cw.blackalibi-第19部分

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n　here。　It　was　the　hum；　the　drone；　that　es　from　houses；　from　streets；　in　the　distance；　in　the　night。　It　must　be　built　up　on　the　other　side　of　this　wall；　or　at　least　to　within　a　short　distance　of　it。　A　finger　of　the　city　must　stretch　out　toward　the　cemetery　from　the　rear；　even　though　the　main　gate　around　at　the　other　side　gave　onto　more　or　less　open　country。
　　And　then；　in　confirmation；　the　axle　of　a　tramcar　wheel　grated　as　it　rounded　a　turn；　off　in　the　distance　someplace　but　querulously　audible。
　　She　began　to　beat　her　way　along　the　inside　of　the　wall；　face　turned　to　look　up　hopefully　at　the　top。　It　was　too　smooth；　too　high；　to　be　scaled　unaided；　even　if　she'd　had　the　strength　left。　Why　had　they　had　to　make　it　so　high？　What　had　the　dead　in　here　to　fear　from　the　living？
　　Some　of　the　trees；　she　noticed；　seemed　to　grow　fairly　close　to　the　wall。　The　branches　of　certain　ones　even　spanned　the　top　of　it；　occasionally。　Perhaps　if　she　could　get　up　the　trunk　of　one；　she　could　work　her　way　out　along　one　of　those　overreaching　branches　and　transfer　from　it　to　the　top　of　the　wall。　Even　if　she　couldn't　descend　from　there　unaided；　she　would　at　least　be　in　a　better　position〃　to　attract　someone's　attention　on　the　outside。　She　couldn't　from　down　below　here；　where　she　was。　Her　voice　seemed　to　be　gone；　from　overuse；　she　could　only　make　low　whimpering　noises　now。　And　there　was　obviously　no　ground…level　gap　within　this　solid　bulwark；　at　least　not　near　enough　to　be　of　any　use　to　her。
　　Most　were　set　too　far　in；　there　was　a　gap　up　above　that　would　have　defeated　her　even　if　she　had　been　able　to　get　to　the　proper　height；　or　else　the　slenderness　of　the　trunk　itself　warned　that　the　upper　reaches　would　be　even　more　unsubstantial；　she　would　only　have　succeeded　in　killing　herself。　She　found　one　at　last　that　seemed　just　right；　although　it　was　hard　to　be　sure　in　the　dark。　By　standing　still　under　it　and　peering　intently　for　several　minutes　she　thought　she　could　make　out　a　thick；　massive　bough　forking　out　from　it；　in　a　straight　line　over　the　wall　and　beyond。　It　looked　from　where　she　was　nearly　as　broad　in　girth　as　the　lower　trunk　itself。
　　She　tried　to　clasp　her　arms　around　its　base　to　gain　a　fulcrum；　and　they　wouldn't　meet　around　it；　it　was　too　large　in　diameter。　She　tried　to　claw　her　way　up　it；　then；　on　one　side　only；　to　dig　her　nails　into　the　rough…edged　bark　and　hang　her　entire　weight　on　them。　The　bark　only　peeled　off　in　little　segments；　her　nails　broke；　and　the　tips　of　her　fingers　grew　lacerated。　The　tips　of　her　prodding；　gouging　shoes　slipped　down　again　each　time　without　being　able　to　gain　a　hold。　Once　she　was　able　to　get　up　as　high　as　half　her　own　height　again；　but　then　she　slid　down　again；　scratching　and　bruising　her　own　skin。　She　let　herself　lie　where　she'd　fallen　a　minute；　to　rest。
　　Oh；　if　she'd　only　been　twelve　again；　she　knew　she　would　have　been　able　to　do　it。　When　she　was　twelve；　and　they'd　taken　her　to　the　country　in　the　summer；　she'd　climbed　many　trees　for　pears　and　apples　and　thought　nothing　of　it。　And　now；　the　pear；　the　apple；　was　safety；　life　itself…and　she　couldn't　do　it！
　　She　cried　a　little　with　the　bitterness　of　frustration；　pleaded　with　those　who　weren't　there　to　hear；　with　her　head　lowered　toward　the　ground；　there　in　the　darkness　at　the　foot　of　that　pitiless　tree。　〃Raul；　Raulcito；　why　did　you　go　away　like　that？　Mother；　mother　of　my　life；　let　me　e　back　to　you。　I'll　never　do　it　again。　Why　didn't　I　listen　to　you？　You　always　were　right。　You　didn't　want　me　to　leave　the　house。〃
　　The　words　died　to　a　blurred　whimpering；　the　whimpering　muted　to　disconsolate　sobbing　breaths。
　　Then　suddenly　as　she　lay　there　like　that；　head　and　shoulders　reared　off　the　ground；　the　rest　of　her　sprawled　supinely　out　upon　it；　a　sound　came　from　over　the　wall；　so　matter…of…fact；　so　casual；　so　close　at　hand…she　couldn't　believe　it　was　real；　she　couldn't　believe　she'd　actually　heard　it。　It　was　the　hollow；　slightly　wooden…sounding　clap　a　car　door　gives　when　it　is　carelessly　flung　closed　against　the　chassis。　And　then　a　lesser　sound；　the　snap　of　a　key　in　a　lock。
　　An　empty　car　must　have　been　parked　outside　there　all　along；　close　up　against　the　cemetery　wall；　waiting　for　someone。　And　that　someone　had　just　returned　to　it　and　gotten　in；　and　was　about　to　drive　off　all　unknowing！
　　It　was　down　farther；　a　few　yards　below；　judging　by　the　direction　of　the　sound。　And　yet　for　all　practical　purposes；　its　and；her　own　parallel　placement　could　be　considered　a　freak　of　exactitude；　they　were　as　good　as　diametrically　opposite　one　another；　she　and　this　potential　savior　car。　Had　she　seen　it；　known　it　was　there　all　the　while；　she　could　scarcely　have　e　to　a　halt　much　closer　to　it　than　she　had。　Strange　are　the　geometrical　patterns　devised　by　night　and　the　stars。
　　Oh　limbs；　lift　me；　bear　me　up；　just　this　one　time　more。　Oh　voice；　call　out　strongly　enough　in　time　to　be　heard。　Quick；　quick；　a　second's　inability　may　be　already　too　late！
　　She　opened　her　lips　spasmodically；　and　a　soundless　gush；　residue　of　exhaustion；　was　all　that　came　the　first　time。　Then　a　second　try　and　voice　followed。　She　couldn't　hear　it。　A　torrent　of　mechanical　noise　drowned　out　her　lungs'　pitiful　effort。　He'd　started　the　motor。　Six　cylinders　against　one　fragile　larynx。　It　was　a　raucous　engine；　that　must　have　needed　oiling　somewhat；　that　bombarded　the　night。
　　She　was　upright　and　thrashing；　almost　spinning；　frenziedly　along　the　inside　of　the　wall；　and　even　as　she　did　so　it　already　seemed　to　begin　gliding　unnoticeably　ahead　of　her；　increasing　those　few　yards　of　differential　there　had　been　to　start　with；　as　the　wheels　began　to　turn。　For　a　long；　unendurable　moment　there　was　an　equipoise；　a　hideous　contest　between　her　fraying　screams　and　the　increasing　revolutions　of　its　cylinders。　Which　could　keep　it　up　the　longest？　She　was　so　tired　and　the　engine　was　so　strong。
　　Then　it　began　to　pull　away；　not　just　glide　now　but　accelerate　into　full　career。　And　in　the　very　act　was　her　salvation。　It　ebbed　a　little　in　volume；　the　rhythm　of　a　more　even　vibration　set　in。　Her　voice　found　an　opening　in　that；　an　echo　of　it　managed　to　slash　through　its　new　regularity　of　tempo。
　　There　was　another　ghastly　equipoise；　a　second　or　two　before　the　effects　could　show；　while　it　seemed　to　leap　away　from　her。　And　she　couldn't　scream　any　more；　that　had　been　her　last　one。　Then　brakes　rasped　and　it　slurred　to　an　unwilling；　unintended　short　stop。　She　could　even　hear　the　hiss　of　reluctant　rubber　against　stone。
　　Silence。
　　Then　a　man's　voice；　questioning　the　blank　night。　〃Who　is　it？　Hello？　Hello？〃
　　She　could　visualize　his　hand　starting　toward　the　clutch　once　more；　to　continue；　thinking　he　had　been　mistaken；　it　had　been　some　flaw　in　his　own　car's　mechanism。
　　Her　swollen　heart　leaped　up　like　a　salmon；　turned　over；　dropped　down　again；　almost　stopped　beating　with　the　effort；　but　she　managed　to　get　one　suffocating　sound　out。　〃No…！〃　And　the　rest　was　just　unheard　lip　vibration。
　　〃Who's　that？　Where　are　you？〃　The　car　door　cracked　tentatively　open；　while　he　still　remained　in　the　seat。　Probably　one　leg　out。
　　〃In　here；　in　All　Saints；　behind　this　wall。〃　It　was　all　blurred　vowel　sounds；　she　couldn't　articulate　consonants　any　more；　but　there　were　enough　vowels　to　carry　the　burden　of　the　message；　to　at　least　hold　him　there。
　　A　leather　sole　hit　stone。　The　car　door　cracked　a　second　time…but　in　token　of　egress。　Saved！
　　He　said　an　inane　thing。　〃What　are　you　doing　in　there？〃　But　oh；　the　sound　of　his　voice　alone；　it　held　the　wisdom　of　the　ages　in　it；　it　was　so　wele　to　her。
　　〃I'm　alone　in　here。　I've　been　locked　in。　Oh；　for　the　love　of　God；　take　me　out…get　me　out　to　the　other　side…〃
　　〃Now　just　a　second。　Don't　be　frightened。　I'll　climb　over　and　get　you。〃
　　Shoe　leather　scorched　down　stone；　futilely；　two；　three；　four　times。　Each　time　he　landed　back　on　his　feet　more　heavily。　Then　she　could　hear　him　trying　to　run　at　it；　trying　to　hoist　himself　with　the　help　of　his　own　projected　momentum。　Each　time　that　floundering　sound。
　　〃I　can't　get　up　it；　it's　too　high。〃　He　was　breathless　now　himself。　〃Wait　a　minute；　I'll　get　someone。　I'll　get　hold　of　someone　with　a　ladder；　and　e　back　with　that。〃
　　The　car　door　splitting