dk.coldfire-第51部分

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l　its　powers；　could　not　only　hear　her　hammering　heart　but　see　it　jumping　like　a　panicked　rabbit　within　the　cage　of　her　chest。　It　knew　she　was　afraid；　all　right。　Hell；　it　might　even　be　able　to　read　her　mind。　She　had　to　show　it　that　she　would　not　allow　fear　to　deter　her。　
　She　put　one　hand　on　the　light…filled　stone。　If　those　luminous　clouds　wert　not　merely　a　projection　of　the　creature's　consciousness；　not　just　an　illusion　or　representation　for　their　benefit；　if　the　thing　was；　as　it　claimed；　actually　alive　in　the　wall；　then　the　stone　was　now　its　flesh。　
　Her　hand　was　upon　its　body。　
　Faint　vibrations　passed　across　the　wall　in　distinctive；　whirling　vortexes　That　was　all　she　felt。　No　heat。　The　fire　within　the　stone　was　evidently　cold。　
　〃Why　is　your　approach　marked　by　the　sound　of　bells？〃　〃Holly；　don't；〃　Jim　said。　Worry　tainted　his　voice　for　the　first　time。　
　Perhaps　he；　too；　had　begun　to　sense　that　The　Friend　was　not　entirely　a　friend。　
　But　she　was　driven　by　a　suspicion　that　willpower　mattered　in　this　confrontation；　and　that　a　demonstration　of　unflinching　will　would　set　a　ne　tone　in　their　relationship　with　The　Friend。　She　could　not　have　explained　why　she　felt　so　strongly　about　it。　Just　instinct…not　a　woman's　but　an　exreporter's。　
　〃Why　is　your　approach　marked　by　the　sound　of　bells？〃　She　thought　she　detected　a　slight　change　in　the　vibrations　that　tingled　across　her　palm；　but　she　might　have　imagined　it；　for　they　were　barely　perceptible　in　the　first　place。　Through　her　mind　flickered　an　image　of　the　stone　cracking　open　in　a　jagged　mouth　and　biting　off　her　hand；　blood　spurting；　white　bone　bristling　from　the　ragged　stump　of　her　wrist。　
　Though　she　was　shaking　uncontrollably；　she　did　not　step　back　or　lift　her　hand　off　the　wall。　
　She　wondered　if　The　Friend　had　sent　her　that　horrifying　image。　
　〃Why　is　your　approach　marked　by　the　sound　of　bells？〃　〃Holly；　for　Christ's　sake…〃　Jim　broke　off；　then　said；　〃Wait；　an　answer's　ing。〃　
　Willpower　did　matter。　But　for　God's　sake；　why？　Why　should　an　all…powerful　alien　force　from　another　galaxy　be　intimidated　by　her　unwavering　resolution？　Jim　reported　the　response：　〃It　says。　。　。　For　drama？'〃　〃For　drama？〃　she　repeated。　
　〃Yeah。　F…O…R；　then　D…R…A…M…A；　then　a　question　mark。〃　To　the　thing　in　the　wall；　she　said；　〃Are　you　telling　me　the　bells　are　just　a　bit　of　theater　to　dramatize　your　apparitions？〃　After　a　few　seconds；　Jim　said；　〃No　answer。〃　
　〃And　why　the　question　mark？〃　she　asked　The　Friend。　〃Don't　you　know　what　the　bells　mean　yourself；　where　the　sound　es　from；　what　makes　it；　why？　Are　you　only　guessing　when　you　say　for　drama'？　How　can　you　not　know　what　it　is　if　it　always　acpanies　you？〃　〃Nothing；〃　Jim　told　her。　
　She　stared　into　the　wall。　The　churning；　schooling　cells　of　light　were　increasingly　disorienting　her；　but　she　did　not　close　her　eyes。　
　〃A　new　message；〃　Jim　said。〃　I　am　going。'〃　〃Chicken；〃　Holly　said　softly　into　the　amorphous　face　of　the　thing　in　the　wall。　But　she　was　sheathed　in　cold　sweat　now。　
　The　amber　light　began　to　darken；　turn　orange。　
　Stepping　away　from　the　wall　at　last；　Holly　swayed　and　almost　fell。　
　She　moved　back　to　her　bedroll　and　dropped　to　her　knees。　
　New　words　appeared　on　the　tablet：　I　WILL　BE　BACK。　
　〃When？〃　Jim　asked。　
　WHEN　THE　TIDE　IS　MINE。　
　〃What　tide？〃　THERE　IS　A　TIDE　IN　THE　VESSEL；　AN　EBB　AND　FLOW；　DARKNESS　AND　LIGHT。　I　RISE　WITH　THE　LIGHT　TIDE；　BUT　HE　RISES　WITH　THE　DARK。　
　〃He？〃　Holly　asked。　
　THE　ENEMY。　
　The　light　in　the　walls　was　red…orange　now；　dimmer；　but　still　ceaselessly　changing　patterns　around　them。　
　Jim　said；　〃Two　of　you　share　the　starship？〃　YES。　TWO　FORCES。　TWO　ENTITIES。　
　It's　lying；　Holly　thought。　This；　like　all　the　rest　of　its　story；　is　just　like　the　bells：　good　theater。　
　WAIT　FOR　MY　RETURN。　
　〃We'll　wait；〃　Jim　said。　
　DO　NOT　SLEEP。　
　〃Why　can't　we　sleep？〃　Holly　asked；　playing　along。　
　YOU　MIGHT　DREAM。　
　The　page　was　full。　Jim　ripped　it　off　and　stacked　it　with　the　others。　
　The　light　in　the　walls　was　blood…red　now；　steadily　fading。　
　DREAMS　ARE　DOORWAYS。　
　〃What　are　you　telling　us？〃　The　same　three　words　again：　DREAMS　ARE　DOORWAYS。　
　〃It's　a　warning；〃　Jim　said。　
　DREAMS　ARE　DOORWAYS。　
　No；　Holly　thought；　it's　a　threat。　
　The　windmill　was　just　a　windmill　again。　Stones　and　timbers。　
　Mortar　and　nails。　Dust　sifting；　wood　rotting；　iron　rusting；　spiders　spinning　in　secret　lairs。　
　Holly　sat　directly　in　front　of　Jim；　in　powwow　position；　their　knees　touching。　She　held　both　his　hands；　partly　because　she　drew　strength　from　his　touch；　and　partly　because　she　wanted　to　reassure　him　and　take　the　sting　out　of　what　she　was　about　to　say。　
　〃Listen；　babe；　you're　the　most　interesting　man　I've　ever　known；　the　sexiest；　for　sure；　and　I　think；　at　heart；　the　kindest。　But　you　do　a　lousy　interview。　For　the　most　part；　your　questions　aren't　well　thought…out；　you　don't　get　at　the　meat　of　an　issue；　you　follow　up　on　irrelevancies　but　generally　fail　to　follow　up　on　the　really　important　answers。　And　you're　a　naive　enough　reporter　to　think　that　the　subject　is　always　being　straight　with　you；　when　they're　almost　never　straight　with　an　interviewer；　so　you　don't　probe　the　way　you　should。〃　
　He　did　not　seem　offended。　He　smiled　and　said；　〃I　didn't　think　of　myself　s　a　reporter　doing　an　interview。〃　
　〃Well；　kiddo；　that's　exactly　what　the　situation　was。　The　Friend；　as　he　calls　himself；　has　information；　and　we　need　information　to　know　where　we　stand；　to　do　our　job。〃　
　〃I　thought　of　it　more　as。　。　。　I　don't　know。　。　。　as　an　epiphany。　
　When　God　came　to　Moses　with　the　Ten　mandments；　I　figure　He　just　told　Moses　what　they　were；　and　if　Moses　had　other　questions　he　didn't　feel　he　had　to　grill　the　Big　Guy。〃　
　〃This　wasn't　God　in　the　walls。〃　
　〃I　know　that。　I'm　past　that　idea　now。　But　it　was　an　alien　intelligence　so　superior　to　us　that　it　almost　might　as　well　be　God。〃　
　〃We　don't　know　that；〃　she　said　patiently。　
　〃Sure　we　do。　When　you　consider　the　high　degree　of　intelligence　and　the　millennia　needed　to　build　a　civilization　capable　of　traveling　across　galaxies　…good　heavens；　we're　only　monkeys　by　parison！〃　〃There；　you　see；　that's　what　I'm　talking　about。　How　do　you　know　it's　from　another　galaxy？　Because　you　believe　what　it　told　you。　How　do　you　know　there's　a　spaceship　under　the　pond？　Because　you　believe　what　it　told　you。〃　
　Jim　was　getting　impatient　now。　〃Why　would　it　lie　to　us；　what　would　it　have　to　gain　from　lies？〃　〃I　don't　know。　But　we　can't　be　sure　that　it　isn't　manipulating　us。　
　And　when　it　es　back；　like　it　promised；　I　want　to　be　ready　for　it。　I　want　to　spend　the　next　hour　or　two　or　three…however　long　we've　got…making　a　list　of　questions；　so　we　can　put　it　through　a　carefully　planned　inquisition。　
　We've　got　to　have　a　strategy　for　squeezing　real　information　from　it；　facts　not　fantasies；　and　our　questions　have　to　support　that　strategy。〃　
　When　he　frowned；　she　hastened　on　before　he　could　interrupt。　
　〃Okay；　all　right；　maybe　it's　incapable　of　lying；　maybe　it's　noble　and　pure；　maybe　everything　it's　told　us　is　the　gospel　truth。　But　listen；　Jim；　this　is　not　an　epiphany。　The　Friend　set　the　rules　by　influencing　you　to　buy　the　tablets　and　pen。　It　established　the　question…and…answer　format。　If　it　didn't　want　us　to　make　the　best　of　that　format；　it　would've　just　told　you　to　shut　up　and　would've　blabbered　at　you　from　a　burning　bush！〃　He　stared　at　her。　He　chewed　his　lip　thoughtfully。　
　He　shifted　his　gaze　to　the　walls　where　the　creature　of　light　had　swum　in　the　stone。　
　Pressing　her　point；　Holly　said；　〃You　never　even　asked　it　why　it　wants　you　to　save　people's　lives；　or　why　some　people　and　not　others。〃　
　He　looked　at　her　again；　obviously　surprised　to　realize　that　he　had　not　pursued　the　answer　to　the　most　important　question　of　all。　In　the　lactescent　glow　of　the　softly　hissing　gas　lantern；　his　eyes　were　blue　again；　not　green　as　the　amber　light　had　temporarily　made　them。　And　troubled。　
　〃Okay；〃　he　said。　〃You're　right。　I　guess　I　was　just　swept　away　by　it　all。　I　mean；　Holly；　whatever　the　hell　it　is…it's　astounding。〃　
　〃It's　astounding；〃　she　acknowledged。　
　〃We'll　do　what　you　want；　make　up　a　list　of　carefully　thought…out　questions。　And　when　it　es　back；　you　should　be　the　one　to　ask　all　of　them；　'cause　you'll　be　better　at　ad…libbing　other　questions　if　it　says　anything　that　needs　follow…up。〃　
　〃I　agree；〃　she　said；　relieved　that　he　had　suggested　it　without　being　pressured。　
　She　was　better　schooled　at　interviewing　than　he　was；　but　she　was　also　more　trustworthy　in　this　particular　situation　than　Jim　could　ever　be。　
　The　Friend　had　a　long　past　relationship　with　him　and　had；　admittedly；　already　messed　with　his　memory　by　making　him　forget　about　the　encounters　they'd　had　twenty…five　years　ago。　Holly　had　to　assume　that　Jim　was　coopted；　to　one　degree　or　another　corrupted；　though　he　could　not　realize　it。　
　The　Friend　had　been　in　his　mind　perhaps　on　scores　or　hundreds　of　occasions；　when　he　had　been　at　a　formative　age；　and　when　he　had　been　particularly　vulnerable　due　to　the　loss　of　his　parents；　therefore　even　more　susceptible　to　manipulation　and　control　than　most　ten…year…old　boys。　On　a　subconscious　level；　Jim　Ironheart　might　be　programmed　to　protect　The　Friend's　secrets　rather　than　help　to　reveal　them。　
　Holly　knew　she　was　walking　a　thread…thin　line　between　judicious　precaution　and　paranoia；　might　even　be　treading　more　on　the　side　of　the　latter　than　the　former。　Under　the　circumstances；　a　little　paranoia　was　a　prescription　for　survival。　
　When　he　said　he　was　going　outside　to　relieve　himself；　however；　she　much　preferred　to　be　with　him　than　alone　in　the　high　room。　She　followed　him　downstairs　and　stood　by　the　Ford　with　her　back　to　him　while　he　peed　against　the　split…rail　fence　beside　the　cornfield。　
　She　stared　out　at　the　deep　black　pond。　
　She　listened　to　the　toads；　which　were　singing　again。　So　were　the　cicadas。　
　The　events　of　the　day　had　rattled　her。　Now　even　the　sounds　of　nature　seemed　malevolent。　
　She　wondered　if　they　had　e　up　against　something　too　strange　and　too　powerful　to　be　dealt　with　by　just　a　failed　reporter　and　an　ex…schoolteacher。　She　wondered　if　they　ought　to　leave　the　farm　right　away。　She　wondered　if　they　would　be　allowed　to　leave。　
　Since　the　departure　of　The　Friend；　Holly's　fear　had　not　abated。　I