cpike.thelastvampire-第7部分

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ached　for　a　knife　to　cut　the　infant　out　of　Amba's　womb。
　It　was　then　I　jumped　from　behind　the　boulder　and　ran　into　the　clearing。
　〃Father！〃　I　cried；　reaching　for　his　hand　holding　the　knife。　〃Do　not　let　that　child　e　into　this　world。　Amba　is　dead；　see　with　your　own　eyes。　Her　child　must　likewise　be　dead。　Please；　Father；　listen　to　me。〃
　Naturally；　all　the　men　were　surprised　to　see　me；　never　mind　hear　what　I　had　to　say。　My　father　was　angry　at　me；　but　he　knelt　and　spoke　to　me　patiently。
　〃Sita；〃　he　said。　〃Your　friend　does　appear　dead；　and　we　were　wrong　to　let　this　priest　use　her　body　in　this　way。　But　he　has　paid　for　his　evil　karma　with　his　own　life。　But　we　would　be　creating　evil　karma　of　our　own　if　we　do　not　try　to　save　the　life　of　this　child。　You　remember　when　Sashi　was　born；　how　her　mother　died　before　she　came　into　the　world？　It　sometimes　happens　that　a　living　child　is　born　to　a　dead　woman。〃
　〃No；〃　I　protested。　〃That　was　different。　Sashi　was　born　just　as　his　mother　died。　Amba　has　been　dead　since　early　dawn。　Nothing　living　can　e　out　of　her。〃
　My　father　gestured　with　his　knife　to　the　squirming　life　inside　Amba's　bloody　abdomen。　〃Then　how　do　you　explain　the　life　here？〃
　〃That　is　the　yashini　moving　inside　her；〃　I　said。　〃You　saw　how　the　demon　smiled　at　us　before　it　departed。　It　intends　to　trick　us。　It　is　not　gone。　It　has　entered　into　the　child。〃
　My　father　pondered　my　words　with　a　grave　expression。　He　knew　I　was　intelligent　for　my　age　and　occasionally　asked　for　my　advice。　He　looked　to　the　other　men　for　guidance；　but　they　were　evenly　divided。　Some　wanted　to　use　the　knife　to　stab　the　life　moving　inside　Amba。　Others　were　afraid；　like　my　father；　of　mitting　a　sin。　Finally　my　father　turned　back　to　me　and　handed　me　the　knife。
　〃You　knew　Amba　better　than　any　of　us；〃　he　said。　〃You　would　best　know　if　this　life　that　moves　inside　her　is　evil　or　good。　If　you　know　for　sure　in　your　heart　that　it　is　evil；　then　strike　it　dead。　None　of　the　men　here　will　blame　you　for　the　act。〃
　I　was　appalled。　I　was　still　a　child　and　my　father　was　asking　me　to　mit　an　atrocious　act。　But　my　father　was　wiser　than　I　had　taken　him　for。　He　shook　his　head　as　I　stared　at　him　in　amazement；　and　took　back　the　knife。
　〃You　see；〃　he　said。　〃You　are　not　sure　if　what　you　say　is　true。　In　a　matter　of　life　and　death；　we　must　be　careful。　And　if　we　are　to　make　an　error；　it　must　be　on　the　side　of　life。　If　this　child　turns　out　to　be　evil；　then　we　will　know　as　it　grows　up。　Then　we　will　have　more　time　to　decide　what　should　be　done　with　it。〃　He　turned　back　to　Amba's　body。　〃For　now　I　must　try　to　save　it。〃
　〃We　may　not　have　as　much　time　as　you　think；〃　I　said　as　my　father　began　to　cut　into　Amba's　flesh。　Soon　he　held　a　bloody　male　infant　in　his　hand。　He　gave　it　a　gentle　spank；　and　it　sucked　in　a　dry　rasping　breath　and　began　to　cry。　Most　of　the　men　smiled　and　applauded；　although　I　noticed　the　fear　in　their　eyes。　My　father　turned　to　me　and　asked　me　to　hold　it。　I　refused。　However；　I　did　consent　to　name　the　child。
　〃It　should　be　called　Yaksha；〃　I　said。　〃For　it　has　the　heart　of　a　yakshini。〃
　And　the　child's　name　was　as　I　said。　Most　considered　it　an　evil　omen；　yet　none　of　them；　in　their　darkest　dreams；　would　realize　how　appropriate　the　name　would　be。　But　from　that　time　on；　the　plague　vanished　and　never　returned。
　My　father　gave　Yaksha　to　my　aunt　to　raise；　for　she　had　no　children　of　her　own　and　greatly　desired　one。　A　simple　but　loving　woman；　she　treated　the　child　as　if　it　were　her　own…certainly　as　if　it　were　a　human　deserving　of　her　love。　Whether　she　felt　any　love　in　return　from　the　child；　I　don't　know。　He　was　a　beautiful　baby　with　dark　hair　and　pale　blue　eyes。
　Time　went　by；　and　it　always　does；　and　yet　for　Yaksha　and　for　me　the　years　took　on　a　peculiar　quality。　For　Yaksha　grew　faster　than　any　child　in　the　history　of　our　village；　and　when　I　was　fifteen　years　of　age；　he　was　already；　in　stature　and　education；　my　age；　although　he　had　been　born　only　eight　years　earlier。　His　accelerated　development　brought　to　surface　once　again　the　rumors　surrounding　his　birth。　But　they　were　rumors　at　best　because　the　men　who　had　been　there　the　night　Yaksha　had　e　into　the　world　never　spoke　about　what　had　happened　when　the　priest　had　tried　to　invoke　the　yakshini　into　Amba's　corpse。　They　must　have　sworn　one　another　to　secrecy　because　my　father　occasionally　took　me　aside　and　reminded　me　that　I　should　not　talk　about　that　night。　I　did　not；　of　course；　because　I　did　not　think　anyone　outside　of　the　six　men　would　have　believed　me。　Besides；　I　loved　my　father　and　always　tried　to　obey　him；　even　when　I　thought　he　was　making　a　mistake。
　It　was　at　about　this　time；　when　I　was　fifteen；　that　Yaksha　started　to　go　out　of　the　way　to　talk　to　me。　Until　then　I　had　avoided　him；　and　even　when　he　pursued　me　I　tried　to　keep　my　distance。　At　least　at　first；　but　there　was　something　about　him　that　made　him　hard　to　resist。　There　was　his　great　beauty；　of　course；　his　long　shiny　mane　of　black　hair；　his　brilliant　eyes；　cool　blue　gems；　set　deep　in　his　powerful　face。　His　smile　was　also　beguiling。　How　often　it　flashed　in　my　direction；　his　two　rows　of　perfect　white　teeth　like　polished　pearls。　Sometimes　I　would　stop　to　talk　to　him；　and　he　would　always　have　a　little　gift　to　offer…a　spoonful　of　sandlepaste；　a　stick　of　incense；　a　string　of　beads。　I　accepted　these　gifts　reluctantly　because　I　felt　as　if　one　day　Yaksha　would　want　something　in　return；　something　I　would　not　want　to　give。　But　he　never　asked。
　But　my　attraction　to　him　went　deeper　than　his　beauty。　Even　at　eight　years　of　age　he　was　clearly　the　smartest　person　in　the　village；　and　often　the　adults　consulted　him　on　important　matters：　how　to　improve　the　harvest；　how　best　to　build　our　new　temple；　how　to　barter　with　the　wandering　merchants　who　came　to　buy　our　crops。　If　people　had　doubts　about　Yaksha's　origin；　they　had　nothing　but　praise　for　his　behavior。
　I　was　attracted　to　him；　but　I　never　ceased　to　fear　him。　Occasionally　I　would　catch　a　disturbing　glimmer　in　his　eyes；　and　be　reminded　of　the　sly　smile　the　yashini　had　given　me　before　it　had　supposedly　vacated　Amba's　body。
　It　was　when　I　was　sixteen　that　the　first　of　the　six　men　who　had　witnessed　his　birth　disappeared。　The　man　just　vanished。　Later　that　same　year　another　of　the　six　disappeared　also。　I　asked　my　father　about　it；　but　he　said　that　we　could　not　hold　Yaksha　to　blame。　The　boy　was　growing　up　well。　But　the　next　year；　when　another　two　of　the　men　vanished；　even　my　father　began　to　have　doubts。　It　was　not　long　after　that　my　father　and　I　were　the　only　ones　left　in　the　village　who　had　been　there　that　horrible　night。　But　the　fifth　man　did　not　just　vanish。　His　body　was　found　gored　to　death；　as　if　by　a　wild　animal。　There　was　not　a　drop　of　blood　left　in　his　corpse。　Who　could　doubt　that　the　others　had　not　ended　up　the　same　way？
　I　begged　my　father　to　speak　up　about　what　was　happening；　and　Yaksha's　part　in　it。　By　then　Yaksha　was　ten　and　looked　twenty；　and　if　he　was　not　the　leader　of　the　village；　few　people　doubted　that　he　would　be　in　charge　soon。　But　my　father　was　softhearted。　He　had　watched　Yaksha　grow　up　with　pride；　no　doubt　feeling　personally　responsible　for　the　birth　of　this　wonderful　young　man。　And　his　sister　was　still　Yaksha's　stepmother。　He　told　me　not　to　say　anything　to　the　others；　that　he　would　ask　Yaksha　to　leave　the　village　quietly　and　not　e　back。
　But　it　was　my　father　who　was　not　to　e　back；　although　Yaksha　vanished　as　well。　My　father's　body　was　never　found；　except　for　a　lock　of　his　hair；　down　by　the　river；　stained　with　blood。　At　the　ceremony　honoring　his　death　I　broke　down　and　cried　out　the　many　things　that　had　happened　the　night　Yaksha　had　been　born。　But　the　majority　of　people　believed　I　was　consumed　with　grief　and　didn't　listen。　Still；　a　few　heard　me；　the　families　of　the　other　men　who　had　vanished。
　My　grief　over　my　lost　father　faded　slowly。　〃Yet　two　years　after　his　death　and　the　disappearance　of　Yaksha；　near　my　twentieth　birthday；　I　met　Rama；　the　son　of　a　wandering　merchant。　My　love　for　Rama　was　instantaneous。　I　saw　him　and　knew　I　was　supposed　to　be　with　him；　and　by　the　blessings　of　Lord　Vishnu；　he　felt　the　same　way。　We　were　married　under　the　full　moon　beside　the　river。　The　first　night　I　slept　with　my　husband　I　dreamed　of　Amba。　She　was　as　she　had　been　when　we　had　sung　late　at　night　together。　Yet　her　words　to　me　were　dark。　She　told　me　to　beware　the　blood　of　the　dead；　never　to　touch　it。　I　woke　up　weeping　and　was　only　able　to　sleep　by　holding　my　husband　tightly。
　Soon　I　was　with　child；　and　before　the　first　year　of　my　marriage　was　over；　we　had　a　daughter…Lalita；　she　who　plays。　Then　my　joy　was　plete　and　my　grief　over　my　father　faded。　Yet　I　was　to　have　that　joy　for　only　a　year：
　One　moonless　night　I　was　awakened　late　by　a　sound。　Beside　me　slept　my　husband；　and　on　my　other　side　our　daughter。　I　do　not　know　why　the　sound　woke　me；　it　was　not　loud。　But　it　was　peculiar；　the　sound　of　nails　scraping　over　a　blade。　I　got　up　and　went　outside　my　house　and　stood　in　the　dark　and　looked　around。
　He　came　from　behind　me；　as　he　often　used　to　when　we　were　friends。　But　I　knew　he　was　there　before　he　spoke。　I　sensed　his　proximity…his　inhuman　being。
　〃Yaksha；〃　I　whispered。
　〃Sita。〃　His　voice　was　very　soft。
　I　whirled　around　and　started　to　shout；　but　he　was　on　me　before　I　could　make　a　sound。　For　the　first　time　I　felt　Yaksha's　real　strength；　a　thing　he　had　kept　hidden　while　he　lived　in　our　village。　His　hands；　with　their　long　nails；　were　like　the　paws　of　a　tiger　around　my　neck。　A　long　sword　banged　against　his　knee。　He　choked　off　my　air　and　leaned　over　and　whispered　in　my　ear。　He　had　grown　taller　since　I　last　saw　him。
　〃You　betrayed　me；　my　love；〃　he　said。　〃If　I　let　you　speak；　will　you　scream？　If　you　scream　you　will　die。　Understood？〃
　I　nodded　and　he　loosened　his　grip；　although　he　continued　to　keep　me　pinned。　I　had　to　cough　before　I　could　speak。　〃You　betrayed　me；〃　I　said　bitterly。　〃You　killed　my　father　and　those　other　men。〃
　〃You　do　not　know　that；〃　he　said。
　〃If　you　didn't　kill　them；　then　where　are　they？〃
　〃They　are　with　me；　a　few　of　them；　in　a　special　way。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？　You　lie…they　are　dead；　my　father's　dead。〃
　〃Your　father　is　dead；　that　is　true；　but　only　because　he　did　not　want　to　join　me。〃　He　shook　me　roughly。　〃Do　you