bl.necroscope2-第20章

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month　of　leaving　Bucharest　Ilya's　irritating　cough　had　disappeared　and　much　of　his　former　strength　had　returned。　With　typical　Romanian　zeal；　he　revelled　in　expending　much　of　it　on　Georgina。　It　had　been　like　a　second　honeymoon。
　Mid…February　and　the　impossible　happened：　three　consecutive　days　of　clear　skies　and　bright　sunshine；　and　all　of　the　snow　steaming　away；　so　that　on　the　morning　of　the　fourth　day　it　looked　almost　like　an　early　spring。　〃Another　two　or　three　days　of　fair　weather；〃　the　locals　nodded　knowingly；　〃and　then　you'll　see　snow　like　you've　never　seen　it！　So　enjoy　what　we've　got　while　you　can。〃　Ilya　and　Georgina　had　determined　to　do　just　that。
　Over　the　years　and　under　Ilya's　tuition；　Georgina　had　bee　quite　handy　on　a　pair　of　skis。　It　might　be　a　very　long　time　before　they　got　the　chance　again。　Down　here　on　the　so…called　steppe；　all　that　remained　of　the　snow　were　dark　grey　piles　heaped　at　the　roadsides；　a　few　kilometres　up　country　towards　the　Alps；　however；　there　was　still　plenty　to　be　found。
　Ilya　hired　a　car　for　a　couple　of　days…a　beat…up　old　Volkswagen　beetle…and　skis；　and　by　1。30　P。M。　on　that　fateful　fourth　day　they　had　motored　up　into　the　foothills。　For　lunch　they　stopped　at　a　tiny　inn　on　the　northern　extreme　of　lonesti；　ordering　goulash　which　they　washed　down　with　thick　coffee；　followed　by　a　single　shot　each　of　sharp　slivovitz　to　clean　their　mouths。
　Then　on　higher　into　the　hills；　to　a　region　where　the　snow　still　lay　thick　on　the　fields　and　hedgerows。　And　there　it　was　that　Ilya　spied　the　hump　of　low　grey　hills　a　mile　or　so　to　the　west；　and　turned　off　the　road　on　to　a　track　to　try　to　get　a　little　closer。
　Finally　the　track　had　bee　rutted　under　the　drifted　snow；　and　the　snow　itself　deeper；　until　at　last　Ilya　had　grunted　his　annoyance。　Not　wanting　to　get　bogged　down；　revving　the　little　car's　engine；　he'd　bumpily　turned　it　about　in　its　own　tracks；　the　better　to　make　an　easy　getaway　when　they　were　through　with　their　sport。
　〃Landlaufen！〃　he'd　declared；　getting　down　their　skis　from　the　roof　rack。
　Georgina　had　groaned。　〃Cross…country？　All　the　way　to　those　hills？〃
　〃They're　white！〃　he　declared。　〃Glittery　with　dust　over　the　hard；　firm　crust。　Perfect！　Maybe　half　a　mile　there；　a　slow　climb　to　the　top　and　a　controlled；　enjoyable　slalom　through　the　trees；　then　back　here　just　as　the　twilight's　ing　down　on　us。〃
　〃But　it's　after　three　now！〃　she'd　protested。Then　we'd　better　get　a　move　on。　e　on；　it'll　be　good　for　us。。。〃
　〃Good　for　us！〃　Georgina　sadly　repeated　now；　his　picture　still　clear　in　her　mind　a　year　later；　tall　and　darkly　handsome　as　he　lifted　the　skis　from　the　beetle's　roof　and　tossed　them　down　in　the　snow。
　〃What's　that？〃　Anne　Drew；　her　younger　cousin；　glanced　back　at　her　over　her　shoulder。　〃Did　you　say　something？〃
　〃No；〃　Georgina　smiled　wanly；　shaking　her　head。　She　was　glad　for　the　intrusion　of　another　into　her　memories；　but　at　the　same　time　sorry。　Ilya's　face；　fading；　hung　in　the　air；　superimposed　over　her　cousin's。　〃Daydreaming；　that's　all。〃
　Anne　frowned；　turned　back　to　her　driving。　Daydreaming；　she　thought。　Yes；　and　Georgina　had　done　a　lot　of　that　over　the　last　twelve　months。　There'd　seemed　to　be　something　in　her；　something　other　than　little　Yulian；　that　is；　which　hadn't　e　out　of　her　when　he　had。　Grief；　yes；　of　course；　but　more　than　that。　It　was　as　if　she'd　teetered　for　twelve　months　on　the　very　edge　of　a　nervous　break…down；　and　that　only　Ilya's　continuation　in　Yulian　had　kept　her　from　toppling。　As　for　daydreams：　sometimes　she'd　seemed　so　very　far　away；　so　detached　from　the　real　world；　that　it　had　been　difficult　to　call　her　back。　But　now；　with　the　baby。。。　now　she　had　something　to　cling　to；　an　anchor；　something　to　live　for。
　Good　for　us；　Georgina　said　again；　but　this　time　to　herself；　bitterly。
　It　hadn't　been　〃good〃　for　them；　that　last　fatal　frolic　in　the　snow　on　the　cruciform　hills。　Anything　but。　It　had　been　terrible；　tragic。　A　nightmare　she'd　lived　through　a　thou…sand　times　in　the　year　gone　by；　with　ten　thousand　more　to　e；　she　was　sure。　Lulled　by　the　car's　warmth　and　the　purr　of　its　motor；　she　slipped　back　into　her　memories。。。
　They'd　found　an　old　firebreak　in　the　side　of　the　hill　and　set　out　to　climb　it　to　the　top；　pausing　now　and　then　with　their　breath　pluming；　shielding　their　eyes　against　the　white　blaze。　But　by　the　time　they'd　pantingly　reached　the　crest　the　sun　had　been　low　and　the　light　starting　to　fade。
　〃From　now　on　it's　all　downhill；〃　Ilya　had　pointed　out。　〃A　brisk　slalom　through　the　saplings　grown　up　in　the　firebreak；　then　a　slow　glide　back　to　the　car。　Ready？　Then　here　we　go！〃
　And　the　rest　of　it　had　been。。。　disaster！
　The　saplings　he'd　mentioned　were　in　fact　half…grown　trees。　The　snow；　drifted　into　the　firebreak；　was　far　deeper　than　he　might　have　guessed；　so　that　only　the　tops　of　the　pines…looking　like　saplings…stood　proud　of　the　powdery　white　surface。　Half…way　down　he'd　skied　too　close　to　one　such；　a　branch；　just　under　the　surface；　showing　as　the　merest　tuft　of　green；　had　tangled　his　right…hand　ski。　He'd　upended；　bounced　and　skittered　and　jarred　another　twenty…five　yards　in　a　whirling　bundle　of　white　anorak；　sticks　and　skis；　flailing　arms　and　legs　before　grabbing　another　〃sapling〃　and　bringing　his　careening　descent　to　a　halt。
　Georgina；　well　to　his　rear　and　skiing　a　little　more　timidly；　saw　it　all。　Her　heart　seemed　to　fly　into　her　mouth　and　she　cried　out；　then　formed　a　snow…plough　of　her　skis　and　drew　up　alongside　her　husband　where　he　sprawled。　She'd　stepped　out　of　her　clamps　at　once；　dug　her　skis　in　so　that　she　couldn't　lose　them；　gone　down　on　her　knees　beside　him。　Ilya　held　his　sides　as　he　laughed　and　laughed；　the　tears　of　laughter　rolling　down　his　cheeks　and　freezing　there。
　〃Clown！〃　She'd　thumped　his　chest　then。　〃Oh；　you　clown！　You　very　nearly　frightened　the　life　out　of　me！〃
　He　had　laughed　all　the　louder；　grabbing　her　wrists；　holding　her　still。　Then　he'd　looked　at　his　skis　and　stopped　laughing。　The　right　ski　was　broken；　hanging　by　a　splinter　where　it　had　cracked　across　its　width　some　six　inches　infront　of　the　clamp。　〃Ah！〃　he　had　exclaimed　then；　frown…ling。　And　he'd　sat　up　in　the　snow　and　looked　all　about；　Georgina　had　known；　then；　that　it　was　serious。　She　could　see　it　in　his　eyes；　the　way　they　narrowed。〃You　go　back　to　the　car；〃　he'd　told　her。　〃But　carefully；　mind　you…don't　be　like　me　and　go　banging　your　skis　up！　Start　the　car　and　get　the　heater　going。　It's　not　much　morethan　a　mile；　so　by　the　time　I　get　back　you'll　have　that　oldbeetle　good　and　warm　for　me。　No　point　both　of　us　freezing。〃
　〃No！〃　She'd　refused　point…blank。　〃We　go　back　together。　I…'
　〃Georgina。〃　He'd　spoken　quietly；　which　meant　that　he　was　getting　angry。　〃Look；　if　we　go　back　together；　it　means　we'll　both　get　back　wet；　tired；　and　very；　very　cold。　Now　that's　OK　for　me；　and　I　deserve　it；　but　you　don't。　My　way　you'll　soon　be　warm；　and　I'll　be　warm　a　lot　sooner！　Also；　night　is　ing　on。　You　get　back　to　the　car　now；　in　the　twilight；　and　you'll　be　able　to　put　on　the　lights　as　a　marker。　You　can　beep　the　horn　now　and　then　to　let　me　know　you're　safe　and　warm；　and　to　give　me　an　incentive。　You　see？〃
　She　had　seen；　but　his　arguments　hadn't　swayed　her。　〃Ifwe　stick　together；　at　least　we'll　be　together！　What　if　I　did　fall　down　and　get　stuck；　eh？　You'd　get　back　to　the　car　and　I　wouldn't　be　there。　What　then？　Ilya；　I'd　be　frightened　on　my　own。　For　myself　and　for　you！〃
　For　a　second　his　eyes　had　narrowed　more　yet。　But　then　he'd　nodded。　〃You're　right；　of　course。〃　And　again　he'd　looked　all　about。　Then；　taking　off　his　skis：　〃Very　well；　this　is　what　we'll　do。　Look　down　there。〃
　The　firebreak　had　continued　for　maybe　another　half　kilometre；　running　steeply　downhill。　To　both　sides　full…grown　trees；　some　of　them　hoary　with　age；　stood　thick　and　dark；　with　the　snow　drifted　in　banks　under　them　where　they　bordered　the　firebreak。　They　stood　so　close　that　overhead　their　branches　often　interlocked。　They　hadn't　been　cut　for　five　hundred　years；　those　trees。　Beneath　them　the　snow　was　mostly　patchy；　kept　from　the　earth　by　the　thick　fir　canopy；　which　it　covered　like　a　mantle。
　The　car's　over　there；〃　said　Ilya；　pointing　east；　〃around　the　curve　of　the　hill　and　behind　the　trees。　We'll　cut　through　the　trees　downhill　to　the　track；　then