tp.wyrd sisters-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


m　to　which　the　word　'height'　could　have　been　applied　was　not　lying　stiff　on　the　floor　and　facing　a　future　in　which　only　the　word　'depth'　could　be　appropriate。
　'I　am　a　king；　mark　you；'　he　said。
　WAS；　YOUR　MAJESTY。
　'What？'　Verence　barked。
　I　SAID　WAS。　IT'S　CALLED　THE　PAST　TENSE。　YOU'LL　SOON　GET　USED　TO　IT。
　The　tall　figure　tapped　its　calcareous　fingers　on　the　scythe's　handle。　It　was　obviously　upset　about　something。
　If　it　came　to　that；　Verence　thought；　so　am　I。　But　the　various　broad　hints　available　in　his　present　circumstances　were　breaking　through　even　the　mad　brave　stupidity　that　made　up　most　of　his　character；　and　it　was　dawning　on　him　that　whatever　kingdom　he　might　currently　be　in；　he　wasn't　king　of　it。
　'Are　you　Death；　fellow？'　he　ventured。
　I　HAVE　MANY　NAMES。
　'Which　one　are　you　using　at　present？'　said　Verence；　with　a　shade　more　deference。　There　were　people　milling　around　them；　in　fact；　quite　a　few　people　were　milling　through　them；　like　ghosts。
　'Oh；　so　it　was　Felmet；'　the　king　added　vaguely；　looking　at　the　figure　lurking　with　obscene　delight　at　the　top　of　the　stairs。　'My　father　said　I　should　never　let　him　get　behind　me。　Why　don't　I　feel　angry？'
　GLANDS；　said　Death　shortly。　ADRENALIN　AND　SO　FORTH。　AND　EMOTIONS。　YOU　DON'T　HAVE　THEM。　ALL　YOU　HAVE　NOW　IS　THOUGHT。
　The　tall　figure　appeared　to　reach　a　decision。
　THIS　IS　VERY　IRREGULAR；　he　went　on；　apparently　to　himself。　HOWEVER；　WHO　AM　I　TO　ARGUE？
　'Who　indeed。'
　WHAT？
　'I　said；　who　indeed。'
　SHUT　UP。
　Death　stood　with　his　skull　on　one　side；　as　though　listening　to　some　inner　voice。　As　his　hood　fell　away　the　late　king　noticed　that　Death　resembled　a　polished　skeleton　in　every　way　but　one。　His　eye　sockets　glowed　sky　blue。　Verence　wasn't　frightened；　however；　not　simply　because　it　is　difficult　to　be　in　fear　of　anything　when　the　bits　you　need　to　be　frightened　with　are　curdling　several　yards　away；　but　because　he　had　never　really　been　frightened　of　anything　in　his　life；　and　wasn't　going　to　start　now。　This　was　partly　because　he　didn't　have　the　imagination；　but　he　was　also　one　of　those　rare　individuals　who　are　totally　focused　in　time。
　Most　people　aren't。　They　live　their　lives　as　a　sort　of　temporal　blur　around　the　point　where　their　body　actually　is　…　anticipating　the　future；　or　holding　on　to　the　past。　They're　usually　so　busy　thinking　about　what　happens　next　that　the　only　time　they　ever　find　out　what　is　happening　now　is　when　they　e　to　look　back　on　it。　Most　people　are　like　this。　They　learn　how　to　fear　because　they　can　actually　tell；　down　at　the　subconscious　level；　what　is　going　to　happen　next。　It's　already　happening　to　them。
　But　Verence　had　always　lived　only　for　the　present。　Until　now；　anyway。
　Death　sighed。
　I　SUPPOSE　NO…ONE　MENTIONED　ANYTHING　TO　YOU？　he　hazarded。
　'Say　again？'
　NO　PREMONITIONS？　STRANGE　DREAMS？　MAD　OLD　SOOTHSAYERS　SHOUTING　THINGS　AT　YOU　IN　THE　STREET？
　'About　what？　Dying？'
　NO；　I　SUPPOSE　NOT。　IT　WOULD　BE　TOO　MUCH　TO　EXPECT；　said　Death　sourly。　THEY　LEAVE　IT　ALL　TO　ME。
　'Who　do？'　said　Verence；　mystified。
　FATE。　DESTINY。　ALL　THE　REST　OF　THEM。　Death　laid　a　hand　on　the　king's　shoulder。　THE　FACT　IS；　I'M　AFRAID；　YOU'RE　DUE　TO　BEE　A　GHOST。
　'Oh。'　He　looked　down　at　his　。　。　。　body；　which　seemed　solid　enough。　Then　someone　walked　through　him。
　DON'T　LET　IT　UPSET　YOU。
　Verence　watched　his　own　stiff　corpse　being　carried　reverentially　from　the　hall。
　'I'll　try；'　he　said。
　GOOD　MAN。
　'I　don't　think　I　will　be　up　to　all　that　business　with　the　white　sheets　and　the　chains；　though；'　he　said。　'Do　I　have　to　walk　around　moaning　and　screaming？'
　Death　shrugged。　DO　YOU　WANT　TO？　he　said。
　'No。'
　THEN　I　SHOULDN'T　BOTHER；　IF　I　WERE　YOU。　Death　pulled　an　hour…glass　from　the　recesses　of　his　dark　robe　and　inspected　it　closely。
　AND　NOW　I　REALLY　MUST　BE　GOING；　he　said。　He　turned　on　his　heel；　put　his　scythe　over　his　shoulder　and　started　to　walk　out　of　the　hall　through　the　wall。
　'I　say？　Just　hold　on　there！'　shouted　Verence；　running　after　him。
　Death　didn't　look　back。　Verence　followed　him　through　the　wall；　it　was　like　walking　through　fog。
　'Is　that　all？'　he　demanded。　'I　mean；　how　long　will　I　be　a　ghost？　Why　am　I　a　ghost？　You　can't　just　leave　me　like　this。'　He　halted　and　raised　an　imperious；　slightly　transparent　finger。　'Stop！　I　mand　you！'
　Death　shook　his　head　gloomily；　and　stepped　through　the　next　wall。　The　king　hurried　after　him　with　as　much　dignity　as　he　could　still　muster；　and　found　Death　fiddling　with　the　girths　of　a　large　white　horse　standing　on　the　battlements。　It　was　wearing　a　nosebag。
　'You　can't　leave　me　like　this！'　he　repeated；　in　the　face　of　the　evidence。
　Death　turned　to　him。
　I　CAN；　he　said。　YOU'RE　UNDEAD；　YOU　SEE。　GHOSTS　INHABIT　A　WORLD　BETWEEN　THE　LIVING　AND　THE　DEAD。　IT'S　NOT　MY　RESPONSIBILITY。　He　patted　the　king　on　the　shoulder。　DON'T　WORRY；　he　said；　IT　WON'T　BE　FOREVER。
　'Good。'
　IT　MAY　SEEM　LIKE　FOREVER。
　'How　long　will　it　really　be？'
　UNTIL　YOU　HAVE　FULFILLED　YOUR　DESTINY；　I　ASSUME。
　'And　how　will　I　know　what　my　destiny　is？'　said　the　king；　desperately。
　CAN'T　HELP　THERE。　I'M　SORRY。
　'Well；　how　can　I　find　out？'
　THESE　THINGS　GENERALLY　BEE　APPARENT；　I　UNDERSTAND；　said　Death；　and　swung　himself　into　the　saddle。
　'And　until　then　I　have　to　haunt　this　place。'　King　Verence　stared　around　at　the　draughty　battlements。　'All　alone；　I　suppose。　Won't　anyone　be　able　to　see　me？'
　OH；　THE　PSYCHICALLY　INCLINED。　CLOSE　RELATIVES。　AND　CATS；　OF　COURSE。
　'I　hate　cats。'
　Death's　face　became　a　little　stiffer；　if　that　were　possible。　The　blue　glow　in　his　eye　sockets　flickered　red　for　an　instant。
　I　SEE；　he　said。　The　tone　suggested　that　death　was　too　good　for　cat…haters。　YOU　LIKE　GREAT　BIG　DOGS；　I　IMAGINE。
　'As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　do。'　The　king　stared　gloomily　at　the　dawn。　His　dogs。　He'd　really　miss　his　dogs。　And　it　looked　like　such　a　good　hunting　day。
　He　wondered　if　ghosts　hunted。　Almost　certainly　not；　he　imagined。　Or　ate；　or　drank　either　for　that　matter；　and　that　was　really　depressing。　He　liked　a　big　noisy　banquet　and　had　quaffed＇1＇　many　a　pint　of　good　ale。　And　bad　ale；　e　to　that。　He'd　never　been　able　to　tell　the　difference　till　the　following　morning；　usually。
　He　kicked　despondently　at　a　stone；　and　noted　gloomily　that　his　foot　went　right　through　it。　No　hunting；　drinking；　carousing；　no　wassailing；　no　hawking　。　。　。　It　was　dawning　on　him　that　the　pleasures　of　the　flesh　were　pretty　sparse　without　the　flesh。　Suddenly　life　wasn't　worth　living。　The　fact　that　he　wasn't　living　it　didn't　cheer　him　up　at　all。
　SOME　PEOPLE　LIKE　TO　BE　GHOSTS；　said　Death。
　'Hmm？'　said　Verence；　gloomily。
　IT'S　NOT　SUCH　A　WRENCH；　I　ASSUME。　THEY　CAN　SEE　HOW　THEIR　DESCENDANTS　GET　ON。　SORRY？　IS　SOMETHING　THE　MATTER？
　But　Verence　had　vanished　into　the　wall。
　DON'T　MIND　ME；　WILL　YOU；　said　Death；　peevishly。　He　looked　around　him　with　a　gaze　that　could　see　through　time　and　space　and　the　souls　of　men；　and　noted　a　landslide　in　distant　Klatch；　a　hurricane　in　Howandaland；　a　plague　in　Hergen。
　BUSY；　BUSY；　he　muttered；　and　spurred　his　horse　into　the　sky。
　Verence　ran　through　the　walls　of　his　own　castle。　His　feet　barely　touched　the　ground　…　in　fact；　the　unevenness　of　the　floor　meant　that　at　times　they　didn't　touch　the　ground　at　all。
　As　a　king　he　was　used　to　treating　servants　as　if　they　were　not　there；　and　running　through　them　as　a　ghost　was　almost　the　same。　The　only　difference　was　that　they　didn't　stand　aside。
　Verence　reached　the　nursery；　saw　the　broken　door；　the　trailed　sheets　。　。　。
　Heard　the　hoofbeats。　He　reached　the　window；　saw　his　own　horse　go　full　tilt　through　the　open　gateway　in　the　shafts　of　the　coach。　A　few　seconds　later　three　horsemen　followed　it。　The　sound　of　hooves　echoed　for　a　moment　on　the　cobbles　and　died　away。
　The　king　thumped　the　sill；　his　fist　going　several　inches　into　the　stone。
　Then　he　pushed　his　way　out　into　the　air；　disdaining　to　notice　the　drop；　and　half　flew；　half　ran　down　across　the　courtyard　and　into　the　stables。
　It　took　him　a　mere　twenty　seconds　to　learn　that；　to　the　great　many　things　a　ghost　cannot　do；　should　be　added　the　mounting　of　a　horse。　He　did　succeed　in　getting　into　the　saddle；　or　at　least　in　straddling　the　air　just　above　it；　but　when　the　horse　finally　bolted；　terrified　beyond　belief　by　the　mysterious　things　happening　behind　its　ears；　Verence　was　left　sitting　astride　five　feet　of　fresh　air。
　He　tried　to　run；　and　got　about　as　far　as　the　gateway　before　the　air　around　him　thickened　to　the　consistency　of　tar。
　'You　can't；'　said　a　sad；　old　voice　behind　him。　'You　have　to　stay　where　you　were　killed。　That's　what　haunting　means。　Take　it　from　me。　I　know。'
　
　Granny　Weatherwax　paused　with　a　second　scone　halfway　to　her　mouth。
　'Something　es；'　she　said。
　'Can　you　tell　by　the　pricking　of　your　thumbs？'　said　Magrat　earnestly。　Magrat　had　learned　a　lot　about　witchcraft　from　books。
　'The　pricking　of　my　ears；'　said　Granny。　She　raised　her　eyebrows　at　Nanny　Ogg。　Old　Goodie　Whemper　had　been　an　excellent　witch　in　her　way；　but　far　too　fanciful。　Too　many　flowers　and　romantic　notions　and　such。
　The　occasional　flash　of　lightning　showed　the　moorland　stretching　down　to　the　forest；　but　the　rain　on　the　warm　summer　earth　had　filled　the　air　with　mist　wraiths。
　'Hoofbeats？'　said　Nanny　Ogg。　'No…one　wo