cp.reddice-第10节

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rious　floating　sensation　enveloped　me；　a　warm　peacefulness。　My　breath　went　in　and　out；　sometimes　fast；　sometimes　slow。　I　had　no　control　over　it　and　wanted　none。　Time　passed。　I　wasn't　entirely　awake；　but　I　wasn't　asleep　either。　It　was　a　mystical　experience。
　　When　Arturo　spoke　next；　he　sounded　many　miles　away。　He　wanted　me　to　sit　up；　to　e　out　of　the　state。　I　resisted…I　liked　where　I　was。　But　he　took　my　arm　and　forced　me　to　sit　up；　breaking　the　spell。　I　opened　my　eyes　and　gazed　at　him。　〃Why　did　you　stop　it？〃　I　asked。
　　He　was　perspiring。　〃You　can　get　too　much　energy　at　once。〃　He　stared　at　me；　he　seemed　out　of　breath。　〃You　have　an　amazing　aura。〃
　　I　smiled。　〃What　is　special　about　it？〃
　　He　shook　his　head。　〃It　is　so　powerful。〃
　　The　experiment　in　consciousness　raising　was　interesting；　but　I　failed　to　see　how　his　technique　would　allow　him　to　transform　human　blood　into　Christ's　blood。　I　quizzed　him　about　it　at　length　but　he　would　divulge　no　more　secrets。　The　power　of　my　aura　continued　to　puzzle　him。　As　we　said　good　night；　I　saw　fear　in　his　eyes；　and　deep　fascination。　He　knew　I　was　no　ordinary　woman。　That　was　all　right；　I　thought。　No　harm　done。　He　would　learn　no　more　about　my　special　qualities。
　　But　that　was　not　to　be。
　　He　was　to　learn　everything　about　me。
　　Perhaps　even　more　than　I　knew　myself。
　　There　was　an　altar　boy；　Ralphe；　who　lived　with　the　priests。　Twelve　years　old　and　possessed　of　an　exceptional　wit；　he　was　a　favorite　of　Arturo's。　Often　the　two　would　go　for　long　hikes　in　the　hills　outside　Florence。　I　was　fond　of　Ralphe　myself。　The　three　of　us　had　picnics　in　the　woods　and　I　would　teach　Ralphe　the　flute；　for　which　he　had　a　talent。　The　instrument　had　been　a　favorite　of　mine　since　the　day　I　met　Krishna。　Arturo　used　to　love　to　watch　us　play　together。　But　sometimes　I　would　get　carried　away　and　weave　a　melody　of　love；　of　romantic　enchantment　and　lost　dreams；　which　would　always　leave　Arturo　quiet　and　shaken。　How　long　we　could　go　on　like　this；　chaste　and　virtuous；　I　didn't　know。　My　alchemist　stirred　ancient　longings　inside　me。　I　wondered　about　the　energies　his　crystals　invoked。
　　One　day　while　I　was　helping　Ralphe　repair　a　hole　in　the　church　roof；　the　boy　decided　to　amuse　me　by　doing　a　silly　dance　on　the　edge　of　the　stone　tiles。　I　told　him　to　be　careful　but　he　never　listened。　He　was　having　too　much　fun。　That　is　the　mysterious　thing　about　tragedy…it　often　strikes　at　the　happiest　moment。
　　Ralphe　slipped　and　fell。　It　was　over　a　hundred　feet　to　the　ground。　He　fell　on　the　base　of　his　spine；　crushing　it。　When　I　reached　him；　he　was　writhing　in　agony。　I　was　shaken　to　the　core；　I　who　had　seen　so　much　pain　in　my　life。　But　centuries　of　time　have　not　made　me　insensitive。　One　moment　he　had　been　a　vibrant　young　man；　and　now　he　would　be　crippled　for　the　rest　of　his　days；　and　those　would　not　be　long。
　　I　loved　Ralphe　very　much。　He　was　like　a　son　to　me。
　　I　suppose　that's　why　I　did　what　I　did。
　　I　did　not　need　to　make　him　a　vampire　to　help　him。
　　I　opened　the　veins　on　my　right　wrist　and　let　the　blood　splash　where　his　shattered　spinal　column　had　pierced　his　skin。　The　wound　closed　quickly；　the　bones　mended。　It　seemed　he　would　make　a　plete　recovery。　Best　of　all；　he　appeared　unaware　of　why　he　had　recovered　so　quickly。　He　thought　he'd　just　been　lucky。
　　But　there　is　good　luck　and　bad　luck。
　　Arturo　saw　what　I　did　for　Ralphe。　He　saw　everything。
　　He　wanted　to　know　who　I　was。　What　I　was。
　　I　find　it　hard　to　lie　to　those　I　love。
　　I　told　him　everything。　Even　what　Krishna　had　told　me。　The　tale　took　an　entire　night。　Arturo　understood　when　I　was　through　why　I　preferred　to　tell　the　story　in　the　dark。　But　he　didn't　recoil　in　horror　as　I　spoke。　He　was　an　enlightened　priest；　an　alchemist　who　sought　the　answer　to　why　God　had　created　us　in　the　first　place。　Indeed；　he　thought　he　knew　the　answer　to　that　profound　question。　We　were　here　to　bee　like　God。　To　live　like　his　blessed　son。　We　just　needed　a　few　pints　of　Christ's　blood　to　do　it
　　Arturo　believed　Krishna　had　let　me　live　for　a　purpose。
　　So　that　my　blood　could　save　mankind　from　itself。
　　From　the　start；　I　worried　about　him　mixing　Christ　and　vampires。
　　〃But　I　will　make　no　more　vampires；〃　I　protested。
　　He　eagerly　took　my　hands　and　stared　into　my　eyes。　A　fever　burned　in　his　brain；　I　could　feel　the　heat　of　it。　on　his　fingertips；　in　his　breath。　Whose　soul　did　I　experience　then？　Mine　or　his？　It　seemed　in　that　moment　as　if　the　two　of　us　had　merged。　For　that　reason；　his　next　words　sounded　inevitable　to　me。
　　〃We　will　make　no　more　vampires；〃　he　said。　〃I　understand　why　Krishna　made　you　take　such　a　vow。　What　we　will　create　with　your　blood　is　a　new　man。　A　hybrid　of　a　human　and　a　vampire。　A　being　who　can　live　forever；　in　the　glory　of　light　instead　of　the　shadow　of　darkness。〃　His　eyes　strayed　to　the　wooden　crucifix　hung　above　his　bed。　〃An　immortal　being。〃
　　He　spoke　with　such　power。　And　he　was　not　insane。
　　I　had　to　listen。　To　consider　his　words。
　　〃Is　it　possible？〃　I　whispered。
　　〃Yes。〃　He　hugged　me；　〃There　is　a　secret　I　haven't　told　you。　It　is　extraordinary。　It　is　the　secret　to　permanent　transformation。　If　I　have　the　right　materials…　your　blood；　for　example…I　can　transform　anything。　If　you　wish；　you　can　bee　such　a　hybrid。　I　can　even　make　you　human　again。〃　He　paused；　perhaps　thinking　of　my　ancient　grief　over　the　loss　of　Lalita；　my　daughter。　He　knew　my　sterile　condition　was　the　curse　of　my　unending　life。　He　must　have　known；　since　he　added；　〃You　could　have　a　child；　Sita。〃
　　　
　　　5
　　Around　midnight　I　return　to　the　pound；　determined　to　learn　its　layout　from　the　outside。　Dressed　totally　in　black；　I　have　an　Uzi　strung　over　my　back；　a　high…powered　pair　of　binoculars　in　one　hand；　a　Geiger　counter　in　the　other。　The　momentary　phenomenon　of　my　glowing　skin　continues　to　haunt　me。　I　wonder　if　they　are　doing　something　weird　to　Joel…using　radiation　on　him。
　　I　have　decided　the　ideal　vantage　point　from　which　to　study　the　pound　is　the　top　of　the　hill　in　which　the　base　is　dug。　To　get　to　it　I　have　to　take　a　long　walk。　Here　the　terrain　is　even　too　rough　for　my　new　Jeep。　I　move　swiftly；　my　head　down；　like　the　mystical　serpent　I　embody。　A　deep　desire　to　plant　my　teeth　in　that　general　I　saw　the　past　night　stays　with　me。　He　reminds　me　of　Eddie…not　of　the　psycho's　warped　nature　but　of　his　delusions　of　grandeur。　I　can　tell　a　lot　by　a　man's　face。　Perhaps　I　read　his　mind　a　little　as　well。　The　general　wants　to　use　Joel　to　get　ahead　in　the　world；　maybe　take　it　over。　I　don't　know　where　the　Pentagon　gets　these　people。
　　At　the　top　of　the　hill　I　scan　each　square　foot　of　the　pound。　Once　again　I　am　stunned　by　the　level　of　security。　It　is　as　if　they　are　set　up　to　ward　off　an　attack　from　an　alien　race。　While　I　watch；　a　sleek　jet　with　the　lines　of　a　rocket　lands　on　the　runway。　It　is　like　no　jet　I　have　ever　seen　before；　and　I　suspect　it　can　do　Mach　10…ten　times　the　speed　of　sound…and　that　Congress　has　never　heard　of　it。
　　My　Geiger　counter　indicates　the　radiation　here　is　three　times　what　is　normal；　but　still　well　within　safety　limits。　I'm　puzzled。　Radiation　couldn't　have　been　responsible　for　my　luminous　skin。　Yet　the　fact　that　the　level　is　high　confirms　that　there　are　nuclear　warheads　in　the　vicinity。　I　suspect　I　am　sitting　above　them；　that　they　are　stored　in　the　caves　the　military　has　dug　into　this　hill。　The　caves　are　now　an　established　fact。　I　watch　as　men　and　equipment　ride　a　miniature　railroad　beneath　me　into　and　out　of　the　hill。　This　is　how　the　human　race　gets　into　trouble。　The　danger　of　renegade　vampires　is　nothing　pared　to　the　folly　of　handing　unlimited　sums　of　money　over　to　people　who　like　to　keep　〃secrets。〃　Who　have　on　their　payroll　physicists　and　chemists　and　genetic　engineers　who；　as　children；　rooted　for　Pandora　to　open　her　box　of　evils。
　　How　Andrew　Kane　has　partially　managed　to　duplicate　Arturo　Evola's　work　continues　to　preoccupy　me。　I　cannot　imagine　an　explanation。
　　A　black　cart　rides　beneath　me　into　the　hill。　Soldiers　sit　on　it；　smoking　cigarettes　and　talking　about　babes。　My　Geiger　counter　momentarily　jumps。　The　level　is　not　high　enough　to　harm　the　human　body；　but　it　does　confirm　that　the　boys　in　uniform　are　sitting　next　to　a　thermonuclear　device。　I　know　the　famed　fail…safe　system　is　a　joke；　as　do　most　people　in　the　government。　The　President　of　the　United　States　is　not　the　only　one　who　can　order　an　American…made　nuclear　device　to　explode。　In　West　Germany；　before　the　Wall　came　down；　the　authority　to　fire　a　miniature　neutron　bomb　was　often　in　the　hands　of　a　lieutenant。　Currently；　all　the　nuclear　submarine　captains　in　the　U。S。　Navy　have　the　authority　to　launch　their　missiles　without　the　required　presidential　black　box　and　secret　codes。　It　is　argued　that　the　captains　must　have　this　authority　because　if　the　country　is　attacked　the　President　would　most　likely　be　one　of　the　first　to　die。
　　Still；　it　makes　me　nervous。
　　The　general　must　have　the　authority　to　trigger　these　bombs　if　he　wishes。
　　It　is　good　to　know。
　　I　have　finished　my　study　of　the　pound　and　am　walking　back　to　my　Jeep　when　I　notice　that　my　legs　are　glowing　again；　as　are　my　hands　and　arms。　Once　more；　every　square　inch　of　my　exposed　skin　is　faintly　shining　with　the　whiteness　of　the