el.angeleyes-第76部分

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　''Oh；　yes；〃　Tatiana　said　unhelpfully；　''he　could　be　telling　the　truth　as　he　knows　it；　and　also　be　quite　insane。〃
　Her　tone　was　so　like　the　one　the　Hero　used　that　Mars　was　momentarily　nonplussed。　By　the　time　he　recovered；　the　Hero　had　returned。　He　stopped　at　the　outer　edge　of　the　coping　and；　looking　down　at　Mars　in　the　water；　said；　〃Rage　and　a　sense　of　a　living　hell。〃　He　threw　down　a　packet　of　photocopied　papers。　〃This　should　answer　your　question。〃
　Mars's　hands　were　dry；　and　he　leafed　through　the　pages。　As　he　did　so；　the　icy　ball　in　his　stomach　expanded。　What　he　was　looking　at　was　a　Limited　Distribution　Kremlin　report　that　not　only　should　not　have　been　copied；　it　should　never　have　been　known　to　exist。　The　document　was　so　top　secret；　fully　two…thirds　of　the　Politburo　were　ignorant　of　it。
　Mars　saw　that　his　hands　were　trembling；　and　he　immediately　fought　to　gain　control　of　himself。　How　in　God's　name　had　anyone…let　alone　the　Hero；　locked　away　in　this　fortress…gotten　a　copy　of　this　document？　He　thought　again　of　the　Hero　knowing　about　Tatiana　and　Lara　and　their　weekly　reports　to　him；　how　the　Hero　had　known　about　the　extent　of　the　monitoring；　and　had　used　the　pool　to　give　himself　a　measure　of　freedom。　He　stared　up　at　the　Hero　as　if　seeing　him　for　the　first　time。　Holy　Mother；　he　thought；　what　have　we　let　in　among　us？
　Mars's　mouth　was　dry；　and　he　had　to　swallow　several　times　before　he　was　able　to　say；　〃You　never　should　have　seen　this。〃　It　was　futile　asking　the　Hero　where　he　had　obtained　the　copy。　Mars　knew　he　wouldn't　divulge　his　secret；　just　as　he　knew　he　could　not　force　the　Hero　to　tell　him。　The　thing　was　to　somehow　get　the　Него　to　tell　him　of　his　own　free　will。
　〃But　I　did　see　it；〃　Odysseus　was　saying。　〃It's　a　report　detailing　one　of　the　experiments　done　during　the　Odin…Galaktika　II　mission。　Funny。　Neither　Menelaus　nor　I　were　ever　told　of　it。〃
　''No　one　else　was；　either。〃
　〃Is　that　supposed　to　make　me　feel　better？　That　we　weren't　the　only　ones　in　the　dark？〃　Odysseus　cocked　his　head；　as　if　he　were　listening　to　a　voice　only　he　could　hear。　〃But　we　were　the　guinea　pigs！〃　he　roared　so　abruptly　that　Tatiana　flinched。
　Below　him；　Mars　fought　for　control。　He　was　acutely　aware　of　how　vulnerable　he　was　floating　naked　in　the　pool　while　the　Hero　sat　above　him。
　〃You　set　up　cosmic　ray　experiments；〃　Odysseus　continued。　〃Built　into　our　EVA　suits　was　a　kind　of　filter　to　expose　us　to　a　minimum　dosage　of　cosmic　rays。〃
　〃No；　you're　wrong。〃　Mars　cleared　his　throat。　〃This　plan　was　discussed。　But　it　was　never　implemented。〃
　〃You're　dissembling；　rade。〃　Odysseus　clucked　his　tongue　against　the　roof　of　his　mouth。
　〃Think　about　it；〃　Mars　said。　〃Would　the　Americans　have　ever　let　us　perform　this　kind　of　experiment？　They　have　an　almost　holy　reverence　for　their　space　program。　Your　exposure　to　cosmic　rays　was　purely　accidental。　Something　went　wrong。〃
　〃I'll　tell　you　what　went　wrong！〃　Odysseus　thundered。　〃We　were　never　meant　to　make　it　to　Mars。　The　Odin…Galaktika　II　was　meant　for　this　cosmic　ray　experiment　alone！〃
　〃No；　no；　no！〃　Mars　was　shouting　himself　now；　but　he　could　not　seem　to　stop。　〃We're　not　monsters！　Why　must　you　persist　in　seeing　us　that　way？　What's　happened　to　you？〃
　〃You　know　very　well　what's　happened。　I'm　irradiated　with　cosmic　rays…at　your　instigation。〃　The　Hero's　expression　was　withering。　At　last　all　his　pent…up　rage　was　being　played　out。　〃You've　made　me　into　a　fucking　laboratory　experiment。　All　because　some　of　your　people　got　the　idea　that　minute　dosages　of　cosmic　rays　could　counteract　the　damaging　long…range　effects　of　weightlessness。''
　The　Hero's　fists　were　clenched　tight。　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　what　you've　done　to　me？〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃What's　the　difference？　Even　if　you　had　a　clue；　you　wouldn't　care；　would　you？　You're　all　heartless　bastards。　'No　heart；　no　soul；'　that's　what　the　dolphins　say；　did　you　know　that？〃
　His　right　fist　opened。　''Here's　a　little　present　for　you。''　　Something　glowing　dropped　from　his　hand　into　the　water　beside　Mars。　〃A　little　plutonium。〃
　''Christ！　Jesus　Christ！''　Mars　heaved　himself　out　of　the　water。　〃You　are　mad！　You're　homicidal！〃　He　began　to　shiver。　No　one　made　a　move　to　hand　him　a　towel；　and　he　was　too　paralyzed　with　fear　to　move。　He　felt　the　racing　of　his　heart。　His　guts　had　turned　to　water；　and　he　was　certain　he　had　begun　to　involuntarily　urinate　before　he　made　it　out　of　the　pool。　He　was　only　too　familiar　with　the　fearful　effects　of　radiation　poisoning。
　〃Relax；〃　Odysseus　said；　looking　at　Mars's　white　face。　〃It's　just　a　marble　I　coated　with　a　harmless　radium　paint。''　He　seemed　calmer　now。　Arbat　gave　out　with　a　short　burst　of　clicks。　The　Hero　smiled　thinly。　〃Arbat　says　you　peed　into　her　water。　Gave　you　quite　a　fright；　didn't　I？　Now　perhaps　you　have　some　sense　of　what　you　did　to　me。〃
　〃But　we　didn't…〃
　〃Save　it；〃　Odysseus　said；　swiveling　abruptly　away；　〃for　another　day。〃
　End　of　interrogation。
　In　the　aftermath　of　what　she　had　done…unleashing　her　rage；　murdering　Giin…Honno　dreamed。　Suspended　between　sleep　and　consciousness；　she　dwelled　in　the　shining　field　she　had　been　taught　to　search　for　and　to　make　her　own。　And　she　once　again　walked　the　path　of　her　awakening　。　。　。
　When　Honno　was　eight　years　old　she　overheard　a　conversation　between　her　parents。　It　was　night；　and　she　was　awake；　being　in　the　midst　of　a　fever　that　had　left　her　so　pain…ridden　she　could　not　sleep。
　For　a　while　she　stared　out　her　window。　The　moon　was　full。　The　mountains　of　her　home；　which　she　loved　to　climb；　were　visible；　stark　sentinels　in　the　blue　light。　Once　she　saw　lights　in　the　mountains；　moving　as　if　of　their　own　accord；　and　because　it　was　said　that　gods　lived　there；　she　was　certain　that　they　were　the　source　of　the　light。　Often　she　would　pray　to　these　gods　to　release　her　from　her　curse。
　It　was　summer；　and　the　fusuma　from　her　parents'　room　out　to　the　garden　was　open。　Cool　moonlight　slipped　into　their　room；　and　through　the　translucence　of　the　rice…paper　shoji　walls；　Honno　could　make　out　her　parents　as　silhouettes；　their　movements　throwing　shadows　against　the　rice　paper；　oversized；　slightly　distorted；　as　if　they　were　characters　in　a　theater　play　illuminated　by　stage　lights。
　〃I　had　a　dream；〃　Honno's　mother　was　saying。　〃It　was　about　our　daughter。〃
　〃I　do　not　want　to　hear　anything　more　about　Honno；〃　her　father；　Noboru；　said。
　〃But　you　must！〃　The　hand　of　one　silhouette　reached　out；　grabbed　the　sleeve　of　the　other。　〃This　was　a　significant　dream。　I　dreamed　that　it　was　the　dead　of　winter。　Snow　covered　the　ground　in　every　direction　but；　curiously；　the　trees　were　as　black　and　bare　as　if　they　had　been　set　on　fire；　there　was　no　snow　on　them　at　all。
　〃As　I　said；　it　was　winter。　We　lived　in　a　desolate　place；　I　can't　say　where。　Honno　awoke。　She　was　ill；　as　she　is　now；　and　needed　to　defecate。　I　took　her　outside；　in　the　snow；　don't　ask　me　why。　She　squatted　down　and　I　watched　her；　as　protective　as　could　be。
　〃Then；　out　of　the　corner　of　my　eye；　I　saw　movement。　There　was　a　stoat　staring　at　me　with　red…rimmed　eyes。　She　was　as　black　as　the　blasted　trees；　and　as　gaunt。　She　had　never　grown　her　white　winter　fur；　and　I　could　see　her　swollen　teats　hanging　down　from　the　loose　skin　of　her　underbelly。
　''But　it　was　her　face　that　terrified　me；〃　Honno's　mother　went　on。　〃Her　muzzle　was　dripping　blood；　and　I　knew　that　she　had　slain　her　mate　so　that　her　cubs　might　eat。　Now　she　was　looking　hungrily　at　Honno。
　〃I　looked　from　the　stoat　to　Honno　and；　to　my　horror；　I　saw　that　what　was　spilling　out　of　Honno　was　not　feces；　but　blood。　It　soaked　into　the　pure　white　snow；　the　stain　spreading　farther　and　farther。〃
　〃Hinoeuma；　the　husband　killer；〃　Noboru　said。　〃Foolish；　foolish　woman　for　not　taking　the　proper　precautions。〃
　''We　must　do　something；''　Honno's　mother　said。　''My　dream　was　an　omen；　a　warning　of　evil。〃
　〃What　would　you　have　me　do？〃。
　〃Take　her；〃　Honno's　mother　said；　〃to　the　Man　of　One　Tree。〃
　The　Man　of　One　Tree　was　so　called　because　he　lived　on　an　island　off　the　southern　coast　of　Japan。　It　was　a　singular　place；　rocky；　bleak；　lashed　by　wind　and　rain　in　the　summer；　wind　and　sleet　in　the　winter。　The　island　seemed　to　be　built　not　upon　bedrock；　but　rather　the　gigantic　root　system　of　the　ancient　pine　tree　that　o