bl.necroscope2-第23章

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　Yulian　had　also　had　enough。　He　began　to　kick；　gathered　air　for　a　howling　session。　His　face　puffed　up　and　started　to　turn　a　little　blue；　which　would　normally　mean　that　frustration　and　anger　were　ing　to　the　boil　just　beneath　the　surface。　Georgina　couldn't　keep　back　a　great　sigh　of　relief　at　that。　What　was　Yulian　but　a　helpless　baby　after　all？
　〃。。。　the　carnal　desires　of　the　flesh。。。　was　crucified；　dead；　and　buried；　that　he　went　down　into　hell；　and　also　did　rise　again　the　third　day；　that　he。。。〃
　Just　a　baby；　thought　Georgina；　with　Ilya's　blood；　and　mine；　and。。。　and？
　〃。。。　the　quick　and　the　dead？〃
　The　church　was　thunder　dark；　the　storm　almost　directly　overhead。
　〃。。。　resurrection　of　the　flesh；　and　everlasting　life　after　death？〃
　Georgina　gave　a　start　as　Anne　and　George　answered　in　unison：　〃All　this　we　steadfastly　believe。〃
　〃Wilt　he　then　be　baptised　in　this　faith？〃
　George　and　Anne　again：　〃That　is　his　desire。〃
　But　Yulian　denied　it！　He　gave　a　howl　to　raise　the　rafters；　jerked　and　kicked　with　an　astonishing　strength　where　his　mother　cradled　him。　The　old　clergyman　sensed　trouble　brewing…not　the　real　trouble　but　trouble　anyway…and　decided　not　to　prolong　things。　He　took　the　baby　from　Georgina's　arms。　Yulian's　white　christening…gown　was　a　haze　of　almost　neon　light；　himself　a　pink　pulsation　in　its　folds。
　Above　the　baby's　howling；　the　old　vicar　said　to　George　and　Anne：　〃Name　this　child。〃
　〃Yulian；〃　they　answered　simply。
　〃Yulian；〃　he　nodded；　〃I　baptise　thee　in　the　name　of…〃　He　paused；　stared　at　the　baby。　His　right　hand…practised；　accustomed；　of　its　own　accord…had　dipped　into　the　font；　lifted　water；　poised　dripping。
　Yulian　continued　to　howl。　Anne　and　George　and　Georgina　heard　his　crying；　only　that。　No　longer　touching　her　child；　Georgina　felt　suddenly　free；　unburdened；　separate　from　what　was　ing。　It　was　not　her　doing；　she　was　merely　an　observer；　this　priest　must　bear　the　brunt　of　his　own　ritual。　She；　too；　heard　only　Yulian's　crying…but　she　felt　the　approach　of　something　enormous。
　To　the　vicar　the　infant's　howling　had　taken　on　a　new　note。　It　was　no　longer　the　cry　of　a　child　but　a　beast。　His　jaw　dropped　and　he　looked　up；　blinking　rapidly　as　he　peered　from　face　to　face：　George　and　Anne　smiling；　if　a　little　unfortably；　and　Georgina；　looking　small　and　wan。　And　then　he　looked　again　at　Yulian。　The　baby　was　issuing　grunts；　animal　grunts　of　rage！　Its　crying　was　only　a　cover；　like　perfume　masking　the　stink　of　ordure。　Underneath　was　the　bass　croaking　of　utter　Horror！
　Automatically；　his　hand　trembling　like　a　leaf　in　a　gale；　the　old　man　splashed　a　little　water　on　the　infant's　fevered　brow；　traced　a　cross　there　with　his　finger。　The　water　might　well　have　been　acid！
　NO！　the　thunderous　croaking　formed　a　denial。　PUT　NO　CROSS　ON　ME；　YOU　TREACHEROUS　CHRISTIAN　DOG！
　〃What…！〃　the　vicar　suspected　he'd　gone　insane。　His　eyes　bulged　behind　the　thick　lenses　of　his　spectacles。
　The　others　heard　nothing　except　the　baby's　crying…which　now　ceased　on　the　instant。　Old　man　and　infant　Stared　at　each　other　in　a　deafening　silence。　〃What？〃　the　Vicar　asked　again；　his　voice　a　whisper。
　Before　his　eyes　the　skin　of　the　baby's　brow　puffed　up　in　twin　mounds；　like　huge　boils　accelerated　to　instantaneous　eruption。　The　fine　skin　split　and　blunt　goat　horns　came　through；　curving　as　they　emerged。　Yulian's　jaws　elongated　into　a　dog's　muzzle；　which　cracked　open　to　reveal　a　red　cave　of　white　knives　and　a　viper's　flickering　tongue。　The　breath　of　the　thing　was　a　stench；　an　open　tomb；　its　eyes；　pits　of　sulphur；　burned　on　the　vicar's　face　like　fire。
　〃Jesus！〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Oh；　my　God…what　are　you？〃　And　he　dropped　the　child。　Or　would　have…but　George　had　seen　the　glazing　of　his　eyes；　the　slackening　of　his　body；　the　blood's　rapid　draining　from　his　face。　As　the　old　man　crumpled；　George　stepped　forward；　took　Yulian　from　him。
　Anne；　also　quick　off　the　mark；　had　caught　the　old　man　and　managed　to　lower　him　a　little　less　than　gently　to　the　floor。　But　Georgina　was　also　reeling。　Like　the　other　two；　she　had　seen；　smelled；　heard　nothing…but　she　was　Yulian's　mother。　She　had　felt　something　ing；　and　she　knew　that　it　had　been　here。　As　she；　too；　fainted；　so　there　came　a　thunderbolt　that　struck　the　steeple；　and　a　cannonade　of　thunder　that　rolled　on　and　on。
　Then　there　was　only　silence。　And　light　gradually　returning；　and　dust　shaken　down　in　rivulets　from　rafters　high　overhead。
　And　George　and　Anne；　white　as　ghosts；　gaping　at　each　other　in　the　church's　lightening　gloom。
　And　Yulian；　angelic　in　his　godfather's　arms。。。
　Georgina　was　a　year　making　her　recovery。　Yulian　spent　the　time　with　his　godparents；　at　the　end　of　which　they　had　their　own　child　to　fuss　over　and　care　for。　His　mother　spent　it　in　a　somewhat　select　sanatorium。　No　one　was　much　surprised；　her　breakdown；　so　long　delayed；　had　finally　arrived　with　a　vengeance。　George　and　Anne；　and　others　of　Georgina's　friends；　visited　her　regularly；　but　no　one　mentioned　the　abortive　christening　or　the　death　of　the　vicar。
　That　had　been　a　stroke　or　some　such。　The　old　man's　health　had　been　waning。　He'd　lasted　only　a　few　hours　after　his　collapse　in　the　church。　George　had　gone　with　him　in　an　ambulance　to　the　hospital；　had　been　with　him　when　he　died。　The　old　man　had　e　to　in　the　final　moments　before　he　passed　forever　from　this　world。
　His　eyes　had　focussed　on　George's　face；　widened；　filled　with　memory；　disbelief。　〃It's　all　right；〃　George　had　…forted　him；　patting　the　hand　which　grasped　his　forearm　with　a　feverish　strength。　〃Take　it　easy。　You're　in　good　hands。〃
　〃Good　hands？　Good　hands！　My　God！〃　The　old　man　had　been　quite　lucid。　〃I　dreamed。。。　I　dreamed。。。　there　was　a　christening。　You　were　there。〃　It　was　almost　an　accusation。
　George　smiled。　〃There　was　supposed　to　be　a　christening；〃　he'd　answered。　〃But　don't　worry；　you　can　finish　it　when　you're　up　and　about　again。〃
　〃It　was　real？〃　the　old　man　tried　to　sit　up。　〃It　was　real！〃
　George　and　a　nurse　supported　him　in　his　bed；　lowered　him　as　he　collapsed　again　on　to　his　pillows。　Then　he　caved　in。　His　face　contorted　and　he　seemed　to　crumple　into　himself。　The　nurse　rushed　from　the　room　shouting　for　a　doctor。　Still　convulsing；　the　vicar　beckoned　George　closer　with　a　twitching　finger。　His　face　was　fluttering；　had　turned　the　colour　of　lead。
　George　put　his　ear　to　the　old　man's　whispering　lips；　heard：　〃Christen　it？　No；　no…you　mustn't！　First…first　have　it　exorcised！〃
　And　those　were　the　last　words　he　ever　spoke。　George　mentioned　it　to　no　one。　Obviously　the　old　boy's　mind　had　been　going；　too。
　A　week　after　the　christening　Yulian　developed　a　rash　of　tiny　white　blisters　on　his　forehead。　They　eventually　dried　up　and　flaked　away；　leaving　barely　visible　marks　exactly　like　freckles。。。
　
　
　Chapter　Five
　〃He　was　a　funny　little　thing！〃　Anne　Lake　laughed；　shook　her　head　and　set　her　blonde　hair　flying　in　the　breeze　from　the　car's　half…open　window。　〃Do　you　remember　when　we　had　him　that　year？〃
　It　was　late　in　the　summer　of　〃77　and　they　were　driving　down　to　stay　with　Georgina　and　Yulian　for　a　week。　The　last　time　they'd　seen　them　was　two　years　ago。　George　had　thought　the　boy　was　strange　then；　and　he'd　said　so　on　several　occasions…not　to　Georgina　and　certainly　not　to　Yulian　himself；　of　course　not；　but　to　Anne；　in　private。　Now　he　said　so　again：
　〃Funny　little　thing？〃　He　cocked　an　eyebrow。　〃That's　one　way　of　putting　it；　I　suppose。　Weird　would　be　a　better　way！　And　from　what　I　remember　of　him　last　time　we　came　down　he　hasn't　changed…what　was　a　weird　baby　is　now　a　weird　young　man！〃
　〃Oh；　George；　that's　ridiculous。　All　babies　are　different　from　each　other。　Yulian　was；　well；　more　different；　that's　all。〃
　〃Listen；〃　said　George。　That　child　wasn't　two　months　old　when　he　came　to　us…and　he　had　teeth！　Teeth　like　little　needles…sharp　as　hell！　And　I　remember　Georgina　saying　he　was　born　with　them。　That's　why　she　couldn't　breast…feed　him。〃
　〃George；〃　said　Anne　warningly；　a　little　sharply；　reminding　him　that　Helen　sat　in　the　back　of　the　car。　She　was　their　daughter：　a　beautiful；　occasionally　precocious　girl　of　sixteen。
　Helen　sighed；　very　deliberately　and　audibly；　and　said；　〃Oh；　mother！　I　know　what　breasts　are　for…apart　from　being　natural　attractions　for　the　opposite　sex；　that　is。　Why　must　y