sk.thewastelands-第14部分

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il　from　which　they　had　sprung…but　they　still　made　enough　of　a　tangle　to　create　a　formidable　obstacle　course。　It　would　have　been　difficult　enough　if　all　three　of　them　had　been　able…bodied；　with　Susannah　strapped　to　the　gunslinger's　back　in　her　harness；　it　became　an　exercise　in　aggravation　and　endurance。
　　The　flattened　trees　and　jumbles　of　underbrush　served　to　obscure　the　bear's　backtrail；　and　that　also　worked　to　slow　their　speed。　Until　mid…day　they　had　followed　claw…marks　as　clear　as　trail…blazes　on　the　trees。　Here；　however；　near　its　starting　point；　the　bear's　rage　had　not　been　full…blown；　and　these　handy　signs　of　its　passage　disappeared。　Roland　moved　slowly；　looking　for　droppings　in　the　bushes　and　tufts　of　hair　on　the　tree…trunks　over　which　the　bear　had　climbed。　It　took　all　afternoon　to　cross　three　miles　of　this　decayed　jumble。
　　Eddie　had　just　decided　they　were　going　to　lose　the　light　and　would　have　to　camp　in　these　creepy　surroundings　when　they　came　to　a　thin　skirt　of　alders。　Beyond　it；　he　could　hear　a　stream　babbling　noisily　over　a　bed　of　stones。　Behind　them；　the　setting　sun　was　radiating　spokes　of　sullen　red　light　across　the　jumbled　ground　they　had　just　crossed；　turning　the　fallen　trees　into　crisscrossing　black　shapes　like　Chinese　ideograms。
　　Roland　called　a　halt　and　eased　Susannah　down。　He　stretched　his　back；　twisting　it　this　way　and　that　with　his　hands　on　his　hips。
　　〃That　it　for　the　night？〃　Eddie　asked。
　　Roland　shook　his　head。　〃Give　Eddie　your　gun；　Susannah。〃
　　She　did　as　he　said；　looking　at　him　questioningly。
　　〃e　on；　Eddie。　The　place　we　want　is　on　the　other　side　of　those　trees。　We'll　have　a　look。　We　might　do　a　little　work；　as　well。〃
　　〃What　makes　you　think…〃
　　〃Open　your　ears。〃
　　Eddie　listened　and　realized　he　heard　machinery。　He　further　realized　that　he　had　been　hearing　it　for　some　time　now。　〃I　don't　want　to　leave　Susannah。〃
　　〃We're　not　going　far　and　she　has　a　good　loud　voice。　Besides；　if　there's　danger；　it's　ahead…we'll　be　between　it　and　her。〃
　　Eddie　looked　down　at　Susannah。
　　〃Go　on…just　make　sure　you're　back　soon。〃　She　looked　back　the　way　they　had　e　with　thoughtful　eyes。　〃I　don't　know　if　there's　ha　ants　here　or　not；　but　it　feels　like　there　are。〃
　　〃We'll　be　back　before　dark；〃　Roland　promised。　He　started　toward　the　screen　of　alders；　and　after　a　moment；　Eddie　followed　him。
　　
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　　FIFTEEN　YARDS　INTO　THE　trees；　Eddie　realized　that　they　were　following　a　path；　one　the　bear　had　probably　made　for　itself　over　the　years。　The　alders　bent　above　them　in　a　tunnel。　The　sounds　were　louder　now；　and　he　began　to　sort　them　out。　One　was　a　low；　deep；　humming　noise。　He　could　feel　it　in　his　feet…a　faint　vibration；　as　if　some　large　piece　of　machinery　was　running　in　the　earth。　Above　it；　closer　and　more　urgent；　were　crisscrossing　sounds　like　bright　scratches…squeals；　squeaks；　chitterings。
　　Roland　placed　his　mouth　against　Eddie's　ear　and　said；　〃I　think　there's　little　danger　if　we're　quiet。〃
　　They　moved　on　another　five　yards　and　then　Roland　stopped　again。　He　drew　his　gun　and　used　the　barrel　to　brush　aside　a　branch　which　hung　heavy　with　sunset…tinted　leaves。　Eddie　looked　through　this　small　opening　and　into　the　clearing　where　the　bear　had　lived　for　so　long…the　base　of　operations　from　which　he　had　set　forth　on　his　many　expeditions　of　pillage　and　terror。
　　There　was　no　undergrowth　here；　the　ground　had　been　beaten　bald　long　since。　A　stream　emerged　from　the　base　of　a　rock　wall　about　fifty　feet　high　and　ran　through　the　arrowhead…shaped　clearing。　On　their　side　of　the　stream；　backed　up　against　the　wall；　was　a　metal　box　about　nine　feet　high。　Its　roof　was　curved；　and　it　reminded　Eddie　of　a　subway　entrance。　The　front　was　painted　in　diagonal　yellow　and　black　stripes。　The　earth　which　floored　the　clearing　was　not　black；　like　the　topsoil　in　the　forest；　but　a　strange　powdery　gray。　It　was　littered　with　bones；　and　after　a　moment　Eddie　realized　that　what　he　had　taken　for　gray　soil　was　more　bones；　bones　so　old　they　were　crumbling　back　to　dust。
　　Things　were　moving　in　the　dirt…the　things　making　the　squealing；　chittering　noises。　Four　。　。　。　no；　five　of　them。　Small　metal　devices；　the　largest　about　the　size　of　a　Collie　pup。　They　were　robots；　Eddie　realized；　or　something　like　robots。　They　were　similar　to　each　other　and　to　the　bear　they　had　undoubtedly　served　in　one　way　only…atop　each　of　them；　a　tiny　radar…dish　turned　rapidly。
　　More　thinking　caps；　Eddie　thought。　My　God；　what　kind　of　world　is　this；　anyway？
　　The　largest　of　these　devices　looked　a　little　like　the　Tonka　tractor　Eddie　had　gotten　for　his　sixth　or　seventh　birthday；　its　treads　churned　up　tiny　gray　clouds　of　bone…dust　as　it　rolled　along。　Another　looked　like　a　stainless　steel　rat。　A　third　appeared　to　be　a　snake　constructed　of　jointed　steel　segments…it　writhed　and　humped　its　way　along。　They　formed　a　rough　circle　on　the　far　side　of　the　stream；　going　around　and　around　on　a　deep　course　they　had　carved　in　the　ground。　Looking　at　them　made　Eddie　think　of　cartoons　he　had　seen　in　the　stacks　of　old　Saturday　Evening　Post　magazines　his　mother　had　for　some　reason　saved　and　stored　in　the　front　hall　of　their　apartment。　In　the　cartoons；　worried；　cigarette…smoking　men　paced　ruts　in　the　carpet　while　they　waited　for　their　wives　to　give　birth。
　　As　his　eyes　grew　used　to　the　simple　geography　of　the　clearing；　Eddie　saw　that　there　were　a　great　many　more　than　five　of　these　assorted　freaks。　There　were　at　least　a　dozen　others　that　he　could　see　and　probably　more　hidden　behind　the　bony　remains　of　the　bear's　old　kills。　The　difference　was　that　the　others　weren't　moving。　The　members　of　the　bear's　mechani…cal　retinue　had　died；　one　by　one；　over　the　long　years　until　just　this　little　group　of　five　were　left　。。　。　and　they　did　not　sound　very　healthy；　with　their　squeaks　and　squalls　and　rusty　chitterings。　The　snake　in　particular　had　a　hesitant；　crippled　look　as　it　followed　the　mechanical　rat　around　and　around　the　circle。　Every　now　and　then　the　device　which　followed　the　snake…a　steel　block　that　walked　on　stubby　mechanical　legs…would　catch　up　with　it　and　give　the　snake　a　nudge；　as　if　telling　it　to　hurry　the　fuck　up。
　　Eddie　wondered　what　their　job　had　been。　Surely　not　protection；　the　bear　had　been　built　to　protect　itself；　and　Eddie　guessed　that　if　old　Shardik　had　e　upon　the　three　of　them　while　still　in　its　prime；　it　would　have　chewed　them　up　and　spat　them　out　in　short　order。　Perhaps　these　little　robots　had　been　its　maintenance　crew；　or　scouts；　or　messen…gers。　He　guessed　that　they　could　be　dangerous；　but　only　in　their　own　defense　。。。　or　their　master's。　They　did　not　seem　warlike。
　　There　was；　in　fact；　something　pitiful　about　them。　Most　of　the　crew　was　now　defunct；　their　master　was　gone；　and　Eddie　believed　they　knew　it　somehow。　It　was　not　menace　they　projected　but　a　strange；　inhuman　sadness。　Old　and　almost　worn　out；　they　paced　and　rolled　and　wriggled　their　anxious　way　around　the　worry…track　they　had　dug　in　this　godforsaken　clearing；　and　it　almost　seemed　to　Eddie　that　he　could　read　the　confused　run　of　their　thoughts；　Oh　dear；　oh　dear；　what　now？　What　is　our　purpose；　now　that　He　is　gone？　And　who　will　take　care　of　us；　now　that　He　is　gone？　Oh　dear；　oh　dear；　oh　dear　。　。　。
　　Eddie　felt　a　tug　on　the　back　of　his　leg　and　came　very　close　to　screaming　in　fear　and　surprise。　He　wheeled；　cocking　Roland's　gun；　and　saw　Susannah　looking　up　at　him　with　wide　eyes。　Eddie　let　out　a　long　breath　and　dropped　the　hammer　carefully　back　to　its　resting　position。　He　knelt；　put　his　hands　on　Susannah's　shoulders；　kissed　her　cheek；　then　whispered　in　her　ear：　〃I　came　really　close　to　putting　a　bullet　in　your　silly　head…what　are　you　doing　here？〃
　　〃Wanted　to　see；〃　she　whispered　back；　looking　not　even　slightly　abashed。　Her　eyes　shifted　to　Roland　as　he　also　hunkered　beside　her。　〃Besides；　it　was　spooky　back　there　by　myself。〃
　　She　had　sustained　a　number　of　small　scratches　crawling　after　them　through　the　brush；　but　Roland　had　to　admit　to　himself　that　she　could　be　as　quiet　as　a　ghost　when　she　wanted　to　be；　he　hadn't　heard　a　thing。　He　took　a　rag　（the　last　remnant　of　his　old　shirt）　from　his　back　pocket　and　wiped　the　little　trickles　of　blood　from　her　arms。　He　examined　his　work　for　a　moment　and　then　dabbed　at　a　small　nick　on　her　forehead　as　well。　〃Have　your　look；　then；〃　he　said。　His　voice　was　hardly　more　than　the　movement　of　his　lips。　〃I　guess　you　earned　it。〃
　　He　used　one　hand　to　open　a　sightline　at　her　level　in　the　hock　and　greenberry　bushes；　then　waited　while　she　stared　raptly　into　the　clearing。　At　last　she　pulled　back　and　Roland　allowed　the　bushes　to　close　again。
　　〃I　feel　sorry　for　them；〃　she　whispered。　〃Isn't　that　crazy？〃
　　〃Not　at　all；〃　Roland　whispered　back。　〃They　are　creatures　of　great　sadness；　I　think；　in　their　own　strange　way。　Eddie　is　going　to　put　them　out　of　their　misery。〃
　　Eddie　began　to　shake　his　head　at　once。
　　〃Yes；　you　are　。　。　。　unless　you　want　to　hunker　here　in　what　you　call　'the　toolies'　all　night。　Go　for　the　hats。　The　little　twirling　things。〃
　　〃What　if　I　miss？〃　Eddie　whispered　at　him　furiously。
　　Roland　shrugged。
　　Eddie　stood　up　and　reluctantly　cocked　the　gunslinger's　revolver　again。　He　looked　through　the　bushes　at　the　circling　servomechanisms；　going　around　and　around　in　their　lonely；　useless　orbit。　It'll　be　like　shoot…ing　puppies；　he　thought　glumly。　Then　he　saw　one　of　them…it　was　the　thing　that　looked　like　a　walking　box…extrude　an　ugly…looking　pincer　device　from　its　middle　and　clamp　it　for　a　moment　on　the　snake。　The　snake　made　a　surprised　buzzing　sound　and　leaped　ahead。　The　walking　box　withdrew　its　pincer。
　　Well　。　。　。　maybe　not　exactly　like　shooting　puppies；　Eddie　decided。　He　glanced　at　Roland　again。　Roland　looked　back　expressionlessly；　arms　folded　across　his　chest。
　　You　pick　some　goddam　strange　times　to　keep　school；　buddy。
　　Eddie　thought　of　Susannah；　first　shooting　the　bear　in　the　ass；　then　blowing　its　sensor　device　to　smithereens　as　it　bore　down　on　her　and　Roland；　and　felt　a　little　ashamed　of　himself。　And　there　was　more：　part　of　him　wanted　to　go　for　it；　just　as　part　of　him　had　wanted　to　go　up　against　Balazar　and　his　crew　of　plug…uglies　in　The　Leaning　Tower。　The　pulsion　was　probably　sick；　but　that　didn't　change　its　basic　attraction：　Let's　see　who　walks　away　。