[科幻]宿主-第88章

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wasn’t　sleeping　with　it；　at　least。　It　made　me　a　little　nervous　to　have　Jamie　with　me　unprotected；　but　I　
decided　he　was　actually　in　less　danger　without　the　gun。　No　one　would　feel　the　need　to　hurt　him　when　he　
wasn’t　a　threat。　Besides；　no　one　came　looking　for　me　anymore。

　Jeb　started　sending　me　on　little　errands。　Run　back　to　the　kitchen　for　another　roll；　he　was　still　hungry。　Go　
fetch　a　bucket　of　water；　this　corner　of　the　field　was　dry。　Pull　Jamie　out　of　his　class；　Jeb　needed　to　speak　
with　him。　Were　the　spinach　sprouts　up　yet？　Go　and　check。　Did　I　remember　my　way　through　the　south　
caves？　Jeb　had　a　message　for　Doc。

　Every　time　I　had　to　carry　out　one　of　these　simple　directives；　I　was　in　a　sweaty　haze　of　fear。　I　
concentrated　on　being　invisible　and　walked　as　quickly　as　I　could　without　running　through　the　big　rooms　
and　the　dark　corridors。　I　tended　to　hug　the　walls　and　keep　my　eyes　down。　Occasionally；　I　would　stop　
conversation　the　way　I　used　to；　but　mostly　I　was　ignored。　The　only　time　I　felt　in　immediate　danger　of　
death　was　when　I　interrupted　Sharon’s　class　to　get　Jamie。　The　look　Sharon　gave　me　seemed　designed　to　
be　followed　by　hostile　action。　But　she　let　Jamie　go　with　a　nod　after　I　choked　out　my　whispered　request；　
and　when　we　were　alone；　he　held　my　shaking　hand　and　told　me　Sharon　looked　the　same　way　at　anyone　
who　interrupted　her　class。

　The　very　worst　was　the　time　I　had　to　find　Doc；　because　Ian　insisted　on　showing　me　the　way。　I　could　
have　refused；　I　suppose；　but　Jeb　didn’t　have　a　problem　with　the　arrangement；　and　that　meant　Jeb　trusted　
Ian　not　to　kill　me。　I　was　far　from　fortable　with　testingthat　theory；　but　it　seemed　the　test　was　
inevitable。　If　Jeb　was　wrong　to　trust　Ian；　then　Ian　would　find　his　opportunity　soon　enough。　So　I　went　with　
Ian　through　the　long　black　southern　tunnel　as　if　it　were　a　trial　by　fire。

　I　lived　through　the　first　half。　Doc　got　his　message。　He　seemed　unsurprised　to　see　Ian　tagging　along　
beside　me。　Perhaps　it　was　my　imagination；　but　I　thought　they　exchanged　a　significant　glance。　I　half　
expected　them　to　strap　me　to　one　of　Doc’s　gurneys　at　that　point。　These　rooms　continued　to　make　me　
feel　nauseated。

　But　Doc　just　thanked　me　and　sent　me　on　my　way　as　if　he　were　busy。　I　couldn’t　really　tell　what　he　was　
doing—he　had　several　books　open　and　stacks　and　stacks　of　papers　that　seemed　to　contain　nothing　but　
sketches。

　On　the　way　back；　curiosity　overcame　my　fear。

　“Ian？”　I　asked；　having　a　bit　of　difficulty　saying　the　name　for　the　first　time。

　“Yes？”　He　sounded　surprised　that　I’d　addressed　him。

　“Why　haven’t　you　killed　me　yet？”

　He　snorted。　“That’s　direct。”

　“You　could；　you　know。　Jeb　might　be　annoyed；　but　I　don’t　think　he’d　shoot　you。”　What　was　I　saying？　It　
sounded　like　I　was　trying　to　convince　him。　I　bit　my　tongue。

　“I　know；”　he　said；　his　tone　placent。　

　

　“It　doesn’t　seem　fair；”　Ian　finally　said。　“I’ve　been　thinking　about　it　a　lot；　and　I　can’t　see　how　killing　you　
would　make　anything　right。　It　would　be　like　executing　a　private　for　a　general’s　war　crimes。　Now；　I　don’t　
buy　all　of　Jeb’s　crazy　theories—it　would　be　nice　to　believe；　sure；　but　just　because　you　want　something　to　
be　true　doesn’t　make　it　that　way。　Whether　he’s　right　or　wrong；　though；　you　don’t　appear　to　mean　us　any　
harm。　I　have　to　admit；　you　seem　honestly　fond　of　that　boy。　It’s　very　strange　to　watch。　Anyway；　as　long　
as　you　don’t　put　us　in　danger；　it　seems…cruel　to　kill　you。　What’s　one　more　misfit　in　this　place？”

　I　thought　about　the　wordmisfit　for　a　moment。　It　might　have　been　the　truest　description　of　me　I’d　ever　
heard。　Where　had　I　ever　fit　in？

　How　strange　that　Ian；　of　all　the　humans；　should　have　such　a　surprisingly　gentle　interior。　I　didn’t　realize　
thatcruelty　would　seem　a　negative　to　him。

　He　waited　in　silence　while　I　considered　all　this。

　“If　you　don’t　want　to　kill　me；　then　why　did　you　e　with　me　today？”　I　asked。

　He　paused　again　before　answering。

　“I’m　not　sure　that…”　He　hesitated。　“Jeb　thinks　things　have　calmed　down；　but　I’m　not　pletely　sure　
about　that。　There’re　still　a　few　people…　Anyway；　Doc　and　I　have　been　trying　to　keep　an　eye　on　you　
when　we　can。　Just　in　case。　Sending　you　down　the　south　tunnel　seemed　like　pushing　your　luck；　to　me。　But　
that’s　what　Jeb　does　best—he　pushes　luck　as　far　as　it　will　go。”

　“You…　you　and　Doc　are　trying　toprotect　me？”

　“Strange　world；　isn’t　it？”

　It　was　a　few　seconds　before　I　could　answer。

　“The　strangest；”　I　finally　agreed。

　CHAPTER　25

　pelled

　Another　week　passed；　maybe　two—there　seemed　little　point　in　keeping　track　of　time　here；　where　it　was　
so　irrelevant—and　things　only　got　stranger　for　me。

　I　worked　with　the　humans　every　day；　but　not　always　with　Jeb。　Some　days　Ian　was　with　me；　some　days　
Doc；　and　some　days　only　Jamie。　I　weeded　fields；　kneaded　bread；　and　scrubbed　counters。　I　carried　
water；　boiled　onion　soup；　washed　clothes　in　the　far　end　of　the　black　pool；　and　burned　my　hands　making　
that　acidic　soap。　Everyone　did　their　part；　and　since　I　had　no　right　to　be　here；　I　tried　to　work　twice　as　
hard　as　the　others。　I　could　not　earn　a　place；　I　knew　that；　but　I　tried　to　make　my　presence　as　light　a　
burden　as　possible。

　I　got　to　know　a　little　about　the　humans　around　me；　mostly　just　by　listening　to　them。　I　learned　their　names；　

　

　I　also　learned　more　about　my　neighbors。

　Ian　and　Kyle　shared　the　cave　on　my　hallway　with　the　two　real　doors　propped　over　the　entrance。　Ian　had　
begun　bunking　with　Wes　in　another　corridor　in　protest　of　my　presence　here；　but　he’d　moved　back　after　
just　two　nights。　The　other　nearby　caves　had　also　gone　vacant　for　a　while。　Jeb　told　me　the　occupants　were　
afraid　of　me；　which　made　me　laugh。　Were　twenty…nine　rattlesnakes　afraid　of　a　lone　field　mouse？

　Now　Paige　was　back；　next　door；　in　the　cave　she　shared　with　her　partner；　Andy；　whose　absence　she　
mourned。　Lily　was　with　Heidi　in　the　first　cave；　with　the　flowered　sheets；　Heath　was　in　the　second；　with　
the　duct…taped　cardboard；　and　Trudy　and　Geoffrey　were　in　the　third；　with　a　striped　quilt。　Reid　and　
Violetta　were　one　cave　farther　down　the　hall　than　mine；　their　privacy　protected　by　a　stained　and　
threadbare　oriental　carpet。

　The　fourth　cave　in　this　corridor　belonged　to　Doc　and　Sharon；　and　the　fifth　to　Maggie；　but　none　of　these　
three　had　returned。

　Doc　and　Sharon　were　partnered；　and　Maggie；　in　her　rare　moments　of　sarcastic　humor；　teased　Sharon　
that　it　had　taken　the　end　of　humanity　for　Sharon　to　find　the　perfect　man：　every　mother　wanted　a　doctor　
for　her　daughter。

　Sharon　was　not　the　girl　I’d　seen　in　Melanie’s　memories。　Was　it　the　years　of　living　alone　with　the　dour　
Maggie　that　had　changed　her　into　a　more　brightly　colored　version　of　her　mother？　Though　her　relationship　
with　Doc　was　newer　to　this　world　than　I　was；　she　showed　none　of　the　softening　effects　of　new　love。

　I　knew　the　duration　of　that　relationship　from　Jamie—Sharon　and　Maggie　rarely　forgot　when　I　was　in　a　
room　with　them；　and　their　conversation　was　guarded。　They　were　still　the　strongest　opposition；　the　only　
people　here　whose　ignoring　me　continued　to　feel　aggressively　hostile。

　I’d　asked　Jamie　how　Sharon　and　Maggie　had　gotten　here。　Had　they　found　Jeb　on　their　own；　beaten　
Jared　and　Jamie　here？　He　seemed　to　understand　the　real　question：　had　Melanie’s　last　effort　to　find　them　
been　entirely　a　waste？

　Jamie　told　me　no。　When　Jared　had　showed　him　Melanie’s　last　note；　explained　that　she　was　gone—it　

　

　It　had　not　taken　long　with　Maggie　and　Jared　working　together　for　them　to　decipher　Jeb’s　riddle。　The　
four　of　them　had　gotten　to　the　caves　before　I’d　moved　from　Chicago　to　San　Diego。

　When　Jamie　and　I　spoke　of　Melanie；　it　was　not　as　difficult　as　it　should　have　been。　She　was　always　a　part　
of　these　conversations—soothing　his　pain；　smoothing　my　awkwardness—though　she　had　little　to　say。　She　
rarely　spoke　to　me　anymore；　and　when　she　did　it　was　muted；　now　and　then　I　wasn’t　sure　if　I　really　heard　
her　or　just　my　own　idea　of　what　she　might　think。　But　she　made　an　effort　for　Jamie。　When　I　heard　her；　it　
was　always　with　him。　When　she　didn’t　speak；　we　both