sk.thetalisman-第156节
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erritory 。 。 。 it wasn't right。 She tapped the cold glass。 The bird fluffed its wings briefly but did not fly。 And she heard a thought e from its cold mind； heard it as clearly as a radio wave：
Jack's dying； Lily 。 。 。 Jack's dyyyyyinn 。 。 。
It bent its head forward。 Tapped on the glass as deliberately as Poe's raven。
Dyyyyyyinnnn 。 。 。
'NO！' she shrieked at it。 'FUCK OFF； SLOAT！' She did not simply tap this time but slammed her fist forward； driving it through the glass。 The gull fluttered backward； squawking； almost falling。 Frigid air funnelled in through the hole in the window。
Blood was dripping from Lily's hand…no； no； not just dripping。 It was running。 She had cut herself quite badly in two places。 She picked shards of glass out of the pad on the side of her palm and then wiped her hand against the bodice of her nightdress。
'DIDN'T EXPECT THAT； DID YOU； FUCKHEAD？' she screamed at the bird； which was circling restlessly over the gardens。 She burst into tears。 'Now leave him alone！ Leave him alone！ LEAVE MY SON ALONE！'
She was covered all over in blood。 Cold air blew in the pane she had shattered。 And outside she saw the first flakes of snow e swirling down from the sky and into the white glow of that streetlight。
5
'Look out； Jacky。'
Soft。 On the left。
Jack pivoted that way； holding the Talisman up like a searchlight。 It sent out a beam of light filled with falling snow。
Nothing else。 Darkness 。 。 。 snow 。 。 。 the sound of the ocean。
'Wrong side； Jacky。'
He spun to the right； feet slipping in the icing of snow。 Closer。 He had been closer。
Jack held up the Talisman。 'e and get it； Bloat！'
'You haven't got a chance； Jack。 I can take you anytime I want to。'
Behind him 。 。 。 and closer still。 But when he raised the blazing Talisman； there was no Sloat to be seen。 Snow roared into his face。 He inhaled it and began to cough on the cold。
Sloat tittered from directly in front of him。
Jack recoiled and almost tripped over Speedy。
'Hoo…hoo； Jacky！'
A hand came out of the darkness on his left and tore at Jack's ear。 He turned in that direction； heart pumping wildly； eyes bulging。 He slipped and went to one knee。
Richard uttered a thick； snoring moan somewhere close by。
Overhead； a cannonade of thunder went off in the darkness Sloat had somehow brought down。
'Throw it at me！' Sloat taunted。 He danced forward out of that stormy； exposures…all…jammed…up…together dark。 He was snapping the fingers of his right hand and wagging the tin key at Jack with the left。 The gestures had a jerky； eccentric syncopation。 To Jack； Sloat looked crazily like some old…time Latin bandleader…Xavier Cugat； perhaps。 'Throw it at me； why don't you？ Shooting gallery； Jack！ Clay pigeon！ Big old Uncle Morgan！ What do you say； Jack？ Have a go？ Throw the ball and win a Kewpie doll！'
And Jack discovered he had pulled the Talisman back to his right shoulder； apparently intending to do just that。 He's spooking you； trying to panic you； trying to get you to cough it up； to…
Sloat faded back into the murk。 Snow flew in dust…devils。
Jack wheeled nervously around but could see Sloat nowhere。 Maybe he's taken off。 Maybe…
'Wassa matta； Jacky？'
No； he was still here。 Somewhere。 On the left。
'I laughed when your dear old daddy died； Jacky。 I laughed in his face。 When his motor finally quit I felt…'
The voice warbled。 Faded for a moment。 Came back。 On the right。 Jack whirled that way； not understanding what was going on； his nerves increasingly frayed。
'…my heart flew like a bird on the wing。 It flew like this； Jacky…boy。'
A rock came out of the dark…aimed not at Jack but at the glass ball。 He dodged。 Got a murky glimpse of Sloat。 Gone again。
A pause 。 。 。 then Sloat was back； and playing a new record。
'Fucked your mother； Jacky；' the voice teased from behind him。 A fat hot hand snatched at the seat of his pants。
Jack whirled around； this time almost stumbling over Richard。 Tears…hot； painful； outraged…began to squeeze out of his eyes。 He hated them； but here they were； and nothing in the world would deny them。 The wind screamed like a dragon in a wind…tunnel。 The magic's in you； Speedy had said； but where was the magic now？ Where oh where oh where？
'You shut up about my mom！'
'Fucked her a lot；' Sloat added with smug cheeriness。
On the right again。 A fat； dancing shape in the dark。
'Fucked her by invitation； Jacky！'
Behind him！ Close！
Jack spun。 Held up the Talisman。 It flashed a white slice of light。 Sloat danced back out of it； but not before Jack had seen a grimace of pain and anger。 That light had touched Sloat； had hurt him。
Never mind what he's saying…it's all lies and you know it is。 But how can he do that？ He's like Edgar Bergen。 No 。 。 。 he's like Indians in the dark； closing in on the wagon train。 How can he do it？
'Singed my whiskers a little that time； Jacky；' Sloat said； and chuckled fruitily。 He sounded a bit out of breath； but not enough。 Not nearly enough。 Jack was panting like a dog on a hot summer day； his eyes frantic as he searched the stormy blackness for Sloat。 'But I'll not hold it against you； Jacky Now； let's see。 What were we talking about？ Oh yes。 Your mother 。 。 。'
A little warble 。 。 。 a little fade 。 。 。 and then a stone came whistling out of the darkness on the right and struck Jack's temple。 He whirled； but Sloat was gone again； skipping nimbly back into the snow。
'She'd wrap those long legs around me until I howled for mercy！' Sloat declared from behind Jack and to the right 'OWWWWOOOOOO！'
Don't let him get you don't let him psych you out don't…
But he couldn't help it。 It was his mother this dirty man was talking about； his mother。
'You stop it！ You shut up！'
Sloat was in front of him now…so close Jack should have been able to see him clearly in spite of the swirling snow； but there was only a glimmer； like a face seen underwater at night Another stone zoomed out of the dark and struck Jack in the back of the head。 He staggered forward and nearly tripped over Richard again…a Richard who was rapidly disappearing under a mantle of snow。
He saw stars 。 。 。 and understood what was happening。
Sloat's flipping！ Flipping 。 。 。 moving 。 。 。 flipping back！
Jack turned in an unsteady circle； like a man beset with a hundred enemies instead of just one。 Lightning…fire licked out of the dark in a narrow greenish…blue ray。 He reached toward it with the Talisman； hoping to deflect it back at Sloat。 Too late。 It winked out。
Then how e I don't see him over there？ Over there in the Territories？
The answer came to him in a dazzling flash 。 。 。 and as if in response； the Talisman flashed a gorgeous fan of white light…it cut the snowy light like the headlamp of a lootive。
I don't see him over there； don't respond to him over there； because I'm NOT over there！ Jason's gone 。 。 。 and I'm single…natured！ Sloat's flipping onto a beach where there's no one but Morgan of Orris and a dead or dying man named Parkus…Richard isn't there either； because Morgan of Orris's son； Rushton； died a long time ago and Richard's single…natured； too！ When I flipped before； the Talisman was there 。 。 。 but Richard wasn't！ Morgan's flipping 。 。 。 moving 。 。 。 flipping back 。 。 。 trying to freak me out 。 。 。 。
'Hoo…hoo！ Jacky…boy！'
The left。
'Over here！'
The right。
But Jack wasn't listening for the place anymore。 He was looking into the Talisman； waiting for the downbeat。 The most important downbeat of his life。
From behind。 This time he would e from behind。
The Talisman flashed out； a strong lamp in the snow。
Jack pivoted 。 。 。 and as he pivoted he flipped into the Territories； into bright sunlight。 And there was Morgan of Orris； big as life and twice as ugly。 For a moment he didn't realize Jack had tumbled to the trick； he was limping rapidly around to a place which would be behind Jack when he flipped back into the American Territories。 There was a nasty little…boy grin on his face。 His cloak popped and billowed behind him。 His left boot dragged； and Jack saw the sand was covered with those dragging hashmarks all around him。 Morgan had been running around him in a harrying circle； all the while goading Jack with obscene lies about his mother； throwing stones； and flipping back and forth。
Jack shouted：
'I SEE YOU！' at the top of his lungs。
Morgan stared around at him in utter stunned shock； one hand curled around that silver rod。
'SEE YOU！' Jack shouted again。 'Should we go around one more time； Bloat？'
Morgan of Orris flicked the end of the rod at him； his face altering in a second from that rubbery simple…minded expression of shock to a much more characteristic look of craft…of a clever man quickly seeing all the possibilities in a situation。 His eyes narrowed。 Jack almost； in that second when Morgan of Orris looked down his lethal silver rod at him and narrowed his eyes into gunsights； flipped back into the American Territories； and that would have killed him。 But an instant before prudence or panic caused him in effect to jump in front of a m
