dk.solesurvivor-第66节

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se　had　trembled　and　wept　in　the　girl's　room。
　　It　is　a　simple　matter　to　push　the　button　on　the　guard's　console　to　throw　the　electronic　lock　on　the　door　and　pass　through。
　　Another　guard　waits　on　the　garage　side　of　the　connecting　door。　He　is　startled　by　the　sight　of　this　child。　She　reaches　for　him；　and　his　surprise　at　seeing　her　is　nothing　pared　to　the　surprise　that　follows。
　　A　third　guard　is　stationed　at　the　gated　exit　from　the　garage。　Alarmed　by　the　sight　of　21…21　in　Rose's　car；　he　leans　in　the　open　window　to　demand　an　explanation…and　the　girl　touches　his　face。
　　Two　more　armed　men　staff　the　gate　at　the　highway。　All　barriers　fall；　and　Virginia　lies　ahead。
　　Escape　will　never　be　as　easy　again。　If　they　are　apprehended；　the　girl's　offer　of　a　handshake　will　be　greeted　by　gunfire。
　　The　trick　now　is　to　get　out　of　the　area　quickly；　before　project　security　realizes　what　has　happened　to　five　of　its　men。　They　will　mount　a　pursuit；　perhaps　with　the　assistance　of　local；　state；　and　federal　authorities。　Rose　drives　madly；　recklessly；　with　a　skill　…born　of　desperation…that　she　has　never　known　before。
　　Barely　big　enough　to　see　out　of　the　side　window；　21…21　studies　the　passing　countryside　with　fascination　and；　at　last；　says；　Wow；　it　sure　is　big　out　here。
　　Rose　laughs　and　says；　Honey；　you　ain't　seen　nothing　yet。
　　She　realizes　that　she　must　get　the　word　out　as　quickly　as　possible：　use　the　media　to　display　21…21's　healing　powers　and　then　to　demonstrate　the　greater　gift　that　the　girl　can　bestow。　Only　the　forces　of　ignorance　and　darkness　benefit　from　secrecy。　Rose　believes　that　21…21　will　never　be　safe　until　the　world　knows　of　her；　embraces　her；　and　refuses　to　allow　her　to　be　taken　into　custody。
　　Her　ex…bosses　will　expect　her　to　go　public　quickly　and　in　a　big　way。　Their　influence　within　the　media　is　widespread…yet　as　subtle　as　a　web　of　cloud　shadows　on　the　skin　of　a　pond；　which　makes　it　all　the　more　effective。　They　will　try　to　find　her　as　soon　as　possible　after　she　surfaces　and　before　she　can　bring　21…21　to　the　world。
　　She　knows　a　reporter　whom　she　would　trust　not　to　betray　her：
　　Lisa　Peccatone；　an　old　college　friend　who　works　at　the　Post　in　Los　Angeles。
　　Rose　and　the　girl　will　have　to　fly　to　Southern　California…and　the　sooner　the　better。　Project　99　is　a　joint　venture　of　private　industry；　elements　of　the　defence　establishment；　and　other　powerful　forces　in　the　government。　Easier　to　halt　an　avalanche　with　a　feather　than　to　resist　their　bined　might；　and　they　will　shortly　begin　to　use　every　asset　in　their　arsenal　to　locate　Rose　and　the　girl。
　　Trying　to　fly　out　of　Dulles　or　National　Airport　in　Washington　is　too　dangerous。　She　considers　Baltimore；　Philadelphia；　New　York；　and　Boston。　She　chooses　New　York。
　　She　reasons　that　the　more　county　and　state　lines　she　crosses；　the　safer　she　bees；　so　she　drives　to　Hagerstown；　Maryland；　and　from　there　to　Harrisburg；　Pennsylvania；　without　incident。　Yet　mile　by　mile；　she　is　increasingly　concerned　that　her　pursuers　will　have　put　out　an　APB　on　her　car　and　that　she　will　be　captured　regardless　of　the　distance　she　puts　between　herself　and　Manassas。
　　In　Harrisburg；　she　abandons　the　car；　and　she　and　the　girl　continue　to　New　York　City　by　bus。
　　By　the　time　they　are　in　the　air　aboard　Nationwide　Flight　353；　Rose　feels　safe。　Immediately　on　landing　at　LAX；　she　will　be　met　by　Lisa　and　the　crew　that　Lisa　has　assembled…and　the　series　of　media　eruptions　will　begin。
　　For　the　airline　passenger　manifest；　Rose　implied　that　she　was　married　to　a　white　man；　and　she　identified　21…21　as　her　stepdaughter；　choosing　the　name　'Mary　Tucker；'　on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　With　the　media；　she　intends　initially　to　use　CCY…21…21's　project　name　because　its　similarity　to　concentration…camp　inmates'　names　will　do　more　than　anything　else　to　characterize　Project　99　in　the　public　mind　and　generate　instant　sympathy　for　the　child。　She　realizes　that　eventually　she　will　have　to　consult　with　21…21　to　pick　a　permanent　name…which；　considering　the　singular　historical　importance　of　this　child's　life；　should　be　a　name　that　resonates。
　　They　are　seated　across　the　aisle　from　a　mother　and　her　two　daughters；　who　are　returning　home　to　Los　Angeles…Michelle；　Chrissie；　and　Nina　Carpenter。
　　Nina；　who　is　approximately　21…21's　age　and　size；　is　playing　with　a　hand…held　electronic　game　called　Pigs　and　Princes；　designed　for　preschoolers。　From　across　the　aisle；　21…21　bees　fascinated　by　the　sounds　and　the　images　on　the　small　screen。　Seeing　this；　Nina　asks　'Mary'　to　move　with　her　to　a　nearby　pair　of　empty　seats　where　they　can　play　the　game　together。　Rose　is　hesitant　to　allow　this…but　she　knows　that　21…21　is　intelligent　far　beyond　her　years　and　is　aware　of　the　need　for　discretion；　so　she　relents。　This　is　the　first　unstructured　play　time　in　21…21's　life；　the　first　genuine　play　she　has　ever　known。　Nina　is　a　child　of　enormous　charm；　sweet　and　gregarious。　Although　21…21　is　a　genius　with　the　reading　skills　of　a　college　freshman；　a　healer　with　miraculous　powers；　and　literally　the　hope　of　the　world；　she　is　soon　enraptured　by　Nina；　wants　to　be　Nina；　as　totally　cool　as　Nina；　and　unconsciously　she　begins　imitating　Nina's　gestures　and　manner　of　speaking。
　　Theirs　is　a　late　flight　out　of　New　York；　and　after　a　couple　of　hours；　Nina　is　fading。　She　hugs　21…21；　and　with　the　permission　of　Michelle；　she　gives　Pigs　and　Princes　to　her　new　friend　before　returning　to　sit　with　her　mother　and　sister；　where　she　falls　asleep。
　　Transported　by　delight；　21…21　returns　to　her　seat　beside　Rose；　hugging　the　small　electronic　game　to　her　breast　as　though　it　is　a　treasure　beyond　value。　Now　she　won't　even　play　with　it　because　she　is　afraid　that　she　might　break　it；　and　she　wants　it　to　remain　always　exactly　as　Nina　gave　it　to　her。
　　
　　West　of　the　town　of　Running　Lake；　still　many　miles　from　Big　Bear　Lake；　following　ridgelines　past　the　canyons　where　the　wind　was　born；　bombarded　by　thrashing　conifers　hurling　cones　at　the　pavement；　Joe　refused　to　consider　the　implications　of　Pigs　and　Princes。　Listening　to　Rose　tell　the　story；　he　had　barely　found　sufficient　self…control　to　repress　his　rage。　He　knew　that　he　had　no　reason　to　be　furious　with　this　woman　or　with　the　child　who　had　a　concentration…camp　name；　but　he　was　livid　nonetheless　…perhaps　because　he　knew　how　to　function　well　in　anger；　as　he　had　done　throughout　his　youth；　and　not　well　at　all　in　grief。
　　Turning　the　subject　away　from　little　girls　at　play；　he　said；　'How　does　Horton　Nellor　fit　into　this…aside　from　owning　a　big　chunk　of　Teknologik；　which　is　deep　in　Project　Ninety…nine？'
　　'Just　that　well…connected　bastards　like　him　。　。　。　are　the　wave　of　the　future。'　She　was　holding　the　can　of　Pepsi　between　her　knees；　clawing　at　the　pull　tab　with　her　right　hand。　She　had　barely　enough　strength　and　coordination　to　get　it　open。　'The　wave　of　the　future　unless　Nina。　。　。　unless　she　changes　everything。'
　　'Big　business；　big　government；　and　big　media…all　one　beast　now；　united　to　exploit　the　rest　of　us。　Is　that　it？　Radical　talk。'
　　The　aluminum　can　rattled　against　her　teeth；　and　a　trickle　of　Pepsi　dribbled　down　her　chin。　'Nothing　but　power　matters　to　them。　They　don't　believe　。。　。　in　good　and　evil。'
　　'There　are　only　events。'
　　Though　she　had　just　taken　a　long　swallow　of　Pepsi；　her　throat　sounded　dry。　Her　voice　cracked。　'And　what　those　events　mean。　。
　　'。。。　depends　only　on　what　spin　you　put　on　them。'
　　He　remained　blindly　angry　with　her　because　of　what　she　insisted　that　he　believe　about　Nina；　but　he　could　not　bear　to　glance　at　her　again　and　see　her　growing　weaker。　He　blinked　at　the　road　ahead；　where　showers　of　pine　needles　stitched　together　billowing　sheets　of　dust；　and　he　eased　down　on　the　accelerator；　driving　as　fast　as　he　dared。
　　The　soda　can　slipped　out　of　her　hand；　dropped　on　the　floor；　and　rolled　under　her　seat；　spilling　the　remainder　of　the　Pepsi。　'Losin'　it；　Joe。'
　　'Not　long　now。'
　　'Got　to　tell　you　how　it　was　。　。　。　when　the　plane　went　in。'
　　　
　　Four　miles　down；　gathering　speed　all　the　way；　engines　shrieking；　wings　creaking；　fuselage　thrumming。　Screaming　passengers　are　pressed　so　hard　into　their　seats　by　the　accumulating　gravities　that　many　are　unable　to　lift　their　heads　some　praying；　some　vomiting；　weeping；　cursing；　calling　out　the　many　names　of　God；　calling　out　to　loved　ones　present　and　far　away。　An　eternity　of　plunging；　four　miles　but　as　if　from　the　moon…
　　…and　then　Rose　is　in　a　blueness；　a　silent　bright　blueness；　as　if　she　is　a　bird　in　flight；　except　that　no　dark　earth　lies　below；　only　blueness　all　around。　No　sense　of　motion。　Neither　hot　nor　cool。　A　flawless　hyacinth…blue　sphere　with　her　at　the　centre。　Suspended。　Waiting。　A　deep　breath　held　in　her　lungs。　She　tries　to　expel　her　stale　breath　but　cannot；　cannot；　until…
　　…with　an　exhalation　as　loud　as　a　shout；　she　finds　herself　in　the　meadow；　still　in　her　seat；　stunned　into　immobility；　21…21　beside　her。　The　nearby　woods　are　on　fire。　On　all　sides；　flames　lick　mounds　of　twisted　debris。　The　meadow　is　an　unspeakable　charnel　house。　And　the　747　is　gone。
　　At　the　penultimate　moment；　the　girl　had　transported　them　out　of　the　doomed　aircraft　by　a　monumental　exertion　of　her　psychic　gift；　to　another　place；　to　a　dimension　ou