sk.thegunslinger-第32章

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iform　by　the　look。　There　was　an　ancient；　perfectly　preserved　newspaper　on　the　mummy's　lap；　which　crumbled　to　dust　when　the　gunslinger　attempted　to　look　at　it。　The　mummy's　face　was　like　an　old；　shriveled　apple。　Cautiously；　the　gunslinger　touched　the　cheek。　There　was　a　small　puff　of　dust；　and　they　looked　through　the　cheek　and　into　the　mummy's　mouth。　A　gold　tooth　twinkled。
〃Gas；〃　the　gunslinger　murmured。　〃They　used　to　be　able　to　make　a　gas　that　would　do　this。〃
〃They　fought　wars　with　it；〃　the　boy　said　darkly。
〃Yes。〃
There　were　other　mummies；　not　a　great　many；　but　a　few。　They　were　all　wearing　blue　and　gold　ornamental　uniforms。　The　gunslinger　supposed　that　the　gas　had　been　used　when　the　place　was　empty　of　all　ining　and　outgoing　traffic。　Perhaps；　in　some　dim　day；　the　station　had　been　a　military　objective　of　some　long…gone　army　and　cause。
The　thought　depressed　him。
〃We　had　better　go　on；〃　he　said；　and　started　toward　Track　10　and　the　handcar　again。　But　the　boy　stood　rebelliously　behind　him。
〃Not　going。〃
The　gunslinger　turned　back；　surprised。
The　boy's　face　was　twisted　and　trembling。　〃You　won't　get　what　you　want　until　I'm　dead。　I'll　take　my　chances　by　myself。〃
The　gunslinger　nodded　nonmittally；　hating　himself。　〃Okay。〃　He　turned　around　and　walked　across　to　the　stone　piers　and　leaped　easily　down　onto　the　handcar。
〃You　made　a　deal！〃　The　boy　screamed　after　him。　〃I　know　you　did！〃
The　gunslinger；　not　replying；　carefully　put　the　bow　in　front　of　the　T…post　rising　out　of　the　handcar's　floor；　out　of　harm's　way。
The　boy's　fists　were　clenched；　his　features　drawn　in　agony。
How　easily　you　bluff　this　young　boy；　the　gunslinger　told　himself　dryly。　Again　and　again　his　intuition　has　led　him　to　this　point；　and　again　and　again　you　have　led　him　on　by　the　nose　　after　all；　he　has　no　friends　but　you。
In　a　sudden；　simple　thought　（almost　a　vision）　it　came　to　him　that　all　he　had　to　do　was　give　it　over；　turn　around；　take　the　boy　with　him；　make　him　the　center　of　a　new　force。　The　Tower　did　not　have　to　be　obtained　in　this　humiliating；　nose…rubbing　way。　Let　it　e　after　the　boy　had　a　growth　of　years；　when　the　two　of　them　could　cast　the　man　in　black　aside　like　a　cheap　wind…up　toy。
Surely；　he　thought　cynically。　Surely。
He　knew　with　sudden　coldness　that　going　backward　would　mean　death　for　both　of　them　　death　or　worse：　entombment　with　the　living　dead　behind　them。　Decay　of　all　the　faculties。　With；　perhaps；　the　guns　of　his　father　living　long　after　both　of　them；　kept　in　rotten　splendor　as　totems　not　unlike　the　unforgotten　gas　pump。
Show　some　guts；　he　told　himself　falsely。
He　reached　for　the　handle　and　began　to　pump　it。　The　handcar　moved　away　from　the　stone　piers。
The　boy　screamed：　〃Wait！〃　And　began　running　on　the　diagonal；　toward　where　the　handcar　would　emerge　toward　the　darkness　ahead。　The　gunslinger　had　an　impulse　to　speed　up；　to　leave　the　boy　alone　yet　at　least　with　an　uncertainty。
Instead；　he　caught　him　as　he　leaped。　The　heart　beneath　the　thin　shirt　thrummed　and　fluttered　as　Jake　clung　to　him。　It　was　like　the　beat　of　a　chicken's　heart。
It　was　very　close　now。
The　sound　of　the　river　had　bee　very　loud；　filling　even　their　dreams　with　its　steady　thunder。　The　gunslinger；　more　as　a　whim　than　anything　else；　let　the　boy　pump　them　ahead　while　he　shot　a　number　of　arrows　into　the　dark；　tethered　by　fine　white　lengths　of　thread。
The　bow　was　very　bad；　incredibly　preserved　but　with　a　terrible　pull　and　aim　despite　that；　and　the　gunslinger　knew　that　very　little　would　improve　it。　Even　re…stringing　would　not　help　the　tired　wood。　The　arrows　would　not　fly　far　into　the　dark；　but　the　last　one　he　sent　out　came　back　wet　and　slick。　The　gunslinger　only　shrugged　when　the　boy　asked　him　how　far；　but　privately　he　didn't　think　the　arrow　could　have　traveled　more　than　a　hundred　yards　from　the　rotted　bow　　and　lucky　to　get　that。
And　still　the　sound　grew　louder。
During　the　third　waking　period　after　the　station；　a　spectral　radiance　began　to　grow　again。　They　had　entered　a　long　tunnel　of　some　weird　phosphorescent　rock；　and　the　wet　walls　glittered　and　twinkled　with　thousands　of　minute　starbursts。　They　saw　things　in　a　kind　of　eerie；　horror…house　surreality。
The　brute　sound　of　the　river　was　channeled　to　them　by　the　confining　rock；　magnified　in　its　own　natural　amplifier。　Yet　the　sound　remained　oddly　constant；　even　as　they　approached　the　crossing　point　the　gunslinger　was　sure　lay　ahead；　because　the　walls　were　widening；　drawing　back。　The　angle　of　their　ascent　became　more　pronounced。
The　tracks　arrowed　straight　ahead　in　the　new　light。　To　the　gunslinger　they　looked　like　the　captive　tubes　of　swamp　gas　sometimes　sold　for　a　pretty　at　the　Feast　of　Joseph　fair…time；　to　the　boy　they　looked　like　endless　streamers　of　neon　tubing。　But　in　its　glow　they　could　both　see　that　the　rock　that　had　enclosed　them　so　long　ended　up　ahead　in　ragged　twin　peninsulas　that　pointed　toward　a　gulf　of　darkness　ahead　the　chasm　over　the　river。
The　tracks　continued　out　and　over　the　unknowable　drop；　supported　by　a　trestle　aeons　old。　And　beyond；　what　seemed　an　incredible　distance；　was　a　tiny　pinprick　of　light；　not　phosphorescence　or　fluorescence；　but　the　hard；　true　light　of　day。　It　was　as　tiny　as　a　needle…prick　in　a　dark　cloth；　yet　weighted　with　frightful　meaning。
〃Stop；〃　the　boy　said。　〃Stop　for　a　minute。　Please。〃
Unquestioning；　the　gunslinger　let　the　handcar　coast　to　a　rest。　The　sound　of　the　river　was　a　steady；　booming　roar；　ing　from　beneath　and　ahead。　The　artificial　glow　from　the　wet　rock　was　suddenly　hateful。　For　the　first　time　he　felt　a　claustrophobic　hand　touch　him；　and　the　urge　to　get　out；　to　get　free　of　this　living　burial；　was　strong　and　nearly　undeniable。
〃We'll　go　through；〃　the　boy　said。　〃Is　that　what　he　wants？　For　us　to　drive　the　handcar　out　over　。　。　。　that　。　。　。　and　fall　down？〃
The　gunslinger　knew　it　was　not　but　said：　〃I　don't　know　what　he　wants。〃
〃We're　close　now。　Can't　we　walk？〃
They　got　down　and　approached　the　lip　of　the　drop　carefully。　The　stone　beneath　their　feet　continued　to　rise　until；　with　a　sudden；　angling　drop；　the　floor　fell　away　from　the　tracks　and　the　tracks　continued　alone；　across　blackness。
The　gunslinger　dropped　to　his　knees　and　peered　down。　He　could　dimly　make　out　a　plex；　nearly　incredible　webwork　of　steel　girders　and　struts；　disappearing　down　toward　the　roar　of　the　river；　all　in　support　of　the　graceful　arch　of　the　tracks　across　the　void。
In　his　mind's　eye　he　could　imagine　the　work　of　time　and　water　on　the　steel；　in　deadly　tandem。　How　much　support　was　left？　Little？　Hardly　any？　None？　He　suddenly　saw　the　face　of　the　mummy　again；　and　the　way　the　flesh；　seemingly　solid；　had　crumbled　effortlessly　to　powder　at　the　bare　touch　of　his　finger。
〃We'll　walk；〃　the　gunslinger　said。
He　half　expected　the　boy　to　balk　again；　but　he　preceded　the　gunslinger　calmly　out　onto　the　rails；　crossing　on　the　welded　steel　slats　calmly；　with　sure　feet。　The　gunslinger　followed　him；　ready　to　catch　him　if　Jake　should　put　foot　wrong。
They　left　the　handcar　behind　them　and　walked　precariously　out　over　darkness。
The　gunslinger　felt　a　fine　slick　of　sweat　cover　his　skin。　The　trestle　was　rotten；　very　rotten。　It　thrummed　beneath　his　feet　with　the　heady　motion　of　the　river　far　beneath；　swaying　a　little　on　unseen　guy　wires。　We're　acrobats；　he　thought。　Look；　mother；　no　net。　I'm　flying。　He　knelt　once　and　examined　the　crossties　they　were　walking　on。　They　were　caked　and　pitted　with　rust　（he　could　feel　the　reason　on　his　face；　fresh　air；　the　friend　of　corruption：　very　close　to　the　surface　now）；　and　a　strong　blow　of　the　fist　made　the　metal　quiver　sickly。　Once　he　heard　a　warning　groan　beneath　his　feet　and　felt　the　steel　settle　preparatory　to　giving　way；　but　he　had　already　moved　on。
The　boy；　of　course；　was　over　a　hundred　pounds　lighter　and　safe　enough；　unless　the　going　became　progressively　worse。
Behind　them；　the　handcar　had　melted　into　the　general　gloom。　The　stone　pier　on　the　left　extended　out　perhaps　twenty　feet。　Further　than　the　one　on　the　right；　but　this　was　also　left　behind　and　they　were　alone　over　the　gulf。
At　first　it　seemed　that　the　tiny　prick　of　daylight　remained　mockingly　constant　（perhaps　drawing　away　from　them　at　the　exact　pace　they　approached　it　　that　would　be　wonderful　magic　indeed）；　but　gradually　the　gunslinger　realized　that　it　was