sk.petsematary-第35部分

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　　Jud　lit　a　cigarette　with　a　wooden　kitchen　match；　shook　it　out；　and　tossed　the　stub　into　a　tin　ashtray　with　a　barely　readable　Jim　Beam　advertisement　painted　on　its　bottom。
　　〃Ayuh；　it　was　Stanley　Bouchard　who　told　me　about　the　place。〃　He　paused；　thinking。
　　Barely　touched　glasses　of　beer　stood　before　them　on　the　checked　oilcloth　that　covered　the　kitchen　table。　Behind　them；　the　barrel　of　range　oil　clamped　to　the　wall　gurgled　three　times；　deliberately；　and　was　still。　Louis　had　caught　a　pick…up　supper　with　Steve…submarine　sandwiches　in　the　mostly　deserted　Bear's　Den。　He　had　found　out　early　that　if　you　asked　for　a　hoagie　or　a　grinder　or　a　gyro　in　Maine；　they　didn't　know　what　you　were　talking　about。　Ask　for　a　sub　or　a　Wop…burger；　and　you　were　in　business。　With　some　food　in　him；　Louis　began　to　feel　better　about　Church's　return；　felt　that　he　had　things　more　in　perspective；　but　he　was　still　not　anxious　to　return　to　his　dark；　empty　house　where　the　cat　could　be…let's　face　it；　gang…anywhere　at　all。
　　Norma　sat　with　them　for　quite　a　while；　watching　TV　and　working　on　a　sampler　that　showed　the　sun　going　down　behind　a　small　county　meeting　house。　The　cross　on　the　roof　tree　was　silhouetted　black　against　the　setting　sun。　Something　to　sell；　she　said；　at　the　church　sale　the　week　before　Christmas。　Always　a　big　event。　Her　fingers　moved　well；　pushing　the　needle　through　the　cloth；　pulling　it　up　through　the　steel　circle。　Her　arthritis　was　barely　noticeable　tonight。　Louis　supposed　it　might　be　the　weather；　which　had　been　cold　but　very　dry。　She　had　recovered　nicely　from　her　heart　attack；　and　on　that　evening　less　than　ten　weeks　before　a　cerebral　accident　would　kill　her；　he　thought　that　she　looked　less　haggard　and　actually　younger。　On　that　evening　he　could　see　the　girl　she　had　been。
　　At　a　quarter　to　ten　she　said　goodnight；　and　now　he　sat　here　with　Jud；　who　had　ceased　speaking　and　seemed　only　to　be　following　his　cigarette　smoke　up　and　up；　like　a　kid　watching　a　barber　pole　to　see　where　the　stripes　go。
　　〃Stanny　B。；〃　Louis　prompted　gently。
　　Jud　blinked　and　seemed　to　e　back　to　himself。　〃Oh；　ayuh；〃　he　said。　〃Everyone　in　Ludlow…round　Bucksport　and　Prospect　and　Orrington　too；　I　guess…just　called　him　Stanny　B。　That　year　my　dog　Spot　died…1910　I　mean；　the　first　time　he　died…Stanny　was　already　an　old　man　and　more　than　a　little　crazy。　There　was　others　around　these　parts　that　knew　the　Micmac　burying　ground　was　there；　but　it　was　Stanny　B。　I　heard　it　from；　and　he　knew　about　it　from　his　father　and　his　father　before　him。　A　whole　family　of　proper　Canucks；　they　were。〃
　　Jud　laughed　and　sipped　his　beer。
　　〃I　can　still　hear　him　talking　in　that　broken　English　of　his。　He　found　me　sitting　behind　the　livery　stable　that　used　to　stand　on　Route　15…except　it　was　just　the　Bangor…Bucksport　Road　back　then…right　about　where　the　Orinco　plant　is　now。　Spot　wasn't　dead　but　he　was　going；　and　my　dad　sent　me　away　to　check　on　some　chickenfeed；　which　old　Yorky　sold　back　then。　We　didn't　need　chickenfeed　any　more　than　a　cow　needs　a　blackboard；　and　I　knew　well　enough　why　he　sent　me　down　there。〃
　　〃He　was　going　to　kill　the　dog？〃
　　〃He　knew　how　tenderly　I　felt　about　Spot；　so　he　sent　me　away　while　he　did　it。　I　saw　about　the　chickenfeed；　and　while　old　Yorky　set　it　out　for　me　I　went　around　back　and　sat　down　on　the　old　grindstone　that　used　to　be　there　and　just　bawled。〃
　　Jud　shook　his　head　slowly　and　gently；　still　smiling　a　little。
　　〃And　along　es　old　Stanny　B。；〃　he　said。　〃Half　the　people　in　town　thought　he　was　soft；　and　the　other　half　thought　he　might　be　dangerous。　His　grandfather　was　a　big　fur　trapper　and　trader　in　the　early　1800s。　Stanny's　grandda　would　go　all　the　way　from　the　Maritimes　to　Bangor　and　Derry；　sometimes　as　far　south　as　Skowhegan　to　buy　pelts；　or　so　I've　heard。　He　drove　a　big　wagon　covered　with　rawhide　strips　like　something　out　of　a　medicine　show。　He　had　crosses　all　over　it；　for　he　was　a　proper　Christian　and　would　preach　on　the　Resurrection　when　he　was　drunk　enough…　this　is　what　Stanny　said；　he　loved　to　talk　about　his　grandda…but　he　had　pagan　Indian　signs　all　over　it　as　well　because　he　believed　that　all　Indians；　no　matter　what　the　tribe；　belonged　to　one　big　tribe…that　lost　one　of　Israel　the　Bible　talks　about。　He　said　he　believed　all　Indians　were　hellbound；　but　that　their　magic　worked　because　they　were　Christians　all　the　same；　in　some　queer；　damned　way。
　　〃Stanny's　grandda　bought　from　the　Micmacs　and　did　a　good　business　with　them　long　after　most　of　the　other　trappers　and　traders　had　given　up　or　gone　west　because　he　traded　with　them　at　a　fair　price　and　because；　Stanny　said；　he　knew　the　whole　Bible　by　heart；　and　the　Micmacs　liked　to　hear　him　speak　the　words　the　blackrobes　had　spoken　to　them　in　the　years　before　the　buckskin　men　and　woodsmen　came。〃
　　He　fell　silent。　Louis　waited。
　　〃The　Micmacs　told　Stanny　B。's　grandda　about　the　burying　ground　which　they　didn't　use　anymore　because　the　Wendigo　had　soured　the　ground；　and　about　Little　God　Swamp；　and　the　steps；　and　all　the　rest。
　　〃The　Wendigo　story；　now；　that　was　something　you　could　hear　in　those　days　all　over　the　north　country。　It　was　a　story　they　had　to　have；　the　same　way　I　guess　we　have　to　have　some　of　our　Christian　stories。　Norma　would　damn　me　for　a　profaner　if　she　heard　me　say　that；　but　Louis；　it's　true。　Sometimes；　if　the　winter　was　long　and　hard　and　the　food　was　short；　there　were　north　country　Indians　who　would　finally　get　down　to　the　bad　place　where　it　was　starve　or。　。　。　or　do　something　else。〃
　　〃Cannibalism？〃
　　Jud　shrugged。　〃Maybe。　Maybe　they'd　pick　out　someone　who　was　old　and　used　up；　and　then　there　would　be　stew　for　a　while。　And　the　story　they　worked　out　would　be　that　the　Wendigo　had　walked　through　their　village　or　encampment　while　they　were　sleepin　and　touched　them。　And　the　Wendigo　was　supposed　to　give　those　it　touched　a　taste　for　the　flesh　of　their　own　kind。〃
　　Louis　nodded。　〃Saying　the　devil　made　them　do　it。〃
　　〃Sure。　My　own　guess　is　that　the　Micmacs　around　here　had　to　do　it　at　some　point　and　that　they　buried　the　bones　of　whoever　they　ate…one　or　two；　maybe　even　ten　or　a　dozen…up　there　in　their　burying　ground。〃
　　〃And　then　decided　the　ground　had　gone　sour；〃　Louis　muttered。
　　〃So　here's　Stanny　B。；　e　out　in　back　of　the　livery　to　get　his　jug；　I　guess；〃　Jud　said；　〃already　half…crocked；　he　was。　His　grandfather　was　worth　maybe　a　million　dollars　when　he　died…or　so　people　said…and　Stanny　B。　was　nothing　but　the　local　ragman。　He　asked　me　what　was　wrong；　and　I　told　him。　He　saw　I'd　been　bawling；　and　he　told　me　there　was　a　way　it　could　be　fixed　up；　if　I　was　brave　and　sure　I　wanted　it　fixed　up。
　　〃I　said　I'd　give　anything　to　have　Spot　well　again；　and　I　asked　him　if　he　knew　a　vet　that　could　do　it。　'Don't　know　no　vet；　me；'　Stanny　said；　'but　I　know　how　to　fix　your　dog；　boy。　You　go　home　now　and　tell　your　dad　to　put　that　dog　in　a　grain　sack；　but　you　ain't　gonna　bury　him；　no！　You　gonna　drag　him　up　to　the　Pet　Sematary　and　you　gonna　put　him　in　the　shade　by　that　big　deadfall。　Then　you　gonna　e　back　and　say　it's　done。'
　　〃I　asked　him　what　good　that　would　do；　and　Stanny　told　me　to　stay　awake　that　night　and　e　out　when　he　threw　a　stone　against　my　window。　'And　it　be　midnight；　boy；　so　if　you　forget　Stanny　B。　and　go　to　sleep；　Stanny　B。　gonna　forget　you；　and　it's　goodbye　dog；　let　him　go　straight　to　Hell！〃
　　Jud　looked　at　Louis　and　lit　another　cigarette。
　　〃It　went　just　the　way　Stanny　set　it　up。　When　I　got　back；　my　dad　said　he'd　put　a　bullet　in　Spot's　head　to　spare　him　any　more　suffering。　I　didn't　even　have　to　say　anything　about　the　Pet　Sematary；　my　dad　asked　me　if　I　didn't　think　Spot　would　want　me　to　bury　him　up　there；　and　I　said　I　guessed　he　would。　So　off　I　went；　dragging　my　dog　in　a　grain　sack。　My　dad　asked　me　if　I　wanted　help；　and　I　said　no　because　I　remembered　what　Stanny　B。　said。
　　〃I　laid　awake　that　night…forever；　seemed　like。　You　know　how　time　is　for　kids。　It　would　seem　to　me　I　must　have　stayed　awake　right　around　until　morning；　and　then　the　clock　would　only　chime　ten　or　eleven。　A　couple　of　times　I　almost　nodded　off；　but　each　time　I　snapped　wide　awake　again。　It　was　almost　as　if　someone　had　shaken　me　and　said；　'Wake　up；　Jud！　Wake　up！'　Like　something　wanted　to　make　sure　I　stayed