sk.petsematary-第26部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


was　（and　he　at　least　had　the　guts　to　be　up　front　about　it　with　himself）　that　he　did　not　quite　want　to　make　the　rapprochement。　Ten　years　was　a　long　time；　but　it　was　not　quite　long　enough　to　take　away　the　slimy　taste　that　had　e　into　his　mouth　when；　in　Goldman's　study　over　glasses　of　brandy；　the　old　man　had　opened　one　side　of　that　idiotic　smoking　jacket　and　removed　the　checkbook　residing　within。　Yes；　he　had　felt　relief　that　the　nights…five　of　them　in　all…　that　he　and　Rachel　had　spent　in　his　narrow；　sagging　apartment　bed　had　not　been　discovered；　but　that　surprised　disgust　had　been　quite　its　own　thing；　and　the　years　between　then　and　now　had　not　changed　it。
　　He　could　have　e；　but　he　preferred　to　send　his　father…in…law　his　grandchildren；　his　daughter；　and　a　message。
　　The　Delta　727　pulled　away　from　the　rampway；　turned。　。　。　and　he　saw　Ellie　at　one　of　the　front　windows；　waving　frantically。　Louis　waved　back；　smiling；　and　then　someone…Ellie　or　Rachel…　hiked　Gage　into　the　window。　Louis　waved；　and　Gage　waved　back…perhaps　seeing　him；　perhaps　only　imitating　Ellie。
　　〃Fly　my　people　safe；〃　he　muttered；　then　zipped　his　coat　and　went　out　to　the　parking　lot。　Here　the　wind　whined　and　zoomed　with　force　enough　to　almost　tear　his　hunter's　cap　off　his　head；　and　he　clapped　a　hand　to　it。　He　fumbled　with　his　keys　to　unlock　the　driver's　side　door　of　his　car　and　then　turned　as　the　jet　rose　beyond　the　terminal　building；　its　nose　tilted　upward　into　the　hard　blue；　its　turbos　thundering。
　　Feeling　very　lonely　indeed　now…ridiculously　close　to　tears…　Louis　waved　again。
　　He　was　still　feeling　blue　that　evening　when　he　recrossed　Route　15　after　a　couple　of　beers　with　Jud　and　Norma…Norma　had　drunk　a　glass　of　wine；　something　she　was　allowed；　even　encouraged　to　have；　by　Dr。　Weybridge。　They　had　moved　into　the　kitchen　tonight　in　deference　to　the　season。
　　Jud　had　stoked　up　the　small　Marek　stove；　and　they　had　sat　around　it；　the　beer　cold；　the　heat　good；　and　Jud　had　talked　about　how　the　Micmac　Indians　had　staved　off　a　British　landing　at　Machiss　two　hundred　years　ago。　In　those　days　the　Micmacs　had　been　pretty　fearsome；　he　said；　and　then　added　that　he　guessed　there　were　a　few　state　and　federal　land　lawyers　who　thought　they　still　were。
　　It　should　have　been　a　fine　evening；　but　Louis　was　aware　of　the　empty　house　waiting　for　him。　Crossing　the　lawn　and　feeling　the　frost　crunching　under　his　shoes；　he　heard　the　telephone　begin　to　ring　in　the　house。　He　broke　into　a　run；　got　through　the　front　door；　sprinted　through　the　living　room　（knocking　over　a　magazine　stand）；　and　then　slid　most　of　the　way　across　the　kitchen；　his　frosty　shoes　skidding　over　the　linoleum。　He　snared　the　phone。
　　〃Hello？〃
　　〃Louis？〃　Rachel's　voice；　a　little　distant　but　absolutely　fine。　〃We're　here。　We　made　it。　No　problems。〃
　　〃Great！〃　he　said　and　sat　down　to　talk　to　her；　thinking：　I　wish　to　God　you　were　here。
　　The　Thanksgiving　dinner　Jud　and　Norma　put　on　was　a　fine　one。　When　it　was　over；　Louis　went　home　feeling　full　and　sleepy。　He　went　upstairs　to　the　bedroom；　relishing　the　quiet　a　little；　flipped　off　his　loafers；　and　lay　down。　It　was　just　after　three　o'clock；　the　day　outside　was　lit　with　thin；　wintry　sunshine。
　　I'll　just　doze　a　little；　he　thought　and　fell　fast　asleep。
　　It　was　the　bedroom　extension　that　woke　him　up。　He　groped　for　it；　trying　to　pull　himself　together；　disoriented　by　the　fact　that　it　was　almost　dark　outside。　He　could　hear　the　wind　whining　around　the　corners　of　the　house　and　the　faint；　husky　mutter　of　the　furnace。
　　〃Hello；〃　he　said。　It　would　be　Rachel；　calling　from　Chicago　again　to　wish　him　a　happy　Thanksgiving。　She　would　put　Ellie　on　and　Ellie　would　talk　and　then　Gage　would　get　on　and　Gage　would　babble…and　how　the　hell　had　he　managed　to　sleep　all　afternoon　when　he　had　meant　to　watch　the　football　game。　。　。
　　But　it　wasn't　Rachel。　It　was　Jud。
　　〃Louis？　Fraid　maybe　you've　got　a　little　spot　of　trouble。〃
　　He　swung　out　of　bed；　still　trying　to　scrub　the　sleep　out　of　his　mind。　〃Jud？　What　trouble？〃
　　〃Well；　there's　a　dead　cat　over　here　on　our　lawn；〃　Jud　said。　〃I　think　it　might　be　your　daughter's。〃
　　〃Church？〃　Louis　asked。　There　was　a　sudden　sinking　in　his　belly。　〃Are　you　sure；　Jud？〃
　　〃No；　I　ain't　one　hundred　percent　sure；〃　Jud　said；　〃but　it　sure　looks　like　him。〃
　　〃Oh。　Oh　shit。　I'll　be　right　over；　Jud。〃
　　〃All　right；　Louis。〃
　　He　hung　up　and　just　sat　there　for　a　minute　longer。　Then　he　went　in　and　used　the　bathroom；　put　his　shoes　on；　and　went　downstairs。
　　Well；　maybe　it　isn't　Church。　Jud　himself　said　he　wasn't　one　hundred　percent　sure。　Christ；　the　cat　doesn't　even　want　to　go　upstairs　anymore　unless　someone　carries　him　。　。　。　why　would　he　cross　the　road？
　　But　in　his　heart　he　felt　sure　that　it　was　Church　。　。　。　and　if　Rachel　called　this　evening　as　she　almost　certainly　would；　what　was　he　going　to　say　to　Ellie？
　　Crazily；　he　heard　himself　saying　to　Rachel：　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　he　gets　run　over　in　the　road？　But　he　hadn't　really　believed　anything　was　going　to　happen　to　Church；　had　he？
　　He　remembered　one　of　the　guys　he　played　poker　with；　Wickes　Sullivan；　asking　him　once　how　he　could　get　horny　for　his　wife　and　not　get　horny　for　the　naked　women　he　saw　day　in　and　day　out。　Louis　had　tried　to　explain　to　him　that　it　wasn't　the　way　people　imagined　in　their　fantasies…a　woman　ing　in　to　get　a　Pap　smear　or　to　learn　how　to　give　herself　a　breast　self…examination　didn't　suddenly　drop　a　sheet　and　stand　there　like　Venus　on　the　half…shell。　You　saw　a　breast；　a　vulva；　a　thigh。　The　rest　was　draped　in　a　sheet；　and　there　was　a　nurse　in　attendance；　more　to　protect　the　doctor's　reputation　than　anything　else。　Wicky　wasn't　buying　it。　A　tit　is　a　tit；　was　Wicky's　thesis；　and　a　twat　is　a　twat。　You　should　either　be　horny　all　the　time　or　none　of　the　time。　All　Louis　could　respond　was　that　your　wife's　tit　was　different。
　　Just　like　your　family's　supposed　to　be　different；　he　thought　now。　Church　wasn't　supposed　to　get　killed　because　he　was　inside　the　magic　circle　of　the　family。　What　he　hadn't　been　able　to　make　Wicky　understand　was　that　doctors　partmentalized　just　as　cheerfully　and　blindly　as　anyone　else。　A　tit　wasn't　a　tit　unless　it　was　your　wife's　tit。　In　the　office；　a　tit　was　a　case。　You　could　stand　up　in　front　of　a　medical　colloquium　and　cite　leukemia　figures　in　children　until　you　were　blue　in　the　face　and　still　not　believe　it　if　one　of　your　own　kids　got　a　call　on　the　Bone…Phone。　My　kid？　My　kid's　cat；　even？　Doctor；　you　must　be　joking。
　　Never　mind。　Take　this　one　step　at　a　time。
　　But　that　was　hard　when　he　remembered　how　hysterical　Ellie　had　gotten　at　the　prospect　of　Church　someday　dying。
　　Stupid　fucking　cat；　why　did　we　ever　have　to　get　a　fucking　cat；　anyway？
　　But　he　wasn't　tucking　anymore。　That　was　supposed　to　keep　him　alive。
　　〃Church？〃　he　called；　but　there　was　only　the　furnace；　muttering　and　muttering；　burning　up　dollars。　The　couch　in　the　living　room；　where　Church　had　recently　spent　most　of　his　time；　was　empty。　He　was　not　lying　on　any　of　the　radiators。　Louis　rattled　the　cat's　dish；　the　one　thing　absolutely　guaranteed　to　bring　Church　running　if　he　was　in　earshot；　but　no　cat　came　running　this　time　and　never　would　again；　he　was　afraid。
　　He　put　on　his　coat　and　hat　and　started　for　the　door。　Then　he　came　back。　Giving　in　to　what　his　heart　told　him；　he　opened　the　cupboard　under　the　sink　and　squatted　down。　There　were　two　kinds　of　plastic　bags　in　there…small　white　ones　for　the　household　trash　baskets　and　big　green　garbage…can　liners。　Louis　took　one　of　the　latter。　Church　had　put　on　weight　since　he　had　been　fixed。
　　He　poked　the　bag　into　one　of　the　side　pockets　of　his　jacket；　not　liking　the　slick；　cool　way　the　plastic　felt　under　his　fingers。　Then　he　let　himself　out　the　front　door　and　crossed　the　street　to　Jud's　house。
　　It　was　about　five…thirty。　Twilight　was　ending。　The　landscape　had　a　dead　look。　The　remainder　of　sunset　was　a　strange　orange　line　on　the　horizon　across　the　river。　The　wind　bowled　straight　down　Route　15；　numbing　Louis's　cheeks　and　whipping　away　the　white　plume　of　his　breath。　He　shuddered；　but　not　fr