osc.am2.redprophet-第20部分

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　knack　of　the　White　man　Hooch；　or　even　the　strong　living　hexes　of　the　woman　Eleanor。　This　wasn't　the　Red　man's　power　to　fit　himself　into　the　pattern　of　the　land。　No；　Alvin　didn't　fit　himself　into　anything。　The　land　fit　itself　to　him。　If　he　wanted　the　roaches　to　live　a　certain　way；　to　make　a　bargain；　then　that　was　how　the　land　ordered　itself。　In　this　small　place；　for　this　time；　with　these　tiny　lives；　Alvin　Junior　had　manded　and　the　land　obeyed。
　　Did　the　boy　understand　how　miraculous　this　was？
　　No；　no；　he　had　no　idea。　How　could　he　know？　What　White　man　could　even　understand　it？
　　And　now；　because　he　didn't　understand；　Alvin　Junior　was　destroying　the　delicate　thing　that　he　had　done。　The　insects　that　had　bitten　him　were　metal　pins　that　his　sisters　had　poked　into　his　nightshirt。　Now　he　could　hear　them　laughing　behind　their　wall。　Because　he　had　been　very　frightened；　now　he　was　very　angry。　Get　even；　get　back　at　them；　Lolla…Wossiky　could　feel　his　childish　rage。　He　only　did　one　little　thing　to　tease　them；　and　they　pay　him　back　by　scaring　him；　poking　him　a　hundred　times　and　making　him　bleed。　Get　even；　give　them　such　a　scare　Alvin　Junior　sat　on　the　edge　of　the　bed；　angrily　taking　the　pins　out　of　his　nightshirt；　saving　them　　White　men　were　so　careful　with　all　their　useless　metal　tools；　even　such　tiny　ones　as　those。　As　he　sat　there　he　saw　the　roaches　scurrying　along　the　walls；　running　in　and　out　of　cracks　in　the　floor；　and　he　saw　his　vengeance。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　felt　him　making　the　plan　in　his　mind。　Then　Alvin　knelt　on　the　floor　and　explained　it　softly　to　the　roaches。　Because　he　was　a　child；　and　a　White　boy　with　no　one　to　teach　him；　Alvin　thought　he　had　to　say　the　words　aloud；　that　the　roaches　somehow　understood　his　language。　But　no　　it　was　the　order　of　things；　the　way　he　arranged　the　world　in　his　mind。
　　And　in　his　mind　he　lied　to　them。　Hunger；　he　told　them。　And　in　the　other　room；　food。　He　showed　them　food　if　they　went　under　the　wall　into　the　sisters'　room　and　climbed　on　the　beds　and　the　bodies　there。　Food　if　they　hurried；　food　for　all　of　them。　It　was　a　lie；　and　Lolla…Wossiky　wanted　to　shout　at　him　not　to　do　this。
　　If　a　Red　man　knelt　and　called　to　prey　that　he　didn't　need；　the　prey　would　know　his　lie　and　wouldn't　e。　The　lie　itself　would　cut　the　Red　man　from　the　land；　make　him　walk　alone　awhile。　But　this　White　boy　could　lie　with　such　force　and　strength　that　the　tiny　minds　of　the　roaches　believed　him。　They　scurried；　a　hundred；　a　thousand　of　them　under　the　walls；　into　the　other　room。
　　Alvin　Junior　heard　something；　and　he　was　delighted。　But　Lolla…Wossiky　was　angry。　He　opened　his　eye；　so　he　didn't　have　to　see　Alvin　Junior's　glee　at　his　revenge。　Instead　now　he　heard　the　sisters　screaming　as　the　roaches　climbed　all　over　them。　And　then　the　parents　and　brothers　rushing　into　their　room。　And　the　stomping。　The　stomping；　the　smashing；　the　murders　of　the　roaches。　Lolla…Wossiky　closed　his　eye　and　felt　the　deaths；　each　one　a　pinprick。　It　had　been　so　long　with　the　black　noise　masking　all　the　deaths　behind　one　vast　memory　of　murder　that　Lolla…Wossiky　had　forgotten　what　the　small　pains　felt　like。
　　Like　the　death　of　bees。
　　Roaches；　useless　animals；　eating　up　garbage；　making　filthy　rustling　noises　in　their　dens；　loathsome　when　they　crawled　on　the　skin；　but　part　of　the　land；　part　of　the　life；　part　of　the　green　silence；　and　their　death　was　an　evil　noise；　their　useless　murder　because　they　believed　in　a　lie。
　　This　is　why　I　came；　Lolla…Wossiky　realized。　The　land　brought　me　here；　knowing　that　this　boy　had　such　power；　knowing　that　there　was　no　one　to　teach　him　how　to　use　it；　no　one　to　teach　him　to　wait　to　feel　the　need　of　the　land　before　changing　it。　No　one　to　teach　him　how　to　be　Red　instead　of　White。
　　I　didn't　e　for　my　own　dream　beast；　but　to　be　the　dream　beast　for　this　boy。
　　The　noise　settled。　The　sisters；　the　brothers；　the　parents　went　back　to　sleep。　Lolla…Wossiky　pressed　his　fingers　into　the　cracks　between　the　logs；　climbed　carefully；　his　eye　closed　so　that　the　land　would　guide　him　instead　of　trusting　in　himself。　The　boy's　shutters　were　open；　and　Lolla…Wossiky　thrust　his　elbows　over　the　sill　and　hung　there；　looking　in。
　　First　with　his　eye　open。　He　saw　a　bed；　a　stool　with　clothes　neatly　folded；　and　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　a　cradle。　The　window　opened　onto　the　space　between　the　bed　and　the　cradle。　In　the　bed；　a　shape；　boy…sized；　unidentifiable。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　closed　his　eye　again。　Alvin　lay　in　the　bed。　Lolla…Wossiky　felt　the　heat　of　the　boy's　excitement　like　a　fever。　He　had　been　so　afraid　of　being　caught；　so　exhilarated　at　his　victory；　and　now　lay　trembling；　trying　to　breathe　calmly；　trying　to　stifle　laughter。
　　His　eye　open　again；　Lolla…Wossiky　scrambled　up　onto　the　sill　and　swung　onto　the　floor。　He　expected　Alvin　to　notice　him；　to　cry　out；　but　the　shape　of　the　boy　lay　still　in　the　bed；　there　was　no　sound。
　　The　boy　couldn't　see　him　when　his　eye　was　open；　any　more　than　he　could　see　the　boy。　This　was　the　end　of　the　dream；　after　all；　and　Lolla…Wossiky　was　dream　beast　for　the　boy。　It　was　Lolla…Wossiky's　duty　to　give　visions　to　the　boy；　not　to　be　seen　as　himself；　a　whisky…Red　with　one　eye　missing。
　　What　vision　will　I　show　him？
　　Lolla…Wossiky　reached　inside　his　White　man's　trousers　to　where　tie　still　wore　his　loincloth；　and　pulled　his　knife　from　its　sheath。　He　held　both　his　hands　high；　the　one　holding　the　knife。　Then　he　closed　his　eye。
　　The　boy　still　didn't　see　him；　his　eyes　were　closed。　So　Lolla…Wossiky　gathered　the　white　light　he　could　feel　around　him；　gathered　it　close　to　himself；　so　that　he　could　feel　himself　shining　brighter　and　brighter。　The　light　came　from　his　skin；　so　he　tore　open　the　breast　of　the　White　man's　shirt　he　wore；　then　raised　his　hands　again。　Now；　even　through　closed　eyelids；　the　boy　could　see　the　brightness；　and　he　opened　his　eyes。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　felt　the　boy's　terror　at　the　sight　of　the　apparition　he　had　bee：　a　bright　and　shining　Red　man；　one…eyed；　with　a　sharp　knife　in　his　hand。　But　it　wasn't　fear　Lolla…Wossiky　wanted。　No　one　should　fear　his　own　dream　beast。　So　he　sent　the　light　outward　to　the　boy；　to　include　him；　and　with　the　light　he　sent　calm；　calm；　don't　be　scared。
　　The　boy　relaxed　a　little；　but　still　wriggled　up　in　his　bed；　so　he　was　sitting　up；　leaning　against　the　wall。
　　It　was　time　to　begin　to　wake　the　boy　from　his　life　of　sleep。　How　did　Lolla…Wossiky　know　what　to　do？　No　man；　Red　or　White；　had　ever　been　another　man's　dream　beast。　Yet　he　knew　without　thinking　what　he　ought　to　do。　What　the　boy　needed　to　see　and　feel。　Whatever　came　to　Lolla…Wossiky's　mind　that　felt　right　to　do；　that　was　what　he　did。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　took　his　shining　knife　and　brought　the　blade　against　his　other　palm　　and　cut。　Sharp；　hard；　deep；　so　blood　leapt　from　the　wound；　rushed　down　his　forearm　to　gather　and　pool　in　his　sleeve。　Quickly　it　began　to　drip　on　the　floor。
　　The　pain　came　suddenly；　a　moment　later；　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　at　once　how　to　take　the　pain　and　make　it　into　a　picture　and　put　it　into　the　boy's　mind。　The　picture　of　his　sisters'　room　as　a　small　weak　creature　saw　it。　Rushing　in；　hungering；　hungering；　looking　for　the　food；　certain　that　the　food　was　there；　on　the　soft　body　was　the　promise；　climb　the　body；　find　the　food。　But　great　hands　slapped　and　brushed；　and　the　small　creature　was　thrown　onto　the　floor。　The　floor　shook　with　giant　footfalls；　a　sudden　shadow；　the　agony　of　death。
　　Again　and　again；　each　small　life；　hungering；　trusting；　and　then　betrayed；　crushed；　battered。
　　Many　lived；　but　they　cowered；　they　scurried；　they　fled。　The　sisters'　room；　the　room　of　death；　yes；　they　fled　from　there。　But　better　to　stay　there　and　die　than　run　into　the　other　room；　the　room　of　lies。　Not　words；　there　were　no　words　in　the　small　creature's　life；　there　were　no　thoughts　that　could　be　named　as　thoughts。　But　the　fear　of　death　in　the　one　place　was　not　as　strong　as　another　kind　of　fear；　the　fear　of　a　world　gone　crazy；　a　place　where　anything　could　happen；　where　nothing　could　be　trusted；　where　nothing　was　certain。　A　terrible　place。
　　Lolia…Wossiky　ended　the　vision。　The　boy　was　pressing　his　hands　against　his　eyes；　sobbing　desperately。　Lolla…Wossiky　had　never　seen　anyone　so　tortured　by　remorse；　the　vision　Lolla…Wossiky　had　given　him　was　stronger　than　any　dream　a　man　could　imagine　for　himself。　I　am　a　terrible　dream　beast；　thought　Lolla…Wossiky。　He　will　wish　I　hadn't　wakened　him。　In　dread　of　his　own　strength；　Lolla…Wossiky　opened　his　eye。
　　At　once　the　boy　disappeared；　and　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　that　the　boy　would　think　that　Lolla…Wossiky　had　also　disappeared。　What　now？　he　thought。　Am　I　here　to　make　this　boy　crazy？　To　give　him　a　terrible　thing；　as　bad　as　the　black　noise　was　to　me？
　　He　could　see　from　the　shaking　of　the　bed；　the　movement　of　the　bedclothes；　that　the　boy　was　still　crying　passionately。　Lolla…Wossiky　closed　his　eye；　and　again　sent　the　light　to　the　boy。　Calm；　calm。
　　The　boy's　weeping　became　a　whimper；　and　he　looked　again　at　Lolla…Wossiky；　who　was　still　shining　with　a　dazzling　light。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　didn't　know　what　to　do。　While　he　was　silent　and　uncertain；　Alvin　began　to　speak；　to　plead。　〃I'm　sorry；　I'll　never　do　it　again；　I'll〃
　　Babbling　on　and　on。　Lolla…Wossiky　pushed　more　light　at　hi