dk.solesurvivor-第75部分

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　　The　aluminum　can　rattled　against　her　teeth；　and　a　trickle　of　Pepsi　dribbled　down　her　chin。　'Nothing　but　power　matters　to　them。　They　don't　believe　。。　。　in　good　and　evil。'
　　'There　are　only　events。'
　　Though　she　had　just　taken　a　long　swallow　of　Pepsi；　her　throat　sounded　dry。　Her　voice　cracked。　'And　what　those　events　mean。　。
　　'。。。　depends　only　on　what　spin　you　put　on　them。'
　　He　remained　blindly　angry　with　her　because　of　what　she　insisted　that　he　believe　about　Nina；　but　he　could　not　bear　to　glance　at　her　again　and　see　her　growing　weaker。　He　blinked　at　the　road　ahead；　where　showers　of　pine　needles　stitched　together　billowing　sheets　of　dust；　and　he　eased　down　on　the　accelerator；　driving　as　fast　as　he　dared。
　　The　soda　can　slipped　out　of　her　hand；　dropped　on　the　floor；　and　rolled　under　her　seat；　spilling　the　remainder　of　the　Pepsi。　'Losin'　it；　Joe。'
　　'Not　long　now。'
　　'Got　to　tell　you　how　it　was　。　。　。　when　the　plane　went　in。'
　　　
　　Four　miles　down；　gathering　speed　all　the　way；　engines　shrieking；　wings　creaking；　fuselage　thrumming。　Screaming　passengers　are　pressed　so　hard　into　their　seats　by　the　accumulating　gravities　that　many　are　unable　to　lift　their　heads　some　praying；　some　vomiting；　weeping；　cursing；　calling　out　the　many　names　of　God；　calling　out　to　loved　ones　present　and　far　away。　An　eternity　of　plunging；　four　miles　but　as　if　from　the　moon…
　　…and　then　Rose　is　in　a　blueness；　a　silent　bright　blueness；　as　if　she　is　a　bird　in　flight；　except　that　no　dark　earth　lies　below；　only　blueness　all　around。　No　sense　of　motion。　Neither　hot　nor　cool。　A　flawless　hyacinth…blue　sphere　with　her　at　the　centre。　Suspended。　Waiting。　A　deep　breath　held　in　her　lungs。　She　tries　to　expel　her　stale　breath　but　cannot；　cannot；　until…
　　…with　an　exhalation　as　loud　as　a　shout；　she　finds　herself　in　the　meadow；　still　in　her　seat；　stunned　into　immobility；　21…21　beside　her。　The　nearby　woods　are　on　fire。　On　all　sides；　flames　lick　mounds　of　twisted　debris。　The　meadow　is　an　unspeakable　charnel　house。　And　the　747　is　gone。
　　At　the　penultimate　moment；　the　girl　had　transported　them　out　of　the　doomed　aircraft　by　a　monumental　exertion　of　her　psychic　gift；　to　another　place；　to　a　dimension　outside　of　space　and　time；　and　had　held　them　in　that　mysterious　sheltering　limbo　through　one　terrible　minute　of　cataclysmic　destruction。　The　effort　has　left　21…21　cold；　shaking；　and　unable　to　speak。　Her　eyes；　bright　with　reflections　of　the　many　surrounding　fires；　have　a　faraway　look　like　those　of　an　autistic　child。　Initially　she　cannot　walk　or　even　stand；　so　Rose　must　lift　her　from　the　seat　and　carry　her。
　　Weeping　for　the　dead　scattered　through　the　night；　shuddering　with　horror　at　the　carnage；　wonderstruck　by　her　survival；　slammed　by　a　hurricane　of　emotion；　Rose　stands　with　the　girl　cradled　in　her　arms　but　is　unable　to　take　a　single　step。　Then　she　recalls　the　flickering　passenger…cabin　lights　and　the　spinning　of　the　hands　on　her　wristwatch；　and　she　is　certain　that　the　pilot　was　the　victim　of　a　wet　mission；　remoted　by　the　boy　who　lives　in　a　steel　capsule　deep　below　the　Virginia　countryside。　This　realization　propels　her　away　from　the　crash　site；　around　the　burning　trees；　into　the　moonlit　forest；　wading　through　straggly　underbrush；　then　along　a　deer　trail　powdered　with　silver　light　and　dappled　with　shadow；　to　another　meadow；　to　a　ridge　from　which　she　sees　the　lights　of　Loose　Change　Ranch。
　　By　the　time　they　reach　the　ranch　house；　the　girl　is　somewhat　recovered　but　still　not　herself。　She　is　able　to　walk　now；　but　she　is　lethargic；　brooding；　distant。　Approaching　the　house；　Rose　tells　21…21　to　remember　that　her　name　is　Mary　Tucker；　but　21…21　says；　My　name　is　Nina。　That's　who　I　want　to　be。
　　Those　are　the　last　words　that　she　will　speak…perhaps　forever。　In　the　months　immediately　following　the　crash；　having　taken　refuge　with　Rose's　friends　in　Southern　California；　the　girl　sleeps　twelve　to　fourteen　hours　a　day。　When　she's　awake；　she　shows　no　interest　in　anything。　She　sits　for　hours　staring　out　a　window　or　at　a　picture　in　a　storybook；　or　at　nothing　in　particular。　She　has　no　appetite！　loses　weight。　She　is　pale　and　frail；　and　even　her　amethyst　eyes　seem　to　lose　some　of　their　colour。　Evidently；　the　effort　required　to　move　herself　and　Rose　into　and　out　of　the　blue　elsewhere；　during　the　crash；　has　profoundly　drained　her；　perhaps　nearly　killed　her。　Nina　exhibits　no　paranormal　abilities　any　more；　and　Rose　dwells　in　despondency。
　　By　Christmas；　however；　Nina　begins　to　show　interest　in　the　world　around　her。　She　watches　television。　She　reads　books　again。　As　the　winter　passes；　she　sleeps　less　and　eats　more。　Her　skin　regains　its　former　glow；　and　the　colour　of　her　eyes　deepens。　She　still　does　not　speak；　but　she　seems　increasingly　connected。　Rose　encourages　her　to　e　all　the　way　back　from　her　self…imposed　exile　by　speaking　to　her　every　day　about　the　good　that　she　can　do　and　the　hope　that　she　can　bring　to　others。
　　In　a　bureau　drawer　in　the　bedroom　that　she　shares　with　the　girl；　Rose　keeps　a　copy　of　the　Los　Angeles　Post；　the　issue　that　devotes　the　entire　front　page；　above　the　fold；　to　the　fate　of　Nationwide　Flight　353。　It　helps　to　remind　her　of　the　insane　viciousness　of　her　enemies。　One　day　in　July；　eleven　months　after　the　disaster；　she　finds　Nina　sitting　on　the　edge　of　the　bed　with　this　newspaper　open　to　a　page　featuring　photographs　of　some　of　the　victims　of　the　crash。　The　girl　is　touching　the　photo　of　Nina　Carpenter；　who　had　given　her　Pigs　and　Princes；　and　she　is　smiling。
　　Rose　sits　beside　her　and　asks　if　she　is　feeling　sad；　remembering　this　lost　friend。
　　The　girl　shakes　her　head　no。　Then　she　guides　Rose's　hand　to　the　photograph；　and　when　Rose's　fingertips　touch　the　newsprint；　she　falls　away　into　a　blue　brightness　not　unlike　the　sanctuary　into　which　she　was　transported　in　the　instant　before　the　plane　crash；　except　that　this　is　also　a　place　full　of　motion；　warmth；　sensation。
　　Clairvoyants　have　long　claimed　to　feel　a　residue　of　psychic　energy　on　mon　objects；　left　by　the　people　who　have　touched　them。　Sometimes　they　assist　police　in　the　search　for　a　murderer　by　handling　objects　worn　by　the　victim　at　the　time　of　the　assault。　This　energy　in　the　Post　photograph　is　similar　but　different…left　not　in　passing　by　Nina　but　imbued　in　the　newsprint　by　an　act　of　will。
　　Rose　feels　as　if　she　has　plunged　into　a　sea　of　blue　light；　a　sea　crowded　with　swimmers　whom　she　cannot　see　but　whom　she　feels　gliding　and　swooping　around　her。　Then　one　swimmer　seems　to　pass　through　Rose　and　to　linger　in　the　passing；　and　she　knows　that　she　is　with　little　Nina　Carpenter；　the　girl　with　the　lopsided　smile；　the　giver　of　Pigs　and　Princes；　who　is　dead　and　gone　but　safe；　dead　and　gone　but　not　lost　forever；　happy　and　alive　in　an　elsewhere　beyond　this　swarming　blue　brightness；　which　is　not　really　a　place　itself　but　an　interface　between　phases　of　existence。
　　Moved　almost　as　deeply　as　she　had　been　when　she　was　first　given　the　knowledge　of　the　afterlife；　in　the　room　at　the　orphanage；　Rose　withdraws　her　hand　from　the　photo　of　Nina　Carpenter　and　sits　silently　for　a　while；　humbled。　Then　she　takes　her　own　Nina　into　her　arms　and　holds　the　girl　tightly　and　rocks　her；　neither　capable　of　speaking　nor　in　need　of　words。
　　Now　that　this　special　girl's　power　is　being　reborn；　Rose　knows　what　they　must　do；　where　they　must　start　their　work。　She　does　not　want　to　risk　going　to　Lisa　Peccatone　again。　She　doesn't　believe　that　her　old　friend　knowingly　betrayed　her；　but　she　suspects　that　through　Lisa's　link　to　the　Post…and　through　the　Post　to　Horton　Nellor…the　people　at　Project　99　learned　of　her　presence　on　Flight　353。　While　Rose　and　Nina　are　believed　dead；　they　need　to　take　advantage　of　their　ghostly　status　to　operate　as　long　as　possible　without　drawing　the　attention　of　their　enemies。　First；　Rose　asks　the　girl　to　give　the　great　gift　of　eternal　truth　to　each　of　the　friends　who　has　sheltered　them　during　these　eleven　months　in　their　emotional　wilderness。　Then　they　will　contact　the　husbands　and　wives　and　parents　and　children　of　those　who　perished　on　Flight　353；　bringing　them　both　the　received　knowledge　of　immortality　and　visions　of　their　loved　ones　at　the　blue　interface。　With　luck；　they　will　spread　their　message　so