osc.am2.redprophet-第40章

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　　The　Prophet　kept　walking；　farther　out　onto　the　water；　his　bloody　footprints　marking　the　smooth　path　through　the　storm。
　　Al　looked　back　at　the　tornadoes。　They　were　close　now；　almost　overhead。　Al　could　feel　them　twisting　inside　him；　as　if　he　were　part　of　the　clouds；　and　these　were　the　great　raging　emotions　of　his　own　soul。
　　Out　on　the　water；　the　Prophet　raised　his　hands　and　pointed　at　one　of　the　twisters。　Almost　immediately；　the　other　three　twisters　rose　up；　sucked　back　up　into　the　clouds　and　disappeared。　But　the　other　came　nearer；　until　it　was　directly　over　the　Prophet；　maybe　a　hundred　feet　up。　It　was　near　enough　that　around　the　edges　of　the　Prophet's　glassy　smooth　path；　the　water　was　leaping　up；　as　if　it　wanted　to　dive　upward　into　the　clouds；　the　water　started　to　circle；　too；　twisting　around　and　around　with　the　wind　under　the　twister。
　　〃e！〃　shouted　the　Prophet。
　　Alvin　couldn't　hear　him；　but　he　saw　his　eyes　　even　from　that　far　away　　saw　his　lips　move；　and　knew　what　the　Prophet　wanted。　Alvin　didn't　hesitate。　He　stepped　out　onto　the　water。
　　By　now；　of　course；　Measure　was　caught　up　with　him；　and　when　Al　started　walking　onto　the　warm；　smooth　glass　of　the　Prophet's　path；　Measure　shouted　at　him；　grabbed　at　him。　Before　he　could　touch　the　boy；　though；　the　Reds　had　him；　pulled　him　back；　he　screamed　at　Alvin　to　e　back；　don't　go；　don't　go　onto　the　water　　Alvin　heard　him；　and　Alvin　was　as　scared　as　he　could　be。　But　the　Shining　Man　was　waiting　for　him　under　the　mouth　of　the　tornado；　standing　on　the　water。　Inside　himself　Al　felt　such　a　longing；　like　Moses　when　he　saw　the　burning　bush　　I　have　to　stop　and　see　this　thing；　said　Moses；　and　that's　what　Alvin　was　saying；　I　have　to　go　and　see　what　this　is。　Because　this　wasn't　the　kind　of　thing　that　happened　in　the　natural　universe；　and　that　was　the　truth。　There　wasn't　no　beseeching　or　hex　or　witchery　he　ever　heard　of　that　could　call　a　tornado　and　turn　a　stormy　lake　into　glass。　Whatever　this　Red　man　was　doing；　it　was　the　most　important　thing　Al　ever　saw　or　ever　was　likely　to　see　in　his　life。
　　And　the　Prophet　loved　him。　That　was　one　thing　Al　didn't　have　no　doubt　of。　The　Shining　Man　had　stood　once　at　the　foot　of　his　bed　and　taught　him。　Al　remembered　that　the　Shining　Man　cut　himself　then；　too。　Whatever　the　Prophet　was　doing；　he　used　his　own　blood　and　pain　to　do　it　with。　There　was　a　real　majesty　to　that。　Under　the　circumstances；　Al　can't　be　much　blamed　for　feeling　kind　of　worshipful　as　he　walked　out　onto　the　water。
　　Behind　him；　the　path　loosened　up；　dissolved；　disappeared。　He　felt　the　waves　licking　at　his　heels。　It　scared　him；　but　as　long　as　he　walked　forward　there　wasn't　no　harm　done　to　him。　And　finally　he　stood　with　the　Prophet；　who　reached　out　and　took　Alvin's　hands　in　his。　〃Stand　with　me；〃　shouted　the　Prophet。　〃Stand　here　in　the　eye　of　the　land；　and　see！〃
　　Then　the　tornado　sank　quickly　downward；　the　water　leaped　up；　rising　like　a　wall　around　them。　They　were　in　the　very　center　of　the　tornado；　getting　sucked　upward
　　Until　the　Prophet　reached　out　one　bloody　hand　and　touched　the　waterspout；　and　it；　too；　went　smooth　and　hard　as　glass。　No；　not　glass。　It　was　as　clear　and　clean　as　a　drop　of　dew　on　a　spiderweb。　There　wasn't　no　storm　now。　Just　Al　and　the　Shining　Man；　in　the　middle　of　a　tower　of　crystal；　bright　and　transparent。
　　Only　instead　of　being　like　a　window　that　showed　what　was　happening　outside；　Al　couldn't　see　the　lake　or　the　storm　or　the　shore　through　the　crystal　wall。　Instead　he　saw　other　things。
　　He　saw　a　wagon　caught　in　a　flooding　river；　a　tree　floating　down　like　a　battering　ram；　and　a　young　man　leaping　out　onto　the　tree；　rolling　it　over；　turning　it　from　the　wagon。　And　then　the　man　tangling　in　the　roots　of　the　tree；　getting　smashed　against　a　boulder；　then　rolling　and　tumbling　downstream；　all　the　time　struggling　to　live；　to　breathe　just　a　while　longer；　keep　breathing；　keep　breathing
　　He　saw　a　woman　bearing　a　baby；　and　a　little　girl　who　stood　nearby　reached　out　and　touched　her　belly。　She　shouted　something；　and　the　midwife　reached　in　her　hand　and　took　the　baby's　head；　pulled　it　out。　The　mother　tore　and　bled。　The　little　girl　reached　under　and　pulled　something　off　the　baby's　face；　the　baby　cried。　The　man　in　the　river　heard　that　cry；　somehow；　knew　that　he　had　lived　long　enough；　and　so　he　died。
　　Al　didn't　know　what　to　make　of　it。　Until　he　heard　the　Prophet　whisper　in　his　ear：　〃The　first　thing　you　see　in　here　is　the　day　you　are　born。〃
　　The　baby　was　Alvin　Junior；　the　man　who　died　was　his　brother；　Vigor。　Who　was　the　girl　who　took　the　birth　caul　off　his　face？　Al　never　saw　her　before　in　his　life。
　　〃I　will　show　you；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃This　stays　only　a　little　while；　and　I　have　things　to　see　for　myself；　but　I　will　show　you。〃　He　took　Alvin　by　the　hand　and　together　they　rose　upward　through　the　column　of　glass。
　　It　didn't　feel　like　flying；　not　like　the　soaring　of　a　bird；　it　was　as　if　there　wasn't　no　up　or　down。　The　Prophet　pulled　him　upward；　but　Al　couldn't　figure　how　the　Prophet　pulled　himself。　Didn't　matter。　There　were　so　many　things　to　see。　Wherever　he　hung　in　the　air；　he　could　look　in　any　direction　and　see　something　else　through　the　wall　of　the　tower。　Until　he　realized　that　every　moment　of　time；　every　human　life　must　be　visible　through　this　tower　wall。　How　could　you　find　your　way　through　here？　How　could　you　look　for　any　one　particular　story　in　the　hundreds；　thousands；　millions　of　moments　of　past　time？
　　The　Prophet　stopped；　hoisted　the　boy　up　until　he　could　see　what　the　Prophet　was　seeing；　their　cheeks　pressed　together；　their　breath　mingling；　the　Prophet's　heartbeat　loud　in　Alvin's　ear。
　　〃Look；〃　said　the　Prophet。
　　What　Alvin　saw　was　a　city；　shining　in　sunlight。　Towers　of　ice；　it　looked　like；　or　clear　glass；　because　when　the　sun　set　behind　the　city　its　light　didn't　so　much　as　dim；　and　the　city　cast　no　shadow　on　the　meadowland　around　it。　Inside　that　city　there　were　people；　like　bright　shadows　moving　here　and　there；　going　up　and　down　the　towers　without　stairs　or　wings。　More　important　than　what　he　saw；　though；　was　what　he　felt；　looking　at　that　place。　Not　peace；　no；　there　was　nothing　quiet　about　what　he　felt。　It　was　excitement；　his　heart　pumping　fast　as　a　horse　in　full　gallop。　The　people　there；　they　weren't　perfect　　they　were　sometimes　angry；　sometimes　sad。　But　nobody　was　hungry；　and　nobody　was　ignorant；　and　nobody　had　to　do　something　just　because　somebody　else　made　them　do　it。　〃Where　is　that　city！〃　whispered　Alvin。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃Every　time　I　e　here；　I　see　it　in　a　different　shape。　Sometimes　these　tall　thin　towers；　sometimes　big　crystal　mounds；　sometimes　just　people　living　on　a　sea　of　crystal　fire。　I　think　this　city　was　built　many　times　in　the　past。　I　think　it　will　be　built　again。〃
　　〃Are　you　going　to　build　it？　Is　that　what　Prophetstown　is　for？〃
　　Tears　came　from　the　Prophet's　eyes　　spilling　from　his　one　good　eye；　oozing　out　of　the　slack　lid　of　the　other。　〃Red　man　can't　build　this　place　alone；〃　he　said。　〃We　are　part　of　the　land；　and　this　city　is　more　than　the　land　alone。　The　land　is　good　and　bad；　life　and　death　all　together；　the　green　silence。〃
　　Alvin　thought　of　his　sense　of　green　music；　but　he　didn't　say　nothing；　cause　the　Prophet　was　saying　things　he　wanted　to　hear；　and　Al　was　smart　enough　to　know　that　sometimes　it's　better　to　listen　than　to　talk。
　　〃But　this　city；〃　said　the　Prophet；　〃the　crystal　city　is　light　without　dark；　clean　without　dirty；　healthy　without　sick；　strong　without　weak；　plenty　without　hungry；　drink　without　thirst；　life　without　death。〃
　　〃The　people　in　that　place；　they　aren't　all　happy；〃　said　Alvin。　〃They　don't　live　forever。〃
　　〃Ah；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃You　don't　see　the　same　that　I　see。〃
　　〃What　I　see　is；　they're　building　it。〃　Al　frowned。　〃At　one　end　they're　building　it；　and　at　the　other　end；　it's　falling　down。〃
　　〃Ah；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃The　city　I　see　will　never　fall。〃
　　〃Well　what's　the　difference？　How　e　we　don't　see　the　same　thing？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　Roach　Boy。　I　never　showed　this　to　anybody。　Now　go　back　down；　wait　for　me　below。　I　have　things　to　see　before　time　starts　again。〃
　　Just　thinking　about　going　down　made　Alvin　start　to　sink；　until　he　was　clear　to　the　bottom；