sk.thetalisman-第85节
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two later； Wolf began first to flag 。 。 。 then to sag。
Jack got to his feet； weeping with rage。 He tried to plunge toward the knot of white turtlenecks holding his friend…as he watched he saw Casey swing a fist into Wolf's drooping face； and saw blood begin to pour from Wolf's nose。
Hands held him back。 He struggled； then looked around and saw the frightened faces of the boys he picked rocks with in Far Field。
'I want him in the Box；' Gardener said as Wolf's knees finally buckled。 He looked slowly around at Jack。 'Unless 。 。 。 perhaps you'd like to tell me where we've met before； Mr。 Parker？' Jack stood looking down at his feet； saying nothing。 His eyes stung and burned with hot； hateful tears。
'The Box； then；' Gardener said。 'You may feel different when he starts to vocalize； Mr。 Parker。'
Gardener strode out。
5
Wolf was still screaming in the Box when Jack and the other boys were marched down to morning…chapel。 Sunlight Gardener's eyes seemed to dwell ironically on Jack's pale； strained face。 Perhaps now； Mr。 Parker？
Wolf； it's my mother； my mother…
Wolf was still screaming when Jack and the other boys scheduled for field…work were split into two groups and marched out to the trucks。 As he passed near the Box； Jack had to suppress an urge to jam his hands over his ears。 Those growls； those gibbering sobs。
All at once Sonny Singer was at his shoulder。
'Reverend Gardener's in his office waiting to take your confession right this minute； snotface；' he said。 'Told me to tell you he'll let the dummy out of the Box the minute you tell him what he wants to know。' Sonny's voice was silky； his face dangerous。
Wolf； screaming and howling to be let out； pounding the home…riveted iron sides of the Box with a fury of blows。
Ah； Wolf； she's my MOTHER…
'I can't tell him what he wants to know；' Jack said。 He turned suddenly toward Sonny； turning the force of whatever had e into him in the Territories upon Sonny。 Sonny took two giant steps backward； his face dismayed and sickly scared。 He tripped over his own feet and stumbled into the side of one of the idling trucks。 If it hadn't been there； he would have fallen down。
'All right；' Sonny said 。 。 。 the words came out in a breathy rush that was close to a whine。 'All right； all right； forget it。' His thin face grew arrogant again。 'Reverend Gardener told me if you said no that I should tell you that your friend's screaming for you。 Do you get it？'
'I know who he's screaming for。'
'Get in the truck！' Pedersen said grimly； barely looking at them as he passed by 。 。 。 but when he passed Sonny； Pedersen grimaced as though he had smelled something rotten。
Jack could hear Wolf screaming even after the trucks got rolling； though the mufflers on both were little more than scallops of iron lace and the engines blatted stridently。 Nor did Wolf's screams fade。 He had made some sort of connection with Wolf's mind now； and he could hear Wolf screaming even after the work parties had reached Far Field。 The understanding that these screams were only in his mind did nothing at all to improve matters。
Around lunchtime； Wolf fell silent； and Jack knew； suddenly and with no doubt at all； that Gardener had ordered him taken out of the Box before his screams and howls attracted the wrong sort of attention。 After what had happened to Ferd； he wouldn't want any attention at all focused on the Sunlight Home。
When the work parties returned that late afternoon； the door of the Box was standing open and the Box was empty。 Upstairs in the room they shared； Wolf was lying on the lower bunk。 He smiled wanly as Jack came in。
'How's your head； Jack？ Bruise looks a little better。 Wolf！'
'Wolf； are you all right？'
'Screamed； didn't I？ Couldn't help it。'
'Wolf； I'm sorry；' Jack said。 Wolf looked strange…too white； somehow diminished。
He's dying； Jack thought。 No； his mind corrected； Wolf had been dying ever since they had flipped into this world to escape Morgan。 But now he was dying faster。 Too white 。 。 。 diminished 。 。 。 but 。 。 。
Jack felt a creeping chill。
Wolf's bare legs and arms weren't really bare； they were downed with a fine pelt of hair。 It hadn't been there two nights ago； he was sure of that。
He felt an urge to rush over to the window and stare out； searching for the moon； trying to make sure he hadn't somehow misplaced about seventeen days。
'It's not the time of the Change； Jacky；' Wolf said。 His voice was dry； somehow husked…out。 The voice of an invalid。 'But I started to change in that dark smelly place they put me in。 Wolf！ I did。 Because I was so mad and scared。 Because I was yelling and screaming。 Yelling and screaming can make the Change all by themselves； if a Wolf does it long enough。' Wolf brushed at the hair on his legs。 'It'll go away。'
'Gardener set a price for letting you out；' Jack said； 'but I couldn't pay it。 I wanted to； but 。 。 。 Wolf 。 。 。 my mother 。 。 。 '
His voice blurred and wavered toward tears。
'Shhh； Jacky。 Wolf knows。 Right here and now。' Wolf smiled his terrible wan smile again； and took Jack's hand。
CHAPTER 24
Jack Names the Planets
1
Another week in the Sunlight Home； praise God。 The moon put on weight。
On Monday； a smiling Sunlight Gardener asked the boys to bow their heads and give thanks to God for the conversion of their brother Ferdinand Janklow。 Ferd had made a soul…decision for Christ while recuperating in Parkland Hospital； Sunlight said； his smile radiant。 Ferd had made a collect call to his parents and told them he wanted to be a soul…winner for the Lord； and they prayed for guidance right there over the long…distance line； and his parents had e to pick him up that very day。 Dead and buried under some frosty Indiana field 。 。 。 or over in the Territories； perhaps； where the Indiana State Patrol could never go。
Tuesday was too coldly rainy for field…work。 Most of the boys had been allowed to stay in their rooms and sleep or read； but for Jack and Wolf； the period of harassment had begun。 Wolf was lugging load after load of garbage from the barn and the sheds out to the side of the road in the driving rain。 Jack had been set to work cleaning toilets。 He supposed that Warwick and Casey； who had assigned him this duty； thought they were giving him a really nasty job to do。 It was obvious that they'd never seen the men's room of the world…famous Oatley Tap。
Just another week at the Sunlight Home； can you say oh…yeah。
Hector Bast returned on Wednesday； his right arm in a cast up to the elbow； his big； doughy face so pallid that the pimples on it stood out like garish dots of rouge。
'Doctor says I may never get the use of it back；' Heck Bast said。 'You and your numbnuts buddy have got a lot to answer for； Parker。'
'You aiming to have the same thing happen to your other hand？' Jack asked him 。 。 。 but he was afraid。 It was not just a desire for revenge he saw in Heck's eyes； it was a desire to mit murder。
'I'm not afraid of him；' Heck said。 'Sonny says they took most of the mean out of him in the Box。 Sonny says he'll do anything to keep from going back in。 As for you…'
Heck's left fist flashed out。 He was even clumsier with his left hand than with his right； but Jack； stunned by the big boy's pallid rage； never saw it ing。 His lips spread into a weird smile under Heck's fist and broke open。 He reeled back against the wall。
A door opened and Billy Adams looked out。
'Shut that door or I'll see you get a helping！' Heck screamed； and Adams； not anxious for a dose of assault and battery； plied in a hurry。
Heck started toward Jack。 Jack pushed groggily away from the wall and raised his fists。 Heck stopped。
'You'd like that； wouldn't you；' Heck said。 'Fighting with a guy that's only got one good hand。' Color rushed up into his face。
Footsteps rattled on the third floor； heading toward the stairs。 Heck looked at Jack。 'That's Sonny。 Go on。 Get out of here。 We're gonna get you； my friend。 You and the dummy both。 Reverend Gardener says we can； unless you tell him whatever it is he wants to know。'
Heck grinned。
'Do me a favor； snotface。 Don't tell him。'
2
They had taken something out of Wolf in the Box； all right； Jack thought。 Six hours had passed since his hallway confrontation with Heck Bast。 The bell for confession would ring soon； but for now Wolf was sleeping heavily in the bunk below him。 Outside； rain continued to rattle off the sides of the Sunlight Home。
It wasn't meanness； and Jack knew it wasn't just the Box that had taken it。 Not even just the Sunlight Home。 It was this whole world。 Wolf was； simply； pining for home。 He had lost most of his vitality。 He smiled rarely and laughed not at all。 When Warwick yelled at him at lunch for eating with his fingers； Wolf cringed。
It has to be soon； Jacky。 Because I'm dying。 Wolf's dying。
Heck Bast said he wasn't afraid of Wolf； and indeed there seemed nothing left to be afraid of； it seemed that crushing Heck's hand had been the last strong act of which Wolf was capable。
The confession bell rang。
That night； after confession and
