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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
of the sand； as though an order had passed through it； subtle but all…pervasive。
Eugene could only gape as Aaron's transformation continued； his entire body now overtaken by the tremors of change。 His belly had bee distended and a harvest of cones budded from it； which even now flowered into dozens of coiled legs； the change was marvellous in its plexity； as out of the cradle of the boy's substance came new glories。
Without warning Eugene raised his rifle and fired at his son。
The bullet struck the boy…demon in the middle of his face。 Aaron fell back； his transformation still taking its course even as his blood； a stream part scarlet； part silver； ran from his wound into the liquefying earth。
The geometries in the darkness moved out of hiding to help the child。 The intricacy of their forms was simplified in the glare of the headlamps but they seemed； even as they appeared； to be changing again： bodies being thin in their grief； a whine of mourning like a solid wall of sound from their hearts。
Eugene raised his rifle a second time； whooping at his victory。 He had them。 。 。 My God； he had them。 Dirty； stinking； faceless flickers。
But the mud beneath his feet was like warm treacle as it rose around his shins； and when he fired he lost balance。 He yelled for assistance； but Davidson was already staggering back up the slope out of the gully fighting a losing battle against the rising mire。 The rest of the army were similarly trapped； as the desert liquefied beneath them； and glutinous mud began to creep up the slope。
The demons had gone： retreated into the dark； their lament sunk away。
Eugene； flat on his back in the sinking sand； fired off two useless； vehement shots into the darkness beyond Aaron's corpse。 He was kicking like a hog with its throat cut； and with every kick his body sunk deeper。 As his face disappeared beneath the mud； he just glimpsed Lucy； standing at the edge of the slope； staring down towards Aaron's body。 Then the mire covered his face； and blotted him out。
The desert was upon them with lightning speed。
One or two of the cars were already entirely submerged； and the tide of sand climbing the slope was relentlessly catching up with the escapees。 Feeble cries for assistance ended with choking silences as mouths were filled with desert； somebody was shooting at the ground in an hysterical attempt to dam the flow； but it reached up swiftly to snatch every last one of them。 Even Eleanor Kooker wasn't to be let free： she struggled； cursing and pressing the thrashing body of a cop deeper into the sand in her frantic attempts to step out of the gully。
There were universal howls now； as panicking men groped and grasped at each other for support； desperately trying to keep their heads afloat in the sea of sand。
Davidson was buried up to his waist。 The ground that eddied about his lower half was hot and curiously inviting。 The intimacy of its pressure had given him an erection。 A few yards behind him a cop was screaming blue murder as the desert ate him up。 Further still from him he could see a face peering out from the seething ground like a living mask thrown on the earth。 There was an arm close by； still waving； as it sank； a pair of fat buttocks was poking up from the silt sea like two watermelons； a policeman's farewell。
Lucy took one step backwards as the mud slightly overran the lip of the gully； but it didn't reach her feet。 Nor； curiously； did it dissipate itself； as a water…wave might have done。
Like concrete； it hardened； fixing its living trophies like flies in amber。 From the lips of every face that still took air came a fresh cry of terror； as they felt the desert floor stiffen around their struggling limbs。
Davidson saw Eleanor Kooker； buried to breast…level。 Tears were pouring down her cheeks； she was sobbing like a little girl。 He scarcely thought of himself。 Of the East； of Barbara； of the children； he thought not at all。
The men whose faces were buried but whose limbs； or parts of bodies； still broke surface； were dead of asphyxiation by now。 Only Eleanor Kooker； Davidson and two other men survived。 One was locked in the earth up to his chin； Eleanor was buried so that her breasts sat on the ground； her arms were free to beat uselessly at the ground that held her fast。 Davidson himself was held from his hips down。 And most horribly； one pathetic victim was seen only by his nose and mouth。 His head was tipped back into the ground； blinded by rock。 Still he breathed； still he screamed。
Eleanor Kooker was scrabbling at the ground with torn nails； but this was not loose sand。 It was immovable。
'Get help；' she demanded of Lucy； hands bleeding。
The two women stared at each other。
'Jesus God！' screamed the Mouth。
The Head was silent： by his glazed look it was apparent that he'd lost his mind。
'Please help us 。 。 。' pleaded Davidson's Torso。 'Fetch help。'
Lucy nodded。
'Go！' demanded Eleanor Kooker。 'Go！'
Numbly； Lucy obeyed。 Already there was a glimmer of dawn in the east。 The air would soon be blistering。 In Wele； three hours walk away； she would find only old men； hysterical women and children。 She would have to summon help from perhaps fifty miles distance。 Even assuming she found her way back。 Even assuming she didn't collapse exhausted to the sand and die。
It would be noon before she could fetch help to the woman； to the Torso； to the Head； to the Mouth。 By that time the wilderness would have had the best of them。 The sun would have boiled their brain…pans dry； snakes would have nested in their hair； the buzzards would have hooked out their helpless eyes。
She glanced round once more at their trivial forms； dwarfed by the bloody sweep of the dawn sky。 Little dots and mas of human pain on a blank sheet of sand； she didn't care to think of the pen that wrote them there。 That was for tomorrow。
After a while； she began to run。
NEW MURDER IN THE RUE MORGUE
WINTER； LEWIS DECIDED； was no season for old men。 The snow that lay five inches thick on the streets of Paris froze him to the marrow。 What had been a joy to him as a child was now a curse。 He hated it with all his heart； hated the snowballing children （squeals； howls； tears）； hated； too； the young lovers； eager to be caught in a flurry together （squeals； kisses； tears）。 It was unfortable and tiresome； and he wished he was in Fort Lauderdale； where the sun would be shining。
But Catherine's telegram； though not explicit； had been urgent； and the ties of friendship between them had been unbroken for the best part of fifty years。 He was here for her； and for her brother Phillipe。 However thin his blood felt in this ice land； it was foolish to plain。 He'd e at a summons from the past； and he would have e as swiftly； and as willingly； if Paris had been burning。
Besides； it was his mother's city。 She'd been born on the Boulevard Diderot； back in a time when the city was untrammelled by free…thinking architects and social engineers。 Now every time Lewis returned to Paris he steeled himself for another desecration。 It was happening less of late； he'd noticed。 The recession in Europe made governments less eager with their bulldozers。 But still； year after year； more fine houses found themselves rubble。 Whole streets sometimes； gone to ground。
Even the Rue Morgue。
There was； of course； some doubt as to whether that infamous street had ever existed in the first place； but as his years advanced Lewis had seen less and less purpose in distinguishing between fact and fiction。 That great divide was for young men； who still had to deal with life。 For the old （Lewis was 73）； the distinction was academic。 What did it matter what was true and what was false； what real and what invented？ In his head all of it； the half…lies and the truths； were one continuum of personal history。
Maybe the Rue Morgue had existed； as it had been described in Edgar Allan Poe's immortal story； maybe it was pure invention。 Whichever； the notorious street was no longer to be found on a map of Paris。
Perhaps Lewis was a little disappointed not to have found the Rue Morgue。 After all； it was part of his heritage。 If the stories he had been told as a young boy were correct； the events described in the Murders in the Rue Morgue had been narrated to Poe by Lewis's grandfather。 It was his mother's pride that her father had met Poe； while traveling in America。 Apparently his grandfather had been a globe…trotter； unhappy unless he visited a new town every week。 And in the winter of 1835 he had been in Richmond； Virginia。 It was a bitter winter； perhaps not unlike the one Lewis was presently suffering； and one night the grandfather had taken refuge in a bar in Richmond。 There； with a blizzard raging outside； he had met a small； dark； melancholy young man called Eddie。 He was something of a local celebrity apparently； having written a tale that had won a petition in the Baltimore Saturday Visitor。 The tale was MS found in a bottle and the haunted young man was Edgar Allan Poe。
The two had spent the evening together； drinking； and （this is how the story went； anyway） Poe had gently pumped Lewis's grandfather for stories of the bizarre； of the occult and of the morbid。 The worldly…wise traveler was glad