dk.coldfire-第49部分

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　was　too　much　for　me。　For　so　long；　they'd　been　all　I　had。　
　Then　suddenly　I　didn't　even　have　them。〃　
　A　tortured　expression　darkened　the　blue　of　his　eyes。　
　As　a　flood　of　sympathy　washed　through　Holly；　she　reached　across　the　ice　chest　and　took　his　hand。　
　He　said；　〃I　procrastinated；　kept　procrastinating；　and　the　longer　I　delayed　sorting　through　his　things；　the　harder　it　became　to　ever　do　it。〃　
　He　sighed　again。　〃If　I'd　have　found　a　renter　or　a　buyer；　that　would　have　forced　me　to　put　things　in　order；　no　matter　how　unpleasant　the　job。　
　But　this　old　farm　is　about　as　marketable　as　a　truckload　of　sand　in　the　middle　of　the　Mojave。〃　
　Closing　the　house　upon　the　death　of　his　grandfather；　touching　nothing　in　it　for　four　years　and　four　months；　except　to　clean　it　once　in　a　while　that　was　eccentric。　Holly　couldn't　see　it　any　other　way。　At　the　same　time；　however；　it　was　an　eccentricity　that　touched　her；　moved　her。　As　she　had　sensed　from　the　start；　he　was　a　gentle　man　beneath　his　rage；　beneath　his　steely　superhero　identity；　and　she　liked　the　soft…hearted　part　of　him；　too。　
　〃We'll　do　it　together；〃　Holly　said。　〃When　we've　figured　out　what　the　hell　is　happening　to　us；　wherever　and　however　we　go　on　from　here；　there'll　be　time　for　us　to　sort　through　your　grandfather's　things。　It　won't　be　so　difficult　if　we　do　it　together。〃　
　He　smiled　at　her　and　squeezed　her　hand。　
　She　remembered　something　else。　〃Jim；　you　recall　the　description　I　gave　you　of　the　woman　in　my　dream　last　night；　the　woman　who　came　up　the　mill　stairs？〃　〃Sort　of〃　〃You　said　you　didn't　recognize　her。〃　
　〃So？〃　〃But　there's　a　photo　of　her　in　the　house。〃　
　〃There　is？〃　〃In　the　living　room；　that　photograph　of　a　couple　in　their　early　fifties。　
　Are　they　your　grandparents；　Lena　and　Henry？〃　〃Yeah。　That's　right。〃　
　〃Lena　was　the　woman　in　my　dream。〃　
　He　frowned。　〃Isn't　that　odd。　。　。　？〃　〃Well；　maybe。　But　what's　odder　is；　you　didn't　recognize　her。〃　
　〃I　guess　your　description　wasn't　that　good。〃　
　〃But　didn't　you　hear　me　say　she　had　a　beauty　mark…〃　His　eyes　narrowed；　and　his　hand　tightened　around　hers。　〃Quick；　the　tablets。〃　
　Confused；　she　said；　〃What？〃　〃Something's　about　to　happen；　I　feel　it；　and　we　need　the　tablets　we　bought　at　The　Center。〃　
　He　let　go　of　her　hand；　and　she　withdrew　the　two　yellow；　lined　tablets　and　felt…tip　pen　from　the　plastic　bag　at　her　side。　He　took　them　from　her；　hesitated；　looking　around　at　the　walls　and　at　the　shadows　above　them；　as　if　waiting　to　be　told　what　to　do　next。　
　The　bells　rang。　
　That　musical　tintinnabulation　sent　a　thrill　through　Jim。　He　knew　that　he　was　on　the　verge　of　discovering　the　meaning　not　merely　of　the　events　of　the　past　year　but　of　the　last　two　and　a　half　decades。　And　not　just　that；　either。　More。　Much　more。　The　ringing　heralded　the　revelation　of　even　greater　understanding；　transcendental　truths；　an　explanation　of　the　fundamental　meaning　of　his　entire　life；　past　and　future；　origins　and　destiny；　and　of　the　meaning　of　existence　itself　Grandiose　as　such　a　notion　might　be；　he　sensed　that　the　secrets　of　creation　would　be　revealed　to　him　before　he　left　the　windmill；　and　that　he　would　reach　the　state　of　enlightenment　he　had　sought…and　failed　to　find…in　a　score　of　religions。　
　As　the　second　spell　of　ringing　began；　Holly　started　to　get　up。　
　Jim　figured　she　intended　to　descend　to　the　window　on　the　stairs　and　look　into　the　pond。　He　said；　〃No；　wait。　It's　going　to　happen　here　this　time。〃　
　She　hesitated；　then　sat　down。　
　As　the　ringing　stopped　again；　Jim　felt　pelled　to　push　the　ice　chest　out　of　the　way　and　put　one　of　the　yellow；　lined　tablets　on　the　floor　between　him　and　Holly。　He　was　not　sure　what　he　was　expected　to　do　with　the　other　tablet　and　the　pen；　but　after　a　brief　moment　of　indecision；　he　held　on　to　them。　
　When　the　melodic　ringing　began　a　third　time；　it　was　acpanied　by　an　impossible　pulse　of　light　within　the　limestone　walls。　The　red　glow　seemed　to　well　up　from　inside　the　stone　at　a　point　directly　in　front　of　them；　then　suddenly　raced　around　the　room；　encircling　them　with　a　throbbing　band　of　luminescence。　
　Even　as　the　strange　fire　whipped　around　them；　Holly　issued　a　wordless　sound　of　fear；　and　Jim　remembered　what　she　had　told　him　of　her　dream　last　night。　The　woman…whether　it　had　been　his　grandmother　or　not…had　climbed　the　stairs　into　the　high　room；　had　seen　an　amber　emanation　within　the　walls；　as　if　the　mill　was　made　of　colored　glass；　and　had　witnessed　something　unimaginably　hostile　being　born　out　of　those　mortared　blocks。　
　〃It's　okay。〃　He　was　eager　to　reassure　her。　〃This　isn't　The　Enemy。　
　It's　something　else。　There's　no　danger　here。　This　is　a　different　light。〃　
　He　was　only　sharing　with　her　the　reassurances　that　were　flooding　into　him　from　a　higher　power。　He　hoped　to　God　that　he　was　correct；　that　no　threat　was　imminent；　for　he　remembered　too　well　the　hideous　biological　transformation　of　his　own　bedroom　ceiling　in　Laguna　Niguel　little　more　than　twelve　hours　ago。　Light　had　pulsed　within　the　oily；　insectile　birth　sac　that　had　blistered　out　of　ordinary　drywall；　and　the　shadowy　form　within；　writhing　and　twitching；　had　been　nothing　he　would　ever　want　to　see　more　directly。　
　During　two　more　bursts　of　melodic　ringing；　the　color　of　the　light　changed　to　amber。　But　otherwise　it　in　no　way　resembled　the　menacing　radiance　in　his　bedroom　ceiling；　which　had　been　a　different　shade　of　amber　altogether　the　vile　yellow　of　putrescent　matter　or　of　rich　dark　pus…and　which　had　throbbed　in　sympathy　with　an　ominous　tripartite　heartbeat　that　was　not　audible　now。　
　Holly　looked　scared　nonetheless。　
　He　wished　he　could　pull　her　close；　put　his　arm　around　her。　But　he　needed　to　give　his　undivided　attention　to　the　higher　power　that　was　striving　to　reach　him。　
　The　ringing　stopped；　but　the　light　did　not　fade。　It　quivered；　shimmered；　dimmed；　and　brightened。　It　moved　through　the　otherwise　dark　wall　in　scores　of　separate　amoeba…like　forms　that　constantly　flowed　together　and　separated　into　new　shapes；　it　was　like　a　one…dimensional　representation　of　the　kaleidoscopic　display　in　one　of　those　old　Lava　lamps。　The　ever…changing　patterns　evolved　on　all　sides　of　them；　from　the　base　of　the　wall　to　the　apex　of　the　domed　ceiling。　
　〃I　feel　like　we're　in　a　bathysphere；　all　glass；　suspended　far；　far　down　in　the　ocean；〃　Holly　said。　〃And　great　schools　of　luminescent　fish　are　diving　and　soaring　and　swirling　past　us　on　all　sides；　through　the　deep　black　water。〃　
　He　loved　her　for　putting　the　experience　into　better　words　than　he　could　summon；　words　that　would　not　let　him　forget　the　images　they　described；　even　if　he　lived　a　hundred　years。　
　Unquestionably；　the　ghostly　luminosity　lay　within　the　stone；　not　merely　on　the　surface　of　it。　He　could　see　into　that　now…translucent　substance；　as　if　it　had　been　alchemized　into　a　dark　but　well…clarified　quartz。　The　amber　radiance　brightened　the　room　more　than　did　the　lantern；　which　he　had　turned　low。　His　trembling　hands　looked　golden；　as　did　Holly's　face。　
　But　pockets　of　darkness　remained；　and　the　constantly　moving　light　enlivened　the　shadows　as　well。　
　〃What　now？〃　Holly　asked　softly。　
　Jim　noticed　that　something　had　happened　to　the　yellow　tablet　on　the　floor　between　them。　〃Look。〃　
　Words　had　appeared　on　the　top　third　of　the　first　page。　They　looked　as　if　they　had　been　formed　by　a　finger　dipped　in　ink：　I　AM　WITH　YOU。　
　Holly　had　been　distracted…to　say　the　least！…by　the　lightshow；　but　she　did　not　think　that　Jim　could　have　leaned　to　the　tablet　and　printed　the　words　with　the　felt…tip　pen　or　any　other　instrument　without　drawing　her　attention。　Yet　she　found　it　hard　to　believe　that　some　disembodied　presence　had　conveyed　the　message。　
　〃I　think　we're　being　encouraged　to　ask　questions；〃　Jim　said。　
　〃Then　ask　it　what　it　is；〃　she　said　at　once。　
　He　wrote　a　question　on　the　second　tablet；　which　he　was　holding；　and　showed　it　to　her：　Who　are　you？　As　they　watched；　the　answer　appeared　on　the　first　tablet；　which　lay　between　and　slightly　in　front　of　them　at　such　an　angle　that　they　could　both　read　it。　The　words　were　not　burnt　onto　the　paper　and　were　not　formed　by　ink　that　dripped　magically　from　the　air。　Instead；　the　irregular；　wavery　letters　appeared　as　dim　gray　shapes　and　grew　darker　as　they　seemed　to　float　up　out　of　the　paper；　as　though　a　page　of　the　tablet　were　not　one…five　hundredth　of　an　inch　thick　but　a　pool　of　liquid　many　feet　deep。　She　recognized　immediately　that　this　was　similar　to　the　effect　she　had　seen　earlier　when　the　balls　of　light　had　risen　to　the　center　of　the　pond　before　bursting　and　casting　concentric　rings　of　illumination　outward　through　the　water　this　was；　as　well；　how　the　light　had　first　welled　up　in　the　limestone　walls　before　the　blocks　had　bee　thoroughly　translucent。　
　THE　FRIEND。　
　Who　are　you？　The　Friend。　
　It　seemed　to　be　an　odd　self　description。　Not　〃your　friend〃　or　〃a　friend〃　but　The　Friend。　
　For　an　alien　intelligence；　if　indeed　that's　all　it　was；　the　name　had　curious　spiritual　implications；　connotations　of　divinity。　Men　had　given　God　many　names…Jehovah；　Allah；　Brahma；　Zeus；　Aesir…but　even　more　titles。　
　God　was　The　Almighty；　The　Eternal　Being；　The　Infinite；　The　Father；　The　Savior；　The　Creator；　The　Light。　The　Friend　seemed　to　fit　right　into　that　list。　
　Jim　quickly　wrote　another　question　and　showed　it　to　Holly：　Where　do　you　e　from？　ANOTHER　WORLD。　
　Which　could　mean　anything　from　heaven　to　Mars。　
　Do　you　mean　another　planet？　YES。　
　〃My　God；〃　Holly　said；　awed　in　spite　of　herself　So　much　for　the　great　hereafter。　
　She　looked　up　from　the　tablet　and　met　Jim's　eyes。　They　seemed　to　shine　brighter　than　ever；　although　the　chrome…yellow　light　had　imparted　to　them　an　exceptional　green　tint。　
　Restless　with　excitement；　she　rose　onto　her　knees；　then　eased　back　again；　sitting　on　her　calves。　The　top　tablet　page　was　filled　with　the　entity's　responses。　Holly　equivocated　only　briefly；　then　tore　it　off　and　set　it　aside；　so　they　could　see　the　second　page。　She　glanced　back　and　forth　between　Jim's　questions　and　the　rapidly　appearing　answers。　
　From　another　solar　sy。stern？　YES。　
　From　another　galaxy？　YES。　
　Is　it　your　vessel　we've　seen　in　the　pond？　YES。　
　How　long　have　you　been　here？　；000　YEARS。　
　As　she　stared　at　that　figure；　it　seemed　to　Holly　that　this　moment　was　more　like　a