rm.thenightboat-第39部分
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illed from it; a bottle had been thrown against a wall; leaving its remains in red smears on the paint。
〃Get back to your home!〃 Boniface said。 〃Get back to your woman and child!〃
〃What's all this for?〃 he asked; motioning toward the objects。 He was beginning to feel a coldness working its way into him; slowly and insidiously。
Boniface opened his mouth; paused; his eyes fearful and half…crazed。 〃To。。。 keep them away。。。〃 he said; very quietly。
〃Talk sense!〃 Kip said; fighting to hold back his anger。
〃They。。。 fear the fire。 I've been trying to break it。。。 it's too difficult now; and I'm old; and I'm weak。。。 and I'm very tired。。。〃
〃Break it? Break what; damn it?〃
Boniface started to say something but the words never came。 He seemed to shrivel up; even as Kip watched him; all the life leaving him at once until only a shell of flesh with weary; frightened eyes remained。 He held out a hand to steady himself; leaning on a shattered pew; he sat down; put his face in his hands; and stayed that way for almost a minute。 When he looked up his face was drawn and anxious; as if he'd heard something approaching。 His eyes glittered wildly in the red light and came to rest on Kip's face。 〃Help me;〃 he said in a whisper。 〃Can't you。。。 help me?〃
〃Help you do what?〃
〃It's too late。。。〃 Boniface said; as if he were speaking to himself。 〃I never thought they would。。。〃
〃Listen to me。〃 Kip walked over and stood next to the houngan。 〃Two more people are dead。。。 probably others as well。 I want to know what those things are; and I think you can tell me。〃
〃The boat;〃 Boniface whispered。 〃That beast from Hell。 The Night Boat。 No one can help now。 They're free; I can feel it。 They're free; all of them; and no man can turn them back until they've done what they must do。〃
Kip leaned over the pew; his gaze boring deep。 〃Tell me。〃 The chill inside him made his bones ache。
Drawing a long breath; Boniface put a hand to his face。 The gesture cast a huge shadow on the opposite wall。 He nodded; as if giving himself up to something。 〃The Sect Rouge。 Do you know it?〃
〃Only from hearsay;〃 Kip said。
〃The most powerful and secret society in all the islands。 They use the dark things as their weapons; for power or a price they cause famine and pestilence; they mit murders cold…bloodedly and efficiently。 I know。 Because I was a member of the Haitian Sect Rouge for five years; and in that time I created much that was evil。 I learned the art of fashioning the waxen images of my enemies or those I was paid to assassinate; to slowly force nails one by one through the opening of the mouth; or draw a garotte tight around the throat。 I learned the art of the wanga…poisons…and how to leave a trace of it on a marked man's pillow; or smeared along the rim of a glass; so that death came painfully and stretched into weeks。 I conjured the evil loa; and conspired with them for the souls of my enemies。 I have made a corpse scream for revenge; I have worked the sorcery that transfigures time and breaks the barriers between the living and the dead; and I have unleashed evil things onto this world。
〃I left Haiti in 1937; after the murder of a rival houngan who was threatening to expose my Sect Rouge activities to the local police。 To escape those who would avenge that man's death; I came here。 Those were my days of youth。。。 and strength。 Now I cannot control it。。。 I cannot; and I am very tired。。。〃
〃What are those things from the U…boat?〃 Kip demanded。
The fear had pooled up in Boniface's eyes; now it brimmed over。 〃Think of it。 What would be the most horrible means of execution? A death by inches; the body and brain starving for air; flesh writhing in total agony。 The minutes stretching into hours; days; years; an eternity of torture。 Flesh drying over bones; intestines hardening; brains and skulls shriveling; nerves screaming in unendurable pain。 No air; no sun; no chance for escape; only the agony and the darkness; each a hideous partner to the other。 But still Death delays its merciful touch; he will not free them until they have paid with their flesh。 Their souls will be trapped within a rotting house; and even after their bodies have begun to fall to pieces there will be no peace。 Not until the decay is plete; or until their black; evil hearts are pierced; or until they are burned into ashes。〃 He lifted his gaze。 〃Half…human; living corpses; driven mad with pain and rage; hungering for the fluids of life in the vain hope their burning will be cooled。 I know。 Because I made them as they are。。。〃
Kip stood motionless; feeling that chill creeping around him。 Shadows flickered huge and monstrous across the walls; diminished; and leaped again。
〃When I came to Coquina in 1937;〃 Boniface said; 〃there was no constable; no officials of the law。 This church was a dilapidated ruin; the Catholic priest had caught the fever and died some months before。 So I set myself up as a minister; it was a logical way to gain some measure of power over the people; and to hide from my Haitian enemies。 The priest hadn't understood their voodoo beliefs; and I found it easy to gain a following。 The people looked to me for guidance; to act as both their houngan and their legal guardian; the law I enforced was stern; harsh perhaps; and I punished evil by the only means I knew: an eye for an eye。
〃And then came that war。 The British brought their men and their ships; they assigned a constable to look after the island。 And though he was a good and fair man; like you; I was still Coquina's real law。 I had the power; and with it the responsibility。 When that damned iron monster came up from the depths; when it rained fire on the island and killed those I loved; I knew I must take a hand against it。
〃I saw the bodies after they had been blown to bloody bits; the sight haunted my nightmares。 The dead reached from their graves; calling me; whispering in the still darkness; until I could take no more; I had the power; the spells taught me by the zobop; the master magicians; and that power was greater than any weapon on earth。〃
Boniface was silent for a moment; staring at his wrinkled hands。 〃I knew the monster would return; in a drug…induced vision; through the sweat and pain; I saw the Night Boat nearing Coquina; saw a burning freighter and death floating on the sea。 That terrible thing was returning; and I knew I must await it。
〃And on that night when the sky was filled with red streaks and flame; when the battle raged over the Abyss and we could see the ships circling their prey; I built a fire on the beach and began my work。 I asked help from Damballah; to entrap the thing in the sea; and from Baron Samedi; to withhold his mercy。 It was difficult。。。 it took many hours; and I prayed that the thing would not escape before I was finished。
〃In a trance I could see the boat hidden there in the Abyss; in the midst of black; churning currents; I saw the sand fall over it; crushing it under。 They were trapped; they would never return to hurt my people again。 They would starve for air; they would decay。。。 but their deaths would be withheld。 I could see through the sand and the iron; as if my eyes were everywhere; and I saw them there。。。 huddled together; their air slowly giving out; their lungs heaving。 In my mind I saw a black; gnarled hand reach out to touch them; they trembled; as if they had been touched by the Devil。 A voice reached me…soft; of velvet and steel; whether male or female I did not know…whispering: It has begun。 I don't know when I awoke from the trance; but I was sitting before a cold fire and all the British ships had gone。 It had taken two days。
〃Now those things exist on the border between life and death。 But I can't hurry the process; Kip; and now they possess a power that I hadn't foreseen。 Hate…because of their agony; because we are human and they。。。 no longer are。 To them we are still the enemy; and the year is still 1942。 And so you understand now why I wanted you to sink it。。。〃
〃No。。。〃 Kip whispered。 He shook his head。 〃No!〃
〃I created them; and there is nothing any man can do。〃
〃THERE HAS TO BE!〃 Kip said; his voice echoing throughout the church。 〃YOU MUST KNOW WHAT TO DO!〃
〃I've been trying; again and again; to quicken the process toward their death; but the spell is too strong; and I don't know what。。。〃
Kip grasped the man's shirt and pulled him around。 〃YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING!〃 he said hoarsely。 〃For God's sake; you're the only one who can help us now!〃
〃I。。。 can't;〃 Boniface said wearily。 〃But you。。。 you might do something。 Oui; oui; you。 Your uncle was one of the greatest houngans in all the islands!〃 Boniface gripped the constable's sleeve。 〃He taught you the art。。。 you were his young apprentice。。。 now you can help me。。。!〃
〃NO!〃 Kip shook his head。 〃I shut it out of my mind; I've forgotten everything that man tried to teach me!〃
〃But you must possess a power of your own;〃 Boniface insisted; 〃or he would not have chosen you as his successor! It's inside you; if you allow it to e out; if you allow yourself to take control of it!〃
Kip pulled away and stepped back。 His mind was filled with conflicting emotions。 He turned toward the altar; staring at the voodoo implements there; and in a sudden burst of rage he lunged at them; kicking away the bottles and pots。
〃It's junk; all of it!〃 he said tersely。 〃It's goddamned junk!〃 He reached down for a bottle and smashed it against the far wall; splattering clear liquid; he kicked a pot that clattered away across the floor。 Then he stood panting; furious; and listened to the sound of his own ragged breath。 〃It's madness;〃 he said finally。 〃What do they。。。 want with us?〃
〃We have their boat;〃 the other man said。 〃And they want it back。〃
Kip looked over at him; the supplies missing from the yard…the oil; diesel fuel; cables; and rope。 My God; is it possible? The timbers piled on the U…boat's deck; as if they were being used to shore up bulkheads below。 He shuddered; he could imagine the things working within the U…boat; hour after hour; never resting nor stopping。 No; no; their batteries would be long dead and corroded with salt。 But then he remembered the marine batteries Langstree sa