sk.thetalisman-第79部分
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The jaws widened； and the crowded teeth shone。 'Wolf remembered； Jacky。 Wolf！ Right here and now！ Wolf remembered！'
Jack stepped backward。
'More fear…smell。 Even on your shoes。 Shoes； Jacky！ Wolf！'
Shoes that smelled of fear were evidently deeply ic。
'You have to go in the shed； that's what you should remember。'
'Wrong！ Wolf！ You go in the shed； Jacky！ Jacky goes in shed！ I remembered！ Wolf！'
The werewolf's eyes slid from blazing reddish…orange to a mellow； satisfied shade of purple。 'From The Book of Good Farming； Jacky。 The story of the Wolf Who Would Not Injure His Herd。 Remember it； Jacky？ The herd goes in the barn。 Remember？ The lock goes on the door。 When the Wolf knows his Change is ing on him； the herd goes in the barn and the lock goes on the door。 He Would Not Injure His Herd。' The jaws split and widened again； and the long dark tongue curled up at the tip in a perfect image of delight。 'Not！ Not！ Not Injure His Herd！ Wolf！ Right here and now！'
'You want me to stay locked up in the shed for three days？' Jack said。
'I have to eat； Jacky；' Wolf said simply； and the boy saw something dark； quick； and sinister slide toward him from Wolf's changing eyes。 'When the moon takes me with her； I have to eat。 Good smells here； Jacky。 Plenty of food for Wolf。 When the moon lets me go； Jacky es out of the shed。'
'What happens if I don't want to be locked up for three days？'
'Then Wolf will kill Jacky。 And then Wolf will be damned。'
'This is all in The Book of Good Farming； is it？'
Wolf nodded his head。 'I remembered。 I remembered in time； Jacky。 When I was waiting for you。'
Jack was still trying to adjust himself to Wolf's idea。 He would have to go three days without food。 Wolf would be free to wander。 He would be in prison； and Wolf would have the world。 Yet it was probably the only way he would survive Wolf's transformation。 Given the choice of a three…day fast or death； he'd choose an empty stomach。 And then it suddenly seemed to Jack that this reversal was really no reversal at all…he would still be free； locked in the shed； and Wolf out in the world would still be imprisoned。 His cage would just be larger than Jack's。 'Then God bless The Book of Good Farming； because I would never have thought of it myself。'
Wolf gleamed at him again； and then looked up at the sky with a blank； yearning expression。 'Not long now； Jacky。 You're the herd。 I have to put you inside。'
'Okay；' Jack said。 'I guess you do have to。'
And this too struck Wolf as uproariously funny。 As he laughed his howling laugh； he threw an arm around Jack's waist and picked him up and carried him all the way across the field。 'Wolf will take care of you； Jacky；' he said when he had nearly howled himself inside…out。 He set the boy gently on the ground at the top of the gully。
'Wolf；' Jack said。
Wolf widened his jaws and began rubbing his crotch。
'You can't kill any people； Wolf；' Jack said。 'Remember that…if you remembered that story； then you can remember not to kill any people。 Because if you do； they'll hunt you down for sure。 If you kill any people； if you kill even one person； then a lot of people will e to kill you。 And they'd get you； Wolf。 I promise you。 They'd nail your hide to a board。'
'No people； Jacky。 Animals smell better than people。 No people。 Wolf！'
They walked down the slope into the gully。 Jack removed the lock from his pocket and several times clipped it through the metal ring that would hold it； showing Wolf how to use the key。 'Then you slide the key under the door； okay？' he asked。 'When you've changed back； I'll push it back to you。' Jack glanced down at the bottom of the door…there was a two…inch gap between it and the ground。
'Sure； Jacky。 You'll push it back to me。'
'Well； what do we do now？' Jack said。 'Should I go in the shed right now？'
'Sit there；' Wolf said； pointing to a spot on the floor of the shed a foot from the door。
Jack looked at him curiously； then stepped inside the shed and sat down。 Wolf hunkered back down just outside the shed's open door； and without even looking at Jack； held out his hand toward the boy。 Jack took Wolf's hand。 It was like holding a hairy creature about the size of a rabbit。 Wolf squeezed so hard that Jack nearly cried out…but even if he had； he didn't think that Wolf would have heard him。 Wolf was staring upward again； his face dreamy and peaceful and rapt。 After a second or two Jack was able to shift his hand into a more fortable position inside Wolf's grasp。
'Are we going to stay like this a long time？' he asked。
Wolf took nearly a minute to answer。 'Until；' he said； and squeezed Jack's hand again。
9
They sat like that； on either side of the doorframe； for hours； wordlessly； and finally the light began to fade。 Wolf had been almost imperceptibly trembling for the previous twenty minutes； and when the air grew darker the tremor in his hand intensified。 It was； Jack thought； the way a thoroughbred horse might tremble in its stall at the beginning of a race； waiting for the sound of a gun and the gate to be thrown open。
'She's beginning to take me with her；' Wolf said softly。 'Soon we'll be running； Jack。 I wish you could； too。'
He turned his head to look at Jack； and the boy saw that while Wolf meant what he had just said； there was a significant part of him that was silently saying： I could run after you as well as beside you； little friend。
'We have to close the door now； I guess；' Jack said。 He tried to pull his hand from Wolf's grasp； but could not free himself until Wolf almost disdainfully released him。
'Lock Jacky in； lock Wolf out。' Wolf's eyes flared for a moment； being red molten Elroy…eyes。
'Remember； you're keeping the herd safe；' Jack said。 He stepped backward into the middle of the shed。
'The herd goes in the barn； and the lock goes on the door。 He Would Not Injure His Herd。' Wolf's eyes ceased to drip fire； shaded toward orange。
'Put the lock on the door。'
'God pound it； that's what I'm doing now；' Wolf said。 'I'm putting the God…pounding lock on the God…pounding door； see？' He banged the door shut； immediately sealing Jack up in the darkness。 'Hear that； Jacky？ That's the God…pounding lock。' Jack heard the lock click against the metal loop； then heard its ratchets catch as Wolf slid it home。
'Now the key；' Jack said。
'God…pounding key； right here and now；' Wolf said； and a key rattled into a slot； rattled out。 A second later the key bounced off the dusty ground beneath the door high enough to skitter onto the shed's floorboards。
'Thanks；' Jack breathed。 He bent down and brushed his fingers along the boards until he touched the key。 For a moment he clamped it so hard into his palm that he almost drove it through his skin…the bruise； shaped like the state of Florida； would endure nearly five days； when in the excitement of being arrested he would fail to notice that it had left him。 Then Jack carefully slid the key into his pocket。 Outside； Wolf was panting in hot regular agitated…sounding spurts。
'Are you angry with me； Wolf？' he whispered through the door。
A fist thumped the door； hard。 'Not！ Not angry！ Wolf！'
'All right；' Jack said。 'No people； Wolf。 Remember that。 Or they'll hunt you down and kill you。'
No peopOOOWWW…OOOOOOOOHHHOOOO！' The word turned into a long； liquid howl。 Wolf's body bumped against the door； and his long black…furred feet slid into the opening beneath it。 Jack knew that Wolf had flattened himself out against the shed door。 'Not angry； Jack；' Wolf whispered； as if his howl had embarrassed him。 'Wolf isn't angry。 Wolf is wanting； Jacky。 It's so soon now； so God…pounding soon。'
'I know；' Jack said； now suddenly feeling as if he had to cry…he wished he could have hugged Wolf。 More painfully； he wished that they had stayed the extra days at the farmhouse； and that he were now standing outside a root cellar where Wolf was safely jailed。
The odd； disturbing thought came to him again that Wolf was safely jailed。
Wolf's feet slid back under the door； and Jack thought he had a glimpse of them being more concentrated； slimmer； narrow
