cb.coldheart canyon-第59部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

r　enemy；　whoever；　or　whatever；　it　was。
　 Todd　stayed　very　still；　just　as　Katya　had　instructed。　Had　these　men　been　gun…slingers；　he　would　have　described　them　as　trigger…happy。　Plainly　they　were　nervous　and　exhausted；　not　men　to　meddle　with。
　 But　even　as　he　lay　there；　barely　daring　to　breathe；　he　felt　Katya　reach　down　between　his　legs　and　proceed　to　stroke　his　balls。　He　gave　her　an　astonished　look；　which　she　returned　with　a　mischievous　little　smile。　She　stroked　him　back　to　full　erection；　and　then　subtly　maneuvered　her　body　so　that　he　was　once　again　fully　sheathed　by　her。　The　sensation　felt　even　more　extraordinary　than　it　had　a　few　minutes　before。　Without　seeming　to　move　her　hips　she　contrived　to　make　waves　of　motion　move　up　and　down　her　channel；　massaging　him。
　 All　the　while；　the　horsemen　approached；　and　the　closer　they　came　the　more　desperate　they　looked。　These　were　men　who　apparently　lived　in　a　constant　state　of　fear；　to　judge　by　their　expressions。　One　of　the　Duke's　four　followers；　the　oldest　and　the　most　scarred；　mumbled　a　prayer　to　himself　as　he　rode；　and　in　his　hand　he　clutched　a　plain　wooden　cross；　which　more　than　once　he　kissed；　for　fort's　sake。
　 Todd　was　somewhere　between　ecstasy　and　panic。　He　didn't　dare　move；　even　if　he'd　wanted　to。　Katya；　meanwhile　was　free　to　play　havoc　with　his　nerve…endings。　He　didn't　move　his　hips；　he　didn't　need　to。　She　had　all　the　moves。　Her　internal　manipulations　were　being　more　elaborate　all　the　time；　driving　him　closer　and　closer　to　losing　control。
　 Todd　had　always　been　a　noisy　lover；　sometimes　embarrassingly　so。　（A　memorable　night　with　a　girlfriend　in　a　suite　at　the　Chateau　Marmont　had　been　brought　to　a　premature　halt　when　the　manager　had　called　up　his　room　to　regretfully　report　that　the　guests　in　an　adjacent　suite　couldn't　sleep　for　all　his　moans。）　Now　the　best　he　could　do　was　bite　his　lip　until　he　tasted　blood；　and　will　himself　not　to　let　a　sound　escape　him。
　 The　horsemen　were　so　close　now　that　he　did　not　dare　move　his　head　to　look　at　them。　But　he　could　just　see　them　from　the　corner　of　his　eye。　The　Duke　gave　an　order；　in　Romanian：　〃Stai！　N…auzi　ceva？〃　The　men　brought　their　horses　to　a　halt；　the　Duke　no　more　than　four　yards　from　where　Todd　and　Katya　lay　on　the　ground。　Had　it　not　been　for　the　fact　that　the　eclipse　rendered　the　light　here　so　deceptive；　the　pair　would　surely　have　been　seen；　and　dispatched：　a　single　blade　skewering　them　both　in　an　instant。　But　as　far　as　Todd's　limited　vision　could　tell；　the　men　were　looking　further　afield　for　their　quarry；　scanning　the　distant　landscape　rather　than　the　ground　yards　from　their　horses'　hooves。
　 There　was　another　exclamation　from　the　Duke；　and　this　time　a　response　from　one　of　his　men。　Todd　had　the　impression　that　they　were　listening　for　something。　He　listened　along　with　them。　What　could　he　hear？　Nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。　The　cry　of　birds；　wheeling　overhead；　the　coarse　breathing　and　snorting　of　the　horses；　the　slap　of　the　reins　against　their　massive　necks。　And　closer　by；　the　breathing　of　the　woman　beneath　him；　and…a　smaller　sound　still…the　rhythmical　click　of　a　beetle　as　it　made　its　clockwork　way　over　the　small　stones　close　to　his　hand。　In　his　mind's　eye　all　of　this　around　the　tender　place　where　their　bodies　met：　the　bird　and　the　horse　and　the　stones　and　the　beetle；　orbiting　his　pleasure。
　 He　saw　her　smile　beneath　him；　and　with　the　tiniest　contraction　of　her　vulva　she　brought　him　to　the　point　of　no　return。　There　was　a　flash　of　brightness　in　his　head；　which　momentarily　washed　everything　out。　She　came　back　out　of　the　fog　to　meet　him　with　her　eyes　half…closed；　her　pupils　so　full　beneath　them　that　they　seemed　to　edge　out　the　whites。　Then　her　lids　fluttered　closed　pletely　and　he　started　to　spurt　into　her。　He　could　not　have　stopped　crying　out　if　his　life　had　depended　on　it。　No；　it　did。　And　still　he　let　out　a　sob　of　relief…
　 There　was　a　shout。　The　Duke　was　issuing　an　order。　It　made　no　sense　to　Todd；　but　he　looked　up　anyway；　as　his　body　continued　its　spastic　motion；　emptying　itself　into　her。　The　man　who'd　dismounted　was　now　striding　towards　them；　unleashing　his　sword。
　 The　Duke　spoke　again：
　 〃Cine　sunt　acesti　oameni？〃
　 He　obviously　wanted　to　know　who　the　hell　these　people　were；　because　by　way　of　reply　there　were　shrugs　from　the　other　men。　The　last　spasm　passed　through　Todd's　body；　and　with　it　went　the　idiot　sense　of　his　own　inviolability。　The　bliss　was　gone。　He　was　empty；　and　mortal　again。
　 The　man　with　the　sword　put　his　boot　into　Todd's　side。　It　was　a　hard　kick；　and　threw　him　off　Katya。　He　rolled　over　in　the　dirt；　which　got　a　laugh　from　the　youngest　of　the　men；　seeing　the　lovers　wetly　parted　thus。
　 The　Duke　was　issuing　further　orders；　and　in　response　another　of　the　riders　dismounted；　his　sword　drawn。　Todd　spat　out　a　mouthful　of　earth；　and　made　an　attempt　to　push　his　rapidly　wilting　erection　back　into　his　pants　before　it　became　a　target。　Katya　was　still　lying　on　the　ground　（though　she　too　had　managed　to　cover　her　nakedness）；　the　first　of　the　men　who'd　dismounted　was　standing　over　her；　his　sword　dropped　so　that　its　point　hung　no　more　than　two　or　three　inches　above　her　pale；　slender　neck
　
　 The　first　word　out　of　Todd's　mouth　was：　〃Please。。。〃
　 The　nobleman　was　looking　at　him　with　a　strange　expression　on　his　face：　part　amusement；　part　suspicion。
　 〃I　don't　know　if　you　can　understand　me；〃　Todd　said　to　him。　〃But　we　meant　no　harm。〃
　 He　glanced　down　at　Katya；　who　was　staring　up　at　the　blade。
　 〃He　doesn't　know　what　you're　saying；〃　she　said。　〃Let　me　try。〃　She　spoke　now　in　the　language　of　the　lord。　〃Doamne；　eu　si　prietenul　meu　suntem　vizitatori　prin　locurile　astea。　N…am　sttut　ca　este　proprietatea　domniei　tale。〃
　 Todd　looked　and　listened；　wondering　what　the　hell　she　was　saying。　But　her　explanation；　whatever　it　was；　didn't　seem　to　be　making　any　great　change　in　their　circumstances。　The　sword　was　still　at　her　throat；　while　the　second　horseman　was　now　within　two　or　three　yards　of　Todd；　waving　his　own　blade　around　in　a　highly　menacing　fashion。
　 Todd　glanced　up　at　the　Duke　again。　The　trace　of　amusement　Todd　had　thought　he'd　seen　there　had　gone。　There　was　only　suspicion　now。　It　crossed　Todd's　mind　that　perhaps　it　had　been　an　error　for　Katya　to　speak　in　the　man's　tongue；　that　perhaps　she'd　only　deepened　his　belief　that　these　lovers　were　more　than　over…heated　trespassers。
　 He　felt　a　prick　in　the　middle　of　his　chest。　The　cold　point　of　the　sword　was　pressed　into　his　skin。　A　small　pool　of　blood　was　already　ing　from　the　spot；　spreading　through　the　weave　of　his　shirt。
　 Katya　had　stopped　talking　for　a　moment…Todd　thought　perhaps　she　realized　she　was　doing　more　harm　than　good…but　now　she　began　again；　making　whatever　pleas　she　could。
　 The　man　on　the　braided　horse　raised　his　hand。
　 〃Liniste；〃　he　said。
　 He'd　obviously　told　her　to　shut　the　hell　up；　because　that　was　exactly　what　she　did。
　 There　was　a　sound　on　the　wind；　and　it　instantly　had　all　of　the　nobleman's　attention。　Somewhere　not　so　far　away　a　baby　was　crying：　a　mournful　wail　of　a　sound；　that…though　it　was　surely　human…reminded　Todd　of　the　noise　the　coyotes　would　make　some　nights　in　the　Canyon。
　 After　a　few　moments　of　listening；　the　Duke　let　out　a　stream　of　orders：　〃Lasati…i！　Pe　cai！　Ala…i　copilul！〃
　 The　two　men　who'd　been　threatening　Katya　and　Todd　sheathed　their　swords　and　returned　to　their　mounts。　The　baby's　cry　seemed　to　falter　for　a　moment；　and　Todd　feared　it　would　fade　pletely　and　the　swordsmen　would　return　to　their　threats；　but　then　the　infant　seemed　to　find　a　new　seam　of　grief　to　mine；　and　the　wail　rose　up　again；　more　plaintive　then　ever。
　 The　men　were　exchanging　more　urgent　words；　and　pointing　in　the　direction　from　which　the　sound　was　ing。
　 〃Este　acolol　Grabiti…va！〃
　 〃In　padure！　Copilul　este　？n　padure！〃
　 Katya　and　Todd　were　summarily　forgotten。　The　horsemen　were　by　now　all　re…mounted；　and　the　Duke　was　already　galloping　away；　leaving　his　weary　pany　to　follow　in　his　dust。
　 Todd　felt　a　curious　sense　of　betrayal；　the　kind　felt　when　a　story　takes　an　unanticipated　turn。　That　he　should　have　e　into　this　half…eclipsed　world　and　been　made　to　bleed　at　the　point　of　a　sword　seemed　absolutely　apt。　That　the　man　who'd　threatened　him　had　ridden　away　to　pursue　a　crying　baby　did　not。
　 〃What　the　hell　is　going　on？〃　he　said　as　he　bent　to　help　Katya　up　off　the　ground。
　 〃They　heard　Qwaftzefoni；　the　Devil's　child；〃　she　said。
　 〃Who？〃
　 She　looked　back　in　the　direction　of　the　riders。　They　were　already　halfway　to　the　line　of　densely　packed　trees　from　which　the　pitiful　summons　had　seemed　to　e；　receding　into　the　quarter…light　as　though　being　steadily　erased。
　 〃It's　a　long　story；〃　she　said。　〃I　heard　it　first　when　I　was　a　child。。。and　it　used　to　frighten　me。。。〃
　 〃Yes？〃　he　said。
　 〃Oh　yes。〃
　 〃Well；〃　Todd　said；　a　little　impatiently；　〃are　you　going　to　tell　me？〃
　 〃I　don't　know　if　it'll　frighten　you。〃
　 He　wiped　the　blood　from　the　middle　of　his　chest　with　the　heel　of　his　hand。　There　was　a　deep　nick　in　his　chest；　which　instantly　welled　with　blood　again。
　 〃Tell　me　anyway；〃　he　said。
　
　
　TWO
　 Though　it　had　been　Zeffer　who'd　offered　the　explanation　of　what　lay　down　in　the　guts　of　the　house；　Tammy　opened　the　conversation　with　a　question