dk.coldfire-第61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！
was too much for me。 For so long； they'd been all I had。
Then suddenly I didn't even have them。〃
A tortured expression darkened the blue of his eyes。
As a flood of sympathy washed through Holly； she reached across the ice chest and took his hand。
He said； 〃I procrastinated； kept procrastinating； and the longer I delayed sorting through his things； the harder it became to ever do it。〃
He sighed again。 〃If I'd have found a renter or a buyer； that would have forced me to put things in order； no matter how unpleasant the job。
But this old farm is about as marketable as a truckload of sand in the middle of the Mojave。〃
Closing the house upon the death of his grandfather； touching nothing in it for four years and four months； except to clean it once in a while that was eccentric。 Holly couldn't see it any other way。 At the same time； however； it was an eccentricity that touched her； moved her。 As she had sensed from the start； he was a gentle man beneath his rage； beneath his steely superhero identity； and she liked the soft…hearted part of him； too。
〃We'll do it together；〃 Holly said。 〃When we've figured out what the hell is happening to us； wherever and however we go on from here； there'll be time for us to sort through your grandfather's things。 It won't be so difficult if we do it together。〃
He smiled at her and squeezed her hand。
She remembered something else。 〃Jim； you recall the description I gave you of the woman in my dream last night； the woman who came up the mill stairs？〃 〃Sort of〃 〃You said you didn't recognize her。〃
〃So？〃 〃But there's a photo of her in the house。〃
〃There is？〃 〃In the living room； that photograph of a couple in their early fifties。
Are they your grandparents； Lena and Henry？〃 〃Yeah。 That's right。〃
〃Lena was the woman in my dream。〃
He frowned。 〃Isn't that odd。 。 。 ？〃 〃Well； maybe。 But what's odder is； you didn't recognize her。〃
〃I guess your description wasn't that good。〃
〃But didn't you hear me say she had a beauty mark…〃 His eyes narrowed； and his hand tightened around hers。 〃Quick； the tablets。〃
Confused； she said； 〃What？〃 〃Something's about to happen； I feel it； and we need the tablets we bought at The Center。〃
He let go of her hand； and she withdrew the two yellow； lined tablets and felt…tip pen from the plastic bag at her side。 He took them from her； hesitated； looking around at the walls and at the shadows above them； as if waiting to be told what to do next。
The bells rang。
That musical tintinnabulation sent a thrill through Jim。 He knew that he was on the verge of discovering the meaning not merely of the events of the past year but of the last two and a half decades。 And not just that； either。 More。 Much more。 The ringing heralded the revelation of even greater understanding； transcendental truths； an explanation of the fundamental meaning of his entire life； past and future； origins and destiny； and of the meaning of existence itself Grandiose as such a notion might be； he sensed that the secrets of creation would be revealed to him before he left the windmill； and that he would reach the state of enlightenment he had sought…and failed to find…in a score of religions。
As the second spell of ringing began； Holly started to get up。
Jim figured she intended to descend to the window on the stairs and look into the pond。 He said； 〃No； wait。 It's going to happen here this time。〃
She hesitated； then sat down。
As the ringing stopped again； Jim felt pelled to push the ice chest out of the way and put one of the yellow； lined tablets on the floor between him and Holly。 He was not sure what he was expected to do with the other tablet and the pen； but after a brief moment of indecision； he held on to them。
When the melodic ringing began a third time； it was acpanied by an impossible pulse of light within the limestone walls。 The red glow seemed to well up from inside the stone at a point directly in front of them； then suddenly raced around the room； encircling them with a throbbing band of luminescence。
Even as the strange fire whipped around them； Holly issued a wordless sound of fear； and Jim remembered what she had told him of her dream last night。 The woman…whether it had been his grandmother or not…had climbed the stairs into the high room； had seen an amber emanation within the walls； as if the mill was made of colored glass； and had witnessed something unimaginably hostile being born out of those mortared blocks。
〃It's okay。〃 He was eager to reassure her。 〃This isn't The Enemy。
It's something else。 There's no danger here。 This is a different light。〃
He was only sharing with her the reassurances that were flooding into him from a higher power。 He hoped to God that he was correct； that no threat was imminent； for he remembered too well the hideous biological transformation of his own bedroom ceiling in Laguna Niguel little more than twelve hours ago。 Light had pulsed within the oily； insectile birth sac that had blistered out of ordinary drywall； and the shadowy form within； writhing and twitching； had been nothing he would ever want to see more directly。
During two more bursts of melodic ringing； the color of the light changed to amber。 But otherwise it in no way resembled the menacing radiance in his bedroom ceiling； which had been a different shade of amber altogether the vile yellow of putrescent matter or of rich dark pus…and which had throbbed in sympathy with an ominous tripartite heartbeat that was not audible now。
Holly looked scared nonetheless。
He wished he could pull her close； put his arm around her。 But he needed to give his undivided attention to the higher power that was striving to reach him。
The ringing stopped； but the light did not fade。 It quivered； shimmered； dimmed； and brightened。 It moved through the otherwise dark wall in scores of separate amoeba…like forms that constantly flowed together and separated into new shapes； it was like a one…dimensional representation of the kaleidoscopic display in one of those old Lava lamps。 The ever…changing patterns evolved on all sides of them； from the base of the wall to the apex of the domed ceiling。
〃I feel like we're in a bathysphere； all glass； suspended far； far down in the ocean；〃 Holly said。 〃And great schools of luminescent fish are diving and soaring and swirling past us on all sides； through the deep black water。〃
He loved her for putting the experience into better words than he could summon； words that would not let him forget the images they described； even if he lived a hundred years。
Unquestionably； the ghostly luminosity lay within the stone； not merely on the surface of it。 He could see into that now…translucent substance； as if it had been alchemized into a dark but well…clarified quartz。 The amber radiance brightened the room more than did the lantern； which he had turned low。 His trembling hands looked golden； as did Holly's face。
But pockets of darkness remained； and the constantly moving light enlivened the shadows as well。
〃What now？〃 Holly asked softly。
Jim noticed that something had happened to the yellow tablet on the floor between them。 〃Look。〃
Words had appeared on the top third of the first page。 They looked as if they had been formed by a finger dipped in ink： I AM WITH YOU。
Holly had been distracted…to say the least！…by the lightshow； but she did not think that Jim could have leaned to the tablet and printed the words with the felt…tip pen or any other instrument without drawing her attention。 Yet she found it hard to believe that some disembodied presence had conveyed the message。
〃I think we're being encouraged to ask questions；〃 Jim said。
〃Then ask it what it is；〃 she said at once。
He wrote a question on the second tablet； which he was holding； and showed it to her： Who are you？ As they watched； the answer appeared on the first tablet； which lay between and slightly in front of them at such an angle that they could both read it。 The words were not burnt onto the paper and were not formed by ink that dripped magically from the air。 Instead； the irregular； wavery letters appeared as dim gray shapes and grew darker as they seemed to floa
