cp.reddice-第19部分

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　　I　sigh。　〃I　know；　Arturo。　And　I　was　not　a　good　witch。〃
　　I　have　e　far　from　where　I　started。　A　steep　hill　stands　before　me　and　I　climb　to　the　top　of　it。　Twenty　miles　off　to　my　left　is　Las　Vegas；　glowing　with　extravagance　and　decadence。　The　almost　full　moon　is　high　and　to　my　right。　The　hike　has　left　me　hot　and　sweaty。　After　shedding　my　clothes；　I　once　more　bow　to　the　lunar　goddess。　This　time　I　feel　the　rays　enter　my　body；　a　tingling　coolness　that　is　strangely　forting。　My　breathing　bees　deep　and　expanded。　I　feel　as　if　my　lungs　can　draw　in　the　whole　atmosphere；　as　if　my　skin　can　soak　up　the　entire　night　sky。　My　heart　pounds　in　my　chest；　now　circulating　a　milky　white　substance　instead　of　sticky　red　blood。　Without　using　my　eyes；　I　know　I　am　being　transparent。
　　I　feel　extraordinarily　light。
　　As　if　I　could　fly。
　　The　thought　es　from　an　unknown　place。　It　is　like　a　hissed　whisper　spoken　to　me　from　the　eternal　abyss。　Perhaps　Yaksha's　soul　returns　to　grant　me　one　final　lesson。
　　The　soles　of　my　feet　leave　the　top　of　the　hill。
　　But　I　have　not　jumped。　No。
　　I　am　floating…a　few　inches　above　the　cool　sand。
　　　
　　　10
　　When　I　return　to　my　room；　I　call　Seymour　Dorsten；　my　friend　and　personal　biographer；　the　young　man　I　cured　of　AIDS　with　a　few　drops　of　my　blood。　Seymour　is　my　psychic　twin…he　often　writes　about　what　I　am　experiencing；　without　my　having　to　tell　him　what　it　is。　Lately；　I've　been　broadcasting　him　great　material。　I　wake　him　up；　but　as　soon　as　he　hears　my　voice　he　is　instantly　alert。
　　〃I　knew　you'd　be　calling　me　soon；〃　he　says。　〃Was　that　you　down　in　Los　Angeles？〃
　　〃Joel　and　I。〃
　　He　takes　a　moment　to　absorb　what　I　am　saying。　〃Joel　is　a　vampire　now？〃
　　〃Yes。　Eddie　roughed　him　up　bad。　He　was　dying。　I　had　no　choice。〃
　　〃You've　broken　your　vow。〃
　　〃Do　you　need　to　remind　me？〃
　　〃Sorry。〃　He　pauses。　〃Can　I　bee　a　vampire？〃
　　〃You　don't　want　the　headache。　Let　me　tell　you　what's　been　happening。〃
　　For　the　next　ninety　minutes　Seymour　listens　while　I　detail　everything　that　has　occurred　since　just　before　I　rescued　Yaksha　and　battled　with　Eddie。　I　mention　Tex；　sleeping　in　his　shallow　grave　in　the　desert；　and　my　levitating　in　the　moonlight。　Seymour　ponders　my　words　for　a　long　time。
　　〃Well？〃　I　ask　finally。　〃Have　you　been　writing　about　all　of　this　already？〃
　　He　hesitates。　〃I　was　writing　a　story　about　you。　In　it　you　were　an　angel。〃
　　〃Did　I　have　wings？〃
　　〃You　were　glowing　white　and　flying　high　above　a　ruined　landscape。〃
　　〃Sounds　like　the　end　of　the　world；〃　I　remark。
　　Seymour　is　serious。　〃It　will　be　the　end　of　the　world　if　you　don't　get　Joel　away　from　these　people。　You　think　they　really　have　another　vampire　in　addition　to　Joel？〃
　　〃Yes。　Andy　has　constructed　a　model　of　vampire　DNA。　He　wouldn't　have　had　time　to　do　it　after　Joel　was　brought　to　him。〃
　　〃How　do　you　know　what　vampire　DNA　looks　like？〃
　　I　haven't　told　Seymour　about　Arturo。　The　story　is　too　painful；　and　besides；　I　don't　think　it　applies　to　the　situation。
　　〃Trust　me；　I　have　experience　in　the　matter；〃　I　reply。　〃Andy's　model　is　accurate。　Anyway；　whether　I　have　to　rescue　one　or　two；　my　dilemma　is　the　same。　I　have　to　get　in　there　and　then　I　have　to　get　three　of　us　out〃
　　〃It　sounds　like　your　best　bet　is　Andy。　Can't　you　stare　him　in　the　eye　and　make　him　do　what　you　want？〃
　　〃That　can　backfire。　If　I　push　too　hard；　I'll　scramble　his　brain；　and　the　others　will　know　there's　something　wrong　with　him。　But　if　I'm　careful　I　can　plant　a　few　suggestions　deep　in　his　mind。〃
　　〃Money　is　a　smart　angle。　Offer　him　millions。　The　fact　that　he　hates　his　boss　doesn't　hurt　either。〃
　　〃I　agree。　But；　Seymour；　you're　supposed　to　tell　me　what　I'm　missing。〃
　　〃Do　you　feel　you're　missing　something？〃　he　asks。
　　〃Yes。　I　can't　explain；　but　I　know　it's　there。　It's　just　not　evident　to　me。〃
　　Seymour　considers。　〃I'll　tell　you　a　couple　things　you　won't　want　to　hear。　When　you　get　inside　the　pound；　you　can't　go　straight　for　Joel。〃
　　〃Why　not？〃
　　〃You　have　to　get　to　the　general。　You　have　to　be　able　to　control　him。〃
　　〃He　might　be　harder　to　get　to　than　Joel。〃
　　〃I　doubt　it。　Joel　will　be　locked　in　a　cage　even　you　wouldn't　be　able　to　escape　from。　Obviously　they　know　how　strong　a　vampire　is。〃
　　〃Joel　is　powerful；　no　doubt。　But　he　is　still　a　child　next　to　me。　They　don't　know　that。〃
　　〃They　know　more　than　you　think；　Sita。　〃You're　　really　not　looking　at　the　whole　picture。　They're　probably　still　searching　Lake　Mead　for　your　body。　The　fact　that　they　haven't　found　it　tells　the　general　that　you're　still　alive。　And　for　you　to　have　survived　what　they　put　you　through　means　that　you　have　to　be　handled　with　extreme　care。〃　Seymour　pauses。　〃The　general　must　have　figured　you'll　e　for　Joel。〃　〃You　sound　so　certain；〃　I　say。　〃I'm　not。〃　〃Look　at　it　logically。　You　had　several　chances　to　leave　Joel　during　your　fight　with　the　LAPD…but　you　didn't。　In　fact；　you　showed　tremendous　loyalty　to　him。　Believe　me；　they　have　constructed　a　psychological　profile　on　you。　They　know　you're　ing　for　him。　They'll　be　waiting　for　you。　That's　one　of　the　reasons　you　have　to　go　after　the　general　first。　Control　him　and　his　mind　and　you　control　the　pound。〃　
　　〃His　associates　will　know　something　is　up。〃　
　　〃You　need　only　control　him　for　a　short　time。　Also；　you　have　no　choice。　You　need　the　general　for　something　other　than　rescue　and　escape。〃　〃What？〃　I　ask；　knowing　what　he'll　say。　〃Samples　of　vampire　blood　will　be　spread　all　over　the　pound。　I　bet　they　have　several　labs　there；　and　you　won't　be　able　to　walk　around　and　find　all　the　samples。　On　top　of　that；　they'll　have　the　research　that　they've　conducted　in　their　puters。　For　these　reasons　the　pound　has　to　be　pletely　destroyed。　It's　the　only　way。　You're　going　to　have　to　force　the　general　to　detonate　a　nuclear　warhead。〃　
　　〃Just　like　that？　Blow　up　all　those　people？〃　
　　〃You　killed　plenty　of　people　down　in　L。A。〃　My　voice　is　cool。　〃I　didn't　enjoy　that；　Seymour。〃　He　pauses。　〃I'm　sorry；　Sita。　I　didn't　mean　to　imply　that　you　did。　And　I　don't　mean　to　sound　cold　and　cruel。　I'm　not；　you　know。　I'm　just　a　high　school　kid；　and　a　lousy　writer　on　top　of　that。〃
　　〃You're　too　brilliant　to　be　lousy　at　anything。　Please　continue　with　your　analysis。　How　can　I　get　Joel　out　alive　and　blow　the　place　up？〃
　　He　hesitates。　'〃You　might　not　be　able　to　do　both。〃
　　I　nod　to　myself。　〃This　could　be　a　suicide　mission。　I've　thought　of　that〃　I　add　sadly；　〃Won't　you　miss　me？〃
　　He　speaks　with　feeling。　〃Yes。　e　here　tonight。　Make　me　a　vampire；　I'll　help　you。〃
　　〃You're　not　vampire　material。〃
　　〃Why？　I'm　not　sexy　enough？〃
　　〃Oh；　that's　not　the　problem。　If　you　were　a　vampire；　Tm　sure　you'd　be　a　sex　machine。　It's　just　that　you're　too　special　to　be　。。。〃　My　voice　falters　as　I　think　of　Arturo。　〃To　be　contaminated　by　my　blood。〃
　　〃Sita？　What's　wrong？〃
　　I　swallow　past　my　pain。　〃It's　nothing…the　past。　That's　the　trouble　with　living　for　five　thousand　years…I　have　so　much　past。　It's　hard　to　live　in　the　present　when　all　that　history　is　inside　you。〃
　　〃Your　blood　saved　my　life；〃　Seymour　says　gently。
　　〃How　are　you　feeling？　Are　the　HIV　tests　still　negative？〃
　　〃Yes；　I'm　fine。　Don't　worry　about　me。　When　do　you　see　Andy　next？〃
　　〃In　a　few　hours；　near　dawn。　Then；　when　he　returns　to　work　in　the　evening；　I　plan　to　stow　away　in　the　trunk　of　his　car。〃
　　〃You'll　need　his　cooperation。　You　can't　go　searching　the　pound　for　Joel。〃
　　〃Andy　will　cooperate；　one　way　or　the　other。〃　I　pause。　〃Is　there　anything　else　you　can　tell　me　that　might　help？〃
　　〃Yeah。　Practice　that　levitating　trick。　You　never　know　when　it'll　e　in　handy。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　what's　causing　it。〃
　　〃Obviously；　Yaksha's　blood。　He　must　have　developed　the　ability　over　the　centuries。　Could　he　fly　when　you　knew　him　in　India？〃
　　〃He　never　demonstrated　that　he　could。〃
　　〃You　vampires　are　full　of　surprises。〃
　　I　sigh。　〃You're　so　anxious　to　bee　like　me。　You　envy　my　powers。　But　what　you　don't　know　is　that　I　envy　you　more。〃
　　Seymour　is　surprised。　〃What　do　I　have　that　you　could　possibly　want？〃
　　I　think　of　Lalita；　my　daughter。
　　But　I　cannot　talk　about　children；　on　this　of　all　nights。
　　〃You're　human〃　is　all　I　say。
　　　
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　　When　Andy　gets