sk.thewastelands-第76节

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n　the　first　place　was　to　pay　for　safe　conduct　through　the　city。　Damn！　Damn　the　luck！〃　Roland　struck　his　fist　against　his　leg。
　　〃Well；　let's　go　get　him！〃
　　Roland　shook　his　head。　〃This　is　where　we　split　up。　We　can't　take　Susannah　where　the　bastard's　gone；　and　we　can't　leave　her　alone。〃
　　〃But…〃
　　〃Listen　and　don't　argue…not　if　you　want　to　save　Jake。　The　longer　we　stand　here；　the　colder　his　trail　gets。　Cold　trails　are　hard　to　follow。　You've　got　your　own　job　to　do。　If　there's　another　Blaine；　and　I　am　sure　Jake　believes　there　is；　then　you　and　Susannah　must　find　it。　There　must　be　a　station；　or　what　was　once　called　a　cradle　in　the　far　lands。　Do　you　understand？〃
　　For　once；　blessedly；　Eddie　didn't　argue。　〃Yeah。　We'll　find　it。　What　then？〃
　　〃Fire　a　shot　every　half　hour　or　so。　When　I　get　Jake；　I'll　e。〃
　　〃Shots　may　attract　other　people　as　well；〃　Susannah　said。　Eddie　had　helped　her　out　of　the　sling　and　she　was　seated　in　her　chair　again。
　　Roland　surveyed　them　coldly。　〃Handle　them。〃
　　〃Okay。〃　Eddie　stuck　out　his　hand　and　Roland　took　it　briefly。　〃Find　him；　Roland。〃
　　〃Oh；　I'll　find　him。　Just　pray　to　your　gods　that　I　find　him　soon　enough。　And　remember　the　faces　of　your　fathers；　both　of　you。〃
　　Susannah　nodded。　〃We'll　try。〃
　　Roland　turned　and　ran　light…footed　down　the　ramp。　When　he　was　out　of　sight；　Eddie　looked　at　Susannah　and　was　not　very　surprised　to　see　she　was　crying。　He　felt　like　crying　himself。　Half　an　hour　ago　they　had　been　a　tight　little　band　of　friends。　Their　fortable　fellowship　had　been　smashed　to　bits　in　the　space　of　just　a　few　minutes…Jake　abducted；　Roland　gone　after　him。　Even　Oy　had　run　away。　Eddie　had　never　felt　so　lonely　in　his　life。
　　〃I　have　a　feeling　we're　never　going　to　see　either　of　them　again；〃　Susannah　said。
　　〃Of　course　we　will！〃　Eddie　said　roughly；　but　he　knew　what　she　meant；　because　he　felt　the　same　way。　The　premonition　that　their　quest　was　all　over　before　it　was　fairly　begun　lay　heavy　on　his　heart。　〃In　a　fight　with　Attila　the　Hun；　I'd　give　you　three…to…two　odds　on　Roland　the　Barbar…ian。　e　on；　Suze…we've　got　a　train　to　catch。〃
　　〃But　where？〃　she　asked　forlornly。
　　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe　we　should　just　find　the　nearest　wise　old　elf　and　ask　him；　huh？〃
　　〃What　are　you　talking　about；　Edward　Dean？〃
　　〃Nothing；〃　he　said；　and　because　that　was　so　goddam　true　he　thought　he　might　burst　into　tears；　he　grasped　the　handles　of　her　wheelchair　and　began　to　push　it　down　the　cracked　and　glass…littered　ramp　that　led　into　the　city　of　Lud。
　　
　　　16
　　JAKE　QUICKLY　DESCENDED　INTO　a　foggy　world　where　the　only　landmarks　were　pain：　his　throbbing　hand；　the　place　on　his　upper　arm　where　Gasher's　fingers　dug　in　like　steel　pegs；　his　burning　lungs。　Before　they　had　gone　far；　these　pains　were　first　joined　and　then　overmatched　by　a　deep；　burning　stitch　in　his　left　side。　He　wondered　if　Roland　was　following　after　them　yet。　He　also　wondered　how　long　Oy　would　be　able　to　live　in　this　world　which　was　so　unlike　the　plains　and　forest　which　were　all　he　had　known　until　now。　Then　Gasher　clouted　him　across　the　face；　bloodying　his　nose；　and　thought　was　lost　in　a　red　wash　of　pain。
　　〃e　on；　yer　little　bastard！　Move　yer　sweet　cheeks！〃
　　〃Running　。。。　as　fast　as　I　can；〃　Jake　gasped；　and　just　managed　to　dodge　a　thick　shard　of　glass　which　jutted　like　a　long　transparent　tooth　from　the　wall　of　junk　to　his　left。
　　〃You　better　not　be；　because　I'll　knock　yer　cold　and　drag　yer　along　by　the　hair　o'　yer　head　if　y'are！　Now　hup；　you　little　barstard！〃
　　Jake　somehow　forced　himself　to　run　faster。　He'd　gone　into　the　alley　with　the　idea　that　they　must　shortly　re…emerge　onto　the　avenue；　but　he　now　reluctantly　realized　that　wasn't　going　to　happen。　This　was　more　than　an　alley；　it　was　a　camouflaged　and　fortified　road　leading　ever　deeper　into　the　country　of　the　Grays。　The　tall；　tottery　walls　which　pressed　in　on　them　had　been　built　from　an　exotic　array　of　materials：　cars　which　had　been　partially　or　pletely　flattened　by　the　chunks　of　granite　and　steel　placed　on　top　of　them；　marble　pillars；　unknown　factory　machines　which　were　dull　red　with　rust　wherever　they　weren't　still　black　with　grease；　a　chrome…and…crystal　fish　as　big　as　a　private　plane　with　one　cryptic　word　of　the　High　Speech…DELIGHT…carefully　incised　into　its　scaly　gleaming　side；　crisscrossing　chains；　each　link　as　big　as　Jake's　head；　wrapped　around　mad　jumbles　of　furniture　that　appeared　to　balance　above　them　as　precariously　as　circus　elephants　do　on　their　tiny　steel　platforms。
　　They　came　to　a　place　where　this　lunatic　path　branched；　and　Gasher　chose　the　left　fork　without　hesitation。　A　little　further　along；　three　more　alleyways；　these　so　narrow　they　were　almost　tunnels；　spoked　off　in　various　directions。　This　time　Gasher　chose　the　right…hand　branching。　The　new　path；　which　seemed　to　be　formed　by　banks　of　rotting　boxes　and　huge　blocks　of　old　paper…paper　that　might　once　have　been　books　or　maga…zines…was　too　narrow　for　them　to　run　in　side　by　side。　Gasher　shoved　Jake　into　the　lead　and　began　beating　him　relentlessly　on　the　back　to　make　him　go　faster。　This　is　how　a　steer　must　feel　when　it's　driven　down　the　chute　to　the　slaughtering　pen；　Jake　thought；　and　vowed　that　if　he　got　out　of　this　alive；　he　would　never　eat　steak　again。
　　〃Run；　my　sweet　little　boycunt！　Run！〃
　　Jake　soon　lost　all　track　of　the　twistings　and　turnings　they　made；　and　as　Gasher　drove　him　deeper　and　deeper　into　this　jumble　of　torn　steel；　broken　furniture；　and　castoff　machinery；　he　began　to　give　up　hope　of　rescue。　Not　even　Roland　would　be　able　to　find　him　now。　If　the　gunslinger　tried；　he　would　bee　lost　himself；　and　wander　the　choked　paths　of　this　nightmare　world　until　he　died。
　　Now　they　were　going　downhill；　and　the　walls　of　tightly　packed　paper　had　given　way　to　ramparts　of　filing　cabinets；　jumbles　of　adding　machines；　and　piles　of　puter　gear。　It　was　like　running　through　some　nightmarish　Radio　Shack　warehouse。　For　almost　a　full　minute　the　wall　flowing　past　on　Jake's　left　appeared　to　be　constructed　solely　of　either　TV　sets　or　carelessly　stacked　video　display　terminals。　They　stared　at　him　like　the　glazed　eyes　of　dead　men。　And　as　the　pavement　beneath　their　feet　contin…ued　to　descend；　Jake　realized　that　they　were　in　a　tunnel。　The　strip　of　cloudy　sky　overhead　narrowed　to　a　band；　the　band　narrowed　to　a　ribbon；　and　the　ribbon　became　a　thread。　They　were　in　a　gloomy　netherworld；　scurrying　like　rats　through　a　gigantic　trash…midden。
　　What　if　it　all　es　down　on　us？　Jake　wondered；　but　in　his　current　state　of　aching　exhaustion；　this　possibility　did　not　frighten　him　much。　If　the　roof　fell　in；　he　would　at　least　be　able　to　rest。
　　Gasher　drove　him　as　a　farmer　would　a　mule；　striking　his　left　shoulder　to　indicate　a　left　turn　and　his　right　to　indicate　a　right　turn。　When　the　course　was　straight　on；　he　thumped　Jake　on　the　back　of　the　head。　Jake　tried　to　dodge　a　jutting　pipe　and　didn't　quite　succeed。　It　whacked　into　one　hip　and　sent　him　flailing　across　the　narrow　passage　toward　a　snarl　of　glass　and　jagged　boards。　Gasher　caught　him　and　shoved　him　forward　again。　〃Run；　you　clumsy　squint！　Can't　you　run？　If　it　wasn't　for　the　Tick…Tock　Man；　I'd　bugger　you　right　here　and　cut　yer　throat　while　I　did　it；　ay；　so　I　would！〃
　　Jake　ran　in　a　red　daze　where　there　was　only　pain　and　the　frequent　thud　of　Gusher's　fists　ing　down　on　his　shoulders　or　the　hack　of　his　head。　At　last；　when　he　was　sure　he　could　run　no　longer；　Gasher　grabbed　him　by　the　neck　and　yanked　him　to　a　stop　so　fiercely　that　Jake　crashed　into　him　with　a　strangled　squawk。
　　〃Here's　a　tricky　little　bit！〃　Gasher　panted　jovially。　〃Look　straight　ahead　and　you'll　see　two　wires　what　cross　in　an　X　low　to　the　ground。　Do　yer　see　em？〃
　　At　first　Jake　didn't。　It　was　very　gloomy　here；　heaps　of　huge　copper　kettles　were　piled　up　to　the　left；　and　to　the　right　were　stacks　of　steel　tanks　that　looked　like　scuba…diving　gear。　Jake　thought　he　could　turn　these　latter　into　an　avalanche　with　one　strong　breath。　He　swiped　his　forearm　across　his　eyes；　brushing　away　tangles　of　hair；　and　tried　not　to　think　about　how　he'd　look　with　about　sixteen　tons　of　those　tanks　piled　on　top　of　him。　He　squinted　in　the　direction　Gasher　was　pointing。　Yes；　he　could　make　out…barely…two　thin；　silvery　lines　that　looked　like　guitar　or　banjo　strings。　They　came　down　from　opposite　sides　of　the　passageway　and　crossed　about　two　feet　above　the　pavement。
　　〃Crawl　under；　dear　heart。　And　be　ever　so　careful；　for　if　you　so　much　as　twang　one　of　those　wires；　harf　the　steel　and　cement　puke　in　the　city'll　e　down　on　your　dear　little　head。　Mine；　too；　although　I　doubt　if　that'd　disturb　you　much；　would　it？　Now　crawl！〃
　　Jake　shrugged　out　of　his　pack；　lay　down；　and　pushed　it　through　the　gap　ahead　of　him。　And　as　he　eased　his　way　under　the　thin；　taut　wires；　he　discovered　that　he　wanted　to　live　a　little　longer　after　all。　It　seemed　that　he　could　actually　feel　all　those　tons　of　carefully　balanced　junk　waiting　to　e　down　on　him。　These　wires　are　probably　holding　a　couple　of　carefully　chosen　keystones　in　place；　he　thought。　If　one　of　them　breaks　。　。　。　ashes；　ashes；　we　all　fall　down。　His　back　brushed　one　of　the　wires；　and　high　overhead；　something　creaked。
　　〃Careful；　cully！〃　Gasher　almost　moaned。　〃Be　oh　so　careful！〃
　　Jake　pushed　himself　b