[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.And at last Jim saw the thing that had met the wraith and bettered it.It had a silvered, flickering blank face and long limbs, and its gray shape seemed to flex and shiver as though trying to retain a hold on reality, but that ambiguity detracted nothing from its strength.It stomped down on the floored wraith, driving its foot into the thing’s head and twisting, sending glittering shreds across the road.They shriveled and turned black before fading away, and the rest of the wraith melted to nothing.The faceless man motioned to Jim to follow.Every fiber of his being urged him to grab Jennifer and flee, but while conflict raged around them, this creature seemed the safest ally they had.Still Jim paused, glancing around at the fighting, thrashing things that had come from thin air and belonged.He heard Jennifer gasp, turned around, and the faceless man was so close that Jim could have touched it.His hair stood on end, and his balls tingled.The shape raised an arm and pointed at the house of this Boston’s Oracle.And then it signaled once again that he should follow.They hurried after the shape as it seemed to float across the street, away from the house and the human bodies lying close by.They passed other bodies that were fading away—wraiths and faceless men alike—and Jim wondered if they hurt, and if the shift from living to dead meant anything to them.“I don’t know if I can do this,” Jennifer said.“What are they? What is this?”“It all has to do with the city,” Jim said, because he thought he knew where these things came from—from Sally, this Boston’s Oracle.Maybe they were constantly on guard outside her home, but he thought not.If they were, why the dead people, the smashed windows, and the sense of something momentous having happened here? The other alternative was that Sally had left them here to wait for him.That seemed more likely, as this thing was guiding them somewhere.And the only way he could figure this out was that Trix had gotten here first.He only hoped she was all right.And he hoped and prayed that she and Sally had found his wife and child.The thing led them quickly away from the battle, edging into an alley between buildings, headed west.It passed over a recently tumbled wall, waiting on the other side while Jim and Jennifer climbed the precarious pile.It exuded no impatience but walked on as soon as they were ready, moving unerringly through streets and alleys, across parks, and into the heart of the ruined city.They went through the theater district and kept moving west, crossing streets where buildings had collapsed or fires were raging, passing crowds of onlookers or people trying to help, and no one saw the faceless man.Jim didn’t believe for a moment that it was invisible to all but him and Jennifer—how could it be?—but perhaps it had some way of diverting attention, or seeking paths between perception.Every few minutes the thing held up its hand and turned around, moving past them the way they had come.It’s listening, and watching, Jim thought.And indeed the phantom seemed to stand for a while breathing in the air and scanning their surroundings.For some reason, that did not make Jim feel safe.He believed the faceless man was just as dangerous, just as inhuman, as the wraiths that had killed O’Brien.He was only grateful it was on their side.“Where’s it leading us?” Jennifer asked.“I think toward Trix’s apartment in this Boston.And hopefully Sally.”“Sally?”“The Oracle.You’ve heard of her?”Jennifer frowned, a little unsettled.“I’ve heard the name Oracle before, yes.A friend of a friend visited her once, so he claims.Helped him find a brother adopted at birth.”“Well, she’s the only one who can help me here,” Jim said.“Help you find your wife, Jenny,” Jennifer said.“Yeah,” Jim said, and he had to shake himself again.This isn’t Jenny.This is Jennifer.“And you believe in all that mystical stuff?”“Days ago, no, not really.But now … if whatever it is works, then yes, I believe in it.” He pointed ahead at where the phantom shape had paused at a road junction.“And you’ve got to account for that.”“Not today,” Jennifer said.“I don’t need to account for anything today.Maybe tomorrow, when all this is …” But she trailed off, because what they’d seen of the city proved that this would never be all over.Things might improve, people might be rescued, and the injured would recover, but Boston would never be the same again.As they followed the phantom, Jim started to wonder just what Jennifer-not-Jenny felt about him.Because there was a spark.And however much he tried to smother it, it burned brighter with every passing minute.“Not far now,” he said, wondering what they would find upon their arrival.“We’re almost there
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]