sk.thewastelands-第84部分

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toss　your　guns　overside　first　thing！　Easiest　thing　in　the　world！　But　did　I？　Nay！〃
　　Susannah　had　heard　the　exchange　between　Jake　and　Roland。　She　had　also　had　a　chance　to　realize　how　bleak　their　options　were　as　things　now　stood。　〃Put　it　away；　Eddie。〃
　　〃How　do　we　know　you　won't　toss　the　grenade　at　us　once　you　have　the　lad？〃　Eddie　called。
　　〃I'll　shoot　it　out　of　the　air　if　he　tries；〃　Roland　said。　〃I　can　do　it；　and　he　knows　I　can　do　it。〃
　　〃Mayhap　I　do。　You've　got　a　cosy　look　about　you；　indeed　ye　do。〃
　　〃If　he's　telling　the　truth；〃　Roland　went　on；　〃he'd　be　burned　even　if　I　missed　his　toy；　because　the　bridge　would　collapse　and　we'd　all　go　down　together。〃
　　〃Wery　clever；　my　dear　old　son！〃　Gasher　said。　〃You　are　a　cosy　one；　ain't　you？〃　He　cawed　laughter；　then　grew　serious　and　confiding。　〃The　talking's　done；　old　mate　of　mine。　Decide。　Will　you　give　me　the　boy；　or　do　we　all　march　to　the　end　of　the　path　together？〃

　　Before　Roland　could　say　a　word；　Jake　had　slipped　past　him　on　the　support　rod。　He　still　held　Oy　curled　in　his　right　arm。　He　held　his　bloody　left　hand　stiffly　out　in　front　of　him。
　　〃Jake；　no！〃　Eddie　shouted　desperately。
　　〃I'll　e　for　you；〃　Roland　said　in　the　same　low　voice。
　　〃I　know；〃　Jake　repeated。　The　wind　gusted　again。　The　bridge　swayed　and　groaned。　The　Send　was　now　speckled　with　whitecaps；　and　water　boiled　whitely　around　the　wreck　of　the　blue　mono　jutting　from　the　river　on　the　upstream　side。
　　〃Ay；　my　cully！〃　Gasher　crooned。　His　lips　spread　wide；　revealing　a　few　remaining　teeth　that　jutted　from　his　white　gums　like　decayed　tomb…stones。　〃Ay；　my　fine　young　squint！　Just　keep　ing。〃
　　〃Roland；　he　could　be　bluffing！〃　Eddie　yelled。　〃That　thing　could　be　a　dud！〃
　　The　gunslinger　made　no　reply。
　　As　Jake　neared　the　other　side　of　the　hole　in　the　walkway；　Oy　bared　his　own　teeth　and　began　to　snarl　at　Gasher。
　　〃Toss　that　talking　bag　of　guts　overside；〃　Gasher　said。
　　〃Fuck　you；〃　Jake　replied　in　the　same　calm　voice。
　　The　pirate　looked　surprised　for　a　moment；　then　nodded。　〃Tender　of　him；　are　you？　Wery　well。〃　He　took　two　steps　backward。　〃Put　him　down　the　second　you　reach　the　concrete；　then。　And　if　he　runs　at　me；　I　promise　to　lack　his　brains　right　out　his　tender　little　asshole。〃
　　〃Asshole；〃　Oy　said　through　his　bared　teeth。
　　〃Shut　up；　Oy；〃　Jake　muttered。　He　reached　the　concrete　just　as　the　strongest　gust　of　wind　yet　struck　the　bridge。　This　time　the　twanging　sound　of　parting　cable…strands　seemed　to　e　from　everywhere。　Jake　glanced　back　and　saw　Roland　and　Eddie　clinging　to　the　rail。　Susannah　was　watching　him　from　over　Roland's　shoulder；　her　tight　cap　of　curls　rippling　and　shaking　in　the　wind。　Jake　raised　his　hand　to　them。　Roland　raised　his　in　return。
　　You　won't　let　me　drop　this　time？　he　had　asked。　No…not　ever　again；　Roland　had　replied。　Jake　believed　him　。　。　。　but　he　was　very　much　afraid　of　what　might　happen　before　Roland　arrived。　He　put　Oy　down。　Gasher　rushed　forward　the　moment　he　did；　kicking　out　at　the　small　animal。　Oy　skittered　aside；　avoiding　the　booted　foot。
　　〃Run！〃　Jake　shouted。　Oy　did；　shooting　past　them　and　loping　toward　the　Lud　end　of　the　bridge　with　his　head　down；　swerving　to　avoid　the　holes　and　leaping　across　the　cracks　in　the　pavement。　He　didn't　look　back。　A　moment　later　Gasher　had　his　arm　around　Jake's　neck。　He　stank　of　dirt　and　decaying　flesh；　the　two　odors　bining　to　create　a　single　deep　stench；　crusty　and　thick。　It　made　Jake's　gorge　rise。
　　He　bumped　his　crotch　into　Jake's　buttocks。　〃Maybe　I　ain't　quite　s'far　gone's　I　thought。　Don't　they　say　youth's　the　wine　what　makes　old　men　drunk？　We'll　have　us　a　time；　won't　we；　my　sweet　little　squint？　Ay；　we'll　have　a　time　such　as　will　make　the　angels　sing。〃
　　Oh　Jesus；　Jake　thought。
　　Gasher　raised　his　voice　again。　〃We're　leaving　now；　my　hardcase　friend…we　have　grand　things　to　do　and　grand　people　to　see；　so　we　do；　but　I　keep　my　word。　As　for　you；　you'll　stand　right　where　you　are　for　a　good　fifteen　minutes；　if　you're　wise。　If　I　see　you　start　to　move；　we're　all　going　to　ride　the　handsome。　Do　you　understand　me？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　Roland　said。
　　〃Do　you　believe　me　when　I　say　I　have　nothing　to　lose？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃That's　wery　well；　then。　Move；　boy！　Hup！〃
　　Gasher's　hold　tightened　on　Jake's　throat　until　he　could　hardly　breathe。　At　the　same　time　he　was　pulled　backward。　They　retreated　that　way；　facing　the　gap　where　Roland　stood　with　Susannah　on　his　back　and　Eddie　just　behind　him；　still　holding　the　Ruger　which　Gasher　had　called　a　toy　pistol。　Jake　could　feel　Gasher's　breath　puffing　against　his　ear　in　hot　little　blurts。　Worse；　he　could　smell　it。
　　〃Don't　try　a　thing；〃　Gasher　whispered；　〃or　I'll　rip　off　yer　sweetmeats　and　stuff　em　up　your　bung。　And　it　would　be　sad　to　lose　em　before　you　ever　got　a　chance　to　use　em；　wouldn't　it？　Wery　sad　indeed。〃
　　They　reached　the　end　of　the　bridge。　Jake　stiffened；　believing　Gasher　would　throw　the　grenade　anyway；　but　he　didn't　。。。　at　least　not　immedi…ately。　He　backed　Jake　through　a　narrow　alley　between　two　small　cubicles　which　had　probably　served　as　tollbooths；　once　upon　a　time。　Beyond　them；　the　brick　warehouses　loomed　like　prison　cellblocks。
　　〃Now；　cully；　I'm　going　to　let　go　of　your　neck；　or　how　would'je　ever　have　wind　to　run　with？　But　I'll　be　holdin　yer　arm；　and　if　ye　don't　run　like　the　wind；　I　promise　I'll　rip　it　right　off　and　use　it　for　a　club　to　beat　you　with。　Do　you　understand？〃
　　Jake　nodded；　and　suddenly　the　terrible；　stifling　pressure　was　gone　from　his　windpipe。　As　soon　as　it　was；　he　became　aware　of　his　hand　again…it　felt　hot　and　swollen　and　full　of　fire。　Then　Gasher　seized　his　bicep　with　fingers　like　bands　of　iron；　and　he　forgot　all　about　his　hand。
　　〃Toodle…doo！〃　Gasher　called　in　a　grotesquely　cheery　falsetto。　He　waggled　the　grenado　at　the　others。　〃Bye…bye；　dears！〃　Then　he　growled　to　Jake：　〃Now　run；　you　whoring　little　squint！　Run”
　　Jake　was　first　whirled　and　then　yanked　into　a　run。　The　two　of　them　went　flying　down　a　curved　ramp　to　street　level。　Jake's　first　confused　thought　was　that　this　was　what　the　East　River　Drive　would　look　like　two　or　three　hundred　years　after　some　weird　brain…plague　had　killed　all　the　sane　people　in　the　world。
　　The　ancient；　rusty　hulks　of　what　had　once　surely　been　automobiles　stood　at　intervals　along　both　curbs。　Most　were　bubble…shaped　roadsters　that　looked　like　no　cars　Jake　had　ever　seen　before　（except；　maybe；　for　the　ones　the　white…gloved　creations　of　Walt　Disney　drove　in　the　ic　books）；　but　among　them　he　saw　an　old　Volkswagen　Beetle；　a　car　that　might　have　been　a　Chevrolet　Corvair；　and　something　he　believed　was　a　Model　A　Ford。　There　were　no　tires　on　any　of　these　eerie　hulks；　they　either　had　been　stolen　or　had　rotted　away　to　dust　long　since。　And　all　the　glass　had　been　broken；　as　if　the　remaining　denizens　of　this　city　abhorred　anything　which　might　show　them　their　own　reflections；　even　accidentally。
　　Beneath　and　between　the　abandoned　cars；　the　gutters　were　filled　with　drifts　of　unidentifiable　metal　junk　and　bright　glints　of　glass。　Trees　had　been　planted　at　intervals　along　the　sidewalks　in　some　long…gone；　happier　time；　but　they　were　now　so　emphatically　dead　that　they　looked　like　stark　metal　sculptures　against　the　cloudy　sky。　Some　of　the　warehouses　had　either　been　bombed　or　had　collapsed　on　their　own；　and　beyond　the　jumbled　heaps　of　bricks　which　was　all　that　remained　of　them　Jake　could　see　the　river　and　the　rusty；　sagging　underpinnings　of　the　Send　Bridge。　That　smell　of　wet　decay…a　smell　that　seemed　almost　to　snarl　in　the　nose…was　stronger　than　ever。
　　The　street　headed　due　east；　diverging　from　the　path　of　the　Beam；　and　Jake　could　see　it　became　more　and　more　choked　with　rubble　and　rickrack　as　it　went。　Six　or　seven　blocks　down　it　appeared　to　be　entirely　plugged；　but　it　was　in　this　direction　that　Gasher　pulled　him。　At　first　he　kept　up；　but　Gasher　was　setting　a　fearsome　pace。　Jake　began　to　pant　and　fell　a　step　behind。　Gasher　almost　jerked　him　off　his　feet　as　he　dragged　Jake　toward　the　barrier　of　junk　and　concrete　and　rusty　steel　beams　which　lay　ahead。　The　plug…which　looked　like　a　deliberate　construction　to　Jake…lay　between　two　broad　buildings　with　dusty　marble　facades。　In　front　of　the　one　on　the　left　was　a　statue　Jake　recognized　at　once：　it