dk.solesurvivor-第65节

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　99　with　medical　problems　are　brought　to　a　level　of　health　they　never　expected　to　enjoy　again。　A　select　few　politicians　and　military　figures…and　members　of　their　families…suffering　from　life…threatening　illnesses；　are　brought　secretly　to　the　child　to　be　healed。　There　are　those　in　Project　99　who　believe　that　21…21　is　their　greatest　asset…although　others　find　89…58；　in　spite　of　the　considerable　control　problems　that　he　poses；　to　be　the　most　interesting　and　most　valuable　property　in　the　long　run。
　　Now；　look　here；　e　forward　in　time　to　one　rainy　day　in　August；　fifteen　months　after　the　restoration　of　the　injured　sparrow。　A　staff　geneticist　named　Amos　has　been　diagnosed　with　pancreatic　cancer；　one　of　the　deadliest　forms　of　the　disease。　While　healing　Amos　with　only　a　soft　and　lingering　touch；　the　girl　detects　an　illness　in　addition　to　the　malignancy；　this　one　not　of　a　physical　nature　but　nonetheless　debilitating。　Perhaps　because　of　what　he　has　seen　at　Project　99；　perhaps　for　numerous　other　reasons　that　have　accumulated　throughout　his　fifty　years；　Amos　has　decided　that　life　is　without　purpose　or　meaning；　that　we　have　no　destiny　but　the　void；　that　we　are　only　dust　in　the　wind。　This　darkness　in　him　is　blacker　than　the　cancer；　and　the　girl　heals　this；　as　well；　by　the　simple　expediency　of　showing　Amos　the　light　of　God　and　the　strange　dimensional　lattices　of　realms　beyond　our　own。
　　Once　shown　these　things；　Amos　is　so　overe　with　joy　and　awe　that　he　cycles　between　laughter　and　weeping；　and　to　the　eyes　of　the　others　in　the　room…a　researcher　named　Janice；　another　named　Vincent…he　seems　to　be　seized　by　an　alarming　hysteria。　When　Amos　urges　the　girl　to　bring　Janice　into　the　same　light　that　she　has　shown　to　him；　she　gives　the　gift　again。
　　Janice；　however；　reacts　differently　from　Amos。　Humbled　and　frightened；　she　collapses　in　remorse。　She　claws　at　herself　in　regret　for　the　way　she　has　lived　her　life　and　in　grief　for　those　she　has　betrayed　and　harmed；　and　her　anguish　is　frightening。
　　Tumult。
　　Rose　is　summoned。　Janice　and　Amos　are　isolated　for　observation　and　evaluation。　What　has　the　girl　done？　What　Amos　tells　them　seems　like　the　happy　babbling　of　a　harmlessly　deranged　man；　but　babbling　nonetheless；　and　from　one　who　was　but　a　few　minutes　ago　a　scientist　of　serious…if　not　brooding…disposition。
　　Baffled　and　concerned　by　the　strikingly　different　reactions　of　Amos　and　Janice；　the　girl　withdraws　and　bees　unmunicative。　Rose　works　in　private　with　21…21　for　more　than　two　hours　before　she　finally　begins　to　pry　the　astounding　explanation　from　her。　The　child　cannot　understand　why　the　revelation　that　she's　brought　to　Amos　and　Janice　would　overwhelm　them　so　pletely　or　why　Janice's　reaction　is　a　mix　of　euphoria　and　self…flagellation。
　　Having　been　born　with　a　full　awareness　of　her　place　and　purpose　in　the　universe；　with　an　understanding　of　the　ladder　of　destinies　that　she　will　climb　through　infinity；　with　the　certain　knowledge　of　life　everlasting　carried　in　her　genes；　she　cannot　ever　fully　grasp　the　shattering　power　of　this　revelation　when　she　brings　it　to　those　who　have　spent　their　lives　in　the　mud　of　doubt　and　the　dust　of　despair。
　　Expecting　nothing　more　than　that　she　is　going　to　experience　the　psychic　equivalent　of　a　magic…lantern　show；　a　tour　of　a　child's　sweet　fantasy　of　God；　Rose　asks　to　be　shown。　And　is　shown。　And　is　forever　changed。　Because　at　the　touch　of　the　child's　hand；　she　is　opened　to　the　fullness　of　existence。　What　she　experiences　is　beyond　her　powers　to　describe；　and　even　as　torrents　of　joy　surge　through　her　and　wash　away　all　the　countless　grieves　and　miseries　of　her　life　heretofore；　she　is　flooded；　as　well；　with　terror；　for　she　is　aware　not　only　of　the　promise　of　a　bright　eternity　but　of　expectations　that　she　must　strive　to　fulfil　in　all　the　days　of　life　ahead　of　her　in　this　world　and　in　the　worlds　to　e；　expectations　that　frighten　her　because　she　is　unsure　that　she　can　ever　meet　them。　Like　Janice；　she　is　acutely　aware　of　every　mean　act　and　unkindness　and　lie　and　betrayal　of　which　she　has　ever　been　guilty；　and　she　recognizes　that　she　still　has　the　capacity　for　selfishness；　pettiness；　and　cruelty；　she　yearns　to　transcend　her　past　even　as　she　quakes　at　the　fortitude　required　to　do　so。
　　When　the　vision　passes　and　she　finds　herself　in　the　girl's　room　as　before；　she　harbours　no　doubt　that　what　she　saw　was　real；　truth　in　its　purest　form；　and　not　merely　the　child's　delusion　transmitted　through　psychic　power。　For　almost　half　an　hour　she　cannot　speak　but　sits　shaking；　her　face　buried　in　her　hands。
　　Gradually；　she　begins　to　realize　the　implications　of　what　has　happened　here。　There　are　basically　two。　First；　if　this　revelation　can　be　brought　to　the　world；　even　to　as　many　as　the　girl　can　touch…all　that　is　now　will　pass　away。　Once　one　has　seen…not　taken　on　faith　but　seen…that　there　is　life　beyond；　even　if　the　nature　of　it　remains　profoundly　mysterious　and　even　as　fearsome　as　it　is　glorious；　then　all　that　was　once　important　seems　insignificant。　Avenues　of　wondrous　possibilities　abound　where　once　there　was　a　single　alley　through　the　darkness。　The　world　as　we　know　it　ends。
　　Second：　There　are　those　who　will　not　wele　the　end　of　the　old　order；　who　have　taught　themselves　to　thrive　on　power　and　on　the　pain　and　humiliation　of　others。　Indeed；　the　world　is　full　of　them；　and　they　will　not　want　to　receive　the　girl's　gift。　They　will　fear　the　girl　and　everything　that　she　promises。　And　they　will　either　sedate　and　isolate　her　in　a　containment　vessel…or　they　will　kill　her。
　　She　is　as　gifted　as　any　messiah…but　she　is　human。　She　can　heal　the　wing　of　a　broken　bird　and　bring　sight　to　its　blinded　eye。　She　can　banish　cancer　from　a　disease…riddled　man。　But　she　is　not　an　angel　with　a　cloak　of　invulnerability。　She　is　flesh　and　bone。　Her　precious　power　resides　in　the　delicate　tissues　of　her　singular　brain。　If　the　magazine　of　a　pistol　is　emptied　into　the　back　of　her　head；　she　will　die　like　any　other　child；　dead；　she　cannot　heal　herself。　Although　her　soul　will　proceed　into　other　realms；　she　will　be　lost　to　this　troubled　place　that　needs　her。　The　world　will　not　be　changed；　peace　will　not　replace　turmoil；　and　there　will　be　no　end　to　loneliness　and　despair。
　　Rose　quickly　bees　convinced　that　the　project's　directors　will　opt　for　termination。　The　moment　that　they　understand　what　this　little　girl　is；　they　will　kill　her。
　　Before　nightfall；　they　will　kill　her。
　　Certainly　before　midnight；　they　will　kill　her。
　　They　will　not　be　willing　to　risk　consigning　her　to　a　containment　vessel。　The　boy　possesses　only　the　power　of　destruction；　but　21…21　possesses　the　power　of　enlightenment；　which　is　immeasurably　the　more　dangerous　of　the　two。
　　They　will　shoot　her　down；　soak　her　corpse　with　gasoline；　set　her　remains　afire；　and　later　scatter　her　charred　bones。
　　Rose　must　act…and　quickly。　The　girl　must　be　spirited　out　of　the　orphanage　and　hidden　before　they　can　destroy　her。
　　
　　'Joe？'
　　Against　a　field　of　stars；　as　though　at　this　moment　erupting　from　the　crust　of　the　earth；　the　black　mountains　shouldered　darkly　across　the　horizon。
　　'Joe；　I'm　sorry。'　Her　voice　was　frail。　'I'm　so　sorry。'
　　They　were　speeding　north　on　State　Highway　30；　east　of　the　city　of　San　Bernardino；　fifty　miles　from　Big　Bear。
　　'Joe；　are　you　okay？'
　　He　could　not　answer。
　　Traffic　was　light。　The　road　ascended　into　forests。　Cottonwoods　and　pines　shook；　shook；　shook　in　the　wind。
　　He　could　not　answer。　He　could　only　drive。
　　'When　you　insisted　on　believing　the　little　girl　with　me　was　your　own　Nina；　I　let　you　go　on　believing　it。'
　　For　whatever　purpose；　she　was　still　deceiving　him。　He　could　not　understand　why　she　continued　to　hide　the　truth。
　　She　said；　After　they　found　us　at　the　restaurant；　I　needed　your　help。　Especially　after　I　was　shot；　I　needed　you。　But　you　hadn't　opened　your　heart　and　mind　to　the　photograph　when　I　gave　it　to　you。　You　were　so。　。　。　fragile。　I　was　afraid　if　you　knew　it　really　wasn't　your　Nina；　you'd　just。　。　。　stop。　Fall　apart。　God　forgive　me；　Joe；　but　I　needed　you。　And　now　the　girl　needs　you。'
　　Nina　needed　him。　Not　some　girl　born　in　a　lab；　with　the　power　to　transmit　her　curious　fantasies　to　others　and　cloud　the　minds　of　the　gullible。　Nina　needed　him。　Nina。
　　If　he　could　not　trust　Rose　Tucker；　was　there　anyone　he　could　trust？
　　He　managed　to　shake　two　words　from　himself：　'Go　on。'
　　Rose　again。　In　21…21's　room。　Feverishly　considering　the　problem　of　how　to　spirit　the　girl　through　a　security　system　equal　to　that　of　any　prison。
　　The　answer；　when　it　es；　is　obvious　and　elegant。
　　There　are　three　exits　from　the　ground　floor　of　the　orphanage。　Rose　and　the　girl　walk　hand…in…hand　to　the　door　that　connects　the　main　building　to　the　adjoining　two…story　parking　structure。
　　An　armed　guard　views　their　approach　with　more　puzzlement　than　suspicion。　The　orphans　are　not　permitted　into　the　garage　even　under　supervision。
　　When　21…21　holds　out　her　tiny　hand　and　says　Shake；　the　guard　smiles　and　obliges…and　receives　the　gift。　Filled　with　cyclonic　wonder；　he　sits　shaking　uncontrollably；　weeping　with　joy　but　also　with　hard　remorse；　just　as　Rose　had　trembled　and　wept　in　the　girl's　room。
　　It　is　a　simple　matter　to　push　the　button　on　the　gu