bl.necroscope2-第53部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　〃True；〃　Dobresti　agreed。　〃But　that　not　always　good。　World　is　big。　No　strength　in　being　small。　Also；　being　cut　off　means　stagnation。　Nothing　new　ever　es　in。〃
　Kyle　nodded；　thinking　to　himself；　and　some　of　the　old　things　are　things　you　can　well　do　without。
　
　It　had　been　a　rough　night　for　Brenda　Keogh。
　When　Harry　Jnr　had　finished　his　small　hours　feed；　he　hadn't　wanted　to　go　back　to　sleep　again。　He　wasn't　bad　about　it；　just　wouldn't　sleep。
　After　an　hour　or　two　of　rocking　him；　then　cradling　and　crooning　to　him；　she'd　finally　put　the　baby　down　and　gone　back　to　bed　herself。
　But　at　6。00　A。M。　he'd　been　right　on　time　again；　crying　for　his　change　and　another　feed。　And　she'd　known　from　the　way　he　twisted　his　little　face　and　clenched　his　fists　that　he　was　tired：　he'd　been　awake　right　through　the　night；　from　no　cause　that　Brenda　could　discover。　But　good？　What　a　good　little　chap　he　was！　He　hadn't　cried　at　all　until　he　was　hungry　and　unfortable；　just　lay　there　in　his　cot　through　the　night　doing　his　own　thing…whatever　that　might　be。
　Even　now　his　will　to　stay　awake　and　be　a　part　of　the　world　was　strong；　but　his　yawning　told　his　mother　that　he　couldn't。　With　dawn　an　hour　away；　Harry　was　going　to　have　to　go　to　sleep。　The　world　would　have　to　wait。　No　matter　how　fast　your　mind　grows　up；　your　body　goes　more　slowly。
　
　As　his　baby　son　went　to　sleep；　Harry　Snr　found　himself　free　and　was　struck　with　a　thought　as　strange　as　any　he'd　ever　had；　even　in　his　thoroughly　strange　existence。
　He's　leeching　on　me！　he　thought。　The　little　rascal's　into　my　mind；　into　my　experiences。　He　can　explore　my　stuff　because　there's　lots　of　it；　but　I　can't　touch　him　because　there's　nothing　in　there…yet！
　He　put　the　extraordinary　idea　to　the　back　of　his　mind。　Now　that　Harry　Jnr　had　released　him　he　had　places　to　go；　people…dead　people…to　talk　to。　There　were　things　he　knew　which　he　was　unique　in　knowing。　He　knew；　for　instance；　that　the　dead　inhabit　another　sphere；　also　that　in　their　lonely　nether…existence　they　go　on　doing　all　the　things　they've　done　in　life。
　The　writers　write　masterpieces　they　can　never　publish；　each　line　perfectly　posed；　each　paragraph　polished；　every　story　a　gem。　Where　time　isn't　a　problem　and　deadlines　don't　exist；　things　get　done　right。　The　architects　plot　their　cities　of　the　mind；　beautiful　aerial　constructs　flung　across　fantastic　worlds　and　spanning　sculpted　oceans　and　continents；　each　brick　and　spire　and　sky…riding　highway　immaculately　positioned；　no　smallest　detail　missing　or　botched。　The　mathematicians　continue　to　explore　the　Formulae　of　the　Universe；　reducing　THE　ALL　to　symbols　they　can　never　put　on　paper；　for　which　men　in　the　corporeal　world　should　be　grateful。　And　the　Great　Thinkers　carry　on　thinking　their　great　thoughts；　which　far　outweigh　any　they　thought　in　life。
　That　had　been　the　way　of　it　with　the　Great　Majority。　Then　Harry　Keogh；　Necroscope；　had　e　along。
　The　dead　had　taken　to　Harry　at　once；　he　had　given　their　existence　new　meaning。　Before　Harry；　each　one　of　them　had　inhabited　a　world　consisting　of　his　own　incorporeal　thoughts；　without　contact　with　the　rest。　They　had　been　like　houses　with　no　doors　or　windows；　no　telephones。　But　Harry　had　connected　them　up。　It　made　no　difference　to　the　living　（who　simply　weren't　aware）　but　it　made　a　great　deal　of　difference　to　the　dead。
　M？bius　had　been　one　such；　mathematician　and　thinker　both；　and　he　had　shown　Harry　Keogh　how　to　use　his　Mobius　continuum。　He'd　done　so　gladly；　for　like　all　of　the　dead　he'd　quickly　e　to　love　the　Necroscope。　And　the　M？bius　continuum　had　given　Harry　access　to　times　and　places　and　minds　beyond　the　reach　of　any　other　intelligence　in　all　of　man's　history。
　Now　Harry　knew　of　a　man　whose　one　obsession　in　life　tad　been　the　myths　and　legends　and　lore　of　the　vampire。His　name　was　Ladislau　Giresci。　How　was　it　going　for　him　now；　Harry　wondered；　in　the　aftermath　of　his　murder？　Max　Batu　had　killed　him　with　his　evil　eye；　for　no　good　reason　other　than　that　Dragosani　had　ordered　it。　Killed　him；　yes；　but　not　Giresci's　life…long　penchant　for　the　legend　of　the　vampire。　What　had　been　an　obsession　in　life　must　certainly　have　continued　afterwards。
　Harry　could　no　longer　make　any　headway　with　Thibor；　and　Thibor　would　not　let　him　get　through　to　Dragosani。　His　next　best　bet　had　to　be　Ladislau　Giresci。　How　to　reach　him；　however；　was　a　different　matter。　Harry　had　never　met　the　Romanian　in　life；　he　did　not　know　the　ground　where　Giresci's　spirit　lay；　he　must　rely　on　the　dead　to　supply　him　with　directions；　see　him　on　his　way。
　Across　the　road　from　Brenda's　flat…once　Harry　and　Brenda's　flat…there　sprawled　a　graveyard　hundreds　of　years　old；　containing　a　large　number　of　Harry's　friends。　He　knew　most　of　them　personally　from　previous　conversations。　Now　he　drifted　towards　the　lines　of　markers　and　occasionally　leaning　tombstones；　his　mind　drawn　by　the　minds　of　the　dead　where　they　lay　in　their　graves　muning。　They　sensed　him　at　once；　knew　that　it　was　him。　Who　else　could　it　be？
　Harry！　said　their　spokesman；　an　ex…railway　engineer　who'd　lived　all　his　life　in　Stockton；　until　he　died　in　1938。　It's　good　to　talk　to　you　again。　Nice　to　know　you　haven't　forgotten　us。
　〃How　are　things　with　you？〃　Harry　inquired。　〃Still　designing　your　trains？〃
　The　other　came　aglow　in　a　moment。　I　have　designed　the　train！　he　answered。　Do　you　want　to　hear　about　it？
　〃Unfortunately　I　can't。〃　Harry　was　genuinely　sorry。　〃My　visit　is　purely　business；　I'm　afraid。〃
　Well；　spit　it　out；　Harry！　someone　else　exclaimed；　an　ex…bobby　of　Harry's　acquaintance；　late　of　Sir　Robert　Peel's　time。　How　can　we　help　you；　sir？
　〃There　are　some　hundreds　of　you　here；〃　Harry　answered。　〃But　is　there　anyone　from　Romania？　I　want　to　go　there；　and　I　need　directions　and　an　introduction。　The　only　people　I　know　there　are。。。　bad　people。〃
　
　Voices　rose　in　something　of　a　babble；　but　one　of　them　cut　through；　speaking　directly　to　Harry。　It　was　a　girl's　voice；　sweet　and　small。　I　know　Romania；　it　said。　Something　of　it；　anyway。　I　came　here　from　Romania　after　the　war。　There　were　troubles　and　oppressions；　and　so　my　elder　brothers　sent　me　away　to　an　aunt　who　lived　here。　Strange；　but　I　came　all　this　way；　then　caught　a　cold　and　died！　I　was　very　young。
　〃And　do　you　know　someone　I　can　seek　out；　who　can　perhaps　help　me　on　my　way？〃　Harry　didn't　like　to　seem　too　eager　to　be　off；　but　he　really　couldn't　help　himself。　〃It's　very　important；　I　assure　you。〃
　But　my　brothers　will　be　delighted　to　guide　you；　Harry！　she　said　at　once。　It's　only　since　you　came　that　we've　all　been　able　to。。。　well；　get　together　again。　We　all　owe　you　so　much。
　〃If　I　may；〃　Harry　answered；　〃I'll　e　back　and　talk　to　you　again　some　time。　Meanwhile；　I'm　afraid　I've　no　time　to　spare。　What　are　your　brothers　called？〃
　They　are　Jahn　and　Dmitri　Syzestu；　she　said。　Wait　and　I'll　call　them　for　you。　She　called；　and　in　a　moment　her　brothers　answered。　They　were　very　faint；　like　voices　on　a　telephone　from　the　other　side　of　the　world。　Harry　was　introduced。
　〃Just　keep　talking　to　me；〃　he　told　the　brothers；　〃and　I'll　find　my　way　to　you。〃
　He　excused　himself　from　the　pany　of　his　friends　in　the　Hartlepool　cemetery；　found　a　space…time　door　and　passed　through　it　into　the　Mobius　continuum。　〃Jahn；　Dmitri？　Are　you　still　there？〃
　We're　here；　Harry；　and　we're　honoured　to　be　able　to　help　you　like　this。
　He　homed　in　on　them；　emerged　through　another　door　into　the　grey　Romanian　dawn。　He　found　himself　in　a　field　of　grass　beside　a　pock…marked　wall　fast　crumbling　into　ruins。　There　were　ponies　in　the　field　but　of　course　they　couldn't　see　him；　they　just　stood　still；　shivering　a　little；　their　coats　shining　with　drops　of　dew。　Plumes　of　warm　air　came　snorting　from　their　nostrils　like　smoke。　In　the　distance；　the　last　lights　of　a　town　were　blinking　out　as　the　sun　rose　on　the　eastern　horizon。
　〃Where　is　this　place？〃　Harry　asked　the　brothers　Syzestu。　The　town　is　Cluj；　said　Jahn；　who　was　the　oldest。　This　place　is　just　a　field。　We　were　in　prison…political　prisoners　…and　we　ran　away。　They　came　after　us　with　guns　and　caught　us　here；　trying　to　climb　this　wall。　Now　tell　us；　Harry　Keogh；　how　we　can　help　you？
　〃Cluj？〃　said　Harry；　a　little　disappointed。　〃I　need　to　be　south；　I　think；　and　east…across　the　mountains。〃
　This　is　easy！　The　younger　brother；　Dmitri；　was　excited。
　
　Our　father　and　mother　lie　side　by　side　in　the　graveyard　in　Pitesti。　Only　a　little　while　ago　we　were　talking　to　them！
　Indeed　they　were；　a　deeper；　sterner　voice　joined　in；　from　some　distance　away。　You're　wele　to　e　and　visit；　Harry；　if　you　can　find　your　way　here。
　Harry　excused　himself…a　little　hastily　but　with　many　apologies…and　re…entered　the　Mobius　continuum。　In　a　little　while　he　was　in　a　misted　graveyard　in　Pitesti。　Who　is　it　you're　seeking？　inquired　Franz　Syzestu。
　〃His　name　is　Ladislau　Giresci；〃　said　Harry。　〃All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　he　died　some　little　time　ago　at　his　home　near　a　town　called　Titu。〃
　Titu？　Anna　Syzestu　repeated。　Why　that's　nought　but　fifty　kilometres　or　so　away！　What's　more；　we've　friends　buried　there！　She　was　plainly　proud　to　be　of　assistance　to　the　Necroscope。　Greta；　can　you　hear？
　Indeed　I　can！　A　new　voice；　sharp　and　shrewish；　answered。　And　I've　the　very　man　right　here。
　There　you　are！　said　Anna　Syzestu；　in　a