sk.thetalisman-第142章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
'Morgan！ It's…'
'…Morgan； Lord…'
'Lord of Orris…'
'Morgan 。 。 。 Morgan 。 。 。 Morgan 。 。 。'
The ripping sound grew louder and louder。 The Wolfs were abasing themselves in the dust。 Osmond danced a shuffling jig； his black boots trampling the steel…tipped rawhide thongs woven into his whip。
'Bad boy！ Filthy boy！ Now you'll pay！ Morgan's ing！ Morgan's ing！'
The air about twenty feet to Osmond's right began to blur and shimmer； like the air over a burning incinerator。
Jack looked around； saw Richard curled up in the litter of machine…guns and ammunition and grenades like a very small boy who has fallen asleep while playing war。 Only Richard wasn't asleep； he knew； and this was no game； and if Richard saw his father stepping through a hole between the worlds； he feared； Richard would go insane。
Jack sprawled beside his friend and wrapped his arms tightly around him。 That ripping…bedsheet sound grew louder； and suddenly he heard Morgan's voice bellow in terrible rage：
'What is the train doing here NOW； you fools？'
He heard Osmond wail； 'The filthy Pretender has killed my son！'
'Here we go； Richie；' Jack muttered； and tightened his grip around Richard's wasted upper body。 'Time to jump ship。'
He closed his eyes； concentrated 。 。 。 and there was that brief moment of spinning vertigo as the two of them flipped。
CHAPTER 37
Richard Remembers
1
There was a sensation of rolling sideways and down； as if there were a short ramp between the two worlds。 Dimly； fading； at last wavering into nothingness； Jack heard Osmond screaming； 'Bad！ All boys！ Axiomatic！ All boys！ Filthy！ Filthy！'
For a moment they were in thin air。 Richard cried out。 Then Jack thudded to the ground on one shoulder。 Richard's head bounced against his chest。 Jack did not open his eyes but only lay there on the ground hugging Richard； listening； smelling。
Silence。 Not utter and plete； but large…its size counterpointed by two or three singing birds。
The smell was cool and salty。 A good smell 。 。 。 but not as good as the world could smell in the Territories。 Even here…wherever here was…Jack could smell a faint underodor； like the smell of old oil ground into the concrete floors of gas…station garage bays。 It was the smell of too many people running too many motors； and it had polluted the entire atmosphere。 His nose had been sensitized to it and he could smell it even here； in a place where he could hear no cars。
'Jack？ Are we okay？'
'Sure；' Jack said； and opened his eyes to see whether he was telling the truth。
His first glance brought a terrifying idea： somehow； in his frantic need to get out of there； to get away before Morgan could arrive； he had not flipped them into the American Territories but pushed them somehow forward in time。 This seemed to be the same place； but older； now abandoned； as if a century or two had gone by。 The train still sat on the tracks； and the train looked just as it had。 Nothing else did。 The tracks； which crossed the weedy exercise yard they were standing in and went on to God knew where； were old and thick with rust。 The crossties looked spongy and rotted。 High weeds grew up between them。
He tightened his hold on Richard； who squirmed weakly in his grasp and opened his eyes。
'Where are we？' he asked Jack； looking around。 There was a long Quonset hut with a rust…splotched corrugated…tin roof where the bunkhouse…style barracks had been。 The roof was all either of them could see clearly； the rest was buried in rambling woods ivy and wild weeds。 There were a couple of poles in front of it which had perhaps once supported a sign。 If so； it was long gone now。
'I don't know；' Jack said； and then； looking at where the obstacle course had been…it was now a barely glimpsed dirt rut overgrown with the remains of wild phlox and goldenrod…he brought out his worst fear： 'I may have pushed us forward in time。'
To his amazement； Richard laughed。 'It's good to know nothing much is going to change in the future； then；' he said； and pointed to a sheet of paper nailed to one of the posts standing in front of the Quonset/barracks。 It was somewhat weather…faded but still perfectly readable：
NO TRESPASSING！
By Order of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department
By Order of the California State Police
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED！
2
'Well； if you knew where we were；' Jack said； feeling simultaneously foolish and very relieved； 'why did you ask？'
'I just saw it；' Richard replied； and any urge Jack might have had to chaff Richard anymore over it blew away。 Richard looked awful； he looked as if he had developed some weird tuberculosis which was working on his mind instead of on his lungs。 Nor was it just his sanity…shaking round trip to the Territories and back…he had actually seemed to be adapting to that。 But now he knew something else as well。 It wasn't just a reality which was radically different from all of his carefully developed notions； that he might have been able to adapt to； if given world enough and time。 But finding out that your dad is one of the guys in the black hats； Jack reflected； can hardly be one of life's groovier moments。
'Okay；' he said； trying to sound cheerful…he actually did feel a little cheerful。 Getting away from such a monstrosity as Reuel would have made even a kid dying of terminal cancer feel a little cheerful； he figured。 'Up you go and up you get； Richie…boy。 We've got promises we must keep； miles to go before we sleep； and you are still an utter creep。'
Richard winced。 'Whoever gave you the idea you had a sense of humor should be shot； chum。'
'Bitez mon crank； mon ami。'
'Where are we going？'
'I don't know；' Jack said； 'but it's somewhere around here。 I can feel it。 It's like a fishhook in my mind。'
'Point Venuti？'
Jack turned his head and looked at Richard for a long time。 Richard's tired eyes were unreadable。
'Why did you ask that； chum？'
'Is that where we're going？'
Jack shrugged。 Maybe。 Maybe not。
They began walking slowly across the weed…grown parade ground and Richard changed the subject。 'Was all of that real？' They were approaching the rusty double gate。 A lane of faded blue sky showed above the green。 'Was any of it real？'
'We spent a couple of days on an electric train that ran at about twenty…five miles an hour； thirty tops；' Jack said； 'and somehow we got from Springfield； Illinois； into northern California； near the coast。 Now you tell me if it was real。'
'Yes 。 。 。 yes； but 。 。 。'
Jack held out his arms。 The wrists were covered with angry red weals that itched and smarted。
'Bites；' Jack said。 'From the worms。 The worms that fell out of Reuel Gardener's head。'
Richard turned away and was noisily sick。
Jack held him。 Otherwise； he thought； Richard simply would have fallen sprawling。 He was appalled at how thin Richard had bee； at how hot his flesh felt through his preppy shirt。
'I'm sorry I said that；' Jack said when Richard seemed a little better。 'It was pretty crude。'
'Yeah； it was。 But I guess maybe it's the only thing that could have 。 。 。 you know 。 。 。'
'Convinced you？'
'Yeah。 Maybe。' Richard looked at him with his naked； wounded eyes。 There were now pimples all across his forehead。 Sores surrounded his mouth。 'Jack； I have to ask you something； and I want you to answer me 。 。 。 you know； straight。 I want to ask you…'
Oh； I know what you want to ask me； Richie…boy。
'In a few minutes；' Jack said。 'We'll get to all the questions and as many of the answers as I know in a few minutes。 But we've got a piece of business to take care of first。'
'What business？'
Instead of answering； Jack went over to the little train。 He stood there for a moment； looking at it： stubby engine； empty boxcar； flatcar。 Had he somehow managed to flip this whole thing into northern California？ He didn't think so。 Flipping with Wolf had been a chore； dragging Richard into the Territories from the Thayer campus had nearly torn his arm out of its socket； and doing both had been a conscious effort on his part。 So far as he could reme
