bl.necroscope2-第92章

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　Then　the　earth　had　seemed　to　rumble　and　shudder　a　little；　Volkonsky　had　clung　to　Gulharov　for　dear　life；　Quint　and　Krakovitch　had　thrown　themselves　flat　and　reached　down　from　above　to　grab　hold　of　the　ganger　under　his　armpits。　But　he'd　been　quite　safe；　for　already　his　feet　had　found　purchase　on　unseen　steps　below。
　And　as　they'd　all　four　watched　in　astonishment；　so　the　choking　debris　around　Volkonsky's　thighs　had　settled　down；　collapsing　in　upon　itself；　sinking　like　quicksand　into　the　hollow　depths　of　the　stairwell。　Hollow；　yes！　The　stairs　had　not　been　pletely　choked　but　merely　plugged；　and　now　the　plug　had　been　removed。
　〃Now　it's　our　turn；〃　Quint　had　said　when　the　dust　had　settled　and　they　could　breathe　freely。　〃You　and　me；　Felix。　We　can't　let　Mikhail　go　down　there　ahead　of　us；　for　he　has　no　idea　what　he's　up　against。　If　there　is　still　an　element　of　danger　attached　to　it；　we　should　be　the　first　ones　down　there。〃
　They'd　climbed　down　beside　Volkonsky；　paused　and　looked　at　each　other。　〃We're　unarmed；〃　Krakovitch　had　pointed　out。
　Up　above；　Sergei　Gulharov　had　produced　an　automatic　pistol；　passed　it　down　to　them。　Volkonsky　saw　it；　laughed。　He　spoke　to　Krakovitch　who　smiled。
　Quint　asked；　〃What　did　he　say？〃
　〃He　said；　why　do　we　need　a　gun　if　we're　seeking　treasure？〃　Krakovitch　answered。
　〃Tell　him　we're　scared　of　spiders！〃　said　Quint；　and　taking　the　gun；　he　had　started　down　the　littered　steps。　What　good　bullets　would　be　if　the　vampires　were　still　extant　he　couldn't　have　said；　but　at　least　the　feel　of　the　weapon　in　his　hand　was　a　fort。
　Blackened　chunks　of　rock；　large　and　small；　cluttered　the　stairs　so　badly　that　Quint　was　often　obliged　to　climb　over　them；　but　after　turning　through　another　full　spiral；　at　last　the　steps　were　clear　of　all　but　small　pieces　of　rubble；　pebbles　and　sand　sifted　down　from　above。　And　at　last　he　had　been　at　the　bottom；　with　Krakovitch　and　the　others　close　on　his　heels。　Light　filtered　down　from　above；　but　not　much。
　〃It's　no　good；〃　Quint　had　plained；　shaking　his　head。　〃We　can't　go　in　there；　not　without　proper　light。〃　His　voice　had　echoed　as　in　a　tomb；　which　was　what　the　place　was。　The　place　he　spoke　of　was　a　room；　a　dungeon…the　dungeon；　for　it　could　be　no　other　place　than　Thibor's　prison…beyond　a　low；　arched　stone　doorway。　Maybe　Quint's　reluctance　had　been　his　final　attempt　to　back　away　from　this　thing；　maybe　not；　whichever；　the　resourceful　Gulharov　had　the　answer。　He'd　produced　a　small；　flat　pocket　torch；　passed　it　to　Quint　who　shone　its　beam　ahead　of　him。　There　under　the　arch　of　the　doorway；　fossilised　timber…age…blackened　fragments　of　oak…lying　in　a　pile；　with　red　splashes　of　rust　marking　the　passing　of　defunct　nails　and　bands　of　iron：　all　that　remained　of　a　once　stout　door。　And　beyond　that；　only　darkness。
　Then；　stooping　a　little　to　avoid　a　keystone　which　had　settled　somewhat　through　the　centuries；　Quint　had　stepped　warily　under　the　archway；　pausing　just　inside　the　dungeon。　And　there　he'd　aimed　his　torch　in　a　slow　circle　to　illumine　each　wall　and　corner　of　the　place。　The　cell　was　quite　large；　larger　than　he'd　expected；　it　had　corners；　niches；　ledges　and　recesses　where　the　beam　of　light　couldn't　follow；　and　it　seemed　cut　from　living　rock。
　Quint　aimed　the　beam　at　the　floor。　Dust；　the　filtered　dust　of　ages；　lay　uniformly　thick　everywhere。　No　footprint　disturbed　it。　In　roughly　the　centre　of　the　floor；　a　humped　formation　of　stone；　possibly　bedrock；　strained　grotesquely　upwards。　It　seemed　there　was　nothing　here；　and　yet　〃Quint's　psychic　intuition　told　him　otherwise。　His；　and　Krakovitch's　too。
　〃We　were　right；〃　Krakovitch's　voice　had　echoed　dolefully。　He'd　moved　to　e　up　alongside　Quint。　〃They　are　finished。　They　were　here　and　we　sense　them　even　now；　but　time　has　put　paid　to　them。〃　He'd　moved　forward；　leaned　his　weight　on　the　anomalous　hump　of　rock…which　at　once　crumbled　under　his　hand！
　In　the　next　moment　he'd　jumped　back　with　a　cry　of　sheer　horror；　colliding　with　Quint；　grabbing　him　and　hugging　him　close。　〃Oh　God！　Carl…Carl！　It's　not。。。　not　stone！〃
　Gulharov　and　Volkonsky；　both　of　them　suddenly　electrified；　had　steadied　Krakovitch　while　Quint　shone　his　torch　directly　at　the　humped　mass。　Then；　mouth　gaping　and　heart　fluttering；　the　Englishman　had　breathed；　〃Did　you　sense。。。　anything？〃
　The　other　shook　his　head；　took　a　deep　breath。　〃No；　no。　My　reaction；　that　was　simply　shock…not　a　warning。　Thank　God　for　that　at　least！　My　talent　is　working…believe　me　it　is　working…but　it　reveals　nothing。　I　was　shocked；　just　shocked。　。
　〃But　just　look　at　this。。。　this　thing！〃　Quint　had　been　awed。　He'd　moved　forward；　carefully　blown　dust　from　the　surface　of　the　mass　and　used　a　handkerchief　to　dust　it　down。　Parts　of　it；　anyway。　For　even　a　perfunctory　dusting　had　revealed…total　horror！
　The　thing　was　slumped　where　in　uncounted　years　past　it　had　groped　one　last　time　upwards　from　the　packed　earth　of　the　floor。　It　was　one　mass　now…the　mummied　remains　of　one　creature…but　clearly　it　was　posed　of　more　than　one　person。　Hunger　and　possibly　madness　had　forced　the　issue：　the　hunger　of　the　proto…flesh　in　the　earth；　the　madness　of　Ehrig　and　the　women。　There　had　been　no　way　out　and；　weak　with　hunger；　the　vampires　had　been　unable　to　resist　the　advances　of　the　mindless；　subterranean　〃creeper〃。　It　had　probably　taken　them　one　by　one；　adding　them　to　its　bulk。　And　now　that　bulk　lay　here；　fallen　where　it　had　finally；　mercifully　〃died〃。　In　the　end；　governed　only　by　weak　impulse　and　indeterminate　instinct；　perhaps　it　had　attempted　to　reconstitute　the　others。　Certainly　there　was　evidence　to　that　effect。
　It　had　the　breasts　of　women；　and　a　half…formed　male　head；　and　many　pseudohands。　Eyes；　bulging　behind　their　closed　lids；　were　everywhere。　And　mouths；　some　human　and　others　inhuman。　Yes；　and　there　were　other　features　much　worse　than　these。
　Emboldened；　Gulharov　and　Volkonsky　had　e　forward；　the　latter；　before　he　could　be　cautioned；　had　reached　out　a　hand　and　laid　it　upon　a　cold；　shrivelled　breast　where　it　protruded　alongside　a　flabby…lipped　mouth。　All　was　the　colour　of　leather　and　looked　solid　enough；　but　no　sooner　had　the　big　ganger　touched　the　teat　than　it　crumbled　into　dust。　Volkonsky　snatched　back　his　hand　with　an　oath；　stepped　back　a　pace。　But　Sergei　Gulharov　was　much　less　timid。　He　knew　something　of　these　horrors；　and　the　very　thought　of　them　infuriated　him。
　Cursing；　he　lashed　out　with　his　foot　at　the　base　of　the　thing　where　it　sprouted　from　the　floor；　lashed　out　again　and　again。　The　others　had　made　no　attempt　to　stop　him；　it　was　his　way　of　working　it　out　of　his　system。　He　waded　into　the　crumbling　monstrosity；　fists　and　feet　pounding　at　it。　And　in　a　very　little　while　nothing　remained　but　billowing　dust　and　a　few　fretted　bones。
　〃Out！〃　Krakovitch　had　choked。　〃Let's　get　out　of　here　before　we　suffocate。　Carl。〃　He'd　clutched　the　other's　arm；　〃thank　God　it　was　dead！〃　And　with　their　hands　to　their　mouths；　finally　they'd　climbed　back　up　the　stairwell　into　clean；　healthy　daylight。
　〃That。。。　whatever　it　was；　should　be　buried；〃　Volkonsky　had　growled　to　Gulharov　as　they　moved　away　from　the　ruins。
　〃Exactly！〃　Krakovitch　had　taken　the　opportunity　to　agree　with　him。　〃So　as　to　be　absolutely　certain；　it　has　to　be　buried。　And　that's　where　you　e　in。　。
　
　The　four　had　been　back　to　the　ruins　a　second　time　since　then；　when　Volkonsky　had　drilled　holes；　laid　charges；　unrolled　a　hundred　yards　of　detonating　cable　and　made　electrical　connections。　And　now　they'd　returned　for　the　third　and　last　time。　And　as　before；　Theo　Dolgikh　had　followed　them；　which　was　why　this　would　be　the　last　time。
　Now；　from　the　cover　of　bushes　back　along　the　overgrown　track　near　the　cliff　and　its　precarious　ledge；　the　KGB　man　watched　Volkonsky　put　down　his　firing　box　at　the　end　of　the　prepared　cable；　watched　as　the　party　moved　on　towards　the　ruins；　presumably　for　one　last　look。
　This　was　Dolgikh's　best　chance；　the　moment　the　Russian　agent　had　been　waiting　for。　He　checked　his　gun　again；　took　off　the　safety　and　reholstered　it；　then　quickly　scrambled　up　the　scree　slope　on　his　left　and　into　a　straggling　stand　of　pines　where　the　trees　marched　at　the　foot　of　the　gaunt　cliffs。　If　he　used　his　cover　to　its　best　advantage；　he　could　stay　out　of　sight　until　the　last　m