sk.thewastelands-第98部分
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r； visionary flashes； but his imagination nonetheless filled this vast； pillared space with a thousand hurrying people； he heard clicking heels and murmuring voices； saw embraces of homeing and farewell。 And over everything； the speakers chanting news of a dozen different destinations。
Patricia is now boarding for Northwest Baronies 。 。 。
Will Passenger Killington； passenger Killington； please report to the information booth on the lower level？
Blaine is now arriving at Berth #2； and will be debarking shortly 。 。 。
Now there was only the pigeons。
Eddie shivered。
〃Look at the faces；〃 Susannah murmured。 〃I don't know if they give you the willies； but they sure do me。〃 She was pointing to the right。
High up on the wall； a series of sculpted heads seemed to push out of tin… marble； peering down at them from the shadows…stern men with the harsh faces of executioners who are happy in their work。 Some of the faces had fallen from their places and lay in granite shards and splinters seventy or eighty feet below their peers。 Those remaining were spider…webbed with cracks and splattered with pigeon dung。
〃They must have been the Supreme Court； or something；〃 Eddie said； uneasily scanning all those thin lips and cracked； empty eyes。 〃Only judges can look so smart and so pletely pissed off at the same time…you're talking to a guy who knows。 There isn't one of them who looks like he'd give a crippled crab a crutch。〃
〃 'A heap of broken images； where the sun beats and the dead tree gives no shelter；' 〃 Susannah murmured； and at these words Eddie felt gooseflesh waltz across the skin of his arms and chest and legs。
〃What's that； Suze？〃
〃A poem by a man who must have seen Lud in his dreams；〃 she said。 〃e on； Eddie。 Forget them。〃
〃Easier said than done。〃 But he began to push her again。
Ahead； a vast grilled barrier like a castle barbican swam out of the gloom 。 。 。 and beyond it； they caught their first glimpse of Blaine the Mono。 It was pink； just as Eddie had said it would be； a delicate shade which matched the veins running through the marble pillars。 Blaine flowed above the wide loading platform in a smooth； streamlined bullet shape which looked more like flesh than metal。 Its surface was broken only once…by a triangular window equipped with a huge wiper。 Eddie knew there would be another triangular window with another big wiper on the other side of the mono's nose； so that if you looked at Blaine head…on； it would seem to have a face； just like Charlie the Choo…Choo。 The wipers would look like slyly drooping eyelids。
White light from the southeastern slot in the Cradle fell across Blaine in a long； distorted rectangle。 To Eddie； the body of the train looked like the breaching back of some fabulous pink whale…one that was utterly silent。
〃Wow。〃 His voice had fallen to a whisper。 〃We found it。〃
〃Yes。 Blaine the Mono。〃
〃Is it dead； do you think？ It looks dead。〃
〃It's not。 Sleeping； maybe； but a long way from dead。〃
〃You sure？〃
〃Were you sure it would be pink？〃 It wasn't a question he had to answer； and he didn't。 The face she turned up to him was strained and badly frightened。 〃It's sleeping； and you know what？ I'm scared to wake it up。〃
〃Well； we'll wait for the others； then。〃
She shook her head。 〃I think we better try to lx… ready for when they get here 。 。 。 because I've got an idea that they're going to e on the run。 Push me over to that box mounted on the bars。 It looks like an inter。 See it？〃
He did； and pushed her slowly toward it。 It was mounted on one side of a closed gate in the center of the barrier which ran the length of the Cradle。 The vertical bars of the barrier were made of what looked like stainless steel； those of the gate appeared to be ornamental iron； and their lower ends disappeared into steel…ringed holes in the floor。 There was no way either of them was going to wriggle through those bars； either； Eddie saw。 The gap between each set was no more than four inches。 It would have been a tight squeeze even for Oy。
Pigeons ruffled and cooed overhead。 The left wheel of Susannah's chair squawked monotonously。 My kingdom for an oilcan； Eddie thought； and realized he was a lot more than just scared。 The last time he had felt this level of terror had been on the day when he and Henry had stood on the sidewalk of Rhinehold Street in Dutch Hill； looking at the slumped ruin of The Mansion。 They hadn't gone in on that day in 1977； they had turned their backs on the haunted house and walked away； and he remembered vowing to himself that he would never； never； ever go back to that place。 It was a promise he'd kept； but here he was； in another haunted house； and there was the haunter； right over there…Blaine the Mono； a long low pink shape with one window peering at him like the eye of a dangerous animal who is shamming sleep。
He stirs no more from his berth in the Cradle。 。 。 。 He has even stopped speaking in his many voices and laughing。 。 。 。 Ardis was the last to go nigh Blaine 。 。 。 and when Ardis couldn't answer what was asked； Blaine slew him with blue fire。
If it speaks to me； I'll probably go crazy； Eddie thought。
The wind gusted outside； and a fine spray of rain flew in through the tall egress slot cut in the side of the building。 He saw it strike Blaine's window and bead up there。
Eddie shuddered suddenly and looked sharply around。 〃We're being watched…I can feel it。〃
〃I wouldn't be at all surprised。 Push me closer to the gate； Eddie。 I want to get a better look at that box。〃
〃Okay； but don't touch it。 If it's electrified…〃
〃If Blaine wants to cook us； he will；〃 Susannah said； looking through the bars at Blaine's back。 〃You know it； and I do； too。〃
And because Eddie knew that was only the truth； he said nothing。
The box looked like a bination inter and burglar alarm。 There was a speaker set into the top half； with what looked like a TALK/LISTEN button next to it。 Below this were numbers arranged in a shape which made a diamond：
1
2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
73 74 75 76 77 78 79
80 81 82 83 84 85
86 87 88 89 90
91 92 93 94
95 96 97
98 99
100
Under the diamond were two other buttons with words of the High Speech printed on them： MAND and ENTER。
Susannah looked bewildered and doubtful。 〃What is this thing； do you think？ It looks like a gadget in a science fiction movie。〃
Of course it did； Eddie realized。 Susannah had probably seen a home security system or two in her time…she had； after all； lived among the Manhattan rich； even if she had not been very enthusiastically accepted by them…but there was a world of difference between the electronics gear available in her when； 1963； and his own； which was 1987。 We've never talked much about the differences； either； he thought。 I wonder what she'd think if I told her Ronald Reagan was President of the United States when Roland snatched me？ Probably that I was crazy。
〃It's a security system；〃 he said。 Then； although his nerves and instincts screamed out against it； he forced himself to reach out with his right hand and thumb the TALK/LISTEN switch。
There was no crackle of electricity； no deadly blue fire went racing up his arm。 No sign that the thing was even still connected。
Maybe Blaine is dead。 Maybe he's dead； after all。
But he didn't really believe that。
〃Hello？〃 he said； and in his mind's eye saw tin… unfortunate Ardis； screaming as he… was
