cb.coldheart canyon-第51章

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　the　thing's　neck；　just　below　the　head；　her　fingers　digging　deep　into　its　blotchy；　corrugated　flesh。　Even　so；　it　continued　to　grind　its　body　against　her。　She　raised　her　other　hand　to　join　the　first；　and　started　to　strangle　the　thing。　Still　it　pumped　on；　as　though　so　stupefied　with　lust　it　was　indifferent　to　its　own　jeopardy。　She　pressed　hard　on　its　throat；　dosing　off　its　windpipe。　Its　grindings　continued　unabated。　She　pressed　harder；　and　harder　still。　Then　it　seemed　to　reach　a　point　of　no　return；　and　a　series　of　shudders　passed　through　its　body。　She　felt　something　wet　spurting　on　her　belly；　where　its　rhythms　had　pushed　up　the　rags　of　her　blouse。
　 〃Oh　God。；〃　she　said；　〃You　filthy；　dirty…〃
　 Its　climax　over；　it　belatedly　seemed　to　realize　that　it　couldn't　breathe　and　started　to　thrash　about。　Its　claws　raked　her　breasts；　which　stung　like　fury；　but　she　refused　to　let　go　of　its　scrawny　throat。　If　she　gave　it　an　inch　it　would　surely　kill　her。　Her　only　hope　was　to　dig　deep　and　hold　on　until　the　thing　lost　consciousness。
　 But　it　was　easier　said　than　done。　The　bird's　orgasm　hadn't　exhausted　its　energies。　It　thrashed　maniacally；　beating　its　stunted　wings　against　the　blossoms；　so　that　a　blizzard　of　pink　petals　came　down　upon　them　like　confetti。　Tammy　kept　her　teeth　and　her　hands　locked　together；　while　the　would…be　rapist's　panic　became　a　frenzy。　It　was　making　ghastly；　guttural　noises　now；　its　mottled　tongue　sticking　straight　out　of　its　mouth。　Spittle　fell　on　her　upturned　face；　stinging　her　eyes。　She　closed　them；　and　kept　on　clutching；　while　the　peacock　clawed　and　flapped　and　thrashed。
　 The　struggle　had　already　gone　on　for　three　or　four　minutes；　and　her　strength　was　giving　out。　The　pain　from　her　scratched　breasts　was　excruciating；　and　her　hands　were　numb。　But　by　degrees　the　bird's　rallies　lessened。　She　didn't　relax　her　grip　on　it　however；　suspicious　that　if　she　did　so；　it　would　recover　itself　somehow　and　renew　its　attack。　She　held　on　to　its　silken　throat　while　its　wings　slowed　their　moronic　flapping。　She　opened　her　eyes。　The　expression　on　the　creature's　face　suggested　that　it　was　close　to　death。　It's　tongue　lolled　against　its　lower　beak。　Its　gaze　was　unfocused。　Most　telling　of　all；　its　glorious　tail　had　drooped　to　the　dirt。
　 Still　she　held　on；　pressing　her　thumbs　hard　against　its　windpipe　until　every　last　twitch　had　gone　out　of　it。　Only　then　did　she　let　go；　not　with　both　hands；　but　with　one；　and　started　to　pull　herself　up　from　beneath　the　body　of　the　creature。　She　felt　its　semen　cold　on　her　belly；　and　her　own　blood　hot　on　her　breasts。　A　fresh　wave　of　repugnance　passed　through　her。　But　she　had　survived；　that　was　the　point。　This　creature　had　done　its　worst；　and　she'd　overe　it。　Grabbing　hold　of　a　branch　she　pulled　herself　to　her　feet。　The　peacock　hung　from　her　hand；　its　body　sprawled　on　a　bed　of　fallen　blossoms。　A　spasmodic　rattle　passed　through　its　gleaming　tail　feathers；　but　that　was　the　last　of　it。
　 She　let　it　go。　It　dropped　to　the　ground；　its　head　resembling　some　absurd　little　sock　puppet　that　its　owner　had　abandoned　in　the　grass；　the　rest　of　its　body　a　grotesque　amalgam　of　forms。
　 〃I　killed　you。。。〃　Tammy　said　softly。　〃You　sonofabitch。〃　She　lifted　her　gaze　and　surveyed　the　bushes　around　her。　All　this　had　been　witnessed；　she　knew；　the　creatures　that　shared　this　beast's　grotesque　tribe　were　all　out　there　in　the　twilight；　watching　their　battle。　She　could　not　see　those　who　were　scrutinizing　her；　not　even　the　gleam　of　a　tooth　or　eye；　but　she　knew　they　must　be　thinking　twice　about　attacking　her。　On　the　other　hand；　she　was　seriously　weakened。　If　they　were　to　launch　such　an　assault　she　would　be　lost；　her　energies　were　all　but　spent。
　 She　looked　down　at　her　bosom。　Her　blouse　was　in　rags　and　her　skin　had　been　deeply　scored　by　the　freak's　claws。　She　touched　the　wounds。　They　stung；　but　the　blood　would　soon　start　to　clot。　She　wasn't　a　bleeder；　luckily。　But　she　was　going　to　need　something　to　clean　the　wounds　if　they　weren't　to　bee　infected…God　knows　what　kind　of　shit　and　dirt　the　creature　had　had　beneath　its　claws…which　meant　finding　her　way；　as　quickly　as　possible；　back　to　the　house：　to　clean　running　water　and　fresh　dressings。
　 But　there　was　one　other　matter　to　deal　with　before　she　moved　from　this　place：　a　bit　of　cleaning　up　that　couldn't　wait　until　she　had　water。　She　picked　up　a　fistful　of　grass；　and　wiped　her　belly；　removing　as　best　she　could　the　remnants　of　the　creature's　semen。　It　took　more　than　one　fistful　to　do　the　job；　but　when　she　had　cleaned　herself　（and　then　cleaned　her　hands　with　a　third　portion　of　grass）　she　left　the　body　where　it　lay；　and　went　on　her　way。　She　listened；　as　she　went；　for　the　sound　of　pursuit：　the　rustle　of　leaves；　the　snapping　of　twigs。　But　she　heard　nothing。　Either　the　rest　of　the　freakish　clan　had　decided　she　was　too　dangerous　to　pursue；　given　that　she'd　just　slaughtered　one　of　their　more　fearsome　members；　or　else　the　game　of　pursuit　no　longer　amused　them　and　they'd　gone　back　to　whatever　crimes　they　mitted　in　the　stinking　darkness。　Tammy　didn't　much　care。
　 As　long　as　they　left　her　alone；　she　thought；　they　could　do　what　the　hell　they　liked。
　
　
　THREE
　 〃Tell　me　about　all　the　stuff　in　the　guest…house；〃　Todd　asked　Katya　as　they　walked。　〃Where　does　it　all　e　from？〃
　 〃The　large　tapestry　in　the　living　room　was　made　for　The　Sorrows　of　Frederick；　which　was　a　terrible　picture；　but　the　designs　were　magnificent。　The　castle　they　made　for　the　banquet　scene！　You　never　saw　anything　so　grand　in　your　life。　And　all　the　Egyptian　stuff　was　from　Nefertiti。〃
　 〃You　played　Nefertiti？〃
　
　 〃No；　Theda　Bara　played　Nefertiti；　because　the　front　office　said　she　was　a　bigger　star　than　I　was。　I　played　her　handmaiden。　I　didn't　mind　that　much　because　in　my　mind　it　was　a　better　role。　Theda　just　vamped　her　way　through　her　part。　Oh　Lord；　she　was　bad！　But　I　got　a　little　chance　to　act。　In　the　end　Nefertiti　had　my　lover　killed　because　he　was　in　love　with　me　not　her；　so　I　threw　myself　off　a　boat　into　the　Nile。〃
　 〃And　drowned？〃
　 〃I　suppose　so。　Either　that　or　I　was　eaten　by　crocodiles。〃　She　laughed。　〃I　don't　know。　Anyway；　I　got　some　of　my　best　reviews　for　Nefertiti。　Somebody　said　I　could　have　stepped　right　out　of　history。。。〃
　 The　evening　was　beginning　to　draw　on　as　they　walked；　taking　the　simple　and　relatively　direct　path　which　Todd　had　failed　to　find　on　his　way　up。　It　was　the　first　night　in　a　long　time　that　Todd　hadn't　sat　at　his　bedroom　window；　drinking；　brooding　and　popping　pills。
　 〃What　about　the　bed？〃　Todd　said。　〃Where　did　that　e　from？〃
　 〃That　was　from　The　Devil's　Bride。〃
　 〃A　horror　movie？〃
　
　 〃No；　it　was　this　strange　picture　directed　by　Edgar　Kopel。　Very　shocking　for　its　time。　The　bed　was　supposed　to　have　been　owned　by　the　Devil；　you　see。　Carved　to　his　design。　And　then　the　hero；　who　was　played　by　Ronald　Coleman；　inherits　it；　and　he　and　his　bride　use　it　for　the　bridal　bed。　But　the　Devil　es　for　the　bride；　and　then　all　Hell　breaks　loose。〃
　 〃What　happened　in　the　end？〃
　 〃The　Devil　gets　what　he　wants。〃
　 〃You？〃
　 〃Me。〃
　 〃I　don't　think　that　would　work　for　modern　audiences。〃
　 〃Oh　it　didn't　work　in　1923。　They　stayed　away　in　droves。〃　They　walked　on　for　a　while　in　silence。　Finally　Katya　said：　〃What's　troubling　you？〃
　 〃I　can't　make　sense　of　what　you're　telling　me。　The　pieces　don't　fit…〃
　 〃And　it　frustrates　you。〃
　 〃Yes。〃
　 〃Maybe　it's　best　you　just　don't　think　about　it。〃
　 〃How　can　I　not　think　about　it？〃　he　said。　〃This　place。　You。　The　posters。　The　bed。　What　am　I　supposed　to　make　of　it　all？〃
　 〃Make　whatever　pleases　you；〃　she　said。　〃Why's　it　so　important　that　you　have　an　explanation　for　everything？　I　told　you：　things　are　different　here。〃
　 She　caught　hold　of　his　hand；　and　they　stopped　walking。　There　were　insects　in　the　grass　all　around　them；　making　music；　overhead；　the　stars　were　ing　out；　their　patterns　as　familiar　as　the　din　of　cicadas；　and　tonight；　as　strange。　His　doubts　were　contagious。　The　fact　that　he　didn't　understand　how　it　was　possible　this　woman　could　have　lived　the　life　she　claimed　to　have　lived　spread　confusion　into　every　other　sign　the　world　brought　him。　What　was　he　doing　here；　in　between　the　music　in　the　grass　and　the　brightening　stars？　He　suddenly　seemed　to　unders