osc.am2.redprophet-第37部分

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l　as　much　as　they　could。　Like　a　sickness。　But　then　they'd　either　join　in　with　the　Reds　and　disappear；　or　get　killed　off。　None　of　them　ever　kept　up　their　old…world　ways。
　　Until　now；　thought　Alvin。　Now　when　we　came；　we　were　just　too　strong。　Like　getting　a　couple　of　colds　maybe；　and　you　begin　to　think　you　won't　never　get　real　sick；　and　then　you　get　a　dose　of　smallpox　and　you　know　that　you　were　never　truly　sick　before　at　all。
　　Alvin　felt　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。
　　〃So　there　is　where　you　looked；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃What　did　you　see？〃
　　〃I　think　I　saw　the　whole　creation　of　the　world；〃　said　Al。　〃Just　like　in　the　Bible。　I　think　I　saw〃
　　〃I　know　what　you　saw。　We　all　see　this；　all　who　have　ever　e　to　this　place。〃
　　〃I　thought　you　said　I　was　the　first　you　brought。〃
　　〃This　place　　there　are　many　doors　inside。　Some　walk　in　through　fire。　Some　walk　in　through　water。　Some　through　being　buried　in　the　earth。　Some　by　falling　through　the　air。　They　e　to　this　place　and　see。　They　go　back　and　tell　what　they　remember；　as　much　of　it　as　they　understood；　and　tell　it；　as　much　as　they　have　words　to　say；　and　others　listen　and　remember；　as　much　as　they　can　understand。　This　is　the　seeing　place。〃
　　〃I　don't　want　to　leave；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃No；　and　neither　does　the　other　one。〃
　　〃Who？　Is　there　somebody　else　here？〃
　　The　Prophet　shook　his　head。　〃Not　his　body。　But　I　feel　him　in　me；　looking；　out　of　my　eye。〃　He　tapped　the　cheekbone　under　his　good　eye。　〃Not　this　eye；　the　other。〃
　　〃Can't　you　tell　who　it　is？〃
　　〃White；〃　he　said。　〃It　doesn't　matter。　Whoever　it　is　did　no　harm。　I　think　maybe　will　do　a　good　thing。　Now　we　go。〃
　　〃But　I　want　to　know　all　the　stories　in　this　place！〃
　　The　Prophet　laughed。　〃You　could　live　forever　and　not　see　all　the　stories。　They　change　faster　than　a　man　can　see。〃
　　〃How　will　I　ever　e　here　again？　I　want　to　see　everything；　all　of　it！〃
　　〃I　will　never　bring　you　back；〃　said　the　Prophet。
　　〃Why？　Did　I　do　something　wrong？〃
　　〃Hush；　Roach　Boy。　I　will　never　bring　you　back；　because　I　will　never　e　here　myself　again。　This　is　the　last　time。　I　have　seen　the　end　of　all　my　dreams。〃
　　For　the　first　time；　Alvin　realized　how　sad　the　Prophet　looked。　His　face　was　haggard　with　grief。
　　〃I　saw　you　in　this　place。　I　saw　that　I　had　to　bring　you　here。　I　saw　you　in　the　hands　of　the　Chok…Taw。　I　sent　my　brother　to　get　you；　bring　you　back。〃
　　〃Is　it　cause　you　brought　me　here　that　you　can't　never　e　here　again　yourself？〃
　　〃No。　The　land　has　chosen。　The　end　will　be　soon。〃　He　smiled；　but　it　was　a　ghastly　smile。　〃Your　preacher；　Reverend　Thrower；　he　said　to　me　once　　if　your　foot　gets　sick；　cut　it　off。　Right？〃
　　〃I　don't　remember　that。〃
　　〃I　do；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃This　part　of　the　land；　it　is　already　sick。　Cut　it　off；　so　the　rest　of　the　land　can　live。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Alvin　conjured　up　pictures　in　his　mind；　about　pieces　of　the　land　breaking　off　and　failing　into　the　sea。
　　〃Red　man　will　go　west　of　the　Mizzipy。　White　man　will　stay　east。　Red　part　of　land　will　live。　White　part　of　land　will　be　very　dead；　cut　off。　Full　of　smoke　and　metal；　guns　and　death。　Red　men　who　stay　in　the　east　will　turn　White。　And　White　men　won't　e　west　of　the　Mizzipy。〃
　　〃There's　already　White　men　west　of　the　Mizzipy。　Trappers　and　traders；　mostly；　but　a　few　farmers　with　their　families。　〃
　　〃I　know；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃But　what　I　see　here　today　　I　know　how　to　make　the　White　man　never　e　west　again；　and　how　to　make　the　Red　man　never　stay　east。　〃
　　〃How're　you　going　to　do　that？〃
　　〃If　I　tell；〃　said　the　Prophet；　〃then　it　won't　happen。　Some　things　in　this　place；　you　can't　tell；　or　it　changes；　and　they　go　away。〃
　　〃Is　it　the　crystal　city？〃　asked　Alvin。
　　〃No；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃It　is　the　river　of　blood。　It　is　the　forest　of　iron。〃
　　〃Show　me！〃　demanded　the　boy。　〃Let　me　see　what　you　saw！〃
　　〃No；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃You　wouldn't　keep　the　secret。〃
　　〃Why　wouldn't　I？　If　I　give　my　word　I　won't　break　it！〃
　　〃You　could　give　your　word　all　day；　Roach　Boy；　but　if　you　saw　the　vision　you　would　cry　out　in　fear　and　pain。　And　you　would　tell　your　brother。　You　would　tell　your　family。〃
　　〃Is　something　going　to　happen　to　them？〃
　　〃Not　one　of　your　family　will　die；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃All　safe　and　healthy　when　this　is　over。〃
　　〃Show　me！〃
　　〃No；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃I　will　break　the　tower　now；　and　you　will　remember　what　we　did　and　said　here。　But　the　only　way　you'll　ever　e　back　and　see　these　things　is　if　you　find　the　crystal　city。〃
　　The　Prophet　knelt　down　at　the　place　where　the　wall　met　the　floor。　He　pushed　his　bloody　fingers　into　the　wall　and　lifted。　The　wall　rose　up；　dissolved；　turned　to　wind。　They　were　surrounded　now　by　the　scene　they　left　so　many　hours　before；　it　seemed。　The　water；　the　storm；　the　twister　rising　back　up　into　the　clouds　above　them。　Lightning　flashed　all　around　them；　and　the　rain　came　down；　so　fast　it　made　the　shore　disappear。　The　rain　that　landed　on　the　crystal　place　where　they　stood　turned　to　crystal；　too；　became　part　of　the　floor　under　them。
　　The　Prophet　went　to　the　edge　nearest　the　shore；　and　stepped　out　onto　the　rough　water。　It　went　hard　under　his　foot；　but　it　still　undulated　slowly　　it　wasn't　as　firm　as　the　platform。　The　Prophet　reached　back；　took　Alvin's　hand；　pulled　him　out　onto　the　new　path　he　was　making　on　the　surface　of　the　lake。　It　wasn't　near　as　smooth　as　before；　and　the　farther　they　walked　the　rougher　it　got；　the　more　it　moved；　the　slicker　it　got　so　it　was　hard　to　go　up　and　over　the　waves。
　　〃We　stayed　too　long！〃　cried　the　Prophet。
　　Alvin　could　feel　the　black　water　under　the　thin　shell　of　crystal；　roiling　with　hate。　Nothingness　out　of　an　ancient　nightmare；　wanting　to　break　through　the　crystal；　get　hold　of　Al；　suck　him　down；　drown　him；　tear　him　to　pieces；　to　the　tiniest　pieces　of　all；　and　discard　him　into　the　darkness。
　　〃It　wasn't　me！〃　shouted　Alvin。
　　The　Prophet　turned　around；　picked　him　up；　lifted　him　to　his　shoulders。　The　rain　beat　down　on　him；　the　wind　tried　to　tear　him　from　the　Prophet's　shoulders。　Alvin　clung　tight　to　Tenskwa…Tawa's　hair。　He　could　feel　that　now　the　Prophet's　feet　were　sinking　down　into　the　water　more　and　more　with　every　step。　Behind　them　there　wasn't　a　trace　of　a　path；　all　of　it　gone；　the　waves　rising　higher　and　higher。
　　The　Prophet　stumbled；　fell；　Alvin　fell　too；　forward；　knowing　he　was　going　to　drown
　　And　found　himself　sprawled　on　the　wet　sand　of　the　beach；　the　water　licking　up　around　him；　sucking　sand　out　from　under　him；　trying　to　pull　him　back　out　into　the　water。　Then　strong　hands　under　his　arms；　pulling　him　away；　up　the　beach；　up　toward　the　dunes。
　　〃He's　out　there；　the　Prophet！〃　Alvin　shouted。　Or　thought　he　shouted　　his　voice　was　just　a　whisper；　and　he　hardly　made　a　sound。　It　wouldn't　have　mattered；　the　wind　being　so　loud。　He　opened　his　eyes　and　they　were　whipped　full　of　sand　and　rain。
　　Then　Measure's　lips　were　against　his　ear；　yelling　to　him。　〃The　Prophet's　all　right！　Ta…Kumsaw　pulled　him　out！　I　thought　you　were　dead　for　sure；　when　that　twister　sucked　you　up！　Are　you　all　right？〃
　　〃I　saw　everything！〃　Alvin　cried。　But　he　was　so　feeble　now　that　he　couldn't　make　a　sound；　and　he　gave　it　up；　let　his　body　go　limp；　and　collapsed　into　exhausted　sleep。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　10　　Gatlopp
　　
　　Measure　saw　little　of　Alvin　　too　little。　After　the　episode　with　the　tornado　on　the　lake；　Measure　would　have　thought　Alvin　would　be　awake　to　his　danger　here；　eager　to　get　away。　Instead　he　seemed　to　care　for　nothing　but　to　be　with　the　Prophet；　listening　to　his　stories　and　the　perverse　poetic　wisdom　he　dispensed。
　　Once　when　Alvin　was　actually　with　him　long　enough　to　set　and　talk；　Measure　asked　him　why　he　bothered。　〃Even　when　them　Reds　talk　English　I　can't　understand　them。　Talk　about　the　land　like　it　was　a　person；　things　about　taking　only　the　life　that　offers　itself；　the　land　dying　east　of　the　Mizzipy　　it　ain't　dying　here；　Al；　as　any　fool　can　see。　And　even　if　it's　got　smallpox；　black　death；　and　ten…thousand　hangnails；　there　ain't　no　doctor　knows　how　to　cure　it。〃
　　〃Tenskwa…Tawa　does　know　how；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃Then　let　him　do　it；　and　let's　get　on　home。〃
　　〃Another　day；　Measure。〃
　　〃Ma　and　Pa'll　be　worried　sick；　they　think　we're　dead！〃
　　〃Tenskwa…Tawa　says　the　land　is　working　out　its　own　course。〃
　　〃There　you　go　again！　Land　is　land；　and　it　ain't　got　a　thing　to　do　with　Pa　getting　a　bunch　of　the　boys　together　bing　through　the　woods　to　find　us！〃
　　〃Go　on　without　me；　then。〃
　　But　Measure　wasn't　ready　to　do　that　yet。　He　didn't　have　no　particular　wish　to　face　Ma　if　he　came　home　without　Alvin。　〃Oh；　he　was　fine　when　I　left　him。　Just　playing　around　with　tornadoes　and　walking　on　water　with　a　one…eyed　Red。　Didn't　want　to　e　home　just　yet；　you　know　how　them　ten…year…old　boys　are。〃　No；　Measure　wasn't　ripe　to　e　home　just　now；　not　if　he　didn't　have　Alvin　in　tow。　And　it　was　sure　he　couldn't　take　Alvin　against　his　will。　The　boy　wouldn't　even　listen　to　talk　of　escape。
　　The　worst　of　it　was　that　while　everybody　liked　Alvin　just　fine；　jabbering　to　him　in　English　and　Shaw…Nee；　not　a　soul　there　would　so　much　as　talk　to　Measure；　except　Ta…Kumsaw　himself；　and　the　Prophet；　who　talked　all　the　time　whether　anybody　was　listening　or　not。　It　got　p