osc.am2.redprophet-第35章

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d　Xs　of　Shaw…Nee　talk。　Al　and　the　other　children　of　Vigor　Church　used　to　imitate　Red　talk　by　saying　things　like　〃boxy　talksy　skock　woxity〃　and　laughing　till　their　sides　ached。　But　it　didn't　sound　too　funny　the　way　Ta…Kumsaw　said　it；　and　when　he　was　done　Al　and　Measure　found　themselves　getting　pulled　along　by　them　thongs　again。　And　when　the　rags　of　their　underjohns　fell　down　and　started　tripping　them　up；　Ta…Kumsaw　came　back　and　tore　them　off　the　boys；　ripping　that　fabric　to　shreds　with　his　bare　hands；　his　face　all　angry。　Neither　Al　nor　Measure　felt　like　mentioning　that　they　was　left　pretty　near　naked　by　this　time；　considering　that　the　only　wearing　apparel　left　on　them　was　the　thong　around　their　neck；　it　just　didn't　seem　like　a　good　time　to　plain。　Where　Ta…Kumsaw　was　taking　them　they　had　no　idea；　and　since　they　also　had　no　choice　about　going；　there　wasn't　much　point　in　asking；　either。
　　Al　and　Measure　never　ran　so　long　or　so　far　in　their　lives。　Hour　after　hour；　mile　after　mile；　never　going　too　terrible　fast；　but　never　stopping；　neither。　Moving　like　this；　a　Red　could　travel　faster　on　foot　than　a　White　usually　could　on　horseback；　unless　he　was　making　his　nag　run　all　the　way。　Which　wasn't　too　good　on　the　horse。　And　the　horse　had　to　stay　on　cleared　roads。　While　Reds　　Reds　didn't　even　need　a　path。
　　Al　noticed　real　quick　that　running　through　the　woods　was　different　for　the　Reds　than　it　was　for　him　and　Measure。　The　only　sound　he　heard　was　his　and　Measure's　footfalls。　Al　being　near　the　back；　he　could　see　how　things　went　with　Measure。　The　Red　who　was　pulling　Measure　would　push　a　branch　with　his　body；　and　the　branch　would　bend　to　make　way。　But　the　next　second　when　Measure　tried　to　push　through；　it　would　snatch　at　his　skin　and　then　break　off。　Reds　would　step　on　roots　or　twigs　and　there'd　be　no　sound；　nothing　snagging　their　feet；　Al　would　step　on　the　same　spot；　and　he'd　trip　up；　stumble；　the　thong　catching　at　his　neck；　or　the　twig　would　snap　under　his　bare　foot；　or　the　rough　bark　of　the　root　would　tear　at　his　skin。　Al；　on　account　of　being　just　a　boy；　was　used　to　walking　around　barefoot　a　good　deal　of　the　time；　so　the　soles　of　his　feet　were　somewhat　toughened　up。　But　Measure'd　been　in　growed…man's　boots　for　some　years　now；　and　Al　could　see　that　after　maybe　half　a　mile　Measure　was　bleeding。
　　One　thing　he　could　do；　Al　reckoned；　was　help　his　brother's　feet　to　heal　up。　He　tried　to　start；　to　find　his　way　into　his　brother's　feet　the　way　he'd　found　his　way　into　the　stone　and　the　steel　and　the　wood。　Running　along　like　that；　though；　it　was　hard　to　concentrate。　And　living　flesh　was　just　too　plicated。
　　Al　wasn't　the　kind　to　give　up。　No；　he　just　tried　a　different　way。　Since　it　was　running　that　distracted　him；　he　just　quit　thinking　about　running。　Didn't　look　at　the　ground。　Didn't　try　to　step　where　the　Red　ahead　of　him　stepped；　just　didn't　think　about　it　at　all。　Like　trimming　an　oil　lamp；　he　trimmed　his　own　wick；　as　they　say；　letting　his　eyes　focus　on　nothing；　thinking　about　nothing；　letting　his　body　work　like　a　pet　animal　that　could　be　let　to　have　its　own　head　and　go　its　own　way。
　　He　had　no　notion　that　he　was　doing　what　doodlebugs　do；　when　they　let　their　bug　go　out　of　their　head　and　travel　on　its　own。　And　anyway　it　wasn't　the　same；　on　account　of　there　wasn't　no　doodlebug　in　the　natural　world　who　ever　tried　to　doodle　while　he　was　running　with　a　thong　around　his　neck。
　　Now；　though；　he　didn't　have　a　speck　of　trouble　getting　into　Measure's　body；　finding　the　sore　places；　the　bleeding　cuts　on　his　feet；　the　ache　in　his　legs；　the　pain　in　his　side。　Healing　the　feet；　toughing　them　up；　callusing　them；　that　was　easy　enough。　For　the　others；　Al　felt　how　Measure's　body　was　craving　for　him　to　breathe　more；　deeper；　faster；　so　Al　got　into　his　lungs　and　cleared　them；　opened　them　into　the　deepest　places。　Now　when　Measure　sucked　in　air；　his　body　got　more　of　a　use　out　of　it；　like　it　could　wring　out　each　rag　of　air　to　get　the　very　last　drop　of　good　out　of　it。　Al　didn't　even　half　understand　what　he　was　doing　　but　he　knowed　it　worked；　cause　the　pain　in　Measure's　body　began　to　ease；　he　didn't　weary　so　much；　he　didn't　gasp　for　breath。
　　As　he　returned　to　himself；　Al　noticed　that　in　the　whole　time　he　was　helping　Measure；　he　didn't　step　on　no　twig　that　broke　or　get　smacked　by　some　snaggy　branch　flipping　back　from　the　Red　in　front　of　him。　Now；　though；　he　was　getting　poked　and　tripped　and　snapped　as　much　as　ever。　He　thought　right　off；　it　was　happening　just　the　same　all　along；　only　I　didn't　hardly　notice　cause　I　wasn't　rightly　paying　attention　to　my　own　skin。　But　even　as　he　decided　that　was　true　and　even　mostly　believed　it；　he　also　realized　that　the　sound　of　the　world　had　changed。　Now　it　was　just　breathing　and　pale…skinned　feet　thumping　on　the　dirt　or　swishing　through　ancient　dead　leaves。　A　bird　sound　now　and　then；　a　fly　buzzing。　Nothing　remarkable；　except　that　Al　could　remember；　just　as　plain　as　anything；　that　until　he　came　back　from　fixing　up　Measure's　body　he　could　hear　something　else；　a　kind　of　music；　a　kind　of　green　music。　Well；　that　didn't　make　no　sense。　There　wasn't　no　way　music　could　have　a　color　to　it；　that　was　plain　crazy。　So　Al　put　that　out　of　his　mind；　just　didn't　think　about　it。　Without　thinking　about　it；　though；　he　was　still　longing　to　hear　it　again。　Hear　it　or　see　it　or　smell　it；　however　it　came　into　him；　he　wanted　it　back　again。
　　And　one　more　little　thing。　Until　he　went　out　of　himself　to　help　Measure；　his　own　body　wasn't　doing　all　that　well；　neither；　in　fact　he　was　near　wore　out。　But　now　he　was　all　right；　his　body　was　doing　fine；　he　was　breathing　deep；　his　legs　and　arms　felt　like　he　could　go　on　forever；　sturdy　in　their　motion　as　trees　were　in　their　stillness。　Now　maybe　that　was　because　in　healing　Measure；　he　also　somehow　healed　himself　　but　he　didn't　rightly　believe　that；　cause　he　always　knew　what　he　did　and　what　he　didn't　do。　No；　to　Al　Junior's　thinking；　his　body　was　doing　better　because　of　something　else。　And　that　something　else；　either　it　was　part　of　the　green　music；　or　it　caused　the　music；　or　they　both　were　caused　by　the　same　thing。　As　near　as　Al　could　figure。
　　Running　along　like　that；　Al　and　Measure　didn't　have　no　chance　to　talk　till　getting　on　nightfall；　when　they　came　to　a　Red　village　on　the　curve　of　a　dark　deep　river。　Ta…Kumsaw　led　them　right　into　the　middle　of　the　village　and　then　walked　off　and　left　them。　The　river　was　just　down　the　slope　from　them；　maybe　a　hundred　yards　of　grassy　ground。
　　〃Think　we　could　make　it　down　to　the　river　without　them　catching　us？〃　whispered　Measure。
　　〃No；〃　said　Al。　〃And　anyways　I　can't　swim。　Pa　never　let　me　near　the　water。〃
　　Then　all　the　Red　women　and　children　e　out　of　the　stick…and…mud　huts　they　lived　in　and　pointed　at　them　two　naked　Whites；　man　and　boy；　and　laughed　and　threw　sods　at　them。　At　first　Al　and　Measure　tried　to　dodge；　but　it　just　made　them　laugh　harder　and　run　around　and　around；　throwing　wet　dirt　from　different　angles；　tying　to　catch　them　in　the　face　or　the　crotch。　Finally　Measure　just　sat　down　on　the　grass；　put　his　face　to　his　knees；　and　let　them　throw　all　they　wanted。　Al　did　the　same。　Finally　somebody　barked　a　few　words　and　the　sod…throwing　stopped。　Al　looked　up　in　time　to　see　Ta…Kumsaw　walking　away；　and　a　couple　of　his　fighting　men　e　out　to　watch　and　make　sure　nothing　else　happened。
　　〃That　was　the　farthest　I　ever　run　in　my　whole　life；〃　said　Measure。
　　〃Me　too；〃　said　Al。
　　〃Right　at　the　start　there　I　thought　I　was　like　to　die；　I　was　so　tired；〃　said　Measure。　〃Then　I　got　my　second　wind。　I　didn't　think　I　had　it　in　me。〃
　　Al　didn't　say　nothing。
　　〃Or　did　you　have　something　to　do　with　that？〃
　　〃Maybe　some；〃　said　Al。
　　〃I　never　know　what　you　can　do；　Alvin。〃
　　〃Me　neither；〃　said　Al；　and　it　was　the　truth。
　　〃When　that　hatchet　e　down　on　my　fingers　I　thought　that　was　the　end　of　my　working　days。〃
　　〃Just　be　glad　they　didn't　try　to　drownd　us。〃
　　〃You　and　water　again；〃　said　Measure。　〃Well　I'm　glad　you　done　what　you　done；　Al。　Though　I　will　say　it　might've　worked　out　better　if　you　hadn't　made　the　chief　slip　like　that　when　he　was　set　to　arm…wrassle　me。〃
　　〃Why　not？〃　said　Al。　〃I　didn't　want　him　to　hurt　you〃
　　〃There's　no　way　you　should　know　it；　Al；　so　don't　bl