new moon(暮光之城-新月英文版)-第49章

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〃That　doesn't　matter；　I　have　to　talk　to　him　right　now。〃　
〃It's　pretty　early。〃　He　frowned　when　my　expression　didn't　change。　〃Don't　you　
want　breakfast？〃　
〃Not　hungry。〃　The　words　flew　through　my　lips。　He　was　blocking　my　path　to　the　
exit。　I　considered　
ducking　around　him　and　making　a　run　for　it；　but　I　knew　I　would　have　to　explain　
that　to　him　later。　〃I'll　be　
back　soon；　okay？〃　
Charlie　frowned。　〃Straight　to　Jacob's　house；　right？　No　stops　on　the　way？〃　
〃Of　course　not；　where　would　I　stop？〃　My　words　were　running　together　in　my　
hurry。　
〃I　don't　know；〃　he　admitted。　〃It's　just　well；　there's　been　another　attack—
the　wolves　again。　It　was　real　
close　to　the　resort　by　the　hot　springs—there's　a　witness　this　time。　The　
victim　was　only　a　dozen　yards　
from　the　road　when　he　disappeared。　His　wife　saw　a　huge　gray　wolf　just　a　few　
minutes　later；　while　she　
was　searching　for　him；　and　ran　for　help。〃　
My　stomach　dropped　like　I'd　hit　a　corkscrew　on　a　roller　coaster。　〃A　wolf　
attacked　him？〃　
〃There's　no　sign　of　him—just　a　little　blood　again。〃　Charlie's　face　was　
pained。　〃The　rangers　are　going　out　
armed；　taking　armed　volunteers。　There're　a　lot　of　hunters　who　are　eager　to　be　
involved—there's　a　
reward　being　offered　for　wolf　carcasses。　That's　going　to　mean　a　lot　of　
firepower　out　there　in　the　forest；　
and　it　worries　me。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃When　people　get　too　excited；　accidents　
happen〃　
〃They're　going　to　shoot　the　wolves？〃　My　voice　shot　through　three　octaves。　
〃What　else　can　we　do？　What's　wrong？〃　he　asked；　his　tense　eyes　studying　my　
face。　I　felt　faint；　I　must　be　
whiter　than　usual。　〃You　aren't　turning　into　a　tree…hugger　on　me；　are　you？〃　
I　couldn't　answer。　If　he　hadn't　been　watching　me；　I　would　have　put　my　head　
between　my　knees。　I'd　
forgotten　about　the　missing　hikers；　the　bloody　paw　prints　I　hadn't　connected　
those　facts　to　my　first　
realization。　
〃Look；　honey；　don't　let　this　scare　you。　Just　stay　in　town　or　on　the　highway—
no　stops—okay？〃　
〃Okay；〃　I　repeated　in　a　weak　voice。　
〃I've　got　to　go。〃　
I　looked　at　him　closely　for　the　first　time；　and　saw　that　he　had　his　gun　
strapped　to　his　waist　and　hiking　
boots　on。　
〃You　aren't　going　out　there　after　the　wolves；　are　you；　Dad？〃　
〃I've　got　to　help；　Bells。　People　are　disappearing。〃　
My　voice　shot　up　again；　almost　hysterical　now。　〃No！　No；　don't　go。　It's　too　
dangerous！〃　
〃I've　got　to　do　my　job；　kid。　Don't　be　such　a　pessimist—I'll　be　fine。〃　He　
turned　for　the　door；　and　held　it　
open。　〃You　leaving？〃　
I　hesitated；　my　stomach　still　spinning　in　unfortable　loops。　What　could　I　
say　to　stop　him？　I　was　too　
dizzy　to　think　of　a　solution。　
〃Bells？〃　
〃Maybe　it's　too　early　to　go　to　La　Push；〃　I　whispered。　
〃I　agree；〃　he　said；　and　he　stepped　out　into　the　rain；　shutting　the　door　behind　
him。　
As　soon　as　he　was　out　of　sight；　I　dropped　to　the　floor　and　put　my　head　between　
my　knees。　
Should　I　go　after　Charlie？　What　would　I　say？　
And　what　about　Jacob？　Jacob　was　my　best　friend；　I　needed　to　warn　him。　If　he　
really　was　a—I　cringed　
and　forced　myself　to　think　the　word—werewolf　（and　I　knew　it　was　true；　I　could　
feel　it）；　then　people　
would　be　shooting　at　him！　I　needed　to　tell　him　and　his　friends　that　people　
would　try　to　kill　them　if　they　
went　running　around　like　gigantic　wolves。　I　needed　to　tell　them　to　stop。　
They　had　to　stop！　Charlie　was　out　there　in　the　woods。　Would　they　care　about　
that？　I　wondered　Up　
until　now；　only　strangers　had　disappeared。　Did　that　mean　anything；　or　was　it　
just　chance？　
I　needed　to　believe　that　Jacob；　at　least；　would　care　about　that。　
Either　way；　I　had　to　warn　him。　
Or　did　I？　
Jacob　was　my　best　friend；　but　was　he　a　monster；　too？　A　real　one？　A　bad　one？　
Should　I　warn　him；　if　he　
and　his　friends　were　were　murderers！　If　they　were　out　slaughtering　innocent　
hikers　in　cold　blood？　If　
they　were　truly　creatures　from　a　horror　movie　in　every　sense；　would　it　be　
wrong　to　protect　them？　
It　was　inevitable　that　I　would　have　to　pare　Jacob　and　his　friends　to　the　
Cullens。　I　wrapped　my　arms　
around　my　chest；　fighting　the　hole；　while　I　thought　of　them。　
I　didn't　know　anything　about　werewolves；　clearly。　I　would　have　expected　
something　closer　to　the　
movies—big　hairy　half…men　creatures　or　something—if　I'd　expected　anything　at　
all。　So　I　didn't　know　
what　made　them　hunt；　whether　hunger　or　thirst　or　just　a　desire　to　kill。　It　was　
hard　to　judge；　not　knowing　
that。　
But　it　couldn't　be　worse　than　what　the　Cullens　endured　in　their　quest　to　be　
good。　I　thought　of　Esme—the　
tears　started　when　I　pictured　her　kind；　lovely　face—and　how；　as　motherly　and　
loving　as　she　was；　she'd　
had　to　hold　her　nose；　all　ashamed；　and　run　from　me　when　I　was　bleeding。　It　
couldn't　be　harder　than　that。　
I　thought　of　Carlisle；　the　centuries　upon　centuries　that　he　had　struggled　to　
teach　himself　to　ignore　blood；　
so　that　he　could　save　lives　as　a　doctor。　Nothing　could　be　harder　than　that。　
The　werewolves　had　chosen　a　different　path。　
Now；　what　should　I　choose？　
　13。　KILLER
IF　IT　WAS　ANYONE　BUT　JACOB；　I　THOUGHT　TO　MYSELF；　shaking　my　head　as　I　drove　
down　
the　forest…lined　highway　to　La　Push。　
I　still　wasn't　sure　if　I　was　domg　the　right　thing；　but　I'd　made　a　promise　
with　myself。　
I　couldn't　condone　what　Jacob　and　his　friends；　his　pack；　were　doing。　I　
understood　now　what　he'd　said　
last　night—that　I　might　not　want　to　see　him　again—and　I　could　have　called　
him　as　he'd　suggested；　but　
that　felt　cowardly。　I　owed　him　a　face…to…face　conversation；　at　least。　I　would　
tell　him　to　his　face　that　I　
couldn't　just　overlook　what　was　going　on。　I　couldn't　be　friends　with　a　killer　
and　say　nothing；　let　the　killing　
continue　That　would　make　me　a　monster；　too。　
But　I　couldn't　not　warn　him；　either。　I　had　to　do　what　I　could　to　protect　him。　
I　pulled　up　to　the　Blacks'　house　with　my　lips　pressed　together　into　a　hard　
line。　It　was　bad　enough　that　my　
best　friend　was　a　werewolf。　Did　he　have　to　be　a　monster；　too？　
The　house　was　dark；　no　lights　in　the　windows；　but　I　didn't　care　if　I　woke　
them。　My　fist　thudded　against　
the　front　door　with　angry　energy；　the　sound　reverberated　through　the　walls。　
〃e　in；〃　I　heard　Billy　call　after　a　minute；　and　a　light　flicked　on。　
I　twisted　the　knob；　it　was　unlocked。　Billy　was　leaning　around　an　open　doorway　
just　off　the　little　kitchen；　a　
bathrobe　around　his　shoulders；　not　in　his　chair　yet。　When　he　saw　who　it　was；　
his　eyes　widened　briefly；　
and　then　his　face　turned　stoic。　
〃Well；　good　morning；　Bella。　What　are　you　doing　up　so　early？〃　
〃Hey；　Billy。　I　need　to　talk　to　Jake—where　is　he？〃　
〃Um　I　don't　really　know；〃　he　lied；　straight…faced。　
〃Do　you　know　what　Charlie　is　doing　this　morning？〃　I　demanded；　sick　of　the　
stalling。　
〃Should　I？〃　
〃He　and　half　the　other　men　in　town　are　all　out　in　the　woods　with　guns；　hunting　
giant　wolves。〃　
Billy's　expression　flickered；　and　then　went　blank。　
〃So　I'd　like　to　talk　to　Jake　about　that；　if　you　don't　mind；〃　I　continued。　
Billy　pursed　his　thick　lips　for　a　long　moment。　〃I'd　bet　he's　still　asleep；〃　he　
finally　said；　nodding　toward　the　
tiny　hallway　off　the　front　room。　〃He's　out　late　a　lot　these　days。　Kid　needs　
his　rest—probably　you　
shouldn't　wake　him。〃　
〃It's　my　turn；〃　I　muttered　under　my　breath　as　I　stalked　to　the　hallway。　Billy　
sighed。　
Jacob's　tiny　closet　of　a　room　was　the　only　door　in　the　yard…long　hallway。　I　
didn't　bother　to　knock。　I　
threw　the　door　open；　it　slammed　against　the　wall　with　a　bang。　
Jacob—still　wearing　just　the　same　black　cut…off　sweats　he'd　worn　last　night—
was　stretched　diagonally　
across　the　double　bed　that　took　up　all　of　his　room　but　a　few　inches　around　the　
edges。　Even　on　a　slant；　it　
wasn't　long　enough；　his　feet　hung　off　the　one　end　and　his　head　off　the　other。　
He　was　fast　asleep；　snoring　
lightly　with　his　mouth　hanging　open。　The　sound　of　the　door　hadn't　even　made　
him　twitch。　
His　face　was　peaceful　with　（deep　sleep；　all　the　angry　lines　smoothed　out。　
There　were　circles　under　his　
eyes　that　I　hadn't　noticed　before。　Despite　his　ridiculous　size；　he　looked　very　
young　now；　and　very　weary。　
Pity　shook　me。　
I　stepped　back　out；　and　shut　the　door　quietly　behind　me。　
Billy　stared　with　curious；　guarded　eyes　as　I　walked　slowly　back