sk.thetalisman-第133节

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　　Richard　gave　him　a　look　half…fearful；　half…grateful。　Now　Jack　could　see　the　irregular　outlines　of　future　bumps　crowding　beneath　the　surface　of　Richard's　cheeks。　Again　he　was　conscious　of　a　powerful　force　pulling　at　him；　forcing　him　along　as　he　had　forced　Richard。
　　'You　mean　my　father；'　Richard　said。　He　blinked；　and　Jack　thought　he　was　trying　not　to　cry…exhaustion　had　magnified　Richard's　emotions。
　　'I　mean　everything；'　Jack　said；　not　quite　truthfully。　'Let's　get　going；　old　pal。'
　　'But　what　am　I　supposed　to　understand？　I　don't　get…'　Richard　looked　around；　blinking　his　unprotected　eyes。　Most　of　the　world；　Jack　remembered；　was　a　blur　to　Richard。
　　'You　understand　a　lot　more　already；　Richie；'　Jack　pointed　out。
　　And　then　for　a　moment　a　disconcertingly　bitter　smile　twisted　Richard's　mouth。　He　had　been　made　to　understand　a　great　deal　more　than　he　had　ever　wished　to　know；　and　his　friend　found　himself　momentarily　wishing　that　he　had　run　away　from　Thayer　School　in　the　middle　of　the　night　by　himself。　But　the　moment　in　which　he　might　have　preserved　Richard's　innocence　was　far　behind　him；　if　it　had　ever　really　existed…Richard　was　a　necessary　part　of　Jack's　mission。　He　felt　strong　hands　fold　around　his　heart：　Jason's　hands；　the　Talisman's　hands。
　　'We're　on　our　way；'　he　said；　and　Richard　settled　back　into　the　rhythm　of　his　strides。
　　'We're　going　to　see　my　dad　down　there　in　Point　Venuti；　aren't　we？'　he　asked。
　　Jack　said；　'I'm　going　to　take　care　of　you；　Richard。　You're　the　herd　now。'
　　'What？'
　　'Nobody's　going　to　hurt　you；　not　unless　you　scratch　yourself　to　death。'　
　　Richard　muttered　to　himself　as　they　plodded　along。　His　hands　slid　over　his　inflamed　temples；　rubbing　and　rubbing。　Now　and　then　he　dug　his　fingers　in　his　hair；　scratched　himself　like　a　dog；　and　grunted　in　an　only　partially　fulfilled　satisfaction。
　　　
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　　Shortly　after　Richard　lifted　his　shirt；　revealing　the　red　blotches　on　his　back；　they　saw　the　first　of　the　Territories　trees。　It　grew　on　the　inland　side　of　the　highway；　its　tangle　of　dark　branches　and　column　of　thick；　irregular　bark　emerging　from　a　reddish；　waxy　tangle　of　poison　ivy。　Knotholes　in　the　bark　gaped；　mouths　or　eyes；　at　the　boys。　Down　in　the　thick　mat　of　poison　ivy　a　rustling；　rustling　of　unsatisfied　roots　agitated　the　waxy　leaves　above　them；　as　if　a　breeze　blew　through　them。　Jack　said；　'Let's　cross　the　road；'　and　hoped　that　Richard　had　not　seen　the　tree。　Behind　him　he　could　still　hear　the　thick；　rubbery　roots　prowling　through　the　stems　of　the　ivy。
　　Is　that　a　BOY？　Could　that　be　a　BOY　up　there？　A　SPECIAL　boy　perhaps？
　　Richard's　hands　flew　from　his　sides　to　his　shoulders　to　his　temples　to　his　scalp。　On　his　cheeks；　the　second　wave　of　raised　bumps　resembled　horror…movie　makeup…he　could　have　been　a　juvenile　monster　from　one　of　Lily　Cavanaugh's　old　films。　Jack　saw　that　on　the　backs　of　Richard's　hands　the　red　bumps　of　the　rash　had　begun　to　grow　together　into　great　red　welts。
　　'Can　you　really　keep　going；　Richard？'　he　asked。
　　Richard　nodded。　'Sure。　For　a　while。'　He　squinted　back　across　the　road。　'That　wasn't　a　regular　tree；　was　it？　I　never　saw　a　tree　like　that　before；　not　even　in　a　book。　It　was　a　Territories　tree；　wasn't　it？'
　　'　'Fraid　so；'　Jack　said。
　　'That　means　the　Territories　are　really　close；　doesn't　it？'
　　'I　guess　it　does。'
　　'So　there'll　be　more　of　those　trees　up　ahead；　won't　there？'
　　'If　you　know　the　answers；　why　ask　the　questions？'　Jack　asked。　'Oh　Jason；　what　a　dumb　thing　to　say。　I'm　sorry；　Richie…I　guess　I　was　hoping　that　you　didn't　see　it。　Yeah；　I　suppose　there'll　be　more　of　them　up　there。　Let's　just　not　get　too　close　to　them。'　
　　In　any　case；　Jack　thought；　'up　there'　was　hardly　an　accurate　way　to　describe　where　they　were　going：　the　highway　slid　resolutely　down　a　steady　grade；　and　every　hundred　feet　seemed　to　take　it　farther　from　the　light。　Everything　seemed　invaded　by　the　Territories。
　　'Could　you　take　a　look　at　my　back？'　Richard　asked。
　　'Sure。'　Jack　again　lifted　Richard's　shirt。　He　kept　himself　from　saying　anything；　though　his　instinct　was　to　groan。　Richard's　back　was　now　covered　with　raised　red　blotches　which　seemed　almost　to　radiate　heat。　'It's　a　little　worse；'　he　said。
　　'I　thought　it　had　to　be。　Only　a　little；　huh？'
　　'Only　a　little。'
　　Before　long；　Jack　thought；　Richard　was　going　to　look　one　hell　of　a　lot　like　an　alligator　suitcase…Alligator　Boy；　son　of　Elephant　Man。
　　
　　Two　of　the　trees　grew　together　a　short　way　ahead；　their　warty　trunks　twisted　around　each　other　in　a　way　that　suggested　violence　more　than　love。　As　Jack　stared　at　them　while　they　hurried　past；　he　thought　he　saw　the　black　holes　in　the　bark　mouthing　at　them；　blowing　curses　or　kisses：　and　he　knew　that　he　heard　the　roots　gnashing　together　at　the　base　of　the　joined　trees。　（BOY！　A　BOY's　out　there！　OUR　boy's　out　there！）
　　Though　it　was　only　mid…afternoon；　the　air　was　dark；　oddly　grainy；　like　an　old　newspaper　photograph。　Where　grass　had　grown　on　the　inland　side　of　the　highway；　where　Queen　Anne's　lace　had　bloomed　delicately　and　whitely；　low　unrecognizable　weeds　blanketed　the　earth。　With　no　blossoms　and　few　leaves；　they　resembled　snakes　coiled　together　and　smelled　faintly　of　diesel　oil。　Occasionally　the　sun　flared　through　the　granular　murk　like　a　dim　orange　fire。　Jack　was　reminded　of　a　photograph　he　had　once　seen　of　Gary；　Indiana；　at　night…hellish　flames　feeding　on　poison　in　a　black；　poisoned　sky。　From　down　there　the　Talisman　pulled　at　him　as　surely　as　if　it　were　a　giant　with　its　hands　on　his　clothes。　The　nexus　of　all　possible　worlds。　He　would　take　Richard　into　that　hell…and　fight　for　his　life　with　all　his　strength…if　he　had　to　haul　him　along　by　the　ankles。　And　Richard　must　have　seen　this　determination　in　Jack；　for；　scratching　at　his　sides　and　shoulders；　he　toiled　along　beside　him。
　　I'm　going　to　do　this；　Jack　said　to　himself；　and　tried　to　ignore　how　greatly　he　was　merely　trying　to　bolster　his　courage。
　　If　I　have　to　go　through　a　dozen　different　worlds；　I'm　going　to　do　it。
　　　
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　　Three　hundred　yards　farther　down　the　road　a　stand　of　the　ugly　Territories　trees　hovered　by　the　side　of　the　highway　like　muggers。　As　he　passed　by　on　the　other　side　of　the　road；　Jack　glanced　at　their　coiling　roots　and　saw　half…embedded　in　the　earth　through　which　they　wove　a　small　bleached　skeleton；　once　a　boy　of　eight　or　nine；　still　wearing　a　moldering　green…and…black　plaid　shirt。　Jack　swallowed　and　hurried　on；　trailing　Richard　behind　like　a　pet　on　a　leash。
　　　
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　　A　few　minutes　later　Jack　Sawyer　beheld　Point　Venuti　for　the　first　time。
　　
　　　CHAPTER　39
　　　Point　Venuti
　　　
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　　Point　Venuti　hung　low　in　the　landscape；　clinging　to　the　sides　of　the　cliff　leading　down　to　the　ocean。　Behind　it；　another　range　of　cliffs　rose　massively　but　raggedly　into　the　dark　air。　They　looked　like　ancient　elephants；　hugely　wrinkled。　The　road　led　down　past　high　wooden　walls　until　it　turned　a　corner　by　a　long　brown　metal　building　that　was　a　factory　or　warehouse；　where　it　disappeared　into　a　descending　series　of　terraces；　the　dull　roofs　of　other　warehouses。　From　Jack's　perspective；　the　road　did　not　reappear　again　until　it　began　to　mount　the　rise　opposite；　going　uphill　and　south　toward　San　Francisco。　He　saw　only　the　stairlike　descent　of　the　warehouse　roofs；　the　fenced…in　parking　lots；　and；　way　off　to　the　right；　the　wintry　gray　of　the　water。　No　people　moved　on　any　portion　of　the　road　visible　to　him；　nobody　appeared　in　the　row　of　little　windows　at　the　back　of　the　nearest　factory。　Dust　swirled　through　the　empty　parking　lots。　Point　Venuti　looked　deserted；　but　Jack　knew　that　it　was　not。　Morgan　Sloat　and　his　cohorts…those　who　had　survived　the　surprise　arrival　of　the　Territories　choo…choo；　anyway…would　be　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　Travelling　Jack　and　Rational　Richard。　The　Talisman　boomed　out　to　Jack；　urging　him　forward；　and　he　said；　'Well；　this　is　it；　kiddo；'　and　stepped　forward。
　　Two　new　facets　of　Point　Venuti　immediately　came　into　view。　The　first　was　the　appearance　of　approximately　nine　inches　of　the　rear　of　a　Cadillac　limousine…Jack　saw　the　glossy　black　paint；　the　shiny　bumper；　part　of　the　right　tail…light。　Jack　wished　fervently　that　the　renegade　Wolf　behind　the　wheel　had　been　one　of　the　Camp　Readiness　casualties。　Then　he　looked　out　toward　the　ocean　again。　Gray　water　lathered　toward　the　shore。　A　slow　movement　up　above　the　factory　and　warehouse　roofs　took　his　attention　in　the　middle　of　his　next　step。　E　HERE；　the　Talisman　called　in　that　urgent；　magnetic　manner。　Point　Venuti　seemed　somehow　to　contract　like　a　hand　into　a　fist。　Up　above　the　roofs；　and　only　now　visible；　a　dark　but　colorless　weathervane　shaped　like　the　head　of　a　wolf　spun　erratically　back　and　forth；　obeying　no　wind。
　　When　Jack　saw　the　lawless　weathervane　tracking　left…right；　then　right…left；　and　continuing　around　in　a　plete　circle；　he　knew　that　he　had　just　had　his　first　sight　of　the　black　hotel…at　least　a　portion　of　it。　From　the　roofs　of　the　warehouses；　from　the　road　ahead；　from　all　of　the　unseen　town；　rose　an　unmistakable　feeling　of　enmity　as　palpable　as　a　slap　in　the　face。　The　Territories　were　bleeding　through　into　Point　Venuti；　Jack　realized；　here；　reality　had　been　sanded　thin。　The　wo