sk.thewastelands-第11部分

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urprise）　that　the　bum　was　Enrico　Balazar。　He　was　sitting　cross…legged　in　front　of　a　magic　shop。　HOUSE　OF　CARDS；　the　sign　in　the　window　read；　and　the　display　inside　showed　a　tower　which　had　been　built　of　Tarot　cards。　Standing　on　top　was　a　model　of　King　Kong。　There　was　a　tiny　radar…dish　growing　out　of　the　great　ape's　head。
　　Eddie　walked　on；　lazing　his　way　downtown；　the　street…signs　floating　past　him。　He　knew　where　he　was　going　as　soon　as　he　saw　it：　a　small　shop　on　the　corner　of　Second　and　Forty…sixth。
　　Yeah；　he　thought。　A　feeling　of　great　relief　swept　through　him。　This　is　the　place。　The　very　place。　The　window　was　full　of　hanging　meats　and　cheeses。　TOM　AND　GERRY'S　ARTISTIC　DELI；　the　sign　read。　PARTY　PLATTERS　OUR　SPECIALTY！
　　As　he　stood　looking　in；　someone　else　he　knew　came　around　the　corner。　It　was　Jack　Andolini；　wearing　a　three…piece　suit　the　color　of　vanilla　ice　cream　and　carrying　a　black　cane　in　his　left　hand。　Half　of　his　face　was　gone；　lopped　off　by　the　claws　of　the　lobstrosities。
　　Go　on　in；　Eddie；　Jack　said　as　he　passed。　After　all；　there　are　other　worlds　than　these　and　that　fuckin　train　rolls　through　all　of　them。
　　I　can't；　Eddie　replied。　The　door　is　locked。　He　didn't　know　how　he　knew　this；　but　he　did；　knew　it　beyond　a　shadow　of　a　doubt。
　　Dad…a…chum；　dud…a…chee；　not　to　worry；　you've　got　the　key；　Jack　said；　not　looking　back。　Eddie　looked　down　and　saw　he　did　have　a　key；　a　primitive…looking　thing　with　three　notches　like　inverted　Vs。
　　That　little　s…shape　at　the　end　of　the　last　notch　is　the　secret；　he　thought。　He　stepped　under　the　awning　of　Tom　and　Gerry's　Artistic　Deli　and　inserted　the　key　in　the　lock。　It　turned　easily。　He　opened　the　door　and　stepped　through　into　a　huge　open　field。　He　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　and　saw　the　traffic　on　Second　Avenue　hurrying　by；　and　then　the　door　slammed　shut　and　fell　over。　There　was　nothing　behind　it。　Nothing　at　all。　He　turned　back　to　survey　his　new　surroundings；　and　what　he　saw　filled　him　with　terror　at　first。　The　field　was　a　deep　scarlet；　as　if　some　titanic　battle　had　been　fought　here　and　the　ground　had　been　drenched　with　so　much　blood　that　it　could　not　all　be　absorbed。
　　Then　he　realized　that　it　was　not　blood　he　was　looking　at；　but　roses。
　　That　feeling　of　mingled　joy　and　triumph　surged　through　him　again；　swelling　his　heart　until　he　felt　it　might　burst　within　him。　He　raised　his　clenched　fists　high　over　his　head　in　a　gesture　of　victory　。　。　。　and　then　froze　that　way。
　　The　field　stretched　on　for　miles；　climbing　a　gentle　slope　of　land；　and　standing　at　the　horizon　was　the　Dark　Tower。　It　was　a　pillar　of　dumb　stone　rising　so　high　into　the　sky　that　he　could　barely　discern　its　tip。　Its　base；　surrounded　by　red；　shouting　roses；　was　formidable；　titanic　with　weight　and　size；　yet　the　Tower　became　oddly　graceful　as　it　rose　and　tapered。　The　stone　of　which　it　had　been　made　was　not　black；　as　he　had　imagined　it　would　be；　but　soot…colored。　Narrow；　slitted　windows　marched　about　it　in　a　rising　spiral；　below　the　windows　ran　an　almost　endless　flight　of　stone　stairs；　circling　up　and　up。　The　Tower　was　a　dark　gray　exclamation　point　planted　in　the　earth　and　rising　above　the　field　of　blood…red　roses。　The　sky　arched　above　it　was　blue；　but　filled　with　puffy　white　clouds　like　sailing　ships。　They　flowed　above　and　around　the　top　of　the　Dark　Tower　in　an　endless　stream。
　　How　gorgeous　it　is！　Eddie　marvelled。　How　gorgeous　and　strange！　But　his　feeling　of　joy　and　triumph　had　departed；　he　was　left　with　a　sense　of　deep　malaise　and　impending　doom。　He　looked　about　him　and　realized　with　sudden　horror　that　he　was　standing　in　the　shadow　of　the　Tower。　No；　not　just　standing　in　it；　buried　alive　in　it。
　　He　cried　out　but　his　cry　was　lost　in　the　golden　blast　of　some　tremen…dous　horn。　It　came　from　the　top　of　the　Tower；　and　seemed　to　fill　the　world。　As　that　note　of　warning　held　and　drew　out　over　the　field　where　he　stood；　blackness　welled　from　the　windows　which　girdled　the　Tower。　It　overspilled　them　and　spread　across　the　sky　in　flaggy　streams　which　came　together　and　formed　a　growing　blotch　of　darkness。　It　did　not　look　like　a　cloud；　it　looked　like　a　tumor　hanging　over　the　earth。　The　sky　was　blotted　out。　And；　he　saw；　it　was　not　a　cloud　or　a　tumor　but　a　shape；　some　tenebrous；　cyclopean　shape　racing　toward　the　place　where　he　stood。　It　would　do　no　good　to　run　from　that　beast　coalescing　in　the　sky　above　the　field　of　roses；　it　would　catch　him；　clutch　him；　and　bear　him　away。　Into　the　Dark　Tower　it　would　bear　him；　and　the　world　of　light　would　see　him　no　more。
　　Rents　formed　in　the　darkness　and　terrible　inhuman　eyes；　each　easily　the　size　of　the　bear　Shardik　which　lay　dead　in　the　forest；　peered　down　at　him。　They　were　red…red　as　roses；　red　as　blood。
　　Jack　Andolini's　dead　voice　hammered　in　his　ears：　A　thousand　worlds；　Eddie…ten　thousand！…and　that　train　rolls　through　every　one。　If　you　can　get　it　started。　And　if　you　do　get　it　started；　your　troubles　are　only　begin…ning；　because　this　device　is　a　real　bastard　to　shut　down。
　　Jack's　voice　had　bee　mechanical；　chanting。　A　real　bastard　to　shut　down；　Eddie　boy；　you　better　believe　it；　this　bastard　is…
　　〃…SHUTTING　DOWN！　SHUTDOWN　WILL　BE　PLETE　IN　ONE　HOUR　AND　SIX　MINUTES！〃
　　In　his　dream；　Eddie　threw　his　hands　up　to　shield　his　eyes　。。。
　　
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　　。　。　。　AND　WOKE；　SITTING　BOLT　upright　beside　the　dead　campfire。　He　was　looking　at　the　world　from　between　his　own　spread　fingers。　And　still　that　voice　rolled　on　and　on；　the　voice　of　some　heartless　SWAT　Squad　…mander　bellowing　through　a　bullhorn。
　　〃THERE　IS　NO　DANGER！　REPEAT；　THERE　IS　NO　DANGER！　FIVE　SUBNUCLEAR　CELLS　ARE　DORMANT；　TWO　SUBNUCLEAR　CELLS　ARE　NOW　IN　SHUTDOWN　PHASE；　ONE　SUBNUCLEAR　CELL　IS　OPERATING　AT　TWO　PER　CENT　CAPACITY。　THESE　CELLS　ARE　OF　NO　VALUE！　REPEAT；　THESE　CELLS　ARE　OF　NO　VALUE！　REPORT　LOCATION　TO　NORTH　CENTRAL　POSITRONICS；　LIMITED！　CALL　1…900…44！　THE　CODE　WORD　FOR　THIS　DEVICE　IS　'SHARDIK。'　REWARD　IS　OFFERED！　REPEAT；　REWARD　ZS　OFFERED！〃
　　The　voice　fell　silent。　Eddie　saw　Roland　standing　at　the　edge　of　the　clearing；　holding　Susannah　in　the　crook　of　one　arm。　They　were　staring　toward　the　sound　of　the　voice；　and　as　the　recorded　announcement　began　again；　Eddie　was　finally　able　to　shake　off　the　chill　remnants　of　his　nightmare。　He　got　up　and　joined　Roland　and　Susannah；　wondering　how　many　centuries　it　had　been　since　that　announcement；　pro…grammed　to　broadcast　only　in　the　event　of　a　total　system　breakdown；　had　been　recorded。
　　〃THIS　DEVICE　IS　SHUTTING　DOWN！　SHUTDOWN　WILL　BE　PLETE　IN　ONE　HOUR　AND　FIVE　MINUTES！　THERE　IS　NO　DANGER！　REPEAT…〃
　　Eddie　touched　Susannah's　arm　and　she　looked　around。　〃How　long　has　this　been　going　on？〃
　　〃About　fifteen　minutes。　You　were　dead　to　the　w…〃　She　broke　off。　〃Eddie；　you　look　terrible！　Are　you　sick？〃
　　〃No。　I　just　had　a　bad　dream。〃
　　Roland　was　studying　him　in　a　way　that　made　Eddie　feel　unfort…able。　〃Sometimes　there's　truth　in　dreams；　Eddie。　What　was　yours？〃
　　He　thought　for　a　moment；　then　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　remember。〃
　　〃You　know；　I　doubt　that。〃
　　Eddie　shrugged　and　favored　Roland　with　a　thin　smile。　〃Doubt　away；　then…be　my　guest。　And　how　are　you　this　morning；　Roland？〃
　　〃The　same；〃　Roland　said。　His　faded　blue　eyes　still　conned　Eddie's　face。
　　〃Stop　it；〃　Susannah　said。　Her　voice　was　brisk；　but　Eddie　caught　an　undertone　of　nervousness。　〃Both　of　you。　I　got　better　things　to　do　than　watch　you　two　dance　around　and　kick　each　other's　shins　like　a　couple　of　little　kids　playin　Two　for　Flinching。　Specially　this　morning；　with　that　dead　bear　trying　to　yell　down　the　whole　world。〃
　　The　gunslinger　nodded；　but　kept　his　eyes　on　Eddie。　〃All　right　。　。　。　but　are　you　sure　there's　nothing　you　want　to　tell　me；　Eddie？〃
　　He　thought　about　it　then…really　thought　about　telling。　What　he　had　seen　in　the　fire；　what　he　had　seen　in　his　dream。　He　decided　against　it。　Perhaps　it　was　only　the　memory　of　the　rose　in　the　fire；　and　the　roses　which　had　blanketed　that　dream…field　in　such　fabulous　profusion。　Me　knew　he　could　not　tell　these　things　as　his　eyes　had　seen　them　and　his　heart　had　felt　them；　he　could　only　cheapen　them。　And；　at　least　for　the　time　being；　he　wanted　to　ponder　these　things　alone。
　　But　remember；　he　told　himself　again　。　。　。　except　the　voice　in　his　mind　didn't　sound　much　like　his　own。　It　seemed　deeper；　older…the　voice　of　a　stranger。　Remember　the　rose　。　。　。　and　the　shape　of　the　key。
　　〃I　will；〃　he　murmured。
　　〃You　will　what？〃　Roland　asked。
　　〃Tell；〃　Eddie　said。　〃If　anything　es　up　that　seems；　you　know；　really　important；　I'll　tell　you。　Both　of　you。　Right　now　there　isn't。　So　if　we're　going　somewhere；　Shane；　old　buddy；　let's　saddle　up。〃
　　〃Shane？　Who　is　this　Shane？〃
　　〃I'll　tell　you　that　some　other　time；　too。　Meantime；　let's　go。〃
　　They　packed　the　gear　they　had　brought　with　them　from　the　old　campsite　and　headed　back；　Susannah　riding　in　her　wheelchair　again。　Eddie　had　an　idea　she　wouldn't　be　riding　in　it　for　long。
　　
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　　ONCE；　BEFORE　EDDIE　HAD　bee　too　interested　in　the　subject　of　heroin　to　be　interested　in　much　else；　he　and　a　couple　of　friends　had　driven　over　to　New　Jersey　to　see　a　couple　of　speed…metal　groups…Anthrax　and　Megadeth…in　concert　at　the　Meadowlands。　He　believed　that　Anthrax　had　been　slightly　louder　than　the　repeating　announcement　ing　from　the　fallen　bear；　but　he　wasn't　a　hundred　per　cent　sure。　Roland　stopped　them　while　they　were　still　half　a　mile　from　the　clearing　in　the　woods　and　tore　six　small　scaps　of　cloth　from　his　old　shirt。　They　stuffed　them　in　their　ears　and　then　went　on。　Even　the　cloth　didn't　do　much　to　deaden　the　steady　blast　of　sound。
　　〃THIS　DEVICE　IS　SHUTTING　DOWN！〃　the　bear　blared　as　they　stepped　into　the　clearing　again。　It　lay　as　it　had　lain；　at　the　foot　of　the　tree　Eddie　had　climbed；　a　fallen　Colossus　with　its　legs　apart　and　its　knees　in　the　air；　like　a　furry　female　giant　who　had　died　trying　to　give　birth。　〃SHUTDOWN　WILL　BE　PLETE　IN　FORTY…SEVEN　MINUTES！　THERE　IS　NO　DANGER…〃
　　Yes；　there　is；　Eddie　thought；　picking　up　the　scattered　hides　which　had　not　been　shredded　in　either　the　bear's　attack　or　its　flailing　death…throes。　Plenty　of　danger。　To　my　fucking　ears。　He　picked　up　Roland's　gunbelt　and　silently　handed　it　over。　The　chunk　of　wood　he　had　been　working　on　lay　nearby；　he　grabbed　it　and　tucked　it　into　the