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！
t about Speedy （found out what； though？） and had 。 。 。 Jack mentally saw the WILD CHILD van careening around a corner； grinding its gears and picking up speed。
He jerked himself into motion； hardly knowing which way he meant to go。 In the bright panic of his mood； he saw Uncle Morgan running past a row of distorting mirrors； turned by them into a series of monstrous and deformed figures。 Horns grew on his bald brow； a hump flowered between his fleshy shoulders； his wide fingers became shovels。 Jack veered sharply off to the right； and found himself moving toward an oddly shaped； almost round building of white slatlike boards。
From within it he suddenly heard a rhythmic tap tap tap。 The boy ran toward the sound…a wrench hitting a pipe； a hammer striking an anvil； a noise of work。 In the midst of the slats he found a doorknob and pulled open a fragile slat…door。
Jack went forward into striped darkness； and the sound grew louder。 The darkness changed form around him； altered its dimensions。 He stretched out his hands and touched canvas。 This slid aside； instantly； glowing yellow light fell about him。 'Travellin Jack；' said Speedy's voice。
Jack turned toward the voice and saw the custodian seated on the ground beside a partially dismantled merry…go…round。 He held a wrench in his hand； and before him a white horse with a foamy mane lay impaled by a long silver stake from pommel to belly。 Speedy gently put the wrench on the ground。 'Are you ready to talk now； son？' he asked。
CHAPTER 4
Jack Goes Over
1
'Yes； I'm ready now；' Jack said in a perfectly calm voice； and then burst into tears。
'Say； Travellin Jack；' Speedy said； dropping his wrench and ing to him。 'Say； son； take her easy； take her easy now 。 。 。 '
But Jack couldn't take her easy。 Suddenly it was too much； all of it； too much； and it was cry or just sink under a great wave of blackness…a wave which no bright streak of gold could illuminate。 The tears hurt； but he sensed the terror would kill him if he did not cry it out。
'You do your weepin； Travellin Jack；' Speedy said； and put his arms around him。 Jack put his hot； swollen face against Speedy's thin shirt； smelling the man's smell…something like Old Spice； something like cinnamon； something like books that no one has taken out of the library in a long time。 Good smells； forting smells。 He groped his arms around Speedy； his palms felt the bones in Speedy's back； close to the surface； hardly covered by scant meat。
'You weep if it put you easy again；' Speedy said； rocking him。 'Sometimes it does。 I know。 Speedy knows how far you been； Travellin Jack； and how far you got to go； and how you tired。 So you weep if it put you easy。'
Jack barely understood the words…only the sounds of them； soothing and calming。
'My mother's really sick；' he said at last against Speedy's chest。 'I think she came here to get away from my father's old partner。 Mr。 Morgan Sloat。' He sniffed mightily； let go of Speedy； stepped back； and rubbed at his swollen eyes with the heels of his hands。 He was surprised at his lack of embarrassment…always before； his tears had disgusted and shamed him 。 。 。 it was almost like peeing your pants。 Was that because his mother had always been so tough？ He supposed that was part of it； all right； Lily Cavanaugh had little use for tears。
'But that ain't the only reason she e here； was it？'
'No；' Jack said in a low voice。 'I think 。 。 。 she came here to die。' His voice rose impossibly on the last word； making a squeak like an unoiled hinge。
'Maybe；' Speedy said； looking at Jack steadily。 'And maybe you here to save her。 Her 。 。 。 and a woman just like her。'
'Who？' Jack said through numb lips。 He knew who。 He didn't know her name； but he knew who。
'The Queen；' Speedy said。 'Her name is Laura DeLoessian； and she is the Queen of the Territories。'
2
'Help me；' Speedy grunted。 'Catch ole Silver Lady right under the tail。 You be takin' liberties with the Lady； but I guess she ain't gonna mind if you're helpin me get her back where she belong。'
'Is that what you call her？ Silver Lady？'
'Yeah bob；' Speedy said； grinning； showing perhaps a dozen teeth； top and bottom。 'All carousel horses is named； don't you know that？ Catch on。 Travellin Jack！'
Jack reached under the white horse's wooden tail and locked his fingers together。 Grunting； Speedy wrapped his big brown hands around the Lady's forelegs。 Together they carried the wooden horse over to the canted dish of the carousel； the pole pointing down； its far end sinister with layers of Quaker State oil。
'Little to the left 。 。 。 ' Speedy gasped。 'Yeah 。 。 。 now peg her； Travellin Jack！ Peg her down good！'
They seated the pole and then stood back； Jack panting； Speedy grinning and gasping wheezily。 The black man armed sweat from his brow and then turned his grin on Jack。
'My； ain't we cool？'
'If you say so；' Jack answered； smiling。
'I say so！ Oh yes！' Speedy reached into his back pocket and pulled out the dark green pint bottle。 He unscrewed the cap； drank…and for a moment Jack felt a weird certainty： he could see through Speedy。 Speedy had bee transparent； as ghostly as one of the spirits on the Topper show； which they showed on one of the indy stations out in L。A。 Speedy was disappearing。 Disappearing； Jack thought； or going someplace else？ But that was another nutty thought； it made no sense at all。
Then Speedy was as solid as ever。 It had just been a trick his eyes had played； a momentary…
No。 No it wasn't。 For just a second he almost wasn't here！
…hallucination。
Speedy was looking shrewdly at him。 He started to hold the bottle out to Jack； then shook his head a little。 He recapped it instead； and then slid it into his back pocket again。 He turned to study the Silver Lady； back in her place on the carousel； now needing only to have her post bolted securely into place。 He was smiling。 'We just as cool as we can be； Travellin Jack。'
'Speedy…'
'All of em is named；' Speedy said； walking slowly around the canted dish of the carousel； his footfalls echoing in the high building。 Overhead； in the shadowy crisscross of the beams； a few barnswallows cooed softly。 Jack followed him。 'Silver Lady 。 。 。 Midnight 。 。 。 this here roan is Scout 。 。 。 this mare's Ella Speed。'
The black man threw back his head and sang； startling the barnswallows into flight：
' 'Ella Speed was havin her lovin fun 。 。 。 let me tell you what old Bill Martin done ' Hoo！ Look at em fly！' He laughed 。 。 。 but when he turned to Jack； he was serious again。 'You like to take a shot at savin your mother's life； Jack？ Hers； and the life of that other woman I tole you about？'
'I 。 。 。 ' 。 。 。 don't know how； he meant to say； but a voice inside…a voice which came from that same previously locked room from which the memory of the two men and the attempted kidnapping had e that morning…rose up powerfully： You do know！ You might need Speedy to get you started； but you do know； Jack。 You do。
He knew that voice so very well。 It was his father's voice。
'I will if you tell me how；' he said； his voice rising and falling unevenly。
Speedy crossed to the room's far wall…a great circular shape made of narrow slatted boards； painted with a primitive but wildly energetic mural of dashing horses。 To Jack； the wall looked like the pull…down lid of his father's rolltop desk （and that desk had been in Morgan Sloat's office the last time Jack and his mother had been there； he suddenly remembered…the thought brought a thin； milky anger with it）。
Speedy pulled out a gigantic ring of keys； picked thoughtfully through them； found the one he wanted； and turned it in a padlock。 He pulled the lock out of the hasp； clicked it shut； and dropped it into one of his breast pockets。 Then he shoved the entire wall back on its track。 Gorgeously bright sunlight poured in； making Jack narrow his eyes。 Water ripples danced benignly across the ceiling。 They were looking at the magnificent sea…view the riders of the Arcadia Funworld Carousel got each time Silver Lady and Midnight and Scout carried them past the east side of the round carousel building。 A light sea…breeze pushed Jack's hair back from his forehead。
'Best to have sunlight if we're gonna talk about this；' Speedy said。 'e on over here； Travellin Jack； and I'll tell you what I can 。 。 。 which ain't all I know。 God forbid you should ever have to get all of that。'
3
Speedy talked in his soft voice…it was as mellow and soothing to Jack as leather that has been well broken in。 Jack listened； sometimes frowning； sometimes gaping。
'You know those things you call the Daydreams？'
Jack nodded。
'Those things ain't dreams； Travellin Jack。 Not daydreams； not nightdreams； either。 That place is a real place。 Real enough； anyway。 It's a lot different from here； but it's real。'
'Speedy； my mom says…'
'Never mind that right now。 She don't know about the Territories 。 。 。 but； in a way； she do know about them。 Because your daddy； he knew。 And this other man…'
'Morgan Sloat？'
'Yeah； I reckon。 He knows too。' Then； cryptically； Speedy added； 'I know who he is over there； too。 Don't I！ Whooo！'
'The picture in your office 。 。 。 not Africa？'
'Not Africa。'
'Not a trick？'
'Not a trick。'
'And my father went to this place？' he asked； but his heart already knew the answer…it was an answer that clarified too many things not to be true。 But； true or not； Jack wasn't sure how much of it he wanted to believe。 Magic lands？ Sick queens？ It made him uneasy。 It made him uneasy about his mind。 Hadn't his mother told him over and over again when he was small that he shouldn't confuse his Daydreaming with what was really real？ She had been very stern about that； and she had frightened Jack a little。 Perhaps； he thought now； she had been frightened herself。 Could she have lived with Jack's father for so long and not known something？ Jack didn't think so。 Maybe； he thought； she didn't know very much 。 。 。 just enough to scare her。
Going nuts。 That's what she was talking about。 People who couldn't tell the difference between real things and make…believe were going nuts。
But his father had known a different truth； hadn't he？ Yes。 He and Morgan Sloat。
They have magic like we have physics； right？
'Your father went often； yes。 And this other man； Groat…'
'Sloat。'
'Yeah…bob！ Him。 He went； too。 Only your dad； Jacky； he went to see and learn。 The other fella； he just went to plunder him out a fortune。'
'Did Morgan Sloat kill my Uncle Tommy？' Jack asked。
'Don't know nuthin bout that。 You just listen to me； Travellin Jack。 Because time is short。 If you really think this fellow Sloat is gonna turn up here…'
'He sounded awful mad；' Jack said。 Just thinking about Uncle Morgan showing up in Arcadia Beach made him feel nervous。
'…then time is shorter than ever。 Because maybe he wouldn't mind so bad if your mother died。 And his Twinner is sure hopin that Queen Laura dies。'
'Twinner？'
'There's people in this world have got Twinners in the Territories；' Speedy said。 'Not many； because there's a lot less people over there…maybe only one for every hundred thousand over here。 But Twinners can go back and forth the easiest。'
'This Queen 。 。 。 she's my mother's 。 。 。 her Twinner？'
'Yeah； seems like she is。'
'But my mother never…？'
'No。 She never has。 No reason。'
'My father had a 。 。 。 a Twinner？'
'Yes indeed he did。 A fine man。'
Jack wet his lips…what a crazy conversation this was！ Twinners and Territories！ 'When my father died over here； did his Twinner die over there？'
'Yeah。 Not zackly the same time； but almost。'
'Speedy？'
'What？'
'Have I got a Twinner？ In the Territories？'
And Speedy looked at him so seriously that Jack felt a deep chill go up his back。 'Not you； son。 There's only one of you。 You special。 And this fella Smoot…'
'Sloat；' Jack said； smiling a little。
'…yeah； whatever； he knows it。 That be one of the reasons he be ing up here soon。 And one of the reasons you got to get movin。'
'Why？' Jack burst out。 'What good can I d