rr.eastofealing-第42章

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　Bash　out　a　couple　of　bore　holes　to　see　out　through；　that　would　be　your　man。　The　barman　drew　back　a　fist　of　fury　and　hurled　it　forward　at　something　approaching　twice　the　speed　of　sound。　With　a　sickening　report　it　struck　home。　His　knotted　fist　passed　clean　through　the　wall；　cleaving　out　a　hole　the　size　of　a　dustbin…lid。　'Gog　a　Magog！'　Neville　took　an　involuntary　step　backwards。　An　icy　hurricane　of　fetid　wind　tore　out　at　him　shredding　away　the　last　vestiges　of　his　surgical　smock　and　leaving　him　only　his　Y…fronts。　Neville　stood　his　ground；　a　great　arm　drawn　over　his　face　to　shield　his　sensitive　nostrils　from　the　vile　onslaught　he　had　unwittingly　unleashed。　'Great　mother。'　Tears　flew　from　his　eyes　as　he　forced　himself　onward。　With　his　free　hand　he　tore　out　a　great　section　of　the　wall；　which　cartwheeled　away　in　the　stinking　gale。　With　heroic　effort　he　charged　forward　into　the　not…so…great　beyond。
　The　wind　suddenly　ceased　and　he　found　himself　standing　in　absolute　silence　and　near…darkness。　It　was　very　very　cold　indeed。　'Brr；'　said　Neville。　'Brass　monkey　weather。'　To　the　lover　of　Greek　mythology；　what　next　occurred　would　have　been　of　particular　interest。　But　to　a　Brentford　barman　in　his　present　state　of　undress；　the　sudden　arrival　of　Cerberus；　the　multi…headed　canine　guardian　of　the　underworld；　was　anything　but　a　fort。
　'Woof；　woof；　and　growl；'　went　Cerberus；　in　the　plural。
　'Nice　doggy；'　said　Neville；　covering　his　privy　parts。　'Good　boy；　there。'
　The　creature　tore　at　the　barman；　a　blur　of　slavering　mouths　and　blazing　red　eyes。
　Neville　sprang　aside　and　ducked　away　beneath　it　as　it　leapt　towards　his　throat。　'Heel；'　he　said。　'Sit。'
　The　thing　turned　and　stood　pawing　the　ground；　glowing　faintly；　its　scorpion　tail　flicking；　low　growls　ing　from　a　multiplicity　of　throats。　By　all　accounts　it　made　Holmes'　Baskerville　growler　seem　pretty　silly。
　'Grrrrrrrrrrs；'　went　Cerberus；　squaring　up　for　the　kill。
　'Grrrrrrrr；'　went　Neville；　who　now　considered　that　thumping　a　multi…headed　dog　was　as　good　as　thumping　anything。　'e　and　get　your　Bob　Martins。'　With　a　single　great　bound　it　was　upon　him；　heads　whipping　and　snapping。　Neville　caught　it　at　chest　height　and　pummelled　it　down　with　flailing　fists。　It　leapt　up　again　and　he　caught　at　a　scaled　throat；　crushing　his　hands　about　it　until　the　thumbs　met。　The　hell…hound　screamed　with　pain　as　Neville　dragged　it　from　its　clawed　feet　and　dashed　it　to　the　ground。　Roll　on　chucking…out　time；　thought　the　part…time　barman。　With　one　head　hanging　limply　but　others　still　on　the　snap；　the　fiend　was　on　him　once　more；　ripping　and　tearing；　its　foul　mouths　snapping；　brimstone　vapour　snorting　from　its　nostrils。
　The　two　bowled　over　again　and　again；　mighty　figures　locked　in　titanic　conflict。　The　nightmare　creature　and　the　all…but…naked　barman。　The　screams　and　cries　echoed　about　the　void；　the　echoes　doubling　and　redoubling；　adding　further　horror　to　a　scene　which　was　already　fearsome。
　Roll　over　and　die　for　your　country　Rover；　was　not　in　there。
　'I'm　not　doing　it；　John；　and　that's　the　end　of　the　matter。'　Pooley　clung　precariously　to　his　handlebar　perch　as　Pope　John　the　Umpteenth　freewheeled　down　a　deserted　corridor。　'I　am　not　a　Catholic　and　I　utterly　refuse　to　kiss　your　bloody　ring。　The　thing　came　out　of　a　Jamboree　bag　for　God's　sake。'
　'Let　me　convert　you；　Jim；　e　to　the　Mother　Church　before　it's　too　late。'
　'Let　me　down　from　here；　I　want　a　drink。'
　'Drink？'　Omally　tugged　on　the　brakes　and　sent　Jim　sprawling。　'Drink　did　I　hear　you　say；　my　son？'
　Pooley　looked　up　bitterly　from　the　deck。　Topes　don't　drink；'　he　said。　'Such　is　well…known。'
　'A　new　Papal　bull；'　his　Holiness　replied。
　'All　right　then；　but　no　ring…kissing；　it's　positively　indecent。'　Pooley　unearthed　the　hip…flask　and　the　two　plodded　on；　sharing　it　turn　and　turn　about。
　'It's　getting　bloody　cold；'　Pooley　observed；　patting　at　his　shirt…sleeves。　'And　the　pong's　getting　a　lot　stronger。'
　'What　do　you　expect？'　Omally　passed　him　back　the　hip…flask。　'Roses　round　the　door？'
　'Are　you　sure　we're　going　the　right　way？'
　'The　passage　is　going　down；　isn't　it？　Would　the　Pope　put　you　on　a　wrong　'n？'
　'Listen；　John；　I'm　not　too　sure　about　this　Pope　business。　I　thought　you　lads　had　to　be　elected。　White　smoke　up　the　chimney　or　the　like？'
　'As　last　Catholic；　I　have　the　casting　vote。　Please　don't　argue　about　religious　matters　with　me；　Jim。　If　you　let　me　convert　you　I'll　make　you　a　cardinal。'
　'Thanks；　but　no　thanks。　God；　it　stinks　down　here。　Couldn't　you　issue　another　Papal　bull　or　something？'
　Omally　halted　the　infidel　in　mid…step。　'Would　you　look　at　that？'　he　said；　pointing　forward。
　Ahead　of　them　loomed　a　great　door。　It　seemed　totally　out　of　context　with　all　they　had　yet　seen。　At　odds　with　the　bland　modernistic　corridors　they　had　passed　down　on　their　abortive　journey　of　escape。　It　rose　like　a　dark　hymn　in　praise　of　evil　pleasure；　and　hung　in　a　heavily…carved　portico　wrought　with　frescoed　reliefs。
　Omally　parked　his　bike；　and　the　two　men　tiptoed　forward。　The　hugeness　and　richness　of　the　thing　filled　all　vision。　It　was　a　work　of　titanic　splendour；　the　reliefs　exquisite；　carved　into　dark　pure　wood　of　extreme　age。
　'Fuck　me；'　said　John　Omally；　which　was　quite　unbeing　of　a　Pope。　'Would　you　look　at　that　holy　show？'
　'Unholy　show；　John。　That　is　disgusting。'
　'Yes；　though；　isn't　it？　And　that。'　Jim　followed　Omally's　pointing　finger。　'You'd　need　to　be　double…jointed。'
　'There's　something　inscribed　there；　John。　You　know　the　Latin；　what　does　it　say？'
　Omally　leant　forward　and　perused　the　inscription；　'Oh；'　said　he　at　length；　his　voice　having　all　the　fun　of　herpes　about　it；　'that　is　what　it　says。'
　'Exit　does　it　say？'
　Omally　turned　towards　the　grinning　idiot。　'Give　me　that　hip…flask；　you　are　a　fool。'
　'And　you　a　Pope。　Drink　your　own。'
　'Give　me　that　flask。'
　'Well；　only　a　small　sip；　don't　want　your　judgement　being　impaired。'　Pooley　began　to　hiccup。
　Omally　guzzled　more　than　his　fair　share。　'It's　in　there；'　he　said；　wiping　his　chin　and　returning　the　flask　to　Pooley。
　'What　is？'　Jim　shook　the　flask　against　his　ear　and　gave　the　self…made　Pope　a　disparaging　look。
　'The　big　It；　you　damned　fool。'
　'Then　next　right　turn　and　on　your　bike。　We　don't　want　to　do　anything　silly　now；　do　we？'
　Omally　nodded　gloomily。　'We　must；　stick　your　tattooed　mitt　up　against　it。'
　'I　can　think　of　a　million　reasons　why　not。'
　'And　me。　For　the　Professor；　eh　Jim？'
　'For　the　Professor；　then。'　Jim　pressed　his　hand　to　the　door　and　it　moved　away　before　his　touch。
　Omally　took　up　his　bike；　and　the　two　men　stepped　cautiously　through　the　opening。
　'Oh；　bloody　hell；'　whispered　Jim。
　'Yes；　all　of　that。'
　They　stood　now　in　the　vestibule　of　what　was　surely　a　great　cathedral。　But　its　size　was　not　tailored　to　the　needs　of　man。　It　was　the　hall　of　giants。　The　two　stared　about　them　in　an　attempt　to　take　it　in。　It　was　simply　too　large。　The　scale　of　its　construction　sent　the　mind　reeling。　The　temperature　had　dropped　another　five　degrees　at　least；　yet　the　smell　was　ripe　as　a　rotten　corpse。
　'The　belly　of　the　beast；'　gasped　Pooley。　'Let's　go　back。　The　utter　cold；　the　feeling；　the　stench；　I　can't　stand　it。'
　'No；　Jim；　look；　there　it　is。'
　Ahead；　across　an　endless　expanse　of　shining　black　marble　floor；　spread　the　congregation；　row　upon　regimental　row。　Countless　figures　crouched　before　as　many　flickering　terminal　screens；　paying　obeisance　to　their　dark　master。　For　there；　towering　towards　eternity；　rising　acre　upon　vertical　acre；　spreading　away　in　every　direction；　was　the　mainframe　of　the　great　puter。　Billions　of　housed　microcircuits；　jet…black　boxes　stacked　one　upon　another　in　a　jagged　endless　wall。　Upon　giddy　stairways　and　catwalks；　minuscule　figures　moved　upon　its　face；　attending　to　its　needs。　Feeding　it；　pampering　it　with　knowledge；　gorging　its　insatiable　appetite。
　I　AM　LATEINOS；　I　AM　ROMIITH。
　The　Latin；　the　formula；　words　reduced　to　their　base　ponents；　stripped　of　their　flesh；　reduced　to　the　charred　black　dust　of　their　skeletons；　to　the　equations　which　were　the　music　of　the　spheres；　the　grand　high　opera　of　all　existence。　Omally　slumped　forward　on　to　his　knees。　'I　see　it；'　he　whispered　hoarsely；　his　eyes　starting　from　his　head。　'Now　I　understan