sk.thetalisman-第124节

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dentifiable　sounds　as　well；　but　all　of　them　fell　into　a　vague　set　for　Jack…military　training　operation。　The　area　between　the　guardhouse　and　the　approaching　stockade　wall　was　half　a　mile　wide；　and　with　all　this　other　stuff　going　on；　Jack　doubted　that　anyone　had　heard　his　single　shot。　The　train；　being　electric；　was　almost　silent。　The　advantage　of　surprise　should　still　be　on　their　side。
　　The　tracks　disappeared　beneath　a　closed　double　gate　in　the　side　of　the　stockade　wall。　Jack　could　see　chinks　of　daylight　between　the　rough…peeled　logs。
　　'Jack；　you　better　slow　down。'　They　were　now　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　from　the　gate。　From　behind　it；　bellowing　voices　chanted；　'Sound…HOFF！　Hun…too！　Hree…FO！　Sound…HOFF！'　Jack　thought　again　of　H。　G。　Wells's　manimals　and　shivered。
　　'No　way；　chum。　We're　through　the　gate。　You　got　just　about　time　to　do　the　Fish　Cheer。'
　　'Jack；　you're　crazy！'
　　'I　know。'　
　　A　hundred　yards。　The　batteries　hummed。　A　blue　spark　jumped；　sizzling。　Bare　earth　flowed　past　them　on　either　side。　No　grain　here；　Jack　thought。　If　No？l　Coward　had　written　a　play　about　Morgan　Sloat；　I　guess　he　would　have　called　it　Blight　Spirit。
　　'Jack；　what　if　this　creepy　little　train　jumps　its　tracks？'
　　'Well；　it　might；　I　guess；'　Jack　said。
　　'Or　what　if　it　breaks　through　the　gate　and　the　tracks　just　end？'
　　'That'd　be　one　on　us；　wouldn't　it？'　
　　Fifty　yards。
　　'Jack；　you　really　have　lost　your　mind；　haven't　you？'
　　'I　guess　so。　Take　your　gun　off　safety；　Richard。'　
　　Richard　flicked　the　safety。
　　Thuds　。　。　。　grunts　。　。　。　marching　men　。　。　。　the　creak　of　leather　。　。　。　yells　。　。　。　an　inhuman；　laughing　shriek　that　made　Richard　cringe。　And　yet　Jack　saw　a　clear　resolution　in　Richard's　face　that　made　Jack　grin　with　pride。　He　means　to　stick　by　me…old　Rational　Richard　or　not；　he　really　means　to　stick　by　me。
　　Twenty…five　yards。
　　Shrieks　。　。　。　squeals　。　。　。　shouted　mands　。　。　。　and　a　thick；　reptilian　cry…Groooo…OOOO！…that　made　the　hair　stand　up　on　the　back　of　Jack's　neck。
　　'If　we　get　out　of　this；'　Jack　said；　'I'll　buy　you　a　chili…dog　at　Dairy　Queen。'
　　'Barf　me　out！'　Richard　yelled；　and；　incredibly；　he　began　to　laugh。　In　that　instant　the　unhealthy　yellow　seemed　to　fade　a　bit　from　his　face。
　　Five　yards…and　the　peeled　posts　which　made　up　the　gate　looked　solid；　yes；　very　solid；　and　Jack　just　had　time　to　wonder　if　he　hadn't　made　a　great　big　fat　mistake。
　　'Get　down；　chum！'
　　'Don't　call　m…'
　　The　train　hit　the　stockade　gate；　throwing　them　both　forward。
　　　
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　　The　gate　was　really　quite　strong；　and　in　addition　it　was　double…barred　across　the　inside　with　two　large　logs。　Morgan's　train　was　not　terribly　big；　and　the　batteries　were　nearly　flat　after　its　long　run　across　the　Blasted　Lands。　The　collision　surely　would　have　derailed　it；　and　both　boys　might　well　have　been　killed　in　the　wreck；　but　the　gate　had　an　Achilles'　heel。　New　hinges；　forged　according　to　modern　American　processes；　were　on　order。　They　had　not　yet　arrived；　however；　and　the　old　iron　hinges　snapped　when　the　engine　hit　the　gate。
　　The　train　came　rolling　into　the　stockade　at　twenty…five　miles　an　hour；　pushing　the　amputated　gate　in　front　of　it。　An　obstacle　course　had　been　built　around　the　stockade's　perimeter；　and　the　gate；　acting　like　a　snowplow；　began　shoving　makeshift　wooden　hurdles　in　front　of　it；　turning　them；　rolling　them；　snapping　them　into　splinters。
　　It　also　struck　a　Wolf　who　had　been　doing　punishment　laps。　His　feet　disappeared　under　the　bottom　of　the　moving　gate　and　were　chewed　off；　customized　boots　and　all。　Shrieking　and　growling；　his　Change　beginning；　the　Wolf　began　to　claw…climb　his　way　up　the　gate　with　fingernails　which　were　growing　rapidly　to　the　length　and　sharpness　of　a　telephone…lineman's　spikes。　The　gate　was　now　forty　feet　inside　the　stockade。　Amazingly；　he　got　almost　to　the　top　before　Jack　dropped　the　gear…lever　into　neutral。　The　train　stopped。　The　gate　fell　over；　puffing　up　big　dust　and　crushing　the　unfortunate　Wolf　beneath　it。　Underneath　the　last　car　of　the　train；　the　Wolf's　severed　feet　continued　to　grow　hair；　and　would　for　several　more　minutes。
　　The　situation　inside　the　camp　was　better　than　Jack　had　dared　hope。　The　place　apparently　woke　up　early；　as　military　installations　have　a　way　of　doing；　and　most　of　the　troops　seemed　to　be　out；　going　through　a　bizarre　menu　of　drills　and　body…building　exercises。
　　'On　the　right！'　he　shouted　at　Richard。
　　'Do　what？'　Richard　shouted　back。
　　Jack　opened　his　mouth　and　cried　out：　for　Uncle　Tommy　Woodbine；　run　down　in　the　street；　for　an　unknown　carter；　whipped　to　death　in　a　muddy　courtyard；　for　Ferd　Janklow；　for　Wolf；　dead　in　Sunlight　Gardener's　filthy　office；　for　his　mother；　but　most　of　all；　he　discovered；　for　Queen　Laura　DeLoessian；　who　was　also　his　mother；　and　for　the　crime　that　was　being　carried　out　on　the　body　of　the　Territories。　He　cried　out　as　Jason；　and　his　voice　was　thunder。
　　'TEAR　THEM　UP！'　Jack　Sawyer/Jason　DeLoessian　bellowed；　and　opened　fire　on　the　left。
　　　
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　　There　was　a　rough　parade　ground　on　Jack's　side；　a　long　log　building　on　Richard's。　The　log　building　looked　like　the　bunkhouse　in　a　Roy　Rogers　movie；　but　Richard　guessed　that　it　was　a　barracks。　In　fact；　this　whole　place　looked　more　familiar　to　Richard　than　anything　he　had　seen　so　far　in　this　weird　world　Jack　had　taken　him　into。　He　had　seen　places　like　it　on　the　TV　news。　CIA…supported　rebels　training　for　takeovers　of　South　and　Central　American　countries　trained　in　places　like　this。　Only；　the　training　camps　were　usually　in　Florida；　and　those　weren't　cubanos　pouring　out　of　the　barracks…Richard　didn't　know　what　they　were。
　　Some　of　them　looked　a　bit　like　medieval　paintings　of　devils　and　satyrs。　Some　looked　like　degenerate　human　beings…cave…people；　almost。　And　one　of　the　things　lurching　into　the　early…morning　sunlight　had　scaly　skin　and　nictitating　eyelids　。　。　。　it　looked　to　Richard　Sloat　like　an　alligator　that　was　somehow　walking　upright。　As　he　looked；　the　thing　lifted　its　snout　and　uttered　that　cry　he　and　Jack　had　heard　earlier：　Grooo…OOOOO！　He　just　had　time　to　see　that　most　of　these　hellish　creatures　looked　totally　bewildered；　and　then　Jack's　Uzi　split　the　world　with　thunder。
　　On　Jack's　side；　roughly　two　dozen　Wolfs　had　been　doing　callies　on　the　parade　ground。　Like　the　guardhouse　Wolf；　most　wore　green　fatigue　pants；　boots　with　cut…off　toes；　and　bandoleer　belts。　Like　the　guard；　they　looked　stupid；　flatheaded；　and　essentially　evil。
　　They　had　paused　in　the　middle　of　a　spastic　set　of　jumping　jacks　to　watch　the　train　e　roaring　in；　the　gate　and　the　unfortunate　fellow　who　had　been　running　laps　at　the　wrong　place　and　time　plastered　to　the　front。　At　Jack's　cry　they　began　to　move；　but　by　then　they　were　too　late。
　　Most　of　Morgan's　carefully　culled　Wolf　Brigade；　hand…picked　over　a　period　of　five　years　for　their　strength　and　brutality；　their　fear　of　and　loyalty　to　Morgan；　were　wiped　out　in　one　spitting；　raking　burst　of　the　machine…gun　in　Jack's　hands。　They　went　stumbling　and　reeling　backward；　chests　blown　open；　heads　bleeding。　There　were　growls　of　bewildered　anger　and　howls　of　pain　。　。　。　but　not　many。　Most　of　them　simply　died。
　　Jack　popped　the　clip；　grabbed　another　one；　slammed　it　in。　On　the　left　side　of　the　parade　ground；　four　of　the　Wolfs　had　escaped；　in　the　center　two　more　had　dropped　below　the　line　of　fire。　Both　of　these　had　been　wounded　but　now　both　were　ing　at　him；　long…nailed　toes　digging　divots　in　the　packed　dust；　faces　sprouting　hair；　eyes　flaring。　As　they　ran　at　the　engine；　Jack　saw　fangs　grow　out　of　their　mouths　and　push　through　fresh；　wiry　hair　growing　from　their　chins。
　　He　pulled　the　trigger　on　the　Uzi；　now　holding　the　hot　barrel　down　only　with　an　effort；　the　heavy　recoil　was　trying　to　force　the　muzzle　up。　Both　of　the　attacking　Wolfs　were　thrown　back　so　violently　that　they　flipped　through　the　air　head…over…heels　like　acrobats。　The　other　four　Wolfs　did　not　pause；　they　headed　for　the　place　where　the　gate　had　been　two　minutes　before。
　　The　assorted　creatures　which　had　spilled　out　of　the　bunkhouse…style　barracks　building　seemed　to　be　finally　getting　the　idea　that；　although　the　newers　were　driving　Morgan's　train；　they　were　a　good　deal　less　than　friendly。　There　was　no　concentrated　charge；　but　they　began　to　move　forward　in　a　muttering　clot。　Richard　laid　the　Uzi's　barrel　on　the　chest…high　side　of　the　engine　cab　and　opened　fire。　The　slugs　tore　them　open；　drove　them　backward。　Two　of　the　things　which　looked　like　goats　dropped　to　hands　and　knees…or　hooves…and　scurried　back　inside。　Richard　saw　three　others　spin　and　drop　under　the　force　of　the　slugs。　A　joy　so　savage　that　it　made　him　feel　faint　swept　through　him。
　　Bullets　also　tore　open　the　whitish…green　belly　of　the　alligator…thing；　and　a　blackish　fluid…ichor；　not　blood…began　to　pour　out　of　it。　It　fell　backward；　but　its　tail　seemed　to　cushion　it。　It　sprang　back　up　and　leaped　at　Richard's　side　of　the　train。　It　uttered　its　rough；　powerful　cry　again　。　。　。　and　this　time　it　seemed　to　Richard　that　there　was　something　hideously　feminine　in　that　cry。
　　He　pulled　the　trigger　of　the　Uzi。　Nothing　happened。　The　clip　was　spent。
　　The　alligator…thing　ran　with　slow；　clumsy；　thudding　determination。　Its　eyes　sparkled　w