dk.coldfire-第53节

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　Holly　broke　the　chains　of　fear　and　sprinted　toward　the　windmill。　
　On　all　sides；　the　palpitant　light　enlivened　the　dreary　dusk。　
　Shadows　leapt　rhythmically　like　Apaches　dancing　around　a　war　fire。　
　Beyond　the　fence；　dead　cornstalks　bristled　as　repulsively　as　the　spiny　legs　and　plated　torsos　of　praying　mantises。　The　windmill　appeared　to　be　in　the　process　of　changing　magically　from　stone　to　copper　or　even　to　gold。　
　The　ringing　stopped　and　the　light　went　out　as　she　reached　the　open　door　of　the　mill。　
　She　raced　across　the　threshold；　then　skidded　to　a　stop　in　the　darkness；　on　the　brink　of　the　lower　chamber。　No　light　at　all　came　through　the　windows　now。　The　blackness　was　tarry；　cloying。　As　she　fumbled　for　the　switch　on　the　flashlight；　she　found　it　hard　to　draw　breath；　as　if　the　darkness　itself　had　begun　flowing　into　her　lungs；　suffocating　her。　
　The　flashlight　came　on　just　as　the　bells　began　to　ring　again。　She　slashed　the　beam　across　the　room　and　back；　to　be　sure　nothing　was　there　in　the　gloom；　reaching　for　her。　Then　she　found　the　stairs　to　her　left　and　rushed　toward　the　high　room。　
　When　she　reached　the　window　at　the　halfway　point；　she　put　her　face　to　the　pane　of　glass　that　she　had　wiped　clean　with　her　hand　earlier　in　the　day。　
　In　the　pond　below；　the　rippling　bull's…eye　of　light　was　brighter　still；　now　amber　instead　of　orange。　
　Calling　for　Jim；　Holly　ran　up　the　remaining　stairs。　
　As　she　went；　lines　of　Edgar　Allan　Poe's　poetry；　studied　an　age　ago　in　junior　high　school　and　thought　forgotten；　rang　crazily　through　her　mind：　Keeping　time；　time　time；　In　a　sort　ofRunic　rhyme；　To　the　tintinnabulation　that　so　musically　wells　From　the　bells　bells　bells；　bells；　Bells；　bells。　bells　She　burst　into　the　high　room；　where　Jim　stood　in　the　soft　winter…white　glow　of　the　Coleman　gas　lantern。　He　was　smiling；　turning　in　a　circle　and　looking　expectantly　at　the　walls　around　him。　
　As　the　bells　died　away；　she　said；　〃Jim；　e　look；　e　quick；　something's　in　the　lake。〃　
　She　dashed　to　the　nearest　window；　but　it　was　just　far　enough　around　the　wall　from　the　pond　to　prevent　her　seeing　the　water。　The　other　two　windows　were　even　more　out　of　line　with　the　desired　view；　so　she　did　not　even　try　them。　
　〃The　ringing　in　the　stone；〃　Jim　said　dreamily。　
　Holly　returned　to　the　head　of　the　stairs　as　the　bells　began　to　ring　again。　
　She　paused　and　looked　back　just　long　enough　to　be　sure　that　Jim　was　following　her；　for　he　seemed　in　something　of　a　daze。　
　Hurrying　down　the　stairs；　she　heard　more　lines　of　Poe's　poem　reverberating　in　her　mind：　Hear　the　loud　alarum　bells　Brazen　bells！　What　a　tale　of　terror；　now；　their　turbulency　tells　She　had　never　been　the　kind　of　woman　to　whom　sprang　lines　of　Verdee　appropriate　to　the　moment。　She　couldn't　recall　quoting　a　line　of　poetry　or　even　reading　any　other　than　Louise　Tarvohl's　treacle！…since　college。　
　When　she　reached　the　window；　she　scrubbed　frantically　at　another　pane　with　the　palm　of　her　hand；　to　give　them　a　better　view　of　the　spectacle　below。　She　saw　that　the　light　was　blood…red　again　and　dimmer；　as　if　whatever　had　been　rising　through　the　water　was　now　sinking　again。　
　Oh；　the　bells；　bells；　bells！　What　a　tale　their　terror　tells　It　seemed　crazy　to　be　mentally　reciting　poetry　in　the　midst　of　these　wondrous　and　frightening　events；　but　she　had　never　been　under　such　stress　before。　
　Maybe　this　was　the　way　the　mind　worked…giddily　dredging　up　long…forgotten　knowledge…when　you　were　about　to　meet　a　higher　power。　
　Because　that's　just　what　she　felt　was　about　to　happen；　an　encounter　with　a　higher　power；　perhaps　God　but　most　likely　not。　She　didn't　really　think　God　lived　in　a　pond；　although　any　minister　or　priest　would　probably　tell　her　that　God　lived　everywhere；　in　all　things。　God　was　like　the　eight…hundred…pound　gorilla　who　could　live　anywhere　he　wanted。　
　Just　as　Jim　reached　her；　the　ringing　stopped；　and　the　crimson　light　in　the　pond　quickly　faded。　He　squeezed　in　beside　her　and　put　his　face　to　the　glass。　
　They　waited。　
　Two　seconds　ticked　by。　Two　more。　
　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃Damn　it；　I　wanted　you　to　see。〃　
　But　the　ringing　did　not　resume；　and　the　pond　remained　dark　out　there　in　the　steadily　dimming　twilight。　Night　would　be　upon　them　within　a　few　minutes。　
　〃What　was　it？〃　Jim　asked；　leaning　back　from　the　window。　
　〃Like　something　in　a　Spielberg　film；〃　she　said　excitedly；　〃rising　up　out　of　the　water；　from　deep　under　the　pond；　light　throbbing　in　time　with　the　bells。　I　think　that's　where　the　ringing　originates；　from　the　thing　in　the　pond；　and　somehow　it's　transmitted　through　the　walls　of　the　mill。〃　
　〃Spielberg　film？〃　He　looked　puzzled。　
　She　tried　to　explain：　〃Wonderful　and　terrifying；　awesome　and　strange；　scary　and　damned　exciting　all　at　once。〃　
　〃You　mean　like　in　Close　Encounters？　Are　you　talking　a　starship　or　something？〃　〃Yes。　No。　I'm　not　sure。　I　don't　know。　Maybe　something　weirder　than　that。〃　
　〃Weirder　than　a　starship？〃　Her　wonder；　and　even　her　fear；　subsided　in　favor　of　frustration。　
　She　was　not　accustomed　to　finding　herself　at　a　plete　loss　for　words　to　describe　things　that　she　had　felt　or　seen。　But　with　this　man　and　the　inparable　experiences　in　which　he　became　entangled；　even　her　sophisticated　vocabulary　and　talent　for　supple　phrase…making　failed　her　miserably。　
　〃Shit；　yes！〃　she　said　at　last。　〃Weirder　than　a　starship。　At　least　weirder　than　the　way　they　show　them　in　the　movies。〃　
　〃e　on；〃　he　said；　ascending　the　stairs　again；　〃let's　get　back　up　there。〃　When　she　lingered　at　the　window；　he　returned　to　her　and　took　her　hand。　〃It　isn't　over　yet。　I　think　it's　just　beginning。　And　the　place　for　us　to　be　is　the　upper　room。　I　know　it's　the　place。　e　on；　Holly。〃　
　They　sat　on　the　inflatable…mattress　sleeping　bags　again。　
　The　lantern　cast　a　pearly…silver　glow；　whitewashing　the　yellow…beige　blocks　of　limestone。　In　the　baglike　wicks　inside　the　glass　chimney　of　the　lamp；　the　gas　burned　with　a　faint　hiss；　so　it　seemed　as　if　whispering　voices　were　rising　through　the　floorboards　of　that　high　room。　
　Jim　was　poised　at　the　apex　of　his　emotional　roller　coaster；　full　of　childlike　delight　and　anticipation；　and　this　time　Holly　was　right　there　with　him。　
　The　light　in　the　pond　had　terrified　her；　but　it　had　also　touched　her　in　other　ways；　sparking　deep　psychological　responses　on　a　primitive　sub…subconscious　level；　igniting　fuses　of　wonder　and　hope　which　were　fizzing…burning　unquenchably　toward　some　much…desired　explosion　of　faith；　emotional　catharsis。　
　She　had　accepted　that　Jim　was　not　the　only　troubled　person　in　the　room。　
　His　heart　might　contain　more　turmoil　than　hers；　but　she　was　as　empty；　in　her　own　way；　as　he　was　in　his。　When　they'd　met　in　Portland；　she　had　been　a　burnt…out　cynic；　going　through　the　motions　of　a　life；　not　even　trying　to　identify　and　fill　the　empty　spaces　in　her　heart。　She　had　not　experienced　the　tragedy　and　grief　that　he　had　known；　but　now　she　realized　that　leading　a　life　equally　devoid　of　tragedy　and　joy　could　breed　despair。　Passing　days　and　weeks　and　years　in　the　pursuit　of　goals　that　had　not　really　mattered　to　her；　driven　by　a　purpose　she　had　not　truly　embraced；　with　no　one　to　whom　she　was　profoundly　mitted；　she　had　been　eaten　by　a　dry…rot　of　the　soul。　
　She　and　Jim　were　the　two　pieces　of　a　yin…yang　puzzle；　each　shaped　to　fill　the　hollowness　in　the　other；　healing　each　other　merely　by　their　contact。　
　They　fit　together　astonishingly　well；　and　the　match　seemed　inevitable；　but　the　puzzle　might　never　have　been　solved　if　the　halves　of　it　had　not　been　brought　together　in　the　same　place　at　the　same　time。　
　Now　she　waited　with　nervous　excitement　for　contact　with　the　power　that　had　led　Jim　to　her。　She　was　ready　for　God　or　for　something　quite　different　but　equally　benign。　She　could　not　believe　that　what　she　had　seen　in　the　pond　was　The　Enemy。　That　creature　was　apart　from　this；　connected　somehow　but　different。　Even　if　Jim　had　not　told　her　that　something　fine　and　good　was　ing；　she　eventually　would　have　sensed；　on　her　own；　that　the　light　in　the　water　and　the　ringing　in　the　stone　heralded　not　blood　and　death　but　rapture。　
　They　spoke　tersely　at　first；　afraid　that　voluble　conversation　would　inhibit　that　higher　power　from　initiating　the　next　stage　of　contact。　
　〃How　long　has　the　pond　been　here？〃　she　asked。　
　〃A　long　time。〃　
　〃Before　the　Ironhearts？〃　〃Yeah。〃　
　〃Before　the　farm　itself？〃　〃I'm　sure　it　was。〃　
　〃Possibly　forever？〃　〃Possibly。〃　
　〃Any　local　legends　about　it？〃　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　〃Ghost　stories；　Loch　Ness；　that　kind　of　stuff〃　〃No。　Not　that　I've　ever　heard。〃　
　They　were　silent。　Waiting。　
　Finally　Holly　said；　〃What's　your　theory？〃　〃Huh？〃　〃Earlier　today　you　said　you　had　a　theory；　something　strange　and　wonderful；　but　you　didn't　want　to　talk　about　it　till　you'd　thought　it　through。〃　
　〃Oh；　right。　Now　maybe　it's　more　than　a　theory。　When　you　said　you'd　seen　something　under　the　pond　in　your　dream。　。　。　well；　I　don't　know　why；　but　I　started　thinking　about　an　encounter。　。　。　。〃　
　〃Encounter？〃　〃Yeah。　Like　what　you　said。　Something。　。　。　alien。〃　
　〃Not　of　this　world；〃　Holly　said；　remembering　the　sound　of　the　bells　and　the　light　in　the　pond。　
　〃They're　out　there　in　the　universe　somewhere；〃　he　said　with　quiet　enthusiasm。　〃It's　too　big　for　them　not　to　be　out　there