bl.necroscope2-第58章

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ever。　Burn　them；　no…I　simply　buried　them！
　Harry　recoiled　from　Thibor's　morbid；　darkly　sinister　tone。　〃That's　even　worse；〃　he　said。
　You　mean　better；　the　monster　contradicted　him；　chuckling。　But　better　far　than　even　I　guessed。　For　I　didn't　know　then　that　they'd　live　down　there　forever。　Ha；　ha！　And　how's　that　for　horror；　Harry？　They're　down　there　even　now。　Mummied；　aye…but　still　〃alive〃　in　their　way。　Dry　and　desiccated　as　old　bones；　bits　of　leather　and　gristle　and　…Thibor　came　to　an　abrupt　halt。　He　had　sensed　Harry's　keen　interest；　the　intense；　calculating　way　in　which　he　seized　on　all　of　this　and　analysed　it。　Harry　tried　to　back　off　a　little；　tried　to　close　his　mind　to　the　other。　Thibor　sensed　that；　too。
　I　suddenly　have　this　feeling；　he　very　slowly　said；　that　I　may　have　said　too　much。　It　es　as　something　of　ato　learn　that　even　a　dead　creature　must　guard　its　thoughts。　Your　interest　in　all　of　these　matters　is　more　than　merely　〃usual；　Harry。　I　wonder　why？
　Dragosani；　for　so　long　silent；　broke　in　with　a　burst　of　laughter。　Isn't　it　obvious；　old　devil？　he　said。　He's　outsmarted　you！　Why　is　he　so　interested？　Because　there　are　vampires　in　the　world…in　his　world…right　now！　It's　the　only　answer。　And　Harry　Keogh　came　here　to　find　out　about　them；　from　you。　He　needs　to　find　out　about　them　for　the　sake　of　his　intelligence　organisation；　and　for　the　sake　of　the　world。　Now　tell　me：　does　he　really　need　to　tell　you　the　present　circumstances　of　that　innocent　you　corrupted　while　he　was　still　in　his　mother's　womb？　He　has　already　told　you！　The　boy　lives…and　yes；　he　is　a　vampire！　Dragosani's　voice　died　away。　。
　There　was　silence　in　the　motionless　glade；　where　only　Harry's　neon　nimbus　lit　the　darkness　to　give　any　indication　of　the　drama　enacted　there。　And　finally　Thibor　spoke　again。　Is　it　true？　Does　he　live？　Is　he…？
　〃Yes；〃　Harry　told　him。　〃He　lives…as　a　vampire…for　now。〃
　Thibor　ignored　the　implications　of　that　last。　But　how　do　you　know　he　is。。。　Wamphyri？
　〃Because　already　he　works　his　evil。　That's　why　we　have　to　put　him　down…myself　and　others　who　work　for　the　same　cause。　And　certainly　we　must　destroy　him　before　he　〃remembers〃　you　and　es　to　seek　you　out。　Dragosani　has　said　that　you　would　rise　up　again；　Thibor。　Now　how　would　you　set　about　that？〃
　Dragosani　is　a　brash　fool　who　knows　nothing。　I　fooled　him；　you　fooled　him…so　well；　indeed；　that　you　helped　him　destroy　himself…why；　any　child　could　make　a　fool　of　Dragosani！　Take　no　notice　of　him。
　Hah！　cried　Dragosani。　A　fool；　am　I？　Listen　to　me；　Harry　Keogh；　and　I'll　tell　you　exactly　how　this　devious　old　devil　will　use　what　he　has　made。　First　…BE　SILENT！　Thibor　was　outraged。
　I　will　not！　Dragosani　cried。　Because　of　you；　I　am　here；　a　ghost；　nothing！　Should　I　lie　still　while　you　prepare　to　be　up　and　about？　Listen　to　me；　Harry。　When　that　youth　…But　that　was　as　much　as　Thibor　was　willing　to　let　him　say。　A　hideous　mental　babble　started　up…such　a　blast　of　telepathic　howling　that　Harry　could　unscramble　no　single　word　of　it…and　not　only　from　Thibor　but　also　Max　Batu。　Understandably；　the　dead　Mongol　sided　with　Thibor　against　his　murderer。
　〃I　can　hear　nothing；〃　Harry　tried　to　break　into　the　din　and　through　it　to　Dragosani。　〃Absolutely　nothing！〃
　The　telepathic　cacophony　went　on　unabated；　louder　if　anything；　more　insistent　than　ever。　In　life　Max　Batu　had　been　able　to　concentrate　hatred　into　a　glare　that　could　kill；　in　death　his　concentration　hadn't　failed　him；　if　anything　the　mental　din　he　created　was　greater　than　Thibor's。　And　since　there　was　no　physical　effort　involved；　they　could　probably　keep　it　up　indefinitely。　Quite　literally；　Dragosani　was　being　shouted　down。
　Harry　attempted　to　lift　his　voice　above　all　three：　〃If　I　leave　you　now；　be　sure　I　won't　be　back！〃　But　even　as　he　issued　his　threat　he　realised　that　it　no　longer　carried　any　weight。　Thibor　was　shouting　for　his　life；　the　sort　of　life　he　had　not　known　since　the　day　they　buried　him　here　five　hundred　years　ago。　Even　if　the　others　did　quieten　down；　he　would　go　right　on　bellowing。
　Stalemate。　And　too　late；　anyway。
　Harry　felt　the　first　tug　of　a　force　he　couldn't　resist；　a　force　that　drew　him　as　a　pass　is　drawn　northwards。　Harry　Jnr　was　stirring　again；　ing　awake　for　his　scheduled　feed。　For　the　next　hour　or　so　the　father　must　merge　again　with　the　id　of　his　infant　son。
　
　The　tugging　strengthened；　an　undertow　that　began　to　draw　Harry　along　with　it。　He　searched　for　a　M？bius　door；　found　one　and　started　towards　it。
　In　that　same　instant　of　time；　as　he　made　to　enter　the　M？bius　continuum；　something　other　than　Harry　Jnr　stirred；　something　in　the　earth　where　the　rubble　of　Thibor's　tomb　lay　scattered。　Perhaps　the　concentrated　mental　uproar　had　disturbed　it。　Maybe　it　had　sensed　events　of　moment。　Anyway；　it　moved；　and　Harry　Keogh　saw　it。
　Great　stone　slabs　were　shoved　aside；　tree　roots　snapped　loudly　where　something　massive　heaved　its　bulk　beneath　them；　the　earth　erupted　in　a　black　spray　as　a　pseudopod　thick　as　a　barrel　uncoiled　itself　and　lashed　upwards　almost　as　high　as　the　trees。　It　swayed　there　among　the　treetops；　then　was　drawn　down　again。
　Harry　saw　this…and　then　he　was　through　the　door　and　into　the　Mobius　continuum。　And　incorporeal　as　he　was；　still　he　shuddered　as　he　sped　across　hitherto　hypothetical　spaces　towards　the　mind　of　his　infant　son。　And　uppermost　in　his　own　mind　this　single　thought：　〃Ground　to　clear〃；　indeed！
　
　Sunday；　10。00　A。M。　Bucharest。　The　Office　of　Cultural　and　Scientific　Exchanges；　（USSR）；　housed　in　a　converted　museum　of　many　domes；　standing　conveniently　close　to　the　Russian　University。　The　wrought…iron　gates　being　opened　by　a　yawning；　uniformed　attendant　and　a　black　Volkswagen　Variant　accelerating　out　into　the　quiet　streets　and　heading　for　the　motorway　to　Pitesti。
　Inside　the　car　Sergei　Gulharov　was　driving；　with　Felix　Krakovitch　as　front…seat　passenger；　and　Alec　Kyle；　Carl　Quint　and　an　extremely　thin；　hawk…faced；　bespectacled；　middle…aged　Romanian　woman　in　the　back。　She　was　Irma　Dobresti；　a　high…ranking　official　with　the　Ministry　of　Lands　and　Properties　and　a　true　disciple　of　Mother　Russia。
　Because　Dobresti　spoke　English；　Kyle　and　Quint　were　a　little　more　careful　than　usual　how　they　spoke　to　each　other　and　what　they　said。　It　was　not　that　they　feared　they'd　let　something　slip　about　their　mission；　for　she　would　see　more　than　enough　of　that；　but　simply　that　they　might　err　and　make　some　ment　about　the　woman　herself。　Not　that　they　were　especially　rude　or　churlish　men；　but　Irma　D？bresti　was　a　very　different　sort　of　woman。
　She　wore　her　black　hair　in　a　bun；　her　clothes　were　almost　a　uniform：　dark　grey　shoes；　skirt；　blouse　and　coat。　She　wore　no　make…up　or　jewellery　at　all　and　her　features　were　sharp　and　mannish。　Where　womanly　curves　and　other　feminine　charms　were　concerned；　Nature　seemed　to　have　forgotten　Irma　Dobresti　entirely。　Her　smile；　showing　yellow　teeth；　was　something　she　switched　on　and　off　like　a　dim　light；　and　on　those　few　occasions　when　she　spoke　her　voice　was　deep　as　any　man's；　her　words　blunt　and　always　to　the　point。
　〃If　I　were　not　thinly；〃　she　said；　making　a　mon　enough　mistake　in　her　attempt　at　casual　conversation；　〃this　long　ride　is　most　unfortable。〃　She　sat　on　the　extreme　left；　Quint　in　the　middle　and　then　Kyle。
　The　two　Englishmen　glanced　at　each　other。　Then　Quint　smiled　obligingly。　〃Er；　true；〃　he　said。　〃Your　thinlyness　is　most　acmodating。〃
　〃Good。〃　She　gave　a　curt　nod。
　The　car　sped　on　out　of　the　city；　picked　up　the　motorway。　。
　Kyle　and　Quint　had　spent　the　night　at　the　Dunarea　Hotel　in　the　city　centre；　while　Krakovitch　had　spent　most　of　it　up　and　about　making　connections　and　arrangements。　This　morning；　looking　haggard　and　hollow…eyed；　he'd　tuned　them　for　breakfast。　Gulharov　had　picked　them　up　and　they'd　driven　to　the　Office　of　Cultural　and　Scientific　exchanges　where　Dobresti　had　been　getting　her　instructions　from　a　Soviet　liaison　officer。　She　had　met　Krakovitch　〃lie　night　before。　Now　they　were　on　their　way　into　the　Romanian　countryside；　following　a　route　Krakovitch　knew　fairly　well。
　〃Actually；〃　he　said；　stifling　a　yawn；　〃this　not　too　surprising。　ing　here；　I　mean。〃　He　turned　to　look　at　his　guests。　〃I　know　this　place。　After　that　business　at　（Chateau　Bronnitsy；　when　Party　Leader　Bre