cb.coldheart canyon-第61部分

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　 A　few　of　them　began　to　move　in　the　general　direction　of　the　house；　attempting　to　seem　casual；　but　fixing　their　silvery　eyes　on　their　destination。
　 A　bank　of　cloud　had　e　in　off　the　Pacific　and　covered　both　moon　and　stars。　On　the　ridge　of　the　opposite　side　of　the　Canyon　some　of　the　grotesque　offspring　of　these　weary　beauties　began　a　wordless　howling　in　the　darkness。　The　sound　was　loud　enough　to　carry　down　the　hill　to　Sunset　and　the　Beverly　Hill　flats。　Several　valets　parking　cars　for　a　private　party　on　Rexford　Drive　paused　to　ment　on　the　weird　din　from　up　in　the　hills；　a　couple　of　patients；　close　to　death　at　Cedars…Sinai；　called　for　their　priests；　a　man　who　lived　next　door　to　the　house　on　Van　Nuys　where　Lyle　and　Eric　Menendez　had　murdered　their　mother　and　father；　decided…hearing　the　sound…to　give　up　screenwriting　and　move　back　to　Wisconsin。
　
　 Todd　heard　it　too；　of　course。
　 〃What　in　God's　name　is　that？〃
　 He　and　Katya　were　deep　in　the　bowels　of　the　house；　in　a　place　he　had　never　known　existed；　much　less　explored。
　 〃Take　no　notice；〃　Katya　told　him；　as　the　noise　came　again；　even　louder　and　more　plaintive。　〃Whatever　it　is；　it's　out　there；　it's　not　in　here　with　us。〃　She　took　hold　of　his　arm；　and　kissed　his　cheek。　He　could　smell　Ava　on　her。　His　erection　still　throbbed。　〃Are　you　ready？〃　she　said　to　him。
　 〃Ready　for　what？〃
　 They　were　approaching　a　door　just　a　little　smaller　than　the　front　door；　and　similarly　medieval　in　style。
　 〃On　the　other　side　of　that　door　is　something　that　was　given　to　me　a　long　time　ago。　It　changed　my　life。　As　I　told　you；　it　will　also　change　yours。　When　you　first　get　in　there；　it's　bewildering。　You　just　have　to　trust　me。　I'm　going　to　be　with　you　all　the　time；　even　if　you　can't　always　see　me。　And　I　swear　no　harm　is　going　to　e　to　you。　You　understand　me；　Todd？　This　is　my　house。　Even　this　place；　which　will　seem　very　remote　from　everything　you've　seen　so　far；　is　also　mine。〃
　 He　didn't　know　quite　what　to　make　of　any　of　this；　but　his　curiosity　was　certainly　piqued。
　 〃So　don't　be　afraid；〃　she　told　him。
　 〃I　won't　be；〃　he　said；　wondering　what　kind　of　game　she　was　playing　now。　She；　who　knew　so　many；　what　did　she　have　up　her　sleeve？
　 As　had　happened　so　many　times　now；　she　read　his　thoughts。　〃This　isn't　a　game；〃　she　said。　〃Or　if　it　is；　it's　the　most　serious　game　in　God's　creation。〃
　 There　was　surely　a　trace　of　condescension　here；　but　what　the　hell？
　 〃I'm　ready；〃　he　said。
　 She　smiled。　〃In　half　an　hour　you'll　realize　what　an　absurd　thing　it　is　you've　just　said；〃　she　told　him。
　 〃Why？〃
　 〃Because　nobody　can　be　ready　for　this。〃
　 Then　she　pushed　open　the　door。
　
　 Before　Tammy　went　to　find　Todd；　she　had　to　eat。　Had　to。
　 So；　while　Todd　was　stepping　over　the　threshold　into　a　place　that　would　change　his　life；　Tammy　was　in　the　kitchen　three　stories　above；　at　the　open　fridge；　gorging　on　whatever　her　hands　found。　Cold　chicken；　potato　salad；　some　Chinese　takeaway。
　 〃Do　we　have　to　do　this　now？〃　Zeffer　said；　looking　around　nervously。　〃She　could　e　in　here　at　any　minute。〃
　 〃Yes；　well　let　her。　I'm　hungry；　Willem。　In　fact　I'm　fucking　starving。　Give　me　a　hand　here；　will　you？〃
　 〃What　do　you　want？〃
　 〃Something　sweet。　Then　I'm　done。〃
　 He　dug　around　on　the　inner　shelves　of　the　fridge　and　found　an　almost…intact　cherry　pie；　the　sight　of　which　made　Tammy　coo　the　way　most　women　cooed　when　they　saw　babies。　Zeffer　watched　her　with　an　expression　of　bemusement　on　his　face。　She　was　too　hungry　to　care。　She　lifted　a　slice　of　pie　to　her　mouth；　but　before　she　could　get　it　to　her　tongue；　Zeffer　caught　hold　of　her　wrist。
　 〃What？〃　she　said。
　 〃Listen。〃
　 Tammy　listened。　She　heard　nothing；　so　she　shook　her　head。
　 〃Listen；〃　he　said　again；　and　this　time　she　heard　what　he　was　drawing　her　attention　to。　The　windows　were　shaking。　So　were　the　doors。　The　cutlery　on　the　sink　was　rattling；　as　were　the　plates　in　the　cupboards。
　 She　let　the　slice　of　pie　drop　from　her　fingers；　her　appetite　suddenly　vanished。
　 〃What's　going　on？〃　she　wanted　to　know。
　 〃They're　downstairs；〃　Zeffer　said；　his　voice　tinged　with　superstitious　awe。　〃Todd　and　Katya。　They've　gone　downstairs。〃
　 〃What　are　they　doing　there？〃
　 〃You　don't　want　to　know；〃　Zeffer　said　hurriedly。　〃Please。　I　beg　you。　Let's　just　go。〃
　 The　windows　were　shaking　with　mounting　violence；　the　boards　creaked　beneath　their　feet。　It　was　as　though　the　entire　structure　of　the　house　was　protesting　about　whatever　was　happening　in　its　midst。
　 Tammy　went　to　the　kitchen　sink；　ran　some　cold　water；　and　washed　the　food　from　around　her　mouth。　Then　she　skirted　around　Zeffer　and　headed　to　the　door　that　led　to　the　turret　and　the　staircase。
　 〃Wrong　direction；〃　Zeffer　said。　He　pointed　to　the　other　door。　〃That's　the　safest　way　out。〃
　 〃If　Todd's　down　there；　then　that's　the　way　I　want　to　go；〃　Tammy　said。
　 As　she　spoke　she　felt　a　blast　of　chilly　air　ing　up　from　below。　It　smelled　nothing　like　the　rest　of　the　house；　nor　of　the　gardens　outside。　Something　about　it　made　the　small　hairs　at　her　nape　prickle。
　 She　looked　back　down　at　Zeffer；　with　a　question　on　her　face。
　 〃I　think　I　need　to　tell　you　what's　down　there　before　you　take　one　more　step；〃　he　said。
　
　 Outside；　the　spirits　of　the　dead　waited　and　listened。　They　had　heard　the　door　that　led　into　the　Chamber　of　the　Hunt　opened；　they　knew　some　lucky　fool　was　about　to　step　into　the　Devil's　Country。　If　they　could　have　stormed　the　house　and　slipped　through　the　door　ahead　of　him；　they　would　have　gladly　done　so；　at　any　price。　But　Katya　had　been　too　clever。　She　had　put　up　defenses　against　such　a　siege：　five　icons　beaten　into　the　threshold　of　each　of　the　doors　that　would　drive　a　dead　soul　to　oblivion　if　they　attempted　to　cross。　They　had　no　choice；　therefore；　but　to　keep　a　respectful　distance；　hoping　that　some　day　the　icons　would　lose　their　terrible　potency；　or　that　Katya　would　simply　declare　an　amnesty　upon　her　guests　and　tear　the　icons　out　of　the　thresholds；　allowing　her　sometime　lovers　and　friends　back　inside。
　 Meanwhile；　they　waited；　and　listened；　and　remembered　what　it　had　been　like　for　them　in　the　old　days；　when　they'd　been　able　to　go　back　and　forth　into　the　house　at　will。　It　had　been　bliss；　back　then：　all　you　had　to　do　was　step　into　the　Devil's　Country　and　you　could　shed　your　old　skin　like　a　snake。　They'd　e　back　to　the　chamber　over　and　over；　so　as　to　restore　their　failing　glamour；　and　it　had　dutifully　soothed　away　their　imperfections；　made　their　limbs　sleek　and　their　eyes　gleam。

　 All　this　was　kept　secret　from　the　studio　bosses；　of　course；　and　when　on　occasion　a　Goldwyn　or　a　Thalberg　did　find　out　Katya　made　sure　they　was　intimidated　into　silence。　Nobody　talked　about　what　went　on　in　Coldheart　Canyon；　even　to　others　that　they　might　have　seen　there。　The　stars　went　on　about　their　public　lives　while　in　secret　they　took　themselves　up　to　Coldheart　Canyon　every　weekend；　and　having　smoked　a　little　marijuana　or　opium；　went　to　look　at　the　Hunt；　knowing　that　they　would　emerge　rejuvenated。
　 There　was　a　brief　Golden　Age；　when　the　royalty　of　America　lived　a　life　of　near…perfection；　sitting　in　their　palaces　dreaming　of　immortality。　And　why　not？　It　seemed　they　had　found　the　means　to　renew　their　beauty　whenever　it　grew　a　little　tired。　So　what　if　they　had　to　dabble　in　the　supernatural　for　their　fix　of　perfection；　it　was　worth　the　risk。
　 Then…but　inexorably…the　Golden　Age　began　to　take　its　toll：　the　lines　they'd　driven　off　their　faces　began　to　creep　back　again；　deeper　than　ever；　their　eye…sight　started　to　fail。　Back　they　went　into　the　Devil's　Country；　desperate　for　its　hearing　power；　but　the　claim　of　time　could　not　be　arrested。
　 Terrible　stories　started　to　circulate　amongst　the　lords　of　Tinseltown；　nightmare　stories。　Somebody　had　woken　up　blind　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　it　was　said；　somebody　else　had　withered　before　her　lover's　appalled　eyes。　Fear　gripped　the　Golden　People；　and　anger　too。　They　blamed　Katya　for　introducing　them　to　this　ungodly　panacea；　and　demanded　that　she　give　them　constant　access　to　the　house　and　the　Hunt。　She；　of　course；　refused。　This　quickly　led　to　some　ugly　scenes：　people　started　appearing　at　the　house　in　the　Canyon　in　desperate　states　of　need；　beating　at　the　door　to　be　let　in。