sk.thetalisman-第153部分

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　　'Don't　hate　me　because　I　couldn't　。　。　。'　Richard　said；　his　voice　trailing　off　at　the　end。
　　JASON；　E　NOW　E　NOW！
　　Jack　gripped　Richard's　thin　legs　and　walked　down　past　the　burned…over　area　where　so　many　houses　had　once　stood。　The　Territories　trees　which　used　these　wasted　blocks　as　their　own　private　lunch　counter　whispered　and　stirred；　but　they　were　too　far　away　to　trouble　Jack。
　　The　woman　in　the　midst　of　the　empty　littered　street　slowly　swivelled　around　as　she　became　aware　of　the　boys'　progress　down　the　hill。　She　was　in　the　midst　of　a　plex　exercise；　but　all　suggestion　of　Tai　Chi　Chuan　left　her　when　she　dropped　her　arms　and　one　outstretched　leg　and　stood　stockstill　beside　a　dead　dog；　watching　burdened　Jack　e　down　the　hill　toward　her。　For　a　moment　she　seemed　to　be　a　mirage；　too　hallucinatory　to　be　real；　this　starved　woman　with　her　stick…out　hair　and　face　the　same　brilliant　orange；　then　she　awkwardly　bolted　across　the　street　and　into　one　of　the　shops　without　a　name。　Jack　grinned；　without　knowing　he　was　going　to　do　it…the　sense　of　triumph　and　of　something　he　could　only　describe　as　armored　virtue　took　him　so　much　by　surprise。
　　'Can　you　really　make　it　there？'　Richard　gasped；　and　Jack　said；　'Right　now　I　can　do　anything。'　
　　He　could　have　carried　Richard　all　the　way　back　to　Illinois　if　the　great　singing　object　imprisoned　in　the　hotel　had　ordered　him　to　do　it。　Again　Jack　felt　that　sense　of　ing　resolution；　and　thought；　It's　so　dark　here　because　all　those　worlds　are　crowded　together；　jammed　up　like　a　triple　exposure　on　film。
　　　
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　　He　sensed　the　people　of　Point　Venuti　before　he　saw　them。　They　would　not　attack　him…Jack　had　known　that　with　absolute　certainty　ever　since　the　madwoman　had　fled　into　one　of　the　shops。　They　were　watching　him。　From　beneath　porches；　through　lattices；　from　the　backs　of　empty　rooms；　they　peered　out　at　him；　whether　with　fear；　rage；　or　frustration　he　could　not　tell。
　　Richard　had　fallen　asleep　or　passed　out　on　his　back；　and　was　breathing　in　heated　harsh　little　puffs。
　　Jack　skirted　the　body　of　the　dog　and　glanced　sideways　into　the　hole　where　the　window　of　the　Dangerous　Planet　Bookstore　should　have　been。　At　first　he　saw　only　the　messy　macaroni　of　used　hypodermic　needles　which　covered　the　floor；　atop　and　beside　the　splayed　books　spread　here　and　there。　On　the　walls；　the　tall　shelves　stood　empty　as　yawns。　Then　a　convulsive　movement　in　the　dim　back　of　the　store　caught　his　eye；　and　two　pale　figures　coalesced　out　of　the　gloom。　Both　had　beards　and　long　naked　bodies　in　which　the　tendons　stood　out　like　cords。　The　whites　of　four　mad　eyes　flashed　at　him。　One　of　the　naked　men　had　only　one　hand　and　was　grinning。　His　erection　waved　before　him；　a　thick　pale　club。　He　couldn't　have　seen　that；　he　told　himself。　Where　was　the　man's　other　hand？　He　glanced　back。　Now　he　saw　only　a　tangle　of　skinny　white　limbs。
　　Jack　did　not　look　into　the　windows　of　any　of　the　other　shops；　but　eyes　tracked　him　as　he　passed。
　　Soon　he　was　walking　past　the　tiny　two…story　houses。　YOU'RE　DEAD　NOW　splayed　itself　on　a　side　wall。　He　would　not　look　in　the　windows；　he　promised　himself；　he　could　not。
　　Orange　faces　topped　with　orange　hair　wagged　through　a　downstairs　window。
　　'Baby；'　a　woman　whispered　from　the　next　house。　'Sweet　baby　Jason。'　This　time　he　did　look。　You're　dead　now。　She　stood　just　on　the　other　side　of　a　broken　little　window；　twiddling　the　chains　that　had　been　inserted　in　her　nipples；　smiling　at　him　lopsidedly。　Jack　stared　at　her　vacant　eyes；　and　the　woman　dropped　her　hands　and　hesitantly　backed　away　from　the　window。　The　length　of　chain　drooped　between　her　breasts。
　　Eyes　watched　Jack　from　the　backs　of　dark　rooms；　between　lattices；　from　crawl　spaces　beneath　porches。
　　The　hotel　loomed　before　him；　but　no　longer　straight　ahead。　The　road　must　have　delicately　angled；　for　now　the　Agincourt　stood　decidedly　off　to　his　left。　And　did　it；　in　fact；　actually　loom　as　mandingly　as　it　had？　His　Jason…side；　or　Jason　himself；　blazed　up　within　Jack；　and　saw　that　the　black　hotel；　though　still　very　large；　was　nothing　like　mountainous。
　　E　I　NEED　YOU　NOW；　sang　out　the　Talisman。　YOU　ARE　RIGHT　IT　IS　NOT　AS　GREAT　AS　IT　WANTS　YOU　TO　BELIEVE。
　　
　　At　the　top　of　the　last　hill　he　stopped　and　looked　down。　There　they　were；　all　right；　all　of　them。　And　there　was　the　black　hotel；　all　of　it。　Main　Street　descended　to　the　beach；　which　was　white　sand　interrupted　by　big　outcroppings　of　rocks　like　jagged　discolored　teeth。　The　Agincourt　reared　up　a　short　distance　off　to　his　left；　flanked　on　the　ocean　side　by　a　massive　stone　breakwater　running　far　out　into　the　water。　Before　it；　stretching　out　in　a　line；　a　dozen　long　black　limousines；　some　dusty；　others　as　polished　as　mirrors；　sat；　their　motors　running。　Streamers　of　white　exhaust；　low…flying　clouds　whiter　than　the　air；　drifted　out　from　many　of　the　cars。　Men　in　FBI…agent　black　suits　patrolled　along　the　fence；　holding　their　hands　up　to　their　eyes。　When　Jack　saw　two　red　flashes　of　light　stab　out　before　one　of　the　men's　faces；　he　reflexively　dodged　sideways　around　the　side　of　the　little　houses；　moving　before　he　was　actually　conscious　that　the　men　carried　binoculars。
　　For　a　second　or　two；　he　must　have　looked　like　a　beacon；　standing　upright　at　the　brow　of　a　hill。　Knowing　that　a　momentary　carelessness　had　nearly　led　to　his　capture；　Jack　breathed　hard　for　a　moment　and　rested　his　shoulder　against　the　peeling　gray　shingles　of　the　house。　Jack　hitched　Richard　up　to　a　more　fortable　position　on　his　back。
　　Anyhow；　now　he　knew　that　he　would　somehow　have　to　approach　the　black　hotel　from　its　sea　side；　which　meant　getting　across　the　beach　unseen。
　　When　he　straightened　up　again；　he　peeked　around　the　side　of　the　house　and　looked　downhill。　Morgan　Sloat's　reduced　army　sat　in　its　limousines　or；　random　as　ants；　milled　before　the　high　black　fence。　For　a　crazy　moment　Jack　recalled　with　total　precision　his　first　sight　of　the　Queen's　summer　palace。　Then；　too；　he　had　stood　above　a　scene　crowded　with　people　moving　back　and　forth　with　apparent　randomness。　What　was　it　like　there；　now？　On　that　day…which　seemed　to　have　taken　place　in　prehistory；　so　far　must　he　look　back…the　crowds　before　the　pavillion；　the　entire　scene；　had　in　spite　of　all　an　undeniable　aura　of　peace；　of　order。　That　would　be　gone　now；　Jack　knew。　Now　Osmond　would　rule　the　scene　before　the　great　tentlike　structure；　and　those　people　brave　enough　to　enter　the　pavillion　would　scurry　in；　heads　averted。　And　what　of　the　Queen？　Jack　wondered。　He　could　not　help　remembering　that　shockingly　familiar　face　cradled　in　the　whiteness　of　bed　linen。
　　And　then　Jack's　heart　nearly　froze；　and　the　vision　of　the　pavillion　and　the　sick　Queen　dropped　back　into　a　slot　in　Jack's　memory。　Sunlight　Gardener　strolled　into　Jack's　line　of　vision；　a　bullhorn　in　his　hand。　Wind　from　the　sea　blew　a　thick　strand　of　white　hair　across　his　sunglasses。　For　a　second　Jack　was　sure　that　he　could　smell　his　odor　of　sweet　cologne　and　jungle　rot。　Jack　forgot　to　breathe　for　perhaps　five　seconds；　and　just　stood　beside　the　cracked　and　peeling　shingle　wall；　staring　down　as　a　madman　yelled　orders　to　black…suited　men；　pirouetted；　pointed　at　something　hidden　from　Jack；　and　made　an　expressive　move　of　disapproval。
　　He　remembered　to　breathe。
　　'Well；　we've　got　an　interesting　situation　here；　Richard；'　Jack　said。　'We　got　a　hotel　that　can　double　its　size　whenever　it　wants　to；　I　guess；　and　down　there　we　also　have　the　world's　craziest　man。'　
　　Richard；　who　Jack　had　thought　was　asleep；　surprised　him　by　mumbling　something　audible　only　as　guffuf。
　　'What？'
　　'Go　for　it；'　Richard　whispered　weakly。　'Move　it；　chum。'　
　　Jack　actually　laughed。　A　second　later；　he　was　carefully　moving　downhill　past　the　backs　of　houses；　going　through　tall　horsetail　grass　toward　the　beach。
　　
　　　CHAPTER　40
　　　Speedy　on　the　Beach
　　　
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　　At　the　bottom　of　the　hill；　Jack　flattened　out　in　the　grass　and　crawled；　carrying　Richard　as　he　had　once　carried　his　backpack。　When　he　reached　the　border　of　high　yellow　weeds　alongside　the　edge　of　the　road；　he　inched　forward　on　his　belly　and　looked　out。　Directly　ahead　of　him；　on　the　other　side　of　the　road；　the　beach　began。　Tall　weatherbeaten　rocks　jutted　out　of