sk.petsematary-第53部分

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　　And　suddenly；　without　even　thinking；　Louis　threw　the　toy　at　the　cat；　not　playing；　not　goofing　around；　he　pegged　the　toy　at　the　cat　as　hard　as　he　could；　furious　at　it；　and　scared　of　it　too；　that　it　should　hide　here　in　the　darkened　closet　of　his　son's　room　and　refuse　to　leave；　as　if　it　had　a　right　to　be　there。
　　The　toy　lootive　struck　the　cat　dead　center。　Church　uttered　a　squawk　and　fled；　displaying　its　usual　grace　by　slamming　into　the　door　and　almost　falling　over　on　its　way　out。
　　Cage　stirred；　muttered　something；　shifted　position；　and　was　still　again。　Louis　felt　a　little　sick。　There　was　sweat　standing　out　in　beads　on　his　forehead。
　　〃Louis？〃　Rachel；　from　downstairs；　sounding　alarmed。　〃Did　Gage　fall　out　of　his　crib？〃
　　〃He's　fine；　honey。　Church　knocked　over　a　couple　of　his　toys。〃
　　〃Oh；　all　right。〃
　　He　felt…irrationally　or　otherwise…the　way　he　might　have　felt　if　he　had　looked　in　on　his　son　and　found　a　snake　crawling　over　him　or　a　big　rat　perched　on　the　bookshelf　over　Gage's　crib。　Of　course　it　was　irrational。　But　when　it　had　hissed　at　him　from　the　closet　like　that。
　　（Zelda　did　you　think　Zelda　did　you　think　Oz　the　Gweat　and　Tewwible？）
　　He　closed　Gage's　closet　door；　sweeping　a　number　of　toys　back　in　with　its　moving　foot。　He　listened　to　the　tiny　click　of　the　latch。　After　a　moment's　further　hesitation；　he　turned　the　closet's　thumbbolt。
　　He　went　back　to　Gage's　crib。　In　shifting　around；　the　kid　had　kicked　his　two　blankets　down　around　his　knees。　Louis　disentangled　him；　pulled　the　blankets　up；　and　then　merely　stood　there；　watching　his　son；　for　a　long　time。
　　
　　
　　　PART　TWO
　　　THE　MICMAC　BURYING　GROUND
　　When　Jesus　came　to　Bethany；　he　found　that　Lazarus　had　lain　in　the　grave　four　days　already。　When　Martha　heard　that　Jesus　was　ing；　she　hurried　to　meet　him。
　　〃Lord；〃　she　said；　〃if　you　had　been　here；　my　brother　would　not　have　died。　But　now　you　are　here；　and　I　know　that　whatever　you　ask　of　God；　God　will　grant。〃
　　Jesus　answered　her：　〃Your　brother　shall　rise　again。〃
　　…JOHN'S　GOSPEL　（paraphrase）
　　
　　〃Hey…ho；　let's　go。〃
　　…THE　RAMONES
　　　36
　　It's　probably　wrong　to　believe　there　can　be　any　limit　to　the　horror　which　the　human　mind　can　experience。　On　the　contrary；　it　seems　that　some　exponential　effect　begins　to　obtain　as　deeper　and　deeper　darkness　falls…as　little　as　one　may　like　to　admit　it；　human　experience　tends；　in　a　good　many　ways；　to　support　the　idea　that　when　the　nightmare　grows　black　enough；　horror　spawns　horror；　one　coincidental　evil　begets　other；　often　more　deliberate　evils；　until　finally　blackness　seems　to　cover　everything。　And　the　most　terrifying　question　of　all　may　be　just　how　much　horror　the　human　mind　can　stand　and　still　maintain　a　wakeful；　staring；　unrelenting　sanity。　That　such　events　have　their　own　Rube　Goldberg　absurdity　goes　almost　without　saying。　At　some　point；　it　all　starts　to　bee　rather　funny。　That　may　be　the　point　at　which　sanity　begins　either　to　save　itself　or　to　buckle　and　break　down；　that　point　at　which　one's　sense　of　humor　begins　to　reassert　itself。
　　Louis　Creed　might　have　harbored　such　thoughts　if　he　had　been　thinking　rationally　following　the　funeral　of　his　son；　Gage　William　Creed；　on　the　seventeenth　of　May；　but　any　rational　thought…or　attempt　at　it…ceased　at　the　funeral　parlor；　where　a　fistfight　with　his　father…in…law　（bad　enough）　resulted　in　an　event　even　more　terrible…a　final　bit　of　outrageous　gothic　melodrama　which　shattered　whatever　remained　of　Rachel's　fragile　self…control。　That　day's　penny　dreadful　events　were　only　plete　when　she　was　pulled；　screaming；　from　the　East　Room　of　the　Brookings…Smith　Mortuary；　where　Gage　lay　in　his　closed　coffin；　and　sedated　in　the　foyer　by　Surrendra　Hardu。
　　The　irony　of　it　was　that　she　would　not　have　experienced　that　final　episode　at　all；　that　extravagance　of　horror；　one　might　say；　if　the　fistfight　between　Louis　Creed　and　Mr。　Irwin　Goldman　of　Dearborn　had　taken　place　at　the　morning　visiting　hours　（10　to　11：30　A。M。）　instead　of　at　the　afternoon　visiting　hours　（2　to　3：30　P。M。）。　Rachel　had　not　been　in　attendance　at　the　morning　visiting　hours；　she　simply　had　not　been　able　to　e。　She　sat　at　home　with　Jud　Crandall　and　Steve　Masterton。　Louis　had　no　idea　how　he　ever　could　have　gotten　through　the　previous　forty…eight　hours　or　so　without　Jud　and　Steve。
　　It　was　well　for　Louis…well　for　all　three　of　the　remaining　family　members…that　Steve　had　shown　up　as　promptly　as　he　had；　because　Louis　was　at　least　temporarily　unable　to　make　any　kind　of　decision；　even　one　so　minor　as　giving　his　wife　a　shot　to　mute　her　deep　grief。　Louis　hadn't　even　noticed　that　Rachel　had　apparently　meant　to　go　to　the　morning　viewing　in　her　housecoat；　which　she　had　misbuttoned。　Her　hair　was　unbed；　unwashed；　tangled。　Her　eyes；　blank　brown　orbits；　bulged　from　sockets　so　sunken　that　they　had　almost　bee　the　eyes　of　a　living　skull。　Her　flesh　was　doughy。　It　hung　from　her　face。　She　sat　at　the　breakfast　table　that　morning；　munching　unbuttered　toast　and　talking　in　disjointed　phrases　that　made　no　sense　at　all。　At　one　point　she　had　said　abruptly；　〃About　that　Winnebago　you　want　to　buy；　Lou…〃　Louis　had　last　spoken　about　buying　a　Winnebago　in　1981。
　　Louis　only　nodded　and　went　on　eating　his　own　breakfast。　He　was　having　a　bowl　of　Cocoa　Bears。　Cocoa　Bears　had　been　one　of　Gage's　favorite　cereals；　and　this　morning　Louis　wanted　them。　The　taste　of　them　was　appalling；　but　he　still　wanted　them。　He　was　neatly　turned　out　in　his　best　suit…not　black；　he　didn't　have　a　black　suit；　but　it　was　at　least　a　deep　charcoal　gray。　He　had　shaved；　showered；　and　bed　his　hair。　He　looked　fine；　although　he　was　lost　in　shock。
　　Ellie　was　dressed　in　blue　jeans　and　a　yellow　blouse。　She　had　brought　a　picture　to　the　breakfast　table　with　her。　This　picture；　an　enlargement　of　a　Polaroid　Rachel　had　taken　with　the　SX…70　Louis　and　the　kids　had　given　her　for　her　last　birthday；　showed　Gage；　grinning　from　the　depths　of　his　Sears　ski…parka；　sitting　on　her　Speedaway　sled　as　Ellie　pulled　him。　Rachel　had　caught　Ellie　looking　back　over　her　shoulder　and　smiling　at　Gage。　Gage　was　grinning　back　at　her。
　　Ellie　carried　the　picture；　but　she　didn't　talk　much。
　　Louis　was　unable　to　see　the　condition　of　either　his　wife　or　his　daughter；　he　ate　his　breakfast　and　his　mind　replayed　the　accident　over　and　over　and　over；　except　in　this　mind…movie　the　conclusion　was　different。　In　the　mind…movie　he　was　quicker；　and　all　that　happened　was　that　Gage　got　a　spanking　for　not　stopping　when　they　yelled。
　　It　was　Steve　who　really　saw　how　it　was　going　with　Rachel　and　with　Ellie　as　well。　He　forbade　Rachel　to　go　to　the　morning　viewing　（although　〃viewing〃　was　really　a　misnomer　because　of　the　closed　coffin；　if　it　was　open；　Louis　thought；　they'd　all　run　screaming　from　the　room；　me　included）　and　forbade　Ellie　to　go　at　all。　Rachel　protested。　Ellie　only　sat；　silent　and　grave；　with　the　picture　of　her　and　Gage　in　one　hand。
　　It　was　Steve　who　gave　Rachel　the　shot　she　needed　and　who　gave　Ellie　a　teaspoon　of　a　colorless　liquid　to　drink。　Ellie　usually　whined　and　protested　about　taking　medicine…any　kind　of　medicine…but　she　drank　this　silently　and　without　a　grimace。　By　ten　o'clock　that　morning　she　was　asleep　in　her　bed　（the　picture　of　her　and　Gage　still　held　in　her　hand）　and　Rachel　was　sitting　in　front　of　the　television　set；　watching　〃Wheel　of　Fortune。〃　Her　responses　to　Steve's　questions　were　slow。　She　was　stoned；　but　her　face　had　lost　that　thoughtful　look　of　madness　which　had　so　worried…and　frightened…the　P。A。　when　he　came　in　that　morning　at　a　quarter　past　eight。
　　Jud；　of　course；　had　made　all　the　arrangements。　He　made　them　with　the　same　calm　efficiency　that　he　had　made　them　for　his　wife　three　months　before。　But　it　was　Steve　Masterton　who　took　Louis　aside　just　before　Louis　left　for　the　funeral　home。
　　〃I'll　see　that　she's　there　this　afternoon；　if　she　seems　capable　of　handling　it；〃　he　told　Louis。
　　〃Okay。〃
　　〃The　shot　will　have　worn　off　by　then。　Your　friend　Mr。　Crandall　says　he'll　stay　with　Ellie　during　the　afternoon　viewing　hours…〃
　　〃Right。〃
　　〃…and　play　Monopoly　or　something　with　her…〃
　　〃Uh…huh。〃
　　〃But…〃
　　〃Right。〃
　　Steve　stopped。　They　were　standing　in　the　garage；　Church's　stomping　ground；　the　place　where　he