"DISTILLED1 FROM ALLIUM SATIVUM, a genus of Liliaceae comprising garlic, leek2, onion, shallot, and chive. Is of pale color and penetrating3 odor, containing several allyl sulphides. Composition: water, 64.6%; protein, 6.8%; fat, 0.1%; carbohydrates4, 26.3%; fiber5, 0.8%; ash, l.4.%."
There it was. He jiggled one of the pink, leathery cloves6 in his right palm. For seven months now he'd strung them together into aromatic8 necklaces and hung them outside his house without the remotest idea of why they chased the vampires9 away. It was time he learned why.
He put the clove7 on the sink ledge10. Leek, onion, shallot, and chive. Would they all work as well as garlic? He'd really feel like a fool if they did, after searching miles around for garlic when onions were everywhere.
He mashed11 the clove to a pulp12 and smelled the acrid13 fluid on the thick cleaver14 blade.
All right, what now? The past revealed nothing to help him; only talk of insect carriers and virus, and they weren't the causes. He was sure of it.
The past had brought something else, though; pain at remembering. Every recalled word had been like, a knife blade twisting in him. Old wounds had been reopened with every thought of her. He'd finally had to stop, eyes closed, fists clenched15, trying desperately16 to accept the present on its own terms and not yearn17 with his very flesh for the past. But only enough drinks to stultify18 all introspection had managed to drive away the enervating19 sorrow that remembering brought.
He focused his eyes. All right, damn it, he told himself, do something!
He looked at the text again, water—was it that? he asked himself. No, that was ridiculous; all things had water in them. Protein? No. Fat? No. Carbohydrates? No. Fiber? No. Ash? No. What then?
"The characteristic odor and flavor of garlic are due to an essential oil amounting to about 0.2% of the weight, which consists mainly of allyl sulphide and allyl isothicyanate."
Maybe the answer was there.
Again the book: "Ally! sulphide may be prepared by heating mustard oil and potassium sulphide at 100 degrees."
His body thudded down into the living-room chair and a disgusted breath shuddered20 his long frame. And where the hell do I get mustard oil and potassium sulphide? And the equipment to prepare them in?
That's great, he railed at himself. The first step, and already you've fallen fiat22 on your face.
He pushed himself up disgustedly and headed for the bar. But halfway23 through pouring a drink he slammed down the bottle. No, by God, he had no intention of going on like a blind man, plodding24 down a path of brainless, fruitless existence until old age or accident took him. Either he found the answer or he ditched the whole mess, life included.
He checked his watch. Ten-twenty A.M.; still time. He moved to the hallway resolutely25 and checked through the telephone directories. There was a place in Inglewood.
Four hours later he straightened up from the workbench with a crick in his neck and the allyl sulphide inside a hypodermic syringe, and in himself the first sense of real accomplishment26 since his forced isolation27 began.
A little excited, he ran to his car and drove out past the area he'd cleared out and marked with chalked rods. He knew it was more than possible that some vampires might have wandered into the cleared area and were hiding there again. But he had no time for searching.
Parking his car, he went into a house and walked to the bedroom. A young woman lay there, a coating of blood on her mouth.
Flipping28 her over, Neville pulled up her skirt and injected the allyl sulphide into her soft, fleshy buttock, then turned her over again and stepped back. For a half hour he stood there watching her.
Nothing happened.
This doesn't make sense, his mind argued. I hang garlic around the house and the vampires stay away. And the characteristic of garlic is the oil I've injected in her. But nothing's happened.
Goddamn it, nothing's happened!
He flung down the syringe and, trembling with rage and frustration29, went home again. Before darkness, he built a small wooden structure on the front lawn and hung strings30 of onions on it. He spent a listless night, only the knowledge that there was still much left to do keeping him from the liquor.
In the morning he went out and looked at the matchwood on his lawn.
The cross. He held one in his hand, gold and shiny in the morning sun. This, too, drove the vampires away.
Why? Was there a logical answer, something he could accept without slipping on banana skins of mysticism?
There was only one way to find out.
He took the woman from her bed, pretending not to notice the question posed in his mind: Why do you always experiment on women? He didn't care to admit that the inference had any validity. She just happened to be the first one he'd come across, that was all. What about the man in the living mom, though? For God's sake! he flared31 back. I'm not going to rape32 the woman!
Crossing your fingers, Neville? Knocking on wood?
He ignored that, beginning to suspect his mind of harboring an alien. Once he might have termed it conscience. Now it was only an annoyance33. Morality, after all, had fallen with society. He was his own ethic34.
Makes a good excuse, doesn't it, Neville? Oh, shut up.
But he wouldn't let himself pass the afternoon near her. After binding35 her to a chair, he secluded36 himself in the garage and puttered around with the car. She was wearing a torn black dress and too much was visible as she breathed. Out of sight, out of mind.... It was a lie, he knew, but he wouldn't admit it.
At last, mercifully, night came. He locked the garage door, went back to the house, and locked the front door, putting the heavy bar across it Then he made a drink and sat down on the couch across from the woman.
From the ceiling, right before her face, hung the cross. At six-thirty her eyes opened. Suddenly, like the eyes of a sleeper37 who has a definite job to do upon awakening38; who does not move into consciousness with a vague entry, but with a single, clear-cut motion, knowing just what is to be done.
Then she saw the cross and she Jerked her eyes from it with a sudden raffling39 gasp40 and her body twisted in the chair.
"Why are you afraid of it?" he asked, startled at the sound of his own voice after so long.
Her eyes, suddenly on him, made him shudder21. The way they glowed, the way her tongue licked across her red lips as if it were a separate life in her mouth. The way she flexed41 her body as if trying to move it closer to him. A guttural rumbling42 filled her throat like the sound of a dog defending its bone.
"The cross," he said nervously43. "Why are you afraid of it?"
She strained against her bonds, her hands raking across the sides of the chair. No words from her, only a harsh, gasping44 succession of breaths. Her body writhed45 on the chair, her eyes burned into him.
"The cross!" he snapped angrily.
He was on his feet, the glass falling and splashing across the rug. He grabbed the string with tense fingers and swung the cross before her eyes. She flung her head away with a frightened snarl46 and recoiled47 into the chair.
"Look at it!" he yelled at her.
A sound of terror stricken whining48 came from her. Her eyes moved wildly around the room, great white eyes with pupils like specks49 of soot50.
He grabbed at her shoulder, then jerked his hand heck. It was dribbling51 blood from raw teeth wounds.
His stomach muscles jerked in. The hand lashed52 out again, this time smashing her across the cheek and snapping her head to the side.
Ten minutes later he threw her body out the front door and slammed it again in their faces.. Then he stood there against the door breathing heavily. Faintly he heard through the soundproofing the sound of them fighting like jackals for the spoils.
Later he went to the bathroom and poured alcohol into the teeth gouges53, enjoying fiercely the burning pain in his flesh.
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distilled
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| adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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leek
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| n.韭葱 | |
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penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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carbohydrates
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| n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物 | |
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fiber
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| n.纤维，纤维质 | |
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cloves
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| n.丁香（热带树木的干花，形似小钉子，用作调味品，尤用作甜食的香料）( clove的名词复数 )；蒜瓣(a garlic ~|a ~of garlic) | |
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clove
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| n.丁香味 | |
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aromatic
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| adj.芳香的，有香味的 | |
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vampires
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| n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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mashed
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| a.捣烂的 | |
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pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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cleaver
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| n.切肉刀 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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yearn
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| v.想念；怀念；渴望 | |
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stultify
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| v.愚弄；使呆滞 | |
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enervating
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| v.使衰弱，使失去活力( enervate的现在分词 ) | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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fiat
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| n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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flipping
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| 讨厌之极的 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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rape
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| n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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ethic
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| n.道德标准，行为准则 | |
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binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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raffling
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| v.以抽彩方式售（物）( raffle的现在分词 ) | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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flexed
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| adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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42
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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47
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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48
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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49
specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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50
soot
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| n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟 | |
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51
dribbling
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| n.（燃料或油从系统内）漏泄v.流口水( dribble的现在分词 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球 | |
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52
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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53
gouges
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| n.凿( gouge的名词复数 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出…v.凿( gouge的第三人称单数 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出… | |
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