cw.blackalibi-第39部分

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　stooped　to　pick　it　up。　It　was　the　revolver　that　he　himself　had　handed　her　at　the　Inglaterra　only　a　few　hours　earlier。　He　put　it　to　his　face。　Odorless。　She'd　never　had　a　chance　to　use　it。　His　chin　was　puckered　into　a　weazened　expression　as　he　went　trotting　on。
　　Didn't　this　road　ever　end？　And　while　he　asked　himself　that；　it　did。　The　main　driveway　was　empty　under　its　lights。　No　one　was　leaving　the　Bosque　now　any　more；　they　all　had；　long　ago。　He　padded　on。　Ahead　a　wan　glow　began　to　brighten；　fan　out。　The　Puerta　Mayor；　the　entrance　to　the　city。
　　Suddenly　lights　gushed　up　like　illuminated　oil　seeping　out　of　the　ground；　and　the　periphery　of　the　city　lay　spread　before　him。　He　stopped　with　sudden　hopelessness；　partly　because　of　his　pounding　lungs；　mostly　because　he　didn't　know　where　to　go　any　more　from　here　on。　He　was　confronted　by　six　radiating　avenues　that　branched　Out　from　the　Puerta　Mayor　like　spokes　of　a　half　wheel。　To　follow　one　through　to　the　end　was　to　slight　the　other　five。　She　was　lost　for　good　now；　buried　alive　somewhere　in　that　wilderness　of　stones　and　buildings　that　stretched　before　him　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。
　　The　expression　on　his　face　was　that　of　someone　trying　to　retch。　The　third　largest　city　of　South　America。　Three　quarters　of　a　million　people。　Minutes　to　find　her。
　　Finally；　still　breathing　heavily；　he　cut　across　the　glorieta。　Sweat　was　running　down　his　forehead。　He　was　still　unable　to　make　up　his　mind　which　street　to　choose。　The　odds　were　too　heavy；　the　stake　was　too　high。　Six　to　one；　a　girl's　life。　He　felt　as　helpless　as　when　he　had　first　e　here；　in　the　days　when　he　didn't　know　his　way　around　town　yet。　When　it　was　just　a　blur　of　strange　streets　with　strange　names；　all　leading　in　strange　directions。
　　He　passed　one　of　those　direction　finders　that　he　used　to　have　to　rely　on。　He　hadn't　paid　any　attention　to　them　in　years。　City　maps　with　an　adjustable　indicator；　that　you　found　at　some　of　the　busier　corners。　Copied　from　Europe；　they　weren't　known　up　in　the　States。　He　remembered　how　they　used　to　straighten　him　out　each　time　he　got　balled　up。　You　set　the　indicator　for　where　you　wanted　to　go；　and　also　for　where　you　were；　and　it　would　show　the　straightest　line　between　the　two　points。
　　Suddenly　he　flung　around；　went　back　to　the　one　he　had　just　passed；　as　a　thought　struck　him。　It　was　set　at　chest　level　for　the　convenience　of　passers…by。　He　reared　one　leg　up　and　rammed　into　it。　The　glass　protecting　the　map　trickled　off。　He　wanted。　it　to　be　able　to　take　pencil　marks　for　what　he　had　in　mind；　the　indicator　wasn't　enough。
　　He　poised　his　pencil　over　the　denuded　chart；　began　marking　off　the　locations　of　the　attacks；　mumbling　to　himself　as　he　did　so。
　　〃One；　Teresa　Delgado…Pasaje　del　Diablo。〃　He　ground　Out　a　black　sworl　of　penciling　to　mark　it　clearly。　〃Two；　Conchita　Contreras…All　Saints。　Three；　Clo…Clo…at　the　corner　of　San　Marco　and　the　Calle　de　Justicia。〃　He　moistened　the　pencil　tip。　〃Four；　Sally　O'Keefe…beside　the　lagoon　in　the　Bosque。〃　Tonight's　didn't　count；　it　was　simply　a　repetition　at　the　same　spot　as　the　one　before。
　　He　had　four　black　marks　on　the　map　now。　He　drew　a　line　from　each　across　to　its　opposite。　They　made　a　slightly　irregular　X；　one　arm　a　little　longer　than　the　other。
　　He　peered　closely　at　the　finely　printed　diagram；　to　see　where　the　two　axes　crossed；　to　determine　where　the　focus　was。　He　drew　an　arbitrary　circle　around　it；　to　identify　it　still　more　plainly。　It　enpassed　the　Alameda　district；　roughly　the　section　between　there　and　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires。　And　dead　center　through　this　ran　an　almost　indistinguishable　thread；　marked　minutely　on　the　map…Callejуn　de　las　Sombras。
　　In　other　words；　the　place　where　it　had　originally　disappeared　was　still　the　one　locale　in　the　city　equidistant　from　all　four　of　the　attacks。　Somewhere　around　in　there　was　the　base　of　operations。　Somewhere　around　in　there　was　the　lair。
　　True；　that　alley　had　been　thoroughly　searched　once　already。　True；　there　was　no　guarantee　that　he　necessarily　covered　an　equal　distance　away　from　his　starting　point　each　time。　But　it　was　all　Manning　had；　it　was　the　best　he　could　do。　And　it　was　still　a　whole　lot　better　and　quicker　than　having　the　whole　sprawling　city　to　b　over。　At　least　he　knew　which　one　of　those　six　radiating　avenues　to　take　from　here；　now。　The　stake　was　still　as　high　as　ever；　but　the　odds　had　e　down　a　lot。
　　He　sighted　a　cab　in　the　distance　and　bayed　to　it　at　the　top　of　his　lungs。　Five　minutes　later　he　had　alighted　at　the　mouth　of　the　Callejуn。　The　cab　drove　off；　left　him　there　alone。　It　was　black　as　the　mouth　of　hell；　not　a　light　showed　along　its　entire　tortuous　length；　from　where　he　was　through　to　the　other　end。
　　He　plunged　in；　to　begin　a　one…man　search　from　doorway　to　doorway。
　　
　　
　　Half　an　hour　later　he　had　dead…ended　in　the　roofless　chapel。　His　torch　moved　up　and　down　the　walls　in　a　series　of　scallops　as　he　clambered　up　and　down　the　varying　mounds　of　debris。　His　face　looked　gray　in　the　pallid　reflection　of　its　small　glow；　and　there　was　the　shine　of　sweat；　the　sweat　of　failure；　in　the　pinched　indentations　at　the　corners　of　his　eyes　and　mouth。　After　his　third　time　around；　he　turned　and　moved　back　toward　the　entrance。
　　There　was　a　small　click；　and　his　light　went　out；　just　as　his　hopes　had　long　before　this。　He　let　the　door　flap　idly　to　and　fro　behind　him　on　the　slight　current　of　his　egress；　sat　soddenly　down　on　the　worn　steps　outside；　his　spine　a　bow　of　dejection。　There　was　no　place　else　to　go　from　here。
　　Minutes　went　by。　He　looked　up　once；　at　the　patch　of　black　over　him。　It　was　still　night。　How　long　a　night　lasted…sometimes。　But　not　when　you　are　dying。
　　He　rose　to　his　feet　at　last；　began　hobbling　painfully　along　toward　where　the　inset　rejoined　the　main　part　of　the　alley。　A　piece　of　gravel　had　got　into　one　of　his　shoes；　climbing　around　inside　there；　and　was　half　killing　him。　He　had　to　stop　finally；　brace　his　foot　against　the　wall；　and　strip　off　the　offending　shoe。　He　shook　it　out；　felt　along　the　sole　of　his　sock　to　make　sure　the　irritant　was　not　imbedded　in　that。　It　was；　and　it　rolled　into　the　hollow　of　his　hand。
　　The　dangling　shoe　dropped　with　a　clump；　and　he　flicked　on　his　light；　turned　it　into　his　palm。　Something　winked　there　in　its　creases。　A　diminutive　oblong；　tiny　but　bright。　A　microscopic　tube。　A　bead。　One　of　those　things　from　her　dress。
　　It　had　only　been　hurting　him　since　he'd　e　out　of　there。
　　He　shoveled　his　foot　back　into　the　shoe；　ran　up　the　short　steps　and　inside　once　more。
　　He　only　found　it　at　last　because　he　knew　there　was　something　there　to　be　found　now　and　he　wouldn't　quit　looking　until　he　had。　It　was　a　lead　trap　set　into　the　floor　and　indistinguishable　in　size　or　color　from　the　massive　paving　blocks　set　around　it。　He'd　missed　it　because　he'd　been　chiefly　occupied　with　the　walls　until　now；　not　the　littered　flooring　underfoot；　which　had　seemed　solid。　His　quest　had　been　for　a　gap；　an　orifice；　not　anything　of　this　sort。
　　He　was　squatting　down　by　it　now；　getting　excited。　It　had　a　flattened　ring　nosed　through　it。　He　pried　that　up　and　pulled；　and　the　whole　thing　tilted　up　quite　easily；　on　a　sort　of　chain…brace　arrangement　on　the　underside。
　　He　shot　his　light　down　into　it；　to　reveal　a　narrow　oblong　pit；　with　breakneck　stone　steps　leading　down；　but　from　the　side；　not　lengthwise。　On　the　lowest　step　of　all　there　was　another　of　those　tiny　winking　points　of　light；　like　the　one　that　had　rested　in　his　palm　awhile　ago；　outside。
　　〃This　is　for　me；〃　he　told　himself　with　grim　conviction。
　　What　it　was；　where　it　went　to；　he　didn't　know；　only　that　she'd　e　this　way；　so　he　was　going　to　e　this　way；　too。　A　cold　long…buried　air　arose　in　his　face；　like　something　from　another　world；　as　he　disappeared　down　into　it　by　sections；　like　someone　being　swallowed　in　a　quicksand：　first　his　legs；　then　his　thighs；　then　his　middle。　Finally　it　closed　over　his　head。
　　There　was　a　tunnel　stretching　before　him；　almost　to　infinity；　it　seemed。　It　was　shored　at　the　sides　and　top　by　age…blackened　beams；　like　a　mine　shaft。　As　he　moved　along　it　eating　up　distance；　he　almost　received　the　impression　of　standing　still。　There　was　always　still　more　empty　blackness　out　there　ahead　of　the　furthermost　limits　of　the　beam　of　his　light。　Once　his　light　swam　over　the　droppings　of　some　animal；　weeks　old　and　half　dust。
　　So　it　had　been　down　in　here…at　one　time。
　　A　few　paces　farther　on　he　shied　suddenly；　gave　an　instinctive　quirk　to　the　gun　he　was　holding　in　readiness；　as　something　white　gleamed　out　at　him　unexpectedly。　It　was　a　bodiless　skull；　nestled　there　in　the　angle　of　one　of　the　shoring　beams；　grinning　teeth　to　ground　as　if　biting　it。　It　was　ivory　smooth　with　centuries　of　fleshlessness。
　　Then　just　when　he　thought　this　passage　was　never　going　to　reach　anywhere；　never　end；　his　light　head　suddenly　foreshortened；　deflected　upwards　by　steps　before　him　again。
　　Up　over　them　was　the　same　type　of　chained　trap　that　had　admitted　him　just　now　at　the　other　end。　He　put　his　foot　to　the　lowest　step；　and　then　stopped　for　a　moment。　Something　made　him　put　his　light　out　and　sheathe　it　in　the　waistband　of　his　trousers；　before　he　reached　upward　to　open　the　enclosure。　The　gun　he　retained。　He　knew　he　was　getting　near　the　end　of　the　trail　now。
　　It　lifted　without　any　more　recalcitrance　than　its　plement　at　the　other　end；　showing；　if　nothing　else；　that　both　had　seen　frequent　use　lately。　It　was　not；　though；　nor　could　it　be　expected　to　be；　pletely　noiseless。　It　whined　as　it　went　upward；　and　the　chains　jangled　as　they　stayed　it。
　　As　he　came　up　into　the　dark；　he　was　uncannily　aware　of　some　other　presence　near　him。　Some　bated　presence　that　had　detected　him　first；　and　was　holding　itself　craftily　motionless。　He　could　feel　the　skin　across　the　back　of　his　neck　tighten；　and　he　began　fanning　his　gun　warily　against　the　sightless　gloom　that　faced　him。　He　took　a　cautious　step　away　from　the　topmost　step。　Then　another。
　　A　current　of　air　set　in　flux　by　some　unseen　movement　near　him　reached　him　too　late。
　　The　bore　of　a　gun　ground　into　his　backbone　with　electrifying　lack　of　preliminary　and；　as　though　it　were　the　nozzle　of　a　powerful　vacuum　cleaner；　seemed　to　draw　him　from　behind　into　paralyzed　motionlessn