[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Just a look, just a peek. I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Couldn't force myself to look at her. She was in there
drinking, having a good time, watching me go through the good-natured nonsense
of the initiation rituals of the Brother-
hood of the Boojum. She was probably stifling a giggle right now. Or had she
gone upstairs by now? Or had Moore al-
ready. ..
Maybe I didn't want to look, for fear of seeing myself. For fear of becoming
the demon that glares at you from the other side of the looking glass. I
didn't feel real. This couldn't be happening.
Exactly. The whole of my experience since this paradox
288 John DeChancie thing had started had been the longest nightmare on record.
I
could not believe in any of it. It could not be part of the stream of
existence it was a bubble in the continuum, a glittering, shimmering bubble
that threw back false reflections from its prismatic surface. Prick it
anywhere, and it would burst into a billion sparkling motes and vanish into
the void.
Kill Moore here, now, interrupt this turning of the cycle, and it all would
end. Daria was gone no way to retrieve her.
But she wouldn't have to die if she didn't meet me if she never met me. And
that's what I would do. It was the first time in my life that I was gripped by
such a terrible resolve. I
wanted to see Moore's blood, and I would before the night was through.
I stalked through the shadows at the rear of the
Bandersnatch. I found a door with an exhaust fan over it, cooking smells
coming from within. The door was unlocked, and I opened it quietly and stepped
in. A man in an apron and cap was chopping cabbage at a counter along the far
Page 183
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
wall. He was preoccupied and didn't turn around as I walked through the
kitchen. I stopped at the swinging door and looked out before I went through
into a corridor that eventually led me to the lobby of the inn. The place was
empty, and no one was behind the desk. Shouts and general jubilation came from
the bar. I went behind the desk and saw a door, slightly ajar, at
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt (245 of 269) [10/16/2004 4:41:31 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt the end of a little hallway through an open door against the side wall.
Voices within. I crept down the corridor, flattened myself against the wall,
and listened.
"... Pendergast..."
It was Moore's voice. I strained to hear, inched closer to the door.
"... on the ship, but they got away. Says the monkey-
looking animal has the Roadmap has it or is it, I couldn't understand which.
At any rate, he wants our help. Big money, possibly. Very big."
"And he's right under our noses?" Another voice.
"Checked in this afternoon. Answers to the description."
"The cops they'll take him, then?"
"Not if we can help it. We might have to keep him on ice for a while. Thing
is there's seven of them. We can't bag them all...."
Someone was ringing the bell at the desk. I stiffened, PARADOX ALLEY
289
Now was the time. But
"I'll get it, Zack."
"Forget that," Moore said. "This is important. I want you and Geof "
The bell rang again.
"Forget it, I said! Listen to me. He'll be going through the
Brotherhood ceremony. When he's out in the brush..."
I crept away. Better get rid of the customer first, then go back and do the
deed.
I came out from the doorway. "The clerk's busy now," I
said. "You "
It was Darla. "I just wanted to ask " Her mouth sagged open as the recognition
slowly grew on her. "Jake! What..."
Bewildered, she looked back at the door to the bar, then at me. Her mouth
closed, and she looked at me soberly, a little fearfully. "Jake," she
whispered. "It's.. .you."
I had frozen. Time stopped for the briefest quantum mo-
ment, and all I could see was her face, which seemed the most beautiful thing
that had ever been created.
I unfroze, jumped over the counter, took Daria's arm and led her back out
through the kitchen. The cook noticed this
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt (246 of 269) [10/16/2004 4:41:31 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt time, and muttered something about this place not being a tram station.
Outside, I crushed Darla to my chest and kissed her. She was surprised at
first, then responded.
"Darla... love," I said.
Her eyes grew fearful again, and she drew back. "You are
Jake. You're him I mean, it's you. You're traveling through time, somehow.
Like the stories say." She glanced back to-
ward the inn again, then said, "It has to be. I just saw you in the pub. I
walked out, and fifteen seconds later there you are, in different clothes. I
Page 184
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
almost didn't recognize you." She shook her head, and leaned against the trunk
of the tree we stood under. "It's almost impossible to believe."
"One thing remember," I said. "You can't say anything to " I didn't know how
to phrase it.
She nodded. "I understand. No. He wouldn't believe it, would he? How could he,
now, after I lied to him... so many times. But you know, Jake. Don't you? You
know so much now. You must. And..."
290
John DeChancie
"And I love you."
She smiled and embraced me. We kissed again.
She clung to me. "Jake, I'm scared. We're lost, Jake. But we will get back,
won't we? You're back, you came back. We will get home again."
"We're almost there, Daria, my darling."
"Jake, dear. So short a time. I love you. I loved you from the first. You know
that, now. We're caught up in this awful thing, and it just seems we'll never
get free."
"We will, we will," I said.
"I believe you. I can't imagine how it will happen, but I
believe you."
We stood there in the enchanted night, holding each other, not speaking.
There were footsteps behind me. "There you are," some- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
Just a look, just a peek. I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Couldn't force myself to look at her. She was in there
drinking, having a good time, watching me go through the good-natured nonsense
of the initiation rituals of the Brother-
hood of the Boojum. She was probably stifling a giggle right now. Or had she
gone upstairs by now? Or had Moore al-
ready. ..
Maybe I didn't want to look, for fear of seeing myself. For fear of becoming
the demon that glares at you from the other side of the looking glass. I
didn't feel real. This couldn't be happening.
Exactly. The whole of my experience since this paradox
288 John DeChancie thing had started had been the longest nightmare on record.
I
could not believe in any of it. It could not be part of the stream of
existence it was a bubble in the continuum, a glittering, shimmering bubble
that threw back false reflections from its prismatic surface. Prick it
anywhere, and it would burst into a billion sparkling motes and vanish into
the void.
Kill Moore here, now, interrupt this turning of the cycle, and it all would
end. Daria was gone no way to retrieve her.
But she wouldn't have to die if she didn't meet me if she never met me. And
that's what I would do. It was the first time in my life that I was gripped by
such a terrible resolve. I
wanted to see Moore's blood, and I would before the night was through.
I stalked through the shadows at the rear of the
Bandersnatch. I found a door with an exhaust fan over it, cooking smells
coming from within. The door was unlocked, and I opened it quietly and stepped
in. A man in an apron and cap was chopping cabbage at a counter along the far
Page 183
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
wall. He was preoccupied and didn't turn around as I walked through the
kitchen. I stopped at the swinging door and looked out before I went through
into a corridor that eventually led me to the lobby of the inn. The place was
empty, and no one was behind the desk. Shouts and general jubilation came from
the bar. I went behind the desk and saw a door, slightly ajar, at
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt (245 of 269) [10/16/2004 4:41:31 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt the end of a little hallway through an open door against the side wall.
Voices within. I crept down the corridor, flattened myself against the wall,
and listened.
"... Pendergast..."
It was Moore's voice. I strained to hear, inched closer to the door.
"... on the ship, but they got away. Says the monkey-
looking animal has the Roadmap has it or is it, I couldn't understand which.
At any rate, he wants our help. Big money, possibly. Very big."
"And he's right under our noses?" Another voice.
"Checked in this afternoon. Answers to the description."
"The cops they'll take him, then?"
"Not if we can help it. We might have to keep him on ice for a while. Thing
is there's seven of them. We can't bag them all...."
Someone was ringing the bell at the desk. I stiffened, PARADOX ALLEY
289
Now was the time. But
"I'll get it, Zack."
"Forget that," Moore said. "This is important. I want you and Geof "
The bell rang again.
"Forget it, I said! Listen to me. He'll be going through the
Brotherhood ceremony. When he's out in the brush..."
I crept away. Better get rid of the customer first, then go back and do the
deed.
I came out from the doorway. "The clerk's busy now," I
said. "You "
It was Darla. "I just wanted to ask " Her mouth sagged open as the recognition
slowly grew on her. "Jake! What..."
Bewildered, she looked back at the door to the bar, then at me. Her mouth
closed, and she looked at me soberly, a little fearfully. "Jake," she
whispered. "It's.. .you."
I had frozen. Time stopped for the briefest quantum mo-
ment, and all I could see was her face, which seemed the most beautiful thing
that had ever been created.
I unfroze, jumped over the counter, took Daria's arm and led her back out
through the kitchen. The cook noticed this
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt (246 of 269) [10/16/2004 4:41:31 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20All
ey.txt time, and muttered something about this place not being a tram station.
Outside, I crushed Darla to my chest and kissed her. She was surprised at
first, then responded.
"Darla... love," I said.
Her eyes grew fearful again, and she drew back. "You are
Jake. You're him I mean, it's you. You're traveling through time, somehow.
Like the stories say." She glanced back to-
ward the inn again, then said, "It has to be. I just saw you in the pub. I
walked out, and fifteen seconds later there you are, in different clothes. I
Page 184
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
almost didn't recognize you." She shook her head, and leaned against the trunk
of the tree we stood under. "It's almost impossible to believe."
"One thing remember," I said. "You can't say anything to " I didn't know how
to phrase it.
She nodded. "I understand. No. He wouldn't believe it, would he? How could he,
now, after I lied to him... so many times. But you know, Jake. Don't you? You
know so much now. You must. And..."
290
John DeChancie
"And I love you."
She smiled and embraced me. We kissed again.
She clung to me. "Jake, I'm scared. We're lost, Jake. But we will get back,
won't we? You're back, you came back. We will get home again."
"We're almost there, Daria, my darling."
"Jake, dear. So short a time. I love you. I loved you from the first. You know
that, now. We're caught up in this awful thing, and it just seems we'll never
get free."
"We will, we will," I said.
"I believe you. I can't imagine how it will happen, but I
believe you."
We stood there in the enchanted night, holding each other, not speaking.
There were footsteps behind me. "There you are," some- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]