sk.thegunslinger-第35章

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〃The　seventh　is　Life；〃　the　man　in　black　said　softly。　〃But　not　for　you。　〃
〃Where　does　it　fit　the　pattern？〃
〃That　is　not　for　you　to　know；〃　the　man　in　black　said。　〃Or　for　me　to　know。〃　He　flipped　the　card　carelessly　into　the　dying　fire。　It　charred；　curled　and　flashed　to　flame。　The　gunslinger　felt　his　heart　quail　and　turn　icy　in　his　chest。
〃Sleep　now；〃　the　man　in　black　said　carelessly。　〃Perchance　to　dream　and　that　sort　of　thing。〃
〃I'm　going　to　choke　you　dead；〃　the　gunslinger　said。　His　legs　coiled　with　savage；　splendid　suddenness；　and　he　flew　across　the　fire　at　the　other。　The　man　in　black；　smiling；　swelled　in　his　vision　and　then　retreated　down　a　long　and　echoing　corridor　filled　with　obsidian　pylons。　The　world　filled　with　the　sound　of　sardonic　laughter；　he　was　falling；　dying；　sleeping。
He　dreamed。
The　universe　was　void。　Nothing　moved。　Nothing　was。
The　gunslinger　drifted；　bemused。
〃Let　us　have　light；〃　the　voice　of　the　man　in　black　said　nonchalantly；　and　there　was　light。　The　gunslinger　thought　in　a　detached　way　that　the　light　was　good。
〃Now　darkness　overhead　with　stars　in　it。　Water　down　below。〃　It　happened。　He　drifted　over　endless　seas。　Above；　the　stars　twinkled　endlessly。
〃Land；〃　the　man　in　black　invited。　There　was；　it　heaved　itself　out　of　the　water　in　endless；　galvanic　convulsions。　It　was　red；　arid；　cracked　and　glazed　with　sterility。　Volcanoes　blurted　endless　magma　like　giant　pimples　on　some　ugly　adolescent's　baseball　head。
〃Okay；〃　the　man　in　black　was　saying。　〃That's　a　start。　Let's　have　some　plants。　Trees。　Grass　and　fields。〃
There　was。　Dinosaurs　rambled　here　and　there；　growling　and　woofing　and　eating　each　other　and　getting　stuck　in　bubbling；　odiferous　tarpits。　Huge　tropical　rain…forests　sprawled　everywhere。　Giant　ferns　waved　at　the　sky　with　serated　leaves；　beetles　with　two　heads　crawled　on　some　of　them。　All　this　the　gunslinger　saw。　And　yet　he　felt　big。
〃Now　man；〃　the　man　in　black　said　softly；　but　the　gunslinger　was　falling。。；　falling　up。　The　horizon　of　this　vast　and　fecund　earth　began　to　curve。　Yes；　they　had　all　said　it　had　curved；　his　teachers；　they　had　claimed　it　had　been　proved　long　before　the　world　had　moved　on。　But　this　Further　and　further。　Continents　took　shape　before　his　amazed　eyes；　and　were　obscured　with　clocksprings　of　clouds。　The　world's　atmosphere　held　it　in　a　placental　sac。　And　the　sun；　rising　beyond　the　earth's　shoulder　He　cried　out　and　threw　an　arm　before　his　eyes。
〃Let　there　be　light！〃　The　voice　that　cried　was　no　longer　that　of　the　man　in　black。　It　was　gigantic；　echoing。　It　filled　space；　and　the　spaces　between　spaces。
〃Light！〃
Falling；　falling。
The　sun　shrank。　A　red　planet　crossed　with　canals　whirled　past　him；　two　moons　circling　it　furiously。　A　whirling　belt　of　stones。　A　gigantic　planet　that　seethed　with　gasses；　too　huge　to　support　itself；　oblate　in　consequence。　A　ringed　world　that　glittered　with　its　engirdlement　of　icy　spicules。
〃Light！　Let　there　be　Other　worlds；　one；　two　three。　Far　beyond　the　last；　one　lonely　ball　of　ice　and　rock　twirling　in　dead　darkness　about　a　sun　that　glittered　no　brighter　than　a　tarnished　penny。
Darkness。
〃No；〃　the　gunslinger　said；　and　his　words　were　flat　and　echoless　in　the　darkness。　It　was　darker　than　dark。　Beside　it　the　darkest　night　of　a　man's　soul　was　noonday。　The　darkness　under　the　mountains　was　a　mere　smudge　on　the　face　of　Light。　〃No　more；　please；　no　more　now。　No　more　〃LIGHT！〃
〃No　more。　No　more；　please　The　stars　themselves　began　to　shrink。　Whole　nebulae　drew　together　and　became　mindless　smudges。　The　whole　universe　seemed　to　be　drawing　around　him。
〃Jesus　no　more　no　more　no　more　The　voice　of　the　man　in　black　whispered　silkily　in　his　ear：　〃Then　renege。　Cast　away　all　thoughts　of　the　Tower。　Go　your　way；　gunslinger；　and　save　your　soul。〃
He　gathered　himself。　Shaken　and　alone；　enwrapt　in　the　darkness；　terrified　of　an　ultimate　meaning　rushing　at　him；　he　gathered　himself　and　uttered　the　final；　flashing　imperative：
〃NO！　NEVER！〃
〃THEN　LET　THERE　BE　LIGHT！〃
And　there　was　light；　crashing　in　on　him　like　a　hammer；　a　great　and　primordial　light。　In　it；　consciousness　perished　　but　before　it　did；　the　gunslinger　saw　something　of　cosmic　importance。　He　clutched　it　with　agonized　effort　and　sought　himself。
He　fled　the　insanity　the　knowledge　implied；　and　so　came　back　to　himself。
It　was　still　night　　whether　the　same　or　another；　he　had　no　way　of　knowing。　He　pushed　himself　up　from　where　his　demon　spring　at　the　man　in　black　had　carried　him　and　looked　at　the　ironwood　where　the　man　in　black　had　been　sitting。　He　was　gone。
A　great　sense　of　despair　flooded　him　　God；　all　that　to　do　over　again　　and　then　the　man　in　black　said　from　behind　him：　〃Over　here；　gunslinger。　I　don't　like　you　so　close。　You　talk　in　your　sleep。〃　He　tittered。
The　gunslinger　got　groggily　to　his　knees　and　turned　around。　The　fire　had　burned　down　to　red　embers　and　gray　ashes；　leaving　the　familiar　decayed　pattern　of　exhausted　fuel。　The　man　in　black　was　seated　next　to　it；　smacking　his　lips　over　the　greasy　remains　of　the　rabbit。
〃You　did　fairly　well；〃　the　man　in　black　said。　〃I　never　could　have　sent　that　vision　to　Marten。　He　would　have　e　back　drooling。〃
〃What　was　it？〃　The　gunslinger　asked。　His　words　were　blurred　and　shaky。　He　felt　that　if　he　tried　to　rise；　his　legs　would　buckle。
〃The　universe；〃　the　man　in　black　said　carelessly。　He　burped　and　threw　the　bones　into　the　fire　where　they　glistened　with　unhealthy　whiteness。　The　wind　above　the　cup　of　the　Golgotha　whistled　with　keen　unhappiness。
〃Universe；〃　the　gunslinger　said　blankly。
〃You　want　the　Tower；〃　the　man　in　black　said。　It　seemed　to　be　a　question。
〃Yes。〃
〃But　you　shan't　have　it；〃　the　man　in　black　said；　and　smiled　with　bright　cruelty。　〃I　have　an　idea　of　how　close　to　the　edge　that　last　pushed　you。　The　Tower　will　kill　you　half　a　world　away。〃
〃You　know　nothing　of　me；〃　the　gunslinger　said　quietly；　and　the　smile　faded　from　the　other's　lips。
〃I　made　your　father　and　I　broke　him；〃　the　man　in　black　said　grimly。　〃I　came　to　your　mother　through　Marten　and　took　her。　It　was　written；　and　it　was。　I　am　the　furthest　minion　of　the　Dark　Tower。　Earth　has　been　given　into　my　hand。〃
〃What　did　I　see？〃　The　gunslinger　asked。　〃At　the　end？　What　was　it？〃
〃What　did　it　seem　to　be？〃
The　gunslinger　was　silent；　thoughtful。　He　felt　for　his　tobacco；　but　there　was　none。　The　man　in　black　did　not　offer　to　refill　his　poke　by　either　black　magic　or　white。
〃There　was　light；〃　the　gunslinger　said　finally。　〃Great　white　light。　And　then　　〃　He　broke　off　and　stared　at　the　man　in　black。　He　was　leaning　forward；　and　an　alien　emotion　was　stamped　on　his　face；　writ　too　large　for　lies　or　denial。　Wonder。
〃You　don't　know；〃　he　said；　and　began　to　smile。　〃O　great　sorcerer　who　brings　the　dead　to　life。　You　don't　know。〃
〃I　know；〃　the　man　in　black　said。　〃But　I　don't　know。。。　what。〃
〃White　light；〃　the　gunslinger　repeated。　〃And　then　　a　blade　of　grass。　One　single　blade　of　grass　that　filled　every。'　thing。　And　I　was　tiny。　Infinitesimal。〃
〃Grass。〃　The　man　in　black　closed　his　eyes。　His　face　looked　drawn　and　haggard。　〃A　blade　of　grass。　Are　you　sure？〃
〃Yes。〃　The　gunslinger　frowned。　〃But　it　was　purple。〃
And　so　the　man　in　black　began　to　speak。
The　universe　（he　said）　offers　a　paradox　too　great　for　the　finite　mind　to　grasp。　As　the　living　brain　cannot　conceive　of　a　nonliving　brain　　although　it　may　think　it　can　　the　finite　mind　cannot　grasp　the　infinite。
The　prosaic　fact　of　the　universe's　existence　single…handedly　defeats　the　pragmatist　and　the　cynic。　There　was　a　time；　yet　a　hundred　generations　before　the　world　moved　on；　when　mankind　had　achieved　enough　technical　and　scientific　prowess　to　chip　a　few　splinters　from　the　great　stone　pillar　of　reality。　Even　then；　the　false　light　of　science　（knowledge；　if　you　like）　shone　in　only　a　few　developed　countries。　Yet；　despite　a　tremendous　increase　in　available　facts；　there　were　remarkably　few　insights。　Gunslinger；　our　fathers　conquered　the…disease…which…rots；　which　we　call　cancer；　almost　conquered　aging；　went　to　the　moon　（〃I　don't　believe　that；〃　the　gunslinger　said　flatly；　to　which　the　man　in　black　merely　smiled　and　answered；　〃You　needn't。〃）
　and　made　or　discovered　a　hundred　other　marvelous　baubles。　But　this　wealth　of　information　produced　little　or　no　insight。　There　were　no　great　odes　written　to　the　wonders　of　ar