osc.am2.redprophet-第14部分

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　but　it　didn't　feel　like　any　White　man　building　Lolla…Wossiky　ever　saw。　Big　open　space　inside。　Walls　very　high。　First　time　ever　he　saw　White　man　build　something　that　wasn't　closed　in　and　dark。　In　this　place　a　Red　man　still　maybe　glad　to　be　here。
　　〃Who's　that？　Who　are　you？〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　turned　around　so　fast　he　almost　fell。　A　tall　White　man　stood　at　the　edge　of　the　building。　The　floor　was　up　so　high　it　met　this　man　at　the　waist。　He　wasn't　in　buckskin　like　a　hunter；　or　in　uniform　like　a　soldier。　He　was　dressed　like　a　farmer　maybe；　only　he　was　clean。　In　fact　Lolla…Wossiky　never　saw　such　a　man　in　Carthage　City。
　　〃Who　are　you？〃　demanded　the　man　again。
　　〃Red　man；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃It's　getting　on　dusk；　but　it　sure　ain't　night　yet。　I'd　have　to　be　blind　not　to　know　you're　Red。　But　I　know　the　Reds　close　by　and　you　ain't　from　around　here。〃
　　Lolly…Wossiky　laughed。　What　White　man　ever　knew　one　Red　from　another　so　well　he　could　say　who　was　from　close　by　and　who　was　from　far　away？
　　〃You　got　a　name；　Red　man？〃
　　〃Lolla…Wossiky。〃
　　〃You're　likkered；　ain't　you。　I　can　smell　it；　and　you　don't　walk　too　good。〃
　　〃Very　likkered。　Whisky…Red。〃
　　〃Who　gave　you　that　likker！　You　tell　me！　Where'd　you　get　that　likker？〃
　　Lona…wossiky　was　confused。　White　man　never　asked　him　where　he　got　his　likker　before。　White　man　always　knew。　〃From　White　Murderer　Harrison；〃　he　said。
　　〃Harrison's　two　hundred　miles　southeast　of　here。　What　did　you　call　him？〃
　　〃Governor　Bill　Harrison。〃
　　〃You　called　him　White　Murderer　Harrison。〃
　　〃This　Red　very　drunk。〃
　　〃I　can　see　that。　But　you　sure　didn't　get　drunk　at　Fort　Carthage　and　then　walk　all　this　way　without　sobering　up。　Now　where'd　you　get　that　likker？〃
　　〃You　going　to　lock　me　up？〃
　　〃Lock　you　now　where　would　I　lock　you　up；　tell　me　that？　You　really　are　from　Fort　Carthage；　aren't　you。　Well；　I'll　tell　you；　Mr。　Lolla…Wossiky；　we　got　no　place　to　lock　up　drunk　Reds　around　here；　cause　around　here　Reds　don't　get　drunk。　And　if　they　do；　we　find　the　White　man　who　gave　him　likker　and　that　White　man　gets　a　flogging。　So　you　tell　me　right　now　where　you　got　that　likker。〃
　　〃My　whisky；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃Maybe　you　better　e　with　me。〃
　　〃Lock　me　up。〃
　　〃I　told　you；　we　don't　listen；　you　hungry？〃
　　〃Reckon　so；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃You　got　a　place　to　eat？〃
　　〃Eat　wherever　I　am。〃
　　〃Well；　tonight　you　e　on　down　and　eat　at　my　house。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　didn't　know　what　to　say。　Was　this　a　White　man　joke？　White　man　jokes　were　very　hard　to　understand。
　　〃Aren't　you　hungry？〃
　　〃Reckon　so；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky　again。
　　〃Well；　e　on；　then！〃
　　Another　White　man　came　up　the　hill。　〃Armor…of…God！〃　he　called。　〃Your　good　wife　wondered　where　you　were。〃
　　〃Just　a　minute；　Reverend　Thrower。　I　think　maybe　we　got　us　pany　for　supper。〃
　　〃Who　is　that？　Why；　Armor…of…God；　I　daresay　that's　a　Red。〃
　　〃He　says　his　name's　Lolla…Wossiky。　He's　a　Shaw…Nee。　He's　also　drunk　as　a　skunk。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　was　very　surprised。　This　White　man　knew　he　was　a　Shaw…Nee　without　asking。　From　his　hair；　plucked　out　except　the　tall　strip　down　the　middle？　Other　Reds　did　this。　The　fringe　on　his　loincloth？　White　man　never　saw　these　things。
　　〃A　Shaw…Nee；〃　said　the　new…e　White　man。　〃Aren't　they　a　particularly　savage　tribe？〃
　　〃Well；　now；　I　don't　know；　Reverend　Thrower；〃　said　Armor…of…God。　〃What　they　are　is　a　particularly　sober　tribe。　By　which　I　mean　they　don't　get　so　likkered　as　some　of　these　others。　Some　folks　think　that　the　only　safe　Red　is　a　whisky…Red；　so　they　see　all　these　sober　Shaw…Nee　and　they　think　that　makes　them　dangerous。〃
　　〃This　one　seems　not　to　have　that　problem。〃
　　〃I　know。　I　tried　to　find　out　who　gave　him　his　whisky；　and　he　won't　tell　me。〃
　　Reverend　Thrower　addressed　Lolla…Wossiky。　〃Don't　you　know　that　whisky　is　the　devil's　tool　and　the　downfall　of　the　Red　man？〃
　　〃I　don't　think　he　talks　English　enough　to　know　what　you're　talking　about；　Reverend。〃
　　〃Likker　very　bad　for　Red　man；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃Well；　maybe　he　does　understand；〃　said　Armor…of…God；　chuckling。　〃Lolla…Wossiky；　if　you　know　how　bad　likker　is；　how　e　you　stink　of　cheap　whisky　like　an　Irish　barroom？〃
　　〃Likker　very　bad　for　Red　man；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky；　〃but　Red　man　thirsty　all　the　time。〃
　　〃There's　a　simple　scientific　explanation　for　that；〃　said　Reverend　Thrower。　〃Europeans　have　had　alcoholic　beverages　for　so　long　that　they've　built　up　a　tolerance。　Europeans　who　desperately　hunger　for　alcohol　tend　to　die　younger；　have　fewer　children；　provide　less　well　for　those　children　they　do　have。　The　result　is　that　most　Europeans　have　a　resistance　to　alcohol　built　into　them。　But　you　Reds　have　never　built　up　that　tolerance。〃
　　〃Very　damn　right；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。　〃True…talking　White　man；　how　e　White　Murderer　Harrison　not　kill　you　yet？〃
　　〃Well；　now；　will　you　listen　to　that；〃　said　Armor…of…God。　〃That's　the　second　time　he　called　Harrison　a　murderer。〃
　　〃He　also　swore；　which　I　do　not　appreciate。〃
　　〃If　he's　from　Carthage；　he　learned　to　talk　English　from　a　class　of　White　man　that　thinks　words　like　'damn'　are　punctuation；　if　you　catch　my　drift；　Reverend。　But　listen；　Lolla…Wossiky。　This　man　here；　he's　Reverend　Philadelphia　Thrower；　and　he's　a　minister　of　the　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　so　mind　you　don't　use　no　bad　language　around　him。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky　hadn't　the　faintest　idea　what　a　minister　was　　there　was　no　such　thing　in　Carthage　City。　The　best　he　could　think　of　was　that　a　minister　was　like　a　governor；　only　nicer。
　　〃Will　you　live　in　this　very　big　house？〃
　　〃Live　here？〃　asked　Thrower。　〃Oh；　no。　This　is　the　Lord's　house。〃
　　〃Who？〃
　　〃The　Lord　Jesus　Christ。〃
　　Lona…Wossiky　had　heard　of　Jesus　Christ。　White　man　called　out　that　name　all　the　time；　mostly　when　they　were　angry　or　lying。　〃Very　angry　man；〃　said　Lofla…Wossiky。　〃He　live　here？〃
　　〃Jesus　Christ　is　a　loving　and　forgiving　Lord；〃　said　Reverend　Thrower。　〃He　won't　live　here　the　way　a　White　man　lives　in　a　house。　But　when　good　Christians　want　to　worship　　to　sing　hymns　and　pray　and　hear　the　word　of　the　Lord　　we'll　e　together　in　this　place。　It's　a　church；　or　it　will　be。〃
　　〃Jesus　Christ　talks　here？〃　Lolla…Wossiky　thought　it　might　be　interesting　to　meet　this　very　important　White　man　face　to　face。
　　〃Oh；　no；　not　in　person。　I　speak　for　him。〃
　　From　below　the　hill　came　a　woman's　voice。　〃Armor！　Armor　Weaver！〃
　　Armor…of…God　came　alert。　〃Supper's　ready；　and　there　she　is　calling　out；　she　hates　when　she　has　to　do　that。　e　on；　Lolla…Wossiky。　Drunk　or　not；　if　you　want　supper　you　can　e；　and　get　it。〃
　　〃I　hope　you　will；〃　said　Reverend　Thrower。　〃And　when　supper　is　done；　I　hope　to　be　able　to　teach　you　the　words　of　the　Lord　Jesus。〃
　　〃Very　most　first　thing；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。　〃You　promise　not　to　lock　me　up。　I　don't　want　lock…up；　I　got　to　find　dream　beast。〃
　　〃We　won't　lock　you　up。　You　can　walk　out　of　my　house　any　time。〃　Armor…of…God　turned　to　Reverend　Thrower。　〃You　can　see　what　these　Reds　learn　about　White　men　from　William　Henry　Harrison。　Likker　and　lock…ups。〃
　　〃I　am　more　moved　by　his　pagan　beliefs。　A　dream　beast！　Is　this　their　idea　of　gods？〃
　　〃The　dream　beast　isn't　God；　it's　an　animal　they　dream　about　that　teaches　them　things；〃　explained　Armor。　〃They　always　take　a　long　journey　till　they　have　the　dream　and　e　home。　That　explains　what　he's　doing　two　hundred　miles　from　the　main　Shaw…Nee　settlements　on　the　lower　My…Ammy。〃
　　〃Dream　beast　real；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃Right；〃　said　Armor…of…God。　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　he　was　saying　that　only　to　avoid　offending　him。
　　〃This　poor　creature　is　obviously　in　dire　need　of　the　gospel　of　Jesus；〃　said　Thrower。
　　〃Looks　to　me　like　he's　in　more　need　of　supper　at　the　moment。　Gospel　is　learned　best　on　a　full　belly；　wouldn't　you　say？〃
　　Thrower　chuckled。　〃I　don't　think　it　says　that　anywhere　in　the　Bible；　Armor…of…God；　but　I　dare　say　you're　correct。〃
　　Armor…of…God　put　his　hands　on　his　hips　and　asked　Lolla…Wossiky　again。　〃You　ing　or　not？〃
　　〃Reckon　so；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　
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　　Lolla…Wossiky's　belly　was　full；　but　it　was　White　man's　food；　soft　and　smooth　and　overcooked；　and　it　grumbled　inside　him。　Thrower　went　on　and　on　with　very　strange　words。　The　stones　were　good；　but　Thrower　kept　going　on　about　original　sin　and　redemption。　One　time　when　Lolla…Wossiky　thought　he　understood；　he　said；　〃What　a　silly　god；　he　makes　everybody　born　bad　to　go　to　bunung　hell。　Why　so　mad？　All　his　fault！〃　But　this　made　Thrower　get　very　upset　and　talk　longer　and　faster；　so　after　that　Lolla…Wossiky　did　not　offer　any　of　his　thoughts。
　　The　black　noise　came　back　louder　and　louder　the　more　Thrower　talked。　Whisky　wearing　off？　It　was　very　quick　for　the　likker　to　go　out　of　him。　And　when　Thrower　left　one　time　to　go　empty　himself；　the　black　noise　got　quieter。　Very　strange　　Lolla…Wossiky　never　before　noticed　anybody　making　the　black　noise　louder　or　softer　by　ing　or　going。
　　But　maybe　that　was　because　he　was　here　in　the　dream　beast　place。　He　knew　this　was　the　place　because　the　white　light　was　all　around　him　when　he　looked；　and　he　couldn't　see　where　to　go。　Don't　be　surprised　at　bridges　that　make　black　noise　soft　and　White　minister　who　makes　black　noise　loud。　Don't　be　surprised　at　Armor…of…God　with　his　land…face　picture　who　feeds　Red　man　and　doesn't　sell　likker　or　even　give　likker。
　　While　Thrower　was　outside；　Armor…of…God　showed　Lolla…Wossiky　the　map。　〃This　is　a　picture　of　the　whole　land　around　hem。　Up　to　the　northwest；　there's　the　big　lake　　the　Kicky…Poo　call　it　Fat　Water。　Right　there；　Fort　Chicago　　it's　a　French　outpost。〃
　　〃French。　One　cup　of　whisky　for　a　White　man　scalp。〃
　　〃That's　the　going　rate；　all　right；〃　said　Armor…of…God。　〃But　the　Reds　around　here　don't　take　scalps。　They　trade　fair　with　me；　and　I　trade　fair　with　them；　and　we　don't　go　shooting　down　Reds　and　they　don't　go　killing　White　folks　for　the　bounty。　You　understand　me？　You　start　getting　thirsty；　you　think　about　this：　There　was　a　whisky…Red　from　the　Wee…Aw　tribe　here　some　four　year　back；　he　killed　him　a　little　Danish　boy　out　in　the　woods。　Do　you　think　it　was　White　men　tracked　him　down？　Reckon　not；　you　know　a　White　man's　got　no　hope　to　find　no　Red　in　these　woods；　specially　not　farmers　and　such　like　us。　No；　it　was