sk.thewastelands-第65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！


trouble　I　was　in？〃
　　〃I　saw。　I　heard　nothing；　but　I　saw…just　a　little；　as　if　through　a　dirty　window。〃　His　eyes　surveyed　them。　〃This　closeness　and　sharing　of　minds　is　called　khef；　a　word　that　means　many　other　things　in　the　original　tongue　of　the　Old　World…water；　birth；　and　life…force　are　only　three　of　them。　Be　aware　of　it。　For　now；　that's　all　I　want。〃
　　〃Can　you　be　aware　of　something　you　don't　believe　in？〃　Eddie　asked。
　　Roland　smiled。　〃Just　keep　an　open　mind。〃
　　〃That　I　can　do。〃
　　〃Roland？〃　It　was　Jake。　〃Do　you　think　Oy　might　be　part　of　our　ka…tet？〃
　　Susannah　smiled。　Roland　didn't。　〃I'm　not　prepared　to　even　guess　right　now；　but　I'll　tell　you　this；　Jake…I've　been　thinking　about　your　furry　friend　a　good　deal。　Ka　does　not　rule　all；　and　coincidences　still　happen　。　。　。　but　the　sudden　appearance　of　a　billy…bumbler　that　still　remembers　people　doesn't　seem　pletely　coincidental　to　me。〃
　　He　glanced　around　at　them。
　　〃I'll　begin。　Eddie　will　speak　next；　taking　up　from　the　place　where　I　leave　off。　Then　Susannah。　Jake；　you'll　speak　last。　All　right？〃
　　They　nodded。
　　〃Fine；〃　Roland　said。　〃We　are　ka…tet…one　from　many。　Let　the　pala…ver　begin。〃
　　
　　　20
　　THE　TALK　WENT　ON　until　sundown；　stopping　only　long　enough　for　them　to　eat　a　cold　meal；　and　by　the　time　it　was　over；　Eddie　felt　as　if　he　had　gone　twelve　hard　rounds　with　Sugar　Ray　Leonard。　He　no　longer　doubted　that　they　had　been　〃sharing　khef；〃　as　Roland　put　it；　he　and　Jake　actually　seemed　to　have　been　living　each　other's　life　in　their　dreams；　as　if　they　were　two　halves　of　the　same　whole。
　　Roland　began　with　what　had　happened　under　the　mountains；　where　Jake's　first　life　in　this　world　had　ended。　He　told　of　his　own　palaver　with　the　man　in　black；　and　Walter's　veiled　words　about　a　Beast　and　someone　he　called　the　Ageless　Stranger。　He　told　of　the　strange；　daunting　dream　which　had　e　to　him；　a　dream　in　which　the　whole　universe　had　been　swallowed　in　a　beam　of　fantastic　white　light。　And　how；　at　the　end　of　that　dream；　there　had　been　a　single　blade　of　purple　grass。
　　Eddie　glanced　sideways　at　Jake　and　was　stunned　by　the　knowledge…the　recognition…in　the　boy's　eyes。
　　
　　　21
　　ROLAND　HAD　BABBLED　PARTS　of　this　story　to　Eddie　in　his　time　of　delir…ium；　but　it　was　entirely　new　to　Susannah；　and　she　listened　with　wide　eyes。　As　Roland　repeated　the　things　Walter　had　told　him；　she　caught　glints　of　her　own　world；　like　reflections　in　a　smashed　mirror：　automobiles；　cancer；　rockets　to　the　moon；　artificial　insemination。　She　had　no　idea　who　the　Beast　might　be；　but　she　recognized　the　name　of　the　Ageless　Stranger　as　a　variation　upon　the　name　of　Merlin；　the　magician　who　had　supposedly　orchestrated　the　career　of　King　Arthur。　Curiouser　and　curiouser。
　　Roland　told　of　how　he　had　awakened　to　find　Walter　long　years　dead…time　had　somehow　slipped　forward；　perhaps　a　hundred　years；　per…haps　five　hundred。　Jake　listened　in　fascinated　silence　as　the　gunslinger　told　of　reaching　the　edge　of　the　Western　Sea；　of　how　he　had　lost　two　of　the　fingers　on　his　right　hand；　and　how　he　had　drawn　Eddie　and　Susannah　before　encountering　Jack　Mort；　the　dark　third。
　　The　gunslinger　motioned　to　Eddie；　who　took　up　the　tale　with　the　ing　of　the　great　bear。
　　〃Shardik？〃　Jake　interjected。　〃But　that's　the　name　of　a　book！　A　book　in　our　world！　It　was　written　by　the　man　who　wrote　that　famous　book　about　the　rabbits…〃
　　〃Richard　Adams！〃　Eddie　shouted。　〃And　the　book　about　the　bunnies　was　Watership　Down！　I　knew　I　knew　that　name！　But　how　can　that　be；　Roland？　How　is　it　that　the　people　in　your　world　know　about　things　in　ours？〃
　　〃There　are　doors；　aren't　there？〃　Roland　responded。　〃Haven't　we　seen　four　of　them　already？　Do　you　think　they　never　existed　before；　or　never　will　again？〃
　　〃But…〃
　　〃All　of　us　have　seen　the　leavings　of　your　world　in　mine；　and　when　I　was　in　your　city　of　New　York；　I　saw　the　marks　of　my　world　in　yours。　I　saw　gunslingers。　Most　were　lax　and　slow；　but　they　were　gunslingers　all　the　same；　clearly　members　of　their　own　ancient　ka…tet。〃
　　〃Roland；　they　were　just　cops。　You　ran　rings　around　them。〃
　　〃Not　the　last　one。　When　Jack　Mort　and　I　were　in　the　underground　railway　station；　that　one　almost　took　me　down。　Except　for　blind　luck…Mort's　flint…and…steel…he　would　have　done。　That　one　。。。　I　saw　his　eyes。　He　knew　the　face　of　his　father。　I　believe　he　knew　it　very　well。　And　then　。。。　do　you　remember　the　name　of　Balazar's　nightclub？〃
　　〃Sure；〃　Eddie　said　uneasily。　〃The　Leaning　Tower。　But　it　could　have　been　coincidence；　you　yourself　said　ka　doesn't　rule　everything。〃
　　Roland　nodded。　〃You　really　are　like　Cuthbert…I　remember　some…thing　he　said　when　we　were　boys。　We　were　planning　a　midnight　lark　in　the　cemetery；　but　Alain　wouldn't　go。　He　said　he　was　afraid　of　offending　the　shades　of　his　fathers　and　mothers。　Cuthbert　laughed　at　him。　He　said　he　wouldn't　believe　in　ghosts　until　he　caught　one　in　his　teeth。〃
　　〃Good　for　him！〃　Eddie　exclaimed。　〃Bravo！〃
　　Roland　smiled。　〃I　thought　you'd　like　that。　At　any　rate；　let's　leave　this　ghost　for　now。　Go　on　with　your　story。〃
　　Eddie　told　of　the　vision　which　had　e　to　him　when　Roland　threw　the　jawbone　into　the　fire…the　vision　of　the　key　and　the　rose。　He　told　of　his　dream；　and　how　he　had　walked　through　the　door　of　Tom　and　Gerry's　Artistic　Deli　and　into　the　field　of　roses　which　was　dominated　by　the　tall；　soot…colored　Tower。　He　told　of　the　blackness　which　had　issued　from　its　windows；　forming　a　shape　in　the　sky　overhead；　speaking　directly　to　Jake　now；　because　Jake　was　listening　with　hungry　concentration　and　growing　wonder。　He　tried　to　convey　some　sense　of　the　exaltation　and　terror　which　had　permeated　the　dream；　and　saw　from　their　eyes…Jake's　most　of　all…that　he　was　either　doing　a　better　job　of　that　than　he　could　have　hoped　for　。。。　or　that　they'd　had　dreams　of　their　own。
　　He　told　of　following　Shardik's　backtrail　to　the　Portal　of　the　Bear；　and　how；　when　he　put　his　head　against　it；　he'd　found　himself　remember…ing　the　day　he　had　talked　his　brother　into　taking　him　to　Dutch　Hill；　so　he　could　see　The　Mansion。　He　told　about　die　cup　and　the　needle；　and　how　the　pointing　needle　had　bee　unnecessary　once　they　realized　they　could　see　the　Beam　at　work　in　everything　it　touched；　even　the　birds　in　the　sky。
　　Susannah　took　up　the　tale　at　this　point。　As　she　spoke；　telling　of　how　Eddie　had　begun　to　carve　his　own　version　of　the　key；　Jake　lay　back；　laced　his　hands　together　behind　his　head；　and　watched　the　clouds　run　slowly　toward　the　city　on　their　straight　southeasterly　course。　The　orderly　shape　they　made　showed　the　presence　of　the　Beam　as　clearly　as　smoke　leaving　a　chimney　shows　die　direction　of　the　wind。
　　She　finished　with　the　story　of　how　they　had　finally　hauled　Jake　into　this　world；　closing　the　split　track　of　his　and　Roland's　memories　as　sud…denly　and　as　pletely　as　Eddie　had　closed　the　door　in　the　speaking　ring。　The　only　fact　she　left　out　was　really　not　a　fact　at　all…at　least；　not　yet。　She'd　had　no　morning　sickness；　after　all；　and　a　single　missed　period　meant　nothing　by　itself。　As　Roland　himself　might　have　said；　that　was　a　tale　best　left　for　another　day。
　　Yet　as　she　finished；　she　found　herself　wishing　she　could　forget　what　Aunt　Talitha　had　said　when　Jake　told　her　this　was　his　home　now：　Gods　pity　you；　then；　for　the　sun　is　going　down　on　this　world。　It's　going　down　forever。
　　〃And　now　it's　your　turn；　Jake；〃　Roland　said。
　　Jake　sat　up　and　looked　toward　Lud；　where　the　windows　of　the　west…em　towers　reflected　back　the　late　afternoon　light　in　golden　sheets。　〃It's　all　crazy；〃　he　murmured；　〃but　it　almost　makes　sense。　Like　a　dream　when　you　wake　up。〃
　　〃Maybe　we　can　help　you　make　sense　of　it；〃　Susannah　said。
　　〃Maybe　you　can。　At　least　you　can　help　me　think　about　the　train。　I'm　tired　of　trying　to　make　sense　of　Blaine　by　myself。〃　He　sighed。　〃You　know　what　Roland　went　through；　living　two　lives　at　the　same　time；　so　I　can　skip　that　part。　I'm　not　sure　I　could　ever　explain　how　it　felt；　anyway；　and　I　don't　want　to。　It　was　gross。　I　guess　I　better　start　with　my　Final　Essay；　because　that's　when　I　finally　stopped　thinking　that　the　whole　thing　might　just　go　away。〃　He　looked　around　at　them　somberly。　〃That　was　when　I　gave　up。〃

　　
　　　22
　　JAKE　TALKED　THE　SUN　down。
　　He　told　them　everything　he　could　remember；　beginning　with　My　Understanding　of　Truth　and　ending　with　the　monstrous　doorkeeper　which　had　literally　e　out　of　the　woodwork　to　attack　him。　The　other　three　listened　without　a　single　interruption。
　　When　he　was　finished；　Roland　turned　to　Eddie；　his　eyes　bright　with　a　mixture　of　emotions　Eddie　initially　took　for　wonder。　Then　he　realized　he　was　looking　at　powerful　excitement　。　。　。　and　deep　fear。　His　mouth　went　dry。　Because　if　Roland　was　afraid…
　　〃Do　you　still　doubt　that　our　worlds　overlap　each　other；　Eddie？〃
　　He　shook　his　head。　〃Of　course　not。　I　walked　down　the　same　street；　and　I　did　it　in　his　clothes！　But　。　。　。　Jake；　can　I　see　that　book？　Charlie　the　Choo…Choo？〃
　　Jake　reached　for　his　pack；　but　Roland　stayed　his　hand。　〃Not　yet；〃　he　said。　〃Go　back　to　the　vacant　lot；　Jake。　Tell　that　part　once　more。　Try　to　remember　everything。〃
　　〃Maybe　you　should　hypnotize　me；〃　Jake　said　hesitantly。　〃Like　you　did　before；　at　the　way　station。〃
　　Roland　shook　his　head。　〃There's