dk.coldfire-第50部分

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　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　dream　than　some　of　the　actual　dreams　she'd　been　having　lately。　
　After　so　much　mystery；　there　were　answers…but　they　seemed　to　be　ing　too　easily。　She　did　not　know　what　she　had　expected；　but　she　had　not　imagined　that　the　murkiness　in　which　they　had　been　operating　would　clear　as　quickly　as　if　a　drop　of　a　magical　universal　detergent　had　been　dropped　into　it。　
　〃Ask　her　why　she's　here；〃　Holly　said；　tearing　off　the　second　sheet　and　putting　it　with　the　first。　
　Jim　was　surprised。　〃She？〃　〃Why　not？〃　He　brightened。　〃Why　not？〃　he　agreed。　
　He　turned　to　a　new　page　in　his　own　tablet　and　wrote　her　question：　Why　are　you　here？　Floating　up　through　the　paper　to　the　surface：　TO　OBSERVE；　TO　STUDY；　TO　HELP　MANKIND。　
　〃You　know　what　this　is　like？〃　Holly　said。　
　〃What's　it　like？〃　〃An　episode　of　Outer　Limits〃　〃The　old　TV　show？〃　〃Yeah。〃　
　〃Wasn't　that　before　your　time？〃　〃It's　on　cable。〃　
　〃But　what　do　you　mean　it's　like　an　episode　of　Outer　Limits？〃　She　frowned　at　TO　OBSERVE；　TO　STUDY；　TO　HELP　MANKIND　and　said；　〃Don't　you　think　it's　a　little。　。　。　trite？〃　〃Trite？〃　He　was　irritated。　〃No；　I　don't。　Because　I　haven't　any　idea　what　alien　contact　should　be　like。　I　haven't　had　a　whole　lot　of　experience　with　it；　certainly　not　enough　to　have　expectations　or　be　jaded。〃　
　〃I'm　sorry。　I　don't　know。　。　。　it's　just。　。　。　okay；　let's　see　where　this　leads。〃　
　She　had　to　admit　that　she　was　no　less　awed　than　she　had　been　when　the　light　had　first　appeared　in　the　walls。　Her　heart　continued　to　thud　hard　and　fast；　and　she　was　still　unable　to　draw　a　really　deep　breath。　
　She　still　felt　that　they　were　in　the　presence　of　something　superhuman；　maybe　even　a　higher　power　by　one　definition　or　another；　and　she　was　humbled　by　it。　Considering　what　she　had　seen　in　the　pond；　the　pulsing　luminescence　even　now　swimming　through　the　wall；　and　the　words　that　kept　shimmering　into　view　on　the　tablet；　she　would　have　been　hopelessly　stupid　if　she　had　not　been　awed。　
　Undeniably；　however；　her　sense　of　wonder　was　dulled　by　the　feeling　that　this　entity　was　structuring　the　encounter　like　an　old　movie　or　TV　script。　
　With　a　sarcastic　note　in　his　voice；　Jim　had　said　that　he　had　too　little　experience　with　alien　contact　to　have　developed　any　expectations　that　could　be　disappointed。　But　that　was　not　true。　Having　grown　up　in　the　sixties　and　seventies；　he　had　been　as　media…saturated　as　she　had　been。　
　They'd　been　exposed　to　the　same　TV　shows　and　movies；　magazines　and　books；　science　fiction　had　been　a　major　influence　in　popular　culture　all　their　lives。　He　had　acquired　plenty　of　detailed　expectations　about　what　alien　contact　would　be　like…and　the　entity　in　the　wall　was　playing　to　all　of　them。　Holly's　only　conscious　expectation　had　been　that　a　real　close　encounter　of　the　third　kind　would　be　like　nothing　the　novelists　and　screenwriters　imagined　in　all　their　wildest　flights　of　fantasy；　because　when　referring　to　life　from　another　world；　alien　meant　alien；　different；　beyond　easy　parison　or　prehension。　
　〃Okay；〃　she　said；　〃maybe　familiarity　is　the　point。　I　mean；　maybe　it's　using　our　modern　myths　as　a　convenient　way　to　present　itself　to　us；　a　way　to　make　itself　prehensible　to　us。　Because　it's　probably　so　radically　different　from　us　that　we　could　never　understand　its　true　nature　or　appearance。〃　
　〃Exactly；〃　Jim　said。　He　wrote　another　question：　What　is　the　light　we　see　in　the　walls？　THE　LIGHT　IS　ME。　
　Holly　didn't　wait　for　Jim　to　write　the　next　question。　She　addressed　the　entity　directly：　〃How　can　you　move　through　a　wall？〃　Because　the　alien　seemed　such　a　stickler　about　form；　she　was　somewhat　surprised　when　it　did　not　insist　on　hewing　to　the　written　question…reply　format。　It　answered　her　at　once：　I　CAN　BEE　PART　OF　ANYTHING；　MOVE　WITHIN　IT；　TAKE　SHAPE　FROM　IT　WHENEVER　I　CHOOSE。　
　〃Sounds　a　little　like　bragging；〃　she　said。　
　〃I　can't　believe　you　can　be　sarcastic　at　a　time　like　this；〃　Jim　said　impatiently。　
　〃I'm　not　being　sarcastic；〃　she　explained。　〃I'm　just　trying　to　understand。〃　
　He　looked　doubtful。　
　To　the　alien　presence；　she　said；　〃You　understand　the　problems　I'm　having　with　this；　don't　you？〃　On　the　tablet：　YES。　
　She　ripped　away　that　page；　revealing　a　fresh　one。　Increasingly　restless　and　nervous；　but　not　entirely　sure　why；　Holly　got　to　her　feet　and　turned　in　a　circle；　looking　at　the　play　of　light　in　the　walls　as　she　formulated　her　next　question。　〃Why　is　your　approach　marked　by　the　sound　of　bells？〃　No　answer　appeared　on　the　tablet。　
　She　repeated　the　question。　
　The　tablet　remained　blank。　
　Holly　said；　〃Trade　secret；　I　guess。〃　
　She　felt　a　bead　of　cold　sweat　trickle　out　of　her　right　armpit　and　down　her　side；　under　her　blouse。　A　childlike　wonder　still　worked　in　her；　but　fear　was　on　the　rise　again。　Something　was　wrong。　Something　more　than　the　disjointed　nature　of　the　story　the　entity　was　giving　them。　
　She　couldn't　quite　put　her　finger　on　what　spooked　her。　
　On　his　own　tablet；　Jim　quickly　wrote　another　question；　and　Holly　leaned　down　to　read　it：　Did　you　appear　to　me　in　this　room　when　I　was　ten　years　old？　YES。　OFTEN。　
　Did　you　make　me　forget　it？　YES。　
　〃Don't　bother　writing　your　questions；〃　Holly　said。　〃Just　ask　them　like　I　do。〃　
　Jim　was　clearly　startled　by　her　suggestion；　and　she　was　surprised　that　he　had　persisted　with　his　pen　and　tablet　even　after　seeing　that　the　questions　she　asked　aloud　were　answered。　He　seemed　reluctant　to　put　aside　the　felttip　and　the　paper；　but　at　last　he　did。　〃Why　did　you　make　me　forget？〃　Even　standing；　Holly　could　easily　read　the　bold　words　that　appeared　on　the　yellow　tablet：　YOU　WERE　NOT　READY　TO　REMEMBER。　
　〃Unnecessarily　cryptic；〃　she　muttered。　〃You're　right。　It　must　be　male。〃　
　Jim　tore　off　the　used　page；　put　it　with　the　others；　and　paused；　chewing　his　lip；　evidently　not　sure　what　to　ask　next。　Finally　he　said；　〃Are　you　male　or　female？〃　I　AM　MALE。　
　〃More　likely；〃　Holly　said；　〃it's　neither。　It's　alien；　after　all；　and　it's　as　likely　to　reproduce　by　parthenogenesis。〃　
　I　AM　MALE；　it　repeated。　
　Jim　remained　seated；　legs　folded；　an　undiminished　look　of　wonder　on　his　face；　more　boylike　now　than　ever。　
　Holly　did　not　understand　why　her　anxiety　level　was　soaring　while　Jim　continued　to　bounce　up　and　down…well；　virtually…with　enthusiasm　and　delight。　
　He　said；　〃What　do　you　look　like？〃　WHATEVER　I　CHOOSE　TO　LOOK　LIKE。　
　〃Could　you　appear　to　us　as　a　man　or　woman？〃　Jim　asked。　
　YES。　
　〃As　a　dog？〃　YES。　
　〃As　a　cat？〃　YES。　
　〃As　a　beetle？〃　YES。　
　Without　the　security　of　his　pen　and　tablet；　Jim　seemed　to　have　been　reduced　to　inane　questions。　Holly　half　expected　him　to　ask　the　entity　what　its　favorite　color　was；　whether　it　preferred　Coke　or　Pepsi；　and　if　it　liked　Barry　Manilow　music。　
　But　he　said；　〃How　old　are　you？〃　I　AM　A　CHILD。　
　〃A　child？〃　Jim　responded。　〃But　you　told　us　you've　been　on　our　world　for　ten　thousand　years。〃　
　I　AM　STILL　A　CHILD。　
　Jim　said；　〃Then　is　your　species　very　long…lived？〃　WE　ARE　IMMORTAL。　
　〃Wow。〃　
　〃It's　lying；〃　Holly　told　him。　
　Appalled　by　her　effrontery；　he　said；　〃Jesus；　Holly！〃　〃Well；　it　is。〃　
　And　that　was　the　source　of　her　renewed　fear…the　fact　that　it　was　not　being　straight　with　them；　was　playing　games；　deceiving。　She　had　a　sense　that　it　regarded　them　with　enormous　contempt。　In　which　case；　she　probably　should　have　shut　up；　been　meekly　adoring　before　its　power；　and　tried　not　to　anger　it。　
　Instead　she　said；　〃If　it　were　really　immortal；　it　wouldn't　think　of　itself　as　a　child。　It　couldn　't　think　that　way　about　itself　Infancy；　childhood；　adolescence；　adulthood…those　are　age　categories　a　species　concerns　itself　with　if　it　has　a　finite　lifespan。　If　you're　immortal；　you　might　be　born　innocent；　ignorant；　uneducated；　but　you　aren't　born　young　because　you're　never　really　going　to　get　old。〃　
　〃Aren't　you　splitting　hairs？〃　Jim　asked　almost　petulantly。　
　〃I　don't　think　so。　It's　lying　to　us。〃　
　〃Maybe　its　use　of　the　word　child'　was　just　another　way　it　was　trying　to　make　its　alien　nature　more　understandable。〃　
　YES。　
　〃Bullshit；〃　Holly　said。　
　〃Damn　it；　Holly！〃　As　Jim　removed　another　page　from　the　tablet；　detaching　it　neatly　along　its　edge；　Holly　moved　to　the　wall　and　studied　the　patterns　of　light　churning　through　it。　Seen　close　up；　they　were　quite　beautiful　and　strange；　not　like　a　smooth…flowing　phosphorescent　fluid　or　fiery　streams　of　lava；　but　like　scintillant　swarms　of　fireflies；　millions　of　spangled　points　not　unlike　her　analogy　of　luminous；　schooling　fish。　
　Holly　half　expected　the　wall　in　front　of　her　to　bulge　suddenly。　
　Split　open。　Give　birth　to　a　monstrous　form。　
　She　wanted　to　step　back。　Instead　she　moved　closer。　Her　nose　was　only　an　inch　from　the　transmuted　stone。　Viewed　this　intimately；　the　surge　and　flux　and　whirl　of　the　millions　of　bright　cells　was　dizzying。　
　There　was　no　beat　from　it；　but　she　imagined　she　could　feel　the　flicker　of　light　and　shadow　across　her　face。　
　〃Why　is　your　approach　marked　by　the　sound　of　bells？〃　she　asked。　
　After　a　few　seconds；　Jim　spoke　from　behind　her：　〃No　answer。〃　
　The　question　seemed　innocent　enough；　and　one　that　they　should　logically　be　expected　to　ask。　The　entity's　unwillingness　to　answer　alerted　her　that　the　ringing　must　be　somehow　vitally　important。　
　Understanding　the　bells　might　be　the　first　step　toward　learning　something　real　and　true　about　this　creature。　
　〃Why　is　your　approach　marked　by　the　sound　of　bells？〃　Jim　reported：　〃No　answer。　I　don't　think　you　should　ask　that　question　again；　Holly。　It　obviously　doesn't　want　to　answer；　and　there's　nothing　to　be　gained　by　aggravating　it。　This　isn't　The　Enemy；　this　is…〃　〃Yeah；　I　know。　It's　The　Friend。〃　
　She　remained　at　the　wall　and　felt　herself　to　be　face…to…face　with　an　alien　presence；　though　it　had　nothing　that　corresponded　to　a　face。　
　It　was　focused　on　her　now。　It　was　right　there。　
　Again　she　said；　〃Why　is　your　approach　marked　by　the　sound　of　bells？〃　Instinctively　she　knew　that　her　innocent　question　and　her　not…so…innocent　repetition　of　it　had　put　her　in　great　danger。　Her　heart　was　thudding　so　loud　that　she　wondered　if　Jim　could　hear　it。　She　figured　The　Friend；　with　all　its　powers；　could　n