sk.petsematary-第25部分

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　　〃Don't　be　smart；　Judson；〃　Norma　said。
　　〃No；　ma'am。〃
　　At　last　Norma　looked　at　Louis。　〃I　want　to　thank　you　for　what　you　did；〃　she　said　with　a　shyness　that　was　utterly　unaffected　and　thus　doubly　touching。　〃Jud　says　I　owe　you　my　life。〃
　　Embarrassed；　Louis　said；　〃Jud　exaggerates。〃
　　〃Not　very　damn　much；　he　don't；〃　Jud　said。　He　squinted　at　Louis；　almost　smiling　but　not　quite。　〃Didn't　your　mother　tell　you　never　to　slip　a　thank…you；　Louis？〃
　　She　hadn't　said　anything　about　that；　at　least　not　that　Louis　could　remember；　but　he　believed　she　had　said　something　once　about　false　modesty　being　half　the　sin　of　pride。
　　〃Norma；〃　he　said；　〃anything　I　could　do；　I　was　pleased　to　do。〃
　　〃You're　a　dear　man；〃　Norma　said。　〃You　take　this　man　of　mine　out　somewhere　and　let　him　buy　you　a　glass　of　beer。　I'm　feeling　sleepy　again；　and　I　can't　seem　to　get　rid　of　him。〃
　　Jud　stood　up　with　alacrity。　〃Hot　damn！　I'll　go　for　that；　Louis。　Quick；　before　she　changes　her　mind。〃
　　The　first　snow　came　a　week　before　Thanksgiving。　They　got　another　four　inches　on　the　twenty…second　of　November；　but　the　day　before　the　holiday　itself　was　clear　and　blue　and　cold。　Louis　took　his　family　to　Bangor　International　Airport　and　saw　them　off　on　the　first　leg　of　their　trip　back　to　Chicago　for　a　visit　with　Rachel's　parents。
　　〃It's　not　right；〃　Rachel　said　for　perhaps　the　twentieth　time　since　discussions　on　this　matter　had　menced　in　earnest　a　month　ago。　〃I　don't　like　thinking　of　you　rattling　around　the　house　alone　on　Thanksgiving　Day。　That's　supposed　to　be　a　family　holiday；　Louis。〃
　　Louis　shifted　Gage；　who　looked　gigantic　and　wide…eyed　in　his　first　big…boy　parka；　to　his　other　arm。　Ellie　was　at　one　of　the　big　windows；　watching　an　Air　Force　helicopter　take　off。
　　〃I'm　not　exactly　going　to　be　crying　in　my　beer；〃　Louis　said。　〃Jud　and　Norma　are　going　to　have　me　over　for　turkey　and　all　the　trimmings。　Hell；　I'm　the　one　who　feels　guilty。　I've　never　liked　these　big　holiday　group　gropes　anyway。　I　start　drinking　in　front　of　some　football　game　at　three　in　the　afternoon　and　fall　asleep　at　seven；　and　the　next　day　it　feels　like　the　Dallas　Cowgirls　are　dancing　around　and　yelling　boola…boola　inside　my　head。　I　just　don't　like　sending　you　off　with　the　two　kids。〃
　　〃I'll　be　fine；〃　she　said。　〃Flying　first　class；　I　feel　like　a　princess。　And　Gage　will　sleep　on　the　flight　from　Logan　to　O'Hare。〃
　　〃You　hope；〃　he　said；　and　they　both　laughed。
　　The　flight　was　called；　and　Ellie　scampered　over。　〃That's　us；　Mommy。　e　on…e　on…e　on。　They'll　leave　without　us。〃
　　〃No　they　won't；〃　Rachel　said。　She　was　clutching　her　three　pink　boarding　cards　in　one　hand。　She　was　wearing　her　fur　coat；　some　fake　stuff　that　was　a　luxuriant　brown　。　。　。　probably　it　was　supposed　to　look　like　muskrat；　Louis　thought。　Whatever　it　was　supposed　to　look　like；　it　made　her　look　absolutely　lovely。
　　Perhaps　something　of　what　he　felt　showed　in　his　eyes　because　she　hugged　him　impulsively；　semicrushing　Gage　between　them。　Gage　looked　surprised　but　not　terribly　upset。
　　〃Louis　Creed；　I　love　you；〃　she　said。
　　〃Mom…eee；〃　Ellie　said；　now　in　a　fever　of　impatience。　〃some　on…e　on…c…　〃Oh；　all　right；〃　she　said。　〃Be　good；　LOUIS。〃
　　〃Tell　you　what；〃　he　said；　grinning；　〃I'll　be　careful。　Say　hello　to　your　folks；　Rachel。〃
　　〃Oh；　you；〃　she　said　and　wrinkled　her　nose　at　him。　Rachel　was　not　fooled；　she　knew　perfectly　well　why　Louis　was　skipping　this　trip。　〃Fun…nee。〃
　　He　watched　them　enter　the　boarding　ramp。　。　。　and　disappear　from　sight　for　the　next　week。　He　already　felt　homesick　and　lonely　for　them。　He　moved　over　to　the　window　where　Ellie　had　been；　hands　stuffed　in　his　coat　pockets；　watching　the　baggage　handlers　loading　the　hold。
　　The　truth　was　simple。　Not　only　Mr。　but　also　Mrs。　Irwin　Goldman　of　Lake　Forest　had　disliked　Louis　from　the　beginning。　He　came　from　the　wrong　side　of　the　tracks；　but　that　was　just　for　starters。　Worse；　he　fully　expected　their　daughter　to　support　him　while　he　went　to　medical　school；　where　he　would　almost　surely　flunk　out。
　　Louis　could　have　handled　all　this；　in　fact　had　been　doing　so。　Then　something　had　happened　which　Rachel　did　not　know　about　and　never　would　。　。　。　not　from　Louis；　anyway。　Irwin　Goldman　had　offered　to　pay　Louis's　entire　tuition　through　med　school。　The　price　of　this　〃scholarship〃　（Goldman's　word）　was　that　Louis　should　break　off　his　engagement　with　Rachel　at　once。
　　Louis　Creed　had　not　been　at　the　optimum　time　of　life　to　deal　with　such　an　outrage；　but　such　melodramatic　proposals　（or　bribes；　to　call　a　spade　a　spade）　are　rarely　made　to　those　who　are　at　an　optimum　time…which　might　be　around　the　age　of　eighty…five。　He　was　tired；　for　one　thing。　He　was　spending　eighteen　hours　a　week　in　classes；　another　twenty　hitting　the　books；　another　fifteen　waiting　tables　in　a　deep…dish　pizza　joint　down　the　block　from　the　Whitehall　Hotel。　He　was　also　nervous。　Mr。　Goldman's　oddly　jovial　manner　that　evening　had　contrasted　pletely　with　his　previous　cold　behavior；　and　Louis　thought　that　when　Goldman　invited　him　into　the　study　for　a　cigar；　a　look　had　passed　from　him　to　his　wife。　Later…much　later；　when　time　had　lent　a　little　perspective…Louis　would　reflect　that　horses　must　feel　much　the　same　free…floating　anxiety　when　they　smell　the　first　smoke　of　a　prairie　fire。　He　began　expecting　Goldman　to　reveal　at　any　moment　that　he　knew　Louis　had　been　sleeping　with　his　daughter。
　　When　Goldman　instead　made　his　incredible　offer…even　going　so　far　as　to　take　his　checkbook　from　the　pocket　of　his　smoking　jacket　like　a　rake　in　a　Noel　Coward　farce…Louis　had　blown　up。　He　accused　Goldman　of　trying　to　keep　his　daughter　like　an　exhibit　in　a　museum；　of　having　no　regard　for　anyone　but　himself；　and　of　being　an　overbearing；　thoughtless　bastard。　It　would　be　a　long　time　before　he　would　admit　to　himself　that　part　of　his　rage　had　been　relief。
　　All　of　these　little　insights　into　Irwin　Goldman's　character；　though　perhaps　true；　had　no　redeeming　touch　of　diplomacy　in　them。　Any　semblance　of　Noel　Coward　departed；　if　there　was　humor　in　the　rest　of　the　conversation；　it　was　of　a　much　more　vulgar　sort。　Goldman　told　him　to　get　out　and　that　if　he　ever　saw　Louis　on　his　doorstep　again；　he　would　shoot　him　like　a　yellow　dog。　Louis　told　Goldman　to　take　his　checkbook　and　plug　up　his　ass　with　it。　Goldman　said　he　had　seen　bums　in　the　gutter　who　had　more　potential　than　Louis　Creed。　Louis　told　Goldman　he　could　also　shove　his　goddam　BankAmericard　and　his　American　Express　Gold　Card　right　up　there　beside　his　checkbook。
　　None　of　this　had　been　a　promising　first　step　toward　good　relations　with　the　future　in…laws。
　　In　the　end　Rachel　had　brought　them　around　（after　each　man　had　had　a　chance　to　repent　of　the　things　he　had　said；　although　neither　of　them　had　ever　changed　his　mind　in　the　slightest　about　the　other）。　There　was　no　more　melodrama；　certainly　no　dismally　theatrical　from…this…day…forward…I…have…no…daughter　scene。　Goldman　would　have　probably　suffered　through　Rachel's　marriage　to　the　Creature　from　the　Black　Lagoon　before　denying　her。　Nevertheless　the　face　rising　above　the　collar　of　Irwin　Goldman's　morning　coat　on　the　day　Louis　married　Rachel　had　greatly　resembled　the　faces　sometimes　seen　carved　on　Egyptian　sarcophagi。　Their　wedding　present　had　been　a　six…place　setting　of　Spode　china　and　a　microwave　oven。　No　money。　For　most　of　Louis's　harum…scarum　med　school　days；　Rachel　had　worked　as　a　clerk　in　a　women's　apparel　store。　And　from　that　day　to　this　day；　Rachel　only　knew　that　things　had　been　and　continued　to　be　〃tense〃　between　her　husband　and　her　parents　。　。　。　particularly　between　Louis　and　her　father。
　　Louis　could　have　gone　to　Chicago　with　his　family；　although　the　university　schedule　would　have　meant　flying　back　three　days　earlier　than　Rachel　and　the　kids。　That　was　no　great　hardship。　On　the　other　hand；　four　days　with　Im…Ho…Tep　and　his　wife　the　Sphinx　would　have　been。
　　The　children　had　melted　his　in…laws　a　good　deal；　as　children　often　do。　Louis　suspected　that　he　himself　could　have　pleted　the　rapprochement　simply　by　pretending　he　had　forgotten　that　evening　in　Goldman's　study。　It　wouldn't　even　matter　that　Goldman　knew　he　was　pretending。　But　the　fact　was　（and　he　at　least　had　the　guts　to　be　up　front　about　it　with　himself）　that　he　di