sk.thewastelands-第16部分

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as　over；　every　muscle　in　his　body　seemed　to　have　picked　up　its　own　little　thrumming　tremor。　He　did　not　want　either　of　them　to　see　him　this　way…not　because　they　might　misread　it　as　fear；　but　because　one　or　both　might　know　it　for　what　it　really　was：　excitement　overload。　He　had　liked　it。　Even　when　you　added　in　the　bat　which　had　almost　scalped　him；　he　had　liked　it。
　　That's　bullshit；　buddy。　And　you　know　it。
　　The　trouble　was；　he　didn't　know　it。　He　had　e　face　to　face　with　something　Susannah　had　found　out　for　herself　after　shooting　the　bear：　he　could　talk　about　how　he　didn't　want　to　be　a　gunslinger；　how　he　didn't　want　to　be　tramping　around　this　crazy　world　where　the　three　of　them　seemed　to　be　the　only　human　life；　that　what　he　really　wanted　more　than　anything　else　was　to　be　standing　on　the　corner　of　Broadway　and　Forty…second　Street；　popping　his　fingers；　munching　a　chili…dog；　and　listening　to　Creedence　Clearwater　Revival　blast　out　of　his　Walkman　earphones　as　he　watched　the　girls　go　by；　those　ultimately　sexy　New　York　girls　with　their　pouty　go…to…hell　mouths　and　their　long　legs　in　short　skirts。　He　could　talk　about　those　things　until　he　was　blue　in　the　face；　but　his　heart　knew　other　things。　It　knew　that　he　had　enjoyed　blowing　the　electronic　menag…erie　back　to　glory；　at　least　while　the　game　was　on　and　Roland's　gun　was　his　own　private　hand…held　thunderstorm。　He　had　enjoyed　kicking　the　robot　rat；　even　though　it　had　hurt　his　foot　and　even　though　he　had　been　scared　shitless。　In　some　weird　way；　that　part…the　being　scared　part…actually　seemed　to　add　to　the　enjoyment。
　　All　that　was　bad　enough；　but　his　heart　knew　something　even　worse：　that　if　a　door　leading　back　to　New　York　appeared　in　front　of　him　right　now；　he　might　not　walk　through　it。　Not；　at　least；　until　he　had　seen　the　Dark　Tower　for　himself。　He　was　beginning　to　believe　that　Roland's　illness　was　a　municable　disease。
　　As　he　wrestled　Susannah's　chair　through　the　tangle　of　junk…alders；　cursing　the　branches　that　whipped　at　his　face　and　tried　to　poke　his　eyes　out；　Eddie　found　himself　able　to　admit　at　least　some　of　these　things；　and　the　admission　cooled　his　blood　a　little。　/　want　to　see　if　it　looks　the　way　it　did　in　my　dream；　he　thought。　To　see　something　like　that。　。　。　that　would　be　really　fantastic。
　　And　another　voice　spoke　up　inside。　I'll　bet　his　other　friends…the　ones　with　the　names　that　sound　like　they　came　straight　from　the　Round　Table　in　King　Arthur's　court…I'll　bet　they　felt　the　same　way；　Eddie。　And　they're　all　dead。　Every　one　of　them。
　　He　recognized　that　voice；　like　it　or　not。　It　belonged　to　Henry；　and　that　made　it　a　hard　voice　not　to　hear。
　　
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　　ROLAND；　WITH　SUSANNAH　BALANCED　on　his　right　hip；　was　standing　in　front　of　the　metal　box　that　looked　like　a　subway　entrance　closed　for　the　night。　Eddie　left　the　wheelchair　at　the　edge　of　the　clearing　and　walked　over。　As　he　did；　the　steady　humming　noise　and　the　vibration　under　his　feet　became　louder。　The　machinery　making　the　noise；　he　realized；　was　either　inside　the　box　or　under　it。　It　seemed　that　he　heard　it　not　with　his　ears　but　somewhere　deep　inside　his　head；　and　in　the　hollows　of　his　gut。
　　〃So　this　is　one　of　the　twelve　portals。　Where　does　it　go；　Roland？　Disney　World？〃
　　Roland　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　know　where　it　goes。　Maybe　nowhere　。。。　or　everywhere。　There's　a　lot　about　my　world　I　don't　know…surely　you　both　have　realized　that。　And　there　are　things　I　used　to　know　which　have　changed。〃
　　〃Because　the　world　has　moved　on？〃
　　〃Yes。〃　Roland　glanced　at　him。　〃Here；　that　is　not　a　figure　of　speech。　The　world　really　is　moving　on；　and　it　goes　ever　faster。　At　the　same　time；　things　are　wearing　out　。　。　。　falling　apart　。　。　。〃　He　kicked　die　mechanical　corpse　of　the　walking　box　to　illustrate　his　point。
　　Eddie　thought　of　the　rough　diagram　of　the　portals　which　Roland　had　drawn　in　the　dirt。　〃Is　this　the　edge　of　the　world？〃　he　asked；　almost　timidly。　〃I　mean；　it　doesn't　look　much　different　than　anyplace　else。〃　He　laughed　a　little。　〃If　there's　a　drop…off；　I　don't　see　it。〃
　　Roland　shook　his　head。　〃It's　not　that　kind　of　edge。　It's　the　place　where　one　of　the　Beams　starts。　Or　so　I　was　taught。〃
　　〃Beams？〃　Susannah　asked。　〃What　Beams？〃
　　〃The　Great　Old　Ones　didn't　make　the　world；　but　they　did　re…make　it。　Some　tale…tellers　say　the　Beams　saved　it；　others　say　they　are　the　seeds　of　the　world's　destruction。　The　Great　Old　Ones　created　the　Beams。　They　are　lines　of　some　sort。。。　lines　which　bind　。　。　。　and　hold　。　。　。〃
　　〃Are　you　talking　about　magnetism？〃　Susannah　asked　cautiously。
　　His　whole　face　lit　up；　transforming　its　harsh　planes　and　furrows　into　something　new　and　amazing；　and　for　a　moment　Eddie　knew　how　Roland　would　look　if　he　actually　did　reach　his　Tower。
　　〃Yes！　Not　just　magnetism；　but　that　is　a　part　of　it　。。。　and　gravity　。　。　。　and　the　proper　alignment　of　space；　size；　and　dimension。　The　Beams　are　the　forces　which　bind　these　things　together。〃
　　〃Wele　to　physics　in　the　nuthouse；〃　Eddie　said　in　a　low　voice。
　　Susannah　ignored　this。　〃And　the　Dark　Tower？　Is　it　some　kind　of　generator？　A　central　power…source　for　these　Beams？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　〃But　you　do　know　that　this　is　point　A；〃　Eddie　said。　〃If　we　walked　long　enough　in　a　straight　line；　we'd　e　to　another　portal…call　it　point　C…on　the　other　edge　of　the　world。　But　before　we　did；　we'd　e　to　point　B。　The　center…point。　The　Dark　Tower。〃
　　The　gunslinger　nodded。
　　〃How　long　a　trip　is　it？　Do　you　know？〃
　　〃No。　But　I　know　it's　very　far；　and　that　the　distance　grows　with　every　day　that　passes。〃
　　Eddie　had　bent　to　examine　the　walking　box。　Now　he　straightened　up　and　stared　at　Roland。　〃That　can't　be。〃　He　sounded　like　a　man　trying　to　explain　to　a　small　child　that　there　really　isn't　a　boogeyman　living　in　his　closet；　that　there　can't　be　because　there　isn't　any　such　thing　as　the　boogeyman；　not　really。　〃Worlds　don't　grow；　Roland。〃
　　〃Don't　they？　When　I　was　a　boy；　Eddie；　there　were　maps。　I　remem…ber　one　in　particular。　It　was　called　The　Greater　Kingdoms　of　the　Western　Earth。　It　showed　my　land；　which　was　called　by　the　name　Gilead。　It　showed　the　Downland　Baronies；　which　were　overrun　by　riot　and　civil　war　in　the　year　after　I　won　my　guns；　and　the　hills；　and　the　desert；　and　the　mountains；　and　the　Western　Sea。　It　was　a　long　distance　from　Gilead　to　the　Western　Sea…a　thousand　miles　or　more…but　it　had　taken　me　over　twenty　years　to　cross　that　distance。〃
　　〃That's　impossible；〃　Susannah　said　quickly；　fearfully。　〃Even　if　you　walked　the　whole　distance　it　couldn't　take　twenty　years。〃
　　〃Well；　you　have　to　allow　for　stops　to　write　postcards　and　drink　beer；〃　Eddie　said；　but　they　both　ignored　him。
　　〃I　didn't　walk　but　rode　most　of　the　distance　on　horseback；〃　Roland　said。　〃I　was…slowed　up；　shall　we　say？…every　now　and　then；　but　for　most　of　that　time　I　was　moving。　Moving　away　from　John　Farson；　who　led　the　revolt　which　toppled　the　world　I　grew　up　in　and　who　wanted　my　head　on　a　pole　in　his　courtyard…he　had　good　reason　to　want　that；　I　suppose；　since　I　and　my　patriots　were　responsible　for　the　deaths　of　a　great　many　of　his　followers…and　because　I　stole　something　he　held　very　dear。〃
　　〃What；　Roland？〃　Eddie　asked　curiously。
　　Roland　shook　his　head。　〃That's　a　story　for　another　day　。。。　or　maybe　never。　For　now；　think　not　of　that　but　of　this：　I've　e　many　thousands　of　miles。　Because　the　world　is　growing。〃
　　〃A　thing　like　that　just　can't　happen；〃　Eddie　reiterated；　but　he　was　badly　shaken；　all　the　same。　〃There'd　be　earthquakes　。　。　。　floods　。　。　。　tidal　waves　。。。　I　don't　know　what　all　。。。〃
　　〃Look！〃　Roland　said　furiously。　〃Just　look　around　you！　What　do　you　see？　A　world　that　is　slowing　down　like　a　child's　top　even　as　it　speeds　up　and　moves　on　in　some　other　way　none　of　us　understand。　Look　at　your　kills；　Eddie！　Look　at　your　kills；　for　your　father's　sake！〃
　　He　took　two　strides　toward　the　stream；　picked　up　the　steel　snake；　examined　it　briefly；　and　tossed　it　to　Eddie；　who　caught　it　with　his　left　hand。　The　snake　broke　in　two　pieces　as　he　did　so。
　　〃You　see？　It's　exhausted。　All　the　creatures　we　found　here　were　exhausted。　If　we　hadn't　e；　they　would　have　died　before　long；　anyway。　Just　as　the　hear　would　have　died。〃
　　〃The　bear　had　some　sort　of　disease；〃　Susannah　said。
　　The　gunslinger　nodded。　〃Parasites　which　attacked　the　natural　parts　of　its　body。　But　why　did　they　never　attack　it　before？〃
　　Susannah　did　not　reply。
　　Eddie　was　examining　the　snake。　Unlike　the　bear；　it　appeared　to　be　a　totally　artificial　construction；　a　thing　of　metal；　circuits；　and　yards　（or　maybe　miles）　of　gossamer…thin　wire。　Yet　he　could　see　flecks　of　rust；　not　just　on　the　surface　of　the　half…snake　he　still　held；　but　in　its　guts　as　well。　And　there　was　a　patch　of　wetness　where　either　oil　had　leaked　out　or　water　had　seeped　in。　This　moisture　had　rotted　away　some　of　the　wires；　and　a　greenish　stuff　that　looked　like　moss　had　grown　over　several　of　the　thumbnail…sized　circuit　boards。
　　Eddie　turned　the　snake　over。　A　steel　plate　proclaimed　it　to　be　the　work　of　North　Central　Positronics；　Ltd。　There　was　a　serial　number；　but　no　name。　Probably　too　unimportant　to　name；　he　thought。　Just　a　sophisti…cated　mechanical　Roto…Rooter　designed　to　give　old　Br'er　Bear　an　enema　every　once　In　a　while；　keep　him　regular；　or　something　equally　disgusting。
　　He　dropped　the　snake　and　wiped　his　hands　on　his　pants。
　　Roland　had　picked　up　the　tractor…gadget。　He　yanked　at　one　of　the　treads。　It　came　off　easily；　showering　a　cloud　of　rust　down　between　his　boots。　He　tossed　it　aside。
　　〃Everything　in　the　world　is　either　ing　to　rest　or　falling　to　pieces；〃　he　said　flatly。　〃At　the　same　time；　the　forces　which　interlock　and　give　the　world　its　coherence…in　time　and　size　as　well　as　in　space…are　weakening。　We　knew　that　even　as　children；　but　we　had　no　idea　what　the　time　of　the　end　would　be　like。　How　could　we？　Yet　now　I　am　living　in　those　times；　and　I　don't　believe　they　affect　my　world　alone。　They　affect　yours；　Eddie　and　Susannah；　they　may　affect　a　billion　others。　The　Beams　are　breaking　down。　I　don't　know　if　that's　a　cause　or　only　another　symptom；　but　I　know　it's　true。　e！　Draw　close！　Listen！〃
　　As　Eddie　approached　the　metal　box　with　its　alternating　diagonal　slashes　of　yellow　and　black；　a　strong　and　unpleasant　memory　seized　him…for　the　first　time