sk.petsematary-第6部分

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s。　She's　on　her　way。　。　。　and　so　are　we。
　　Ellie　ran　over　to　him；　trying　to　show　him　her　picture；　her　new　scrape；　and　tell　him　about　〃Old　MacDonald〃　and　Mrs。　Berryman　all　at　the　same　time。　Church　was　twining　in　and　out　between　her　legs；　purring　loudly；　and　Ellie　was　somehow；　almost　miraculously；　not　tripping　over　him。
　　〃Shh；〃　Louis　said　and　kissed　her。　Gage　had　gone　to　sleep；　unmindful　of　all　the　excitement。　〃Just　let　me　put　the　baby　to　bed　and　then　I'll　listen　to　everything。〃
　　He　took　Gage　up　the　stairs；　walking　through　hot　slanting　September　sunshine；　and　as　he　reached　the　landing；　such　a　premonition　of　horror　and　darkness　struck　him　that　he　stopped…　stopped　cold…and　looked　around　in　surprise；　wondering　what　could　possibly　have　e　over　him。　He　held　the　baby　tighter；　almost　clutching　him；　and　Gage　stirred　unfortably。　Louis's　arms　and　back　had　broken　out　in　great　rashes　of　gooseflesh。
　　What's　wrong？　he　wondered；　confused　and　frightened。　His　heart　was　racing；　his　scalp　felt　cool　and　abruptly　too　small　to　cover　his　skull；　he　could　feel　the　surge　of　adrenaline　behind　his　eyes。　Human　eyes　really　did　bug　out　when　fear　was　extreme；　he　knew；　they　did　not　just　widen　but　actually　bulged　as　blood　pressure　climbed　and　the　hydrostatic　pressure　of　the　cranial　fluids　increased。　What　the　hell　is　it？　Ghosts？　Christ；　it　really　feels　as　if　something　just　brushed　by　me　in　this　hallway；　something　I　almost　saw。
　　Downstairs　the　screen　door　whacked　against　its　frame。
　　Louis　Creed　jumped；　almost　screamed；　and　then　laughed。　It　was　simply　one　of　those　psychological　cold　pockets　people　Sometimes　passed　through…no　more；　no　less。　A　momentary　fugue。　They　happened；　that　was　all。　What　had　Scrooge　said　to　the　ghost　of　Jacob　Marley？　You　may　be　no　more　than　an　underdone　bit　of　potato。　There's　more　gravy　than　grave　to　you。　And　that　was　more　correct…physiologically　as　well　as　psychologically…than　Charles　Dickens　had　probably　known。　There　were　no　ghosts；　at　least　not　in　his　experience。　He　had　pronounced　two　dozen　people　dead　in　his　career　and　had　never　once　felt　the　passage　of　a　soul。
　　He　took　Gage　into　his　room　and　laid　him　in　his　crib。　As　he　pulled　the　blanket　up　over　his　son；　though；　a　shudder　twisted　up　his　back；　and　he　thought　suddenly　of　his　Uncle　Carl's　〃showroom。〃　No　new　cars　there；　no　televisions　with　all　the　modem　features；　no　dishwashers　with　glass　fronts　so　you　could　watch　the　magical　sudsing　action。　Only　boxes　with　their　lids　up；　a　carefully　hidden　spotlight　over　each。　His　father's　brother　was　an　undertaker。
　　Good　God；　what　gave　you　the　horrors？　Let　it　go！　Dump　it！
　　He　kissed　his　son　and　went　down　to　listen　to　Ellie　tell　about　her　first　day　at　the　big　kid's　school。
　　　8
　　That　Saturday；　after　Ellie　had　pleted　her　first　week　of　school　and　just　before　the　college　kids　came　back　to　campus；　Jud　Crandall　came　across　the　road　and　walked　over　to　where　the　Creed　family　sat　on　their　lawn。　Ellie　had　gotten　off　her　bike　and　was　drinking　a　glass　of　iced　tea。　Gage　was　crawling　in　the　grass；　examining　bugs；　perhaps　even　eating　a　few；　Gage　was　not　particular　where　his　protein　camó　from。
　　〃Jud；〃　Louis　said；　getting　up。　〃Let　me　get　you　a　chair。〃
　　〃No　need。〃　Jud　was　wearing　jeans；　an　open…throated　work　shirt；　and　a　pair　of　green　boots。　He　looked　at　Ellie。　〃You　still　want　to　see　where　yon　path　goes；　Ellie？〃
　　〃Yes！〃　Ellie　said；　getting　up　immediately。　Her　eyes　sparkled。　〃George　Buck　at　school　told　me　it　was　the　pet　cemetery；　and　I　told　Mommy；　but　she　said　to　wait　for　you　because　you　knew　where　it　was。〃
　　〃I　do；　too；〃　Jud　said。　〃If　it's　okay　with　your　folks；　we'll　take　us　a　stroll　up　there。　You'll　want　a　pair　of　boots　though。　Ground's　a　bit　squishy　in　places。〃
　　Ellie　rushed　into　the　house。
　　Jud　looked　after　her　with　amused　affection。　〃Maybe　you'd　like　to　e　too；　Louis。〃
　　〃I　would；〃　Louis　said。　He　looked　at　Rachel。　〃You　want　to　e；　honey？〃
　　〃What　about　Gage？　I　thought　it　was　a　mile。〃
　　〃I'll　put　him　in　the　Gerrypack。〃
　　Rachel　laughed。　〃Okay　。　。　。　but　it's　your　back；　mister。〃
　　They　started　off　ten　minutes　later；　all　of　them　but　Gage　wearing　boots。　Gage　was　sitting　up　in　the　Gerrypack　and　looking　at　everything　over　Louis's　shoulder；　goggle…eyed。　Ellie　ranged　ahead　constantly；　chasing　butterflies　and　picking　flowers。
　　The　grass　in　the　back　field　was　almost　waist　high；　and　now　there　was　goldenrod；　that　late…summer　gossip　which　es　to　tattle　on　autumn　every　year。　But　there　was　no　autumn　in　the　air　today；　today　the　sun　was　still　all　August；　although　calendar　August　was　almost　two　weeks　gone。　By　the　time　they　had　reached　the　top　of　the　first　hill；　walking　strung　out　along　the　mown　path；　there　were　big　patches　of　sweat　under　Louis's　arms。
　　Jud　paused。　At　first　Louis　thought　it　might　be　because　the　old　man　was　winded…then　he　saw　the　view　that　had　opened　Out　behind　them。
　　〃Pretty　up　here；〃　Jud　said；　putting　a　piece　of　timothy　grass　between　his　teeth。　Louis　thought　he　had　just　heard　the　quintessential　Yankee　understatement。
　　〃It's　gorgeous；〃　Rachel　breathed　and　then　turned　to　Louis；　almost　accusingly。　〃How　e　you　didn't　tell　me　about　this？〃
　　〃Because！　didn't　know　it　was　here；〃　Louis　said；　and　was　a　little　ashamed。　They　were　still　on　their　own　property；　he　had　just　never　found　time　to　climb　the　hill　in　back　of　the　house　until　today。
　　Ellie　had　been　a　good　way　ahead。　Now　she　came　back　also　gazing　with　frank　wonder。　Church　padded　at　her　heels。
　　The　hill　was　not　a　high　one；　but　it　did　not　need　to　be。　To　the　east；　heavy　woods　blocked　any　view；　but　looking　this　way；　west；　the　land　fell　away　in　a　golden　and　dozy　late　summer　dream。　Everything　was　still；　hazed；　silent。　There　was　not　even　an　Orinco　tanker　on　the　highway　to　break　the　quiet。
　　It　was　the　river　valley　they　were　looking　into；　of　course；　the　Penobscot；　where　loggers　had　once　floated　their　timber　from　the　northeast　down　to　Bangor　and　Derry。　But　they　were　south　of　Bangor　and　a　bit　north　of　Deny　here。　The　river　flowed　wide　and　peacefully；　as　if　in　its　own　deep　dream。　Louis　could　make　out　Hampden　and　Winterport　on　the　far　side；　and　over　here　he　fancied　he　could　trace　the　black；　river…paralleling　snake　of　Route　15　nearly　all　the　way
　　Bucksport。　They　looked　over　the　river；　its　lush　hem　of　trees；　the　roads；　the　fields。　The　spire　of　the　North　Ludlow　Baptist　Church。　poked　through　one　canopy　of　old　elms；　and　to　the　right　he　could　see　the　square　brick　sturdiness　of　Ellie's　school。
　　Overhead；　white　clouds　moved　slowly　toward　a　horizon　the　color　of　faded　denim。　And　everywhere　were　the　late…summer　fields；　used　up　at　the　end　of　the　cycle；　dormant　but　not　dead；　an　incredible　tawny　color。
　　〃Gorgeous　is　the　right　word；〃　Louis　said　finally。
　　〃They　used　to　call　it　Prospect　Hill　back　in　the　old　days；〃　Jud　said。　He　put　a　cigarette　in　the　corner　of　his　mouth　but　did　not　light　it。　〃There's　a　few　that　still　do；　but　now　that　younger　people　have　moved　into　town；　it's　mostly　been　forgot。　I　don't　think　there's　very　many　people　that　even　e　up　here。　It　don't　look　like　you　could　see　much　because　the　hill's　not　very　high。　But　you　can　see…〃　He　gestured　with　one　hand　and　fell　silent。
　　〃You　can　see　everything；〃　Rachel　said　in　a　low；　awed　voice。　She　turned　to　Louis。　〃Honey；　do　we　own　this？〃
　　And　before　Louis　could　answer；　Jud　said：　〃It's　part　of　the　property；　oh　yes。〃
　　Which　wasn't；　Louis　thought；　quite　the　same　thing。
　　It　was　cooler　in　the　woods；　perhaps　by　as　much　as　eight　or　ten　degrees。　The　path；　still　wide　and　occasionally　marked　with　flowers　in　pots　or　in　coffee　cans　（most　of　them　wilted）；　was　now　floored　with　dry　pine　needles。　They　had　gone　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile；　moving　downhill　now；　when　Jud　called　Ellie　back。
　　〃This　is　a　good　walk　for　a　little　girl；〃　Jud　said　kindly；　〃but　I　want　you　to　promise　your　mom　and　dad　that　if　you　e　up　here；　you'll　always　stay　on　the　path。〃
　　〃I　promise；〃　Ellie　said　promptly　〃Why？〃
　　He　glanced　at　Louis；　who　had　stopped　to。　rest。　Toting　Gage；　even　in　the　shade　of　these　old　pines　and　spruces；　was　heavy　work。　〃Do　you　know　where　you　are？〃　Jud　asked　Louis。
　　Louis　considered　and　rejected　answers：　Ludlow；　North　Ludlow；　behind　my　house；　between　Route　15　and　Middle　Drive。　He　shook　his　head。