sk.thetalisman-第70节
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A dozen feet away he stopped for good and forced himself to look into the werewolf's eyes。
'Soon now； Jacky；' Wolf said； and his mouth dropped open in a fearsome parody of a smile。
'I thought you ran away；' Jack said。
'Sat here to see you ing。 Wolf！'
Jack did not know what to make of this declaration。 Obscurely； it reminded him of Little Red Riding Hood。 Wolf's teeth did look particularly crowded； sharp； and strong。 'I got the lock；' he said。 He pulled it out of his pocket and held it up。 'You have any ideas while I was gone； Wolf？'
Wolf's whole face…eyes； teeth； everything…blazed out at Jack。
'You're the herd now； Jacky；' Wolf said。 And lifted his head and released a long unfurling howl。
8
A less frightened Jack Sawyer might have said； 'Can that stuff； willya？' or 'We'll have every dog in the county around here if you keep that up；' but both of these statements died in his throat。 He was too scared to utter a word。 Wolf gave him his A #1 smile again； his mouth looking like a television mercial for Ginsu knives； and rose effortlessly to his feet。 The John Lennon glasses seemed to be receding back into the bristly top of his beard and the thick hair falling over his temples。 He looked at least seven feet tall to Jack； and as burly as the beer barrels in the back room of the Oatley Tap。
'You have good smells in this world； Jacky；' Wolf said。 And Jack finally recognized his mood。 Wolf was exultant。
He was like a man who against steep odds had just won a particularly difficult contest。 At the bottom of this triumphant emotion percolated that joyful and feral quality Jack had seen once before。
'Good smells！ Wolf！ Wolf！'
Jack took a delicate step backward； wondering if he was upwind of Wolf。 'You never said anything good about it before；' he said； not quite coherently。
'Before is before and now is now；' Wolf said。 'Good things。 Many good things…all around。 Wolf will find them； you bet。'
That made it worse； for now Jack could see…could nearly feel…a flat； confident greed； a wholly amoral hunger shining in the reddish eyes。 I'll eat anything I catch and kill； it said。 Catch and kill。
'I hope none of those good things are people； Wolf；' Jack said quietly。
Wolf lifted his chin and uttered a bubbling series of noises half…howl； half…laughter。
'Wolfs need to eat；' he said； and his voice； too； was joyous。 'Oh； Jacky； how Wolfs do need to eat。 EAT！ Wolf！'
'I'm going to have to put you in that shed；' Jack said。 'Remember； Wolf？ I got the lock？ We'll just have to hope it'll hold you。 Let's start over there now； Wolf。 You're scaring the shit out of me。'
This time the bubbling laughter ballooned out of Wolf's chest。 'Scared！ Wolf knows！ Wolf knows； Jacky！ You have the fear…smell。'
'I'm not surprised；' Jack said。 'Let's get over to that shed now； okay？'
'Oh； I'm not going in the shed；' Wolf said； and a long pointed tongue curled out from between his jaws。 'No； not me； Jacky。 Not Wolf。 Wolf can't go in the shed。' The jaws widened； and the crowded teeth shone。 'Wolf remembered； Jacky。 Wolf！ Right here and now！ Wolf remembered！'
Jack stepped backward。
'More fear…smell。 Even on your shoes。 Shoes； Jacky！ Wolf！'
Shoes that smelled of fear were evidently deeply ic。
'You have to go in the shed； that's what you should remember。'
'Wrong！ Wolf！ You go in the shed； Jacky！ Jacky goes in shed！ I remembered！ Wolf！'
The werewolf's eyes slid from blazing reddish…orange to a mellow； satisfied shade of purple。 'From The Book of Good Farming； Jacky。 The story of the Wolf Who Would Not Injure His Herd。 Remember it； Jacky？ The herd goes in the barn。 Remember？ The lock goes on the door。 When the Wolf knows his Change is ing on him； the herd goes in the barn and the lock goes on the door。 He Would Not Injure His Herd。' The jaws split and widened again； and the long dark tongue curled up at the tip in a perfect image of delight。 'Not！ Not！ Not Injure His Herd！ Wolf！ Right here and now！'
'You want me to stay locked up in the shed for three days？' Jack said。
'I have to eat； Jacky；' Wolf said simply； and the boy saw something dark； quick； and sinister slide toward him from Wolf's changing eyes。 'When the moon takes me with her； I have to eat。 Good smells here； Jacky。 Plenty of food for Wolf。 When the moon lets me go； Jacky es out of the shed。'
'What happens if I don't want to be locked up for three days？'
'Then Wolf will kill Jacky。 And then Wolf will be damned。'
'This is all in The Book of Good Farming； is it？'
Wolf nodded his head。 'I remembered。 I remembered in time； Jacky。 When I was waiting for you。'
Jack was still trying to adjust himself to Wolf's idea。 He would have to go three days without food。 Wolf would be free to wander。 He would be in prison； and Wolf would have the world。 Yet it was probably the only way he would survive Wolf's transformation。 Given the choice of a three…day fast or death； he'd choose an empty stomach。 And then it suddenly seemed to Jack that this reversal was really no reversal at all…he would still be free； locked in the shed； and Wolf out in the world would still be imprisoned。 His cage would just be larger than Jack's。 'Then God bless The Book of Good Farming； because I would never have thought of it myself。'
Wolf gleamed at him again； and then looked up at the sky with a blank； yearning expression。 'Not long now； Jacky。 You're the herd。 I have to put you inside。'
'Okay；' Jack said。 'I guess you do have to。'
And this too struck Wolf as uproariously funny。 As he laughed his howling laugh； he threw an arm around Jack's waist and picked him up and carried him all the way across the field。 'Wolf will take care of you； Jacky；' he said when he had nearly howled himself inside…out。 He set the boy gently on the ground at the top of the gully。
'Wolf；' Jack said。
Wolf widened his jaws and began rubbing his crotch。
'You can't kill any people； Wolf；' Jack said。 'Remember that…if you remembered that story； then you can remember not to kill any people。 Because if you do； they'll hunt you down for sure。 If you kill any people； if you kill even one person； then a lot of people will e to kill you。 And they'd get you； Wolf。 I promise you。 They'd nail your hide to a board。'
'No people； Jacky。 Animals smell better than people。 No people。 Wolf！'
They walked down the slope into the gully。 Jack removed the lock from his pocket and several times clipped it through the metal ring that would hold it； showing Wolf how to use the key。 'Then you slide the key under the door； okay？' he asked。 'When you've changed back； I'll push it back to you。' Jack glanced down at the bottom of the door…there was a two…inch gap between it and the ground。
'Sure； Jacky。 You'll push it back to me。'
'Well； what do we do now？' Jack said。 'Should I go in the shed right now？'
'Sit there；' Wolf said； pointing to a spot on the floor of the shed a foot from the door。
Jack looked at him curiously； then stepped inside the shed and sat down。 Wolf hunkered back down just outside the shed's open door； and without even looking at Jack； held out his hand toward the boy。 Jack took Wolf's hand。 It was like holding a hairy creature about the size of a rabbit。 Wolf squeezed so hard that Jack nearly cried out…but even if he had； he didn't think that Wolf would have heard him。 Wolf was staring upward again； his face dreamy and peaceful and rapt。 After a second or two Jack was able to shift his hand into a more fortable position inside Wolf's grasp。
'Are we going to stay like this a long time？' he asked。
Wolf took nearly a minute to answer。 'Until；' he said； and squeezed Jack's hand again。
9
They sat like that； on either side of the doorframe； for hours； wordlessly； and finally the light began to fade。 Wolf had been almost imperceptibly trembling for the previous twenty minutes； and when the air grew darker the tremor in his hand intensified。 It was； Jack thought； the way a thoroughbred horse might tremble in its stall at the beginning of a race； waiting for the sound of a gun and the gate to be thrown open。
'She's beginning to take me with her；' Wolf said softly。 'Soon we'll be running； Jack。 I wish you could； too。'
He turned his head to look at Jack； and the boy saw that while Wolf meant what he had just said； there was a significant part of him that was silently saying： I could run after you as well as beside you； little friend。
'We have to close the door now； I guess；' Jack said。 He tried to pull his hand from Wolf's grasp； but could not free himself until Wolf almost disdainfully released him。
'Lock Jacky in； lock Wolf out。' Wolf's eyes flared for a moment； being red molten Elroy…eyes。
'Remember； you're keeping the herd safe；' Jack said。 He stepped backward into the middle of the shed。
'The herd goes in the barn； and the lock goes on the door。 He Would Not Injure His Herd。' Wolf's eyes ceased to drip fire； shaded toward orange。
'Put the lock on the door。'
'God pound it； that's what I'm doing now；' Wolf said。 'I'm putting the God…pounding lock on the God…pounding door； see？' He banged th
