dk.coldfire-第69部分

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　She　had　left　Jim　alone　too　long。　
　But　she　could　not　interrupt　Henry　Ironheart　in　the　middle　of　the　revelations　that　she　had　e　to　hear。　
　〃I've　thought　about　it　all　these　long　years；〃　Henry　continued；　〃and　maybe　I　figured　it　out　a　little。　But　by　the　time　I　started　to　understand；　Jim　was　grown　up；　and　we'd　stopped　talking　about　Atlanta　so　many　years　ago。　
　To　be　pletely　honest；　we'd　stopped　talking　about　everything　by　then。〃　
　〃So　what　is　it　you　figured　out？〃　Henry　put　his　weak　right　hand　in　his　strong　left　and　stared　down　at　the　gnarled　lumps　that　his　knuckles　made　within　his　time…thinned　skin。　From　the　old　man's　attitude；　Holly　sensed　that　he　was　not　sure　he　should　reveal　what　he　needed　and　wanted　to　reveal。　
　〃I　love　him；　Henry。〃　
　He　looked　up　and　met　her　eyes。　
　She　said；　〃Earlier　you　said　I'd　e　here　to　learn　about　Atlanta　because　Jim　wouldn't　talk　about　it；　and　in　a　way　you　were　right。　I　came　to　find　out　a　number　of　things；　because　he's　frozen　me　out　of　some　areas　of　his　life。　He　really　loves　me；　Henry；　I've　no　doubt　of　that；　but　he's　clenched　up　like　a　fist；　he　can't　let　loose　of　certain　things。　
　If　I'm　going　to　marry　him；　if　it's　going　to　e　to　that；　then　I've　got　to　know　all　about　him…or　we'll　never　have　a　chance　to　be　happy。　You　can't　build　a　life　together　on　mysteries。〃　
　〃Of　course；　you're　right。〃　
　〃Tell　me　why　Jim　blames　himself　It's　killing　him；　Henry。　If　I　have　any　hope　of　helping　him；　I've　got　to　know　what　you　know。〃　
　He　sighed　and　made　up　his　mind。　〃What　I've　got　to　say　will　sound　like　superstitious　nonsense；　but　it　isn't。　I'll　make　it　simple　and　short；　'cause　it　sounds　even　screwier　if　I　dress　it　up　at　all。　My　wife；　Lena；　had　a　power。　
　Presentiment；　you'd　call　it；　I　guess。　Not　that　she　could　see　the　future；　tell　you　who　would　win　a　horserace　or　where　you'd　be　a　year　from　now　or　anything　like　that。　But　sometimes。　。　。　
　well；　you　might　invite　her　to　a　picnic　Sunday　a　week；　and　without　thinking；　she'd　say　it　was　going　to　rain　like…for…Noah　e　Sunday　a　week。　And　by　God　it　would。　Or　some　neighbor　would　be　pregnant；　and　Lena　would　start　referring　to　the　baby　as　either　a　he'　or　a　she；'　when　there　was　no　way　for　her　to　know　which　it　would　be…and　she　was　always　right。〃　
　Holly　sensed　some　of　the　last　pieces　of　the　puzzle　falling　into　place。　
　When　Henry　gave　her　a　maybe…you…think…I'm…an…old…fool　look；　she　took　his　bad　hand　and　held　it　reassuringly。　
　After　studying　her　a　moment；　he　said；　〃You've　seen　something　special　Jim　did；　haven't　you；　something　like　magic？〃　〃Yes。〃　
　〃So　you　maybe　know　where　this　is　going。〃　
　〃Maybe。〃　
　The　unseen　birds　began　to　screech　again。　The　residents　at　the　television　set　turned　the　sound　off　and　looked　around；　trying　to　identify　the　source　of　the　squealing。　
　Holly　looked　toward　the　courtyard　window。　No　birds　there。　But　she　knew　why　their　cries　made　the　hair　stand　up　on　the　back　of　her　neck：　they　were　somehow　connected　with　Jim。　She　remembered　the　way　he　had　looked　up　at　them　in　the　graveyard　and　how　he　had　studied　them　in　the　sky　during　the　drive　to　Solvang。　
　〃　；　Jamie；　our　son；　was　like　his　mother；　Hen　said　as　if　he　did　not　even　hear　the　birds。　〃He　just　sometimes　knew　things。　Fact　is；　he　was　a　little　more　gifted　than　Lena。　And　after　Jamie　had　been　married　to　Cara　for　a　while；　when　she　got　pregnant；　Lena　just　one　day　up　and　said；　The　baby's　going　to　be　special；　he's　going　to　be　a　real　mage。'〃　〃Mage？〃　〃Country　talk　for　someone　with　a　power；　with　something　special　about　him　the　way　Lena　had　something　special　and　Jamie；　too。　Only　she　meant　real　special。　So　Jim　was　born；　and　by　the　time　he　was　four。　。　。　
　well；　he　was　doing　things。　Like　once　he　touched　my　pocket　b；　which　I'd　bought　at　the　local　barbershop　here；　and　he　started　talking　about　things　that　were　in　the　shop；　though　he'd　never　been　in　there　in　his　life　'cause　he　lived　with　Jamie　and　Cara　down　in　Los　Angeles。〃　
　He　paused　and　took　a　few　deep　breaths。　The　slur　in　his　voice　had　begun　to　thicken。　His　right　eyelid　drooped。　Talking　seemed　to　tire　him　as　if　it　were　a　physical　labor。　
　A　male　nurse　with　a　flashlight　was　at　the　fireplace。　He　was　squinting　up　into　the　flue；　past　the　cracks　around　the　damper；　trying　to　see　if　any　birds　were　trapped　up　in　there。　
　The　shrieking　was　now　overlaid　by　the　frenzied　flapping　of　wings。　
　〃Jimmy　would　touch　an　item　and　know　where　it'd　been；　bits　and　pieces　about　who　owned　it。　Not　everything　about　them；　mind　you。　He　just　knew　whatever　he　knew；　that　was　it。　Maybe　he'd　touch　a　personal　item　of　yours　and　know　the　names　of　your　parents；　what　you　did　for　a　living。　
　Then　he'd　touch　a　personal　item　from　someone　else　and　only　know　where　they'd　gone　to　school；　names　of　their　children。　Always　different　things；　he　couldn't　control　it。　But　he　always　came　up　with　something　when　he　tried。〃　
　The　nurse；　trailed　by　three　patients　offering　advice；　had　moved　away　from　the　fireplace　and　was　frowning　up　at　the　air…conditioning　vents。　
　The　quarrelsome　sound　of　birds　still　echoed　through　the　room。　
　〃Let's　go　out　to　the　courtyard；〃　Holly　said；　getting　up。　
　〃Wait；〃　Henry　said　with　some　distress；　〃let　me　finish　this；　let　me　tell　you。〃　
　Jim；　for　God's　sake；　Holly　thought；　hold　on　another　minute；　just　another　minute　or　two。　
　Reluctantly　she　sat　down。　
　Henry　said；　〃Jim's　specialness　was　a　family　secret；　like　Lena's　and　Jamie's。　We　didn't　want　the　world　to　know；　e　snooping　around；　call　us　freaks　and　God　knows　what。　But　Cara；　she　always　wanted　so　bad　to　be　in　show　business。　Jamie　worked　down　there　at　Warner　Brothers；　which　was　where'd　he'd　met　her；　and　he　wanted　what　Cara　wanted。　They　decided　they　could　form　an　act　with　Jimmy；　call　him　the　boy…wonder　mentalist；　but　nobody　would　ever　suspect　he　really　had　a　power。　They　played　it　as　a　trick；　lots　of　winking　at　the　audience；　daring　them　to　figure　out　just　how　it　was　all　donùwhen　all　the　time　it　was　real。　They　made　a　good　living　at　it；　too；　and　it　was　good　for　them　as　a　family；　kept　them　together　every　day。　
　They'd　been　so　close　before　the　act；　but　they　were　closer　than　ever　after　they　went　on　the　road。　No　parents　ever　loved　their　child　more　than　they　loved　Jim…or　ever　got　more　love　given　back　to　them。　
　They　were　so　close。　。　。　it　was　impossible　to　think　of　them　ever　being　apart。〃　
　Blackbirds　streaked　across　the　bleak　sky。　
　Sitting　on　the　redwood　bench；　Jim　stared　up　at　them。　
　They　almost　vanished　into　the　eastern　clouds；　then　turned　sharply　and　came　back。　
　For　a　while　they　kited　overhead。　
　Those　dark；　jagged　forms　against　the　seared　sky　posed　an　image　that　might　have　e　from　some　poem　by　Edgar　Allan　Poe。　As　a　kid　he'd　had　a　passion　for　Poe　and　had　memorized　all　of　the　more　macabre　pieces　of　his　poetry。　Morbidity　had　its　fascination。　
　The　bird　shrieks　suddenly　stopped。　The　resulting　quiet　was　a　blessing；　but　Holly　was；　oddly；　more　frightened　by　the　cessation　of　the　cries　than　she　had　been　by　the　eerie　sound　of　them。　
　〃And　the　power　grew；〃　Henry　Ironheart　said　softly；　thickly。　He　shifted　in　his　wheelchair；　and　his　right　side　resisted　settling　into　a　new　position。　
　For　the　first　time　he　showed　some　frustration　at　the　limitations　of　his　stroke…altered　body。　〃By　the　time　Jim　was　six；　you　could　put　a　penny　on　the　table；　and　he　could　move　it　just　by　wanting　it　to　move；　slide　it　back　and　forth；　make　it　stand　on　end。　By　the　time　he　was　eight；　he　could　pitch　it　in　the　air；　float　it　there。　By　the　time　he　was　ten；　he　could　do　the　same　with　a　quarter；　a　phonograph　record；　a　cake　tin。　It　was　the　most　amazing　thing　you　ever　saw。〃　
　You　should　see　what　he　can　do　at　thirty…five；　Holly　thought。　
　〃They　never　used　any　of　that　in　their　act；〃　Henry　said；　〃they　just　stuck　to　the　mentalism；　taking　personal　items　from　members　of　the　audience；　so　Jim　could　tell　them　things　about　themselves　that　just；　you　know；　astonished　them。　Jamie　and　Cara　figured　to　include　some　of　his　levitations　eventually；　but　they　just　hadn't　figured　out　how　to　do　it　yet　without　giving　the　truth　away。　Then　they　went　to　the　Dixie　Duck　down　in　Atlanta。　。　。　
　and　that　was　the　end　of　everything。〃　
　Not　the　end　of　everything。　It　was　the　end　of　one　thing；　the　dark　beginning　of　another。　
　She　realized　why　the　absence　of　the　birds'　screams　was　more　disturbing　than　the　sound　itself　The　cries　had　been　like　the　hiss　of　a　sparking　fuse　as　it　burned　down　toward　an　explosive　charge。　As　long　as　she　could　hear　the　sound；　the　explosion　was　still　preventable。　
　〃And　that's　why　I　figure　Jim　thought　he　should've　been　able　to　save　them；〃　Henry　said。　〃Because　he　could　do　those　little　things　with　his　mind；　float　and　move　things；　he　thought　he　should've　been　able　maybe　to　jam　the　bullets　in　that　crazy　man's　gun；　freeze　the　trigger；　lock　the　safety　in　place；　something；　something。　。　。〃　
　〃Could　he　have　done　that？〃　〃Yeah；　maybe。　But　he　was　just　a　scared　little　boy。　To　do　those　things　with　pennies　and　records　and　cake　tins；　he　had　to　concentrate。　
　No　time　to　concentrate　when　the　bullets　started　flying　that　day。〃　
　Holly　remembered　the　murderous　sound：　chuda…chuda…chuduchuda。　。　。　
　〃So　when　we　brought　him　back　from　Atlanta；　he　would　hardly　talk；　just　a　word　or　two　now　and　then。　Wouldn't　meet　your　eyes。　Something　died　in　him　when　Jamie　and　Cara　died；　and　we　could　never　bring　it　back　again；　no　matter　how　much　we　loved　him　and　how　hard　we　tried。　His　power　died；　too。　Or　seemed　to。　He　never　did　one　of　his　tricks　again；　and　after　a　lot　of　years　it　was　sometimes　hard　to　believe　he'd　ever　done　those　strange　things　when　he　was　little。〃　
　In　spite　of　his　good　spirits；　Henry　Ironheart　had　looked　every　one　of　his　eighty　years。　Now　he　appeared　to　be　far　older；　ancient。　
　He　said；　〃Jimmy　was　so　strange　after　Atlanta；　so　unreachable　and　full　of　rage。　。　。　sometimes　it　was　possible　to　love　him　and　still　be　a　little　afraid　of　him。　Later；　God　forgive　me；　I　suspected　him　of。　〃　〃I　know；〃　Holly　said。　
　His　slack　features　tightened；　and　he　looked　sharply　at　her。　
　Your　wife；　she　said。　〃Lena。　The　way　she　died。〃　
　More　thickly　than　usual；　he　said；　〃You　know　so　much。〃　
　〃Too　much；〃　she　said。　〃Which　is　funny。　Because　all　my　life　I've　known　too　little。〃　
　Henry　looked　down　at　his　culpable　hands　again。　〃How　could　I　believe　that　a　boy　of　ten；　even　a　disturbed　boy；　could