[科幻]宿主-第97章

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spout。　“It　encourages　your　tissues　to　rejoin；　to　grow　the　way　they　should。”　
She　dribbled　a　tiny　bit　of　the　clear　liquid　into　the　wide　cut　on　my　arm；　then　she　pushed　the　edges　of　the　
wound　together。　I　could　feel　her　touch；　but　there　was　no　pain。　
“I’ll　seal　this　up　before　I　move　on。”　She　opened　another　container；　this　one　a　pliable　tube；　and　then　
squeezed　out　a　line　of　thick；　clear　jelly　onto　her　finger。　“Like　glue；”　she　told　me。　“It　holds　everything　

together　and　lets　the　Heal　do　its　job。”　She　wiped　it　over　my　arm　in　one　swift　pass。　“Okay；　you　can　move　
that　now。　Your　arm　is　fine。”　
I　held　it　up　to　look。　A　faint　pink　line　was　visible　under　the　shiny　gel。　The　blood　was　still　wet　on　my　arm；　


but　there　was　no　source　anymore。　As　I　watched；　the　Healer　cleaned　my　skin　with　one　quick　pass　of　a　


damp　towel。　
“Turn　your　face　this　way；　please。　Hmm；　you　must　have　hit　those　rocks　just　exactly　wrong。　What　a　
mess。”


　“Yes。　It　was　a　bad　fall。”　
“Well；　thank　goodness　you　were　able　to　drive　yourself　here。”　
She　was　lightly　dripping　Heal　onto　my　cheek；　smearing　it　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers。　“Ah；　I　love　to　watch　


it　work。　Looks　much　better　already。　Okay…　around　the　edges。”　She　smiled　to　herself。　“Maybe　one　
more　coat。　I　want　this　to　be　erased。”　She　worked　for　a　minute　longer。　“Very　nice。”　
“Here’s　some　water；”　the　older　woman　said　as　she　came　through　the　door。　
“Thank　you；　Cerulean。”　
“Let　me　know　if　you　need　anything　more。　I’ll　be　up　front。”


　“Thanks。”　
Cerulean　left。　I　wondered　if　she　was　from　the　Flower　Planet。　Blue　flowers　were　rare—one　might　take　a　
name　from　that。


　“You　can　sit　now。　How　do　you　feel？”　


　

　“That’s　just　how　it　should　be。　Okay；　let’s　dust　on　a　little　Smooth。”　
She　twisted　the　last　cylinder’s　top　and　shook　an　iridescent　powder　into　her　hand。　She　patted　it　into　my　
cheek；　then　patted　another　handful　onto　my　arm。


　“You’ll　always　have　a　small　line　on　your　arm；”　she　said　apologetically。　“Like　your　neck。　A　deep　
wound…”　She　shrugged。　Absentmindedly；　she　brushed　the　hair　back　from　my　neck　and　examined　the　
scar。　“This　was　nicely　done。　Who　was　your　Healer？”

　“Um…　Faces　Sunward；”　I　said；　pulling　the　name　from　one　of　my　old　students。　“I　was　in…　Eureka；　
Montana。　I　didn’t　like　the　cold。　I　moved　south。”

　So　many　lies。　I　felt　a　twist　of　anxiety　in　my　stomach。　
“I　started　out　in　Maine；”　she　said；　not　noticing　anything　amiss　in　my　voice。　As　she　spoke；　she　cleaned　the　
blood　from　my　neck。　“It　was　too　cold　for　me；　too。　What’s　your　Calling？”


　“Um…　I　serve　food。　In　a　Mexican　restaurant　in…　Phoenix。　I　like　spicy　food。”　
“Me；　too。”　She　wasn’t　looking　at　me　funny。　She　was　wiping　my　cheek　now。　
“Very　nice。　No　worries；　Glass　Spires。　Your　face　looks　great。”　
“Thank　you；　Healer。”　
“Of　course。　Would　you　like　some　water？”　
“Yes；　please。”　I　kept　a　grip　on　myself。　It　wouldn’t　do　to　bolt　the　glass　down　the　way　I　wanted　to。　I　


wasn’t　able　to　stop　myself　from　finishing　it　all；　though。　It　tasted　too　good。　
“Would　you　like　more？”　
“I…　yes；　that　would　be　nice。　Thank　you。”　
“I’ll　be　right　back。”　
The　second　she　was　out　the　door；　I　slid　off　the　mattress。　The　paper　crackled；　freezing　me　in　place。　She　


didn’t　dart　back　in。　I　had　only　seconds。　It　had　taken　Cerulean　a　few　minutes　to　get　the　water。　Maybe　it　


would　take　the　Healer　just　as　long。　Maybe　the　cool；　pure　water　was　far　away　from　this　room。　Maybe。　
I　ripped　the　pack　off　my　shoulders　and　wrenched　the　drawstrings　open。　I　started　with　the　second　
cabinet。　There　was　the　stacked　column　of　Heal。　I　grabbed　the　whole　column　and　let　it　clatter　quietly　into　
the　bottom　of　my　pack。

　What　would　I　say　if　she　caught　me？　What　lie　could　I　tell？　
I　took　the　two　kinds　of　Clean　next；　from　the　first　cabinet。　There　was　a　second　stack　behind　the　first　of　


　

the　Seal；　when　the　label　of　the　next　row　of　cylinders　caught　my　attention。　
Cool。　For　fevers？　There　were　no　instructions；　just　the　label。　I　took　the　stack。　Nothing　here　would　hurt　a　
human　body。　I　was　sure　of　that。

　I　grabbed　all　the　Seal　and　two　cans　of　Smooth。　I　couldn’t　press　my　luck　any　further。　I　closed　the　
cabinets　quietly　and　threw　my　arms　through　the　straps　of　the　pack。　I　leaned　against　the　mattress；　making　
another　crackle。　I　tried　to　look　relaxed。

　She　didn’t　e　back。　
I　checked　the　clock。　It　had　been　one　minute。　How　far　away　was　the　water？　
Two　minutes。　
Three　minutes。　
Had　my　lies　been　as　obvious　to　her　as　they　were　to　me？　
Sweat　started　to　dew　up　on　my　forehead。　I　wiped　it　away　quickly。　
What　if　she　brought　back　a　Seeker？　
I　thought　of　the　small　pill　in　my　pocket；　and　my　hands　shook。　I　could　do　it；　though。　For　Jamie。　
I　heard　quiet　footsteps　then；　two　sets；　ing　down　the　hall。


　CHAPTER　45


　Succeeded

　Healer　Knits　Fire　and　Cerulean　walked　through　the　door　together。　The　Healer　handed　me　a　tall　glass　of　
water。　It　didn’t　feel　as　cold　as　the　first—my　fingers　were　cold　with　fear　now。　The　dark…skinned　woman　
had　something　for　me；　too。　She　handed　me　a　flat　rectangle　with　a　handle。

　“I　thought　you　would　want　to　see；”　Knits　Fire　said　with　a　warm　smile。

　The　tension　flooded　out　of　me。　There　was　no　suspicion　or　fear。　Just　more　kindness　from　the　souls　who　
had　dedicated　their　lives　to　Healing。

　Cerulean　had　given　me　a　mirror。

　I　held　it　up　and　then　tried　to　stifle　my　gasp。

　My　face　looked　the　way　I　remembered　it　from　San　Diego。　The　face　I’d　taken　for　granted　there。　The　
skin　was　smooth　and　peachy　across　my　right　cheekbone。　If　I　looked　carefully；　it　was　just　a　little　lighter　
and　pinker　in　color　than　the　tan　on　the　other　cheek。

　It　was　a　face　that　belonged　to　Wanderer；　the　soul。　It　belonged　here；　in　this　civilized　place　where　there　
was　no　violence　and　no　horror。　

　

　“What　do　you　think？”　the　Healer　asked。

　“I　look　perfect。　Thank　you。”

　“It　was　my　pleasure　to　heal　you。”

　I　looked　at　myself　again；　seeing　details　beyond　the　perfection。　My　hair　was　ragged—dirty；　with　uneven　

ends。　There　was　no　gloss　to　it—homemade　soap　and　poor　nutrition　were　to　blame　for　that。　Though　the　
Healer　had　cleaned　the　blood　from　my　neck；　it　was　still　smudged　with　purple　dust。

　“I　think　it’s　time　I　called　the　camping　trip　quits。　I　need　to　clean　up；”　I　murmured。

　“Do　you　camp　often？”

　“In　all　my　free　time；　lately。　I…　can’t　seem　to　keep　away　from　the　desert。”

　“You　must　be　brave。　I　find　the　city　much　more　fortable。”

　“Not　brave—just　different。”

　In　the　mirror；　my　eyes　were　familiar　rings　of　hazel。　Dark　gray　on　the　outside；　a　circle　of　moss　green；　and　
then　another　circle　of　caramel　brown　around　the　pupil。　Underlying　it　all；　a　faint　shimmer　of　silver　that　
would　reflect　the　light；　magnify　it。

　Jamie？Mel　asked　urgently；　beginning　to　feel　nervous。　I　was　too　fortable　here。　She　could　see　the　
logic　of　the　other　path　laid　out　before　me；　and　that　frightened　her。

　I　know　who　I　am；I　told　her。

　I　blinked；　then　looked　back　at　the　friendly　faces　beside　me。

　“Thank　you；”　I　said　again　to　the　Healer。　“I　suppose　I’d　better　be　on　my　way。”

　“It’s　very　late。　You　could　sleep　here　if　you’d　like。”

　“I’m　not　tired。　I　feel…　perfect。”

　The　Healer　grinned。　“No　Pain　does　that。”

　Cerulean　walked　me　to　the　reception　area。　She　put　her　hand　on　my　shoulder　as　I　stepped　through　the　
door。

　My　heart　beat　faster。　Had　she　noticed　that　my　pack；　once　flat；　was　now　bulging？

　“Be　more　careful；　dear；”　she　said；　and　patted　my　arm。　

　

　She　smiled　and　went　back　to　her　desk。

　I　kept　my　pace　even　as　I　walked　through　the　parking　lot。　I　wanted　to　run。　What　if　the　Healer　looked　in　

her　cabinets？　How　soon　would　she　realize　why　they　were　half　empty？

　The　car　was　still　there；　in　the　pocket　of　darkness　created　by　a　gap　between　streetlights。　It　looked　empty。　
My　breath　came　fast　and　uneven。　Of　course　it　should　look　empty。　That　was　the　whole　point。　But　my　
lungs　didn’t　calm　until　I　could　glimpse　the　vague　shape　under　the　blanket　on　the　backseat。

　I　opened　the　door　and　put　the　backpack　on　the　passenger　seat—it　settled　there　with　a　reassuring　
clatter—then　I　climbed　in　and　shut　the　door。　There　was　no　reason　to　slam　the　locks　down；　I　ignored　the　
urge。

　“Are　you　okay？”　Jared　whispered　as　soon　as　the　door　was　closed。　His　voice　was　a　strained；　anxious　
rasp。

　“Shh；”　I　said；　keeping　my　lips　as　still　as　I　could。　“Wait。”

　I　drove　past　the　bright　entrance　and　answered　Cerulean’s　wave　with　one　of　my　own。

　“Making　friends？”

　We　were　on　the　dark　road。　No　one　was　watching　me　anymore。　I　slumped　in　the　seat。　My　hands　started　

to　shake。　I　could　allow　that；　now　that　it　was　over。　Now　that　I’d　succeeded。

　“All　souls　are　friends；”　I　told　him；　using　my　normal　volume。

　“Are　you　all　right？”　he　demanded　again。

　“I’m　healed。”

　“Let　me　see。”

　I　stretched　my　left　arm　across　my　body；　so　he　could　see　the　tiny　pink　line。

　He　sucked　in　a　surprised　breath。

　The　blanket　rustled；　he　sat　up　and　then　climbed　through　the　space　between　the　seats。　He　pushed　the　

backpack　out　of　the　way；　then　pulled　it　onto　his　lap；　testing　its　weight。

　He　looked　up　at　me　as　we　passed　under　a　streetlamp；　and　he　gasped。

　“Your　face！”

　“It’s　healed；　too。　Naturally。”

　He　raised　one　hand；　holding　it　in　the　air　near　my　cheek；　unsure。　“Does　it　hurt？”　

　

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”　
His　fingers　brushed　the　new　skin。　It　tingled；　but　that　was　from　his　touch。　Then　he　was　back　to　business。　
“Did　they　suspect　anything？　Do　you　think　they’ll　call　the　Seekers？”　
“No。　I　told　you　they　wouldn’t　be　suspicious。　They　didn’t　even　check　my　eyes。　I　was　hurt；　so　they　healed　


me。”　I　shrugged。　
“What　did　you　get？”　he　asked；　opening　the　drawstrings　on　the　backpack。　
“The　right　things　for　Jamie…　if　we　get　back　in　time…”　I　glanced　at　the　clock　on　the　dashboard　


automatically；　though　the　hours　it　marked　were　meaningless。　“And　more　for　the　future。　I　only　took　what　I　
understood。”　
“We’ll　be　back　in　time；”　he　promised。　He　examined　the　white　containers。　“Smooth？”　
“Not　a　necessity。　But　I　know　what　it　does；　so…”　
He　nodded；　digging　through　the　bag。　He　muttered　the　names　to　himself。　“No　Pain？　Does　it　work？”　
I　laughed。　“It’s　amazing。　If　you　stab　yourself；　I　could　show　you。…　That’s　a　joke。”

　“I　know。”　
He　was　staring　at　me　with　an　expression　I　didn’t　understand。　His　eyes　were　wide；　like　something　had　
deeply　surprised　him。


　“What？”　My　joke　hadn’t　beenthat　bad。　
“You　did　it。”　His　tone　was　full　of　wonder。　
“Wasn’t　that　the　idea？”　
“Yes；　but…　I　guess　I　didn’t　really　think　we　were　going　to　make　it　out。”　
“You　didn’t？　Then　why…　？　Why　did　you　let　me　try？”　
He　answered　in　a　soft　almost…whisper。　“I　figured　it　was　better　to　die　trying　than　to　live　without　the　kid。”　
For　a　moment；　my　throat　was　choked　with　emotion。　Mel　was　too　overe　to　speak　as　well。　We　were　


a　family　in　that　one　instant。　All　of　us。　
I　cleared　my　throat。　No　need　to　feel　things　that　would　only　e　to　nothing。　
“It　was　very　easy。　Probably　any　of　you　could　get　away　with　it；　if　you　acted　naturally。　She　did