dk.coldfire-第33部分

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f　in　a　tent。　He　was　lying　on　his　belly；　looking　out；　and　it　seemed　as　if　he　ought　to　be　able　to　slither　into　the　open　easy　enough。　
　〃Something's　got　my　foot；〃　he　said。　He　was　still　afraid；　but　manageably　so。　He　had　cast　off　the　greater　part　of　his　terror　the　moment　he　had　seen　her。　Whether　you　were　five　years　old　or　fifty；　the　worst　thing　always　was　being　alone。　〃Got　my　foot；　won't　let　go。〃　
　Coughing；　she　said；　〃I'll　get　you　out；　honey。　You'll　be　okay。〃　
　Holly　looked　up　and　saw　another　row　of　seats　piled　atop　the　lower　bank。　
　Both　were　wedged　in　by　a　mass　of　twisted　steel　pressing　down　from　the　caved…in　ceiling；　and　she　wondered　if　the　forward　section　had　rolled　once　before　ing　to　rest　right…side　up。　
　With　her　fingertips　she　wiped　the　tears　off　his　cheeks。　〃What's　your　name；　honey？〃　〃Norwood。　Kids　call　me　Norby。　It　don't　hurt。　My　foot；　I　mean。〃　
　She　was　glad　to　hear　that。　
　But　then；　as　she　studied　the　wreckage　around　him　and　tried　to　figure　out　what　to　do；　he　said；　〃I　can't　feel　it。〃　
　〃Feel　what；　Norby？〃　〃My　foot。　It's　funny；　like　something's　holding　it；　'cause　I　can't　get　loose；　but　then　I　can't　feel　my　foot…you　know？…like　it　maybe　isn't　there。〃　
　Her　stomach　twisted　at　the　image　his　words　conjured　in　her　mind。　
　Maybe　it　wasn't　that　bad。　Maybe　his　foot　was　only　pinched　between　two　surfaces；　just　numb；　but　she　had　to　think　fast　and　move　fast　because　he　might　be　losing　blood　at　an　alarming　rate。　
　The　space　in　which　he　lay　was　too　cramped　for　her　to　squeeze　in　past　him；　find　his　foot；　and　disentangle　it。　Instead；　she　rolled　onto　her　back；　bent　her　legs；　and　braced　the　soles　of　her　shoes　against　the　seats　that　peaked　over　him。　
　〃Okay；　honey；　I'm　going　to　straighten　my　legs；　try　to　shove　this　up　a　little；　just　a　couple　inches。　When　it　starts　lifting；　try　to　pull　your　foot　out　of　there。〃　
　As　a　snake　of　thin　gray　smoke　slipped　from　the　dark　space　behind　Norby　and　coiled　in　front　of　his　face；　he　wheezed　and　said；　〃There's　d…ddead　people　in　here　with　me。〃　
　〃That's　okay；　baby；〃　she　said；　tensing　her　legs；　flexing　them　a　little　to　test　the　weight　she　was　trying　to　lever　off　him。　〃You　won't　be　there　for　long；　not　for　long。〃　
　〃My　seat；　then　an　empty　seat；　then　dead　people；〃　Norby　said　shakily。　
　She　wondered　how　long　the　trauma　of　this　experience　would　shape　his　nightmares　and　bend　the　course　of　his　life。　
　〃Here　goes；〃　she　said。　
　She　pressed　upward　with　both　feet。　The　pile　of　seats　and　junk　and　bodies　was　heavy　enough；　but　the　half　collapsed　section　of　the　ceiling；　pushing　down　on　everything　else；　did　not　seem　to　have　any　give　in　it。　
　Holly　strained　harder　until　the　steel　deck；　covered　with　only　a　thin　carpet；　pressed　painfully　into　her　back。　She　let　out　an　involuntary　sob　of　agony。　
　Then　she　strained　even　harder；　harder；　angry　that　she　could　not　move　it；　furious　and　…it　moved。　
　Only　a　fraction　of　an　inch。　
　But　it　moved。　
　Holly　put　even　more　into　it；　found　reserves　she　did　not　know　she　possessed；　forced　her　feet　upward　until　the　pain　throbbing　in　her　legs　was　markedly　worse　than　that　in　her　back。　The　intruding　tangle　of　ceiling　plates　and　struts　creaked　and　bent　back　an　inch；　two　inches；　the　seats　shoved　up　just　that　far。　
　〃It's　still　got　me；〃　the　boy　said。　
　More　smoke　was　oozing　out　of　the　lightless　space　around　him。　It　wes　not　pale…gray　but　darker　than　before；　sootier；　oilier；　and　with　a　new　foul　stench。　She　hoped　to　God　the　desultory　flames　had　not；　at　last；　ignited　the　upholstery　and　foam　padding　that　formed　the　cocoon　from　which　the　boy　was　struggling　to　emerge。　
　The　muscles　in　her　legs　were　quivering。　The　pain　in　her　back　had　seeped　all　the　way　through　to　her　chest；　each　heartbeat　was　an　aching　thud；　each　inhalation　was　a　torment。　
　She　did　not　think　she　could　hold　the　weight　any　longer；　let　alone　lift　it　higher。　But　abruptly　it　jolted　up　another　inch；　then　slightly　more。　
　Norby　issued　a　cry　of　pain　and　excitement。　He　wriggled　forward。　〃I　got　away；　it　let　go　of　me。〃　
　Relaxing　her　legs　and　easing　the　load　back　into　place；　Holly　realized　that　the　boy　had　thought　what　she；　too；　might　have　thought　if　she'd　been　a　five…year…old　in　that　hellish　position：　that　his　ankle　had　been　clenched　in　the　cold　and　iron…strong　hand　of　one　of　the　dead　people　in　there　with　him　She　slid　aside；　giving　Norby　room　to　pull　himself　out　of　the　hollow　under　the　seats。　He　joined　her　in　the　pocket　of　empty　space　amidst　the　rubble　and　snuggled　against　her　for　forting。　
　From　farther　back　in　the　plane；　Jim　shouted：　〃Holly！〃　〃I　found　him！〃　〃I've　got　a　woman　here；　I'm　getting　her　out。〃　
　〃Great！〃　she　shouted。　
　Outside；　the　pitch　of　the　sirens　spiraled　lower　and　finally　down　into　silence　as　the　rescue　teams　arrived。　
　Although　more　blackish　smoke　was　drifting　out　of　the　dark　space　from　which　Norby　had　escaped；　Holly　took　the　time　to　examine　his　foot。　
　It　flopped　to　one　side；　sickeningly　loose；　like　the　foot　of　an　old　rag　doll。　It　was　broken　at　the　ankle。　She　tore　his　sneaker　off　his　rapidly　swelling　foot。　
　Blood　darkened　his　white　sock；　but　when　she　looked　at　the　flesh　beneath；　she　discovered　that　it　was　only　abraded　and　scored　by　a　few　shallow　cuts。　
　He　was　not　going　to　bleed　to　death；　but　soon　he　was　going　to　bee　aware　of　the　excruciating　pain　of　the　broken　ankle。　
　〃Let's　go；　let's　get　out；〃　she　said。　
　She　intended　to　take　him　back　the　way　she　had　e；　but　when　she　glanced　to　her　left；　she　saw　another　crack　in　the　fuselage。　This　one　was　immediately　aft　of　the　cockpit　bulkhead；　only　a　few　feet　away。　It　extended　up　the　entire　curve　of　the　wall　but　did　not　continue　onto　the　ceiling。　A　section　of　interior　paneling；　the　insulation　beneath　it；　structural　beamwork；　and　exterior　plating　had　either　blown　inward　among　the　other　debris　or　been　wrenched　out　into　the　field。　The　resultant　hole　was　not　large；　but　it　was　plenty　big　enough　for　her　to　squeeze　through　with　the　boy。　
　As　they　balanced　on　the　rim　of　the　ravaged　hull；　a　rescue　worker　appeared　in　the　plowed　field　about　twelve　feet　below　them。　He　held　his　arms　out　for　the　boy。　
　Norby　jumped。　The　man　caught　him；　moved　back。　
　Holly　jumped；　landed　on　her　feet。　
　〃You　his　mother？〃　the　man　asked。　
　〃No。　I　just　heard　him　crying；　went　in　after　him。　He's　got　a　broken　ankle　there。〃　
　〃I　was　with　my　Uncle　Frank；〃　Norby　said。　
　〃Okay；〃　the　rescue　worker　said；　trying　to　strike　a　cheerful　note；　〃then　let's　find　Uncle　Frank。〃　
　Norby　said　flatly；　〃Uncle　Frank's　dead。〃　
　The　man　looked　at　Holly；　as　if　she　might　know　what　to　say。　
　Holly　was　mute　and　shaken；　filled　with　despair　that　a　boy　of　five　should　have　to　experience　such　an　ordeal。　She　wanted　to　hold　him；　rock　him　in　her　arms；　and　tell　him　that　everything　would　be　right　with　the　world。　
　But　nothing　is　right　with　the　world；　she　thought；　because　Death　is　part　of　it。　Adam　disobeyed　and　ate　the　apple；　gobbled　up　the　fruit　of　knowledge；　so　God　decided　to　let　him　know　all　sorts　of　things；　both　light　and　dark。　Adam's　children　learned　to　hunt；　to　farm；　to　thwart　the　winter　and　cook　their　food　with　fire；　make　tools；　build　shelters。　And　God；　wanting　to　give　them　a　well…rounded　education；　let　them　learn；　oh；　maybe　a　million　ways　to　suffer　and　die。　He　encouraged　them　to　learn　language；　reading　and　writing；　biology；　chemistry；　physics；　the　secrets　of　the　genetic　code。　And　He　taught　them　the　exquisite　horrors　of　brain　tumors；　muscular　dystrophy；　bubonic　plague；　cancer　run　amok　in　their　bodies…and　not　least　of　all　airplane　crashes。　You　wanted　knowledge；　God　was　happy　to　oblige；　He　was　an　enthusiastic　teacher；　a　demon　for　knowledge；　piling　it　on　in　such　weight　and　exotic　detail　that　sometimes　you　felt　you　were　going　to　be　crushed　under　it。　
　By　the　time　the　rescue　worker　turned　away　and　carried　Norby　across　the　field　toward　a　white　ambulance　parked　on　the　edge　of　the　runway；　Holly　had　gone　from　despair　to　anger。　It　was　a　useless　rage；　for　there　was　no　one　but　God　against　whom　she　could　direct　it；　and　the　expression　of　it　could　change　nothing。　God　would　not　free　the　human　race　from　the　curse　of　death　just　because　Holly　Thorne　thought　it　was　a　gross　injustice。　
　She　realized　that　she　was　in　the　grip　of　a　fury　not　unlike　that　which　seemed　to　motivate　Jim　Ironheart。　She　remembered　what　he　had　said　during　their　whispered　conversation　in　row　seventeen；　when　she　had　tried　to　bully　him　into　saving　not　just　the　Dubroveks　but　everyone　aboard　Flight　246：　〃I　hate　death；　people　dying　I　hate　it！〃　Some　of　the　people　he　saved　had　quoted　him　making　similar　remarks；　and　Holly　remembered　what　Viola　Moreno　had　said　about　the　deep　and　quiet　sadness　in　him　that　perhaps　grew　out　of　being　an　orphan　at　the　age　of　ten。　He　quit　teaching；　walked　away　from　his　career；　because　Larry　Kakonis's　suicide　had　made　all　his　effort　and　concern　seem　pointless。　That　reaction　at　first　appeared　extreme　to　Holly；　but　now　she　understood　it　perfectly。　
　She　felt　the　same　urge　to　cast　aside　a　mundane　life　and　do　something　more　meaningful；　to　crack　the　rule　of　fate；　to　wrench　the　very　fabric　of　the　universe　into　a　shape　other　than　what　God　seemed　to　prefer　for　it。　
　For　a　fragile　moment；　standing　in　that　Iowa　field　with　the　wind　blowing　the　stink　of　death　to　her；　watching　the　rescue　worker　walk　away　with　the　little　boy　who　had　almost　died；　Holly　felt　closer　to　Jim　Ironheart　than　she　had　ever　been　to　another　human　being。　
　She　went　looking　for　him。　
　The　scene　around　the　broken　DC…10　had　bee　more　chaotic　than　it　had　been　immediately　after　the　crash。　Fire　trucks　had　driven　onto　the　plowed　field。　Streams　of　rich　white　foam　arced　over　the　broken　plane；　frosted　the　fuselage　in　whipped…cream…like　gobs；　and　damped　the　flames　on　the　surrounding　fuel…soaked　earth。　Smoke　still　churned　out　of　the　midsection；　plumed　from　every　rent　and　shattered　window；　shifting　to　the　whims　of　the　wind；　a　black　canopy　spread　over　them　and　cast　eerie；　constantly　changing　shadows　as　it　filtered　the　afternoon　sunshine；　raising　in　her　mind　the　image　of　a　grim　kaleidoscope　in　which　all　the　pieces　of　glass　were　either　black　or　gray。　Rescue　workers　and　paramedics　swarmed　over　the　wreckage；　searching　for　survivors；　and　their　numbers　were　so　unequal　to　the　awesome　task　that　some　of　the　more　fortunate　passengers　pitched　in　to　help。　Other　passengers…some　so