osc.am2.redprophet-第36部分

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th　and　hard　as　glass。　No；　not　glass。　It　was　as　clear　and　clean　as　a　drop　of　dew　on　a　spiderweb。　There　wasn't　no　storm　now。　Just　Al　and　the　Shining　Man；　in　the　middle　of　a　tower　of　crystal；　bright　and　transparent。
　　Only　instead　of　being　like　a　window　that　showed　what　was　happening　outside；　Al　couldn't　see　the　lake　or　the　storm　or　the　shore　through　the　crystal　wall。　Instead　he　saw　other　things。
　　He　saw　a　wagon　caught　in　a　flooding　river；　a　tree　floating　down　like　a　battering　ram；　and　a　young　man　leaping　out　onto　the　tree；　rolling　it　over；　turning　it　from　the　wagon。　And　then　the　man　tangling　in　the　roots　of　the　tree；　getting　smashed　against　a　boulder；　then　rolling　and　tumbling　downstream；　all　the　time　struggling　to　live；　to　breathe　just　a　while　longer；　keep　breathing；　keep　breathing
　　He　saw　a　woman　bearing　a　baby；　and　a　little　girl　who　stood　nearby　reached　out　and　touched　her　belly。　She　shouted　something；　and　the　midwife　reached　in　her　hand　and　took　the　baby's　head；　pulled　it　out。　The　mother　tore　and　bled。　The　little　girl　reached　under　and　pulled　something　off　the　baby's　face；　the　baby　cried。　The　man　in　the　river　heard　that　cry；　somehow；　knew　that　he　had　lived　long　enough；　and　so　he　died。
　　Al　didn't　know　what　to　make　of　it。　Until　he　heard　the　Prophet　whisper　in　his　ear：　〃The　first　thing　you　see　in　here　is　the　day　you　are　born。〃
　　The　baby　was　Alvin　Junior；　the　man　who　died　was　his　brother；　Vigor。　Who　was　the　girl　who　took　the　birth　caul　off　his　face？　Al　never　saw　her　before　in　his　life。
　　〃I　will　show　you；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃This　stays　only　a　little　while；　and　I　have　things　to　see　for　myself；　but　I　will　show　you。〃　He　took　Alvin　by　the　hand　and　together　they　rose　upward　through　the　column　of　glass。
　　It　didn't　feel　like　flying；　not　like　the　soaring　of　a　bird；　it　was　as　if　there　wasn't　no　up　or　down。　The　Prophet　pulled　him　upward；　but　Al　couldn't　figure　how　the　Prophet　pulled　himself。　Didn't　matter。　There　were　so　many　things　to　see。　Wherever　he　hung　in　the　air；　he　could　look　in　any　direction　and　see　something　else　through　the　wall　of　the　tower。　Until　he　realized　that　every　moment　of　time；　every　human　life　must　be　visible　through　this　tower　wall。　How　could　you　find　your　way　through　here？　How　could　you　look　for　any　one　particular　story　in　the　hundreds；　thousands；　millions　of　moments　of　past　time？
　　The　Prophet　stopped；　hoisted　the　boy　up　until　he　could　see　what　the　Prophet　was　seeing；　their　cheeks　pressed　together；　their　breath　mingling；　the　Prophet's　heartbeat　loud　in　Alvin's　ear。
　　〃Look；〃　said　the　Prophet。
　　What　Alvin　saw　was　a　city；　shining　in　sunlight。　Towers　of　ice；　it　looked　like；　or　clear　glass；　because　when　the　sun　set　behind　the　city　its　light　didn't　so　much　as　dim；　and　the　city　cast　no　shadow　on　the　meadowland　around　it。　Inside　that　city　there　were　people；　like　bright　shadows　moving　here　and　there；　going　up　and　down　the　towers　without　stairs　or　wings。　More　important　than　what　he　saw；　though；　was　what　he　felt；　looking　at　that　place。　Not　peace；　no；　there　was　nothing　quiet　about　what　he　felt。　It　was　excitement；　his　heart　pumping　fast　as　a　horse　in　full　gallop。　The　people　there；　they　weren't　perfect　　they　were　sometimes　angry；　sometimes　sad。　But　nobody　was　hungry；　and　nobody　was　ignorant；　and　nobody　had　to　do　something　just　because　somebody　else　made　them　do　it。　〃Where　is　that　city！〃　whispered　Alvin。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃Every　time　I　e　here；　I　see　it　in　a　different　shape。　Sometimes　these　tall　thin　towers；　sometimes　big　crystal　mounds；　sometimes　just　people　living　on　a　sea　of　crystal　fire。　I　think　this　city　was　built　many　times　in　the　past。　I　think　it　will　be　built　again。〃
　　〃Are　you　going　to　build　it？　Is　that　what　Prophetstown　is　for？〃
　　Tears　came　from　the　Prophet's　eyes　　spilling　from　his　one　good　eye；　oozing　out　of　the　slack　lid　of　the　other。　〃Red　man　can't　build　this　place　alone；〃　he　said。　〃We　are　part　of　the　land；　and　this　city　is　more　than　the　land　alone。　The　land　is　good　and　bad；　life　and　death　all　together；　the　green　silence。〃
　　Alvin　thought　of　his　sense　of　green　music；　but　he　didn't　say　nothing；　cause　the　Prophet　was　saying　things　he　wanted　to　hear；　and　Al　was　smart　enough　to　know　that　sometimes　it's　better　to　listen　than　to　talk。
　　〃But　this　city；〃　said　the　Prophet；　〃the　crystal　city　is　light　without　dark；　clean　without　dirty；　healthy　without　sick；　strong　without　weak；　plenty　without　hungry；　drink　without　thirst；　life　without　death。〃
　　〃The　people　in　that　place；　they　aren't　all　happy；〃　said　Alvin。　〃They　don't　live　forever。〃
　　〃Ah；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃You　don't　see　the　same　that　I　see。〃
　　〃What　I　see　is；　they're　building　it。〃　Al　frowned。　〃At　one　end　they're　building　it；　and　at　the　other　end；　it's　falling　down。〃
　　〃Ah；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃The　city　I　see　will　never　fall。〃
　　〃Well　what's　the　difference？　How　e　we　don't　see　the　same　thing？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　Roach　Boy。　I　never　showed　this　to　anybody。　Now　go　back　down；　wait　for　me　below。　I　have　things　to　see　before　time　starts　again。〃
　　Just　thinking　about　going　down　made　Alvin　start　to　sink；　until　he　was　clear　to　the　bottom；　on　the　shiny　clear　floor。　Floor？　It　could　have　been　the　ceiling　for　all　he　knowed。　There　was　light　ing　up　from　there　just　like　it　was　shining　through　the　other　walls；　and　he　saw　pictures　there；　too。
　　He　saw　a　huge　cloud　of　dust　spin　faster　and　faster；　but　instead　of　spitting　out　dust　it　sucked　it　all　in；　and　suddenly　it　started　glowing；　and　then　it　caught　fire；　and　it　was　the　sun；　just　as　plain　as　could　be。　Alvin　knew　somewhat　about　the　planets；　cause　Thrower　talked　about　them；　so　he　wasn't　surprised　to　see　them　glowing　points　of　light　that　pretty　soon　got　dim。　And　after　a　while　instead　of　dust　mixed　with　darkness；　it　was　all　either　worlds　or　empty　space；　pretty　much。　He　saw　the　Earth；　so　small；　but　then　he　came　closer　and　he　saw　how　big　it　was；　spinning　so　fast；　one　face　of　the　Earth　lit　up　from　sunlight；　the　other　face　dark。　He　stood　in　the　sky；　it　seemed；　looking　down　on　the　lit　place；　but　he　could　see　all　that　was　going　on。　First　bare　rock；　spouting　volcanoes；　then　out　of　the　ocean；　plants　spreading　out；　growing　tall；　ferns　and　trees。　He　saw　fish　leaping　in　the　sea；　crawly　life　on　the　shore　where　the　tide　came　in；　and　then　bugs　and　other　small　critters；　hopping　and　nibbling　on　leaves　and　catching　each　other　and　eating　each　other　up。　Them　animals　kept　getting　bigger　and　bigger；　so　fast　Alvin　couldn't　follow　the　changes；　just　the　Earth　spinning　and　him　watching；　huge　monstrous　creatures　like　he　never　heard　of；　with　long　snakey　necks　some　of　them；　and　teeth　and　jaws　to　tear　down　trees　with　a　single　bite；　it　looked　like。　And　then　they　were　gone；　and　there　were　elephants　and　antelopes　and　tigers　and　horses；　all　the　life　of　the　earth；　getting　more　and　more　like　what　Alvin　thought　animals　ought　to　look　like。　But　nowhere　in　all　this　did　he　see　a　man。　He　found　apes　and　hairy　things　that　hit　each　other　with　rocks；　things　that　walked　on　their　hind　legs　but　looked　about　as　dumb　as　frogs。
　　And　then　he　did　see　some　folks；　though　he　wasn't　sure　at　first　cause　they　were　Black　and　he　hadn't　seen　but　one　Black　man　in　his　life；　a　slave　owned　by　a　peddler　from　the　Crown　Colonies；　who　happened　to　e　through　Vigor　Church　maybe　two　years　back。　But　they　looked　like　human　people；　all　right；　Black　or　not；　and　they　were　pulling　fruit　down　out　of　trees　and　berries　off　of　bushes；　feeding　each　other；　a　passel　of　pickaninnies　following　in　their　tracks。　Two　of　the　young　ones　got　to　fighting；　and　the　big　one　killed　the　little　one。　The　papa　came　back　then；　and　kicked　the　one　who　did　the　killing；　made　him　go　away。　Then　he　picked　up　the　dead　one　and　brought　him　back　to　the　mama；　both　of　them　crying；　and　they　laid　that　dead　child　down　and　covered　him　up　with　rocks。　Then　they　gathered　up　their　family　and　walked　on；　and　after　just　a　few　steps　they　were　eating　again；　and　the　tears　stopped；　and　they　went　on；　just　went　on。　These　are　folks；　that's　sure；　thought　Alvin。　This　is　just　the　way　human　people　are。
　　The　Earth　kept　turning；　and　by　the　time　it　e　round　again　there　was　all　kinds　of　folks；　dark　ones　in　the　hot　countries；　light　ones　in　the　cold　countries；　with　all　shades　in　between。　Except　when　America　came　under　the　light　of　the　sun。　In　America　folks　was　pretty　much　all　the　same　kind；　all　Red；　whether　they　lived　north　or　south；　hot　or　cold；　wet　or　dry。　And　the　land　was　at　peace；　pared　to　the　other　part　of　the　world。　It　was　strange　for　him　to　see；　because　when　the　big　part　of　the　land　came　by；　with　all　its　different　races　and　nations；　why；　it　changed　with　every　sweep　of　the　Earth；　whole　countries　moved　from　one　place　to　another；　everything　always　shuffling　around；　and　wars　every　minute　everywhere。　The　smaller　land；　America；　it　had　some　too；　but　it　was　all　slower；　gentler。　The　people　lived　in　a　different　rhythm。　The　land　had　its　own　heartbeat；　its　own　life。
　　From　time　to　time　more　people　would　e　from　the　old　world　　fishermen；　mostly。　Off　course；　led　astray　by　storms；　running　from　enemies。　They'd　e；　and　for　a　time　they'd　live　their　old…world　life　in　America；　trying　to　build　fast；　and　breed　fast；　and　kill　as　much　as　they　could。　Like　a　sickness。　But　then　they'd　either　join　in　with　the　Reds　and　disappear