sk.thegunslinger-第26部分

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rubbing　way。　Let　it　e　after　the　boy　had　a　growth　of　years；　when　the　two　of　them　could　cast　the　man　in　black　aside　like　a　cheap　wind…up　toy。
Surely；　he　thought　cynically。　Surely。
He　knew　with　sudden　coldness　that　going　backward　would　mean　death　for　both　of　them　　death　or　worse：　entombment　with　the　living　dead　behind　them。　Decay　of　all　the　faculties。　With；　perhaps；　the　guns　of　his　father　living　long　after　both　of　them；　kept　in　rotten　splendor　as　totems　not　unlike　the　unforgotten　gas　pump。
Show　some　guts；　he　told　himself　falsely。
He　reached　for　the　handle　and　began　to　pump　it。　The　handcar　moved　away　from　the　stone　piers。
The　boy　screamed：　〃Wait！〃　And　began　running　on　the　diagonal；　toward　where　the　handcar　would　emerge　toward　the　darkness　ahead。　The　gunslinger　had　an　impulse　to　speed　up；　to　leave　the　boy　alone　yet　at　least　with　an　uncertainty。
Instead；　he　caught　him　as　he　leaped。　The　heart　beneath　the　thin　shirt　thrummed　and　fluttered　as　Jake　clung　to　him。　It　was　like　the　beat　of　a　chicken's　heart。
It　was　very　close　now。
The　sound　of　the　river　had　bee　very　loud；　filling　even　their　dreams　with　its　steady　thunder。　The　gunslinger；　more　as　a　whim　than　anything　else；　let　the　boy　pump　them　ahead　while　he　shot　a　number　of　arrows　into　the　dark；　tethered　by　fine　white　lengths　of　thread。
The　bow　was　very　bad；　incredibly　preserved　but　with　a　terrible　pull　and　aim　despite　that；　and　the　gunslinger　knew　that　very　little　would　improve　it。　Even　re…stringing　would　not　help　the　tired　wood。　The　arrows　would　not　fly　far　into　the　dark；　but　the　last　one　he　sent　out　came　back　wet　and　slick。　The　gunslinger　only　shrugged　when　the　boy　asked　him　how　far；　but　privately　he　didn't　think　the　arrow　could　have　traveled　more　than　a　hundred　yards　from　the　rotted　bow　　and　lucky　to　get　that。
And　still　the　sound　grew　louder。
During　the　third　waking　period　after　the　station；　a　spectral　radiance　began　to　grow　again。　They　had　entered　a　long　tunnel　of　some　weird　phosphorescent　rock；　and　the　wet　walls　glittered　and　twinkled　with　thousands　of　minute　starbursts。　They　saw　things　in　a　kind　of　eerie；　horror…house　surreality。
The　brute　sound　of　the　river　was　channeled　to　them　by　the　confining　rock；　magnified　in　its　own　natural　amplifier。　Yet　the　sound　remained　oddly　constant；　even　as　they　approached　the　crossing　point　the　gunslinger　was　sure　lay　ahead；　because　the　walls　were　widening；　drawing　back。　The　angle　of　their　ascent　became　more　pronounced。
The　tracks　arrowed　straight　ahead　in　the　new　light。　To　the　gunslinger　they　looked　like　the　captive　tubes　of　swamp　gas　sometimes　sold　for　a　pretty　at　the　Feast　of　Joseph　fair…time；　to　the　boy　they　looked　like　endless　streamers　of　neon　tubing。　But　in　its　glow　they　could　both　see　that　the　rock　that　had　enclosed　them　so　long　ended　up　ahead　in　ragged　twin　peninsulas　that　pointed　toward　a　gulf　of　darkness　ahead　the　chasm　over　the　river。
The　tracks　continued　out　and　over　the　unknowable　drop；　supported　by　a　trestle　aeons　old。　And　beyond；　what　seemed　an　incredible　distance；　was　a　tiny　pinprick　of　light；　not　phosphorescence　or　fluorescence；　but　the　hard；　true　light　of　day。　It　was　as　tiny　as　a　needle…prick　in　a　dark　cloth；　yet　weighted　with　frightful　meaning。
〃Stop；〃　the　boy　said。　〃Stop　for　a　minute。　Please。〃
Unquestioning；　the　gunslinger　let　the　handcar　coast　to　a　rest。　The　sound　of　the　river　was　a　steady；　booming　roar；　ing　from　beneath　and　ahead。　The　artificial　glow　from　the　wet　rock　was　suddenly　hateful。　For　the　first　time　he　felt　a　claustrophobic　hand　touch　him；　and　the　urge　to　get　out；　to　get　free　of　this　living　burial；　was　strong　and　nearly　undeniable。
〃We'll　go　through；〃　the　boy　said。　〃Is　that　what　he　wants？　For　us　to　drive　the　handcar　out　over　。　。　。　that　。　。　。　and　fall　down？〃
The　gunslinger　knew　it　was　not　but　said：　〃I　don't　know　what　he　wants。〃
〃We're　close　now。　Can't　we　walk？〃
They　got　down　and　approached　the　lip　of　the　drop　carefully。　The　stone　beneath　their　feet　continued　to　rise　until；　with　a　sudden；　angling　drop；　the　floor　fell　away　from　the　tracks　and　the　tracks　continued　alone；　across　blackness。
The　gunslinger　dropped　to　his　knees　and　peered　down。　He　could　dimly　make　out　a　plex；　nearly　incredible　webwork　of　steel　girders　and　struts；　disappearing　down　toward　the　roar　of　the　river；　all　in　support　of　the　graceful　arch　of　the　tracks　across　the　void。
In　his　mind's　eye　he　could　imagine　the　work　of　time　and　water　on　the　steel；　in　deadly　tandem。　How　much　support　was　left？　Little？　Hardly　any？　None？　He　suddenly　saw　the　face　of　the　mummy　again；　and　the　way　the　flesh；　seemingly　solid；　had　crumbled　effortlessly　to　powder　at　the　bare　touch　of　his　finger。
〃We'll　walk；〃　the　gunslinger　said。
He　half　expected　the　boy　to　balk　again；　but　he　preceded　the　gunslinger　calmly　out　onto　the　rails；　crossing　on　the　welded　steel　slats　calmly；　with　sure　feet。　The　gunslinger　followed　him；　ready　to　catch　him　if　Jake　should　put　foot　wrong。
They　left　the　handcar　behind　them　and　walked　precariously　out　over　darkness。
The　gunslinger　felt　a　fine　slick　of　sweat　cover　his　skin。　The　trestle　was　rotten；　very　rotten。　It　thrummed　beneath　his　feet　with　the　heady　motion　of　the　river　far　beneath；　swaying　a　little　on　unseen　guy　wires。　We're　acrobats；　he　thought。　Look；　mother；　no　net。　I'm　flying。　He　knelt　once　and　examined　the　crossties　they　were　walking　on。　They　were　caked　and　pitted　with　rust　（he　could　feel　the　reason　on　his　face；　fresh　air；　the　friend　of　corruption：　very　close　to　the　surface　now）；　and　a　strong　blow　of　the　fist　made　the　metal　quiver　sickly。　Once　he　heard　a　warning　groan　beneath　his　feet　and　felt　the　steel　settle　preparatory　to　giving　way；　but　he　had　already　moved　on。
The　boy；　of　course；　was　over　a　hundred　pounds　lighter　and　safe　enough；　unless　the　going　became　progressively　worse。
Behind　them；　the　handcar　had　melted　into　the　general　gloom。　The　stone　pier　on　the　left　extended　out　perhaps　twenty　feet。　Further　than　the　one　on　the　right；　but　this　was　also　left　behind　and　they　were　alone　over　the　gulf。
At　first　it　seemed　that　the　tiny　prick　of　daylight　remained　mockingly　constant　（perhaps　drawing　away　from　them　at　the　exact　pace　they　approached　it　　that　would　be　wonderful　magic　indeed）；　but　gradually　the　gunslinger　realized　that　it　was　widening；　being　more　defined。　They　were　still　below　it；　but　the　tracks　were　still　rising。
The　boy　gave　a　surprised　grunt　and　suddenly　lurched　to　the　side；　arms　pinwheeling　in　slow；　wide　revolutions。　It　seemed　that　he　tottered　on　the　brink　for　a　very　long　time　indeed　before　stepping　forward　again。
〃It　almost　went　on　me；〃　he　said　softly；　without　emotion。　〃Step　over。〃
The　gunslinger　did　so。　The　crosstie　the　boy　had　stepped　on　had　given　way　almost　entirely　and　flopped　downward　lazily；　swinging　easily　on　a　disintegrating　rivet；　like　a　shutter　on　a　haunted　window。
Upward；　still　upward。　It　was　a　nightmare　walk　and　so　seemed　to　go　on　much　longer　than　it　did；　the　air　itself　seemed　to　thicken　and　bee　like　taffy；　and　the　gunslinger　felt　as　if　he　might　be　swimming　rather　than　walking。　Again　and　again　his　mind　tried　to　turn　itself　to　thoughtful；　lunatic　consideration　of　the　awful　space　between　this　trestle　and　the　river　below。　His　brain　viewed　it　in　spectacular　detail；　and　how　it　would　be：　The　scream　of　twisting　metal；　the　lurch　as　his　body　slid　off　to　the　side；　the　grabbing　for　nonexistent　handholds　with　the　fingers；　the　swift　rattle　of　bootheels　on　treacherous；　rotted　steel　　and　then　down；　turning　over　and　over；　the　warm　spray　in　his　crotch　as　his　bladder　let　go；　the　rush　of　wind　against　his　face；　rippling　his　hair　up　in　cartoon　fright；　pulling　his　eyelids　back；　the　dark　water　rushing　to　meet　him；　faster；　outstripping　even　his　own　scream　
Metal　screamed　beneath　him　and　he　stepped　past　it　unhurriedly；　shifting　his　weight；　not　thinking　of　the　drop；　or　of　how　far　they　had　e；　or　of　how　far　was　left。　Not　thinking　that　the　boy　was　expendable　and　that　the　sale　of　his　honor　was　now；　at　last；　nearly　negotiated。
〃Three　ties　out　here；〃　the　boy　said　coolly。　〃I'm　going　to　jump。　Here！　Here！〃
The　gunslinger　saw　him　silhouetted　for　a　moment　against　the　daylight；　an　awkward；　hunched　spread…eagle。　He　landed　and　the　whole　edifice　swayed　drunkenly。　Metal　beneath　them　protested　and　something　far　below　fell；　first　with　a　crash；　then　with　the　sound　of　deep　water。
〃Are　you　over？〃　The　gunslinger　asked。
〃Yes；〃　the　boy　said　remotely；　〃but　it's　very　rotten。　I　don't　think　it　will　hold　you。　Me；　but　not　you。　Go　back　now。　Go　back　now　and　leave　me　alone。〃
His　voice　was　hysterical；　cold　but　hysterical。
The　gunslinger　stepped　over　the　break。　One　large　step　did　it。　The　boy　was　shuddering　helplessly。　〃Go　back。　I　don't　want　you　to　kill　me。〃
〃For　Christ's　sake；　walk；〃　the　gunslinger　said　roughly。　''It's　going　to　fall　down。〃
The　boy　walked　drunkenly　now；　his　hands　held　out　shudderingly　before　him；　fingers　splayed。
They　went　up。
Yes；　it　was　much　more　rotten　now。　There　were　frequent　breaks　of　one；　two；　even　three　ties；　and　the　gunslinger　expected　again　and　again　that　they　would　find　the　long　empty　space　between　rails　that　would　either　force　them　back　or　make　them　walk　on　the　rails　themselves；　balanced　giddily　over　the　chasm。
He　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　daylight。
The　glow　had　taken　on　a　color　　blue　　and　as　it　came　closer　it　became　softer；　paling　the　radiance　of　the　phosphor　as　it　mixed　with　it。　Fifty　yards　or　a　hundred？　He　could　not　say。
They　walked；　and　now　he　looked　at　his　feet；　crossing　from　tie　to　tie。　When　he　looked　again；　the　glow　had　grown　to　a　hole；　and　it　was　not　a　light　but　a　way　out。　They　were　almost　there。
Thirty　yards；　yes。　Ninety　short　feet。　It　could　be　done。　Perhaps　they　would　have　the　man　in　black　yet。　Perhaps；　in　the　bright　sunlight　the　evil　flowers　in　his　mind　would　shrivel　and　anything　would　be　possible。
The　sunlight　was　blocked　out。
He　looked　up；　startled；　staring；　and　saw　a　silhouette　filling　the　light；　eating　it　up；　allowing　only　chinks　of　mocking　blue　around　the　outline　of　shoulders；　the　fork　of　crotch。
〃Hello；　boys！〃
The　man　in　black's　voice　echoed　to　them；　amplified　in　this　natural　throat　of　stone；　the　sarcasm　taking　on　mighty　overtones。　Blindly；　the　gunslinger　sought　the　jawbone；　but　it　was　gone；　lost　somewhere；　used　up。
He　laughed　above　them　and　the　sound　crashed　around　them；　reverberating　like　surf　in　a　filling　cave。　The