sk.thewastelands-第105节

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　　〃PATRICIA　WENT　MAD；〃　Blaine　said　patiently；　speaking　as　if　he　himself　had　not　just　admitted　the　same　thing　was　happening　to　him。　〃IN　HER　CASE；　THE　PROBLEM　INVOLVED　EQUIPMENT　MAL…FUNCTION　AS　WELL　AS　SPIRITUAL　MALAISE。　SUCH　MAL…FUNCTIONS　ARE　SUPPOSED　TO　BE　IMPOSSIBLE　WITH　SLO…TRANS　TECHNOLOGY；　BUT　OF　COURSE　THE　WORLD　HAS　MOVED　ON　。。。　HAS　IT　NOT；　ROLAND　OF　GILEAD？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　Roland　said。　〃There　is　some　deep　sickness　at　the　Dark　Tower；　which　is　the　heart　of　everything。　It's　spreading。　The　lands　below　us　are　only　one　more　sign　of　that　sickness。〃
　　〃I　CANNOT　VOUCH　FOR　THE　TRUTH　OR　FALSITY　OF　THAT　STATEMENT；　MY　MONITORING　EQUIPMENT　IN　END…WORLD；　WHERE　THE　DARK　TOWER　STANDS；　HAS　BEEN　DOWN　FOR　OVER　EIGHT　HUNDRED　YEARS。　AS　A　RESULT；　I　CANNOT　READILY　DIFFERENTIATE　FACT　FROM　SUPERSTITION。　IN　FACT；　THERE　SEEMS　TO　BE　VERY　LITTLE　DIFFERENCE　BETWEEN　THE　TWO　AT　THE　PRESENT　TIME。　IT　IS　VERY　SILLY　THAT　IT　SHOULD　BE　SO…NOT　TO　MENTION　RUDE…AND　I　AM　SURE　IT　HAS　CONTRIBUTED　TO　MY　OWN　SPIRITUAL　MALAISE。〃
　　This　statement　reminded　Eddie　of　something　Roland　had　said　not　so　long　ago。　What　might　that　have　been？　He　groped　for　it；　but　could　find　nothing　。　。　。　only　a　vague　memory　of　the　gunslinger　speaking　in　an　irritated　way　which　was　very　unlike　his　usual　manner。
　　〃PATRICIA　BEGAN　SOBBING　CONSTANTLY；　A　STATE　I　FOUND　BOTH　RUDE　AND　UNPLEASANT。　I　BELIEVE　SHE　WAS　LONELY　AS　WELL　AS　MAD。　ALTHOUGH　THE　ELECTRICAL　FIRE　WHICH　CAUSED　THE　ORIGINAL　PROBLEM　WAS　QUICKLY　EXTINGUISHED；　LOGIC…FAULTS　CONTINUED　TO　SPREAD　AS　CIRCUITS　OVERLOADED　AND　SUB…BANKS　FAILED。　I　CONSIDERED　ALLOWING　THE　MALFUNCTIONS　TO　BEE　SYSTEM…WIDE　AND　DECIDED　TO　ISOLATE　THE　PROBLEM　AREA　INSTEAD。　I　HAD　HEARD　RUMORS；　YOU　SEE；　THAT　A　GUNSLINGER　WAS　ONCE　MORE　ABROAD　IN　THE　EARTH。　I　COULD　SCARCELY　CREDIT　SUCH　STORIES；　AND　YET　I　NOW　SEE　I　WAS　WISE　TO　WAIT。〃
　　Roland　stirred　in　his　chair。　〃What　rumors　did　you　hear；　Blaine？　And　who　did　you　hear　them　from？〃
　　But　Blaine　chose　not　to　answer　this　question。
　　〃I　EVENTUALLY　BECAME　SO　DISTURBED　BY　HER　BLAT…TING　THAT　I　ERASED　THE　CIRCUITS　CONTROLLING　HER　NON…VOLUNTARIES。　I　EMANCIPATED　HER；　YOU　MIGHT　SAY。　SHE　RESPONDED　BY　THROWING　HERSELF　IN　THE　RIVER。　SEE　YOU　LATER；　PATRICIA…GATOR。〃
　　Got　lonely；　couldn't　stop　crying；　drowned　herself；　and　all　this　crazy　mechanical　asshole　can　do　is　joke　about　it；　Susannah　thought。　She　felt　almost　sick　with　rage。　If　Blaine　had　been　a　real　person　instead　of　just　a　bunch　of　circuits　buried　somewhere　under　a　city　which　was　now　far　behind　them；　she　would　have　tried　to　put　some　new　marks　on　his　face　to　remember　Patricia　by。　You　want　interesting；　motherfucker？　I'd　like　to　show　you　interesting；　so　I　would。
　　〃ASK　ME　A　RIDDLE；〃　Blaine　invited。
　　〃Not　quite　yet；〃　Eddie　said。　〃You　still　haven't　answered　my　original　question。〃　He　gave　Blaine　a　chance　to　respond；　and　when　the　puter　voice　didn't　do　so；　he　went　on。　〃When　it　es　to　suicide；　I'm；　like；　pro…choice。　But　why　do　you　want　to　take　us　with　you？　I　mean；　what's　the　point？〃
　　〃Because　he　wants　to；〃　Little　Blaine　said　in　his　horrified　whisper。
　　〃BECAUSE　I　WANT　TO；〃　Blaine　said。　〃THAT'S　THE　ONLY　REASON　I　HAVE　AND　THE　ONLY　ONE　I　NEED　TO　HAVE。　NOW　LET'S　GET　DOWN　TO　BUSINESS。　I　WANT　SOME　RIDDLES　AND　I　WANT　THEM　IMMEDIATELY。　IF　YOU　REFUSE；　I　WON'T　WAIT　UNTIL　WE　GET　TO　TOPEKA…I'LL　DO　US　ALL　RIGHT　HERE　AND　NOW。〃
　　Eddie；　Susannah；　and　Jake　looked　around　at　Roland；　who　still　sat　in　his　chair　with　his　hands　folded　in　his　lap；　looking　at　the　route…map　at　the　front　of　the　coach。
　　〃Fuck　you；〃　Roland　said。　He　did　not　raise　his　voice。　He　might　have　told　Blaine　that　a　little　Way…Gog　would　indeed　be　very　nice。
　　There　was　a　shocked；　horrified　gasp　from　the　overhead　speakers…Little　Blaine。
　　〃WHAT　DO　YOU　SAY？〃　In　its　clear　disbelief；　the　voice　of　Big　Blaine　had　once　again　bee　very　close　to　the　voice　of　his　unsuspected　twin。
　　〃I　said　fuck　you；〃　Roland　said　calmly；　〃but　if　that　puzzles　you；　Blaine；　I　can　make　it　clearer。　No。　The　answer　is　no。〃
　　
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　　THERE　WAS　NO　RESPONSE　from　either　Blaine　for　a　long；　long　time；　and　when　Big　Blaine　did　reply；　it　was　not　with　words。　Instead；　the　walls；　floor；　and　ceiling　began　to　lose　their　color　and　solidity　again。　In　a　space　of　ten　seconds　the　Barony　Coach　had　once　more　ceased　to　exist。　The　mono　was　now　flying　through　the　mountain…range　they　had　seen　on　the　horizon：　iron…gray　peaks　rushed　toward　them　at　suicidal　speed；　then　fell　away　to　disclose　sterile　valleys　where　gigantic　beetles　crawled　about　like　landlocked　turtles。　Roland　saw　something　that　looked　like　a　huge　snake　suddenly　uncoil　from　the　mouth　of　a　cave。　It　seized　one　of　the　beetles　and　yanked　it　back　into　its　lair。　Roland　had　never　in　his　life　seen　such　animals　or　countryside；　and　it　made　his　skin　want　to　crawl　right　off　his　flesh。　It　was　inimical；　but　that　was　not　the　problem。　It　was　alien…that　was　the　problem。　Blaine　might　have　transported　them　to　some　other　world。
　　〃PERHAPS　I　SHOULD　DERAIL　US　HERE；〃　Blaine　said。　His　voice　was　meditative；　but　beneath　it　the　gunslinger　heard　a　deep；　pulsing　rage。
　　〃Perhaps　you　should；〃　the　gunslinger　said　indifferently。
　　He　did　not　feel　indifferent；　and　he　knew　it　was　possible　the　puter　might　read　his　real　feelings　in　his　voice…Blaine　had　told　them　he　had　such　equipment；　although　he　was　sure　the　puter　could　lie；　Roland　had　no　reason　to　doubt　it　in　this　case。　If　Blaine　did　read　certain　stress…patterns　in　the　gunslinger's　voice；　the　game　was　probably　up。　He　was　an　incredibly　sophisticated　machine　。　。　。　but　still　a　machine；　for　all　that。　He　might　not　be　able　to　understand　that　human　beings　are　often　able　to　go　through　with　a　course　of　action　even　when　all　their　emotions　rise　up　and　proclaim　against　it。　If　he　analyzed　patterns　in　the　gunslinger's　voice　which　indicated　fear；　he　would　probably　assume　that　Roland　was　bluffing。　Such　a　mistake　could　get　them　all　killed。
　　〃YOU　ARE　RUDE　AND　ARROGANT；〃　Blaine　said。　〃THESE　MAY　SEEM　LIKE　INTERESTING　TRAITS　TO　YOU；　BUT　THEY　ARE　NOT　TO　ME。〃
　　Eddie's　face　was　frantic。　He　mouthed　the　words　What　are　you　DOING？　Roland　ignored　him；　he　had　his　hands　full　with　Blaine；　and　he　knew　perfectly　well　what　he　was　doing。
　　〃Oh；　I　can　be　much　ruder　than　I　have　been。〃
　　Roland　of　Gilead　unfolded　his　hands　and　got　slowly　to　his　feet。　He　stood　on　what　appeared　to　be　nothing；　legs　apart；　his　right　hand　on　his　hip　and　his　left　on　the　sandalwood　grip　of　his　revolver。　He　stood　as　he　had　stood　so　many　times　before；　in　the　dusty　streets　of　a　hundred　forgot…ten　towns；　in　a　score　of　rock…lined　canyon　killing…zones；　in　unnumbered　dark　saloons　with　their　smells　of　bitter　beer　and　old　fried　meals。　It　was　just　another　showdown　in　another　empty　street。　That　was　all；　and　that　was　enough。　It　was　khef；　ka；　and　ka…tet。　That　the　showdown　always　came　was　the　central　fact　of　his　life　and　the　axle　upon　which　his　own　ka　revolved。　That　the　battle　would　be　fought　with　words　instead　of　bullets　this　time　made　no　difference；　it　would　be　a　battle　to　the　death；　just　the　same。　The　stench　of　killing　in　the　air　was　as　clear　and　definite　as　the　stench　of　exploded　carrion　in　a　swamp。　Then　the　battle…rage　descended；　as　it　always　did　。　。　。　and　he　was　no　longer　really　there　to　himself　at　all。
　　〃I　can　call　you　a　nonsensical；　empty…headed；　foolish；　arrogant　machine。　I　can　call　you　a　stupid；　unwise　creature　whose　sense　is　no　more　than　the　sound　of　a　winter　wind　in　a　hollow　tree。〃
　　〃STOP　IT。〃
　　Roland　went　on　in　the　same　serene　tone；　ignoring　Blaine　pletely。　〃Unfortunately；　I　am　somewhat　restricted　in　my　ability　to　be　rude；　since　you　are　only　a　machine　。　。。　what　Eddie　calls　a　'gadget。'〃
　　〃I　AM　A　GREAT　DEAL　MORE　THAN　JUST…〃
　　〃I　cannot　call　you　a　sucker　of　cocks；　for　instance；　because　you　have　no　mouth　and　no　cock。　I　cannot　say　you　are　viler　than　the　vilest　beggar　who　ever　crawled　the　gutters　of　the　lowest　street　in　creation；　because　even　such　a　creature　is　better　than　you；　you　have　no　knees　on　which　to　crawl；　and　would　not　fall　upon　them　even　if　you　did；　for　you　have　no　conception　of　such　a　human　flaw　as　mercy。　I　cannot　even　say　you　fucked　your　mother；　because　you　had　none。〃
　　Roland　paused　for　breath。　His　three　panions　were　holding　theirs。　All　around　them；　suffocating；　was　Blaine　the　Mono's　thunderstruck　silence。
　　〃I　can　call　you　a　faithless　creature　who　let　your　only　panion　kill　herself；　a　coward　who　has　delighted　in　the　torture　of　the　foolish　and　the　slaughter　of　the　innocent；　a　lost　and　bleating　mechanical　goblin　who…〃
　　〃I　MAND　YOU　TO　STOP　IT　OR　I'LL　KILL　YOU　ALL　RIGHT　HERE！〃
　　Roland's　eyes　blazed　with　such　wild　blue　fire　that　Eddie　shrank　away　from　him。　Dimly；　he　heard　Jake　and　Susannah　gasp。
　　〃Kill　if　you　will；　but　mand　me　nothing！〃　the　gunslinger　roared。　〃You　have　forgotten　the　faces　of　those　who　made　you！　Now　either　kill　us　or　be　silent　and　listen　to　me；　Roland　of　Gilead；　son　of　Steven；　gunslinger；　and　lord　of　the　ancient　lands！　I　have　not　e　across　all　the　miles　and　all　the　years　to　listen　to　your　childish　prating！　Do　you　understand？　Now　you　will　listen　to　ME！〃
　　There　was　a　moment　of　shocked　silence。　No　one　breathed。　Roland　stared　sternly　forward；　his　head　high；　his　hand　on　the　butt　of　his　gun。
　　Susannah　Dean　raised　her　hand　to　her　mouth　and　felt　the　small　smile　there　as　a　w