sk.thegunslinger-第31章

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The　gunslinger　began　to　pump　steadily　again；　and　the　handcar　picked　up　speed。　The　Slow　Mutants　fell　back　a　step　and　watched　them　go　with　faces　hardly　human　（or　pathetically　so）；　faces　that　generated　the　weak　phosphorescence　mon　to　those　weird　deep…sea　fishes　that　live　under　incredible　black　pressure；　faces　that　held　no　anger　or　hate　on　their　senseless　orbs；　but　only　what　seemed　to　be　a　semiconscious；　idiot　regret。
〃They're　thinning；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　The　drawn…up　muscles　of　his　lower　belly　and　privates　relaxed　the　smallest　bit。　〃They're　〃
The　Slow　Mutants　had　put　rocks　across　the　track。　The　way　was　blocked。　It　had　been　a　quick；　poor　job；　perhaps　the　work　of　only　a　minute　to　clear；　but　they　were　stopped。　And　someone　would　have　to　get　down　and　move　them。　The　boy　moaned　and　shuddered　closer　to　the　gunslinger。　The　gunslinger　let　go　of　the　handle　and　the　handcar　coasted　noiselessly　to　the　rocks；　where　it　thumped　to　rest。
The　Slow　Mutants　began　to　close　in　again；　almost　casually；　almost　as　if　they　had　been　passing　by；　lost　in　a　dream　of　darkness；　and　had　found　someone　of　whom　to　ask　directions。　A　street…corner　congregation　of　the　damned　beneath　the　ancient　rock。
〃Are　they　going　to　get　us？〃　The　boy　asked　calmly。
〃No。　Be　quiet　a　second。〃
He　looked　at　the　rocks。　The　mutants　were　weak；　of　course；　and　had　not　been　able　to　drag　any　of　the　boulders　to　block　their　way。　Only　small　rocks。　Only　enough　to　stop　them；　to　make　someone　get　down。
〃Get　down；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃You'll　have　to　move　them。　I'll　cover　you。
〃No；〃　the　boy　whispered。　〃Please。〃
〃I　can't　give　you　a　gun　and　I　can't　move　the　rocks　and　shoot　too。　You　have　to　get　down。〃
Jake's　eyes　rolled　terribly；　for　a　moment　his　body　shuddered　in　tune　with　the　turnings　of　his　mind；　and　then　he　wriggled　over　the　side　and　began　to　throw　rocks　to　the　right　and　the　left　madly；　not　looking。
The　gunslinger　drew　and　waited。
Two　of　them；　lurching　rather　than　walking；　went　for　the　boy　with　arms　like　dough。　The　guns　did　their　work；　stitching　the　darkness　with　red…white　lances　of　light　that　pushed　needles　of　pain　into　the　gunslinger's　eyes。　The　boy　screamed　and　continued　to　throw　away　rocks。　Witch…glow　leaped　and　danced。　Hard　to　see；　now；　that　was　the　worst。　Everything　had　gone　to　shadows。
One　of　them；　glowing　hardly　at　all；　suddenly　reached　for　the　boy　with　rubber　boogeyman　arms。　Eyes　that　ate　up　half　the　mutie's　head　rolled　wetly。
Jake　screamed　again　and　turned　to　struggle。
The　gunslinger　fired　without　allowing　himself　to　think；　before　his　spotty　vision　could　betray　his　hands　into　a　terrible　quiver；　the　two　heads　were　only　inches　apart。　It　was　the　mutie　who　fell；　slitheringly。
Jake　threw　rocks　wildly。　The　mutants　milled　just　outside　the　invisible　line　of　trespass；　closing　a　little　at　a　time；　now　very　close。　Others　had　caught　up；　swelling　their　number。
〃All　right；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　〃Get　on。　Quick。〃
When　the　boy　moved；　the　mutants　came　at　them。　Jake　was　over　the　side　and　scrambling　to　his　feet；　the　gunslinger　was　already　pumping　again；　all　out。　Both　guns　were　holstered　now。　They　must　run。
Strange　hands　slapped　the　metal　plane　of　the　car's　surface。　The　boy　was　holding　his　belt　with　both　hands　now；　his　face　pressed　tightly　into　the　small　of　the　gunslinger's　back。
A　group　of　them　ran　onto　the　tracks；　their　faces　full　of　that　mindless；　casual　anticipation。　The　gunslinger　was　pumped　full　of　adrenalin；　the　car　was　flying　along　the　tracks　into　the　darkness。　They　struck　the　four　or　five　pitiful　hulks　full　force。　They　flew　like　rotten　bananas　struck　from　the　stem。
On　and　on；　into　the　soundless；　flying；　banshee　darkness。
After　an　age；　the　boy　raised　his　face　into　the　made　wind；　dreading　and　yet　needing　to　know。　The　ghost　of　gun…flashes　still　lingered　on　his　retinas。　There　was　nothing　to　see　but　the　darkness　and　nothing　to　hear　but　the　rumble　of　the　river。
〃They're　gone；〃　the　boy　said；　suddenly　fearing　an　end　to　the　tracks　in　the　darkness；　and　the　wounding　crash　as　they　jumped　the　rails　and　plunged　to　twisted　ruin。　He　had　ridden　in　cars；　once　his　humorless　father　had　driven　at　ninety　on　the　New　Jersey　Turnpike　and　had　been　stopped。　But　he　had　never　ridden　like　this；　with　the　wind　and　the　blindness　and　the　terrors　behind　and　ahead；　with　the　sound　of　the　river　like　a　chuckling　voice　　the　voice　of　the　man　in　black。　The　gunslinger's　arms　were　pistons　in　a　lunatic　human　factory。
〃They're　gone；〃　the　boy　said　timidly；　the　words　ripped　from　his　mouth　by　the　wind。　〃You　can　slow　down　now。　We　left　them　behind。〃
But　the　gunslinger　did　not　hear。　They　careened　onward　into　the　strange　dark。
They　went　on　three　periods　of　waking　and　sleeping　without　incident。
During　the　fourth　period　of　waking　（halfway　through？　three…quarters？　they　didn't　know　　only　that　they　weren't　tired　enough　yet　to　stop）　there　was　a　sharp　thump　beneath　them；　the　handcar　swayed；　and　their　bodies　immediately　leaned　to　the　right　with　gravity　as　the　rails　took　a　gradual　turn　to　the　left。
There　was　a　light　ahead　　a　glow　so　faint　and　alien　that　it　seemed　at　first　to　be　a　totally　new　element；　neither　earth；　air；　fire；　or　water。　It　had　no　color　and　could　only　be　discerned　by　the　fact　that　they　had　regained　their　hands　and　faces　in　a　dimension　beyond　that　of　touch。　Their　eyes　had　bee　so　light…sensitive　that　they　noticed　the　glow　over　five　miles　before　they　approached　it。
〃The　end；〃　the　boy　said　tightly。　〃It's　the　end。〃
〃No。〃　The　gunslinger　spoke　with　odd　assurance。　〃It　isn't。〃
And　it　was　not。　They　reached　light　but　not　day。
As　they　approached　the　source　of　the　glow；　they　saw　for　the　first　time　that　the　rock　wall　to　the　left　had　fallen　away　and　their　tracks　had　been　joined　by　others　which　crossed　in　a　plex　spider　web。　The　light　laid　them　in　burnished　vectors。　On　some　of　them　there　were　dark　boxcars；　passenger　coaches；　a　stage　that　had　been　adapted　to　rails。　They　made　the　gunslinger　nervous；　like　ghost　galleons　trapped　in　an　underground　Sargasso。
The　light　grew　stronger；　hurting　their　eyes　a　little；　but　growing　slowly　enough　to　allow　them　to　adapt。　They　came　from　dark　to　light　like　divers　ing　up　from　deep　fathoms　in　slow　stages。
Ahead；　drawing　nearer；　was　a　huge　hangar　stretching　up　into　the　dark。　Cut　into　it；　showing　yellow　squares　of　light；　were　a　series　of　perhaps　twenty…four　entranceways；　growing　from　the　size　of　toy　windows　to　a　height　of　twenty　feet　as　they　drew　closer。　They　passed　inside　through　one　of　the　middle　ways。　Written　above　were　a　series　of　characters；　in　various　languages；　the　gunslinger　presumed。　He　was　astounded　to　find　that　he　could　read　the　last　one；　it　was　an　ancient　root　of　the　High　Speech　itself　and　said：
TRACK　10　TO　SURFACE　AND　POINTS　WEST
The　light　inside　was　brighter；　the　tracks　met　and　merged　through　a　series　of　switchings。　Here　some　of　the　traffic　lanterns　still　worked；　flashing　eternal　reds　and　greens　and　ambers。
They　rolled　between　rising　stone　piers　caked　black　with　the　passage　of　thousands　of　vehicles；　and　then　they　were　in　some　kind　of　central　terminal。　The　gunslinger　let　the　hand…car　coast　slowly　to　a　stop；　and　they　peered　around。
〃It's　like　the　subway；〃　the　boy　said。
〃Subway？〃
〃Never　mind。〃
The　boy　climbed　up　and　onto　the　hard　cement。　They　looked　at　silent；　deserted　booths　where　newspapers　and　books　had　once　been　vended；　an　ancient　bootery；　a　weapon　shop　（the　gunslinger；　with　a　sudden　burst　of　excitement；　saw　revolvers　and　rifles；　closer　inspection　showed　that　their　barrels　had　been　filled　with　lead；　he　did；　however；　pick　out　a　bow；　which　he　slung　over　his　back；　and　a　quiver　of　almost　useless；　badly　weighted　arrows）；　a　women's　apparel　shop。　Somewhere　a　converter　was　turning　the　air　over　and　over；　as　it　had　for　thousands　of　years　　but　perhaps　not　for　much　longer。　It　had　a　grating　noise　somewhere　in　the　middle　of　its　cycle　which　served　to　remind　that　perpetual　motion；　even　under　strictly　controlled　conditions；　is　still　a　fool's　dream。　The　air　had　a　mechanized　taste。　Their　shoes　made　flat　echoes。
The　boy　cried　out：　〃Hey！　Hey。。。。〃
The　gunslinger　turned　around　and　went　to　him。　The　boy　was　standing；　transfixed；　at　the　book　stall。　Inside；　sprawled　in　the　far　corner；　was　a　mummy。　The　mummy　was　wearing　a　blue　uniform　with　gold　piping　　a　trainman's　uniform　by　the　look。　There　was　an　ancient；　perfectly