sk.thetalisman-第78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！
What if I'm the herd？ he asked himself silently。 And what he thought of was Wolf scrambling down the bank after his poor terrified animals； throwing himself into the water to rescue them。
7
The shed was empty。 As soon as Jack saw the door leaning open he knew that Wolf had taken himself off somewhere； but he scrambled down the side of the gully and picked his way through the trash almost in disbelief。 Wolf could not have gone farther than a dozen feet by himself； yet he had done so。 'I'm back；' Jack called。 'Hey； Wolf？ I got the lock。' He knew he was talking to himself； and a glance into the shed con…firmed this。 His pack lay on a little wooden bench； a stack of pulpy magazines dated 1973 stood beside it。 In one corner of the windowless wooden shed odd lengths of deadwood had been carelessly heaped； as if someone had once half…heartedly made a stab at squirreling away firewood。 Otherwise the shed was bare。 Jack turned around from the gaping door and looked helplessly up the banks of the gully。
Old tires scattered here and there among the weeds； a bundle of faded and rotting political pamphlets still bearing the name LUGAR； one dented blue…and…white Connecticut license plate； beer…bottles with labels so faded they were white 。 。 。 no Wolf。 Jack raised his hands to cup his mouth。 'Hey； Wolf！ I'm back！' He expected no reply； and got none。 Wolf was gone。
'Shit；' Jack said； and put his hands on his hips。 Conflicting emotions； exasperation and relief and anxiety； surged through him。 Wolf had left in order to save Jack's life…that had to be the meaning of his disappearance。 As soon as Jack had set off for Daleville； his partner had skipped out。 He had run away on those tireless legs and by now was miles away； waiting for the moon to e up。 By now； Wolf could be anywhere。
This realization was part of Jack's anxiety。 Wolf could have taken himself into the woods visible at the end of the long field bordered by the gully； and in the woods gorged himself on rabbits and fieldmice and whatever else might live there； moles and badgers and the whole cast of The Wind in the Willows。 Which would have been dandy。 But Wolf just might sniff out the livestock； wherever it was； and put himself in real danger。 He might also； Jack realized； sniff out the farmer and his family。 Or； even worse； Wolf might have worked his way close to one of the towns north of them。 Jack couldn't be sure； but he thought that a transformed Wolf would probably be capable of slaughtering at least half a dozen people before somebody finally killed him。
'Damn； damn； damn；' Jack said； and began to climb up the far side of the gully。 He had no real hopes of seeing Wolf…he would probably never see Wolf again； he realized。 In some small…town paper； a few days down the road； he'd find a horrified description of the carnage caused by an enormous wolf which had apparently wandered into Main Street looking for food。 And there would be more names。 More names like Thielke； Heidel； Hagen 。 。 。
At first he looked toward the road； hoping even now to see Wolf's giant form skulking away to the east…he wouldn't want to meet Jack returning from Daleville。 The long road was as deserted as the shed。
Of course。
The sun； as good a clock as the one he wore on his wrist； had slipped well below its meridian。
Jack turned despairingly toward the long field and the edge of the woods behind it。 Nothing moved but the tips of the stubble； which bent before a chill wandering breeze。
HUNT CONTINUES FOR KILLER WOLF； a headline would read； a few days down the road。
Then a large brown boulder at the edge of the woods did move； and Jack realized that the boulder was Wolf。 He had hunkered down on his heels and was staring at Jack。
'Oh； you inconvenient son of a bitch；' Jack said； and in the midst of his relief knew that a part of him had been secretly delighted by Wolf's departure。 He stepped toward him。
Wolf did not move； but his posture somehow intensified； became more electric and aware。 Jack's next step required more courage than the first。
Twenty yards farther； he saw that Wolf had continued to change。 His hair had bee even thicker； more luxuriant； as if it had been washed and blow…dried； and now Wolf's beard really did seem to begin just beneath his eyes。 He entire body； hunkered down as it was； seemed to have bee wider and more powerful。 His eyes； filled with liquid fire； blazed Halloween orange。
Jack made himself go nearer。 He nearly stopped when he thought he saw that Wolf now had paws instead of hands； but a moment later realized that his hands and fingers were pletely covered by a thatch of coarse dark hair。 Wolf continued to gaze at him with his blazing eyes。 Jack again halved the distance between them； then paused。 For the first time since he had e upon Wolf tending his flock beside a Territories stream； he could not read his expression。 Maybe Wolf had bee too alien for that already； or maybe all the hair simply concealed too much of his face。 What he was sure of was that some strong emotion had gripped Wolf。
A dozen feet away he stopped for good and forced himself to look into the werewolf's eyes。
'Soon now； Jacky；' Wolf said； and his mouth dropped open in a fearsome parody of a smile。
'I thought you ran away；' Jack said。
'Sat here to see you ing。 Wolf！'
Jack did not know what to make of this declaration。 Obscurely； it reminded him of Little Red Riding Hood。 Wolf's teeth did look particularly crowded； sharp； and strong。 'I got the lock；' he said。 He pulled it out of his pocket and held it up。 'You have any ideas while I was gone； Wolf？'
Wolf's whole face…eyes； teeth； everything…blazed out at Jack。
'You're the herd now； Jacky；' Wolf said。 And lifted his head and released a long unfurling howl。
8
A less frightened Jack Sawyer might have said； 'Can that stuff； willya？' or 'We'll have every dog in the county around here if you keep that up；' but both of these statements died in his throat。 He was too scared to utter a word。 Wolf gave him his A #1 smile again； his mouth looking like a television mercial for Ginsu knives； and rose effortlessly to his feet。 The John Lennon glasses seemed to be receding back into the bristly top of his beard and the thick hair falling over his temples。 He looked at least seven feet tall to Jack； and as burly as the beer barrels in the back room of the Oatley Tap。
'You have good smells in this world； Jacky；' Wolf said。 And Jack finally recognized his mood。 Wolf was exultant。
He was like a man who against steep odds had just won a particularly difficult contest。 At the bottom of this triumphant emotion percolated that joyful and feral quality Jack had seen once before。
'Good smells！ Wolf！ Wolf！'
Jack took a delicate step backward； wondering if he was upwind of Wolf。 'You never said anything good about it before；' he said； not quite coherently。
'Before is before and now is now；' Wolf said。 'Good things。 Many good things…all around。 Wolf will find them； you bet。'
That made it worse； for now Jack could see…could nearly feel…a flat； confident greed； a wholly amoral hunger shining in the reddish eyes。 I'll eat anything I catch and kill； it said。 Catch and kill。
'I hope none of those good things are people； Wolf；' Jack said quietly。
Wolf lifted his chin and uttered a bubbling series of noises half…howl； half…laughter。
'Wolfs need to eat；' he said； and his voice； too； was joyous。 'Oh； Jacky； how Wolfs do need to eat。 EAT！ Wolf！'
'I'm going to have to put you in that shed；' Jack said。 'Remember； Wolf？ I got the lock？ We'll just have to hope it'll hold you。 Let's start over there now； Wolf。 You're scaring the shit out of me。'
This time the bubbling laughter ballooned out of Wolf's chest。 'Scared！ Wolf knows！ Wolf knows； Jacky！ You have the fear…smell。'
'I'm not surprised；' Jack said。 'Let's get over to that shed now； okay？'
'Oh； I'm not going in the shed；' Wolf said； and a long pointed tongue curled out from between his jaws。 'No； not me； Jacky。 Not Wolf。 Wolf can't go in the shed。' The jaws widened； and the crowded teeth shone。 'Wolf remembered； Jacky。 Wolf！ Right here and now！
