rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第26章

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　by　a　sweep　of　hot　lead；　spun　across　the　darkness。　The　body　that　had　belonged　to　Manion's　head　sank　to　the　floor　like　a　sack　of　potatoes；　the　neck…opening　pumping　out　a　fountain　of　blood。
　Through　the　cordite　smoke　of　the　weapons；　the　Doomsday　Warrior　stepped　over　to　his　beloved。　Rockson　approached　the　beaten　nude　figure　stretched　out　on　the　mound　with　trepidation。　Was　she　alive？　Yes。　But　her　eyes　were　bleary。
　〃Rona；　are　you　…〃
　〃Untie　me。　Rock；〃　she　groaned　in　a　soft　voice。
　Rockson　used　his　balisong　knife　to　cut　the　bindings　off。　He　threw　his　coat　over　her；　she　zipped　it　up。　It　was　large　and　went　down　halfway　to　her　knees。　It　would　do　…　Detroit　was　stripping　the　headless　corpse　of　its　shoes　…　they　were　about　right　for　Rona's　feet。　Rockson　slipped　them　on　her　and　lifted　her　to　him　and　hugged　her。　〃Rona；　are　you　…〃
　〃I'm　basically　all　right；　though　I　don't　want　to　spend　any　time　sitting　real　soon。〃
　She　had　spunk。　That　was　for　sure。
　〃Can　you　walk？〃
　〃Walk？　Hell；　I　can　run。　Let's　get　out　of　here。〃
　There　wasn't　much　left　of　the　enemy　down　the　long　ice　corridor；　Rona　quickly　saw　that。　Stumped　bodies　were　everywhere。　The　Freefighters　had　gotten　only　so　far　in　their　Cultist　disguises；　and　had　finished　off　a　good　number　of　their　enemy　on　the　way　to　rescue　Rona。
　Rockson　had　grabbed　one　of　the　surviving　soldier…monks　from　the　temple　and　was　pushing　him　along　the　corridor；　a　gun　in　his　back。　〃You　find　us　the　passageway　to　Eden　…　the　old　construction　tunnel　…　or　else。〃
　〃The　construction　tunnel？　Why；　that　was　blown　up；　sealed　off　last　week。　There　is　no　way　to　Eden　anymore。〃
　Rockson　spun　the　cowed　man　around　on　his　heels；　and　cocked　the　shotpistol　and　placed　its　cold　barrel　against　the　captive's　forehead。　〃Then；　you　find　us　another　passageway　to　Eden。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　18
　
　The　captive；　the　pupils　of　his　colorless　eyes　pinned　in　fright；　stuttered　out；　〃There　…　there　is　a　passage　…　to　the　Caverns　of　H…Hell。　They　say　th…that　those　caverns　e　out　in…in　Eden。　But　…〃
　Rockson　said；　〃You　take　us　to　this　passage　…　now。〃
　The　captive　plied；　leading　them　down　a　series　of　corridors；　then　down　some　steps　with　an　inch　of　dust　on　them。　〃God；　Rock；〃　said　Detroit；　〃no　one　must　have　been　down　here　for　a　long；　long　time。〃
　〃That's　because；〃　Danik　gasped；　keeping　up　the　pace　down　the　curving　wide　stairs　with　great　effort；　〃because　the　Caverns　of　Hell　have　legends　of　horror。〃
　They　reached　the　bottom　of　the　stairs；　their　flashlights　played　along　a　wide　crack　in　a　stone　wall。　There　was　darkness　beyond；　and　a　cool　wind　ing　from　the　hole。　〃This　is　it；〃　said　the　captive。　Now　let　me　go　…　you　said。。。〃
　Rockson　let　go　of　the　man's　arm。　〃Get　the　hell　out　of　here；　jerk；　and　don't　tell　anyone　…〃
　〃I　won't；〃　the　man　yelled；　taking　off　back　up　the　stairs　two　steps　at　a　time。
　〃Now；　what's　the　story　on　these　caverns；　Danik？〃
　〃In　Eden　we　know　them　as　the　place　of　horrors。　A　natural　series　of　caves　with　strange　voices　in　them　…　and　death。　The　man　that　led　us　here　was　correct；　though。　They　do　e　out　in　Eden。　Through　a　fissure。　It　isn't　sealed　because　a　fresh　wind　es　from　it。　The　whole　ecosystem　of　Eden　would　overload　if　they　closed　the　fissure。　The　Caverns　of　Hell　…　sometimes　called　the　air　caves　…　were　briefly　explored　by　early　Edenites。　Most　never　returned。　The　few　that　did　told　of　horror　beyond　the　imagination。〃
　〃What　sorts　of　horrors？　You　mentioned　voices　…　could　Just　be　echoes；　ing　back　long　after　someone　spoke。　What　else？〃
　〃I　read　that　there　were　animals　…　of　some　sort　…　they　had　big　teeth。　Adults　in　Eden　never　read　of　such　oddities；　it　was　just　nursery…school　stuff。　I　don't　really　know。〃
　〃Maybe；〃　ventured　McCaughlin；　〃they　just　made　up　the　tales。　The　leaders　of　Eden　weren't　too　keen　about　having　people　go　out　of　the　city。　Could　be　all　hogwash。〃
　〃Hogwash　or　not；〃　Rockson　said；　〃I　hear　some　thundering　feet　up　the　stairwell。　I　think　the　reinforcements　are　ing。　Shall　we　make　the　plunge？〃
　Rockson　was　sure　the　Death　City　folks　wouldn't　follow。　He　was　right。　They　were　unmolested　in　their　quick　march　through　the　cavern。　Danik　told　him　that　if　they　just　kept　going　south；　they　would　descend　steeply；　and　then　go　up　after　seven　miles　and　e　out　at　Eden。　A　piece　of　cake。　Of　course　he　was　going　by　dim　recollections　of　a　map　he'd　seen　in　a　book　in　Eden　…　when　he　was　a　child。　They　found　direction　with　one　of　Schecter's　pocket　passes；　unaffected　by　local　sources　of　magnetism；　the　nifty　little　luminous　dial…thing　unerringly　pointed　magnetic　north。
　When　they　had　gotten　about　a　quarter　mile　into　their　remarkable　passage；　there　was　a　tremendous　rumble；　and　rocks　and　soot　sifted　down　from　the　trembling　mountain　above　them。
　〃Quick；　against　the　wall　of　stalagmites　over　there；〃　Rock　ordered。　Because　they　obeyed　their　leader；　they　avoided　anything　more　than　a　few　shoulder　scrapes　from　falling　chunks　of　rock。　The　rumble　died　down。　Then　its　echo　also。　All　was　silent。
　〃What　was　that？〃　Rona　asked。
　〃There's　your　answer；〃　Rockson　declared；　pointing　back　toward　where　they　had　e　from。　There　was　smoke　and　dust　exuding　from　the　crevice　they　had　entered　the　cavern　from。
　〃The　entranceway　to　Death　City　has　been　blown　up；〃　Detroit　surmised　grimly。
　〃There's　no　turning　back　now；〃　McCaughlin　stated　flatly　〃It's　forward　or　die。〃
　They　proceeded　on　their　way；　on　a　sloping　but　secure　floor　of　limestone。　It　was　a　beautiful　underground　vista　opening　before　them；　a　limestone　cavern；　with　stalagmites　of　every　shape　and　color…they　were　amazed　at　the　beauty　of　the　delicate　formations　when　they　shone　their　lights　on　the　dim　shapes。　All　seemed　well；　and　then　the　pleasantly　cool　temperature　rose。　It　became　quite　warm。
　〃Some　sort　of　hot　lava　bed　perhaps；　ahead。〃　said　Scheransky；　an　expert　on　such　matters。
　〃I　sure　hope　this　is　the　right　cavern；〃　Rona　said。
　No　one　mented　on　that　hope。　It　had　to　be　the　right　cavern。　Or　they　were　dead。
　The　air　became　fetid　with　sulfurous　fumes；　but　was　still　breathable。　They　unclicked　their　flashlights　as　the　light　of　a　bubbling　magma　stream　off　to　their　left　illuminated　the　way　for　another　half　mile。　Then　the　air　and　temperature　returned　to　normal。　〃Good　thing　that　stream　of　hot　lava　wasn't　in　our　way；〃　Detroit　said。　〃I'm　not　much　for　fire　walking。〃
　Now　instead　of　heat；　it　was　cold　…　bitter　cold。　And　the　pebble…littered　path　among　the　rock　formations　descended　steeply。　It　was　cautious　going；　each　Freefighter　helping　the　next　twist　and　turn　down　the　escarpment。　Worse；　here　and　there　were　human　bones　…　skulls　with　huge　dead　eyesockets；　fragments　of　clothing　of　the　twentieth…century　variety。
　〃No　one　has　to　be　told　to　keep　alert；　do　they？〃
　At　Rockson's　suggestion；　they　went　single　file。　〃I　sure　wish　we　had　some　rope　…　I　don't　like　groping　in　the　…〃　Rock　stopped　in　his　tracks。　The　lightbeam　from　his　flashlight　had　reached　some　object　ahead。　A　big　hump　of　rock。　It　stood　out　on　the　flatness　that　lay；　thankfully；　just　ahead。　Their　steep；　dangerous　descent　was　over。
　They　came　down　one　by　one　to　the　flatness。　Then　onward　they　marched；　braving　whatever　would　e　before　them。　After　all；　it　was　incredible　that　they　had　gotten　as　far　as　they　had　…　perhaps　Rockson's　mutant　luck　would　take　them　all　the　way　to　Eden　after　all；　and　thence　to　a　safe　return　to　Colorado。
　Rona　had　swallowed　some　of　the　pain　pills　and　antibiotics　from　Chen's　belt…pouch　supply　of　medicinals。　She　was　keeping　up；　despite　her　injuries。
　〃That　landmark；　guys；　let's　head　for　it。〃　Rock　said；　referring　to　the　hump　of　rock　about　a　hundred　yards　ahead。　〃We'll　climb　atop　it　and　take　a　look　around；　bining　all　our　lights。〃
　The　walk　to　the　rock　hummock　took　no　time　at　all。　They　found　it　to　be　about　a　hundred　feet　high。　Steep；　but　walkable。　When　they　reached　its　rounded　summit；　their　bined　lights　could　find　the　cavern　ceiling　above；　about　another　hundred　feet　up。　It　was　studded　with　long　color…radiant　crystal　stalactites。　Rockson　took　another　look　at　his　special　pass。　〃We're　still　on　track。　Must　have　e　a　third　of　the　way；　and　there　hasn't　been　any　monsters；〃　he　reassured。
　〃Still；　it's　a　big　cave；　and　we　have　a　way　to　go；〃　Detroit　said。
　Rockson　had　the　party　play　their　lights　over　the　inky　distance。　Finally　he　saw　something　other　than