sk.thewastelands-第103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！


pered。　〃Mind　yer　lessons；　now！　Mind　em　wery　sharp！〃
　　〃Look　at　me　when　I'm　talking　to　you；〃　Tick…Tock　said。　〃I'll　have　some　respect；　Jake　Chambers；　or　I'll　have　your　balls。〃
　　〃All　right。〃
　　Tick…Tock's　green　eyes　gleamed　dangerously。　〃All　right　what？〃
　　Jake　groped　for　the　right　answer；　pushing　away　the　tangle　of　ques…tions　and　the　sudden　hope　which　had　dawned　in　his　mind。　And　what　came　was　what　would　have　served　at　his　own　Cradle　of　the　Pubes　。　。　。　otherwise　known　as　The　Piper　School。　〃All　right；　sir？〃
　　Tick…Tock　smiled。　〃That's　a　start；　boy；〃　he　said；　and　leaned　forward；　forearms　on　his　thighs。　〃Now　。　。　。　what's　an　American？〃
　　Jake　began　to　talk；　trying　with　all　his　might　not　to　look　toward　the　ventilator　grille　as　he　did　so。
　　
　　　29
　　ROLAND　BOLSTERED　HIS　GUN；　laid　both　hands　on　the　valve…wheel；　and　tried　to　turn　it。　It　wouldn't　budge。　That　didn't　much　surprise　him；　but　it　presented　serious　problems。
　　Oy　stood　by　his　left　boot；　looking　up　anxiously；　waiting　for　Roland　to　open　the　door　so　they　could　continue　the　journey　to　Jake。　The　gunslinger　only　wished　it　was　that　easy。　It　wouldn't　do　to　simply　stand　out　here　and　wait　for　someone　to　leave；　it　might　be　hours　or　even　days　before　one　of　the　Grays　decided　to　use　this　particular　exit　again。　Gasher　and　his　friends　might　take　it　into　their　heads　to　flay　Jake　alive　while　the　gunslinger　was　waiting　for　it　to　happen。
　　He　leaned　his　head　against　the　steel　but　heard　nothing。　That　didn't　surprise　him；　either。　He　had　seen　doors　like　this　a　long　time　ago…you　couldn't　shoot　out　the　locks；　and　you　certainly　couldn't　hear　through　them。　There　might　be　one；　there　might　be　two；　facing　each　other；　with　some　dead　airspace　in　between。　Somewhere；　though；　there　would　be　a　button　which　would　spin　the　wheel　in　the　middle　of　the　door　and　release　the　locks。　If　Jake　could　reach　that　button；　all　might　still　be　well。
　　Roland　understood　that　he　was　not　a　full　member　of　this　ka…tet；　he　guessed　that　even　Oy　was　more　fully　aware　than　he　of　the　secret　life　which　existed　at　its　heart　（he　very　much　doubted　that　the　bumbler　had　tracked　Jake　with　his　nose　alone　through　those　tunnels　where　water　ran　in　polluted　streamlets）。　Nevertheless；　he　had　been　able　to　help　Jake　when　die　boy　had　been　trying　to　cross　from　his　world　to　this　one。　He　had　been　able　to　see　。　。　。　and　when　Jake　had　been　trying　to　regain　the　key　he　had　dropped；　he　had　been　able　to　send　a　message。
　　He　had　to　be　very　careful　about　sending　messages　this　time。　At　best；　the　Grays　would　realize　something　was　up。　At　worst；　Jake　might　misinterpret　what　Roland　tried　to　tell　him　and　do　something　foolish。
　　But　if　he　could　see　。　。　。
　　Roland　closed　his　eyes　and　bent　all　his　concentration　toward　Jake。　He　thought　of　the　boy's　eyes　and　sent　his　ka　out　to　find　them。
　　At　first　there　was　nothing；　but　at　last　an　image　began　to　form。　It　was　a　face　framed　by　long；　gray…blonde　hair。　Green　eyes　gleamed　in　deep　sockets　like　firedims　in　a　cave。　Roland　quickly　understood　that　this　was　the　Tick…Tock　Man；　and　that　he　was　a　descendent　of　the　man　who　had　died　in　the　air…carriage…interesting；　but　of　no　practical　value　in　this　situation。　He　tried　to　look　beyond　the　Tick…Tock　Man；　to　see　the　rest　of　the　room　in　which　Jake　was　being　held；　and　the　people　in　it。
　　〃Ake；〃　Oy　whispered；　as　if　reminding　Roland　that　this　was　neither　the　time　nor　the　place　to　take　a　nap。
　　〃Shhh；〃　the　gunslinger　said；　not　opening　his　eyes。
　　But　it　was　no　good。　He　caught　only　blurs；　probably　because　Jake's　concentration　was　focused　so　tightly　on　the　Tick…Tock　Man；　everyone　and　everything　else　was　little　more　than　a　series　of　gray…shrouded　shapes　on　the　edges　of　Jake's　perception。
　　Roland　opened　his　eyes　again　and　pounded　his　left　fist　lightly　into　the　open　palm　of　his　right　hand。　He　had　an　idea　that　he　could　push　harder　and　see　more　。　。　。　but　that　might　make　the　boy　aware　of　his　presence。　That　would　be　dangerous。　Casher　might　smell　a　rat；　and　if　he　didn't　the　Tick…Tock　Man　would。
　　He　looked　up　at　the　narrow　ventilator　grilles；　then　down　at　Oy。　He　had　wondered　several　times　just　how　smart　he　was；　now　it　looked　as　though　he　was　going　to　find　out。
　　Roland　reached　up　with　his　good　left　hand；　slipped　his　fingers　between　the　horizontal　slats　of　the　ventilator　grille　closest　to　the　hatchway　through　which　Jake　had　been　taken；　and　pulled。　The　grille　popped　out　in　a　shower　of　rust　and　dried　moss。　The　hole　behind　it　was　far　too　small　for　a　man　。　。　。　but　not　for　a　billy…bumbler。　He　put　the　grille　down；　picked　Oy　up；　and　spoke　softly　into　his　ear。
　　〃Go　。　。　。　see　。　。　。　e　back。　Do　you　understand？　Don't　let　them　see　you。　Just　go　and　see　and　e　back。〃
　　Oy　gazed　up　into　his　face；　saying　nothing；　not　even　Jake's　name。　Roland　had　no　idea　if　he　had　understood　or　not；　but　wasting　time　in　ponderation　would　not　help　matters。　He　placed　Oy　in　the　ventilator　shaft。　The　bumbler　sniffed　at　the　crumbles　of　dried　moss；　sneezed　delicately；　then　only　crouched　there　with　the　draft　rippling　through　his　long；　silky　fur；　looking　doubtfully　at　Roland　with　his　strange　eyes。
　　〃Go　and　see　and　e　back；〃　Roland　repeated　in　a　whisper；　and　Oy　disappeared　into　the　shadows；　walking　silently；　claws　retracted；　on　the　pads　of　his　paws。
　　Roland　drew　his　gun　again　and　did　the　hardest　thing。　He　waited。
　　Oy　returned　less　than　three　minutes　later。　Roland　lifted　him　out　of　the　shaft　and　put　him　on　the　floor。　Oy　looked　up　at　him　with　his　long　neck　extended。　〃How　many；　Oy？〃　Roland　asked。　〃How　many　did　you　see？〃
　　For　a　long　moment　he　thought　the　bumbler　wouldn't　do　anything　except　go　on　staring　in　his　anxious　way。　Then　he　lifted　his　right　paw　tentatively　in　the　air；　extended　the　claws；　and　looked　at　it；　as　if　trying　to　remember　something　very　difficult。　At　last　he　began　to　tap　on　the　steel　floor。
　　One　。　。　。　two　。　。　。　three　。　。　。　four。　A　pause。　Then　two　more；　quick　and　delicate；　the　extended　claws　clicking　lightly　on　the　steel：　five；　six。　Oy　paused　a　second　time；　head　down；　looking　like　a　child　lost　in　the　throes　of　some　titanic　mental　struggle。　Then　he　tapped　his　claws　one　final　time　on　the　steel；　looking　up　at　Roland　as　he　did　it。　〃Ake！〃
　　Six。　Grays　。　。　。　and　Jake。
　　Roland　picked　Oy　up　and　stroked　him。　〃Good！〃　he　murmured　into　Oy's　ear。　In　truth；　he　was　almost　overwhelmed　with　surprise　and　grati…tude。　He　had　hoped　for　something；　but　this　careful　response　was　amaz…ing。　And　he　had　few　doubts　about　the　accuracy　of　the　count。　〃Good　boy！〃
　　〃Oy！　Ake！〃
　　Yes；　Jake。　Jake　was　the　problem。　Jake；　to　whom　he　had　made　a　promise　he　intended　to　keep。
　　The　gunslinger　thought　deeply　in　his　strange　fashion…that　bina…tion　of　dry　pragmatism　and　wild　intuition　which　had　probably　e　from　his　strange　grandmother；　Deidre　the　Mad；　and　had　kept　him　alive　all　these　years　after　his　old　panions　had　passed。　Now　he　was　depending　on　it　to　keep　Jake　alive；　too。
　　He　picked　Oy　up　again；　knowing　Jake　might　live…might…but　the　bumbler　was　almost　certainly　going　to　die。　He　whispered　several　simple　words　into　Oy's　cocked　ear；　repeating　them　over　and　over。　At　last　he　ceased　speaking　and　returned　him　to　the　ventilator　shaft。　〃Good　boy；〃　he　whispered。　〃Go　on；　now。　Get　it　done。　My　heart　goes　with　you。〃
　　〃Oy！　Art！　Ake！〃　the　bumbler　whispered；　and　then　scurried　off　into　the　darkness　again。
　　Roland　waited　for　all　hell　to　break　loose。
　　
　　　30
　　ASK　ME　A　QUESTION；　Eddie　Dean　of　New　York。　And　it　better　be　a　good　one　。　。　。　if　it's　not；　you　and　your　woman　are　going　to　die；　no　matter　where　you　came　from。
　　And；　dear　God；　how　did　you　respond　to　something　like　that？
　　The　dark　red　light　had　gone　out；　now　the　pink　one　reappeared。　〃Hurry；〃　the　faint　voice　of　Little　Blaine　urged　them。　〃He's　worse　than　ever　before　。　。　。　hurry　or　he'll　kill　you！〃
　　Eddie　was　vaguely　aware　that　flocks　of　disturbed　pigeons　were　still　swooping　aimlessly　through　the　Cradle；　and　that　some　of　them　had　smashed　headfirst　into　the　pillars　and　dropped　dead　on　the　floor。
　　〃What　does　it　want？〃　Susannah　hissed　at　the　speaker　and　the　voice　of　Little　Blaine　somewhere　behind　it。　〃For　God's　sake；　what　does　it　want？〃
　　No　reply。　And　Eddie　could　feel　any　period　of　grace　they　might　have　started　with　slipping　away。