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！
Had this poor sinner never heard of Eden？ No； Tom thought； looking at the man's eyes； no； he probably never has。
〃I'm afraid we've got other mitments；〃 Chad replied politely。 〃But we'll be very happy to have you e along when the Reverend arrives； and have you baptized。〃 〃I'd like to meet the Reverend；〃 the man returned。 Tom wasn't certain if this wasn't all a charade。 〃We have so little time before the Maker's wrath descends；〃 Mamoulian was saying。 Chad nodded fervently。 〃Then we shall be as flotsam…shall we not？…as flotsam in the flood。〃 The words were the Reverend's almost precisely。 Tom heard them falling from this man's narrow lips； and that accusation of being a Doubter came home to roost。 But Chad was entranced。 His face had that evangelical look that came over it during sermons； the look that Tom had always envied； but now thought positively rabid。
〃Chad 。 。 。〃 he began。
〃Flotsam in the flood；〃 Chad repeated； 〃Hallelujah。〃 Tom put his glass down beside his chair。 〃I think we should be going；〃 he said； and got up。 For some reason the bare boards he stood on seemed far more than six feet away from his eyes： more like sixty。 As though he was a tower about to topple； his foundations dug away。 〃We've got so many streets to cover；〃 he said； trying to focus on the problem at hand； which was； in a nutshell； how to get out of this house before something terrible happened。
〃The Deluge；〃 Mamoulian announced； 〃is almost upon us。〃 Tom reached toward Chad to wake him from his trance。 The fingers at the end of his outstretched arm seemed a thousand miles from his eyes。 〃Chad；〃 he said。 Saint Chad； he of the halo； pissing rainbows。
〃Are you all right； boy？〃 the stranger asked； swiveling his fish eyes in Tom's direction。
〃I 。 。 。 feel 。 。 。〃 〃What do you feel？〃 Mamoulian asked。
Chad was looking at him too； face innocent of concern； innocent； in fact； of all feeling。 Perhaps…this thought dawned on Tom for the first time…that was why Chad's face was so perfect。 White； symmetrical and pletely empty。
〃Sit down；〃 the stranger said。 〃Before you fall down。〃 〃It's all right；〃 Chad reassured him。
〃No；〃 Tom said。 His knees felt disobedient。 He suspected they'd give out very soon。
〃Trust me；〃 Chad said。 Tom wanted to。 Chad had usually been right in the past。 〃Believe me； we're on to a good thing here。 Sit down； like the gentleman said。〃 〃Is it the heat？〃 〃Yes；〃 Chad told the man on Tom's behalf。 〃It's the heat。 It gets hot in Memphis； but we've got air…conditioning。〃 He turned to Tom and put his hand on his panion's shoulder。 Tom let himself give in to weakness； and sat down。 He felt a fluttering at the back of his neck； as though a hummingbird was hovering there； but he didn't have the willpower to flick it away。
〃You call yourselves agents？〃 the man said； almost under his breath。 〃I don't think you know the meaning of the word。〃 Chad was quick to their defense。
〃The Reverend says…〃 〃The Reverend？〃 the man interrupted contemptuously。 〃Do you think he had the slightest idea of your value？〃 This flummoxed Chad。 Tom tried to tell his friend not to be flattered； but the words wouldn't e。 His tongue lay in his mouth like a dead fish。 Whatever happens now； he thought； at least it'll happen to us together。 They'd been friends since first grade； they'd tasted pubescence and metaphysics together； Tom thought of them as inseparable。 He hoped the man understood that where Chad went； Tom went too。 The fluttering at his neck had stopped； a warm reassurance was creeping over his head。 Things didn't seem so bad after all。
〃I need help from you young men。〃 〃To do what？〃 Chad asked。
〃To begin the Deluge；〃 Mamoulian replied。 A smile； uncertain at first but broadening as the idea caught his imagination； appeared on Chad's face。 His features； too often sober with zeal； ignited。
〃Oh； yes；〃 he said。 He glanced across at Tom。 〃Hear what this man's telling us？〃 Tom nodded。
〃You hear； man？〃 〃I hear。 I hear。〃 All his blissful life Chad had waited for this invitation。 For the first time he could picture the literal reality behind the destruction he'd threatened on a hundred doorsteps。 In his mind waters…red； raging waters…mounted into foam…crested waves and bore down on this pagan city。 We are as flotsam in the flood； he said； and the words brought images with them。 Men and women…but mostly women…running naked before these curling tides。 The water was hot； rains of it fell on their screaming faces； their gleaming； jiggling breasts。 This was what the Reverend had promised all along； and here was this man asking them to help make it all possible； to bring this thrashing； foamy Day of Days to consummation。 How could they refuse？ He felt the urge to thank the man for considering them worthy。 The thought fathered the action。 His knees bent； and he fell to the floor at Mamoulian's feet。
〃Thank you；〃 he said to the man with the dark suit。
〃You'll help me； then？〃 〃Yes 。 。 。〃 Chad replied； wasn't this homage sign enough？ 〃Of course。〃 Behind him； Tom murmured his own concession。
〃Thank you；〃 Chad said。 〃Thank you。〃 But when he looked up the man； apparently convinced by their devotion； had already left the room。
57
Marty and Carys slept together in his single bed： long； rewarding sleep。 If the baby in the room below them cried in the night； they didn't hear it。 Nor did they hear the sirens on Kilburn High Road； police and fire engines going to a conflagration in Maida Vale。 Dawn through the dirty window didn't wake them either； though the curtains had not been drawn。 But once； in the early hours； Marty turned in his sleep and his eyes flickered open to see the first light of day at the glass。 Rather than turning away from it； he let it fall on his lids as they flickered down again。
They had half a day together in the flat before the need began； bathing themselves； drinking coffee； saying very little。 Carys washed and bound the wound on Marty's leg； they changed their clothes； ditching those they'd worn the previous night。
It wasn't until the middle of the afternoon that they started to talk。 The dialogue began quite calmly； but Carys〃 nervousness escalated as she felt hungrier for a fix； and the talk rapidly became a desperate diversion from her jittering belly。 She told Marty what life with the European had been like： the humiliations； the deceptions； the sense she had that he knew her father； and her too； better than she guessed。 Marty in his turn attempted to paraphrase the story Whitehead had told him on that last night； but she was too distracted to concentrate properly。 Her conversation became increasingly agitated。
〃I have to have a fix； Marty。〃 〃Now？〃 〃Pretty soon。〃 He'd been waiting for this moment and dreading it。 Not because he couldn't find her a supply； he knew he could。 But because he'd hoped somehow she'd be able to resist the need when she was with him。
〃I feel really bad；〃 she said。
〃You're all right。 You're with me。〃 〃He'll e； you know。〃 〃Not now； he won't。〃 〃He'll be angry； and he'll e。〃 Marty's mind went back and back again to his experience in the upstairs room of Caliban Street。 What he had seen there； or rather not seen ther