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osc.am2.redprophet-第47部分

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more people; Red or White; than mine。〃
  In the night; Alvin dreamed。 He saw himself walk all the way around Eight…Face Mound; until he found a place where a path seemed to lead up the steep hill。 He climbed; then; and came to the top。 The silver…leafed trees shook in the breeze; blinding him as the sun shone off them。 He walked to one tree; and in it there was a nest of redbirds。 Every tree the same; a single redbird nest。
  Except one tree。 It was different from the others。 It was older; gnarled; with spreading branches instead of the up…reaching kind。 Like a fruit tree。 And the leaves were gold; not silver; so they didn't shine so bright; but they were soft and deep。 In the tree; he saw round white fruit; and he knew that it was ripe。 But when he reached out his hand to take the fruit; and eat it; he could hear laughter; jeering。 He looked around him and saw everybody he ever knowed in his whole life; laughing at him。 Except one  Taleswapper。 Taleswapper was standing there; and he said; 〃Eat。〃 Alvin reached up and plucked a single fruit out of the tree and took it to his lips and bit into it。 It was juicy and firm; and the taste was sweet and bitter; salt and sour all at once; so strong it made him tingle all over  but good; a taste he wanted to hold inside him forever。
  He was about to take a second bite when he saw that the fruit was gone from his hand; and not a one hung from the tree。 〃One bite is all you need for now;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃Remember how it tastes。〃
  〃I'll never forget;〃 said Alvin。
  Everybody was still laughing; louder than ever; but Alvin paid them no mind。 He'd took him a bite of the fruit; and all he wanted now was to bring his family to the same tree; and let them eat; to bring everybody he ever knowed; and even strangers; too; and let them taste it。 If they'd just taste it; Alvin figured; they'd know。
  〃What would they know?〃 asked Taleswapper。
  Al couldn't think what it was。 〃Just know;〃 he said。 〃Know everything。 Everything that's good。〃
  〃That's right;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃With the first bite; you know。〃
  〃What about the second bite?〃
  〃With the second bite; you live forever;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃And that isn't a thing you'd better plan on doing; my boy。 Don't ever imagine you can live forever。〃
  Alvin woke up that morning with the taste of the fruit still in his mouth。 He had to force himself to believe that it was just a dream。 Ta…Kumsaw was already up。 He had a low fire going; and he had called two fish out of the Licking River。 Now they were spitted with sticks down their mouths。 He handed one to Alvin。
  But Alvin didn't want to eat。 If he did; the taste of the fruit would go out of his mouth。 He'd begin to forget; and he wanted to remember。 Oh; he knowed that he'd have to eat sometime  a body can get remarkable thin saying no to food all the time。 But today; for now; he didn't want to eat。
  Still; he held the spit and watched the trout sizzle。 Ta…Kumsaw talked; telling him about calling fish and other animals when you need to eat。 Asking them to e。 If the land wants you to eat; then they e; or maybe some other animal; it doesn't matter; just so you eat what the land gives you。 Alvin thought about the fish he was roasting。 Didn't the land know he wasn't going to eat this morning? Or did it send this fish to tell him he ought to eat after all?
  Neither one。 Because just at the moment the fish were ready to eat; they heard the crashing and thumping that told them a White man was ing。
  Ta…Kumsaw sat very still; but he didn't so much as pull out his knife。 〃If the land brings a White man here; then he isn't my enemy;〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。
  In a few seconds; the White man stepped into the clearing。 His hair was white; where he wasn't bald。 He was carrying his hat。 He had a slack…looking pouch over his shoulder; and no weapon at all。 Alvin knew right off what was in that pouch。 A change of clothes; a few snatches of food; and a book。 A third of the book contained single sentences; where folks had written down the most important thing they ever saw happen with their own eyes。 The last two…thirds of the book; though; were sealed with a leather strap。 That was where Taleswapper wrote down his own stories; the ones he believed and thought were important。
  Cause that's who it was; Taleswapper; who Alvin never thought to see again in his life。 And suddenly; seeing that old friend; Alvin knew why two fish came at Ta…Kumsaw's call。 〃Taleswapper;〃 Alvin said; 〃I hope you're hungry; cause I got a fish here that I roasted for you。〃
  Taleswapper led。 〃I'm right glad to see you; Alvin; and right glad to see that fish。〃
  Alvin handed him the spit。 Taleswapper sat him down in the grass; across; the fire from Alvin and Ta…Kumsaw。 〃Thank you kindly; Alvin;〃 said Taleswapper。 He pulled out his knife and neatly began flaking off slices of fish。 They sizzled his lips; but he just licked and smacked and made short work of the trout。 Ta…Kumsaw also ate his; and Alvin watched them both。 Ta…Kumsaw never took his eyes off Taleswapper。
  〃This is Taleswapper;〃 Alvin said。 〃He's the man who taught me how to heal。〃
  〃I didn't teach you;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃I just gave you some idea how to teach yourself。 And persuaded you that you ought to try。〃 Taleswapper directed his next sentence at Ta…Kumsaw。 〃He was set to let himself die before he'd use his knack to heal himself; can you believe that?〃
  〃And this is Ta…Kumsaw;〃 said Alvin。
  〃Oh; I knew that the minute I saw you。 Do you know what a legend you are among White people? You're like Saladin during the Crusade  they admire you more than they admire their own leaders; even though they know you're sworn to fight until you've driven the last White man out of America。〃
  Ta…Kumsaw said nothing。
  〃I've met maybe two dozen children named after you; most of them boys; all of them White。 And stories  about you saving White captives from being burned to death; about you bringing food to people you drove out of their homes; so they wouldn't starve。 I even believe some of those stories。〃
  Ta…Kumsaw finished his fish and laid the spit in the fire。
  〃I also heard a story as I was ing here; about how you captured two Whites from Vigor Church and sent their bloody torn…up clothes to their parents。 How you tortured them to death to show how you meant to destroy every White…man; woman; and child。 How you said the time for being civilized was past; and now you'd use pure terror to drive the White man out of America。〃
  For the first time since Taleswapper arrived; Ta…Kumsaw spoke。 〃Did you believe that story?〃
  〃Well; I didn't;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃But that's because I already knew the truth。 You see; I got a message from a girl I knew  a young lady now; she is。 It was a letter。〃 He took a folded letter from his coat; three sheets of paper covered with writing。 He handed them to Ta…Kumsaw。
  Without looking at it; Ta…Kumsaw handed the letter to Alvin。 〃Read it to me;〃 he said。
  〃But you can read English;〃 said Alvin。
  〃Not here;〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。
  Alvin looked at the letter; at all three pages of it; and to his surprise he couldn't read it either。 The letters all looked familiar。 When he studied them out; he could even name them  T…H…E…M…A…K…E…R…N…E…E…D…S…Y…O…U; that's how it started; but it made no sense to Al at all; he couldn't even say for sure what language it was in。 〃I can't read it either;〃 he said; and handed it back to Taleswapper。
  Taleswapper studied it for a minute; then laughed and put it back into his coat pocket。 〃Well; that's a story for my book。 A place where a man can't read。〃
  To Alvin's surprise; Ta…Kumsaw smiled。 〃Even you?〃
  〃I know what it says; because I read it before;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃But I can't make out a single word of it today。 Even when I know what the word is supposed to be。 What is this place?〃
  〃We're in the Land of Flints;〃 said Alvin。
  〃We're in the shadow of Eight…Face Mound;〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。
  〃I didn't think a White man could get here;〃 said Taleswapper。
  〃Neither did I;〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。 〃But here is a White boy; and there is a White man。〃
  〃I dreamed you last night;〃 said Alvin。 〃I dreamed I was on top of Eight…Face Mound; and you were with me; explaining things to me。〃
  〃Don't count on it;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃I doubt there's a thing on Eight…Face Mound that I could explain to anybody。〃
  〃How did you e here;〃 asked Ta…Kumsaw; 〃if you didn't know you were ing to the Land of Flints?〃
  〃She told me to e up the Musky…Ingum; and when I saw a white boulder on the right; I should take the fork that led left。 She said I'd find Alvin Miller Junior sitting with Ta…Kumsaw by a fire; roasting fish。〃
  〃Who told you all this?〃 asked Alvin。
  〃A woman;〃 said Taleswapper。 〃A torch。 She told me you saw her in a vision; Alvin; inside a crystal tower; not more than a week ago by now。 She was the one who pulled the caul from your face; when you were born。 She's been watching you ever since; in the way a torch sees。 She went inside that tower with you and saw out of your eyes。〃
  〃The Prophet said someone was with us;〃 said Alvin。
  〃She looked out of his eye; too;〃 said Taleswapper; 〃and she saw all his futures。 
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