sk.petsematary-第64部分

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　　〃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　over　to　us。　He　even　walked　wrong；　Louis。　He　walked　like　an　old；　old　man。　He'd　put　one　foot　high　up　and　then　bring　it　down　and　then　kind　of　shuffle　and　then　lift　the　other　one。　It　was　like　watchin　a　crab　walk。　His　hands　dangled　down　by　his　legs。　And　when　he　got　close　enough；　you　could　see　red　marks　across　his　face　on　the　slant；　like　pimples　or　little　burns。　I　reckon　that's　where　the　Kraut　machine　gun　got　him。　Must　have　damn　near　blowed　his　head　off。
　　〃And　he　stank　of　the　grave。　It　was　a　black　smell；　like　everything　inside　him　was　just　lying　there；　spoiled。　I　saw　Alan　Purinton　put　a　hand　up　to　cover　his　nose　and　mouth。　The　stench　was　just　awful。　You　almost　expected　to　see　grave　maggots　squirming　around　in　his　hair…〃
　　〃Stop；〃　Louis　said　hoarsely。　〃I've　heard　enough。〃
　　〃You　ain't；〃　Jud　said。　He　spoke　with　haggard　earnestness。　〃That's　it；　you　ain't。　And　I　can't　even　make　it　as　bad　as　it　was。　Nobody　could　understand　how　bad　it　was　unless　they　was　there。　He　was　dead；　Louis。　But　he　was　alive　too。　And　he。　。　。　he。　。　。　he　knew　things。〃
　　〃Knew　things？〃　Louis　sat　forward。
　　〃Aynh。　He　looked　at　Alan　for　a　long　time；　kind　of　grinning…　you　could　see　his　teeth；　anyway…and　then　he　spoke　in　this　low　voice；　you　felt　like　you　had　to　strain　forward　to　hear　it。　It　sounded　like　he　had　gravel　down　in　his　tubes。　'Your　wife　is　fucking　that　man　she　works　with　down　at　the　drugstore；　Purinton。　What　do　you　think　of　that？　She　screams　when　she　es。　What　do　you　think　of　that？'
　　〃Alan；　he　kind　of　gasped；　and　you　could　see　it　had　hit　him。　Alan's　in　a　nursing　home　up　in　Gardener　now；　or　was　the　last　I　heard…he　must　be　pushing　ninety。　Back　when　all　this　happened；　he　was　forty　or　so；　and　there　had　been　some　talk　around　about　his　second　wife。　She　was　his　second　cousin；　and　she　had　e　to　live　with　Alan　and　Alan's　first　wife；　Lucy；　just　before　the　war。　Well；　Lucy　died；　and　a　year　and　a　half　later　Alan　up　and　married　this　girl。　Laurine；　her　name　was。　She　was　no　more　than　twenty…four　when　they　married。　And　there　had　been　some　talk　about　her；　you　know。　If　you　were　a　man；　you　might　have　called　her　ways　sort　of　free　and　easy　and　let　it　go　at　that。　But　the　women　thought　she　might　be　loose。　And　maybe　Alan　had　had　a　few　thoughts　in　that　direction　too　because　he　says；　'Shut　up！　Shut　up　or　I'll　knock　you　down；　whatever　you　are！'
　　〃Shush　now；　Timmy；'　Bill　says；　and　he　looks　worse　than　ever；　you　know；　like　maybe　he's　going　to　puke　or　faint　dead　away；　or　do　both。　'You　shush；　Timmy。'
　　〃But　Timmy　didn't　take　no　notice。　He　looks　around　at　George　Anderson　and　he　says；　'That　grandson　you　set　such　a　store　by　is　just　waiting　for　you　to　die；　old　man。　The　money　is　all　he　wants；　the　money　he　thinks　you　got　socked　away　in　your　lockbox　at　the　Bangor　Eastern　Bank。　That's　why　he　makes　up　to　you；　but　behind　your　back　he　makes　fun　of　you；　him　and　his　sister。　Old　wooden…leg；　that's　what　they　call　you；'　Timmy　says；　and　Louis；　his　voice…it　changed。　It　got　mean。　It　sounded　like　the　way　that　grandson　of　George's　would　have　sounded　if。　。　。　you　know；　if　the　things　Timmy　was　saying　was　true。
　　〃Old　wooden…leg；'　Timmy　says；　'and　won't　they　shit　when　they　find　out　you're　poor　as　a　church　mouse　because　you　lost　it　all　in　1938？　Won't　they　shit；　George？　Won't　they　just　shit？'
　　〃George；　he　backed　away　then；　and　his　wooden　leg　buckled　under　him；　and　he　fell　back　on　Bill's　porch　and　upsat　his　pitcher　of　beer；　and　he　was　as　white　as　your　undershirt；　Louis。
　　〃Bill；　he　gets　him　back　on　his　feet　somehow；　and　he's　roarin　at　his　boy；　'Timmy；　you　stop　it！　You　stop　it！'　But　Timmy　wouldn't。　He　said　somethin　bad　about　Hannibal；　and　then　he　said　something　bad　about　me　too；　and　by　then　he　was　。　。　。　ravin；　I'd　say。　Yeah；　he　was　ravin；　all　right。　Screamin。　And　we　started　to　back　away；　and　then　we　started　to　run；　draggin　George　along　the　best　we　could　by　the　arms　because　he'd　gotten　the　straps　and　harnesses　on　that　fake　leg　twisted　somehow；　and　it　was　all　off　to　one　side　with　the　shoe　turned　around　backward　and　draggin　on　the　grass。
　　〃The　last　I　seen　of　Timmy　Baterman；　he　was　on　the　back　lawn　by　the　clothesline；　his　face　all　red　in　the　settin　sun；　those　marks　standin　out　on　his　face；　his　hair　all　crazy　and　dusty　somehow　and　he　was　laughin　and　screechin　over　and　over　again　'Old　wooden…leg！　Old　wooden…leg！　And　the　cuckold！　And　the　whoremaster！　Goodbye；　gentlemen！　Goodbye！　Goodbye！'　And　then　he　laughed；　but　it　was　screaming；　really。　。　。　something　inside　him　screaming。　。　。　and　screaming。　。　。　and　screaming。〃
　　Jud　stopped。　His　chest　moved　up　and　down　rapidly。
　　〃Jud；〃　Louis　said。　〃The　thing　this　Timmy　Baterman　told　you　was　it　truer'
　　〃It　was　true；〃　Jud　muttered。　〃Christ！　It　was　true。　I　used　to　go　to　a　whorehouse　in　Bangor　betimes。　Nothing　many　a　man　hasn't　done；　although　I　s'pose　there　are　plenty　that　walk　the　straight　and　narrow。　I　just　would　get　the　urge…the　pulsion；　maybe…　to　sink　it　into　strange　flesh　now　and　then。　Or　pay　some　woman　to　do　the　things　a　man　can't　bring　himself　to　ask　his　wife　to　do。　Men　keep　their　gardens　too；　Louis。　It　wasn't　a　terrible　thing；　what　I　done；　and　all　of　that　has　been　behind　me　for　the　last　eight　or　nine　years；　and　Norma　would　not　have　left　me　if　she　had　known。　But　something　in　her　would　have　died　forever。　Something　dear　and　sweet。〃
　　Jud's　eyes　were　red　and　swollen　and　bleary。　The　tears　of　the　old　are　singularly　unlovely；　Louis　thought。　But　when　Jud　groped　across　the　table　for　Louis's　hand；　Louis　took　it　firmly。
　　〃He　told　us　only　the　bad；〃　he　said　after　a　moment。　〃Only　the　bad。　God　knows　there　is　enough　of　that　in　any　human　being's　life；　isn't　there？　Two　or　three　days　later；　Laurine　Purinton　left　Ludlow　for　good；　and　folks　in　town　who　saw　her　before　she　got　on　the　train　said　she　was　sporting　two　shiners　and　had　cotton　stuffed　up　both　bores　of　her　pump。　Alan；　he　would　never　talk　about　it。　George　died　in　1950；　and　if　he　left　anything　to　that　grandson　and　granddaughter　of　his；　I　never　heard　about　it。　Hannibal　got　kicked　out　of　office　because　of　something　that　was　just　like　what　Timmy　Baterman　accused　him　of。　I　won't　tell　you　exactly　what　it　was…you　don't　need　to　know…but　misappropriation　of　town　funds　for　his　own　use　es　close　enough　to　cover　it；　I　reckon。　There　was　even　talk　of　trying　him　on　embezzlement　charges；　but　it　never　came　to　much。　Losing　the　post　was　enough　punishment　for　him　anyway；　his　whole　life　was　playing　the　big　cheese。
　　〃But　there　was　good　in　those　men　too。　That's　what　I　mean；　that's　what　folks　always　find　it　so　hard　to　remember。　It　was　Hannibal　got　the　fund　started　for　the　Eastern　General　Hospital；　right　before　the　war。　Alan　Purinton　was　one　of　the　most　generous；　open…handed　men　I　ever　knew。　And　old　George　Anderson　only　wanted　to　go　on　running　the　post　office　forever。
　　〃It　was　only　the　bad　it　wanted　to　talk　about　though。　It　was　only　the　bad　it　wanted　us　to　remember　because　it　was　bad　。　。　and　because　it　knew　we　meant　danger　for　it。　The　Timmy　Baterman　that　went　off　to　fight　the　war　was　a　nice；　ordinary　kid；　Louis；　maybe　a　little　dull　but　goodhearted。　The　thing　we　saw　that　night；　lookin　up　into　that　red　sun。　。　。　that　was　a　monster。　Maybe　it　was　a　zombie　or　a　dybbuk　or　a　demon。　Maybe　there's　no　name　for　such　a　thing　as　that；　but　the　Micmacs　would　have　known　what　it　was；　name　or　no。〃
　　〃What？〃　Louis　said　numbly。
　　〃Something　that　had　been　touched　by　the　Wendigo；〃　Jud　said　evenly。　He　took　a　deep　breath；　held　it　for　a　moment；　let　it　out；　and　looked　at　his　watch。
　　〃Welladay。　The　hour's　late；　Louis。　I've　talked　nine　times　as　much　as　I　meant　to。〃
　　〃I　doubt　that；〃　Louis　said。　〃You've　been　very　eloquent。　Tell　me　how　it　came　out。〃
　　〃There　was　a　fire　at　the　Baterman　place　two　nights　later；〃　Jud　said。　〃The　house　burned　flat。　Alan　Purinton　said　there　was　no　doubt　about　the　fire　being　set。　Range　oil　had　been　splashed　from　one　end　of　that　little　house　to　the　other。　You　could　smell　the　reek　of　it　for　three　days　after　the　fire　was　out。〃
　　〃So　they　both　burned　up。〃
　　〃Oh；　ayuh；　they　burned。　But　they　was　dead　beforehand。　Timmy　was　s