日本科幻文学 经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第17章2

经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第17章2  

In a small room in one of the arms of the Restaurant plex a tall
thin
gangling figure pulled aside a curtain and oblivion looked him in the face.
It was not a pretty face
perhaps because oblivion had looked him in it so many times. It was too long for a start
the eyes too sunken and too hooded
the cheeks too hollow
his lips were too thin and too long
and when they parted his teeth looked too much like a recently polished bay window. The hands that held the curtain were long and thin too: they were also cold. They lay lightly along the folds of the curtain and gave the impression that if he didn’t watch them like a hawk they would crawl away of their own accord and do something unspeakable in a corner.
He let the curtain drop and the terrible light that had played on his features went off to play somewhere more healthy. He prowled around his small chamber like a mantis contemplating an evening’s preying
finally settling on a rickety chair by a trestle table
where he leafed through a few sheets of jokes.
A bell rang.
He pushed the thin sheaf of papers aside and stood up. His hands brushed limply over some of the one million rainbow-coloured sequins with which his jacket was festooned
and he was gone through the door.
In the Restaurant the lights dimmed
the band quickened its pace
a single spotlight stabbed down into the darkness of the stairway that led up to the centre of the stage.
Up the stairs bounded a tall brilliantly coloured figure. He burst on to the stage
tripped lightly up to the microphone
removed it from its stand with one swoop of his long thin hand and stood for a moment bowing left and right to the audience acknowledging their applause and displaying to them his bay window. He waved to his particular friends in the audience even though there weren’t any there
and waited for the applause to die down.
He held up his hand and smiled a smile that stretched not merely from ear to ear
but seemed to extend some way beyond the mere confines of his face.
“Thank you ladies and gentlemen!” he cried
“thank you very much. Thank you so much.”
He eyed them with a inkling eye.
“Ladies and gentlemen
” he said
“The Universe as we know it has now been in existence for over one hundred and seventy thousand million billion years and will be ending in a little over half an hour. So
wele one and all to Milliways
the Restaurant at the End of the Universe!”
With a gesture he deftly conjured another round of spontaneous applause. With another gesture he cut it.
“I am your host for tonight
” he said
“my name is Max Quordlepleen…” (Everybody knew this
his act was famous throughout the known Galaxy
but he said it for the fresh applause it generated
which he acknowledged with a disclaiming smile and wave.) “… and I’ve just e straight from the very very other end of time
where I’ve been hosting a show at the Big Bang Burger Bar where I can tell you we had a very exciting evening ladies and gentlemen and I will be with you right through this historic occasion
the End of History itself!”
Another burst of applause died away quickly as the lights dimmed down further. On every table candles ignited themselves spontaneously
eliciting a slight gasp from all the diners and wreathing them in a thousand tiny flickering lights and a million intimate shadows. A tremor of excitement thrilled through the darkened Restaurant as the vast golden dome above them began very very slowly to dim
to darken
to fade.
Max’s voice was hushed as he continued.
“So
ladies and gentlemen
” he breathed
“the candles are lit
the band plays softly
and as the force-shielded dome above us fades into transparency
revealing a dark and sullen sky hung heavy with the ancient light of livid swollen stars
I can see we’re all in for a fabulous evening’s apocalypse!”
Even the soft tootling of the band faded away as stunned shock descended on all those who had not seen this sight before.
A monstrous
grisly light poured in on them

a hideous light

a boiling
pestilential light

a light that would have disfigured hell.
The Universe was ing to an end.
“女士们，先生们，”他换了口气说，“蜡烛点燃了，乐队发出轻柔的音响，我们上方的防护盾穹顶变成透明，显露出灰暗阴沉的天空。天空上布满逐渐膨胀的恒星发出的来自远卉的光芒。我可以看到－－我们所有人都在准备迎接一个不可思议的夜晚带来的启示！”
极度震撼的冲击降临在所有以前没有见识过这种场面的人身上，这时，连乐队发出的轻柔音响都消失了，
一道强烈而可怕的光倾筲进来，洒在人们身上。
一道令人惊骇的光。
一道炽热而危险的光。
一道甚至会摧毁地狱的光。
宇宙正在步人尽头！