cpike.thelastvampire-第28部分

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　that　goes　through　to　the　metal　plate。　I　hide　the　tip　of　the　rod　under　a　lamp　base。　I　place　a　blasting　cap　at　the　bottom　end　of　it。　When　the　time　es；　I　will　hit　the　top　of　the　small　table；　the　rod　will　crush　the　blasting　cap；　and　the　first　bomb　will　go　off；　sending　us　flying。
　The　other　bomb　should　go　off　as　well；　almost　immediately。　I　keep　ing　back　to　that　point　in　my　mind　because　it　is　the　central　weakness　in　my　plan。　I　hope　we　will　be　high　enough　to　take　the　shock　from　the　second　bomb　from　below　so　the　plate　will　protect　us。
　Attaching　the　bomb　beneath　the　plate　takes　only　minutes。　I　use　twenty　sticks　of　dynamite；　tightly　bound。　I　place　fifty　sticks；　a　whole　crate；　beside　the　fireplace　in　the　living　room；　next　to　the　most　fortable　chair　in　the　house。　That　seat　I　will　offer　Yaksha。　We　will　live　or　die　depending　on　how　accurate　my　calculations　are；　and　how　well　we　play　our　parts　in　front　of　Yaksha。　That　is　the　other　serious　weakness　in　my　plan；　that　Yaksha　will　sense　something　amiss。　For　that　reason　I　have　instructed　Ray　to　say　little；　or　nothing　at　all。　But　I　am　confident　I　can　lie　to　Yaksha。　I　lie　as　effortlessly　as　I　tell　the　truth；　perhaps　more　easily。
　Ray　and　I　sit　in　our　special　flight　chairs　and　talk。　The　bomb　in　the　crate　sits　thirty　feet　away；　directly　in　front　of　us。　Above　us　I　have　opened　the　skylights。　The　cold　night　air　feels　good　for　once。　Even　with　them　open；　we　will　still　strike　glass　as　we　rocket　by。　I　warn　Ray；　but　he　is　not　worried。
　〃I　have　already　died　once　today；〃　he　says。
　〃You　must　have　had　your　nose　pressed　against　the　glass　to　fall　with　it。〃
　〃I　didn't　until　just　before　he　raised　his　flute。〃
　I　nod。　〃He　glanced　at　the　house　then。　He　must　have　pulled　you　forward　with　the　power　of　his　eyes。　He　can　do　that。　He　can　do　many　things。〃
　〃He　has　more　power　than　you？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Why　is　that？〃
　〃'He's　the　original　vampire。〃　I　glance　at　the　time…　an　hour　to　dawn。　〃Would　you　like　to　hear　the　story　of　his　birth？〃
　〃I　would　like　to　hear　all　your　stories。〃
　I　smile。　〃You　sound　like　Seymour。　I　visited　him　tonight　while　you　slept。　I　gave　him　a　present。　I　will　tell　you　about　it　another　time。〃
　I　pause　and　take　a　breath。　I　need　it　for　strength。　The　simple　work　of　a　terrorist　has　exhausted　me。　Where　to　begin　the　tale？　Where　will　I　end　it？　It　doesn't　seem　right　that　it　could　all　be　over　in　an　hour。　Right…what　a　word　choice　for　a　vampire　to　make。　I　who　have　violated　every　injunction　of　the　Vedas　and　the　Bible　and　every　other　holy　book　on　earth。　Death　never　es　at　the　right　time；　despite　what　mortals　believe。　Death　always　es　like　a　thief。
　I　tell　Ray　of　the　birth　of　Yaksha；　and　how　he　in　turn　made　me　a　vampire。　I　talk　to　him　about　meeting　Krishna；　but　here　my　words　fail　me。　I　do　not　weep；　I　do　not　rave。　I　simply　cannot　talk　about　him。　Ray　understands；　he　encourages　me　to　tell　him　about　my　life　in　another　era。
　〃Were　you　in　Ancient　Greece？〃　he　asks。　〃I　was　always　fascinated　by　that　culture。〃
　I　nod。　〃I　was　there　for　a　long　time。　I　knew　Socrates　and　Plato　and　Aristotle。　Socrates　recognized　me　as　something　inhuman；　but　I　didn't　scare　him。　He　was　fearless；　that　man。　He　laughed　as　he　drank　the　poison　he　was　sentenced　to　drink。〃　I　shake　my　head　at　the　memory。　〃The　Greeks　were　inquisitive。　There　was　one　young　man…Cleo。　History　does　not　remember　him；　but　he　was　as　brilliant　as　the　others。〃　My　voice　falters　again。　〃He　was　dear　to　me。　I　lived　with　him　for　many　years；〃
　〃Did　he　know　you　were　a　vampire？〃
　I　laugh。　〃He　thought　I　was　a　witch。　But　he　liked　witches。〃
　〃Tell　me　about　him；〃　Ray　says。
　〃I　met　Cleo　during　the　time　of　Socrates。　I　had　just　returned　to　Greece　after　being　away　for　many　years。　That's　my　pattern。　I　stay　in　one　place　only　as　long　as　my　youth；　my　constant　youth；　doesn't　bee　suspicious。　When　I　returned　to　Athens；　no　one　remembered　me。　Cleo　was　one　of　the　first　people　I　encountered。　I　was　walking　in　the　woods　when　I　found　him　helping　to　deliver　a　baby。　In　those　days　that　was　unheard　of。　Only　women　were　present　at　births。　Even　though　he　was　covered　with　blood　and　obviously　busy；　he　took　an　immediate　liking　to　me。　He　asked　me　to　help　him；　which　I　did；　and　when　the　child　was　born；　he　handed　it　to　the　mother　and　we　went　for　a　walk。　He　explained　that　he　had　worked　out　a　better　way　to　deliver　babies　and　had　wanted　to　test　his　theories。　He　also　admitted　that　he　was　the　father　of　the　infant；　but　that　was　not　important　to　him。
　〃Cleo　was　a　great　doctor；　but　he　was　never　recognized　by　his　peers。　He　was　ahead　of　his　time。　He　refined　the　technique　of　the　Caesarean　delivery。　He　experimented　with　magnets　and　how　they　could　restore　ailing　organs：　the　positive　pole　of　the　magnet　to　stimulate　an　organ；　the　negative　pole　to　pacify　it。　He　had　an　understanding　of　how　the　aromas　of　certain　flowers　could　affect　health。　He　was　also　the　first　chiropractor。　He　was　always　adjusting　people's　bodies；　cracking　their　necks　and　backs。　He　tried　to　adjust　me　once　and　sprained　his　wrists。　You　can　see　why　I　liked　him。〃
　I　went　on　to　explain　how　I　knew　Cleo　for　many　years；　and　spoke　of　his　one　fatal　flaw：　his　obsession　with　seducing　the　wives　of　Athens'　powerful　men。　How　he　was　eventually　caught　in　bed　with　the　wife　of　an　important　general；　and　beheaded　with　a　smile　on　his　face；　while　many　of　the　women　of　Athens　wept。　Wonderful　Cleo。
　I　talk　of　a　life　I　had　as　an　English　duchess　in　the　Middle　Ages。　What　it　was　like　to　live　in　a　castle。　My　words　bring　back　the　memories。　The　constant　drafts。　The　stone　walls。　The　roaring　fires…at　night；　how　black　those　nights　could　be。　My　name　was　Melissa　and　in　the　summer　months　I　would　ride　a　white　horse　through　the　green　countryside　and　laugh　at　the　advances　made　to　me　by　the　knights　in　shining　armor。　I　even　accepted　a　couple　of　offers　to　jostle；　offers　the　men　later　regretted　making。
　I　speak　of　a　life　in　the　South　during　the　American　Civil　War。　The　burning　and　pillaging　of　the　Yankees　as　they　stormed　across　Mississippi。　A　note　of　bitterness　enters　my　voice；　but　I　do　not　tell　Ray　everything。　Not　how　I　was　abducted　by　a　battalion　of　twenty　soldiers　and　tied　at　the　neck　with　a　rope　and　forced　to　grovel　through　a　swamp；　while　the　men　joked　about　what　pleasure　I　would　give　them　e　sunset。　I　do　not　want　to　scare　Ray；　so　I　do　not　explain　how　each　of　those　men　died；　how　they　screamed；　especially　the　last　ones；　as　they　tried　to　flee　from　the　swamp　in　the　dark；　from　the　swift　white　hands　that　tore　off　their　limbs　and　crushed　their　skulls。
　Finally　I　tell　him　of　how　I　was　in　Cape　Canaveral　when　Apollo　11　was　launched　toward　the　moon。　How　proud　I　was　of　humanity　then；　that　they　had　finally　reclaimed　the　adventurous　spirit　they　had　known　so　well　in　their　youth。　Ray　takes　joy　in　my　pleasure　of　the　memory。　It　makes　him　forget　the　horror　that　awaits　us；　which　is　part　of　the　reason　I　share　the　story。
　〃Did　you　ever　want　to　go　to　the　moon？〃　he　asks。
　〃Pluto。　Much　farther　from　the　sun；　you　know。　More　fortable　for　a　vampire。〃
　〃Did　you　grieve　when　Cleo　died？〃
　I　smile；　although　there　is　suddenly　a　tear　in　my　eye。　〃No。　He　lived　the　life　he　wanted。　Had　he　lived　too　long；　he　would　have　begun　to　bore　himself；〃
　〃I　understand。〃
　〃Good；〃　I　say。
　But　Ray　doesn't　really　understand。　He　misconstrues　the　sentiment　I　show。　My　tear　is　not　for　Cleo。　It　is　for　my　long　life；　the　totality　of　it；　all　the　people　and　places　that　are　a　part　of　it。　Such　a　rich　book　of　history　to　slam　shut　and　store　away　in　a　forgotten　corner。　I　grieve　for　all　the　stories　I　will　never　have　a　chance　to　tell　Seymour　and　Ray。　I　grieve　for　the　vow　I　have　broken。　I　grieve　for　Yaksha　and　the　love　I　could　never　give　him。　Most　of　all　I　grieve　for　my　soul　because　even　though　I　do；　finally；　believe　that　there　is　a　God；　and　that　I　have　met　him；　I　do　not　know　if　he　has　given　me　an　immortal　soul；　but　only　one　that　was　to　last　me　as　long　as　my　body　lasted。　I　do　not　know　if　when　the　last　page　of　my　book　is　closed；　that　will　be　the　end　of　me。
　Darkness　approaches　from　outside。
　I　feel　no　light　inside　me　strong　enough　to　resist　it。
　〃He　is　ing；〃　I　say。
　
　
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　There　is　a　knock　at　the　door。　I　call　out　to　e　in。　He　enters；　he　is　alone；　dressed　in　black；　a　cape；　a　hat…he　makes　a　stunning　figure。　He　nods　and　I　gesture　for