cp.reddice-第20部分

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　　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　to　my　suite；　he　acts　stressed　out　but　excited。　He　is　in　the　door　only　a　minute　when　I　give　him　a　hard　kiss　on　the　lips。　He　wants　more；　and　reaches　for　it；　but　I　push　him　away。
　　〃Later；〃　I　whisper。　〃The　night　is　still　young。〃
　　〃It's　almost　morning；〃　he　says；　recalling　my　line　from　the　night　before。
　　I　turn　away。　〃I　want　to　gamble　first。〃
　　For　a　degenerate　gambler；　I　know；　dice　are　better　than　sex。
　　〃Now　you're　talking；　Lara；〃　he　says。
　　We　go　down　to　the　casino。　It's　only　a　few　days　before　Christmas　but　the　place　is　packed。　The　image　of　a　nuclear　bomb　exploding　on　the　Strip　haunts　me。　Of　course；　that　will　never　happen。　Even　if　we　set　a　　nuclear　warhead　to　go　off　at　the　pound；　it　would　not　affect　Las　Vegas；　except　for　slight　fallout…if　the　wind　is　blowing　the　wrong　way。　I　wonder　if　Seymour's　dream　means　I　will　succeed　in　my　mission　or　fail。
　　A　glowing　angel；　flying　above　the　world？
　　We　play　craps；　dice；　and　I　am　the　designated　roller。　Without　trying；　I　throw　ten　passes　in　a　row　and　the　table　cheers　me　on。　Andy　bets　heavily；　wins　plenty；　and　drinks　even　more。　Before　we　leave　the　first　table；　he　is　drunk。　I　scold　him。
　　〃How　can　you　be　a　scientist　when　you　keep　killing　off　your　brain　cells？〃　I　ask。
　　He　laughs；　throwing　an　arm　over　my　shoulder。　〃I'd　rather　be　a　lover　than　a　scientist。〃
　　We　walk　down　the　Strip　to　another　casino；　the　Excalibur。　Here　it　is　even　more　crowded。　It　is　a　fact　that　the　town　never　sleeps。　We　play　blackjack；　twenty…one。　I　count　cards；　only　betting　heavily　when　the　deck　favors　the　player。　But　the　advantage　from　even　perfect　counting　is　limited；　and　we　don't　win　any　money。　Andy　drags　me　back　to　the　dice　table…his　favorite。　The　dice　e　to　me；　and　again　I　throw　another　six　passes　in　a　row。　But　I　don't　want　Andy　to　win　too　much　and　be　free　of　debt。　Just　as　the　sun　begins　to　color　the　sky；　I　drag　him　back　to　the　Mirage；　to　my　hotel　suite。　Once　there；　he　falls　on　my　bed；　exhausted。
　　〃I　hate　what　I　do；〃　he　mutters　to　the　ceiling。
　　I　hate　that　I　can't　read　his　mind。　It　must　be　the　booze。　I　sit　beside　him。　〃Another　hard　night　at　work？〃
　　〃I　shouldn't　talk　about　it。〃
　　〃You　can。　Don't　worry…I'm　good　at　keeping　secrets。〃
　　〃My　boss　is　crazy。〃
　　〃The　general？〃
　　〃Yes。　He's　stark　raving　mad。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean？　What　is　he　doing？〃
　　Andy　sits　up　and　glances　at　me　with　bloodshot　eyes。　〃Remember　I　told　you　we　were　working　on　an　amazing　discovery？〃
　　〃Yes。　You　said　it　was　one　of　the　greatest　discoveries　of　modern　time。〃　I　smile。　〃I　thought　you　were　trying　to　impress　me。〃
　　He　shakes　his　head。　〃I　wasn't　exaggerating。　We're　playing　with　explosive　genetic　material；　and　that's　putting　it　mildly。　This　general　has　ordered　us　to　artificially　done　it。　Do　you　know　what　that　means？〃
　　I　nod。　〃You're　going　to　make　more　of　it…in　a　test　tube。〃
　　〃Yes。　That's　a　layman's　view；　but　it　is　essentially　correct。〃　He　stares　out　the　window；　at　the　glitter　that　is　the　Strip。　When　he　speaks　again；　his　voice　reflects　the　horror　he　feds。　〃We　are　going　to　try　to　duplicate　something　that；　if　it　got　out；　could　affect　all　of　mankind。〃
　　It's　worse　than　I　thought。　The　charade　must　end。
　　He　has　given　me　an　opening。　I　must　seize　it。
　　〃Andy？〃　I　whisper。
　　He　looks　at　me。　I　catch　his　eye。
　　〃Yes；　Lara？〃　he　says。
　　I　do　not　push　him；　not　yet；　but　I　do　not　let　him　turn　away　either。　A　narrow　tunnel　of　whirling　blue　fog　exists　between　us。　He　is　at　one　end；　chained　to　a　hard　wall；　and　I　am　steadily　rushing　toward　him；　shadows　at　my　back。　I　hold　his　attention　but　slightly　blur　his　focus。　Since　ingesting　Yaksha's　blood；　my　mind…altering　abilities　are　more　refined；　more　powerful。　I　have　to　be　careful　I　don't　destroy　his　brain。
　　〃My　name　is　not　Lara。〃
　　He　tries　to　blink；　fails。　〃What　is　it？〃
　　〃It　doesn't　matter。　I　am　not　who　I　appear　to　be。〃　I　pause。　〃I　know　what　you　are　working　on。〃
　　He　hesitates。　〃How？〃
　　〃I　know　your　prisoner。　He　is　a　friend　of　mine。〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃Yes。　I　lied　to　you　last　night；　and　I'm　sorry。　I　won't　lie　to　you　anymore。　I　came　to　Las　Vegas　for　the　purpose　of　freeing　my　friend。〃　I　touch　his　knee。　〃But　I　didn't　e　to　hurt　you。　I　didn't　know　I　would　end　up　caring　for　you。〃
　　He　has　to　take　a　breath；　〃I　don't　understand　what　you're　saying？〃
　　I　have　to　relax　my　hold　on　him。　The　pressure　inside　his　skull　is　building。　Sweat　stands　out　on　his　forehead。　Standing；　I　turn　my　back　to　him　and　walk　to　the　window　to　look　out　at　the　Strip。　The　Christmas　decorations　glitter　even　amid　the　neon　in　the　faint　light　of　the　dawn。
　　〃But　you　do　understand；〃　I　say。　〃You　are　holding　a　prisoner；　Joel　Drake。　He　is　an　FBI　agent；　but　since　you　have　begun　to　examine　him　you　have　e　to　see　that　he's　much　more　than　that。　His　blood　is　different　from　that　of　most　humans；　and　this　difference　makes　him　very　strong；　very　quick。　That's　why　you　keep　him　locked　up　in　a　special　cell。　Your　general　tells　you　he　is　dangerous。　Yet　this　same　general　makes　you　and　your　partners　work　night　and　day　so　that　you　can　change　more　people's　blood　to　match　that　of　the　supposedly　dangerous　prisoner。〃　I　pause。　〃Is　this　not　accurate；　Andy？〃
　　He　is　a　long　time　answering。　His　voice　es　out　hesitantly。
　　〃How　do　you　know　these　things？〃
　　I　turn　to　face　him。　〃I　told　you。　I　am　his　friend。　I　am　here　to　rescue　him。　I　need　your　help。〃
　　Andy　can't　stop　staring　at　me。　It's　as　if　I'm　a　ghost。
　　〃They　said　there　was　another；〃　he　mumbles。
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Are　you　the　one？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　He　winces。　〃Are　you　like　him？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　He　puts　a　hand　to　his　head。　〃Oh　God。〃
　　Once　more；　I　sit　beside　him　on　the　bed。
　　〃We　are　not　evil；〃　I　say。　〃I　know　what　you　must　have　been　told；　but　it　is　not　true。　We　only　fight　when　threatened。　The　men　and　woman　who　died…on　L。A。　trying　to　arrest　us…we　didn't　want　to　harm　them。　But　they　came　after　us；　they　cornered　us。　We　had　no　choice　but　to　defend　ourselves。〃
　　His　head　is　buried　in　his　hands。　He　is　close　to　weeping。　〃But　you　killed　many　others　before　that　night。〃
　　〃That　is　not　true。　The　one　who　did　the　killing…he　was　an　aberration。　His　name　was　Eddie　Fender。　He　accidentally　got　a　hold　of　our　blood。　I　stopped　him；　but　Eddie　is　a　perfect　example　of　what　can　happen　if　this　blood　gets　out。　You　said　it　yourself　a　moment　ago…it　could　affect　all　of　humanity。　Worse；　it　would　destroy　all　of　humanity。　I　am　here　to　stop　that。　I　am　here　to　help　you。〃
　　He　peers　up　at　me；　his　fingers　still　covering　much　of　his　face。　〃That's　why　you　can　throw　the　dice　the　way　you　do？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃What　else　can　you　do？〃
　　I　shake　my　head。　〃It　doesn't　matter。　All　that　matters　is　that　more　people　are　not　allowed　to　bee　like　me　and　my　friend。〃
　　〃How　many　are　there　of　you？〃　he　asks。
　　〃I　thought　there　were　just　two　of　us　left。　But　I　suspect　you　have　another　at　the　pound。〃　I　pause。　
　　He　turns　away。　〃I　can't　tell　you。　I　don't　know　who　you　are。〃
　　〃Yes；　you　know　me　better　than　anyone。　You've　seen　what　my　DNA　is　like。〃
　　He　stands　and　walks　to　the　far　wall。　He　puts　a　hand　on　it　for　support；　breathing　rapidly。　〃The　man　you　speak　of…Joel…he's　ill。　He　has　fever；　severe　cramps。　We　don't　know　what　to　do　with　him。〃　Andy　struggles。　My　revelation　is　too　much　for　him。　〃Do　you　know？〃　he　asks。
　　〃Yes。　Have　you　kept　him　out　of　the　sunlight？〃
　　〃Yes。　He's　in　a　cell；　in　a　basement。　There　is　no　sun〃　He　pauses。　〃Is　he　allergic　to　the　sun？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　Andy　frowns。　〃But　how　does　it　make　him　ill？　I　told　you；　he　doesn't　see　it。〃
　　〃The　sun　is　not　what　makes　him　ill。　I　was　only　ruling　out　a　possibility。　He　is　sick　because　he　is　hungry。〃
　　〃But　we　have　fed　him。　It　doesn't　help。〃
　　〃You　are　not　feeding　him　what　he　needs。〃
　　〃What　is　that？〃
　　〃Blood。〃
　　Andy　almost　crumbles。　〃No；〃　he　moans。　〃You're　like　vampires。〃
　　I　stand　and　approach　him　cautiously；　not　wishing　to　scare　him　worse　than　I　already　have。　〃We　are　vampires；　Andy。　Joel　has　been　one　only　a　few　days。　I　changed　him　in　order　to　prevent　him　from　dying。　Eddie　had　mortally　wounded　him。　Believe　me；　I　don't　go　around　making　vampires。　It's　against　my…　pri