cb.coldheart canyon-第73部分

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ly　just　another　of　the　room's　tricks　to　keep　him　from　departing。　The　damn　place　probably　had　a　thousand　such　sleights…of…mind：　sexual；　philosophical；　murderous。
　 He　closed　his　eyes　hard　against　the　seductions　of　the　Country　and　put　his　head　against　the　door。　The　tile　was　clammy；　like　a　living　thing。　〃Tammy？〃　he　said。　〃Are　you　still　here？〃
　 〃Yes？〃
　 〃When　I　count　three；　I　want　you　to　push。　Got　it？〃
　 〃Got　it。〃
　 〃Okay。　Ready？〃
　 〃Ready。〃
　 〃One。　Two。　Three！〃
　 She　pushed。　He　pulled。　And　the　door　fell　open；　presenting　Todd　with　one　of　the　odder　juxtapositions　he'd　witnessed　in　his　life。　In　the　hallway　on　the　other　side　of　the　door　stood　a　woman　who　looked　as　though　she'd　gone　several　rounds　with　a　heavy…weight　boxer。　There　were　bloody　scratches　on　her　face；　neck　and　arms；　her　hair　and　clothes　were　in　disarray。　In　her　eyes　she　had　a　distinctly　panicked　look。
　 He　recognized　her　instantly。　She　was　the　leader　of　his　Fan　Club；　a　woman　called　Tammy　Lauper。　Yes！　The　missing　Tammy　Lauper！　How　the　hell　had　she　got　up　here？　Never　mind。　She　was　here；　thank　God。
　 〃I　thought　something　terrible　had　happened　to　you；〃　Lauper　said。
　 〃Give　it　time；〃　he　quipped。
　 Behind　him；　he　heard　the　horsemen　approaching。　He　glanced　around；　calling　again　to　Katya。
　 〃Hurry　up；　will　you？〃
　 When　he　returned　his　gaze　to　Tammy　it　was　clear　that　she'd　taken　in；　as　best　her　disbelief　would　allow；　the　incredible　sight　over　his　shoulder。　Her　eyes　were　wide　with　astonishment；　her　jaw　slack。
　 〃So　this　is　what　it　looks　like。〃
　 〃Yes；〃　he　said　to　her。　〃This　is　it。〃
　 Tammy　threw　a　look　back　at　a　stooped；　older　man　standing　on　the　stairs　behind　her。　He　looked　almost　incapacitated　with　fear。　But　unlike　Tammy；　whose　expression　was　that　of　someone　who　had　never　seen　anything　like　this　before；　it　was　Todd's　sense　that　her　panion　knew　exactly　what　he　was　seeing；　and　would　have　liked　nothing　better　than　to　have　turned　right　there　and　fled。
　 Then　Todd　heard　Katya　calling　from　behind　him；　naming　the　man。
　 〃Zeffer；〃　she　said；　the　word　freezing　the　man　where　he　stood。
　 〃Katya。。。〃　he　said；　inclining　his　head。
　 Katya　came　up　behind　Todd；　pressing　him　aside　in　order　to　cross　over　the　threshold。　She　pointed　at　the　trespasser　as　she　did　so。
　 〃I　told　you　never　to　e　back　into　this　house！〃　she　yelled　at　Zeffer。　〃Didn't　I？〃
　 He　flinched　at　this；　though　it　was　difficult　to　believe　she　posed　much　physical　threat　to　him。
　 She　summoned　him　down　the　stairs。　〃e　here；〃　she　said。　〃You　worthless　piece　of　shit！　I　said：　e　here！〃
　 Before　he　could　obey　her；　Tammy　intervened。　〃It's　not　his　fault；〃　she　said。　〃I　was　the　one　who　asked　him　to　bring　me　down　here。〃
　 Katya　have　her　a　look　of　plete　contempt；　as　though　anything　she　might　have　to　contribute　to　the　conversation　was　worthless。
　 〃Whoever　the　hell　you　are；〃　she　said；　〃this　is　none　of　your　business。〃
　 She　pushed　Tammy　aside　and　reached　out　to　catch　hold　of　Zeffer。　He　had　dutifully　approached　at　her　summons；　but　now　avoided　her　grasp。　She　came　after　him　anyway；　striking　his　chest　with　the　back　of　her　hand；　a　solid　blow；　and　another；　and　another。　As　she　struck　him　she　said：　〃I　told　you　to　stay　outside；　didn't　I？〃
　 The　blows　were　relatively　light；　but　they　carried　strength　out　of　all　proportion　to　their　size。　They　knocked　the　breath　out　of　him；　for　one　thing；　and　she'd　e　back　with　a　second　blow　before　he'd　drawn　breath　from　the　first；　which　quickly　weakened　him。　Tammy　was　horrified；　but　she　didn't　want　to　interfere；　in　case　she　simply　made　the　matter　worse。　Nor　was　her　attention　entirely　devoted　to　the　sight　of　Todd；　or　to　the　assault　upon　Zeffer。　Her　gaze　was　increasingly　claimed　by　the　sight　visible　through　the　open　door。　It　was　astonishing。　Despite　the　fact　that　Zeffer　had　told　her　the　place　was　an　illusion；　her　eyes　and　her　mind　were　wholly　enamoured　by　what　she　saw：　the　rolling　forest；　the　rocks　with　their　thickets　of　thorn　bushes；　the　delta　and　the　distant　sea。　It　all　looked　so　real。　And　what　was　that？
　 Some　creature　that　looked　like　a　feathered　lizard；　its　coxb　yellow　and　black；　scuttled　into　view；　and　out　again。
　 It　halted；　seeming　to　look　back　through　the　door　at　her：　a　beast　that　belonged　in　some　book　of　medieval　monsters　than　in　such　proximity　to　her。
　 She　glanced　back　at　Zeffer；　who　was　still　being　lectured　by　Katya。　With　the　door　open；　and　the　visions　beyond　presented　to　her；　she　saw　no　reason　not　to　step　over　the　threshold；　just　for　a　moment；　and　see　the　place　more　plainly。　After　all；　she　was　protected　against　its　beguilements。　She　knew　it　was　a　beautiful　lie；　and　as　long　as　she　remembered　that；　then　it　couldn't　do　her　any　harm；　could　it？
　 The　only　thing　in　the　landscape　that　was　real　was　Todd；　and　it　was　to　him　that　she　now　went；　crossing　the　dirt　and　the　windblown　grass　to　go　to　him。　The　feathered　reptile　lowered　its　coxb　as　she　crossed　the　ground；　and　slunk　away；　disappearing　into　a　crack　between　two　boulders。　But　Todd　wasn't　watching　animal…life。　He　had　his　eyes　on　several　horsemen　who　were　approaching　along　a　road　that　wound　through　a　dense　stand　of　trees。　They　were　approaching　at　speed；　kicking　up　clods　of　earth　as　they　came。　Were　they　real；　Tammy　wondered；　or　just　part　of　the　landscape？　She　wasn't　sure；　nor　was　she　particularly　eager　to　put　the　question　to　the　test。
　 Yet　with　every　passing　second　she　was　standing　in　this　world　the　more　she　felt　the　power　of　the　room　to　unknit　her　doubts。　She　felt　its　influence　seeping　through　her　sight　and　her　skin　into　her　mind　and　marrow。　Her　head　grew　giddy；　as　though　she'd　downed　two　or　three　glasses　of　wine　in　quick　succession。
　 It　wasn't　an　unpleasant　sensation　by　any　means；　especially　given　the　extreme　disfort　of　the　last　few　hours。　She　felt　almost　forted　by　the　room；　as　though　it　understood　how　she'd　suffered　of　late；　and　was　ready　to　soothe　her　hurts　and　humiliations　away。　It　would　distract　her　with　its　beauty　and　its　strangeness；　if　she　would　only　trust　it　for　a　while。
　 〃Tammy。。。〃　she　heard　Zeffer　say　behind　her。　His　voice　was　weak；　and　the　effect　his　summons　had　on　her　was　inconsequential。　She　didn't　even　acknowledge　it。　She　just　let　her　eyes　graze　contentedly　on　the　scene　before　her；　the　trees；　the　horsemen；　the　road；　the　rocks。
　 Soon；　she　knew；　the　riders　would　make　a　turn　in　that　road；　and　it　would　be　interesting　to　see　how　their　image　changed　when　they　were　no　longer　moving　in　profile；　but　were　ing　towards　her。
　 She　glanced　back　over　her　shoulder。　It　wasn't　far　to　the　door：　just　a　few　yards。　Her　eyes　didn't　even　focus　on　whatever　was　going　on　in　the　passageway。　It　seemed　very　remote　from　her　at　that　moment。
　 She　looked　back　towards　the　horsemen。　They　had　turned　the　corner　in　the　road；　and　were　now　ing　directly　towards　the　spot　where　Todd　and　she　stood。　It　was　the　oddest　visual　spectacle　she'd　ever　witnessed；　to　see　them　growing　larger　as　they　approached；　like　illustrations　emerging　from　a　book。　The　landscape　around　them　seemed　to　both　recede　and　advance　at　the　same　moment　as　they　approached；　its　motion　throwing　them　forward　as　the　ground　beneath　their　horses　drew　back　like　a　retreating　wave。　It　was　an　utterly　bewildering　spectacle；　but　its　paradoxical　beauty　enthralled　her。　All　thought　of　Zeffer's　summons；　or　indeed　his　safety；　were　forgotten：　it　was　as　though　she　was　watching　a　piece　of　film　for　the　first　time；　not　knowing　how　the　mechanism　worked　upon　her。　She　felt　Todd　throw　her　a　sideways　glance。　〃Time　to　go；〃　he　said。
　 The　earth　beneath　their　feet　reverberated　as　the　horsemen　approached。　They'd　be　at　the　door　in　thirty　or　forty　seconds。　〃e　on；〃　he　said。　
　 〃Yes。。。〃　she　murmured。　〃I'm　ing。〃
　 She　didn't　move。　It　wasn't　until　Todd　caught　hold　of　her　arm　and　pulled　her　back　towards　the　door　that　she　eventually　obeyed　the　instruction　and　went。　Even　then　she　kept　looking　back　over　her　shoulder；　astonished。　〃I　don't　believe　what　I'm　seeing；〃　she　said。
　 〃It's　all　real。　Trust　me　on　that；〃　he　said。　〃They　can　do　you　harm。〃　They　had　reached　the　threshold　now；　and　she　reluctantly　allowed　herself　to　be　coaxed　back　over　it　and　into　the　passageway。　She　was　amazed　at　the　speed　with　which　the　room　had　caught　her　attention；　made　itself　the　center　of　her　thoughts。
　 Even　now；　it　was　still　di