Темная башня: Стрелок

           Thefourthtime,andhisheadsettledtothewoodbeforethecoinstopped.

           "There,"shesaidsoftly,furiously."You’vedrivenoutmytrade.Areyousatisfied?"

           "They’llbeback,"thegunslingersaid.

           "Nottonighttheywon’t."

           "Whoishe?"Hegesturedattheweed-eater.

           "Go-"Shecompletedthecommandbydescribinganimpossibleactofmast**bation.

           "Ihavetoknow,"thegunslingersaidpatiently."He-"

           "Hetalkedtoyoufunny,"shesaid."Nortnevertalkedlikethatinhislife."

           "I’mlookingforaman.Youwouldknowhim."

           Shestaredathim,theangerdying.Itwasreplacedwithspeculation,thenwithahigh,wetgleamthathehadseenbefore.Thericketybuildingtickedthoughtfullytoitself.Adogbarkedbrayingly,faraway.Thegunslingerwaited.Shesawhisknowledgeandthegleamwasreplacedbyhopelessness,byadumbneedthathadnomouth.

           "Youknowmyprice,"shesaid.

           Helookedathersteadily.Thescarwouldnotshowinthedark.Herbodywasleanenoughsothedesertandgritandgrindhadn’tbeenabletosageverything.Andshe’doncebeenpretty,maybeevenbeautiful.Notthatitmattered.Itwouldnothavematteredifthegrave-beetleshadnestedinthearidblacknessofherwomb.Ithadallbeenwritten.

           Herhandscameuptoherfaceandtherewasstillsomejuiceleftinher-enoughtoweep.

           "Don’tlook!Youdon’thavetolookatmesomean!"

           "I’msorry,"thegunslingersaid."Ididn’tmeantobemean."

           "Noneofyoumeanit!"Shecriedathim.

           "Putoutthelights."

           Shewept,handsatherface