sk.thegunslinger-第23章

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！


〃It's　all　so　old；〃　Jake　said　glumly　when　they　paused　for　a　rest。　〃Isn't　there　anything　young？〃
The　gunslinger　smiled　and　gave　Jake　an　elbow。　〃You　are；〃　he　said。
〃Will　it　be　a　hard　climb？〃
The　gunslinger　looked　at　him；　curious。　〃The　mountains　are　high。　Don't　you　think　it　will　be　a　hard　climb？〃
Jake　looked　back　at　him；　his　eyes　clouded；　puzzled。　〃No。〃
They　went　on。
The　sun　climbed　to　its　zenith；　seemed　to　hang　there　more　briefly　than　it　ever　had　during　the　desert　crossing；　and　then　passed　on；　giving　them　back　their　shadows。　Shelves　of　rock　protruded　from　the　rising　land　like　the　arms　of　giant　easychairs　buried　in　the　earth。　The　scrub　grass　turned　yellow　and　sere。　Finally　they　were　faced　with　a　deep；　chimneylike　crevasse　in　their　path　and　they　scaled　a　short；　peeling　rise　of　rock　to　get　around　and　above　it。　The　ancient　granite　had　faulted　on　lines　that　were　steplike；　and　as　they　had　both　intuited；　the　climb　was　an　easy　one。　They　paused　on　the　four…foot…wide　scarp　at　the　top　and　looked　back　over　the　falling　land　to　the　desert；　which　curled　around　the　upland　like　a　huge　yellow　paw。　Further　off　it　gleamed　at　them　in　a　white　shield　that　dazzled　the　eye；　receding　into　dim　waves　of　rising　heat。　The　gunslinger　felt　faintly　amazed　at　the　realization　that　this　desert　had　nearly　murdered　him。
From　where　they　stood；　in　a　new　coolness；　the　desert　certainly　appeared　momentous；　but　not　deadly。
They　turned　back　to　the　business　of　the　climb；　scrambling　over　jackstraw　falls　of　rock　and　crouch…walking　up　inclined　planes　of　stone　shot　with　glitters　of　quartz　and　mica。　The　rock　was　pleasantly　warm　to　the　touch；　but　the　air　was　definitely　cooler。　In　the　late　afternoon　the　gunslinger　heard　the　faint　sound　of　thunder。　The　rising　line　of　the　mountains　obscured　the　sight　of　the　rain　on　the　other　side；　however。
When　the　shadows　began　to　turn　purple；　they　camped　in　the　overhang　of　a　jutting　brow　of　rock。　The　gunslinger　anchored　their　blanket　above　and　below；　fashioning　a　kind　of　shanty　lean…to。　They　sat　at　the　mouth　of　it；　watching　the　sky　spread　a　cloak　over　the　world。　Jake　dangled　his　feet　over　the　drop。　The　gunslinger　rolled　his　evening　smoke　and　eyed　Jake　half　humorously。　〃Don't　roll　over　in　your　sleep；〃　he　said；　〃or　you　may　wake　up　in　hell。〃
〃I　won't；〃　Jake　replied　seriously。　〃My　mother　says　He　broke　it　off。
〃She　says　what？〃
〃That　I　sleep　like　a　dead　man；〃　Jake　finished。　He　looked　at　the　gunslinger；　who　saw　that　the　boy's　mouth　was　trembling　as　he　strove　to　keep　back　tears　　only　a　boy；　he　thought；　and　pain　smote　him；　like　the　ice　pick　that　too　much　cold　water　can　sometimes　plant　in　the　forehead。　Only　a　boy。　Why？　Silly　question。　When　a　boy；　wounded　in　body　or　spirit；　called　that　question　out　to　Cort；　that　ancient；　scarred　baffle…engine　whose　job　it　was　to　teach　the　sons　of　gunslingers　the　beginning　of　what　they　had　to　know；　Cort　would　answer：
Why　is　a　crooked　letter　and　can't　be　made　straight。。。　never　mind　why；　just　get　up；　pus…head！　Gel　up！　The　day's　young！
〃Why　am　I　here？〃　Jake　asked。　〃Why　did　I　forget　everything　from　before？〃
〃Because　the　man　in　black　has　drawn　you　here；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃And　because　of　the　Tower。　The　Tower　stands　at　a　kind　of。。。　power…nexus。　In　time。　〃
〃I　don't　understand　that！〃
〃Nor　do　I；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃But　something　has　been　happening。　Just　in　my　own　time。　'The　world　has　moved　on；'　we　say。。。　we've　always　said。　But　it's　moving　on　faster　now。　Something　has　happened　to　time。〃
They　sat　in　silence。　A　breeze；　faint　but　with　an　edge；　picked　at　their　legs。　Somewhere　it　made　a　hollow　whooooo　in　a　rock　fissure。
〃Where　do　you　e　from？〃　Jake　asked。
〃From　a　place　that　no　longer　exists。　Do　you　know　the　Bible？〃
〃Jesus　and　Moses。　Sure。〃
The　gunslinger　smiled。　〃That's　right。　My　land　had　a　Biblical　name　　New　Canaan；　it　was　called。　The　land　of　milk　and　honey。　In　the　Bible's　Canaan；　there　were　supposed　to　be　grapes　so　big　that　men　had　to　carry　them　on　sledges。　We　didn't　grow　them　that　big；　but　it　was　a　sweet　land。〃
〃I　know　about　Ulysses；〃　Jake　said　hesitantly。　〃Was　he　in　the　Bible？〃
〃Maybe；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃The　Book　is　lost　now　　all　except　the　parts　I　was　forced　to　memorize。
〃But　the　others　　〃
〃No　others；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃I'm　the　last。〃
A　tiny　wasted　moon　began　to　rise；　casting　its　slitted　gaze　down　into　the　tumble　of　rocks　where　they　sat。
〃Was　it　pretty？　Your　country。。；　your　land？〃
〃It　was　beautiful；〃　the　gunslinger　said　absently。　〃There　were　fields　and　rivers　and　mists　in　the　morning。　But　that's　only　pretty。　My　mother　used　to　say　that。。；　and　that　the　only　real　beauty　is　order　and　love　and　light。〃
Jake　made　a　nonmittal　noise。
The　gunslinger　smoked　and　thought　of　how　it　had　been
　the　nights　in　the　huge　central　hall；　hundreds　of　richly　clad　figures　moving　through　the　slow；　steady　waltz　steps　or　the　faster；　light　ripples　of　the　pol…kam；　Aileen　on　his　arm；　her　eyes　brighter　than　the　most　precious　gems；　the　light　of　the　crystal…enclosed　electric　lights　making　highlights　in　the　newly　done　hair　of　the　courtesans　and　their　half…cynical　amours。　The　hall　had　been　huge；　an　island　of　light　whose　age　was　beyond　telling；　as　was　the　whole　Central　Place；　which　was　made　up　of　nearly　a　hundred　stone　castles。　It　had　been　twelve　years　since　he　had　seen　it；　and　leaving　for　the　last　time；　Roland　had　ached　as　he　turned　his　face　away　from　it　and　began　his　first　cast　for　the　trail　of　the　man　in　black。　Even　then；　twelve　years　ago；　the　walls　had　fallen；　weeds　grew　in　the　courtyards；　bats　roosted　amongst　the　great　beams　of　the　central　hall；　and　the　galleries　echoed　with　the　soft　swoop　and　whisper　of　swallows。　The　fields　where　Cort　had　taught　them　archery　and　gunnery　and　falconry　were　gone　to　hay　and　timo
〃Was　there　a　war？〃　Jake　asked。
〃Even　better；〃　the　gunslinger　said　and　pitched　the　last　smoldering　ember　of　his　cigarette　away。　〃There　was　a　revolution。　We　won　every　battle；　and　lost　the　war。　No　one　won　the　war；　unless　maybe　it　was　the　scavengers。　There　must　have　been　rich　pickings　for　years　after。〃
〃I　wish　I'd　lived　there；〃　Jake　said　wistfully。
〃It　was　another　world；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃Time　to　turn　in。〃
The　boy；　now　only　a　dim　shadow；　turned　on　his　side　and　curled　up　with　the　blanket　tossed　loosely　over　him。　The　gunslinger　sat　sentinel　over　him　for　perhaps　an　hour　after；　thinking　his　long；　sober　thoughts。　Such　meditation　was　a　new　thing　for　him；　novel；　sweet　in　a　melancholy　sort　of　way；　but　still　utterly　without　practical　value：　there　was　no　solution　to　the　problem　of　Jake　other　than　the　one　the　Oracle　had　offered　　and　that　was　simply　not　possible。　There　might　have　been　tragedy　in　the　situation；　but　the　gunslinger　did　not　see　that；　he　saw　only　the　predestination　that　had　always　been　there。　And　finally；　his　more　natural　character　reasserted　itself　and　he　slept　deeply；　with　no　dreams。
The　climb　became　grimmer　on　the　following　day　as　they　continued　to　angle　toward　the　narrow　V　of　the　pass　through　the　mountains。　The　gunslinger　pushed　slowly；　still　with　no　sense　of　hurry。　The　dead　stone　beneath　their　feet　left　no　trace　of　the　man　in　black；　but　the　gunslinger　knew　he　had　been　this　way　before　them　　and　not　only　from　the　path　of　his　climb　as　he　and　Jake　had　observed　him；　tiny　and　bug…like；　from　the　foothills。　His　aroma　was　printed　on　every　cold　downdraft　of　air。　It　was　an　oily；　sardonic　odor；　as　bitter。　to　his　nose　as　the　aroma　of　devil…grass。
Jake's　hair　had　grown　much　longer；　and　it　curled　slightly　at　the　base　of　his　sunburned　neck。　He　climbed　tough；　moving　with　sure…footedness　and　no　apparent　acrophobia　as　they　crossed　gaps　or　scaled　their　way　up　ledged　facings。　Twice　already　he　had　gone　up　in　places　the　gunslinger　could　not　have　managed。　Jake　had　anchored　one　of　the　ropes　so　that　the　gunslinger　could　climb　up　hand　over　hand。
The　following　morning　they　climbed　through　a　coldly　damp　snatch　of　cloud　that　began　blotting　out　the　tumbled　slopes　below　them。　Patches　of　hard；　granulated　snow　began　to　appear　nestled　in　some　of　the　deeper　pockets　of　stone。　It　glittered　like　quartz　and　its　texture　was　as　dry　as　sand。　That　afternoon　they　found　a　single　footprint　in　one　of　these　snow…patches。　Jake　stared　at　it　for　a　moment　with　awful　fascination；　then　looked　up　frightfully；　as　if　expecting　to　see　the　man　in　black　materialize　into　his