pzb.lostsouls-第23部分

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back　on；　but　as　the　ear　crested　a　hill　and　disappeared；　Nothing　glimpsed　a　tiny　green　phosphorescence　through　the　back　window。　The　red…eyed　plastic　Jesus；　lighting　the　way　through　the　night。
　　Nothing　licked　his　lips。　The　taste　of　the　man's　sperm；　still　fresh　and　raw；　reminded　him　of　something　Laine　had　once　told　him。　Did　you　know；　Laine　had　asked　with　innocent　lasciviousness；　that　e　has　almost　exactly　the　same　chemical　makeup　as　human　blood？
　　
　　The　countryside　was　hilly；　sodden；　absolutely　black。　Nothing　tore　the　back　of　his　hand　on　a　barbed…wire　fence。　Tears　of　pain　made　his　eyes　glisten　as　he　sucked　at　the　blood。　I'm　alone　now；　all　right；　he　thought。　Nobody　in　the　whole　world　knows　where　I　am。　His　sneakers　were　soaked　with　cold　rain；　and　his　toes　ached　to　the　bone。　Long　slick　grass　squeaked　under　his　feet。　At　last　he　staggered　into　an　abandoned　barn。　Great　pronged　shapes　loomed　around　him　abandoned　farm　machinery；　heavy　and　rusted。　It　might　fall　on　him　in　the　night；　pin　him　to　the　musty　floor；　leave　him　to　struggle　and　die　alone。　He　didn't　care。
　　The　rain　raised　dust　and　cobwebby　chaff　in　the　barn。　Nothing　sneezed　once；　twice；　three　times…hard；　choking　spasms　that　bent　him　double。　The　third　sneeze　turned　into　a　loud　sob。　He　curled　up　beneath　the　loft　and　sucked　at　the　blood　on　his　hand。　His　tears　soaked　into　the　dirty　wooden　floor。
　　During　the　night；　while　Nothing　dreamed　uneasy　dreams；　a　small　spider　climbed　delicately　through　his　wet　black　hair。　It　let　itself　down　along　the　smooth　line　of　his　jawbone；　lingered　briefly　on　his　lips；　and　ran　away　over　the　damp　red…streaked　fingers　that　Nothing　pressed　to　his　mouth；　his　tongue　darting　out　to　lick　the　blood　away　as　he　slept。
　　
　　　Chapter　14
　　
　　It　was　still　hot　when　Christian　drove　into　Missing　Mile。
　　He　did　not　know　he　was　in　Missing　Mile；　not　yet；　for　the　road　he　came　in　on　had　no　town　limits　sign。　The　sign；　a　splintered　pine　plank　with　its　painted　letters　aged　to　translucence；　had　been　knocked　down　twenty　years　ago　by　a　man　who　decided　to　take　two　lovers　that　night；　his　head　lay　against　Vodka's　breast　and　his　hand　was　on　Whiskey's　thigh　when　he　lost　control　of　his　car。　The　sign　lay　several　feet　from　the　road；　swathed　in　kudzu；　stained　brown　with　blood　long　dry。
　　So　Christian　did　not　know　he　was　in　the　town；　not　yet。　He　knew　only　that　he　was　almost　out　of　money　somewhere　in　North　Carolina；　that　his　fuel　gauge　was　hovering　on　empty；　and　that　all　day　the　sun　had　threatened　to　emerge　from　low…hanging　clouds。　This；　then；　was　where　he　would　stop　for　a　while。
　　He　came　in　on　Highway　42　and　took　a　left；　which　brought　him　into　town　by　way　of　Violin　Road。　He　looked　at　the　trailers　and　broken…backed　shacks；　the　weed…choked　family　graveyards；　the　heaps　of　rusted　scrap　metal；　as　he　drove　slowly　past。　Christian　felt　no　dread；　no　excitement；　it　did　not　really　matter　where　he　lived。　I　might　have　gone　all　the　way　to　San　Francisco；　he　thought；　and　when　I　saw　the　Golden　Gate　Bridge　and　the　glitter　of　Chinatown；　I　would　feel　this　way　still。　He　could　not　go　back　to　New　Orleans；　so　any　other　place　in　the　world　would　do　for　now。
　　A　small　child　stood　by　the　side　of　the　road；　a　girl　seven　or　eight　years　old　but　as　thin　as　an　old　woman；　dressed　in　a　blue　smock　far　too　large　for　her。　One　sleeve　dangled；　half　torn　off。　The　child　was　swinging　something　in　her　hand。　Christian　drew　the　car　up　next　to　her　and　rolled　his　window　down。　The　girl　stared　up　at　him。　Her　eyes　were　gray；　as　washed　out　as　the　sky。
　　〃Can　you　tell　me　where　I　am？〃　he　asked。
　　The　girl　lifted　one　knobby　shoulder；　then　let　it　drop。　From　her　hand　the　object　still　swung…a　rat；　its　fur　matted　with　the　dust　of　the　road；　its　head　and　forequarters　mangled；　dried。
　　Christian　made　himself　look　back　at　the　girl's　face。　Her　pale　eyes　seemed　depthless；　he　could　hardly　tell　where　the　irises　faded　into　the　whites。　He　caught　the　sour　brown　odor　of　death　from　the　rat；　the　faint　tang　of　dried　blood。　〃What's　the　name　of　the　town？〃
　　The　girl　regarded　him　with　her　bottomless　gaze。　There　was　something　wrong　with　the　symmetry　of　her　face。　Her　eyes　were　unevenly　spaced；　her　forehead　too　low；　the　line　of　her　brow　crooked。　Christian　realized　he　was　looking　into　the　face　of　profound　retardation。　This　was　one　of　the　few　gazes　that　could　meet　his　own：　it　did　not　fear；　because　it　did　not　know。
　　He　thought　briefly　of　taking　her　into　the　car。　The　smell　of　roadkill；　dry　and　fetid　as　it　was；　made　him　edgy　with　hunger。　The　nourishment　from　the　boy　at　the　river's　edge　was　fading　out　of　him。　But　he　disliked　the　sight　of　her　crooked　mouth　and　the　various　knobs　of　her　body。　Christian　had　often　gone　hungry　because　of　his　weakness　for　beauties。
　　Wanting　to　leave　the　little　girl　behind；　he　touched　the　toe　of　his　boot　to　the　gas　pedal。　But　in　the　rearview　mirror　he　saw　her　empty　eyes　staring　after　him。　The　mangled　rat　swung　from　her　hand。
　　The　town　was　a　few　miles　down　the　read。　In　parison　to　the　trailers　and　scrubby　dirt　yards　of　Violin　Road；　the　buildings　here　looked　square　and　sturdy。　The　shops　on　the　main　street　were　colorful　in　the　lethargic　heat　of　the　day。　A　boarded…up　storefront　cast　a　baleful　blind　eye　every　few　blocks；　but　such　things　did　not　bother　Christian。　He　was　looking　for　dark　windows；　for　neon　beer　signs　lit　deep　within　shadowy　interiors。　There　must　be　a　bar。　Somewhere　in　this　town　must　be　a　place　where　the　townspeople　could　drink；　fight；　pass　all　the　long　hot　nights；　spend　their　paydays　away。　Any　redneck　bar　would　do。
　　Christian　was　beginning　to　wonder　whether　he　might　not　be　in　one　of　the　dreaded　dry　counties　of　the　South　when　a　blue　beer　light　caught　his　eye　at　last。　The　door　of　the　place　was　a　thick　slab　of　pine　carved　with　twisted　letters：　THE　SACRED　YEW。　He　eased　the　Bel　Air　over　to　the　curb。　There　was　always　work　for　a　good　bartender。
　　
　　Kinsey　Hummingbird　was　an　excellent　bartender。
　　He　was　also　the　confidant　of　troubled　youth　from　Missing　Mile　and　surrounding　counties。　Bad　kids；　depressed　and　terrified　kids；　kids　who　found　themselves　adrift　in　the　Bible　Belt…all　came　to　Kinsey　as　if　he　were　some　sort　of　benevolent　Pied　Piper。　Before　he　opened　the　Sacred　Yew；　he　had　been　a　mechanic　at　the　garage　where　his　father　had　worked　before　him。　It　was　not　unusual　to　see　Kinsey's　long　thin　legs　sticking　out　from　under　a　car　while　some　forlorn　teenager　sat　nearby　talking　to　Kinsey's　sneakers。　The　metalheads；　the　hippies　born　decades　too　late；　the　sad　ones　swathed　in　black…all　came。　Kinsey　Hummingbird　was　their　guru；　Kinsey　Hummingbird　was　their　oracle。
　　When　his　mother　died　in　the　terrible　fire　out　at　the　mill；　Kinsey　received　a　substantial　settlement　and　was　able　to　open　the　Sacred　Yew；　or　as　the　kids　referred　to　it；　〃the　Yew。〃　Sometimes　he　looked　at　his　club　and　felt　a　twinge　of　guilt　that　his　mother's　gruesome　death　had　paid　for　it…she　had　fallen　from　a　blazing　catwalk　and　been　impaled　screaming　on　a　row　of　spindles…but　the　truth　was　that　Mrs。　Hummingbird　had　always　disliked　her　only　son　and　had　never　troubled　to　hide　it。　Kinsey　spent　most　of　his　own　childhood　trying　to　figure　out　what　he　had　done　to　make　her　feel　so　mean。　The　Bible　she　spent　all　her　free　time　reading　said　to　love　your　neighbor。　Seemed　like　it　would　say　something　about　loving　your　own　son　too。
　　Kinsey　was　a　whittled　beanpole　of　a　man；　well　over　six　feet　with　that　apologetic　stoop　so　many　tall　thin　men　have。　He　always　wore　a　cap　with　a　feather　in　it　pushed　back　over　his　stringy　hair。　The　club　was　his　private　dream。　Frequently　he　stared　around　at　it　in　awe；　expecting　it　to　disappear　before　his　eyes；　hardly　able　to　believe　he　had　made　it　happen。　The　insurance　money　had　paid　for　it；　but　he　had　built　the　stage；　he　had　begun　booking　the　bands；　he　had　concocted　the　little　menu　of　finger　sandwiches　and　homemade　soups　so　that　the　club　would　qualify　as　a　〃restaurant〃　and　kids　under　eighteen　would　be　able　to　e　in　without　getting　carded；　though　they　had　to　show　their　IDs　to　buy　beer。
　　The　Sacred　Yew　was　a　place　for　Kinsey's　children。　After　the　first　precarious　year　he　made　money；　but　that　was　not　why　he　did　it。　He　wanted　the　kids　to　have　someplace　to　go。　He　wanted　them　to　have　someplace　where　they　could　be　happy　for　a　while。
　　But　sometimes　it　was　a　backbreaking　job。　Long　ago　he　had　learned　that　to　make　it　go　smoothly；　he　had　to　attend　to　every　detail　himself　the　booking；　the　ordering；　even　the　decor。　When　there　was　no　one　else　to　do　it；　he　also　had　to　make　the　soup　and　sandwiches　and　tote　all　the　kegs　and　cases　of　beer。　A　week　ago　he　had　fired　his　latest　assistant　bartender　for　serving　beer　to　a　fourteen…year…old；　trying　to　put　the　make　on　her。　The　boy　was　astonished　when　mild…mannered　Kinsey　Hummingbird　blessed　him　out；　came　within　an　inch　of　slugging　him；　then　gave　him　his　walking　papers。　But　the　Yew　could　lose　its　license　for　a　thing　like　that。　Nobody　fucked　with　Kinsey　where　the　Sacred　Yew　was　concerned。
　　So　he　had　been　tending　bar　solo　for　a　week。　Steve　and　Ghost　from　Lost　Souls？　helped　him　out　sometimes…Ghost；　whose　grandmother　had　left　him　her　house　and　all　the　money　he　would　ever　require　to　live　on；　would　do　it　gratis。　But　just　now　they　were　busy　practicing　a　bunch　of　new　songs。　They　played　at　the　club　once　a　week　or　more；　and　they　were　his　biggest　draw。　People　came　from　as　far　away　as　Raleigh　and　Chapel　Hill　to　see　them。　They　were　getting　good；　and　he　wanted　them　to　practice。
　　But　Kinsey　was　tired。　So　when　the　guy　walked　in　and　said　he'd　tended　bar　in　New　Orleans　for　twenty　years；　Kinsey　hired　him　on　the　spot。　He　wasn't　fazed　by　the　funereal　clothes　and　the　cold　pale　face；　or　by　the　fact　that　the　guy　was　even　taller　than　him　and　maybe　skinnier。　When　you　ran　a　club；　you　met　plenty　of　weirdos。　This　particular　weirdo　struck　him　as　a　good　bartender。
　　〃Christian；　hm？　Were　your　folks　Holy　Rollers？〃　That　could　drive　anybody　to　a　life　of　bartending。
　　The　guy　shook　his　head。　〃It's　a　family　name。〃　
　　〃Whatever；〃　said　Kinsey　amiably。
　　
　　That　same　night；　Christian　fell　back　into　the　routine　of　popping　bottle　tops；　tapping　kegs　and　drawing　foamy　draft　beer　into　plastic　cups；　replying　to　small　talk　without　really　hearing　it。　The　bar　seemed　primitive：　Kinsey　served　no　liquor　or　even　wine；　only　bee