dk.watchers-第50部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Their　wounds　were　grievous；　their　eyes　were　gone。
　The　dead　now　numbered　five　innocents；　and　that　toll　conjured　a　specter　of　guilt　that　haunted　Lem。　At　times　like　this；　he　wished　that　his　father　had　raised　him　with　no　sense　of　responsibility　whatsoever。
　Deputy　Hal　Bockner；　tall　and　tan　but　with　a　surprisingly　reedy　voice；　apprised　Lem　of　the　identity　and　condition　of　the　victims：　〃Based　on　the　ID　he　was　carrying；　the　male's　name　was　Sidney　Tranken；　twenty…eight；　of　Glendale。　Body　has　more　than　a　score　of　nasty　bite　marks；　even　more　claw　marks；　slashes。　Throat；　as　you　saw；　torn　open。　Eyes…〃
　〃Yes；〃　Lem　said；　seeing　no　need　to　dwell　on　these　grisly　details。
　The　men　from　the　crime　lab　pulled　the　zippers　shut　on　the　body　bags。　It　was　a　cold　sound　that　hung　for　a　moment　like　a　chain　of　icicles　in　the　hot　July　air。
　Deputy　Bockner　said；　〃At　first　we　thought　Tranken　was　probably　knifed　by　some　psycho。　Once　in　a　while　you　get　a　homicidal　nut　who　prowls　these　forests　instead　of　the　streets；　preying　on　hikers。　So　we　figured　。　。　。　knifed　first；　then　all　this　other　damage　must've　been　done　by　animals；　scavengers；　after　the　guy　was　dead。　But　now　。　。　。　we're　not　so　sure。〃
　〃I　don't　see　blood　on　the　ground　here；〃　Cliff　Soames　said　with　a　note　of　puzzlement。　〃There'd　have　been　a　lot　of　it。〃
　〃They　weren't　killed　here；〃　Deputy　Bockner　said；　then　went　on　with　his　Summary　at　his　own　pace。　〃Female；　twenty…seven；　Ruth　Kasavaris；　also　of　Glendale。　Also　vicious　bite　marks；　slashes。　Her　throat…〃
　Cutting　him　off　again；　Lem　said；　〃When　were　they　killed？〃
　〃Best　guess　before　lab　tests　is　that　they　died　late　yesterday。　We　believe　the　bodies　were　carried　up　here　because　they'd　be　found　quicker　on　the　ridge　top。　A　popular　hiking　trail　runs　along　here。　But　it　wasn't　other　hikers　found　them。　It　was　a　routine　fire…patrol　plane。　Pilot　looked　down；　saw　them　sprawled　here　on　the　bare　ridge。〃
　This　high　ground　above　Boulder　Canyon　was　more　than　thirty　air　miles
　north…northwest　of　Johnstone　Peak；　where　the　young　campers　had　taken　refuge　from　The　Outsider　in　their　van　and　had　later　fired　at　it　with　a　。32　pistol　on　June　18；　twenty…eight　days　ago。　The　Outsider　would　have　been　reckoning　north…northwest　by　sheer　instinct　and　no　doubt　would　have　frequently　been　required　to　backtrack　out　of　box　canyons；　therefore；　in　this　mountainous　terrain　it　had　very　likely　traveled　between　sixty　and　ninety　miles　on　the　ground　to　cover　those　thirty　air　miles。　Still；　that　was　only　a　pace　of　three　miles　a　day；　at　most；　and　Lem　wondered　what　the　creature　had　been　doing　during　the　time　it　was　not　traveling　or　sleeping　or　chasing　down　food。
　〃You'll　want　to　see　where　these　two　were　killed；〃　Bockner　said。　〃We've　found　the　place。　And　you'll　want　to　see　the　den；　too。〃
　〃Den？〃
　〃The　lair；〃　one　of　the　forest　rangers　said。　〃The　damn　lair。〃
　The　deputies；　rangers；　and　crime…lab　men　had　been　giving　Lem　and　Cliff　odd　looks　ever　since　they　had　arrived；　but　Lem　had　not　been　surprised　by　that。　Local　authorities　always　regarded　him　with　suspicion　and　curiosity　because　they　were　not　accustomed　to　having　a　powerhouse　federal　agency　like　the　NSA　show　up　and　claim　jurisdiction；　it　was　a　rarity。　But　now　he　realized　that　their　curiosity　was　of　a　different　kind　and　degree　than　what　he　usually　encountered；　and　for　the　first　time　he　perceived　their　fear。　They　had　found　something…the　lair　of　which　they　spoke…that　gave　them　reason　to　believe　this　case　was　even　stranger　than　the　sudden　appearance　of　the　NSA　would　usually　indicate。
　In　suits；　ties；　and　polished　street　shoes；　neither　Lem　nor　Cliff　was　properly　dressed　for　a　hike　down　into　the　canyon；　but　neither　of　them　hesitated　when　the　rangers　led　the　way。　Two　deputies；　the　lab　men；　and　one　of　the　three　rangers　remained　behind　with　the　bodies；　which　left　a　party　of　six　for　the　descent。　They　followed　a　shallow　channel　carved　by　runoff　from　rainstorms；　then　switched　to　what　might　have　been　a　deer　trail。　After　descending　to　the　very　bottom　of　the　canyon；　they　turned　southeast　and　proceeded　for　half　a　mile。　Soon　Lem　was　sweaty　and　covered　with　a　film　of　dust；　and　his　socks　and　pant　legs　were　full　of　prickling　burrs。
　〃Here's　where　they　were　killed；〃　Deputy　Bockner　said　when　he　led　them　into　a　clearing　surrounded　by　scrub　pines；　cottonwoods；　and　brush。
　The　pale；　sandy　earth　and　sun…bleached　grass　were　mottled　with　enormous　dark　stains。　Blood。
　〃And　right　back　here；〃　one　of　the　rangers　said；　〃is　where　we　found　the　lair。〃
　It　was　a　shallow　cave　in　the　base　of　the　canyon　wall；　perhaps　ten　feet　deep；　twenty　feet　wide；　no　more　than　a　dozen　steps　from　the　small　clearing　where　the　hikers　had　been　murdered。　The　mouth　of　the　cave　was　about　eight　feet　wide　but　low；　requiring　Lem　to　stoop　a　bit　as　he　entered。　Once　inside；　he　was　able　to　stand　erect；　for　the　ceiling　was　high。　The　place　had　a　mildly　unpleasant；　musty　smell。　Light　found　its　way　through　the　entrance　and　through　a　two…foot…wide　water…carved　hole　in　the　ceiling；　but　for　the　most　part　the　chamber　was　shadowy　and　twenty　degrees　cooler　than　the　canyon　outside。
　Only　Deputy　Bockner　acpanied　Lem　and　Cliff。　Lem　sensed　that　the　others　held　back　not　out　of　any　concern　that　the　cave　would　be　too　crowded；　but　out　of　an　uneasiness　about　the　place。
　Bockner　had　a　flashlight。　He　switched　it　on　and　played　the　beam　over　the　things　he　had　brought　them　to　see；　dispelling　some　of　the　shadows　and　causing　others　to　flit　batlike　across　the　room　to　roost　on　different　perches。
　In　one　corner；　dry　grass　had　been　piled　to　a　depth　of　six　or　eight　inches　to　make　a　bed　on　the　sandstone　floor。　Beside　the　bed　was　a　galvanized　bucket　full　of　relatively　fresh　water　carried　from　the　nearest　stream；　evidently　placed　there　so　the　sleeper　could　get　a　drink　upon　waking　in　the　middle　of　the　night。
　〃It　was　here；〃　Cliff　said　softly。
　〃Yes；〃　Lem　agreed。
　Instinctively　he　sensed　The　Outsider　had　made　this　bed；　somehow；　its　alien　presence　was　still　in　the　chamber。　He　stared　at　the　bucket；　wondering　where　the　creature　had　acquired　it。　Most　likely；　along　the　way　from　Banodyne；　it　had　decided　it　would　eventually　find　a　burrow　and　hide　for　a　while；　and　it　had　realized　it　would　need　a　few　things　to　make　its　life　in　the　wild　more　fortable。　Perhaps　breaking　into　a　stable　or　barn　or　empty　house；　it　had　stolen　the　bucket　and　various　other　things　that　Bockner　now　revealed　with　his　flashlight。
　A　plaid　flannel　blanket　for　when　the　weather　turned　cooler。　A　horse　blanket；　judging　by　the　look　of　it。　What　caught　Lem's　attention　was　the　neatness　with　which　the　blanket　had　been　folded　and　placed　on　a　narrow　ledge　in　the　wall　beside　the　entrance。
　A　flashlight。　This　was　on　the　same　shelf　that　held　the　blanket。　The　Outsider　had　exceedingly　good　night　vision。　That　was　one　of　the　design　requirements　with　which　Dr。　Yarbeck　had　been　working：　in　the　dark；　a　good　genetically　engineered　warrior　would　be　able　to　see　as　well　as　a　cat。　So　why　would　it　want　a　flashlight？　Unless　。　。　。　maybe　even　a　creature　of　the　night　was　sometimes　afraid　of　darkness。
　That　thought　jolted　Lem；　and　suddenly　he　pitied　the　beast　as　he　had　pitied　it　that　day　he　had　watched　it　municating　by　crude　sign　language　with　Yarbeck；　the　day　it　had　said　that　it　wanted　to　tear　its　own　eyes　out　so　it　would　never　have　to　look　at　itself　again。
　Bockner　moved　the　beam　of　his　own　flashlight　and　focused　it　on　twenty　candy　wrappers。　Apparently；　The　Outsider　had　stolen　a　couple　family　packs　of　candy　somewhere　along　the　way。　The　strange　thing　was　that　the　wrappers　were　not　crumpled　but　were　smoothed　out　and　laid　flat　on　the　floor　along　the　back　wall…ten　from　Reese's　peanut　butter　cups　and　ten　from　Clark　Bars。　Perhaps　The　Outsider　liked　the　bright　colors　of　the　wrappers。　Or　perhaps　it　kept　them　to　remind　itself　of　the　pleasure　that　the　candy　had　given　it　because；　Once　those　treats　were　gone；　there　was　not　much　other　pleasure　to　be　had　in　the　hard　life　to　which　it　had　been　driven
　In　the　farthest　corner　from　the　bed；　deep　in　shadows；　was　a　pile　of　bones。　The　bones　of　small　animals。　Once　the　candy　was　eaten；　The　Outsider　had　been　forced　to　hunt　in　order　to　feed　itself。　And　without　the　means　to　light　a
　fire；　it　had　fed　savagely　on　raw　meat。　Perhaps　it　kept　the　bones　in　the　cave　because　it　was　afraid　that；　by　disposing　of　them　outside；　it　would　be　leaving　clues　to　its　whereabouts。　By　storing　them　in　the　darkest；　farthest　corner　of　its　haven；　it　seemed　to　have　a　civilized　sense　of　neatness　and　order；　but　to　Lem　it　also　seemed　as　if　The　Outsider　had　hidden　the　bones　in　the　shadows　because　it　was　ashamed　of　its　own　savagery。
　Most　pathetically　of　all；　a　peculiar　group　of　items　was　stored　in　a　niche　in　the　wall　above　the　grassy　bed。　No；　Lem　decided；　not　just　stored。　The　items　were　carefully　arranged；　as　if　for　display；　the　way　an　aficionado　of　art　glass　or　ceramics　or　Mayan　pottery　might　display　a　valuable　collection。　There　was　a　round　stained…glass　bauble　of　the　sort　that　people　hung　from　their　patio　covers　to　sparkle　in　the　sun；　it　was　about　four　inches　in　diameter；　and　it　portrayed　a　blue　flower　against　a　pale…yellow　background。　Beside　that　bauble　was　a　bright　copper　pot　that　had　probably　once　contained　a　plant　on　the　same…or　another…patio。　Next　to　the　pot　were　two　things　that　surely　had　been　taken　from　inside　a　house；　perhaps　from　the　same　place　where　The　Outsider　had　stolen　the　candy：　first；　a　fine　porcelain　study　of　a　pair　of　red…feathered　cardinals　sitting　on　a　branch；　every　detail　exquisitely　crafted；　second；　a　crystal　paperweight。　Apparently；　even　within　the　alien　breast　of　Yarbeck's　monstrosity；　there　was　an　appreciation　of　beauty　and　a　desire　to　live　not　as　an　animal　but　as　a　thinking　being　in　an　ambience　at　least　lightly　touched　by　civilization。
　Lem　felt　sick　at　heart　as　he　considered　the　lonely；　tortured；　self…hating；　inhuman　yet　self…aware　creature　that　Yarbeck　had　brought　into　the　world。
　Last　of　all；　the　niche　above　the　grass　bed　held　a　ten…inch…high　figure　of　Mickey　Mouse　that　was　also　a　coin　bank。
　Lem's　pity　swelled　because　he　knew　why　the　bank　had　appealed　to　The　Outsider。　At　Banodyne；　there　had　been　experiments　to　determine　the　depth　and　nature　of　the　dog's　and　The　Outsider's　intelligence；　to　discover　how　close　their　perceptions　were　to　those　of　a　human　b