sk.petsematary-第63部分

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w　and　sort　of　clumsy。　Timmy　Baterman　was　like　that；　Louis；　like　a　zombie　in　a　movie；　but　he　wasn't。　There　was　somethin　more。　There　was　somethin　goin　on　behind　his　eyes；　and　sometimes　you　could　see　it　and　sometimes　you　couldn't　see　it。　Somethin　behind　his　eyes；　Louis。　I　don't　think　that　thinkin　is　what　I　want　to　call　it。　I　don't　know　what　in　the　hell　I　want　to　call　it。
　　〃It　was　sly；　that　was　one　thing。　Like　him　tellin　Missus　Stratton　he　wanted　to　cut　a　rug　with　her。　There　was　somethin　goin　on　in　there；　Louis；　but　I　don't　think　it　was　thinkin　and　I　don't　think　it　had　much…maybe　nothing　at　all…to　do　with　Timmy　Baterman。　It　was　more　like　a　。　。　。　a　radio　signal　that　was　in　from　somewhere　else。　You　looked　at　him　and　you　thought；　'If　he　touches　me；　I'm　gonna　scream。'　Like　that。
　　〃Back　and　forth　he　went；　up　and　down　the　road；　and　one　day　after　I　got　home　from　work…this　must　have　been；　oh；　I'm　going　to　say　it　was　July　30　or　so…here　is　George　Anderson；　the　postmaster；　don't　you　know；　sitting　on　my　back　porch；　drinking　iced　tea　with　Hannibal　Benson；　who　was　then　our　second　selectman；　and　Alan　Purinton；　who　was　fire　chief。　Norma　sat　there　too　but　never　said　a　thing。
　　〃George　kept　rubbing　the　stump　at　the　top　of　his　right　leg。　Lost　most　of　that　leg　working　on　the　railroad；　he　did；　and　the　stump　used　to　bother　him　something　fierce　on　those　hot　and　muggy　days。　But　here　he　was；　misery　or　not。
　　〃This　has　gone　far　enough；'　George　says　to　me。　'I　got　a　mail…woman　who　won't　deliver　out　on　the　Pedersen　Road…that's　one　thing。　It's　starting　to　raise　Cain　with　the　government；　and　that's　something　else。'
　　〃What　do　you　mean；　it's　raising　Cain　with　the　government？'　I　asked
　　〃Hannibal　said　he'd　had　a　call　from　the　War　Department。　Some　lieutenant　named　Kinsman　whose　job　it　was　to　sort　out　malicious　mischief　from　plain　old　tomfoolery。　'Four　or　five　people　have　written　anonymous　letters　to　the　War　Department；'　Hannibal　says；　'and　this　Lieutenant　Kinsman　is　starting　to　get　a　little　bit　concerned。　If　it　was　just　one　fellow　who　had　written　one　letter；　they'd　laugh　it　off。　If　it　was　just　one　fellow　writing　a　whole　bunch　of　letters；　Kinsman　says　he'd　call　the　state　police　up　in　Derry　Barracks　and　tell　em　they　might　have　a　psychopath　with　a　hate　on　against　the　Baterman　family　in　Ludlow。　But　these　letters　all　came　from　different　people。　He　said　you　could　tell　that　by　the　handwriting；　name　or　no　name；　and　they　all　say　the　same　crazy　thing…that　if　Timothy　Baterman　is　dead；　he　makes　one　hell　of　a　lively　corpse　walking　up　and　down　Pedersen　Road　with　his　bare　face　hanging　out。
　　〃This　Kinsman　is　going　to　send　a　fellow　out　or　e　himself　if　this　don't　settle　down；'　Hannibal　finishes　up。　'They　want　to　know　if　Timmy's　dead；　or　AWOL；　or　what　because　they　don't　like　to　think　their　records　are　all　at　sixes　and　sevens。　Also　they're　gonna　want　to　know　who　was　buried　in　Timmy　Baterman's　box；　if　he　wasn't。'
　　〃Well；　you　can　see　what　kind　of　a　mess　it　was；　Louis。　We　sat　there　most　of　an　hour；　drinking　iced　tea　and　talking　it　over。　Norma　asked　us　if　we　wanted　sandwidges；　but　no　one　did。
　　〃We　talked　it　around　and　talked　it　around；　and　finally　we　decided　we　had　to　go　out　there　to　the　Baterman　place。　I'll　never　forget　that　night；　not　if　I　live　to　be　twice　as　old's　I　am　now。　It　was　hot；　hotter　than　the　hinges　of　hell；　with　the　sun　going　down　like　a　bucket　of　guts　behind　the　clouds。　There　was　none　of　us　wanted　to　go；　but　we　had　to。　Norma　knew　it　before　any　of　us。　She　got　me　inside　on　some　pretext　or　other　and　said；　'Don't　you　let　them　dither　around　and　put　this　off；　Judson。　You　got　to　get　this　taken　care　of。　It's　an　abomination。〃
　　Jud　measured　Louis　evenly　with　his　eyes。
　　〃That　was　what　she　called　it；　Louis。　It　was　her　word。　Abomination。　And　she　kind　of　whispers　in　my　ear；　'If　anything　happens；　Jud；　you　just　run。　Never　mind　these　others；　they'll　have　to　look　out　for　themselves。　You　remember　me　and　bust　your　hump　right　out　of　there　if　anything　happens。'
　　〃We　drove　over　in　Hannibal　Benson's　car…that　son　of　a　bitch　got　all　the　A…coupons　he　wanted；　I　don't　know　how。　Nobody　said　much；　but　all　four　of　us　was　smokin　like　chimblies。　We　was　scared；　Louis；　just　as　scared　as　we　could　be。　But　the　only　one　who　really　said　anything　was　Alan　Purinton。　He　says　to　George；　'Bill　Baterman　has　been　up　to　dickens　in　that　woods　north　of　Route　15；　and　I'll　put　my　warrant　to　that。'　Nobody　answered；　but　I　remember　George　noddin　his　head。
　　〃Well；　we　got　there；　and　Alan　knocked；　but　nobody　answered；　so　we　went　around　to　the　back　and　there　the　two　of　them　were。　Bill　Baterman　was　sitting　there　on　his　back　stoop　with　a　pitcher　of　beer；　and　Timmy　was　at　the　back　of　the　yard；　just　staring　up　at　that　red；　bloody　sun　as　it　went　down。　His　whole　face　was　orange　with　it；　like　he'd　been　flayed　alive。　And　Bill　。　。　。　he　looked　like　the　devil　had　gotten　him　after　his　seven　years　of　highfalutin。　He　was　floatin　in　his　clothes；　and　I　judged　he'd　lost　forty　pounds。　His　eyes　had　gone　back　in　their　sockets　until　they　were　like　little　animals　in　a　pair　of　caves。　。　。　and　his　mouth　kep　goin　tick…tick…tick　on　the　left　side。〃
　　Jud　paused；　seemed　to　consider；　and　then　nodded　imperceptibly。　〃Louis；　he　looked　damned。
　　〃Timmy　looked　around　at　us　and　grinned。　Just　seeing　him　grin　made　you　want　to　scream。　Then　he　turned　and　went　back　to　looking　at　the　sun　go　down。　Bill　says；　'I　didn't　hear　you　boys　knock；'　which　was　a　bald…faced　lie；　of　course；　since　Alan　laid　on　that　door　loud　enough　to　wake　the。　。　。　to　wake　up　a　deaf　man。
　　〃No　one　seemed　like　they　was　going　to　say　anything；　so　I　says；　'Bill；　I　heard　your　boy　was　killed　over　in　Italy。'
　　〃That　was　a　mistake；'　he　says；　looking　right　at　me。
　　〃Was　it？'　I　says。
　　〃You　see　him　standin　right　there；　don't　you？'　he　says。
　　〃So　who　do　you　reckon　was　in　that　coffin　you　had　buried　out　at　Pleasantview？'　Alan　Purinton　asks　him。
　　〃'Be　damned　if　I　know；'　Bill　says；　'and　be　damned　if　I　care。'
　　He　goes　to　get　a　cigarette　and　spills　them　all　over　the　back　porch；　then　breaks　two　or　three　trying　to　pick　them　up。
　　〃Probably　have　to　be　an　exhumation；'　Hannibal　says。　'You　know　that；　don't　you？　I　had　a　call　from　the　goddam　War　Department；　Bill。　They　are　going　to　want　to　know　if　they　buried　some　other　mother's　son　under　Timmy's　name。'
　　〃Well；　what　in　the　hell　of　it？'　Bill　says　in　a　loud　voice。　'That's　nothing　to　me；　is　it？　I　got　my　boy。　Timmy　e　home　the　other　day。　He's　been　shell…shocked　or　something。　He's　a　little　strange　now；　but　he'll　e　around。'
　　〃Let's　quit　this；　Bill；'　I　says；　and　all　at　once　I　was　pretty　mad　at　him。　'If　and　when　they　dig　up　that　army　coffin；　they're　gonna　find　it　dead　empty；　unless　you　went　to　the　trouble　of　filling　it　up　with　rocks　after　you　took　your　boy　out　of　it；　and　I　don't　think　you　did。　I　know　what　happened；　Hannibal　and　George　and　Alan　here　know　what　happened；　and　you　know　what　happened　too。　You　been　foolin　around　up　in　the　woods；　Bill；　and　you　have　caused　yourself　and　this　town　a　lot　of　trouble。'
　　〃You　fellas　know　your　way　out；　I　guess；'　he　says。　'I　don't　have　to　explain　myself　to　you；　or　justify　myself　to　you；　or　nothing。　When　I　got　that　telegram；　the　life　ran　right　out　of　me。　I　felt　her　go；　just　like　piss　down　the　inside　of　my　leg。　Well；　I　got　my　boy　back。　They　had　no　right　to　take　my　boy。　He　was　only　seventeen。　He　was　all　I　had　left　of　his　dear　mother；　and　it　was　illfuckinlegal。　So　fuck　the　army；　and　fuck　the　War　Department；　and　fuck　the　United　States　of　America；　and　fuck　you　boys　too。　I　got　him　back。　He'll　e　around。　And　that's　all　I　got　to　say。　Now　you　all　just　march　your　boots　back　where　you　came　from。'
　　〃And　his　mouth　is　tick…tick…tickin；　and　there's　sweat　all　over　his　forehead　in　big　drops；　and　that　was　when　I　saw　he　was　crazy。　It　would　have　driven　me　crazy　too。　Living　with　that　。　。　。　that　thing。〃
　　Louis　was　feeling　sick　to　his　stomach。　He　had　drunk　too　much　beer　too　fast。　Pretty　soon　it　was　all　going　to　e　up　on　him。　The　heavy；　loaded　feeling　in　his　stomach　told　him　it　would　be　ing　up　soon。
　　〃Well；　there　wasn't　much　else　we　could　do。　We　got　ready　to　go。　Hannibal　says；　'Bill；　God　help　you。'
　　〃Bill　says；　'God　never　helped　me。　I　helped　myself。'
　　〃That　was　when　Timmy　walked　o