pzb.lostsouls-第7部分

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des　go　runny。　The　unfamiliar　territory　between　her　legs　twitched；　suddenly　moist。
　　She　had　moles　on　her　face；　and　she　was　vastly　overweight；　and　she　figured　she　would　reach　forty　untouched　by　a　man。　But　something　in　his　green　eyes　made　her　feel　the　way　she　used　to　when　she　would　look　at　the　Playboy　and　Penthouse　magazines　that　were　sold　in　the　store；　before　she　told　herself　she　wasn't　interested　and　started　going　to　church　again。　Something　in　his　eyes　made　her　wonder　how　it　would　feel　to　let　a　man　lie　on　top　of　her；　to　push　his　thing　inside　her。　She　felt　for　her　pack　of　Moms；　lit　one；　and　sucked　the　smoke　up　hungrily；　watching　the　black　van　pull　away；　wondering　if　that　green…eyed　angel　would　ever　return。
　　On　the　read　again；　Twig　peeled　off　slices　of　bologna　and　stuffed　them　into　his　mouth；　tossing　his　head　like　a　feeding　leopard　as　he　swallowed；　hardly　chewing　the　soft　meat。　Molochai　gulped　sticky　mouthfuls　of　cake　and　cream。　Zillah　licked　at　a　sliver　of　bologna；　nibbled　delicately　around　the　edges　of　a　Twinkie；　sipped　from　the　bottle　of　Thunderbird。　None　of　them　were　satisfied。
　　〃Will　we　be　in　DC　by　tonight？〃　Molochai　asked；　licking　chocolate　off　his　fingers。
　　Twig　stared　at　the　road。　〃Shit；　we'll　be　there　in　an　hour。　But　you　can　count　on　staying　hungry　till　way　after　dark。〃　No　one　bothered　asking　why。　They　knew　where　the　best　city　pickings　were…in　the　clubs；　in　the　alleys；　under　the　midnight　moon。
　　〃Yeah。〃　Molochai　managed　a　sticky　smile；　thinking　of　nights　in　the　city。　〃So　we　stay　in　DC　for　a　couple　of　nights。　Then　what？〃
　　Twig　thought。　〃We　could　check　out　California　again。　You　liked　the　ice　cream　shops　in　Chinatown。〃
　　〃But　that's　so　far。　And　the　whole　desert　in　between　us　and　it。　Nothing　to　eat。　Nothing　to　drink。　No　people。　No　blood。〃　
　　Zillah　closed　his　eyes；　stroked　his　eyelashes　with　the　tip　of　one　shiny　black　nail。　〃We　could　drive　down　to　New　Orleans；〃　he　said。　〃We　could　visit　Christian。〃
　　Twig's　eyes　lit　up。　〃Christian！　Remember　Christian？〃　〃Good　old　Christian！〃　
　　〃He　doesn't　drink…wine！〃　
　　They　all　laughed。
　　〃Yeah；　but　he　might　still　be　tending　bar。　Free　drinks！〃
　　〃And　everyone's　blood　full　of　wine　and　beer　and　whiskey。〃
　　〃And　Chartreuse；〃　said　Zillah。
　　They　paused　for　a　moment；　tongues　tasting　a　memory　of　altars；　of　the　Garden　of　Eden。
　　〃Let's　do　it。〃
　　〃Let's　go　see　good　old　Christian。〃
　　〃Good　old　Chrissy；〃　said　Molochai。
　　〃Chrissy！〃　Twig　collapsed　in　giggles　over　the　wheel。
　　Zillah　passed　the　wine　up　to　Molochai。　〃Let's　start　saving　our　empties。　We'll　need　to　bottle　some　up　tonight。　Things　may　be　quite　a　bit　drier　after　DC。〃
　　Molochai　and　Twig　were　quiet；　considering　the　possibility　of　a　long　dry　spell。　Then　Twig　shrugged　and　said；　〃Yeah；　but　fuck　it…we're　going　to　New　Orleans！〃
　　Molochai　turned　the　music　back　on；　and　they　sang　along　with　Bowie；　leaning　on　each　other；　their　voices　soft　and　lilting　as　they　got　drunker。　Zillah　ran　his　hands　through　Molochai's　hair；　pulling　out　the　knots。　Twig　grinned　as　the　road　stretched　out　ahead；　long　and　smooth　and　magical；　unrolling　like　a　carpet　all　the　way　down　to　Christian's　bar　in　New　Orleans。
　　
　　　Chapter　4
　　
　　Heading　south　again；　away　from　the　Virginia　border　toward　home；　Steve　swung　the　car　onto　a　side　road　and　drove　toward　the　hill。　The　town　of　Roxboro　usually　fascinated　Ghost；　made　him　press　his　face　to　the　window　trying　to　see　all　its　barbecue　shacks　and　barbershops；　its　Southern　Pride　car　wash　whose　sign　read；　mysteriously；　AS　WE　THINK；　SO　WE　ARE；　its　one　dilapidated　nightclub　outside　which　dark　shapes　always　lurked；　regardless　of　hour　or　temperature。
　　But　tonight　Ghost　had　been　silent　all　through　Roxboro；　his　eyes　open　and　vacant；　he　seemed　still　lost　in　his　story。　Steve　wanted　to　take　him　away　from　those　twins；　those　dream　twins　dying　or　dead。　Too　often　the　phantoms　of　Ghost's　dreams　possessed　him　even　after　he　woke；　claimed　all　his　attention　and　a　little　of　his　soul。
　　The　visions　worried　Steve　as　much　as　they　enchanted　him。　Ever　since　they　had　bee　friends；　Steve　had　thought　of　himself　as　Ghost's　protector　because　he　was　a　year　older　and　because　so　often　Ghost　seemed　to　hover　precariously　on　the　edge　of　reality。　Ghost　lived　with　one　foot　in　Steve's　world　of　beer　and　guitars　and　friends；　the　other　in　the　pale　never…never　land　of　his　visions。　Reality　was　often　too　much　for　Ghost；　it　could　puzzle　and　hurt　him。
　　Sometimes　it　seemed　that　Ghost　consented　to　live　in　the　world　only　because　Steve　was　there；　and　Ghost　would　not　leave　Steve　alone。　Please；　God　or　Whoever…Steve　crossed　his　fingers　on　the　steering　wheel…please　don't　let　him　change　his　mind　about　that。
　　Ghost　was　so　damned　important；　so　valuable。　When　Ghost　was　along；　ordinary　surroundings…a　pizza　joint；　a　lonely　stretch　of　highways'　became　strange；　maybe　threatening；　maybe　wild　and　beautiful。　Ghost　tinged　reality。　And　Steve　consented　to　let　it　be　tinged　and　saw　things　he　would　never　have　seen　otherwise；　things　he　did　not　always　believe　or　understand。　He　credited　Ghost　with　saving　his　imagination　from　the　death…in…life　of　adolescence。
　　What　about　another　time　you　were　driving　late　at　night；　he　thought；　too　late　at　night；　driving　with　Ghost；　and　he　had　you　convinced　you'd　driven　into　the　ocean？　Saw　flying　fish；　starfish。　Saw　a　swimming　pool　full　of　air。　Maybe　he'd　fallen　asleep　behind　the　wheel　that　time；　maybe　he　and　Ghost　were　lucky　the　T…bird　hadn't　wrapped　around　a　tree；　creaming　both　of　them。　Maybe　that　was　what　had　happened。　But　mostly　Steve　accepted　the　share　of　magic　the　world　had　given　him　in　Ghost；　deluded　himself　that　he；　fearless　old　Steve　Finn；　was　the　leader。　The　protector。　Yeah；　right。
　　Because；　especially　now；　what　would　life　be　without　Ghost？　He　thought　he　knew　the　answer　to　that　one。　So　much　shit；　that's　what　life　would　be。　So　much　lonely；　aching；　empty　shit。　Ghost　was　taking　cam　of　him　nowadays。　The　thing　with　Ann　had　nearly　convinced　Steve　that　his　life　was　worthless。　More　than　once　he　had　found　himself　thinking　about　death　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　Just　drive　over　to　Raleigh　and　score　some　barbs；　then　pick　up　a　quart　of　whiskey　on　the　way　home。　Take　'em　all　at　once。　There's　one　cocktail　that'll　never　give　you　a　hangover。　But　he　could　no　more　swallow　that　cocktail　than　he　could　have　shoved　it　down　Ghost's　throat。　Their　friendship　was　the'　only　thing　keeping　him　sane　right　now；　and　he　guessed　he　owed　it　more　of　a　debt　than　that。
　　Somehow　the　last　image　of　Ghost's　dream…the　twins　lying　on　their　bare　mattress；　fiat；　their　beauty　spent…had　gotten　all　mixed　up　in　his　mind　with　the　sight　of　the　dead　kid　on　the　roadside　thirty　miles　behind。　Both　pictures　drifted　in　front　of　Steve's　face；　obscuring　the　road。　He　shook　his　head　to　banish　them。　When　Ghost　turned　to　look　at　him；　Steve　saw　death　in　Ghost's　eyes；　a　faint　pale　shadow。
　　〃Let's　drive　up　to　the　hill；〃　said　Steve。　〃It'll　be　nice　there。　See　the　stars。〃
　　〃The　stars　were　waiting　for　us；〃　Ghost　said　when　the　T…bird　reached　the　end　of　the　road　and　pulled　off。　They　were　in　a　clearing　thick　with　weeds　and　late…summer　wildflowers。　In　the　tall　grass；　empty　cans　and　bottles　shone　dully；　not　marring　the　weird　beauty　of　the　hill　but　mirroring　the　huge　luminous　stars　in　the　sky。
　　Behind　them　stretched　the　road；　winding　all　the　way　back　to　Missing　Mile；　before　them；　a　barbed…wire　fence　marked　the　break　of　the　hill；　and　acres　of　pastureland　fell　away；　rolling　gently　down　to　the　shore　of　Lake　Hyco。　Miles　off…Steve　thought　it　was　miles；　but　he　couldn't　be　sure；　the　air　was　so　clear…the　electric　power　plant　shimmered；　all　green　and　white　and　dimly　roaring；　reflected　in　the　lake。　It　was　so　green　here；　so　lush　even　after　the　hot　Carolina　summer；　with　the　tall　grass　and　the　cow　pastures　and　the　great　oak　that　spread　its　branches　over　the　clearing。
　　Ghost　knew　all　the　stories　of　that　oak。　He　said　an　Indian　had　climbed　it　to　escape　from　a　bear　once。　The　marks　of　the　bear's　claws　were　still　there；　eight　feet　up　the　trunk；　deep　and　twisted　in　the　thick　bark。　The　claws　had　hurt　the　tree；　Ghost　said；　and　it　had　bled　clear　sap　to　fill　the　wound；　to　stop　the　blaze　of　blind　pain。　Now　the　scar　was　knotted；　invulnerable；　and　the　tree　sang　with　the　hum　of　the　power　plant　far　away　on　the　lake。
　　Ghost　looked　at　the　tree；　silently　greeting　it　most　likely。　Steve　stood　watching；　one　hand　on　the　warm　hood　of　the　T…bird。　He　ran　his　other　hand　through　his　hair；　shoving　it　back　behind　his　ears；　trying　to　tame　it。　Finally；　against　his　will；　he　said；　〃What　killed　that　kid？〃
　　Ghost　shrugged；　pulled　his　hair　over　his　face。　〃Something　bad。　Something　really　bad。〃
　　Steve　started　to　say　no　shit；　then　thought　better　of　it。　Sometimes　you　didn't　want　to　say　such　things　to　Ghost。　They　walked　to　the　fence　and　looked　out　over　the　pastures　toward　the　power　plant。　Steve　curled　his　fingers　around　the　barbed　wire。　It　was　cold；　colder　than　the　night　air；　as　cold　as　dead　flesh。　He　shivered。　〃A　psycho；〃　he　said。　〃A　dog。　Maybe　that　Doberman　the　lady　had。　You　suppose　there's　any　wolves　left　around　here？〃
　　Ghost　tossed　his　hair　back　and　slowly　shook　his　head。　〃It　wasn't　any　wolf　or　dog。　How　could　they　suck　him　dry　like　that？　And　if　you　think　it　was　a　psycho；　how　e　you're　not　scared　to　be　up　here？　He　would've　taken　off。　He　could　be　anywhere。〃
　　〃Probably　across　the　Virginia　border　by　now。〃　Steve　saw　again　the　cavernous　throat；　the　sad　brown　hand　with　road　dirt　ground　into　the　creases　of　its　palm。　He　was　aware　of　the　cool　air　against　his　eyes；　drying　and　chilling　them。　He　squinted　at　the　power　plant；　making　the　lights　run　together　fuzzily；　dazzlingly　。　。　。　and　then　Ann　was　in　his　head　again。
　　He　remembered　the　last　time　he'd　e　up　here；　months　ago。　With　her。　They　had　made　love　on　a　blanket　in　the　back…seat　of　the　T…bird；　hot　and　sweaty；　but　the　clear　cool　air　of　the　hill　had　blown　over　them；　and　the　lights　of　the　power　plant　had　run　together　in　just　the　same　way。
　　Steve's　shoulders　drew　up　and　he　clamped　his　arms　across　his　chest；　ready　to　say　Let's　leave；　let's　get　the　hell　out　of　here　·　。　。　and　then　Ghost　was　offering　him　a　green　apple。　Distracting　him。　It　worked；　Steve　had　to　wonder　where　in　hell　the　apple　had　e　from。　He　took　a　big　bite　and　handed　it　back；