sk.petsematary-第11部分

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　　〃Oh　boy；〃　she　said　scornfully；　turning　away…but　not　before　he　had　seen　a　wounded　flicker　in　her　eyes。　〃That's　really　intelligent。　Really　intelligent。　You　never　change；　Louis。　When　something　isn't　going　right；　blame　Rachel；　right？　Rachel's　just　having　one　of　her　weird　emotional　reactions。〃
　　〃That's　not　fair。〃
　　〃No？〃　She　took　the　bowl　of　cake　batter　over　to　the　far　counter　by　the　stove　and　set　it　down　with　another　bang。　She　began　to　grease　a　cake　tin；　her　lips　pressed　tightly　together。
　　He　said　patiently；　〃There's　nothing　wrong　with　a　child　finding　out　something　about　death；　Rachel。　In　fact；　I'd　call　it　a　necessary　thing。　Ellie's　reaction…her　crying…that　seemed　perfectly　natural　to　me。　It…〃
　　〃Oh；　it　sounded　natural；〃　Rachel　said；　whirling　on　him　again。　〃It　sounded　very　natural　to　hear　her　weeping　her　heart　out　over　her　cat　which　is　perfectly　fine…〃
　　〃Stop　it；〃　he　said。　〃You're　not　making　any　sense。〃
　　〃I　don't　want　to　discuss　it　anymore。〃
　　〃Yes；　but　we're　going　to；〃　he　said；　angry　himself　now。　〃You　had　your　at…batshow　about　giving　me　mine？〃
　　〃She's　not　going　up　there　anymore。　And　as　far　as　I'm　concerned；　the　subject　is　closed。〃
　　〃Ellie　has　known　where　babies　e　from　since　last　year；〃　Louis　said　deliberately。　〃We　got　her　the　Myers　book　and　talked　to　her　about　it；　do　you　remember　that？　We　both　agreed　that　children　ought　to　know　where　they　e　from。〃
　　〃That　has　nothing　to　do　with…〃
　　〃It　does；　though！〃　he　said　roughly。　〃When　I　was　talking　to　her　in　my　office；　about　Church；　I　got　thinking　about　my　mother　and　how　she　spun　me　that　old　cabbage…leaf　story　when　I　asked　her　where　women　got　babies。　I've　never　forgotten　that　lie。　I　don't　think　children　ever　forget　the　lies　their　parents　tell　them。〃
　　〃Where　babies　e　from　has　nothing　to　do　with　a　goddam　pet　cemetery！〃　Rachel　cried　at　him；　and　what　her　eyes　said　to　him　was　Talk　about　the　parallels　all　night　and　all　day；　if　you　want　to；　Louis；　talk　until　you　turn　blue；　but　I　won't　accept　it。
　　Still；　he　tried。
　　〃She　knows　about　babies；　that　place　up　in　the　woods　just　made　her　want　to　know　something　about　the　other　end　of　things。　It's　perfectly　natural。　In　fact；　I　think　it's　the　most　natural　thing　in　the　w…〃
　　〃Will　you　stop　saying　that！〃　she　screamed　suddenly…really　screamed　and　Louis　recoiled；　startled。　His　elbow　struck　the　open　bag　of　flour　on　the　counter。　It　tumbled　off　the　edge　and　struck　the　floor；　splitting　open。　Hour　puffed　up　in　a　dry　white　cloud。
　　〃Oh　luck；〃　he　said　dismally。
　　In　an　upstairs　room；　Gage　began　to　cry。
　　〃That's　nice；〃　she　said；　also　crying　now。　〃You　woke　the　baby　up　too。　Thanks　for　a　nice；　quiet；　stressless　Sunday　morning。〃
　　She　started　by　him　and　Louis　put　a　hand　on　her　arm。　〃Let　me　ask　you　something；〃　he　said；　'〃because　I　know　that　anything…literally　anything…can　happen　to　physical　beings。　As　a　doctor　I　know　that。　Do　you　want　to　be　the　one　to　explain　to　her　what　happened　if　her　cat　gets　distemper　or　leukemia…　cats　are　very　prone　to　leukemia；　you　know…or　if　he　gets　run　over　in　that　road？　Do　you　want　to　be　the　one；　Rachel？〃
　　〃Let　me　go；〃　she　nearly　hissed。　The　anger　in　her　voice；　however；　was　overmatched　by　the　hurt　and　bewildered　terror　in　her　eyes…！　don't　want　to　talk　about　this；　Louis；　and　you　can't　make　me；　that　look　said。　〃Let　me　go；　I　want　to　get　Gage　before　he　falls　out　of　his　a…〃
　　〃Because　'maybe　you　ought　to　be　the　one；〃　he　said。　〃You　can　tell　her　we　don't　talk　about　it；　nice　people　don't　talk　about　it；　they　just　bury　it…oops！　but　don't　say　'buried；'　you'll　give　her　a　plex。〃
　　〃I　hate　you！〃　Rachel　sobbed　and　tore　away　from　him。
　　Then　he　was　of　course　sorry；　and　it　was　of　course　too　late。
　　〃Rachel…〃
　　She　pushed　by　him　roughly；　crying　harder。　〃Leave　me　alone。　You've　done　enough。〃　She　paused　in　the　kitchen　doorway；　turning　toward　him；　the　tears　coursing　down　her　cheeks。　〃I　don't　want　this　discussed　in　front　of　Ellie　anymore；　Lou。　I　mean　it。　There's　nothing　natural　about　death。　Nothing。　You　as　a　doctor　should　know　that。〃
　　She　whirled　and　was　gone；　leaving　Louis　in　the　empty　kitchen；　which　still　vibrated　with　their　voices。　At　last　he　went　to　the　pantry　to　get　the　broom。　As　he　swept；　he　reflected　on　the　last　thing　she　had　said　and　on　the　enormity　of　this　difference　of　opinion；　which　had　gone　undiscovered　for　so　long。　Because；　as　a　doctor；　he　knew　that　death　was；　except　perhaps　for　childbirth；　the　most　natural　thing　in　the　world。
　　Taxes　were　not　so　sure；　human　conflicts　were　not；　the　conflicts　of　society　were　not；　boom　and　bust　were　not。　In　the　end　there　was　only　the　clock；　and　the　markers；　which　became　eroded　and　nameless　in　the　passage　of　time。　Even　sea　turtles　and　the　giant　sequoias　had　to　buy　out　someday。
　　〃Zelda；〃　he　said　aloud。　〃Christ；　that　must　have　been　bad　for　her。〃
　　The　question　was　should　he　just　let　it　ride　or　should　he　try　to　do　something　about　it？
　　He　tilted　the　dustpan　over　the　wastebasket；　and　flour　slid　out　with　a　soft　foom；　powdering　the　cast…out　cartons　and　used…up　cans。
　　　10
　　〃Hope　Ellie　didn't　take　it　too　hard；〃　Jud　Crandall　said。　Not　for　the　first　time　Louis　thought　that　the　man　had　a　peculiar…　and　rather　unfortable…ability　to　put　his　finger　gently　on　whatever　the　sore　spot　was。
　　He　and　Jud　and　Norma　Crandall　now　sat　on　the　Crandalls'　porch　in　the　cool　of　the　evening；　drinking　iced　tea　instead　of　beer。　On　15；　going…home…after…the…weekend　traffic　was　fairly　heavy…people　recognized　that　every　good　late…summer　weekend　now　might　be　the　last　one；　Louis　supposed。　Tomorrow　he　took　up　his　full　duties　at　the　University　of　Maine　infirmary　All　day　yesterday　and　today　students　had　been　arriving；　filling　apartments　in　Orono　and　dorms　on　campus；　making　beds；　renewing　acquaintances；　and　no　doubt　groaning　over　another　year　of　eight　o'clock　classes　and　mons　food。　Rachel　had　been　cool　to　him　all　day…no；　freezing　was　more　like　it…and　when　he　went　back　across　the　road　tonight；　he　knew　that　she　would　already　be　in　bed；　Gage　sleeping　with　her　more　than　likely；　the　two　of　them　so　far　over　to　her　side　that　the　baby　would　be　in　danger　of　falling　off。　His　half　of　the　bed　would　have　grown　to　three　quarters；　all　of　it　looking　like　a　big；　sterile　desert。
　　〃I　said　I　hoped…〃
　　〃Sorry；〃　Louis　said。　〃Woolgathering。　She　was　a　little　upset；　yeah。　How　did　you　guess　that？〃
　　〃Seen　em　e　and　go；　like　I　said。〃　Jud　took　his　wife's　hand　gently　and　grinned　at　her。　〃Haven't　we；　dear？〃
　　〃Packs　and　packs　of　them；〃　Norma　Crandall　said。　〃We。　love　the　children。〃
　　〃Sometimes　that　pet　cemetery　is　their　first　eyeball…to…eyeball　with　death；〃　Jud　said。　〃They　see　people　die　on　TV；　but　they　know　that's　pretend；　like　the　old　Westerns　they　used　to　have　at　the　movies　on　Saturday　afternoons。　On　TV　and　in　the　Western　movies；　they　just　hold　their　stomachs　or　their　chests　and　fall　over。　Place　up　on　that　hill　seems　a　lot　more　real　to　most　of　em　than　all　those　movies　and　TV　shows　put　together；　don't　you　know。〃
　　Louis　nodded；　thinking：　Tell　my　wife　that；　why　don't　you？
　　〃Some　kids　it　don't　affect　at　all；　at　least　not　so　you　can　see　it；　although　I'd　guess　most　of　em　kinda　。　。　kinda　take　it　home　in　their　pockets　to　look　over　later；　like　all　the　other　stuff　they　collect。　Most　of　em　are　fine。　But　some　。　。　you　remember　the　little　Holloway　boy；　Norma？〃
　　She　nodded。　Ice　chattered　softly　in　the　glass　she　held。　Her　glasses　hung　on　her　chest；　and　the　headlights　of　a　passing　car　illuminated　the　chain　briefly。　〃He　had　such　nightmares；〃　she　said。　〃Dreams　about　corpses　ing　out　of　the　ground　and　I　don't　know　what　all。　Then　his　dog　died…ate　some　poisoned　bait　was　all　anyone　in　town　could　figure；　wasn't　it；　Jud？〃
　　〃Poisoned　bait；〃　Jud　said；　nodding。　〃That's　what　most　people　thought；　ayuh。　That　was　1925。　Billy　Holloway　was　maybe　ten　then。　Went　on　to　bee　a　state　senator。　Ran　for　the　U。S。　House　of　Representatives　later　on；　but　he　lost。　That　was　just　before　Korea。〃
　　〃He　and　some　of　his　friends　had　a　funeral　for　the　dog；〃　Norma　remembered。　〃It　was　just　a　mongrel；　but　he　loved　it　well。　I　remember　his　parents　were　a　little　against　the　burying；　because　of　the　bad　dreams　and　all；　but　it　went　off　fine。　Two　of　the　bigger　boys　made　a　coffin；　didn't　they；　Jud？〃
　　Jud　nodded　and　drained