dk.coldfire-第72部分

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　Their　shrieks　were　like　the　voices　of　the　damned。　
　〃Jim；　you　can　take　the　path　that　Larry　Kakonis　took；　you　can　kill　yourself　I　can't　stop　you。　But　if　The　Enemy　doesn't　want　me　any　more；　if　it　wants　only　you；　don't　think　I'm　spared。　If　you　die；　Jim；　I'm　dead；　too；　as　good　as　dead；　I'll　do　what　Larry　Kakonis　did；　I'll　kill　myself；　and　I'll　rot　in　hell　with　you　if　I　can't　have　you　anywhere　else！〃　The　Enemy　of　countless　parts　fell　upon　her　as　she　pulled　Jim's　face　against　her　a　third　time。　She　didn't　hide　her　own　face　or　close　her　eyes　as　before；　but　stood　in　that　maelstrom　of　wings　and　beaks　and　talons。　She　looked　back　into　scores　of　small；　glistening；　pure…black　eyes　that　circled　her　unblinking；　each　as　wet　and　deep　as　the　night　reflected　on　the　face　of　the　sea；　each　as　merciless　and　cruel　as　the　universe　itself　and　as　anything　in　the　heart　of　humankind。　She　knew　that；　staring　into　those　eyes；　she　was　staring　into　a　part　of　Jim；　his　most　secret　and　darkest　part；　which　she　could　not　reach　otherwise；　and　she　said　his　name。　She　did　not　shout；　did　not　scream；　did　not　beg　or　plead；　did　not　vent　her　anger　or　fear；　but　said　his　name　softly；　again　and　again；　with　all　the　tenderness　that　she　felt　for　him；　with　all　the　love　she　had。　They　battered　against　her　so　hard　that　pinions　snapped；　opened　their　hooked　beaks　and　shrieked　in　her　face；　plucked　threateningly　at　her　clothes　and　hair；　tugging　but　not　ripping；　giving　her　one　last　chance　to　flee。　They　tried　to　intimidate　her　with　their　eyes；　the　cold　and　uncaring　eyes　of　beasts　of　prey；　but　she　was　not　intimidated；　she　just　kept　repeating　his　name；　then　the　promise　that　she　loved　him；　over　and　over　until　…they　were　gone。　
　They　didn't　whirl　up　into　the　sky；　as　before。　They　vanished。　One　moment　the　air　was　filled　with　them　and　their　fierce　cries…but　the　next　moment　they　were　gone　as　if　they　had　never　been。　
　Holly　held　Jim　against　her　for　a　moment　then　let　him　go。　He　still　looked　through　her　more　than　at　her　and　seemed　to　be　in　a　trance。　
　〃Jim；〃　Henry　Ironheart　said　beseechingly；　still　reaching　out　toward　his　grandson。　
　After　a　hesitation；　Jim　slid　off　the　bench；　onto　his　knees　in　front　of　the　old　man。　He　took　the　withered　hand　and　kissed　it。　
　Without　looking　up　at　either　Holly　or　Henry；　Jim　said；　〃Grandma　saw　The　Enemy　ing　out　of　the　wall。　First　time　it　happened；　first　time　I　saw　it；　too。〃　His　voice　sounded　faraway；　as　if　a　part　of　him　were　still　back　in　the　past；　reliving　that　dreaded　moment；　grateful　that　there　had　not　been　as　much　reason　to　dread　it　as　he　had　thought。　
　〃She　saw　it；　and　it　frightened　her；　and　she　stumbled　back　into　the　stairs；　tripped；　fell。　。　。〃　He　pressed　his　grandfather's　hand　to　his　cheek　and　said；　〃I　didn't　kill　her。〃　
　〃I　know　you　didn't；　Jim；〃　Henry　Ironheart　said。　〃My　God；　I　know　you　didn't。〃　
　The　old　man　looked　up　at　Holly　with　a　thousand　questions　about　birds　and　enemies　and　things　in　walls。　But　she　knew　he　would　have　to　wait　for　answers　until　another　day；　as　she　had　waited…as　Jim　had　waited；　too。　
　During　the　drive　over　the　mountains　and　down　into　Santa　Barbara；　Jim　slumped　in　his　seat；　eyes　closed。　He　seemed　to　have　fallen　into　a　deep　sleep。　She　supposed　he　needed　sleep　as　desperately　as　any　man　could　need　it；　for　he'd　enjoyed　almost　no　real　rest　in　twenty…five　years。　
　She　was　no　longer　afraid　to　let　him　sleep。　She　was　certain　that　The　Enemy　was　gone；　with　The　Friend；　and　that　only　one　personality　inhabited　his　body　now。　Dreams　were　no　longer　doorways。　
　For　the　time　being；　she　did　not　want　to　return　to　the　mill；　even　though　they　had　left　some　gear　there。　She'd　had　enough　of　Svenborg；　too；　and　all　it　represented　in　Jim's　life。　She　wanted　to　hole　up　in　a　new　place；　where　neither　of　them　had　been；　where　new　beginnings　might　be　forged　with　no　taint　of　the　past。　
　As　she　drove　through　that　parched　land　under　the　ashen　sky；　she　put　the　pieces　together　and　studied　the　resulting　picture：。　an　enormously　gifted　boy；　far　more　gifted　than　even　he　knows；　lives　through　the　slaughter　in　the　Dixie　Duck；　but　es　out　of　the　holocaust　with　a　shattered　soul。　In　his　desperation　to　feel　good　about　himself　again；　he　borrow's　Arthur　Willott's　fantasy；　using　his　special　power　to　create　The　Friend；　an　embodiment　of　his　most　noble　aspirations；　and　The　Friend　tells　him　he　has　a　mission　in　life。　
　But　the　boy　is　so　full　of　despair　and　rage　that　The　Friend　alone　is　not　enough　to　heal　him。　He　needs　a　third　personality；　something　into　which　he　can　shove　all　his　negative　feelings；　all　the　darkness　in　himself　that　frightens　him。　So　he　creates　The　Enemy；　embellishing　Willott's　story　structure。　
　Alone　in　the　windmill；　he　has　exhilarating　conversations　with　The　Friend　…and　works　out　his　rage　through　the　materialization　of　The　Enemy。　
　Until；　one　night；　Lena　Ironheart　walks　in　at　the　wrong　moment。　
　Frightened；　she　falls　backward。　。　。　。　
　In　shock　because　of　what　The　Enemy　has　done；　merely　by　its　presence；　Jim　forces　himself　to　forget　the　fantasy；　both　The　Friend　and　Enemy；　just　as　Jim　Jamison　forgot　his　alien　encounter　after　saving　the　life　of　the　future　president　of　the　United　States。　For　twenty…five　years；　he　struggles　to　keep　a　lid　firmly　on　those　fragmented　personalities；　suppressing　both　his　very　best　and　his　very　worst　qualities；　leading　a　relatively　quiet　and　colorless　life　because　he　dares　not　tap　his　stronger　feelings。　
　He　finds　purpose　in　teaching；　which　to　some　extent　redeems　him…until　Larry　Kakonis　mits　suicide。　Without　purpose　any　more；　feeling　that　he　has　failed　Kakonis　as　he　failed　his　parents　and；　even　more　profoundly；　his　grandmother；　he　subconsciously　longs　to　live　out　Jim　Jamison's　courageous　and　redeeming　adventure；　which　means　freeing　The　Friend。　
　But　when　he　frees　The　Friend；　he　frees　The　Enemy　as　well。　And　after　all　these　years　of　being　bottled　inside　him；　his　rage　has　only　intensified；　bee　blacker　and　more　bitter；　utterly　inhuman　in　its　intensity。　The　Enemy　is　something　even　more　evil　now　than　it　was　twenty…five　years　ago；　a　creature　of　singularly　murderous　appearance　and　temperament。　。　。　。　
　So　Jim　was　like　any　victim　of　multiple…personality　syndrome。　
　Except　for　one　thing。　One　little　thing。　He　created　nonhuman　entities　to　embody　aspects　of　himself；　not　other　human　identities…and　had　the　power　to　give　them　flesh　of　their　own。　He　hadn't　been　like　Sally　Field　playing　Sybil；　sixteen　people　in　one　body。　He　had　been　three　beings　in　three　bodies；　and　one　of　them　had　been　a　killer。　
　Holly　turned　on　the　car　heater。　Though　it　must　have　been　seventy　degrees　outside；　she　was　chilled。　The　heat　from　the　dashboard　vents　did　nothing　to　warm　her。　
　The　clock　behind　the　registration　desk　showed　1：11　P。M。　when　Holly　checked　them　into　a　Quality　motor　lodge　in　Santa　Barbara。　While　she　filled　out　the　form　and　provided　her　credit　card　to　the　clerk；　Jim　continued　to　sleep　in　the　Ford。　
　When　she　returned　with　their　key；　she　was　able　to　rouse　him　enough　to　get　him　out　of　the　car　and　into　their　room。　He　was　in　a　stupor　and　went　directly　to　the　bed；　where　he　curled　up　and　once　more　fell　instantly　into　a　deep　sleep。　
　She　got　diet　sodas；　ice；　and　candy　bars　from　the　vending…machine　center　near　the　pool。　
　In　the　room　again；　she　closed　the　drapes。　She　switched　on　one　lamp　and　arranged　a　towel　over　the　shade　to　soften　the　light。　
　She　pulled　a　chair　near　the　bed　and　sat　down。　She　drank　diet　soda　and　ate　candy　while　she　watched　him　sleep。　
　The　worst　was　over。　The　fantasy　had　been　burned　away；　and　he　had　plunged　pletely　into　cold　reality。　
　But　she　did　not　know　what　the　aftermath　would　bring。　She　had　never　known　him　without　his　delusions；　and　she　didn't　know　what　he　would　be　like　when　he　had　none。　She　didn't　know　if　he　would　be　a　more　optimistic　man…or　a　darker　one。　She　didn't　know　if　he　would　still　have　the　same　degree　of　superhuman　powers　that　he'd　had　before。　He　had　summoned　those　powers　from　within　himself　only　because　he　had　needed　them　to　sustain　his　fantasy　and　cling　to　his　precarious　sanity；　perhaps；　now；　he　would　be　only　as　gifted　as　he　had　been　before　his　parents　had　died…able　to　levitate　a　pie　pan；　flip　a　coin　with　his　mind；　nothing　more。　Worst　of　all；　she　didn't　know　if　he　would　still　love　her。　
　By　dinnertime　he　was　still　asleep。　
　She　went　out　and　got　more　candy　bars。　Another　hinge。　She　would　end　up　as　plump　as　her　mother　if　she　didn't　get　control　of　herself　He　was　still　asleep　at　ten　o'clock。　Eleven。　Midnight。　
　She　considered　waking　him。　But　she　realized　that　he　was　in　a　chrysalis；　waiting　to　be　born　from　his　old　life　into　a　new　one。　A　caterpillar　needed　time　to　turn　itself　into　a　butterfly。　That　was　her　hope；　anyway。　
　Sometime　between　midnight　and　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　Holly　fell　asleep　in　her　chair。　She　did　not　dream。　
　He　woke　her。　
　She　looked　up　into　his　beautiful　eyes；　which　were　not　cold　in　the　dim　light　of　the　towel…draped　lamp；　but　which　were　still　mysterious。　
　He　was　leaning　over　her　chair；　shaking　her　gently。　〃Holly；　e　on。　
　We've　got　to　go。〃　
　Instantly　casting　off　sleep；　she　sat　up。　〃Go　where？〃　〃Scranton；　Pennsylvania。〃　
　〃Why？〃　Grabbing　up　one　of　her　uneaten　candy　bars；　peeling　off　the　wrapper；　biting　into　it；　he　said；　〃Tomorrow　afternoon；　three…thirty；　a　reckless　schoolbus　driver　is　going　to　try　to　beat　a　train　at　a　crossing。　
　Twenty…six　kids　are　going　to　die　if　we're　not　there　first。〃　
　Rising　from　her　chair；　she　said；　〃You　know　all　that；　the　whole　thing；　not　just　a　part　of　it？〃　〃Of　course；〃　he　said　around　a　mouthful　of　candy　bar。　He　grinned。　
　〃I　know　these　things；　Holly。　I'm　psychic；　for　God's　sake。〃　
　She　grinned　right　back　at　him。　
　〃We're　going　to　be　something；　Holly；〃　he　said　enthusiastically。　
　〃Super　man？　Why　the　hell　did　he　waste　so　much　time　holding　down　a　job　newspaper　when　he　could've　been　doing　good？〃　In　a　voice　that　cracked　with　relief　and　with　love　for　him；　Holly　said　〃I　always　wondered　about　that。〃　
　Jim　gave　her　a　chocolaty　kiss。　〃The　world　hasn't　seen　anything　yet　kid。　
　Of　course；　you're　going　to　have　to　learn　martial　arts；　how　to　handle　a　gun；　a　few　other　things。　But　you're　gonna　be　good　at　it；　I　know　you。〃　She　threw　her　arms　around　him　and　hugged　him　fiercely；　with　unadulterated　joy。　
　　



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