osc.am1.seventhson-第23部分

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　　It　wasn't　his　fault　that　she　always　said　the　same　thing。　But　she　got　mad　at　him　as　if　he　should　have　pretended　to　be　surprised　to　hear　her　say　it　for　the　ninetieth　time　since　summer。　Oh；　she　was　all　set　to　give　him　a　licking；　all　right；　or　call　for　Pa　to　do　it　even　worse；　when　there　was　Taleswapper；　e　to　save　him。
　　〃Goody　Faith；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃I'd　be　glad　to　see　to　it　he　es　to　church；　if　you　want　to　go　on　ahead　with　the　others。〃
　　The　minute　Taleswapper　spoke；　Mama　whirled　around　and　tried　to　hide　how　mad　she'd　been。　Alvin　right　away　started　doing　a　calming　on　her　　with　his　right　hand；　where　she　couldn't　see　it；　since　if　she　saw　him　doing　a　spell　on　her；　she'd　break　his　arm；　and　that　was　one　threat　Alvin　Junior　truly　believed。　A　calming　didn't　work　so　well　without　touching；　but　since　she　was　trying　so　hard　to　look　calm　in　front　of　Taleswapper；　it　worked　all　right。
　　〃I　hate　to　put　you　to　any　trouble；〃　said　Mama。
　　〃No　trouble；　Goody　Faith；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃I　do　little　enough　to　repay　your　kindness　to　me。〃
　　〃Little　enough！〃　The　fretfulness　was　almost　gone　from　Mama's　voice　now。　〃Why；　my　husband　says　you　do　the　work　of　two　grown　men。　And　when　you　tell　stories　to　the　little　ones　I　get　more　peace　and　quiet　in　this　house　than　I've　had　since　since　ever。〃　She　turned　back　to　Alvin；　but　now　her　anger　was　more　an　act　than　real。　〃Will　you　do　what　Taleswapper　tells　you；　and　e　to　church　right　quick？〃
　　〃Yes；　Mama；〃　said　Alvin　Junior。　〃Quick　as　I　can。〃
　　〃All　right　then。　Thank　you　kindly；　Taleswapper。　If　you　can　get　that　boy　to　obey；　that's　more　than　anybody　else　has　managed　since　he　learned　to　talk。〃
　　〃He's　a　real　brat；〃　said　Mary；　from　the　hallway　outside。
　　〃Shut　your　mouth；　Mary；〃　Mama　said；　〃or　I'll　stuff　your　lower　lip　up　your　nose　and　tack　it　there　to　keep　it　shut。〃
　　Alvin　sighed　in　relief。　When　Mama　made　impossible　threats　it　meant　she　wasn't　all　that　angry　anymore。　Mary　put　her　nose　in　the　air　and　flounced　down　the　hall；　but　Alvin　didn't　even　bother　with　it。　He　just　grinned　at　Taleswapper；　and　Taleswapper　grinned　at　him。
　　〃Having　trouble　getting　dressed　for　church；　lad？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　〃I'd　rather　dress　myself　in　lard　and　walk　through　a　herd　of　hungry　bears；〃　said　Alvin　Junior。
　　〃More　people　live　through　church　than　survive　encounters　with　bears。〃
　　〃Not　by　much；　though。〃
　　Soon　enough　he　got　dressed。　But　he　was　able　to　talk　Taleswapper　into　taking　the　shortcut；　which　meant　walking　through　the　woods　up　over　the　hill　behind　the　house；　instead　of　going　around　by　way　of　the　road。　Since　it　was　right　cold　outside；　and　hadn't　rained　in　a　while；　and　wasn't　about　to　snow　yet；　there'd　be　no　mud　and　Mama'd　probably　not　even　guess。　And　what　Mama　didn't　know　wouldn't　hurt　him。
　　〃I　noticed；〃　said　Taleswapper　as　they　climbed　up　the　leaf…covered　slope；　〃that　your　father　didn't　go　with　your　mother　and　Cally　and　the　girls。〃
　　〃He　doesn't　go　to　that　church；〃　said　Alvin。　〃He　says　Reverend　Thrower　is　a　jackass。　Course；　he　don't　say　that　where　Mama　can　hear。〃
　　〃I　suppose　not；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　They　stood　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　looking　down　across　open　meadowland　toward　the　church。　The　church's　own　hill　hid　the　town　of　Vigor　Church　from　view。　The　frost　was　just　beginning　to　melt　off　the　brown　autumn　grass；　so　that　the　church　looked　to　be　the　whitest　thing　in　a　world　of　whiteness；　and　the　sun　flashed　on　it　like　it　was　another　sun。　Alvin　could　see　wagons　still　pulling　into　place；　and　horses　being　tied　to　the　posts　on　the　meadow。　If　they　hurried　right　now；　they'd　probably　be　in　their　places　before　Reverend　Thrower　started　up　the　hymn。
　　But　Taleswapper　didn't　start　down　the　hill。　He　just　set　himself　on　a　stump　and　started　to　recite　a　poem。　Alvin　listened　tight；　because　Taleswapper's　poems　often　had　a　real　bite　to　them。
　　〃I　went　to　the　Garden　of　Love；　And　saw　what　I　never　had　seen：　A　chapel　was　built　in　the　midst；　Where　I　used　to　play　on　the　green。
　　〃And　the　gates　of　this　chapel　were　shut；　And　'Thou　shalt　not'　writ　over　the　door；　So　I　turned　to　the　Garden　of　Love；　That　so　many　sweet　flowers　bore；
　　〃And　I　saw　it　was　filled　with　graves；　And　tomb…stones　where　flowers　should　be。　And　priests　in　black　gowns　were　walking　their　rounds；　And　binding　with　briars　my　joys　and　desires。〃
　　Oh；　Taleswapper　had　a　knack；　he　did；　for　as　he　recited；　the　very　world　changed　before　Alvin's　eyes。　The　meadows　and　trees　looked　like　the　loudest　shout　of　spring；　vivid　yellow…green　with　ten　thousand　blossoms；　and　the　white　of　the　chapel　in　the　midst　of　it　was　no　longer　gleaming；　but　instead　the　dusty；　chalky　white　of　old　bones。　〃Binding　with　briars　my　joys　and　desires；〃　Alvin　repeated。　〃You　ain't　got　much　use　for　religion。〃
　　〃I　breathe　religion　with　my　every　breath；〃　said　the　Taleswapper。　〃I　long　for　visions；　I　search　for　the　traces　of　God's　hand。　But　in　this　world　I　see　more　traces　of　the　other。　A　trail　of　glistening　slime　that　burns　me　when　I　touch　it。　God　is　a　bit　standoffish　these　days；　Al　Junior；　but　Satan　has　no　fear　of　getting　down　in　the　muck　with　mankind。〃
　　〃Thrower　says　his　church　is　the　house　of　God。〃
　　Taleswapper；　he　just　sat　there　and　said　nothing　for　the　longest　time。
　　Finally　Alvin　asked　him　right　out：　〃Have　you　seen　devil　traces　in　that　church？〃
　　In　the　days　that　Taleswapper　had　been　with　them；　Alvin　had　e　to　know　that　Taleswapper　never　exactly　lied。　But　when　he　didn't　want　to　get　pinned　down　with　the　true　answer；　he'd　say　a　poem。　He　said　one　now。
　　〃O　Rose；　thou　art　sick。　The　invisible　worm；　That　flies　in　the　night；　In　the　howling　storm
　　〃Has　found　out　thy　bed；　Of　crimson　joy；　And　his　dark　secret　love；　Does　thy　life　destroy。〃
　　Alvin　was　impatient　with　such　twisting　answers。　〃If　I　want　to　hear　something　I　don't　understand；　I　can　read　Isaiah。〃
　　〃Music　to　my　ears；　my　lad；　to　pare　me　to　the　greatest　of　prophets。〃
　　〃He　ain't　much　of　a　prophet　if　nobody　can　understand　a　thing　he　wrote。〃
　　〃Or　perhaps　he　meant　us　all　to　bee　prophets。〃
　　〃I　don't　hold　with　prophets；〃　said　Alvin。　〃Near　as　I　can　tell；　they　end　up　just　as　dead　as　the　next　man。〃　It　was　something　he　had　heard　his　father　say。
　　〃Everybody　ends　up　dead；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃But　some　who　are　dead　live　on　in　their　words。〃
　　〃Words　never　stay　straight；〃　said　Alvin。　〃Now；　when　I　make　a　thing；　then　it's　the　thing　I　made。　Like　when　I　make　a　basket。　It's　a　basket。　When　it　gets　tore；　then　it's　a　tored…up　basket。　But　when　I　say　words；　they　can　get　all　twisted　up。　Thrower　can　take　those　same　very　words　I　said　and　bend　them　back　and　make　them　mean　just　contrary　to　what　I　said。〃
　　〃Think　of　it　another　way；　Alvin。　When　you　make　one　basket；　it　can　never　be　more　than　one　basket。　But　when　you　say　words；　they　can　be　repeated　over　and　over；　and　fill　men's　hearts　a　thousand　miles　from　where　you　first　spoke　them。　Words　can　magnify；　but　things　are　never　more　than　what　they　are。〃
　　Alvin　tried　to　picture　that；　and　with　Taleswapper　saying　it；　the　picture　came　easy　to　his　mind。　Words　as　invisible　as　air；　ing　out　of　Taleswapper's　mouth　and　spreading　from　person　to　person。　Growing　larger　all　the　time；　but　still　invisible。
　　Then；　suddenly；　the　vision　changed。　He　saw　the　words　ing　from　the　preacher's　mouth；　like　a　trembling　in　the　air；　spreading　out；　seeping　into　everything　　and　suddenly　it　became　his　nightmare；　the　terrible；　dream　that　came　on　him；　waking　or　sleeping；　and　spiked　his　heart　to　his　spine　till　he　like　to　died。　The　world　filling　up　with　an　invisible　trembling　nothing　that　seeped　into　everything　and　shook　it　apart。　Alvin　could　see　it；　rolling　toward　him　like　a　huge　ball；　growing　all　the　time。　He　knew　from　all　the　nightmares　before　that　even　if　he　clenched　his　fists　it　would　thin　itself　out　and　seep　between　his　fingers；　and　even　when　he　closed　his　mouth　and　his　eyes　it　would　press　on　his　face　and　ooze　into　his　nose　and　ears　and
　　Taleswapper　shook　him。　Shook　him　hard。　Alvin　opened　his　eyes。　The　trembling　air　retreated　back　to　the　edges　of　his　sight。　That's　where　Alvin　saw　it　most　of　the　time；　waiting　just　barely　out　of　sight；　wary　as　a　weasel；　ready　to　flit　away　if　he　turned　his　head。
　　〃What's　wrong　with　you；　lad？〃　asked　Taleswapper。　His　face　looked　afraid。
　　〃Nothing；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃Don't　tell　me　nothing；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃All　of　a　sudden　I　saw　a　fear　e　over　you；　as　if　you　were　seeing　a　terrible　vision。〃
　　〃It　wasn't　a　vision；〃　said　Alvin。　〃I　had　a　vision　once；　and　I　know。〃
　　〃Oh？〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃What　vision　was　that？〃
　　〃A　Shining　Man；〃　said　Alvin。　〃I　never　told　nobody　about　it；　and　I　don't　reckon　to　start　now。〃
　　Taleswapper　didn't　press　him。　〃What　you　saw　now；　if　it　wasn't　a　vision　well；　what　was　it？〃
　　〃It　was　nothing。〃　It　was　a　true　answer；　but　he　also　knew　it　was　no　answer　at　all。　But　he　didn't　want　to　answer。　Whenever　he　told　people；　they　just　scoffed　at　him　for　being　such　a　baby　about　nothing。
　　But　Taleswapper　wouldn't　let　him　slough　off　his　question。　〃I've　been　longing　for　a　true　vision　all　my　life；　Al　Junior；　and　you　saw　one；　here　in　broad　daylight；　with　your　eyes　wide　open；　you　saw　something　so　terrible　it　made　you　stop　breathing；　now　tell　me　what　it　was。〃
　　〃I　told　you！　It　was　nothing！〃　Then；　quieter：　〃It's　nothing；　but　I　can　see　it。　Like　the　air　gets　wobbly　wherever　it　goes。〃
　　〃It's　nothing；　but　not　invisible？〃
　　〃It　gets　into　everything。　It　gets　into　all　the　smallest　cracks　and　shakes　everything　apart。　Just　shivers　and　shivers　until　there's　nothing　left　but　dust；　and　then　it　shivers　the　dust；　and　I　try　to　keep　it　out；　but　it　gets　bigger　and　bigger；　it　rolls　over　everything；　till　it　like　to　fills　the　whole　sky　and　the　whole　earth。〃　Alvin　couldn't　help　himself。　He　was　shaking　with　cold；　even　though　he　was　bundled　up　thick　as　a　bear。
　　〃How　many　times　have　you　seen　this　before？〃
　　〃Ever　since　I　can　remember。　Just　now　and　then　it'll　e　on　me。　Most　times　I　just　think　about　other　things　and　it　stays　back。〃
　　〃Where？〃
　　〃Back。　Out　of　sight。〃　Alvin　knelt　down　and　then　sat　down；　exhausted。　Sat　right　in　the　damp　grass　with　his　Sunday　pants；　but　he　didn't　hardly　notice。　〃When　you　talked　about　words　spreading　and　spreading；　it　made　me　see　it　again。〃
　　〃A　dream　that　es　again　and　again　is　trying　to　tell　you　the　truth；〃　said