sk.thegunslinger-第24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！


ting　to　see　the　man　in　black　materialize　into　his　own　footprint。　The　gunslinger　tapped　him　on　the　shoulder　then　and　pointed　ahead。　〃Go。　The　day's　getting　old。〃
Later；　they　made　camp　in　the　last　of　the　daylight　on　a　wide；　flat　ledge　to　the　east　and　north　of　the　cut　that　slanted　into　the　heart　of　the　mountains。　The　air　was　frigid；　they　could　see　the　puffs　of　their　breath；　and　the　humid　sound　of　thunder　in　the　red…and…purple　afterglow　of　the　day　was　surreal；　slightly　lunatic。
The　gunslinger　thought　the　boy　might　begin　to　question　him；　but　there　were　no　questions　from　Jake。　The　boy　fell　almost　immediately　into　sleep。　The　gunslinger　followed　his　example。　He　dreamed　again　of　the　dark　place　in　the　earth；　the　dungeon；　and　again　of　Jake　as　an　alabaster　saint　with　a　nail　through　his　forehead。　He　awoke　with　a　gasp；　instinctively　reaching　for　the　jawbone　that　was　no　longer　there；　expecting　to　feel　the　grass　of　that　ancient　grove。　He　felt　rock　instead；　and　the　cold　thinness　of　altitude　in　his　lungs。　Jake　was　asleep　beside　him；　but　his　sleep　was　not　easy：　he　twisted　and　mumbled　inarticulate　words　to　himself；　chasing　his　own　phantoms。　The　gunslinger　laid　over　uneasily；　and　slept　again。
They　were　another　week　before　they　reached　the　end　of　the　beginning　　for　the　gunslinger；　a　twisted　prologue　of　twelve　years；　from　the　final　crash　of　his　native　place　and　the　gathering　of　the　other　three。　For　Jake；　the　gateway　had　been　a　strange　death　in　another　world。　For　the　gunslinger　it　had　been　a　stranger　death　yet　　the　endless　hunt　for　the　man　in　black　through　a　world　with　neither　map　nor　memory。　Cuthbert　and　the　others　were　gone；　all　of　them　gone：
Randolph；　Jamie　de　Curry；　Aileen；　Susan；　Marten　（yes；　they　had　dragged　him　down；　and　there　had　been　gunplay；　and　even　that　grape　had　been　bitter）。　Until　finally　only　three　remained　of　the　old　world；　three　like　dreadful　cards　from　a　terrible　deck　of　tarot　cards：　gunslinger；　man　in　black；　and　the　Dark　Tower。
A　week　after　Jake　saw　the　footstep；　they　faced　the　man　in　black　for　a　brief　moment　of　time。　In　that　moment；　the　gunslinger　felt　he　could　almost　understand　the　gravid　implication　of　the　Tower　itself；　for　that　moment　seemed　to　stretch　out　forever。
They　continued　southwest；　reaching　a　point　perhaps　halfway　through　the　Cyclopean　mountain　range；　and　just　as　the　going　seemed　about　to　bee　really　difficult　for　the　first　time　（above　them；　seeming　to　lean　out；　the　icy　ledges　and　screaming　buttes　made　the　gunslinger　feel　an　unpleasant　reverse　vertigo）；　they　began　to　descend　again　along　the　side　of　the　narrow　pass。　An　angular；　zigzagging　path　led　them　toward　a　canyon　floor　where　an　ice…edged　stream　boiled　with　slaty；　headlong　power　from　higher　country　still。
On　that　afternoon　the　boy　paused　and　looked　back　at　the　gunslinger；　who　had　paused　to　wash　his　face　in　the　stream。
〃I　smell　him；〃　Jake　said。
〃So　do　I。〃
Ahead　of　them　the　mountain　threw　up　its　final　defense
　a　huge　slab　of　insurmountable　granite　facing　that　climbed　into　cloudy　infinity。　At　any　moment　the　gunslinger　expected　a　twist　in　the　stream　to　bring　them　upon　a　high　waterfall　and　the　insurmountable　smoothness　of　rock　　dead　end。　But　the　air　here　had　that　odd　magnifying　quality　that　is　mon　to　high　places；　and　it　was　another　day　before　they　reached　that　great　granite　face。
The　gunslinger　began　to　feel　the　dreadful　tug　of　anticipation　again；　the　feeling　that　it　was　all　finally　in　his　grasp。　Near　the　end；　he　had　to　fight　himself　to　keep　from　breaking　into　a　trot。
〃Wait！〃　The　boy　had　stopped　suddenly。　They　faced　a　sharp　elbow…bend　in　the　stream；　it　boiled　and　frothed　with　high　energy　around　the　eroded　hang　of　a　giant　sandstone　boulder。　All　that　morning　they　had　been　in　the　shadow　of　the　mountains　as　the　canyon　narrowed。
Jake　was　trembling　violently　and　his　face　had　gone　pale。
〃What's　the　matter？〃
〃Let's　go　back；〃　Jake　whispered。　〃Let's　go　back　quick。〃
The　gunslinger's　face　was　wooden。
〃Please？〃　The　boy's　face　was　drawn；　and　his　jawline　shook　with　suppressed　agony。　Through　the　heavy　blanket　of　stone　they　still　heard　thunder；　as　steady　as　machines　in　the　earth。　The　slice　of　sky　they　could　see　had　itself　assumed　a　turbulent；　gothic　gray　above　them　as　warm　and　cold　currents　met　and　warred。
〃Please；　please！〃　The　boy　raised　a　fist；　as　if　to　strike　the　gunslinger's　chest。
〃No。〃
The　boy's　face　took　on　wonder。　〃You're　going　to　kill　me。　He　killed　me　the　first　time　and　you　are　going　to　kill　me　now。〃
The　gunslinger　felt　the　lie　on　his　lips。　He　spoke　it：
〃You'll　be　all　right〃　And　a　greater　lie。　〃I'll　take　care。　〃
Jake's　face　went　gray；　and　he　said　no　more。　He　put　an　unwilling　hand　out；　and　he　and　the　gunslinger　went　around　the　elbow…bend。　They　came　face　to　face　with　that　final　rising　wall　and　the　man　in　black。
He　stood　no　more　than　twenty　feet　above　them；　just　to　the　right　of　the　waterfall　that　crashed　and　spilled　from　a　huge　ragged　hole　in　the　rock。　Unseen　wind　rippled　and　tugged　at　his　hooded　robe。　He　held　a　staff　in　one　hand。　The　other　hand　he　held　out　to　them　in　a　mocking　gesture　of　wele。　He　seemed　a　prophet；　and　below　that　rushing　sky；　mounted　on　a　ledge　of　rock；　a　prophet　of　doom；　his　voice　the　voice　of　Jeremiah。
〃Gunslinger！　How　well　you　fulfill　the　prophecies　of　old！　Good　day　and　good　day　and　good　day！〃　He　laughed；　the　sound　echoing　ever　over　the　bellow　of　the　falling　water。
Without　a　thought　and　seemingly　without　a　click　of　motor　relays；　the　gunslinger　had　drawn　his　pistols。　The　boy　cowered　to　his　right　and　behind；　a　small　shadow。
Roland　fired　three　times　before　he　could　gain　control　of　his　traitor　hands　　the　echoes　bounced　their　bronze　tones　against　the　rock　valley　that　rose　around　them；　over　the　sound　of　the　wind　and　water。
A　spray　of　granite　puffed　over　the　head　of　the　man　in　black；　a　second　to　the　left　of　his　hood；　a　third　to　the　right。　He　had　missed　cleanly　all　three　times。
The　man　in　black　laughed　　a　full；　hearty　laugh　that　seemed　to　challenge　the　receding　echo　of　gunshots。　〃Would　you　kill　all　your　answers　so　easily；　gunslinger？〃
〃e　down；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃Answers　all　around。〃
Again　that　huge；　derisive　laugh。　〃It's　not　your　bullets　I　fear；　Roland。　It's　your　idea　of　answers　that　scares　me。　〃
〃e　down。〃
〃The　other　side；　I　think；〃　the　man　in　black　said。　〃On　the　other　side　we　will　hold　much　council。〃
His　eyes　flicked　to　Jake　and　he　added：
〃Just　the　two　of　us。〃
Jake　flinched　away　from　him　with　a　small；　whining　cry；　and　the　man　in　black　turned；　his　robe　swirling　in　the　gray　air　like　a　batwing。　He　disappeared　into　the　cleft　in　the　rock　from　which　the　water　spewed　at　full　force。　The　gunslinger　exercised　grim　will　and　did　not　send　a　bullet　after　him　　would　you　kill　all　your　answers　so　easily；　gunslinger？
There　was　only　the　sound　of　wind　and　water；　sounds　that　had　been　in　this　place　of　desolation　for　a　thousand　years。　Yet　the　man　in　black　had　been　here。　After　these　twelve　years；　Roland　had　seen　him　close…up；　spoken　to　him。　And　the　man　in　black　had　laughed　at　him。
On　the　other　side　we　will　hold　much　council。
The　boy　looked　up　at　him　with　dumbly　submissive　sheep's　eyes；　his　body　trembling。　For　a　moment　the　gunslinger　saw　the　face　of　Alice；　the　girl　from　Tull；　superimposed　over　Jake's；　the　scar　standing　out　on　her　forehead　like　a　mute　accusation；　and　felt　brute　loathing　for　them　both　（it　would　not　occur　to　him　until　much　later　that　both　the　scar　on　Alice's　forehead　and　the　nail　he　saw　spiked　through　Jake's　forehead　in　his　dreams　were　in　the　same　place）。　Jake　seemed　to　catch　a　whiff　of　his　thought　and　a　moan　was　dragged　from　his　throat。　But　it　was　short；　he　twisted　his　lips　shut　over　it。　He　held　the　makings　of　a　fine　man；　perhaps　a　gunslinger　in　his　own　right　if　given　time。
Just　the　two　of　us。
The　gunslinger　felt　a　great　and　unholy　thirst　in　some　deep　unknown　pit　of　his　body；　a　thirst　no　wine　could　touch。　Worlds　trembled；　almost　within　reach　of　his　fingers；　and　in　some　instinctual　way　he　strove　not　to　be　corrupted；　knowing　in　his　colder　mind　that　such　strife　was　vain　and　always　would　be。
It　was　noon。　He　looked　up；　letting　the　cloudy；　unsettled　daylight　shine　for　the　last　time　on　the　all…too…vulnerable　sun　of　his　own　righteousness。　No　one　ever　really　pays　for　it　in　silver；　he　thought。　The　price　of　any　evil　　necessary　or　otherwise　　es　due　in　fl