日本科幻文学 经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第17章5

经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第17章5  

“And now
ladies and gentlemen
” he beamed
“is everyone having one last wonderful time?”
“Yes
” called out the sort of people who call out “yes” when edians ask them if they’re having a wonderful time.
“That’s wonderful
” enthused Max
“absolutely wonderful. And as the photon storms gather in swirling crowds around us
preparing to tear apart the last of the red hot suns
I know you’re all going to settle back and enjoy with me what I know we will find all an immensely exciting and terminal experience.”
He paused. He caught the audience with a glittering eye.
“Believe me
ladies and gentlemen
” he said
“there’s nothing penultimate about this one.”
He paused again. Tonight his timing was immaculate. Time after time he had done this show
night after night. Not that the word night had any meaning here at the extremity of time. All there was was the endless repetition of the final moment
as the Restaurant rocked slowly forward over the brink of time’s furthest edge and back again. This “night” was good though
the audience was writhing in the palm of his sickly hand. His voice dropped. They had to strain to hear him.
“This
” he said
“really is the absolute end
the final chilling desolation
in which the whole majestic sweep of creation bees extinct. This
ladies and gentlemen
is the proverbial ‘it’.”
He dropped his voice still lower. In the stillness
a fly would not have dared cleat its throat.
“After this
” he said
“there is nothing. Void. Emptiness. Oblivion. Absolute nothing…”
His eyes glittered again or did they inkle?”
“Nothing… except of course for the sweet trolley
and a fine selection of Aldebaran liqueurs!”
The band gave him a musical sting. He wished they wouldn’t
he didn’t need it
not an artist of his calibre. He could play the audience like his own musical instrument. They were laughing with relief. He followed on.
“And for once
” he cried cheerily
“you don’t need to worry about having a hangover in the morning because there won’t be any more mornings!”
He beamed at his happy
laughing audience. He glanced up at the sky
going through the same dead routine every night
but his glance was only for a fraction of a second. He trusted it to do its job
as one professional trusts another.
“And now
” he said
strutting about the stage
“at the risk of putting a damper on the wonderful sense of doom and futility here this evening
I would like to wele a few parties.”
He pulled a card from his pocket.