sk.thegunslinger-第37章

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　but　he　didn't　ask　it。。。　not　yet。
〃This　Stranger；　this　Maerlyn；　is　a　minion　of　the　Tower？　Like　yourself？〃
〃Much　greater　than　I。　It　has　been　given　to　him　to　live　backward　in　time。　He　darkies。　He　tincts。　He　is　in　all　times。　Yet　there　is　one　greater　than　he。〃
〃Who？〃
〃The　Beast；〃　the　man　in　black　whispered　fearfully。　〃The　keeper　of　the　Tower。　The　originator　of　all　glammer。
〃What　is　it？　What　does　this　Beast　　〃
〃Ask　me　no　more！〃　The　man　in　black　cried。　His　voice　aspired　to　sternness　and　crumbled　into　beseechment。　〃I　know　not！　I　do　not　wish　to　know。　To　speak　of　the　Beast　is　to　speak　of　the　ruination　of　one's　own　soul。　Before　It；　Maerlyn　is　as　Jam　to　him。〃
〃And　beyond　the　Beast　is　the　Tower　and　whatever　the　Tower　contains？〃
〃Yes；〃　whispered　the　man　in　black。　〃But　none　of　these　things　are　what　you　wish　to　ask。〃
True。
〃All　right；〃　the　gunslinger　said；　and　then　asked　the　world's　oldest　question。　〃Do　I　know　you？　Have　I　seen　you　somewhere　before？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Where？〃　The　gunslinger　leaned　forward　urgently。　This　was　a　question　of　his　destiny。
The　man　in　black　clapped　his　hands　to　his　mouth　and　giggled　through　them　like　a　small　child。　〃I　think　you　know。　〃
〃Where！〃　He　was　on　his　feet；　his　hands　had　dropped　to　the　worn　butts　of　his　guns。
〃Not　with　those；　gunslinger。　Those　do　not　open　doors；　those　only　close　them　forever。　〃
〃Where？〃　The　gunslinger　reiterated。
〃Must　I　give　him　a　hint？〃　The　man　in　black　asked　the　darkness。　〃I　believe　I　must　〃He　looked　at　the　gunslinger　with　eyes　that　burned。　〃There　was　a　man　who　gave　you　advice；〃　he　said。　〃Your　teacher　　〃
〃Yes；　Cort；〃　the　gunslinger　interrupted　impatiently。
〃The　advice　was　to　wait。　It　was　bad　advice。　For　even　then　Marten's　plans　against　your　father　had　proceeded。　And　when　your　father　returned　　〃
〃He　was　killed；〃　the　gunslinger　said　emptily。
〃And　when　you　turned　and　looked；　Marten　was　gone
。。。　gone　west　Yet　there　was　a　man　in　Marten's　entourage；　a　man　who　affected　the　dress　of　a　monk　and　the　shaven　head　of　a　penitent　　〃
〃Walter；〃　the　gunslinger　whispered。　〃You。　。。　you're　not　Marten　at　all。　You're　Walter！〃
The　man　in　black　tittered。　〃At　your　service。　〃
〃I　ought　to　kill　you　now。〃
〃That　would　hardly　be　fair。　After　all；　it　was　I　who　delivered　Marten　into　your　hands　three　years　later；　when　　〃
〃Then　you've　controlled　me。〃
〃In　some　ways；　yes。　But　no　more；　gunslinger。　Now　es　the　time　of　sharing。　Then；　in　the　morning；　I　will　cast　the　runes。　Dreams　will　e　to　you。　And　then　your　real　quest　must　begin。〃
〃Walter；〃　the　gunslinger　repeated；　stunned。
〃Sit；〃　the　man　in　black　invited。　〃I　tell　you　my　story。　Yours；　I　think；　will　be　much　longer。　〃
〃I　don't　talk　of　myself；〃　the　gunslinger　muttered。
〃Yet　tonight　you　must　So　that　we　may　understand。〃
〃Understand　what？　My　purpose？　You　know　that　To　find　the　Tower　is　my　purpose。　I'm　sworn。〃
〃Not　your　purpose；　gunslinger。　Your　mind。　Your　slow；　plodding；　tenacious　mind。　There　has　never　been　one　quite　like　it；　in　all　the　history　of　the　world。　Perhaps　in　the　history　of　creation。
〃This　is　the　time　of　speaking。　This　is　the　time　of　histories。
〃Then　speak。〃
The　man　in　black　shook　the　voluminous　arm　of　his　robe。　A　foil…wrapped　package　fell　out　and　caught　the　dying　embers　in　many　reflective　folds。
〃Tobacco；　gunslinger。　Would　you　smoke？〃
He　had　been　able　to　resist　the　rabbit；　but　he　could　not　resist　this。　He　opened　the　foil　with　eager　fingers。　There　was　fine　crumbled　tobacco　inside；　and　green　leaves　to　wrap　it　in；　amazingly　moist。　He　had　not　seen　such　tobacco　for　ten　years。
He　rolled　two　cigarettes　and　bit　the　ends　of　each　to　release　flavor。　He　offered　one　to　the　man　in　black；　who　took　it。　Each　of　them　took　a　burning　twig　from　the　fire。
The　gunslinger　lit　his　cigarette　and　drew　the　aromatic　smoke　deep　into　his　lungs；　closing　his　eyes　to　concentrate　the　senses。　He　blew　out　with　long；　slow　satisfaction。
〃Is　it　good？〃　the　man　in　black　enquired。
〃Yes。　Very　good。〃
〃Enjoy　it。　It　may　be　the　last　smoke　for　you　in　a　very　long　time。〃
The　gunslinger　took　this　impassively。
〃Very　well；〃　the　man　in　black　said。　〃To　begin　then：
〃You　must　understand　that　the　Tower　has　always　been；　and　there　have　always　been　boys　who　know　of　it　and　lust　for　it；　more　than　power　or　riches　or　women。。　〃
There　was　talk　then；　a　night's　worth　of　talk　and　God　alone　knew　how　much　more；　but　the　Gunslinger　remembered　little　of　it　later。　。　。　and　to　his　oddly　practical　mind；　little　of　it　seemed　to　matter。　The　man　in　black　told　him　that　he　must　go　to　the　sea；　which　lay　no　more　than　twenty　easy　miles　to　the　west；　and　there　he　would　be　invested　with　the　power　of　drawing。
〃But　that's　not　exactly　right；　either；〃　the　man　in　black　said；　pitching　his　cigarette　into　the　remains　of　the　campfire。　〃No　one　wants　to　invest　you　with　a　power　of　any　kind；　gunslinger；　it　is　simply　in　you；　and　I　am　pelled　to　tell　you；　partly　because　of　the　sacrifice　of　the　boy；　and　partly　because　it　is　the　law；　the　natural　law　of　things。　Water　must　run　downhill；　and　you　must　be　told。　You　will　draw　three；　I　understand。。。　but　I　don't　really　care；　and　I　don't　really　want　to　know。〃
〃The　three；〃　the　gunslinger　murmured；　thinking　of　the　Oracle。
〃And　then　the　fun　begins。　But；　by　then；　I'll　be　long　gone。　Good…bye；　gunslinger。　My　part　is　done　now。　The　chain　is　still　in　your　hands。　Beware　it　doesn't　wrap　itself　around　your　neck。〃
pelled　by　something　outside　him；　Roland　said；　〃You　have　one　more　thing　to　say；　don't　you？〃
〃Yes；〃　the　man　in　black　said；　and　he　smiled　at　the　gunslinger　with　his　depthless　eyes　and　stretched　one　of　his　hands　out　toward　him。　〃Let　there　be　light。〃
And　there　was　light。
Roland　awoke　by　the　ruins　of　the　campfire　to　find　himself　ten　years　older。　His　black　hair　had　thinned　at　the　temples　and　gone　the　gray　of　cobwebs　at　the　end　of　autumn。　The　lines　in　his　face　were　deeper；　his　skin　rougher。
The　remains　of　the　wood　he　had　carried　had　turned　to　ironwood；　and　the　man　in　black　was　a　laughing　skeleton　in　a　rotting　black　robe；　more　bones　in　this　place　of　bones；　one　more　skull　in　Golgotha。
The　gunslinger　stood　up　and　looked　around。　He　looked　at　the　light　and　saw　that　the　light　was　good。
With　a　sudden　quick　gesture　he　reached　toward　the　remains　of　his　panion　of　the　night　before。。；　a　night　that　had　somehow　lasted　ten　years。　He　broke　off　Walter's　jawbone　and　jammed　it　carelessly　into　the　left　hip　pocket　of　his　jeans　　a　fitting　enough　replacement　for　the　one　lost　under　the　mountains。
The　Tower。　Somewhere　ahead；　it　waited　for　him　　the　nexus　of　Time；　the　nexus　of　Size。
He　began　west　again；　his　back　set　against　the　sunrise；　heading　toward　the　ocean；　realizing　that　a　great　passage　of　his　life　had　e　and　gone。　〃I　loved　you；　Jake；〃　he　said　aloud。
The　stiffness　wore　out　of　his　body　and　he　began　to　walk　more　rapidly。　By　that　evening　he　had　e　to　the　end　of　the　land。　He　sat　on　a　beach　which　stretched　left　and　right　forever；　deserted。　The　waves　beat　endlessly　against　the　shore；　pounding　and　pounding。　The　setting　sun　painted　the　water　in　a　wide　strip　of　fool's　gold。
There　the　gunslinger　sat；　his　face　turned　up　into　the　fading　light。　He　dreamed　his　dreams　and　watched　as　the　stars　came　out；　his　purpose　did　not　flag；　nor　did　his　heart　falter；　his　hair；　finer　now　and　gray；　blew　around　his　head；　and　the　sandalwood…inlaid　guns　of　his　father　lay　smooth　and　deadly　against　his　hips；　and　he　was　lonely　but　did　not　find　loneliness　in　any　way　a　bad　or　ignoble　thing。　The　dark　came　down　on　the　world　and　the　world　moved　on。　The　gunslinger　waited　for　the　time　of　the　drawing　and　dreamed　his　long　dreams　of　the　Dark　Tower；　to　which　he　would　some　day　e　at　dusk　and　approach；　winding　his　horn；　to　do　some　unimaginable　final　battle。
　
AFTERWORD
　
　
The　foregoing　tale；　which　is　almost　（but　not　quite！）　plete　in　itself；　is　the　first　stanza　in　a　much　longer　work　called　The　Dark　Tower。　Some　of　the　work　beyond　this　segment　has　been　pleted；　but　there　is　much　more　to　be　done　　my　brief　synopsis　of　the　action　to　follow　suggests　a　length　approaching　3000　pages；　perhaps　more。　That　probably　sounds　as　if　my　plans　for　the　story　have　passed　beyond　mere　ambition　and　into　the　land　of　lunacy。。。　but　ask　your　favorite　English　teacher　sometime　to　tell　you　about　the　plans　Chaucer　had　for　The　Canterbury　Tales　　now　Chaucer　might　have　been　crazy。
At　the　speed　which　the　work　entir