　constantly　moving　amoebalike　forms　that　they　had　seen　before。　
　〃Very　dramatic；〃　Holly　said。　As　the　light　swiftly　progressed　from　red　through　orange　to　amber；　she　seized　the　initiative。　〃We　would　like　you　to　dispense　with　the　cumbersome　way　you　answered　our　questions　previously　and　simply　speak　to　us　directly。〃　
　The　Friend　did　not　reply。　
　〃Will　you　speak　to　us　directly？〃　No　response。　
　Consulting　the　tablet　that　she　held　in　one　hand；　she　read　the　first　question。　〃Are　you　the　higher　power　that　has　been　sending　Jim　on　life…saving　missions？〃　She　waited。　
　Silence。　
　She　tried　again。　
　Silence。　
　Stubbornly；　she　repeated　the　question。　
　The　Friend　did　not　speak；　but　Jim　said；　〃Holly；　look　at　this。〃　
　She　turned　and　saw　him　examining　the　other　tablet。　He　held　it　toward　her；　flipping　through　the　first　ten　or　twelve　pages。　The　eerie　and　inconstant　light　from　the　stone　was　bright　enough　to　show　her　that　the　pages　were　filled　with　The　Friend's　familiar　printing。　
　Taking　the　tablet　from　him；　she　looked　at　the　first　line　on　the　top　page：　YES。　I　AM　THAT　POWER。　
　Jim　said；　〃He's　already　answered　every　one　of　the　questions　we've　pre　pared。〃　
　Holly　threw　the　tablet　across　the　room。　It　hit　the　far　window　without　breaking　the　glass；　and　clattered　to　the　floor。　
　〃Holly；　you　can't〃　She　cut　him　off　with　a　sharp　look。　
　The　light　moved　through　the　transmuted　limestone　with　greater　agitation　than　before。　
　To　The　Friend；　Holly　said；　〃God　gave　Moses　the　Ten　mandments　on　tablets　of　stone；　yeah；　but　He　also　had　the　courtesy　to　talk　to　him。　
　If　God　can　humble　Himself　to　speak　directly　with　human　beings；　then　so　can　you。〃　
　She　did　not　look　to　see　how　Jim　was　reacting　to　her　adversarial　tactics。　
　All　she　cared　about　was　that　he　not　interrupt　her。　
　When　The　Friend　remained　silent；　she　repeated　the　first　question　on　her　list。　〃Are　you　the　higher　power　that　has　been　sending　Jim　on　life…saving　missions？〃　〃Yes。　I　am　that　power〃　The　voice　was　a　soft；　mellifluous　baritone。　Like　the　ringing　of　the　bells；　it　seemed　to　e　from　all　sides　of　them。　The　Friend　did　not　materialize　out　of　the　wall　in　human　form；　did　not　sculpt　a　face　from　the　limestone；　but　merely　produced　its　voice　out　of　thin　air。　
　She　asked　the　second　question　on　her　list。　〃How　can　you　know　these　people　are　about　to　die？〃　〃I　am　an　entity　that　lives　in　all　aspects　of　time。　〃　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　〃Past　present；　and　future。〃　
　〃You　can　foresee　the　future？〃　〃I　live　in　the　future　as　well　as　in　the　past　and　present〃　The　light　was　coruscating　through　the　walls　with　less　agitation　now；　as　if　the　alien　presence　had　accepted　her　conditions　and　was　mellow　again。　
　Jim　moved　to　her　side。　He　put　a　hand　on　her　arm　and　squeezed　gently；　as　if　to　say　〃good　work。〃　
　She　decided　not　to　ask　for　any　more　clarification　on　the　issue　of　its　ability　to　see　the　future；　for　fear　they　would　be　off　on　a　tangent　and　never　get　back　on　track　before　the　creature　next　announced　that　it　was　depart。　She　returned　to　the　prepared　questions。　〃Why　do　you　want　these　particular　people　saved？〃　〃To　help　mankind〃　it　said　sonorously。　There　might　have　been　a　note　of　pomposity　in　it；　too；　but　that　was　hard　to　tell　because　the　voice　was　so　evenly　modulated；　almost　machinelike。　
　〃But　when　so　many　people　are　dying　every　day…and　most　of　them　an　innocents…why　have　you　singled　out　these　particular　people　to　be　rescued？〃　〃They　are　special　people。　〃　〃In　what　way　are　they　special？〃　〃If　allowed　to　live　each　of　them　will　make　a　major　contribution　to　the　betterment　of　mankind。〃　Jim　said；　〃I'll　be　damned。〃　
　Holly　had　not　been　expecting　that　answer。　It　had　the　virtue　of　being　fresh。　But　she　was　not　sure　she　believed　it。　For　one　thing；　she　was　bothered　that　The　Friend's　voice　was　increasingly　familiar　to　her。　
　She　was　sure　she　had　heard　it　before；　and　in　a　context　that　undermined　its　credibility　now；　in　spite　of　its　deep　and　authoritative　tone。　〃Are　you　saying　you　not　only　see　the　future　as　it　will　be　but　as　it　might　have　been？〃　〃Yes〃　〃Aren't　we　back　to　your　being　God　now？〃　〃No。　I　do　not　see　as　clearly　as　God。　But　I　see〃　In　his　boyish　best　humor　again；　Jim　smiled　at　the　kaleidoscopic　patterns　of　light；　obviously　excited　and　pleased　by　all　that　he　was　hearing。　
　Holly　turned　away　from　the　wall；　crossed　the　room；　squatted　beside　her　suitcase；　and　opened　it。　
　Jim　loomed　over　her。　〃What're　you　doing？〃　〃Looking　for　this；〃　she　said；　producing　the　notebook　in　which　she　had　chronicled　the　discoveries　she'd　made　while　researching　him。　She　got　up；　opened　the　notebook；　and　paged　to　the　list　of　people　whose　lives　he　had　saved　prior　to　Flight　246。　Addressing　the　entity　throbbing　through　the　limestone；　she　said；　〃May　fifteenth。　Atlanta；　Georgia。　Sam　Newsome　and　his　five…year…old　daughter　Emily。　What　are　they　going　to　contribute　to　humanity　that　makes　them　more　important　than　all　the　other　people　who　died　that　day？〃　No　answer　was　forthing。　
　〃Well？〃　she　demanded。　
　〃Emily　will　bee　a　great　scientist　and　discover　a　cure　for　a　major　disease〃　Definitely　a　note　of　pomposity　this　time。　
　〃What　disease？〃　〃Why　do　you　not　believe　me　Miss　Thorne？〃　The　Friend　spoke　as　formally　as　an　English　butler　on　duty；　yet　in　that　response；　Holly　felt　she　heard　the　subtle　pouting　tone　of　a　child　under　the　dignified；　reserved　sur　She　said；　〃Tell　me　what　disease；　and　maybe　I'll　believe　you。〃　
　〃Cancer〃　〃Which　cancer？　There　are　all　types　of　cancer。〃　
　〃All　cancers〃　She　referred　to　her　notebook　again。　〃June　seventh。　
　Corona；　California　Louis　Andretti。〃　
　〃He　will　father　a　child　who　will　grow　up　to　bee　a　great　diplomat。　〃　Better　than　dying　of　multiple　rattlesnake　bites；　she　thought。　
　She　said；　〃June　twenty…first。　New　York　City。　Thaddeus〃　〃He　will　bee　a　great　artist　whose　work　will　give　millions　of　people　hope。〃　
　〃He　seemed　like　a　nice　kid；〃　Jim　said　happily；　buying　into　the　whole　thing。　〃I　liked　him。〃　
　Ignoring　him；　Holly　said；　〃June　thirtieth。　San　Francisco…〃　〃Rachael　Steinberg　will　give　birth　to　a　child　who　will　bee　a　great　h