sk.petsematary-第52部分

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　which　spread　its　wings　over　perhaps　five　feet　of　tough　plastic。　Its　bulgy；　bloodshot　eyes　stared　out　at　them　from　its　small　head　atop　its　scrawny；　pinkly　naked　neck。
　　〃Birt！〃　Gage　yelled。　〃Birt；　Daddy！　Got　a　birt！〃
　　〃Yeah；　it's　a　bird；〃　Louis　agreed；　slipping　the　sticks　into　the　pockets　at　the　back　of　the　kite　and　rummaging　again　for　the　five　hundred　feet　of　kite　twine　that　he　had　bought　the　same　day。　He　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　and　repeated　to　Gage：　〃You're　gonna　like　it；　big　guy。〃
　　Gage　liked　it。
　　They　took　the　kite　over　into　Mrs。　Vinton's　field　and　Louis　got　it　up　into　the　blowy　late…March　sky　first　shot；　although　he　had　not　flown　a　kite　since　he　was　。　。　。　what？　Twelve？　Nineteen　years　ago？　God；　that　was　horrible。
　　Mrs。　Vinton　was　a　woman　of　almost　Jud's　age　but　immeasurably　more　frail。　She　lived　in　a　brick　house　at　the　head　of　her　field；　but　now　she　came　out　only　rarely。　Behind　the　house；　the　field　ended　and　the　woods　began…the　woods　that　led　first　to　the　Pet　Sematary　and　then　to　the　Micmac　burying　ground　beyond　it。
　　〃Kite's　flyne；　Daddy！〃　Gage　screamed。
　　〃Yeah；　look　at　it　go！〃　Louis　bellowed　back；　laughing　and　excited。　He　payed　out　kite　twine　so　fast　that　the　string　grew　hot　and　branded　thin　fire　across　his　palm。　〃Look　at　that　Vulture；　Gage！　She's　goin　to　beat　shit！〃
　　〃Beat…shit！〃　Gage　cried　and　laughed；　high　and　joyously。　The　sun　sailed　out　from　behind　a　fat　gray　spring　cloud；　and　the　temperature　seemed　to　go　up　five　degrees　almost　at　once。　They　stood　in　the　bright；　unreliable　warmth　of　March　straining　to　be　April　in　the　high　dead　grass　of　Mrs。　Vinton's　field；　above　them　the　Vulture　soared　up　toward　the　blue；　higher；　its　plastic　wings　spread　taut　against　that　steady　current　of　air；　still　higher；　and　as　he　had　done　as　a　child；　Louis　felt　himself　going　up　to　it；　going　into　it；　staring　down　as　the　world　took　on　its　actual　shape；　the　one　cartographers　must　see　in　their　dreams；　Mrs。　Vinton's　field；　as　white　and　still　as　cobwebs　following　the　retreat　of　the　snow；　not　just　a　field　now　but　a　large　parallelogram　bounded　by　rock　walls　on　two　of　its　sides；　and　then　the　road　at　the　bottom；　a　straight　black　seam；　and　the　river　valley…the　Vulture　saw　it　all　with　its　soaring；　bloodshot　eyes。　It　saw　the　river　like　a　cool　gray　band　of　steel；　chunks　of　ice　still　floating　in　it；　on　the　other　side　it　saw　Hampden；　Newburgh；　Winterport；　with　a　ship　at　dock；　perhaps　it　saw　the　St。　Regis　Mill　at　Bucksport　below　its　steaming　fume　of　cloud；　or　even　land's　end　itself；　where　the　Atlantic　pounded　the　naked　rock。
　　〃Look　at　her　go；　Gage！〃　Louis　yelled；　laughing。
　　Gage　was　leaning　so　far　back　he　was　in　danger　of　toppling　over。　A　huge　grin　covered　his　face。　He　was　waving　to　the　kite。
　　Louis　got　some　slack　and　told　Gage　to　hold　out　one　of　his　hands。　Gage　did；　not　even　looking　around。　He　couldn't　take　his　eyes　from　the　kite；　which　swung　and　danced　in　the　wind　and　raced　its　shadow　back　and　forth　across　the　field。
　　Louis　wound　kite　string　twice　around　Gage's　hand　and　now　he　did　look　down；　ically　amazed　at　the　strong　tug　and　pull。
　　〃What！〃　he　said。
　　〃You're　flying　it；〃　Louis　said。　〃You　got　the　hammer；　my　man。　It's　your　kite。〃
　　〃Gage　flyne　it？〃　Cage　said；　as　if　asking　not　his　father　but　himself　for　confirmation。　He　pulled　the　string　experimentally；　the　kite　nodded　in　the　windy　sky。　Gage　pulled　the　string　harder；　the　kite　swooped。　Louis　and　his　son　laughed　together。　Gage　reached　out　his　free　hand；　groping；　and　Louis　took　it　in　his　own。　They　stood　together　that　way　in　the　middle　of　Mrs。　Vinton's　field；　looking　up　at　the　Vulture。
　　It　was　a　moment　with　his　son　that　Louis　never　forgot。　As　he　had　gone　up　and　into　the　kite　as　a　child　himself；　he　now　found　himself　going　into　Gage；　his　son。　He　felt　himself　shrink　until　he　was　within　Gage's　tiny　house；　looking　out　of　the　windows　that　were　his　eyes…looking　out　at　a　world　that　was　so　huge　and　bright；　a　world　where　Mrs。　Vinton's　field　was　nearly　as　big　as　the　Bonneville　Salt　Flats；　where　the　kite　soared　miles　above　him；　the　string　drumming　in　his　fist　like　a　live　thing　as　the　wind　blew　around　him；　tumbling　his　hair。
　　〃Kite　flyne！〃　Gage　cried　out　to　his　father；　and　Louis　put　his　arm　around　Cage's　shoulders　and　kissed　the　boy's　cheek；　in　which　the　wind　had　bloomed　a　wild　rose。
　　〃1　love　you；　Gage；〃　he　said…it　was　between　the　two　of　them；　and　that　was　all　right。
　　And　Gage；　who　now　had　less　than　two　months　to　live；　laughed　shrilly　and　joyously。　〃Kite　flyne！　Kite　flyne；　Daddy！〃
　　They　were　still　flying　the　kite　when　Rachel　and　Ellie　came　home。　He　and　Gage　had　gotten　it　so　high　that　they　had　nearly　run　out　the　string；　and　the　face　of　the　Vulture　had　been　lost；　it　was　only　a　small　black　silhouette　in　the　sky。
　　Louis　was　glad　to　see　the　two　of　them；　and　be　roared　with　laughter　when　Ellie　dropped　the　string　momentarily　and　chased　it　through　the　grass；　catching　it　just　before　the　tumbling；　unraveling　core　tube　gave　up　the　last　of　its　twine。　But　having　them　around　also　changed　things　a　little；　and　he　was　not　terribly　sorry　to　go　in　when；　twenty　minutes　later；　Rachel　said　she　believed　Gage　had　had　enough　of　the　wind。　She　was　afraid　he　would　get　a　chill；
　　So　the　kite　was　pulled　back　in；　fighting　for　the　sky　at　every　turn　of　the　twine；　at　last　surrendering。　Louis　tucked　it；　black　wings；　buggy　bloodshot　eyes；　and　all；　under　his　arm　and　imprisoned　it　in　the　storage　closet　again。　That　night　Gage　ate　an　enormous　supper　of　hot　dogs　and　beans；　and　while　Rachel　was　dressing　him　in　his　Dr。　Dentons　for　bed；　Louis　took　Ellie　aside　and　had　a　heart…to…heart　talk　with　her　about　leaving　her　marbles　around。　Under　other　circumstances；　he　might　have　ended　up　shouting　at　her　because　Ellie　could　turn　quite　haughty…insulting；　even…when　accused　of　some　mistake。　It　was　only　her　way　of　dealing　with　criticism；　but　that　did　not　keep　it　from　infuriating　Louis　when　she　laid　it　on　too　thick　or　when　he　was　particularly　tired。　But　this　night　the　kite　flying　had　left　him　in　a　fine　mood；　and　Ellie　was　inclined　to　be　reasonable。　She　agreed　to　be　more　careful　and　then　went　downstairs　to　watch　TV　until　8：30；　a　Saturday　indulgence　she　treasured。　Okay；　that's　out　of　the　way；　and　it　might　even　do　some　good；　Louis　thought；　not　knowing　that　marbles　were　really　not　the　problem；　and　chills　were　really　not　the　problem；　that　a　large　Orinco　truck　was　going　to　be　the　problem；　that　the　road　was　going　to　be　the　problem。　。　。　as　Jud　Crandall　had　warned　them　it　might　be　on　that　first　day　of　August。
　　He　went　upstairs　that　night　about　fifteen　minutes　after　Cage　had　been　put　to　bed。　He　found　his　son　quiet　but　still　awake；　drinking　the　last　of　a　bottle　of　milk　and　looking　contemplatively　up　at　the　ceiling。
　　Louis　took　one　of　Gage's　feet　in　one　hand　and　raised　it　up。　He　kissed　it；　lowered　it。　〃Goodnight；　Gage；〃　he　said。
　　〃Kite　flyne；　Daddy；〃　Gage　said。
　　〃It　really　did　fly；　didn't　it？〃　Louis　said；　and　for　no　reason　at　all　he　felt　tears　behind　his　eyes。　〃Right　up　to　the　sky；　my　man。〃
　　〃Kite　flyne；〃　Cage　said。　〃Up　to　the　kye。〃
　　He　rolled　over　on　his　side；　closed　his　eyes；　and　slept。　Just　like　that。
　　Louis　was　stepping　into　the　hail　when　he　glanced　back　and　saw　yellowy…green；　disembodied　eyes　staring　out　at　him　from　Gage's　closet。　The　closet　door　was　open　。　。　。　just　a　crack。　His　heart　took　a　lurch　into　his　throat；　and　his　mouth　pulled　back　and　down　in　a　grimace。
　　He　opened　the　closet　door；　thinking
　　（Zelda　it's　Zelda　in　the　closet　her　black　tongue　puffing　out　between　her　lips）
　　he　wasn't　sure　what；　but　of　course　it　was　only　Church；　the　cat　was　in　the　closet；　and　when　it　saw　Louis　it　arched　its　back　like　a　cat　on　a　Halloween　card。　It　hissed　at　him；　its　mouth　partly　open；　revealing　its　needle…sharp　teeth。
　　〃Get　out　of　there；〃　Louis　whispered。
　　Church　hissed　again。　It　did　not　move。
　　〃Get　out；　I　said。〃　He　picked　up　the　first　thing　that　came　to　hand　in　the　litter　of　Gage's　toys；　a　bright　plastic　Chuggy…ChuggyChoo…Choo　which　in　this　dim　light　was　the　maroon　color　of　dried　blood。　He　brandished　it　at　Church；　the　cat　not　only　stood　its　ground　but　hissed　again。
　　And　suddenly；　without　even　thinking；　Louis　threw　the　toy　at　the　cat；　not　playing；　not　goofing　around；　he　pe