cb.damnationgame-第54节
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fire and a flight of steps and a room with a table and a guttering flame。 Almost like the room they were in now； in fact； but smelling of old fire rather than souring wine。
〃I remember；〃 he said； 〃when the game was over Mamoulian stood up and shook hands with me。 Cold hands。 Icy hands。 Then the door opened behind me。 I half…turned to see。 It was Vasiliev。〃 〃The lieutenant？〃 〃Horribly burned。〃 〃He'd survived；〃 Marty breathed。
〃No；〃 came the reply。 〃He was quite dead。〃 Marty thought maybe he'd missed something in the story that would justify this preposterous statement。 But no； the insanity was presented as plain truth。 〃Mamoulian was responsible；〃 Whitehead went on。 He was trembling； but the tears had stopped； boiled away by the glare of the memory。 〃He'd raised the lieutenant from the dead； you see。 Like Lazarus。 He needed functionaries； I suppose。〃 As the words faltered the scratching began again at the door； an unmistakable appeal for entry。 This time Whitehead heard it。 His moment of weakness had passed； apparently。 His head jerked up。 〃Don't answer it；〃 he manded。
〃Why not？〃 〃It's him；〃 he said； eyes wild。
〃No。 The European's gone。 I saw him leave。〃 〃Not the European；〃 Whitehead replied。 〃It's the lieutenant。 Vasiliev。〃 Marty looked incredulous。 〃No；〃 he said。
〃You don't know what Mamoulian can do。〃 〃You're being ridiculous！〃 Marty stood up； and picked his way through the glass。 Behind him； he heard Whitehead say 〃no〃 again； 〃please； Jesus； no；〃 but he turned the handle and opened the door。 Meager candlelight found the would…be entrant。
It was Bella； the Madonna of the kennels。 She stood uncertainly on the threshold； her eyes； what was left of them； turned balefully up to look at Marty； her tongue a rag of maggoty muscle that hung from her mouth as if she lacked the strength to withdraw it。 From somewhere in the pit of her body； she exhaled a thin whistle of air； the whine of a dog seeking human fort。
Marty took two or three stumbling steps back from the door。
〃It isn't him；〃 Whitehead said； smiling。
〃Jesus Christ。〃 〃It's all right； Martin。 It isn't him。〃 〃Close the door！〃 Marty said； unable to move and do it himself。 Her eyes； her stench； kept him at bay。
〃She doesn't mean any harm。 She used to e up here sometimes； for tidbits。 She was the only one of them I trusted。 Vile species。〃 Whitehead pushed himself away from the wall and walked across to the door； kicking broken bottles ahead of him as he went。 Bella shifted her head to look at him； and her tail began to wag。 Marty turned away； revolted； his reason thrashing around to find some sane explanation； but there was none to be had。 The dog had been dead： he'd parceled her up himself。 There was no question of premature burial。
Whitehead was staring at Bella across the threshold。
〃No； you can't e in；〃 he told her； as if she were a living thing。
〃Send it away；〃 Marty groaned。
〃She's lonely；〃 the old man replied； chiding him for his lack of passion。 It crossed Marty's mind that Whitehead had lost his wits。 〃I don't believe this is happening；〃 he said。
〃Dogs are nothing to him； believe me。〃 Marty remembered watching Mamoulian standing in the woods； staring down at the earth。 He had seen no gravedigger because there'd been none。 They'd exhumed themselves； squirming out of their plastic shrouds and pawing their way to the air。
〃It's easy with dogs；〃 Whitehead said。 〃Isn't it； Bella？ You're trained to obey。〃 She was sniffing at herself； content now that she'd seen Whitehead。 Her God was still in his Heaven； and all was well with the world。 The old man left the door ajar； and turned back to Marty。
〃There's nothing to be afraid of；〃 he said。 〃She's not going to do us any harm。〃 〃He brought them to the house？〃 〃Yes； to break up my party。 Pure spite。 It was his way of reminding me what he's capable of。〃 Marty stooped and righted another chair。 He was shaking so violently； he feared if he didn't sit down he'd fall down。
〃The lieutenant was worse；〃 the old man said； 〃because he didn't obey like Bella。 He knew what had been done to him was an abomination。 That made him angry。〃 Bella had woken with an appetite。 That was why she'd made her way up to the room she remembered most fondly； a place where a man who knew the best spot to scratch behind her ear would coo soft words to her and feed her morsels off his plate。 But tonight she'd e up to find things changed。 The man was odd with her； his voice jangling； and there was someone else in the room； one she vaguely knew the scent of； but couldn't place。 She was still hungry； such deep hunger； and there was an appetizing smell very close to her。 Of meat left in the earth； the way she liked it； still on the bone and half gone to putrescence。。 She sniffed； almost blind； looking for the source of the smell； and having found it； began to eat。
〃Not a pretty sight。〃 She was devouring her own body； taking gray； greasy bites from the decayed muscle of her haunch。 Whitehead watched as she pulled at herself。 His passivity in the face of this new horror broke Marty。
〃Don't let her！〃 he pushed the old man aside。
〃But she's hungry；〃 he responded； as though this horror were the most natural sight in the world。
Marty picked up the chair he'd been sitting on and slammed it against the wall。 It was heavy； but his muscles were brimming； and the violence was a wele release。 The chair broke。
The dog looked up from her meal； the meat she was swallowing fell from her cut throat。
〃Too much；〃 Marty said； picking up a leg of the chair and crossing the room to the door before Bella could register what he intended。 At the last moment she seemed to understand that he meant her harm； and tried to get to her feet。 One of her back legs； the haunch almost chewed through； would no longer support her； and she staggered； teeth bared； as Marty swung his makeshift weapon down on her。 The force of his blow shattered her skull。 The snarling stopped。 The body backed off； dragging the ruined head on a rope of a neck； the tail tucked between its back legs in fear。 Two or three trembling steps of retreat and it could go no further。
Marty waited； hoping to God he wouldn't have to strike a second time。 As he watched the body seemed to deflate。 The swell of its chest； the remnants of its head； the organs hanging in the vault of its torso all collapsed into an abstraction； one part indistinguishable from the next。 He closed the door on it； and dropped the blooded weapon at his side。
Whitehead had taken refuge across the room。 His face was as gray as Bella's body。
〃How did he do this？〃 Marty said。 〃How is it possible？〃 〃He has power；〃 Whitehead stated。 It was as simple as that； apparently。 〃He can steal life； and he can give it。〃 Marty dug in his pocket for the linen handkerchief he'd bought specially for this night of dining and conversation。 Shaking it out； its edges pristine； he wiped his face。 The handkerchief came away dirtied with specks of rot。 He felt as empty as the sac in the hall outside。
〃You asked me once if I believed in Hell；〃 he said。 〃Do you remember？〃 〃Yes。〃 〃Is that what you think Mamoulian is？ Something〃…he wanted to laugh…〃something from Hell？〃 〃I've considered the possibility。 Brut I'm not by nature a supernaturalist。 Heaven and Hell。 All that paraphernalia。 My system revolts at it。〃 〃If not devils； what？〃 〃Is it so important？〃 Marty wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers。 He felt contaminated by this obscenity。 It would take a long time to wash the horror out； if he ever could。 He'd made the error of digging too deep； and the story he'd heard…that and the dog at the door…were the consequence。
〃You look sick；〃 Whitehead said。
〃I never thought 。 。 。〃 〃What？ That the dead can get up and walk？ Oh； Marty； I took you for a Christian； despite your protestations。〃 〃I'm getting out；〃 Marty said。 〃Both of us。〃 〃Both？〃 〃Carys and me。 We'll go away。 From him。 From you。〃 〃Poor Marty。 You're more bovine than I thought you were。 You won't see her again。〃 〃Why not？〃 〃She's with him； damn you！ Didn't it occur to you？ She went with him！〃 So that had been the unthinkable solution to her abrupt vanishing trick。 〃Willingly； of course。〃 〃No。〃 〃Oh； yes； Marty。 He had a claim on her from the beginning。 He rocked her in his arms when she was barely born。 Who knows what kind of influence he has。 I won her back； of course； for a while。〃 He sighed。 〃I made her love me。〃 〃She wanted to be away from you。〃 〃Never。 She's my daughter； Strauss。 She's as manipulative as I am。 Anything between you and her was purely a marriage of her convenience。〃 〃You're a fucking bastard。〃 〃That's a given； Marty。 I'm a monster； I concede the point。〃 He threw up his hands； palms out； innocent of everything but guilt。
〃I thought you said she loved you。 Still she went。〃 〃I told you： she's my daughter。 She thinks the way I do。 She went with him to learn how to use her powers。 I did the same； remember？〃 This line of argument； even from vermin like Whitehead； made a kind of sense。 Beneath her strange conversation hadn't there always lurked a contempt for Marty and the old man alike； contempt earned by their inability to sum her up？ Given the opportunity； wouldn't Carys go dance wit
