el.angeleyes-第75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！


　would　do　as　well。''
　〃Are　there？〃　Odysseus　said。　〃If　so；　it's　clear　you　wouldn't　know　them。　You're　in　the　dark　here；　all　of　you。　I'm　the　only　lamp　to　guide　you。〃
　〃That's　true；〃　Mars　conceded。　〃But　God？〃
　〃We're　back　to　Him；　I'm　afraid；〃　Odysseus　said。　〃And　you　said　you　no　longer　wanted　to　talk　about　God。〃
　〃I've　changed　my　mind。〃
　〃Really？　Well；　that's　mighty　adaptable　of　you。　I'm　impressed。〃　The　Hero　closed　his　eyes　for　a　moment。　〃All　right：　God。　Do　you　know　that　dolphins　believe　in　God？　Arbat　has　quite　a　cogent　concept　of　Him；　much　more　sensible　than　the　clumsy　versions　humans　have　been　able　to　e　up　with。''　There　it　was　again；　not　〃we〃　but　〃humans；〃　as　if　he　was　no　longer　human。
　〃I　chose　that　phrase　'the　color　of　God'　because　it　was　the　only　one　that　is　appropriate；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃We　return　to　Albat；　to　dolphins　in　general。　Their　minds　don't　work　like　humans'　；　Volkov。　Arbat's　mind　works　in　a　kind　of　wave　pattern　and；　beyond　that；　spirals。　Linear　thinking　is　unknown　to　her。　Interesting；　no？〃　his　eyes　popped　open。　〃So。　God　to　her　is　Time。　Not　day　and　night；　dolphins　don't　conceive　of　such　categorized　sections。　Time　as　in　movement…the　movement　that　has　extended　before　life；　that　extends　through　life；　and　will　extend　after　life　has　been　terminated。〃
　Mars　tried　to　absorb　this　circumlocution。　〃And　what　has　this　to　do　with　the　color　in　Menelaus's　dead　eyes？〃
　〃They　weren't　dead；〃　Odysseus　said。　〃Oh；　yes；　Menelaus　himself　was　an　empty　husk；　embalmed　by　the　winds　of　space。　But　his　eyes　had　bee　a　conduit。〃　
　〃What　precisely　did　you　see　in　them？〃　
　〃That；〃　the　Hero　said；　〃is　the　fundamental　mistake　you've　all　made。　I　didn't　see　something　in　them；　I　saw　through　them。　It　was　as　if　they　had　bee　a　telescope　of　fantastic　power。　I　saw　Elsewhere。　I　saw　Elsewhen。〃
　Mars　closed　his　eyes；　pressed　his　fingers　against　the　lids。　He　was　getting　a　headache。　The　essential　problem　was　that　he　couldn't　tell　whether　this　discussion　was　too　profound　or　too　laughable　for　him。　Was　he　confronting　a　madman　or。。。　what？　What　had　happened　to　the　two　men　of　Odin…Galaktika　II　during　the　event；　when　all　telemetry　and　monitoring　went　down？　That　was　what　Mars　had　been　ordered　to　find　out。
　Had　the　Hero　in　some　way　been　transformed；　or　was　he　merely　pulling　everyone's　leg；　amusing　himself　at　the　state's　expense　as　some　kind　of　sick　reparation　for　his　disabilities？
　The　truly　frightening　thing。　Mars　thought　now；　was　that　there　was　at　least　the　possibility　that　the　Hero　had　been　transformed　by　the　event。　In　that　case；　what　had　he　bee？
　〃Can　you　give　me　even　a　hint；〃　Mars　said　at　last；　〃of　what　'Elsewhere'　and　'Elsewhen'　mean？〃
　Odysseus　held　out　his　arm。　〃Tatiana；〃　he　said；　〃would　you　e　here？〃
　Tatiana　obediently　swam　in　his　direction　so　that　she　was　in　front　of　him。　Then　the　two　of　them　swam　forward　until　Tatiana's　body　was　pressed　so　firmly　against　Mars's　that　he　could　feel　her　hard　breasts；　the　slight　swell　of　her　stomach；　the　press　of　her　pubic　mound。　〃What…〃
　''Bear　with　me；　rade；''　Odysseus　said　firmly。　〃And　don't　back　up；　this　is　all　in　the　name　of　so…called　science。''　He　peered　into　Mars's　face。　〃I　want　you　to　imagine　that　still　being　you；　you　feel　Tatiana's　breasts　as　if　they　were　your　own；　you　feel　her　sexual　organs　as　well　as　yours；　swim　in　the　pulse　of　her　blood　as　well　as　your　own；　wander　through　her　thought　patterns。　Can　you　do　that；　Volkov？　No；　I　suppose　not。〃　He　let　Tatiana　go。　〃But　that　is　what　I　meant　when　I　said　'Elsewhere。'　〃
　'〃This　means；〃　Mars　said　slowly；　taking　it　a　step　at　a　time；　〃that　in　Menelaus's　dead　eyes　you　sense　the　presence　of　another　entity。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃And　during　the　event　you　merged　with　the　entity。〃
　〃Not　merged；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃It　was　more　as　if　I　was　allowed　in　for　just　a　moment　to　take　a　look　around。〃
　〃I　want　you　to　be　absolutely　clear　about　this；〃　Mars　said。　〃By　'entity'　do　I　take　it　you　mean　an　extraterrestrial？〃
　〃I　can't　think　what　else　it　might　be。〃
　This　is　rapidly　being　infuriating。　Mars　thought。　He's　so　clear　about　this　that　I'm　beginning　to　believe　his　madness。　Perhaps　I'm　ing　here　too　often。　Can　madness　be　municative？　No。　Impossible。　But　then　he　reminded　himself　that　if　Odysseus　were；　indeed；　mad；　it　was　an　entirely　new　form　of　madness；　which　the　scientific　team　had　yet　to　identify；　let　alone　begin　to　define。
　〃All　right；〃　Mars　said。　〃Let's　leave　the　issue　of　'Elsewhere'　for　the　time　being。　What　about　'Elsewhen'？〃
　〃In　an　odd　way；　that's　simpler　to　explain；〃　the　Hero　said；　〃because　it　more　directly　relates　to　the　color　between　the　stars；　the　color　of　God。　God　is　Time；　and　Time　is　what　I　saw。　Not　the　present　or　the　past　or　even　the　future。''
　''Now　you're　talking　in　riddles；''　Mars　said　testily。　''Einstein　proved　that…〃
　〃Einstein　was　wrong；〃　Odysseus　said　matter…of…factly。　〃His　mind；　brilliant　though　it　was；　was　human；　and　therefore　bound　by　certain　limitations。〃
　〃But　when　it　es　to　time；　there　is　only　past；　present；　and　future。〃
　〃Not　so；　Volkov；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃What　I　saw　was　all　three　at　once：　past；　present；　and　future　merged；　not　three　streams；　but　a　continuum。　It　was　like　ing　to　the　edge　of　a　dense　forest　and；　beyond；　walking　down　a　shoreline　to　a　vast　ocean　that　I　never　before　imagined　was　there。〃　Now　Mars　felt　a　peculiar　crawling　in　his　belly；　an　icy　fear　gripping　his　bowels；　for　as　he　spoke；　the　Hero's　face　had　bee　transfigured。
　Odysseus　said；　〃There　I　was　wading　in　it。　In　Time。　And　I　came　upon　Existence。　I　saw　myself　existing　in　past…present…future　all　at　once。　They　were　the　same；　not　different。　There　was　no　younger　or　older。　There　was　no　death。　Age　and　death　are　myths；　Volkov；　but　they　're　not　the　only　ones。〃　He　reached　down；　plucked　at　his　sleek；　silvery　flesh。　〃The　body；　too；　is　a　myth。　It's　what　inhibits　us；　what　gives　rise　to　the　myths　of　age　and　death。　Without　the　body；　we　can　step　freely　into　the　ocean　of　Time。〃
　Mars　experienced　once　again　that　vertiginous　sensation　that　es　with　the　proximity　to　madness；　but　he　still　did　not　know　which　of　them　in　the　pool　was　mad。
　''You　don't　believe　me；〃　Odysseus　said。　''I　can　see　it　in　your　face。''　He　shrugged。　''Well；　you　asked　for　the　truth。　Don't　blame　me　if　you're　unable　to　accept　it。''　He　gave　Mars　a　pitying　look。　〃However；　I　can't；　in　all　good　conscience；　blame　you。　You　weren't　there。　How　could　you　believe？〃
　Mars　took　a　long　time　thinking　over　what　the　Hero　had　said。　At　last　he　said；　〃One　thing　disturbs　me。〃
　〃Only　one？〃　Odysseus　said　sardonically。
　〃From　what　you　claim　you　experienced　during　the　event；　it　would　seem　as　if　you　would　have　returned　to　Earth　in　a　kind　of　state　of　grace；　in　possession　of　a　great　peacefulness。　Yet　if　I　remember　correctly；　you　have　said　that　you　are　suspended　between　heaven　and　a　living　hell；　and　it's　obvious　you　have　a　great　deal　of　rage　that　you　barely　suppress。　How　do　you　explain　these　discrepancies？〃
　Odysseus　turned　to　Tatiana。　〃I　want　to　get　out。〃
　Immediately　she　launched　herself　onto　the　coping。　Still　dripping；　she　went　off。
　〃Are　you　going　to…〃
　''Be　patient；　Volkov。''
　Arbat's　head　bobbed　upon　the　water；　looking　inquisitively　between　the　two　men。
　Tatiana　returned　with　the　Hero's　special　wheelchair。　Then　she　bent　down；　lifted　him　out　of　the　water。　Arbat　began　a　long　series　of　clicks；　her　nose　bobbing　incessantly；　as　if　she　were　distressed。
　When　Tatiana　had　settled　the　Hero　in；　draped　the　oversized　towel　across　his　loins；　he　said；　〃Wait　here　for　a　moment；　rade。　Talk　to　Tatiana。　I'm　sure　you　can　benefit　from　her　insights。〃　He　threw　the　wheelchair's　engine　into　gear；　motored　off　across　the　huge　room。
　Mars；　at　the　edge　of　the　pool；　crossed　his　arms　over　one　another　on　me　coping。　He　gazed　into　Tatiana's　face　for　a　long　time　before　saying；　〃What　do　you　think　is　going　on　here？〃
　〃What　you　want　to　know；〃　Tatiana　said；　〃is　whether　or　not　he's　mad。〃
　〃In　a　sense；〃　Mars　conceded。　〃I　have　to　know　whether　or　not　he's　telling　the　truth。　Did　he　e　face…to…face　with　an　extraterrestrial　or　has　the　cosmic　radiation　he　was　exposed　to　affected　his　brain？〃
　''Oh；　yes；〃　Tatiana　said　unhelpfully；　''he　could　be　telling　the　truth　as　he　knows　it；　and　also　be　quite　insane。〃
　Her　tone　was　so　like　the　one　the　Hero　used　that　Mars　was　momentarily　nonpluss