cb.coldheart canyon-第12章

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e　room　which　had　contained　the　Hunt　was　buried　in　the　debris　of　all　the　vaults；　plaster　and　wood　and　stone　filling　the　chamber　to　the　middle　of　the　walls。　Nobody　who　visited　the　Fortress　in　subsequent　years…and　there　were　a　few　explorers　who　came　there　every　summer；　usually　imagining　they'd　stumbled　on　something　darkly　marvelous…a　Fortress；　perhaps；　belonging　to　Vlad　the　Impaler；　whose　legendary　territories　lay　only　a　few　hundred　miles　off　to　the　west；　in　Transylvania…none　of　these　visitors　dug　through　the　overgrown　ruins　with　any　great　enthusiasm；　certainly　none　ever　asked　themselves　what　function　the　half…buried　room　might　have　once　served。　Nor；　should　it　be　said；　would　they　have　been　able　to　guess；　even　the　cleverest　of　them。　The　mystery　of　the　ruined　chamber　had　been　removed　to　another　continent；　where　it　was　presently　unfolding　its　dubious　raptures　for　the　delectation　of　a　new　and　vulnerable　audience。　Men　and　women　who…like　the　tiles…had　in　many　cases　lately　left　their　homelands；　and　in　their　haste　to　be　famous　left　behind　them　such　talismans　as　hearth　and　altar　might　have　offered　by　way　of　protection　against　the　guileful　Hunt。　
　
　
　PART　TWO
　THE　HEART…THROB
　
　ONE
　 There's　a　premiere　in　Los　Angeles　tonight；　at　Grauman's　Chinese　Theatre。　The　Chinese　has　been　housing　such　events　since　1923；　but　of　course　the　crowds　were　much　larger　back　then；　tens　of　thousands　of　people；　sometimes　even　hundreds　of　thousands；　would　block　Hollywood　Boulevard　in　their　hunger　to　see　the　star　of　the　moment。　Tonight's　event　is　nowhere　near　that　scale。　Though　the　studio　publicists'　will　massage　the　numbers　for　tomorrow's　Variety　and　Hollywood　Reporter；　claiming　that　a　crowd　of　four　thousand　people　waited　in　the　chilly　evening　air　for　the　appearance　of　the　star　of　tonight's　movie；　Todd　Pickett；　the　true　numbers　are　in　fact　less　than　half　that。
　 Still；　a　third　of　the　Boulevard　is　barricaded　off；　and　there　are　a　few　cop　cars　in　evidence；　just　to　give　the　whole　event　more　drama。
　 As　the　limos　approach　the　red　carpet；　and　the　ushers；　who　are　dressed　in　the　black　leather　costumes　of　the　villains　in　the　movie；　step　forward　to　open　the　doors　a　few　'screamers'；　paid　and　planted　in　the　crowd　by　the　studio　publicity　people　to　get　a　little　excitement　going；　start　to　do　their　job；　yelling　even　before　the　face　of　the　limo's　passenger　has　been　seen。　There's　a　large　contingent　of　A…list　names　on　tonight's　guest…list；　and　plenty　of　faces　that　elicit　screams　as　they　appear。　Cruise　isn't　here；　but　Nicole　Kidman　is；　so　is　Schwarzenegger；　who　has　a　small　role　in　the　picture　as　the　retiring　Gallows；　a　vengeful；　mythological　character　whom　our　hero；　played　by　Todd　Pickett；　must　either　choose　to　embody　when　his　time　es　round；　or…should　he　refuse…be　pursued　by　the　ghosts　of　several　generations　of　former　incarnations　of　the　character；　to　persuade　him　otherwise。　Sigourney　Weaver　plays　the　woman　who　has　broken　the　curse　of　Gallows　once　before；　to　whom　Pickett's　character　must　go　when　the　phantom　pursuers　are　almost　upon　him。　Her　arrival　at　Grauman's　is　greeted　by　a　genuine　roar　of　approval　from　the　fans；　who　are　devoted　to　her。　She　waves；　smiles；　allows　a　barrage　of　photographs　to　be　taken；　but　she　doesn't　go　near　the　crowd。　She's　had　experiences　with　overly…possessive　fans　before：　she　walks　straight　down　the　middle　of　the　red　carpet；　where　she's　out　of　reach　of　their　fingers。　Still　they　shout；　'We　love　you　Ripley！'；　which　is　the　character　she　plays　in　the　Alien　movies；　and　with　which　she　will　be　identified　until　the　day　she　dies。　She　waves；　even　when　they　call　the　name　Ripley；　but　her　eyes　never　focus　on　anybody　in　the　crowd　for　more　than　a　moment。
　 The　next　limo　in　the　line　contains　the　bright　new　star　of　Gallows；　Suzie　Henstell；　named　by　this　month's　Vanity　Fair　one　of　the　Ten　Hottest　Names　in　Hollywood。　She　is　petite　（though　you'd　never　know　it　on　the　screen）；　blonde　and　giggly；　she's　shared　a　little　marijuana　with　her　boyfriend　in　the　limo；　and　it　was　a　bad　move。　She　stumbles　a　little　as　she　steps　onto　the　red　carpet；　but　the　crowd　has　been　prepped；　thanks　to　several　months　of　puff　pieces　and　photo…spreads　and　in…depth　interviews；　to　think　of　this　woman　as　a　full…blown　star；　even　though　they　have　yet　to　see　more　than　a　few　frames　of　her　acting　ability　from　the　trailer　for　Gallows。　So　what　do　they　care　if　she　looks　a　little　out　of　it？　Unlike　Ms。　Weaver；　who　wisely　chooses　to　be　elusive；　allowing　the　photographers　just　a　minute　or　two　to　catch　her；　the　new　girl　is　still　hungry　for　adulation。　She　goes　straight　to　the　barricades；　where　a　number　of　young　women　with　souvenir　programs　for　Gallows　are　waving　them　around。　She　signs　a　few；　giving　her　boyfriend；　who　is　a　six…foot　Calvin　Klein　model　hunk；　a　goofy　'gee…I…must…be…famous！'　look。　The　model　looks　back　vacantly；　which　is　the　only　look　in　his　repertoire。　He　can　give　it　to　you　vacantly　with　a　semi　hard…on　in　his　jeans；　or　vacantly　with　his　ass　hanging　out　of　his　Y…fronts。　Either　way；　it　is　heart…achingly　beautiful；　almost　troublingly　so。
　 The　wind　es　in　gusts　along　Hollywood　Boulevard；　and　the　security　men　start　to　look　a　little　worried。　It　was　some　bright　publicist's　idea　to　build　two　gallows；　as　a　kind　of　gateway　through　which　the　audience　for　the　premiere　will　need　to　e。　Not；　it　now　seems；　a　clever　notion。　The　gallows　are　made　to　be　trashed　tomorrow　morning；　so　they're　made　of　light　timber　and　foam…core。　The　wind　is　threatening　to　topple　them；　or　worse；　pick　then　up　entirely　and　deposit　them　on　top　of　the　crowd。　Light　though　they　are；　they　could　do　some　serious　damage　if　they　fell。
　 Four　of　the　ushers　from　inside　the　theatre　are　summoned　from　their　duties　and　told　to　go　and　stand　beside　the　gallows；　two　on　either　side；　holding　on　to　them　as　casually　as　possible。　Security　is　told　that　the　publicity　people　only　need　five　more　minutes。　As　soon　as　Suzie　Henslett　can　be　persuaded　to　move　on　up　the　carpet　and　into　the　building　（which　at　present　she　is　showing　no　desire　to　do）；　the　director's；　Rob　Neiderman's；　limo　can　be　brought　to　the　carpet；　followed　by　the　last　and　most　important　of　the　bunch；　Todd　Pickett。
　 The　wind　is　getting　worse；　the　gallows　sway　giddily。　An　executive　decision　is　made　to　bring　Neiderman's　limo　in；　and　if　Suzie's　screaming　fans　are　visible　waving　like　lunatics　behind　Neiderman　in　his　press　pictures；　so　be　it。　This　isn't　a　perfect　world。　It's　already　8：13pm。　At　this　rate　the　picture　won't　be　able　to　begin　until　half　past　the　hour；　which　wouldn't　be　a　problem　if　the　damn　thing　weren't　so　long；　but　Neiderman's　cut　came　in　at　two　hours　and　forty…three　minutes；　and　though　the　studio　appealed　to　Pickett　to　get　him　to　shave　the　thing　down　to　a　tight　two　hours；　Todd　came　back　saying　he　liked　the　picture　pretty　much　as　it　was；　so　only　four　minutes　were　going　out　of　it。　That　means　it'll　be　past　eleven　before　the　picture's　finished；　and　almost　midnight　by　the　time　everybody's　assembled　at　the　party　venue。　It's　going　to　be　a　long　night。
　 Neiderman　has　persuaded　the　easily…distracted　Miss　Henslett　away　from　her　fans　and　down　the　carpet　to　the　door。　The　big　moment　is　at　hand。　The　ushers　cling　to　the　gallows；　their　jobs　depending　on　the　perpendicularity　of　their　charges。　The　largest　of　the　limos　es　up　to　the　curb。　Even　before　the　door　has　opened；　the　fans…especially　the　women…are　in　a　state　of　ecstasy；　shrieking　at　the　top　of　their　voices。
　 〃Todd！　Todd！　Oh　God！　Todd！〃
　 The　cameras　start　to　flash；　as　though　the　inprehensible　semaphore　of　their　flashes　is　going　to　summon　the　man　in　the　limo。
　 And　out　es　Todd　Pickett；　the　star　of　Gallows；　the　reason　why　ninety…five　percent　of　its　audience　will　be　there　when　it　opens　next　Friday　（it　is　now　Monday）；　Todd　Pickett；　one　of　the　three　biggest　male　action…movie…stars　in　the　history　of　cinema。　Todd　Pickett；　the　boy　from　Cincinnati　who　failed　in　all　his　grades　but　ended　up　the　King　of　Hollywood。
　 He　raises　his　hands　like　a　presidential　candidate；　to　acknowledge　the　shouts　of　the　crowd。　Then　he　reaches　back　into　the　limo　to　catch　hold　of　the　hand　of　his　date　for　the　night；　Wilhemina　Bosch；　a　waitress…turned…model…turned…actress…turned…model　again；　with　whom　he　has　been　seen　at　parties　and　premieres　for　the　past　four　months；　though　neither