rm.thenightboat-第29部分

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　hand　at　his　throat　began　to　peel　the　flesh　away；　exposing　veins　and　cords。　The　shadows　moved　closer　as　the　odor　and　warmth　of　the　blood　wafted　up　to　them。　Another　moved　in；　bent　forward；　the　eyes　whirlpools　of　red；　its　claw　flashed　out；　ripping　away　a　cheek　that　dangled　on　slivers　of　skin。　A　three…fingered　hand；　bare　bone　showing　on　the　knuckles；　probed　at　an　eye；　in　the　next　instant　digging　in　and　tearing　it　away　like　a　quivering　grape　from　a　vine。
　　The　man　opened　his　mouth　and　moaned；　then　shuddered　involuntarily。　His　head　fell　back；　exposing　the　torn　throat　to　the　silver　light。　The　punctured　artery　in　his　neck　continued　to　pump　blood　in　widening　puddles。
　　And　then　the　crimson…eyed　shadows　fell　upon　him；　lips　and　tongues　voraciously　consuming　the　face　and　throat。　Teeth　bit　at　flesh；　tearing　through　and　gnawing　hungrily　on　bone；　the　weight　of　the　things　covered　him　over。　He　lifted　one　hand；　but　it　hung　useless；　in　the　air；　the　fingers　slowly　curling；　and　then　fell　back。　The　room　was　filled　with　the　noises　of　their　feeding；　the　grinding　of　teeth　on　bone；　the　sucking　at　gaping　wounds　and　the　tearing　away　of　chunks　of　flesh。　Blood　covered　the　floor；　and　some　of　the　things　bent　down　to　lap　at　the　puddles；　maddened　and　starved　for　its　sweet；　strong　taste。　They　began　to　tear　the　body　to　pieces；　biting　through　bone　for　the　marrow　and　the　fluids。　They　worked　faster　and　faster；　more　frantically；　the　sounds　of　their　breathing　echoing　in　the　room。　The　woman　whimpered　where　she　lay。　They　pushed　at　each　other　to　reach　the　wounds　and　when　one　wound　was　dry　they　groped　for　others；　hissing　in　fury　as　another　pushed　them　aside。　They　broke　open　new　rivulets　of　fluids；　like　dark　wine　from　fleshy　casks。　They　were　impatient　and　greedy　as　they　feasted；　ripping　strips　of　flesh　and　hoarding　them；　squeezing　out　the　final　drops。　And　when　they　were　finished　with　the　man；　when　they　had　scattered　him　in　grisly　pieces　and　sucked　him　dry　and　found　they　had　still　not　had　enough　to　fill　their　collapsed　veins　and　arteries；　not　enough　to　stop　the　terrible　pain；　not　to　quench　the　raging　fire；　they　turned　with　a　vengeance　upon　the　woman。
　　She　watched　them　e；　some　of　them　walking；　some　of　them　dragging　themselves　across　the　floor　toward　her；　and　she　was　powerless　to　move。　They　were　enraged　because　they　were　still　not　filled；　not　relieved　of　their　inhuman　pain；　and　their　teeth　were　merciless。
　　As　they　fed　on　her　motionless　body；　one　of　the　things　disentangled　itself　and　rose　to　its　feet。　Blood　smeared　its　lips　and　hands；　and　as　it　backed　away　from　the　mass　of　bodies　it　lifted　a　palm　and　licked　at　the　human　liquids。　It　stood　in　a　corner；　watching　as　the　others　tried　to　satisfy　their　hungers。　The　agony　still　remained；　deep　within　dried　and　twisted　tissues；　within　muscles　drawn　hard　as　stone；　within　flesh　shrunken　and　wrinkled　around　the　bones。　With　each　breath　the　agony　welled　up；　fanning　the　blaze　ever　higher。　The　thing　in　the　corner　put　a　hand　to　its　throat　in　a　vain　attempt　to　still　the　searing　pain。　No　pulse　beat　there；　the　heart　had　bee　a　lump　of　decayed　matter；　and　the　veins　had　collapsed　like　the　walls　of　empty　houses。　The　thing　shivered　suddenly；　in　agony　and　rage　and　madness　and　hate。
　　On　the　wall　beside　it　there　was　an　oval　mirror。　It　turned　its　head　very　slowly　and　peered　into　the　moonlit　reflection。
　　The　only　thing　living　in　that　face　were　the　eyes；　and　those　were　sunken　and　terrible；　slits　of　evil　in　the　shriveled　head。　At　one　time；　an　age　ago；　those　eyes　might　have　been　cunning　and　wolflike；　full　of　glory　and　the　blaze　of　battle。　The　once　aquiline　nose　was　flattened　and　almost　rotted　away；　now　just　a　pit　into　which　the　face　was　slowly　collapsing。　Patches　of　yellow　hair　clung　to　the　misshapen　scalp；　and　when　the　thing　opened　its　mouth　to　scream　against　its　own　image；　the　broken；　ragged…edged　teeth　glittered　in　the　light。
　　The　thing　lifted　up　its　arms　and　struck　the　glass。　A　crack　zigzagged　across　the　mirror；　slicing　the　vision　of　the　corpse's　face　into　two　disjointed　parts。　It　struck　again　and　again；　the　breath　ing　harshly　through　twisted　lips；　and　the　mirror　began　to　fall　to　pieces。　When　all　the　glass　had　broken　and　the　frame　was　empty；　the　thing　let　out　a　hoarse　roar　of　torment　and　rage；　the　scream　rising　up　and　up　and　ending　in　an　empty；　choked　sob。
　　The　others；　feeding　on　the　woman's　naked　body；　heard　but　did　not　pause　in　their　feast。　Currents　of　blood　shifted　around　them　like　ebbing　tides；　staining　the　tattered　remnants　of　their　brown　uniforms。
　　
　　On　the　front　porch　of　the　Indigo　Inn；　David　Moore　sat　sipping　a　drink　and　watched　a　light　far　out　at　sea。　A　cigarette　burned　in　an　ashtray　beside　his　chair；　there　was　a　half…empty　bottle　of　rum　at　his　feet。　The　light　came　off　a　freighter；　traveling　toward　the　port　of　a　larger　island。　The　sight　of　it　stirred　his　wanderlust；　made　him　think　of　distant　shores；　of　people　he　had　known　and　left　behind。
　　His　time　in　Baltimore　seemed　like　someone　else's　life　now。　He　had　been　a　different　David　Moore　then；　a　man　naive　and　unaware　in　so　many；　many　ways。　If　there　was　such　a　thing　as　fate；　it　had　moved　swiftly　in　his　case；　sweeping　him　along　on　a　path　from　which　he　could　never　hope　to　find　his　way　back。　Nothing　could　ever　alter　his　own　personal　tragedy；　the　scar　would　always　remain；　deep　and　ragged；　on　his　soul。　Since　the　deaths　of　his　wife　and　son　he　had　determined　not　to　fall　in　love　again；　and　though　he　had　fallen　in　love　with　places　and　experiences　he　could　never　really　get　close　to　people　again。　It　was　too　dangerous。　He　had　been　attracted　to　other　women；　yes；　he　had　sought　sexual　encounters　just　as　the　women　he　spent　nights　with　did；　but　he　found　it　difficult　to　express　his　emotions　anymore。　He　knew　he　drank　too　much　because　he　was　afraid　of　both　life　and　death；　rather；　he　was　suspended　between　them；　his　senses　still　indulging　in　the　multitudinous　experiences　his　travels　had　offered　him；　while　his　deep…seated　emotions　were　numbed　and　frozen。　He　was　now　just　the　shell　of　a　man　who　had　once　run　his　hands　through　Beth's　hair　and　felt　the　power　spark　between　them　like　currents　of　electricity。　And　yet；　in　all　this　time　he　had　only　felt　himself　grow　closer　to　her。　Sometimes；　locked　in　a　dream；　he　knew　he　only　had　to　reach　out　a　few　inches　and　touch　her　supple　naked　body；　draw　her　closer　to　him　and　hold　her　so　tightly　she　would　never　be　taken　from　him　again。
　　And　thinking　of　Brian；　his　son；　was　just　as　difficult：　What　sort　of　man　would　he　have　bee？　What　would　it　have　been　like　to　watch　the　boy　grow　up；　go　to　college？　God　forbid　that　he　would　have　taken　a　position　at　his　grandfather's　bank　and　been　stifled　just　as　David　had　been。　No；　that　was　too　easy。　Perhaps　the　boy　would　have　been　intrigued　by　the　ocean；　and　would　have　chosen　a　life　that　would　have　fulfilled　him…in　ocean　engineering；　or　oceanography；　say。　Those　were　fields　David　might　have　picked；　had　not　the　family　decided　on　his　direction　in　life。　He　would　have　made　certain　that　Brian　knew　there　was　an　entire　world　of　choices；　he　would　have　made　certain　the　boy　knew　his　life　was　his　own。
　　Now；　when　the　rum　had　him　and　the　sea　was　crashing　across　the　reef；　when　he　sat　alone　with　the　night；　he　couldn't　keep　the　images　at　bay　very　long：　he　and　the　boy　playing　touch…football　in　a　wide；　grassy　park　under　fleecy　clouds；　Beth's　hand　reaching　for　his　under　a　long　waxed　table　during　a　Thanksgiving　dinner　at　the　elder　Moore's　estate；　the　flashing　blare　of　a　carnival　merry…go…round；　and　their　lips　meeting　as　Brian；　on　a　red…mouthed　palamino；　clapped　his　hands　and　grinned。
　　And　after　it　had　happened；　after　the　day　of　storm　and　terror；　after　the　doctors　had　diagnosed　his　listlessness；　insomnia；　and；　later；　fits　of　rage　as　〃survivor's　syndrome；〃　his　father　had　confronted　him　in　the　sitting　room　of　the　family　home；　the　old　man's　icy　eyes　had　stared　at　him　through　a　flat　haze　of　blue　Cuban　cigar　smoke。　He　had　not　looked　at　his　father；　instead　remaining　intent　on　the　flames　that　burned　within　a　huge　marble　hearth。
　　〃If　you're　in　trouble　with　the　police　again；　David；〃　the　old　man　said　finally；　his　voice　a　harsh　rasp；　〃I'm　not　going　to　help　you。　I　want　you　to　understand　that　here　and　now。　Your　barroom　brawls　and　destruction　of　public　property　have　gone　far　enough。〃
　　The　younger　man　sat　in　silence；　a　log　shifted；　then　burst　into　flame。
　　〃Well？　Have　you　nothing　to　say　to　me？〃
　　Moore　slowly　turned　his　head；　their　eyes　met；　ice　against　ice；　and　locked。　〃I　didn't　ask　you　to　help　me　last　time；〃　he　said　quietly。
　　〃By　God；　someone　had　to！〃　The　old　man　waved　his　cigar；　knocking　off　ashes　onto　the　Oriental　carpet。　〃What　was　I　to　do；　leave　you　in　jail　for　the　rest　of　the　night；　let　some　goddamned　reporter　find　you　in　there　drunk　and　do　a　story　about　how　Horton　Moore's　son　went　wild　and　shot　out　every　damned　traffic　light　for　eight　city　blocks？　Jesus！　That　would　be　exactly　what　my　investors　would　like　to　see！〃
　　〃Fuck　your　investors；〃　Moore　said；　in　a　whisper；　too　low　for　his　father　to　hear。
　　〃And　you'd　be　in　jail　right　this　minute　if　I　didn't　have　a　lot　of　friends　at　City　Hall！〃　the　old　man　continued；　his　eyes　blazing。　〃My　God；　boy；　what's　to　bee　of　you？　There　are　no　black　sheep　in　the　Moore　family；　I　want　you　to　know　that！　And　I　won't　sit　here　and　watch　you　bee　one；　not　while　I　have　breath　left　in　me；　I　won't！〃
　　Moore　nodded　but　said　nothing；　he　heard　the　fire　burning　and　to　him　it　sounded　like　the　noise　of　the　sea　over　rocks。
　　〃I　don't　know；　I　don't　know；〃　his　father　muttered；　spewing　out　a　stream　of　smoke　that　curled　toward　the　painting　above　the　mantel。　The　man　in　the　portrait　had　another　pair　of　accusing；　solemn　eyes：　those　of　Moore's　grandfather。　〃Maybe　because　you　were　my　only　child；　maybe　that's　why　I've　been　so　lenient　with　you。　Maybe　I've　loved　you　too　much；　I　don't　know。。。　I　thank　God　your　mother　isn't　alive　to　see　what　you've　bee！〃
　　Moore　faced　his　father　at　last；　and　the　look　he　gave　him　was　so　fierce　the　old　man　was　silent。　〃And　what　have　I　bee？　You've　tried　to　make　something　of　me　that　I　never　wanted　to　be；　nothing　bores　me　more　than　the　thought　of　that　office；　those　confining　walls；　the　dead　rustle　of　papers。　I　was　a　born　executive；　isn't　that　what　you　told　your　associates？　An　executive　in　the　Moore　mo