bl.necroscope2-第72章

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the　time　that's　done　the　light　will　be　failing；　and　I'd　prefer　to　work　in　daylight　after　a　good　night's　sleep。　So　…〃
　〃Sometime　tomorrow？〃
　〃In　the　afternoon；　while　the　sun's　still　slanting　onto　that　hillside。〃
　Then　he'd　turned　to　Krakovitch。　〃Felix；　are　these　men　going　back　to　Pitesti　today？〃
　〃They　will　be；〃　Krakovitch　answered；　〃if　there　is　nothing　else　for　them　to　do　until　tomorrow　afternoon。　Why　are　you　asking　this？〃
　Kyle　had　shrugged。　〃Just　a　feeling；〃　he　said。　〃I　would　have　liked　them　to　be　closer　at　hand。　But　…；　〃I；　too；　have　had　a　feeling；〃　the　Russian　answered；　frowning。　〃I　am　thinking；　nerves…perhaps？〃
　〃That　makes　all　three　of　us　then；〃　Carl　Quint　had　added。　〃So　let's　hope　that　it　is　just　nerves　and　nothing　else；　right？〃
　All　of　that　had　been　mid…morning；　and　everything　had　appeared　to　be　going　smoothly。　And　now　suddenly　there　was　this　threat　of　outside　interference。　Between　times　Kyle　had　made　his　call　to　Devon；　taking　two　hours　to　get　through；　and　had　arranged　for　the　strike　against　Harkley　House。　〃Damn　it！〃　he　snapped　now。　〃It　has　to　be　tomorrow。　Ministry　or　none；　we've　got　to　go　ahead　with　this。〃
　〃We　should　have　done　it　this　morning；〃　said　Quint；　〃when　we　were　right　on　top　of　it。　。
　Irma　Dobresti　stepped　in。　She　narrowed　her　eyes　and　said；　〃Listen。　These　local　bureaucrats　are　annoying　me。　Why　don't　you　four　just　drive　back　to　the　site？　Right　now；　I　mean！　See；　I　was　perhaps　alone　when　that　call　came　in　you　men　were　all　out　there　in　the　foothills；　doing　your　job。　I'll　telephone　Pitesti；　get　Chevenu　and　those　rough　men　of　his　back　up　there　to　meet　you　at　the　site。　You　can　do　the　job…I　mean　finish　it…tonight。〃
　Kyle　stared　at　her。　〃That's　a　good　idea；　Irma…but　what　about　you？　Won't　you　be　setting　yourself　up？　Won't　they　give　you　a　hard　time？〃
　〃What？〃　She　looked　surprised　at　the　suggestion。　〃Is　it　my　fault　I　was　alone　here　when　I　took　that　telephone　call？
　Is　it　me　for　blaming　that　my　taxi　took　a　wrong　turning　and　I　couldn't　find　you　to　stop　you　from　burning　the　hills？　All　these　country　tracks　looking　the　same　to　me！〃
　Krakovitch；　Kyle　and　Quint；　all　three　grinned　at　each　other。　Sergei　Gulharov　was　mainly　out　of　it；　but　he　sensed　the　excitement　of　the　others　and　stood　up；　nodding　his　head　as　if　in　agreement。　〃Da；　da！〃
　〃Right；〃　said　Kyle；　〃let's　do　it！〃　And　on　impulse；　he　grabbed　Irma　Dobresti；　pulled　her　close　and　kissed　her　soundly。
　
　Monday　night。
　9。30　middle…European　time；　and　in　England　7。30　P。M。
　There　was　fire　and　nightmare　on　the　cruciform　hills　under　the　moon　and　stars　and　the　looming　Carpatii　Meridionali；　and　the　nightmare　transferred　itself　westward　across　mountains　and　rivers　and　oceans　to　Yulian　Bodescu　where　he　tossed　on　his　bed　and　sweated…the　chill；　rank　sweat　of　fear　in　his　garret　room　at　Harkley　House。
　Exhausted　by　the　unspecified　fears　of　the　day；　he　now　suffered　the　telepathic　torments　of　Thibor　the　Wallach；　the　vampire　whose　last　physical　vestiges　were　finally　being　consumed。　There　was　no　way　back　for　the　vampire　now；　but　unlike　Faethor；　Thibor's　spirit　was　unquiet；　restless；　malignant。　And　it　ached　for　revenge！
　Yuliaannn！　Ah；　my　son；　my　one　true　son！　See　what　is　bee　of　your　father　now。
　〃What？〃　Yulian　talked　in　his　sleep；　imagined　a　blistering　heat；　flames　that　crept　ever　closer。　And　in　the　heart　of　the　fire；　a　figure　beckoning。　〃Who。。。　who　are　you？〃
　Ah；　you　know　me；　my　son。　We　met　but　briefly；　and　you　were　still　unborn　at　that　meeting；　but　you　can　remember　if　you　try。
　〃Where　am　I？〃
　For　the　moment；　with　me。　Ask　not　where　you　are；　but　where　I　am。　These　are　the　cruciform　hills…where　it　started　for　you；　and　where　it　now　ends　for　me。　For　you　this　is　merely　a　dream；　while　for　me　it　is　reality。
　〃You！〃　Now　Yulian　knew　him。　The　voice　that　called　in　the　night；　unremembered　until　now。　The　Thing　in　the　ground。　The　source。　〃You？　My。。。　father？〃
　Indeed！　Oh；　not　through　any　lover's　tryst　with　your　mother。　Not　through　the　lust　or　love　of　a　man　for　a　woman。　No；　but　your　father　nevertheless。　Through　blood；　Yulian；　through　blood！
　Yulian　fought　down　his　fear　of　the　flames。　He　sensed　that　he　only　dreamed…however　real　and　immediate　the　dream…and　knew　he　would　not　be　hurt。　He　advanced　into　the　inferno　of　fire　and　drew　close　to　the　figure　there。　Black　billowing　smoke　and　crimson　flames　obscured　his　view　and　the　heat　was　a　furnace　all　around；　but　there　were　questions　Yulian　must　ask；　and　the　burning　Thing　was　the　only　one　who　could　answer　them。
　〃You　have　asked　me　to　e　and　seek　you　out；　and　I　will　e。　But　why？　What　is　it　you　want　of　me？〃
　Too　late！　Too　late！　the　flame…wreathed　apparition　cried　out　in　anguish。　And　Yulian　knew　that　his　pain　was　not　horn　of　the　consuming　fire　but　bitter　frustration。　I　would　have　been　your　teacher；　my　son。　Yes；　and　you　would　have　learned　all　the　many　secrets　of　the　Wamphyri。　In　return…。　。　I　can't　deny　that　there　would　have　been　a　reward　in　it　for　me。　I　would　have　walked　again　in　the　world　of　men；　known　again　the　unbearable　pleasures　of　my　youth！　But　too　late。　All　dreams　and　schemes　to　no　avail。　Ashes　to　ashes；　dust　to　dust。　。
　The　figure　was　slowly　melting；　its　outline　gradually　changing；　rendering　down　into　itself。
　Yulian　must　know　more；　must　see　more　clearly。　He　penetrated　the　very　heart　of　the　inferno；　came　close　up　to　the　burning　Thing。　〃I　already　know　the　secrets　of　the　Wamphyri！〃　he　cried　above　the　roar　and　crackle　of　blazing　trees　and　the　hiss　of　molten　earth。　〃I　learned　them　for　myself！〃…Can　you　put　on　the　shapes　of　lesser　creatures？
　〃I　can　go　on　all　fours　like　a　great　dog；〃　Yulian　answered。　〃And　in　the　night；　people　would　swear　I　was　a　dog！〃
　Hah！　A　dog！　A　man　who　would　be　a　dog！　What　is　that　for　an　ambition？　It　is　nothing！　Can　you　form　wings；　glide　like　a　bat？
　〃I。。。　haven't　tried。〃
　You　know　nothing。
　〃I　can　make　others　like　myself！〃
　Fool！　That　is　the　simplest　of　things。　Not　to　make　them　is　much　harder！…
　〃When　harmful　men　are　nearby；　I　sense　their　minds。　。
　That　is　instinct；　which　you　got　from　me。　Indeed；　everything　you　have　you　got　from　me！　So　you　read　minds；　eh？　But　can　you　bend　those　minds　to　your　will？
　〃With　my　eyes；　yes。〃
　Beguilment；　hypnotism；　a　stage　magician's　trick！　You　are　an　innocent。
　〃Damn　you！〃　Yulian's　pride　was　hurt　at　last；　his　patience　all　used　up。　〃What　are　you　anyway　but　a　dead　thing？　I'll　tell　you　what　I've　learned：　I　can　take　a　dead　creature　and　draw　out　its　secrets；　and　know　all　that　it　knew　in　life！〃
　Necromancy？　Is　it　so？　And　no　one　to　show　you　how？　That　is　an　achievement！　There　is　hope　for　you　yet。
　〃I　can　heal　my　own　wounds　as　though　they　never　were；　and　I've　the　strength　of　any　two　men。　I　could　lie　with　a　woman　and　love　her…to　death；　if　I　desired…and　not　even　weary　myself。　And　only　anger　me；　dear　father；　and　then　I　could　kill；　kill；　kill！　But　not　you；　for　you're　already　dead。　Hope　for　me？　I'll　say　there　is。　But　what　hope　is　there　for　you？〃
　For　a　moment　there　was　no　answer　from　the　melting　Thing。　Then　…Ahhh！　And　indeed　you　are　my　son；　Yuliaannn！　Closer；　e　closer　still。
　Yulian　moved　to　less　than　arm's　length　from　the　Thing；　facing　it　squarely。　The　stench　of　its　burning　was　monstrous。　Its　blackened　outer　shell　began　to　crumble；　rapidly　disintegrated　and　fell　away。　The　flames　immediately　attacked　the　inner　image；　which　Yulian　now　saw　almost　as　a　reflection　of　himself。　It　had　the　same　features；　the　same　bone　structure；　the　same　dark　attraction。　The　face　of　a　fallen　angel。　They　could　be　peas　from　the　same　pod。
　〃You。。。　you　are　my　father！〃　he　gasped。
　I　was；　the　other　groaned。　Now　I　am　nothing。　I　am　burning　away；　as　you　see。　Not　the　real　me　but　something　I　left　behind。　It　was　my　last　hope；　and　through　it　and　with　your　help…I　might　have　been　a　power　in　the　world　once　again。　But　it's　too　late　now。
　〃Then　why　do　you　concern　yourself　with　me？〃　Yulian　tried　to　understand。　〃Why　have　you　e　to　me…or　drawn　me　to　you？　If　I　can't　help　you；　what's　the　point　of　this？〃
　Revenge！　The　burning　Thing's　voice　was　suddenly　sharp　as　a　knife　in　Yulian's　dreaming　mind。　Through　you！
　〃I　should　avenge　you？　Against　whom？〃
　Against　the　ones　who　found　me　here。　The　ones　who　even　now　destroy　my　last　chance　for　a　future。　Against　Harry　Keogh　and　his　pack　of　white　magicians！