bl.necroscope2-第81部分

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　This　morning　he'd　followed　them　when　they　first　came　up　here。　Finding　their　car　parked　on　the　road；　he'd　hidden　his　Fiat　in　a　dense　clump　of　bushes　and　tracked　them　on　foot　along　this　very　ledge。　Then；　at　the　apex　of　the　gorge　where　the　two　sides　almost　came　together；　they'd　entered　crumbling　old　ruins　and　searched　through　them。　Dolgikh　had　observed；　keeping　well　back。　For　maybe　two　hours　they'd　busied　themselves　digging　in　the　ruins。　By　the　time　they　were　ready　to　leave　they　all　seemed　much　subdued。　Dolgikh　didn't　know　what　they'd　found；　or　failed　to　find；　but　in　any　case　he'd　been　told　that　it　was　probably　dangerous　and　warned　to　steer　clear。
　Seeing　them　about　to　leave；　he'd　quickly　hurried　back　to　his　car；　waited　for　them　to　show　up。　And　in　passing；　so　as　to　be　on　the　safe　side；　he'd　fitted　their　vehicle　with　a　magnetic　bug。　They'd　driven　back　into　Kolomyya　then；　with　Dolgikh　close　behind　but　keeping　just　out　of　sight。　He'd　almost　caught　up　with　them　where　they　stopped；　half…way　back　along　the　new　road；　to　talk　with　a　party　of　gypsies　in　their　encampment。　But　in　a　few　minutes　they'd　been　on　their　way　again；　and　still　they　hadn't　seen　him。
　Kolomyya　was　a　railhead　and　meeting　point　for　four　tracks；　from　Khust；　Ivano…Frankovsk；　Chernovtsy　and　Gorodenka；　every　other　building　seemed　to　be　a　warehouse　or　storage　depot。　It　wasn't　hard　to　find　one's　way　about；　the　industrial　and　mercial　sides　of　the　town　were　distinctly　separate。　The　four　men　Dolgikh　followed　had　driven　to　the　town's　main　telephone　exchange；　parked　outside　and　gone　in。
　Dolgikh　parked　his　Fiat；　stopped　a　passerby　and　asked　about　public　call　boxes。　〃Three！〃　the　man　told　him；　obviously　disgusted。　〃Only　three　public　telephones　in　a　town　as　big　as　this！　And　all　of　them　constantly　in　use。　So　if　you're　in　a　hurry　you'd　best　make　your　call　here；　at　the　exchange。　They'll　put　you　through　quick　as　a　flash。〃
　In　about　ten　minutes　Krakovitch　and　his　party　had　left　the　exchange；　got　into　their　car　and　driven　off。　Their　tracker　had　been　torn　two　ways：　to　follow　them；　or　find　out　who　they'd　contacted　and　why。　Since　their　car　was　bugged　and　he　could　always　find　them　later；　he'd　decided　on　the　latter　course。　Inside　the　small　but　busy　exchange　he'd　wasted　no　time　but　asked　for　the　manager。　His　KGB　ID　had　guaranteed　immediate　co…operation。　It　turned　out　that　Krakovitch　had　called　Moscow…but　not　a　number　Dolgikh　was　familiar　with。　It　seemed　that　the　head　of　E…Branch　had　required　higher　authorisation　for　something　or　other；　there　had　been　some　talk　of　blasting；　and　the　big　man　in　overalls　had　been　very　much　involved。　Krakovitch　had　allowed　him　also　to　use　the　phone。　That　was　as　much　as　anyone　at　the　exchange　knew　of　the　matter。　Dolgikh　had　then　asked　to　be　put　through　to　Gerenko　at　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy；　to　whom　he'd　passed　on　all　that　he　had　learned。
　At　first　Gerenko　had　seemed　confused；　but　then：
　〃They're　working　directly　through　Brezhnev's　contact！〃　he'd　snapped。　〃Not　through　me。　Which　can　only　mean　that　they　suspect！　Theo；　make　sure　you　get　them　all。　Yes；　including　that　construction　foreman。　And　when　it's　done　let　me　know　at　once。〃
　Tracking　the　bug　he'd　planted；　Dolgikh　had　arrived　at　the　depot　of　a　local　civil　engineering　firm　in　the　town　just　in　time　to　see　Gulharov　and　Volkonsky　loading　a　box　of　explosives　into　the　boot　of　their　car　while　Krakovitch　and　Quint　looked　on。　Obviously　the　big　Russian　foreman　was　now　a　member　of　their　team。　Equally　obvious；　their　contact　in　Moscow　had　cleared　the　use　of　materials　for　blasting。　While　Dolgikh　still　did　not　know　what　they　intended　to　destroy；　he　did　have　an　idea　where　it　was。　And　what　was　more；　that　was　as　good　a　place　as　any　for　them　to　die。
　
　While　Theo　Dolgikh　was　thinking　back　on　the　day's　events；　Carl　Quint's　mind　was　similarly　engaged；　and　now　that　the　broken　fangs　of　Faethor　Ferenczy's　castle　once　more　appeared　through　the　dark；　motionless　pines；　so　his　memory　instinctively　homed　in　on　what　he　and　Felix　Krakovitch　had　found　there　during　their　first　visit　this　morning。　All　four　of　them　had　been　present；　but　only　he　and　Krakovitch　had　known　where　to　look。
　The　place　had　been　almost　magnetic　in　their　psychically　enhanced　minds：　the　exact　spot　had　drawn　them　like　iron　filings　to　a　magnet。　Except　they　were　not　filings；　and　it　was　not　their　intention　to　get　stuck　here。　Quint　remembered　now　how　it　had　been　。
　〃Faethor's　castle；〃　he'd　breathed；　as　they　came　to　a　halt　at　the　very　rim　of　the　ruins。　〃The　mountain　fastness　of　a　vampire！〃　And　in　the　eye　of　his　mind　he'd　seen　it　again　as　it　must　have　been　a　thousand　years　ago。
　Volkonsky　would　have　gone　clambering　into　and　amongst　the　crumbling　stone　blocks；　but　Krakovitch　had　stopped　him。　The　ganger　knew　nothing　at　all　of　what　was　buried　here；　and　Krakovitch　didn't　intend　to　tell　him。　Volkonsky　was　down　to　earth　as　any　man　could　be。　At　the　moment　he　was　mitted　to　assist　them；　but　that　might　change　if　they　tried　to　tell　him　what　they　were　doing　here。　And　so　Krakovitch　had　simply　warned；　〃Be　careful！　Try　not　to　disturb　anything。。。〃　And　the　big　Russian　had　shrugged　and　climbed　down　again　from　the　tumbled　mass　of　the　decaying　old　pile。
　Then　Quint　and　Krakovitch　together　had　simply　stared　at　the　place　and　touched　its　stones；　and　let　the　aura　of　its　antiquity　and　its　immemorial　evil　wash　over　them。　They'd　breathed　its　essence；　tasted　of　its　mystery　and　let　their　talents　lead　them　to　its　innermost　secret。　As　they　had　picked　their　way　carefully；　almost　timidly　through　the　fallen　rubble　of　ancient　masonry；　suddenly　Quint　had　e　to　an　abrupt　halt　and　said　huskily；　〃Oh；　yes；　it　was　here　all　right。　It　still　is　here！　This　is　the　place。〃
　And　Krakovitch　had　agreed：　〃Yes；　I　sense　it　too。　But　I　only　sense　it…I　don't　fear　it。　There's　no　warning　to　bar　me　from　this　place。　I'm　sure　that　there　was　a　great　evil　here；　but　it's　gone　now；　extinct；　utterly　lifeless。〃
　Quint　had　nodded；　sighed　his　relief。　〃That's　my　feeling；　too：　still　here；　but　no　longer　active。　It's　been　too　long。　There　was　nothing　to　sustain　it。〃
　Then　they　had　stared　at　each　other；　both　of　them　thinking　the　identical　thought。　Finally　Krakovitch　had　given　it　voice。　〃Dare　we　try　to　find　it；　perhaps　disturb　it？〃
　For　a　moment　Quint　had　known　fear；　but　then　he'd　answered；　〃If　I　don't　at　least　discover　what　it　was　like…at　the　end；　I　mean…then　I'll　wonder　about　it　for　the　rest　of　my　life。　And　since　we're　both　agreed　that　it's　harmless　now。。
　And　so　they　had　called　up　Gulharov　and　Volkonsky　to　the　place　where　they　stood；　and　all　four　of　them　had　set　to　work。　At　first　the　going　was　easy　and　they　used　makeshift　implements　and　their　bare　hands　to　clear　away　masses　of　loose　dirt　and　rubble。　Soon　they'd　revealed　the　inner　core　of　an　ancient　stone　staircase；　with　the　steps　winding　on　the　outside。　The　stone　had　been　scorched　black　with　fire　and　was　scarred　by　jagged　cracks　as　from　great　heat。　Apparently　Thibor's　plan　had　worked：　the　spiral　stairwell　leading　downstairs　had　been　blocked　by　blazing　debris；　burying　the　vampire　women　and　the　unfortunate　Ehrig　alive。　Yes；　and　the　burrowing　proto…thing　too。　All　of　them；　buried　alive…or　undead。　But　a　thousand　years　is　a　long　time；　in　which　even　the　undead　might　truly　die。
　Then　Volkonsky　had　got　his　massive　arms　around　a　great　block　of　fractured　rock　and　eased　it　upwards　from　the　rubble　which　seemed　to　pletely　choke　the　stairwell。　Suddenly　it　had　e　loose；　at　which　Gulharov　had　added　his　own　not　inconsiderable　muscle　to　the　task。　Together　they'd　heaved　the　block　up　and　over　the　rim　of　the　excavation…at　which　the　debris　at　their　feet　had　sighed　and　settled　down　a　little；　and　a　blast　of　foul　air　had　rushed　up　into　their　faces！
　They'd　jumped　back；　startled；　but　still　there　had　been　no　threat　in　it；　no　sense　of　impending　danger。　After　a　moment；　taking　Gulharov's　arm　to　steady　himself；　the　big　Russian　foreman　had　stepped　down　from　the　already　uncovered　stone　steps　onto　the　now　dubious　surface　of　the　material　blocking　the　descent。　Still　clinging　to　Gulharov　he'd　stamped　first　one　foot；　then　the　other　…and　at　once　gone　down　with　a　cry　of　alarm　up　to　his　waist　in　the　stuff　as　it　suddenly　shifted　and　gave　way　under　him！
　Then　the　earth　had　seemed　to　rumble　and　shudder　a　little；　Volkonsky　had　clung　to　Gulharov　for　dear　life；　Quint　and　Krakovitch　had　thrown　themselves　flat　and　reached　down　from　above　to　grab　hold　of　the　ganger　under　his　armpits。　But　he'd　been　quite　safe；　for　already　his　feet　had　found　purchase　on　unseen　steps　below。
　And　as　they'd　all　four　watched　in　astonishment；　so　the　choking　debris　around　Volkonsky's　thighs　had　settled　down；　collapsing　in　upon　itself；　sinking　like　quicksand　into　the　hollow　depths　of　the　stairwell。　Hollow；　yes！　The　stairs　had　not　been　pletely　choked　but　merely　plugged；　and　now　the　plug　had　been　removed。
　〃Now　it's　our　turn；〃　Quint　had　said　when　the　dust　had　settled　and　they　could　breathe　freely。　〃You　and　me；　Felix。　We　can't　let　Mikhail　go　down　there　ahead　of　us；　for　he　has　no　idea　what　he's　up　against。　If　there　is　still　an　element　of　danger　attached　to　it；　we　should　be　the　first　ones　down　there。〃
　They'd　climbed　down　beside　Volkonsky；　paused　and　looked　at　each　other。　〃We're　unarmed；〃　Krakovitch　had　pointed　out。
　Up　above；　Sergei　Gulharov　had　produce