sk.thetalisman-第123部分

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　　E　I　NEED　YOU　NOW；　sang　out　the　Talisman。　YOU　ARE　RIGHT　IT　IS　NOT　AS　GREAT　AS　IT　WANTS　YOU　TO　BELIEVE。
　　
　　At　the　top　of　the　last　hill　he　stopped　and　looked　down。　There　they　were；　all　right；　all　of　them。　And　there　was　the　black　hotel；　all　of　it。　Main　Street　descended　to　the　beach；　which　was　white　sand　interrupted　by　big　outcroppings　of　rocks　like　jagged　discolored　teeth。　The　Agincourt　reared　up　a　short　distance　off　to　his　left；　flanked　on　the　ocean　side　by　a　massive　stone　breakwater　running　far　out　into　the　water。　Before　it；　stretching　out　in　a　line；　a　dozen　long　black　limousines；　some　dusty；　others　as　polished　as　mirrors；　sat；　their　motors　running。　Streamers　of　white　exhaust；　low…flying　clouds　whiter　than　the　air；　drifted　out　from　many　of　the　cars。　Men　in　FBI…agent　black　suits　patrolled　along　the　fence；　holding　their　hands　up　to　their　eyes。　When　Jack　saw　two　red　flashes　of　light　stab　out　before　one　of　the　men's　faces；　he　reflexively　dodged　sideways　around　the　side　of　the　little　houses；　moving　before　he　was　actually　conscious　that　the　men　carried　binoculars。
　　For　a　second　or　two；　he　must　have　looked　like　a　beacon；　standing　upright　at　the　brow　of　a　hill。　Knowing　that　a　momentary　carelessness　had　nearly　led　to　his　capture；　Jack　breathed　hard　for　a　moment　and　rested　his　shoulder　against　the　peeling　gray　shingles　of　the　house。　Jack　hitched　Richard　up　to　a　more　fortable　position　on　his　back。
　　Anyhow；　now　he　knew　that　he　would　somehow　have　to　approach　the　black　hotel　from　its　sea　side；　which　meant　getting　across　the　beach　unseen。
　　When　he　straightened　up　again；　he　peeked　around　the　side　of　the　house　and　looked　downhill。　Morgan　Sloat's　reduced　army　sat　in　its　limousines　or；　random　as　ants；　milled　before　the　high　black　fence。　For　a　crazy　moment　Jack　recalled　with　total　precision　his　first　sight　of　the　Queen's　summer　palace。　Then；　too；　he　had　stood　above　a　scene　crowded　with　people　moving　back　and　forth　with　apparent　randomness。　What　was　it　like　there；　now？　On　that　day…which　seemed　to　have　taken　place　in　prehistory；　so　far　must　he　look　back…the　crowds　before　the　pavillion；　the　entire　scene；　had　in　spite　of　all　an　undeniable　aura　of　peace；　of　order。　That　would　be　gone　now；　Jack　knew。　Now　Osmond　would　rule　the　scene　before　the　great　tentlike　structure；　and　those　people　brave　enough　to　enter　the　pavillion　would　scurry　in；　heads　averted。　And　what　of　the　Queen？　Jack　wondered。　He　could　not　help　remembering　that　shockingly　familiar　face　cradled　in　the　whiteness　of　bed　linen。
　　And　then　Jack's　heart　nearly　froze；　and　the　vision　of　the　pavillion　and　the　sick　Queen　dropped　back　into　a　slot　in　Jack's　memory。　Sunlight　Gardener　strolled　into　Jack's　line　of　vision；　a　bullhorn　in　his　hand。　Wind　from　the　sea　blew　a　thick　strand　of　white　hair　across　his　sunglasses。　For　a　second　Jack　was　sure　that　he　could　smell　his　odor　of　sweet　cologne　and　jungle　rot。　Jack　forgot　to　breathe　for　perhaps　five　seconds；　and　just　stood　beside　the　cracked　and　peeling　shingle　wall；　staring　down　as　a　madman　yelled　orders　to　black…suited　men；　pirouetted；　pointed　at　something　hidden　from　Jack；　and　made　an　expressive　move　of　disapproval。
　　He　remembered　to　breathe。
　　'Well；　we've　got　an　interesting　situation　here；　Richard；'　Jack　said。　'We　got　a　hotel　that　can　double　its　size　whenever　it　wants　to；　I　guess；　and　down　there　we　also　have　the　world's　craziest　man。'　
　　Richard；　who　Jack　had　thought　was　asleep；　surprised　him　by　mumbling　something　audible　only　as　guffuf。
　　'What？'
　　'Go　for　it；'　Richard　whispered　weakly。　'Move　it；　chum。'　
　　Jack　actually　laughed。　A　second　later；　he　was　carefully　moving　downhill　past　the　backs　of　houses；　going　through　tall　horsetail　grass　toward　the　beach。
　　
　　　CHAPTER　40
　　　Speedy　on　the　Beach
　　　
　　　1
　　
　　At　the　bottom　of　the　hill；　Jack　flattened　out　in　the　grass　and　crawled；　carrying　Richard　as　he　had　once　carried　his　backpack。　When　he　reached　the　border　of　high　yellow　weeds　alongside　the　edge　of　the　road；　he　inched　forward　on　his　belly　and　looked　out。　Directly　ahead　of　him；　on　the　other　side　of　the　road；　the　beach　began。　Tall　weatherbeaten　rocks　jutted　out　of　the　grayish　sand；　grayish　water　foamed　onto　the　shore。　Jack　looked　leftward　down　the　street。　A　short　distance　past　the　hotel；　on　the　inland　side　of　the　beach　road；　stood　a　long　crumbling　structure　like　a　sliced…off　wedding　cake。　Above　it　a　wooden　sign　with　a　great　hole　in　it　read　KINGSLA　　　　　TEL。　The　Kingsland　Motel；　Jack　remembered；　where　Morgan　Sloat　had　installed　himself　and　his　little　boy　during　his　obsessive　inspections　of　the　black　hotel。　A　flash　of　white　that　was　Sunlight　Gardener　roamed　farther　up　the　street；　clearly　berating　several　of　the　black…suited　men　and　flapping　his　hand　toward　the　hill。　He　doesn't　know　I'm　down　here　already；　Jack　realized　as　one　of　the　men　began　to　trudge　across　the　beach　road；　looking　from　side　to　side。　Gardener　made　another　abrupt；　manding　gesture；　and　the　limousine　parked　at　the　foot　of　Main　Street　wheeled　away　from　the　hotel　and　began　to　coast　alongside　the　man　in　the　black　suit。　He　unbuttoned　his　jacket　as　soon　as　he　hit　the　sidewalk　of　Main　Street　and　took　out　a　pistol　from　a　shoulder　holster。
　　In　the　limousines　the　drivers　turned　their　heads　and　stared　up　the　hill。　Jack　blessed　his　luck…five　minutes　later；　and　a　renegade　Wolf　with　an　oversized　gun　would　have　ended　his　quest　for　that　great　singing　thing　in　the　hotel。
　　He　could　see　only　the　top　two　floors　of　the　hotel；　and　the　madly　spinning　devices　attached　to　the　architectural　extravagances　on　the　roof。　Because　of　his　worm's…eye　angle；　the　break…water　bisecting　the　beach　on　the　right　side　of　the　hotel　seemed　to　rear　up　twenty　feet　or　more；　marching　down　the　sand　and　on　into　the　water。
　　E　NOW　E　NOW；　called　the　Talisman　in　words　that　were　not　words；　but　almost　physical　expressions　of　urgency。
　　The　man　with　the　gun　was　now　out　of　sight；　but　the　drivers　still　stared　after　him　as　he　went　uphill　toward　Point　Venuti's　lunatics。　Sunlight　Gardener　lifted　his　bullhorn　and　roared；　'Root　him　out！　I　want　him　rooted　out！'　He　jabbed　the　bull…horn　at　another　black…suited　man；　just　raising　his　binoculars　to　look　down　the　street　in　Jack's　direction。　'You！　Pig…brains！　Take　the　other　side　of　the　street　。　。　。　and　root　that　bad　boy　out；　oh　yes；　that　baddest　baddest　boy；　baddest　。　。　。'　His　voice　trailed　away　as　the　second　man　trotted　across　the　street　to　the　opposite　sidewalk；　his　pistol　already　lengthening　his　fist。
　　It　was　the　best　chance　he'd　ever　get；　Jack　realized…nobody　was　facing　down　the　length　of　the　beach　road。　'Hang　on　tight；'　he　whispered　to　Richard；　who　did　not　move。　'Time　to　boogie。'　He　got　his　feet　up　under　him；　and　knew　that　Richard's　back　was　probably　visible　above　the　yellow　weeds　and　tall　grass。　Bending　over；　he　burst　out　of　the　weeds　and　set　his　feet　on　the　beach　road。
　　In　seconds　Jack　Sawyer　was　flat　on　his　stomach　in　the　gritty　sand。　He　pushed　himself　forward　with　his　feet。　One　of　Richard's　hands　tightened　on　his　shoulder。　Jack　wiggled　forward　across　the　sand　until　he　had　made　it　behind　the　first　tall　outcropping　of　rock；　then　he　simply　stopped　moving　and　lay　with　his　head　on　his　hands；　Richard　light　as　a　leaf　on　his　back；　breathing　hard。　The　water；　no　more　than　twenty　feet　away；　beat　against　the　edge　of　the　beach。　Jack　could　still　hear　Sunlight　Gardener　screeching　about　imbeciles　and　inpetents；　his　crazy　voice　drifting　down　from　uphill　on　Main　Street。　The　Talisman　urged　him　forward；　urged　him　on；　on；　on　。　。　。　
　　Richard　fell　off　his　back。
　　'You　okay？'
　　Richard　raised　a　thin　hand　and　touched　his　forehead　with　his　fingers；　his　cheekbone　with　his　thumb。　'I　guess。　You　see　my　father？'　
　　Jack　shook　his　head。　'Not　yet。'
　　'But　he's　here。'
　　'I　guess。　He　has　to　be。'　The　Kingsland；　Jack　remembered；　seeing　in　his　mind　the　dingy　facade；　the　broken　wooden　sign。　Morgan　Sloat　would　have　holed　up　in　the　hotel　he　had　used　so　often　six　or　seven　years　ago。　Jack　immediately　felt　the　furious　presence　of　Morgan　Sloat　near　him；　as　if　knowing　where　Sloat　was　had　summoned　him　up。
　　'Well；　don't　worry　about　him。'　Richard's　voice　was　paper…thin。　'I　mean；　don't　worry　about　me　worrying　about　him。　I　think　he's　dead；　Jack。'　
　　Jack　looked　at　his　friend　with　a　fresh　anxiety：　could　Richard　actually　be　losing　his　mind？　Certainly　Richard　was　feverish。　Up　on　the　hill；　Sunlight　Gardener　bawled　'SPREAD　OUT！'　through　his　bullhorn。
　　'You　think…'
　　And　then　Jack　heard　another　voice；　one　that　had　first　whispered　beneath　Gardener's　angry　mand。　It　was　a　half…familiar　voice；　and　Jack　recognized　its　timbre　and　cadence　before　he　had　truly　identified　it。　And；　oddly；　he　recognized　that　the　sound　of　this　particular　voice　made　him　feel　relaxed…almost　as　if　he　could　stop　scheming　and　fretting　now；　for　everything　would　be　taken　care　of…before　he　could　name　its　owner。
　　'Jack　Sawyer；'　the　voice　repeated。　'Over　here；　sonny。'　
　　The　voice　was　Speedy　Parker's。
　　'I　do；'　Richard　said；　and　closed　his　puffy　eyes　again　and　looked　like　a　corpse　washed　up　by　the　tide。
　　I　do　think　my　father　is　dead；　Richard　meant；　but　Jack's　mind　was　far　from　the　ravings　of　his　friend。　'Over　here；　Jacky；'　Speedy　called　again；　and　the　boy　saw　that　the　sound　came　from　the　largest　group　of　tall　rocks；　three　joined　vertical　piles　only　a　few　feet　from　the　edge　of　the　water。　A　dark　line；　the　high…tide　mark；　cut　across　the　rocks　a　quarter　of　the　way　up。
　　'Speedy；'　Jack　whispered。
　　'Yeah…bob；'　came　the　reply。　'Get　yourself　over　here　without　them　zombies　seein　you；　can　you？　And　bring　your　frien'　along；　too。'　
　　Richard　still　lay　face…up　on　the　sand；　his　hand　over　his　face。　'e　on；　Richie；'　Jack　whispered　into　his　ear。　'We　have　to　move　a　little　bit　down　the　beach。　Speedy's　here。'
　　'Speedy？'　Richard　whispered　back；　so　quietly　Jack　had　trouble　hearing　the　word。
　　'A　friend。　See　the　rocks　down　there？'　He　lifted　Richard's　head　on　the　reedlike　neck。　'He's　behind　them。　He'll　help　us；　Richie。　Right　now；　we　could　use　a　little　help。'
　　'I　can't　really　see；'　Richard　plained。　'And　I'm　so　tired　。　。　。'
　　'Get　on　my　back　again。'　He　turned　around　and　nearly　flattened　out　on　the　sand。　Richard's　arms　came　over　his　shoulders　and　feebly　joined。
　　Jack　peered　around　the　edge　of