cb.coldheart canyon-第52节

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　their　blackened　imprint　on　the　asphalt。　Apparently　aware　that　it　had　an　unwanted　witness；　the　mysterious　luminescence　rose　up　into　the　brightening　air　and　was　gone。
　 The　following　evening；　Paul　Booth；　the　man　who'd　had　the　courage　to　carry　the　burning　body　of　Marco　Caputo　to　the　pool…went　out　into　the　back　yard；　alone。　He　was　in　a　melancholy　state　of　mind。　The　party　he'd　thrown　the　previous　night　had　been　in　honour　of　his　little　sister's　sixteenth　birthday。　Some　celebration！　Alice　had　barely　stopped　crying　since。　He　could　hear　her　now；　sobbing　in　the　house。
　 He　took　out　the　half…smoked　reefer　he'd　been　saving　for　a　happier　occasion；　and　lit　it　up。　As　he　drew　on　the　pungent　smoke；　he　looked　up　and　saw　a　patch　of　luminous　air　lingering　at　the　edge　of　the　pool。　It　had　no　discernible　shape。　It　was　simply　a　gentle　brightness；　which　would　have　been　invisible　half　an　hour　before；　when　the　sun　had　still　been　up。　He　watched　the　brightness　as　it　hung　there　for　ten；　perhaps　fifteen　seconds；　then　he　nipped　out　his　reefer；　pocketed　it；　and　went　back　inside　to　find　someone　to　tell。　He　found　his　father；　and　together　they　emerged　into　the　backyard。
　 The　light　had　already　gone　from　beside　the　pool。
　 〃There！〃　Paul　said；　pointing　up　at　something　that　could　have　been　the　light　he'd　seen；　now　up　on　Mulholland　Drive。　But　it　could　just　as　easily　have　been　the　light　of　a　car　ing　round　the　treacherous　corner　of　the　road。　And　anyway；　it　had　gone　in　a　heartbeat；　leaving　both　father　and　son　doubting　what　they'd　seen。
　
　
　SIX
　 In　the　depths　of　the　Canyon；　no　more　than　half　a　mile　from　the　pool　and　the　lawn　and　the　tree　where　Ava　hung；　Tammy　lay　in　the　dirt；　and　waited　for　the　end。　She'd　done　all　she　could　do　to　survive：　she　had　eaten　berries　and　licked　the　dew　off　leaves；　she'd　fought　off　the　fever…dreams　which　threatened　to　claim　her　consciousness；　she'd　forced　herself　to　walk　when　she　had　no　strength　left　in　her　limbs。
　 It　had　tricks；　this　canyon：　ways　to　lead　you　round　and　round　in　circles；　so　that　you　burned　up　all　your　energies　ing　back　to　the　place　you'd　started　from。　It　put　colors　before　your　eyes　that　were　so　bewitching　that　you　ended　up　turning　round　and　round　on　the　spot　to　catch　them；　like　a　dog　chasing　its　own　tail。　And　sometimes　（this　was　its　cleverest　trick）　it　went　into　your　head　and　found　the　voices　there　that　were　most　forting；　then　made　them　call　to　you。　Arnie　（of　all　people　to　find　forting；　Mr。　Zero　Sperm　Count）；　and　the　man　who　used　to　do　her　dry…cleaning　in　Sacramento；　Mr。　O'Brien；　who'd　always　had　a　smile　and　a　wink　for　her；　and　Todd；　of　course；　her　beautiful　hero　Todd；　calling　out　to　her　just　to　make　her　stumble　a　few　more　steps。　She　hadn't　quite　believed　any　of　these　voices　were　real；　but　that　hadn't　stopped　her　following　them；　back　and　forth；　around　and　about…voices　and　colors…until　at　last　she　had　no　strength　left　in　her　body；　and　she　fell　down。
　 So　now　she　was　down；　and　she　was　too　weak　to　get　up　again；　too　damn　heavy　ever　to　get　her　fat　ass　up　and　moving。　At　the　back　of　her　head　was　the　fear　that　the　freaks　would　e　and　find　her。　But　they　didn't　e；　at　least　by　daylight。　Perhaps；　she　thought；　they　were　waiting　for　darkness。　Meanwhile；　there　were　plenty　of　things　that　did　e：　flies；　dragonflies；　humming…birds；　all　flitting　around。
　 As　for　the　summonings　from　Arnie　and　Mr。　O'　Brien　and　Todd；　once　she　was　down　on　the　ground　none　of　these　came　either。　The　Canyon　knew　it　had　her　beaten。　All　it　had　to　do　was　wait；　and　she'd　perish　where　she　lay。
　
　 The　day　crept　on。　In　the　middle　of　the　afternoon　she　fell　into　a　stupefied　daze；　and　when　she　woke　experienced　a　short　and　surprising　burst　of　renewed　ambition　to　save　herself。　After　much　effort　she　managed　to　get　to　her　feet；　and　started　to　walk　in　what　she　thought　was　the　direction　of　the　house　（sometimes　she　seemed　to　see　the　roof　through　the　trees；　sometimes　not）；　but　after　ten　minutes　the　Canyon　seemed　to　realize　she　was　up　and　walking；　and　it　began　its　little　tricks　afresh。　The　colors　came　back。　So　did　the　voices。
　 She　fell　to　her　knees；　crying；　begging　it　to　leave　her　alone。　But　it　was　merciless；　the　voices　were　louder　than　ever；　yelling　incoherently　in　her　head；　the　sky　was　every　color　but　blue。
　 〃Okay；〃　she　said。　〃Okay；　okay。　Just　leave　me　alone　to　die。　I　won't　get　up　again。　I　promise。　I　swear。　Just　leave　me　be。〃
　 It　seemed　to　get　the　message；　because　by　degrees　the　yelling　receded；　and　the　colors　dimmed。
　 She　lay　back　in　the　foliage；　and　watched　the　sky　darken；　the　stars　emerge。　Birds　flew　overhead；　returning　to　their　nests　before　the　onset　of　night。　She　envied　them；　just　a　little；　but　then　what　did　she　have　to　go　home　to；　in　truth？　A　house　in　the　suburbs　she'd　never　really　loved；　a　husband；　the　same。　What　a　mess　she'd　made　of　her　life！　What　a　ridiculous；　empty　mess！　All　that　time　wasted　doting　on　a　man　she'd　seen　on　a　screen；　hours　spent　flicking　through　her　treasures；　fantasizing。　Never　really　living。　That　was　the　horror　of　it。　She　was　going　to　die　and　she'd　never　really　lived。
　 The　sky　was　almost　lightless　now。　She　could　barely　see　her　hand　in　front　of　her　face。　She　let　her　eyes　slide　closed；　draping　the　stars。　In　the　grass　around　her；　the　cicadas　sang　a　rhythmical　lullaby。
　 Suddenly；　somewhere　not　very　far　off；　there　rose　an　unholy　din；　part　howl；　part　yelp；　part　laughter。　Her　eyes　sprang　open。　The　hairs　at　her　nape　stood　on　end。　Was　this　a　farewell　performance　by　the　Canyon？　One　last　attempt　to　squeeze　her　wits　dry？
　 No；　no。　This　wasn't　for　her　benefit。　It　was　too　far　away。　Up　at　the　house。　Yes；　that　was　it；　somebody　up　at　the　house　was　having　one　hell　of　a　party。
　 Curiosity　got　the　better　of　her　fatigue。　Tammy　pushed　herself　up　onto　her　knees；　and　attempted　to　figure　out　where　the　cacophony　was　ing　from。　There　was　light　visible　between　the　trees；　flickering；　but　not　flames。　This　was　too　cold　a　light　to　be　fire。
　 Perhaps　this　wasn't　a　party　after　all。　The　din　was　as　nasty　as　it　was　raucous。　Who　the　hell　could　be　making　such　a　noise？　The　freaks　perhaps？　It　seemed　the　likeliest　source。　She　pictured　them　laying　siege　to　the　house。　Oh　God　in　Heaven；　suppose　they'd　gone　after　Todd？　Sniffed　him　out　in　his　weakened　state；　and　attacked　him？
　 The　thought　of　harm　ing　to　him　was　unbearable；　even　now。　It　forced　her　to　get　up　off　the　ground；　something　she　couldn't　have　done　on　her　own　behalf。　For　a　few　seconds　she　stood　with　legs　wide　planted；　uncertain　whether　she　was　going　to　fall　down　again。　Then；　she　told　herself　to　move；　and　much　to　her　surprise　her　body　obeyed　the　instruction。　Her　legs　felt　like　lead　and　her　head　as　light　as　a　helium　balloon；　but　she　managed　to　stagger　five　or　six　steps　without　falling　down。
　 The　noise　from　the　house　had　subsided　somewhat；　but　the　lights　were　still　visible　between　the　trees。　She　paused　for　a　moment　to　catch　her　breath；　and　while　she　did　so　she　studied　the　lights；　trying　to　make　sense　of　them。　Was　it　possible　what　she　was　seeing　were　people？　Yes　it　was。　Several　of　the　figures　had　slipped　away　from　the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　house；　and　were　ing　closer　to　her。　Some　were　zigzagging　through　the　trees；　as　though　they　were　engaged　in　a　game　of　some　kind。　What　sort　of　creatures　were　these；　she　wondered；　that　capered　like　children　playing；　but　had　such　luminescence　about　them？
　 She　stumbled　on　another　two　or　three　steps；　but　her　body　wasn't　going　to　carry　her　much　further；　she　knew。　It　was　only　a　matter　of　time　before　she　fell　down　again；　and　next　time　she　knew　she　wouldn't　have　the　strength　to　pick　herself　up。
　 Then；　very　close　by；　she　heard　the　sound　of　something　moving　through　the　thicket。　She　looked　in　the　direction　of　the　sound。　An　animal　perhaps？　A　coyote；　or…
　 〃Tammy？〃
　 She　held　her　breath；　not　quite　daring　to　believe　that　she　recognized　the　voice。
　 〃It's　Willem；〃　he　said。
　 Her　legs　almost　gave　out　from　sheer　gratitude。　He　came　out　of　the　bushes　and　caught　hold　of　her　before　she　fell。
　 〃I'm　heavy；〃　she　warned　him。

　 〃I'm　strong；〃　he　said。
　 So　she　let　him　take　her　weight；　sinking　against　his　chest。　As　she　relinquished　herself　to　him　she　heard　a　little　girl　somewhere　nearby；　sobbing　pitifully。　She　was　about　to　ask　who　the　hell　it　was　making　such　a　noise　when　she　realized　it　was　her　own　voice。
　 〃It's　all　right；〃　Zeffer　said。　〃I'm　here　now。　Everything's　going　to　be　fine。〃
　 She　wasn't　sure　that　she　believed　him；　it　sounded　like　a　bad　piece　of　dialogue　to　her。　But　this　was　no　time　to　be　judgmental。　He'd　e　to　look　for　her；　and　she　was　grateful。　She　put　her　head　on　his　chest；　like　a　B…movie　heroine　snatched　from　the　jaws　of　death；　and　laughing；　then　sobbing；　then　laughing　again；　let　him　put　his　arms　around　her；　and　rock　her　awhile。
　
　
　SEVEN
　 Finally；　it　had　not　been　Todd　who'd　lost　control；　but　her　other　lover。
　
　 〃I　can't。。。hold　back。。。much　longer；〃　he　said。
　 The　girl　was　beyond　giving　even　the　most　rudimentary　instructions：　she　lay　in　a　daze　of　pleasure；　her　legs　hoisted　up　by　Todd　so　that　he　could　see　the　wonderful　machinery　of　their　interconnected　anatomies。
　 〃Are　you　ready？〃　the　other　man　said　to　him。　His　face　was　liquid　shadow；　his　eyes　wild。
　 〃You　say　the　word。〃
　 〃Lift　her　legs　higher。〃
　 Todd　did　as　he　was　instructed；　noticing　as