sk.petsematary-第7部分

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　　Louis　considered　and　rejected　answers：　Ludlow；　North　Ludlow；　behind　my　house；　between　Route　15　and　Middle　Drive。　He　shook　his　head。
　　Jud　jerked　a　thumb　back　over　his　shoulder。　〃Plenty　of　stuff　that　way；〃　he　said。　〃That's　town。　This　way；　nothing　but　woods　for　fifty　miles　or　more。　The　North　Ludlow　Woods　they　call　it　here；　but　it　hits　a　little　corner　of　Orrington；　then　goes　over　to　Rockford。　Ends　up　going　onto　those　state　lands　I　told　you　about；　the　ones　the　Indians　want　back。　I　know　it　sounds　funny　to　say　your　nice　little　house　there　on　the　main　road；　with　its　phone　and　electric　lights　and　cable　TV　and　all；　is　on　the　edge　of　a　wilderness；　but　it　is。〃　He　looked　back　at　Ellie。　〃All　I'm　saying　is　that　you　don't　want　to　get　messing　around　in　these　woods；　Ellie。　You　might　lose　the　path；　and　God　knows　where　you　might　end　up　then。〃
　　〃I　won't；　Mr。　Crandall。〃　Ellie　was　suitably　impressed；　even　awed；　but　not　afraid；　Louis　saw。　Rachel；　however；　was　looking　at　Jud　uneasily；　and　Louis　felt　a　little　uneasy　himself。　It　was；　he　supposed；　the　city…bred's　almost　instinctive　fear　of　the　woods。　Louis　hadn't　held　a　pass　in　his　hand　since　Boy　Scouts；　twenty　years　before；　and　his　memories　of　how　to　find　your　way　by　things　like　the　North　Star　or　which　side　of　the　trees　moss　grew　on　were　as　vague　as　his　memories　of　how　to　tie　a　sheepshank　or　a　half　hitch。
　　Jud　looked　them　over　and　smiled　a　little。　〃Now；　we　ain't　lost　nobody　in　these　woods　since　1934；〃　he　said。　〃At　least；　nobody　local。　The　last　one　was　Will　Jeppson…no　great　loss。
　　Except　for　Stanny　Bouchard；　I　guess　Will　was　the　biggest　tosspot　this　side　of　Bucksport。〃
　　〃You　said　nobody　local；〃　Rachel　remarked　in　a　voice　that　was　not　quite　casual；　and　Louis　could　almost　read　her　mind：
　　We're　not　local。　At　least；　not　yet。
　　Jud　paused　and　then　nodded。　〃We　do　lose　one　of　the　tourists　every　two　or　three　years　because　they　think　you　can't　get　lost　right　off　the　main　road。　But　we　never　lost　even　one　of　them　for　good；　missus。　Don't　you　fret。〃
　　〃Are　there　moose？〃　Rachel　asked　apprehensively；　and　Louis　smiled。　If　Rachel　wanted　to　fret；　she　would　jolly　well　fret。
　　〃Well；　you　might　see　a　moose；〃　Jud　said；　〃but　he　wouldn't　give　you　any　trouble；　Rachel。　During　mating　season　they　get　a　little　irritated；　but　otherwise　they　do　no　more　than　look。　Only　people　they　take　after　out　of　their　rutting　time　are　people　from　Massachusetts。　I　don't　know　why　that's　so；　but　it　is。〃　Louis　thought　the　man　was　joking　but　could　not　be　sure；　Jud　looked　utterly　serious。　〃I've　seen　it　time　and　time　again。　Some　fella　from　Saugus　or　Milton　or　Weston　up　a　tree；　yelling　about　a　herd　of　moose；　every　damn　one　of　em　as　big　as　a　motorhome。　Seems　like　moose　can　smell　Massachusetts　on　a　man　or　a　woman。　Or　maybe　it's　just　all　those　new　clothes　from　L。　L。　Bean's　they　smell…I　dunno。　I'd　like　to　see　one　of　those　animal　husbandry　students　from　the　college　do　a　paper　on　it；　but　I　s'pose　none　ever　will。〃
　　〃What's　rutting　time？〃　Ellie　asked。
　　〃Never　mind；〃　Rachel　said。　〃I　don't　want　you　up　here　unless　you're　with　a　grown…up；　Ellie。〃　Rachel　moved　a　step　closer　to　Louis。
　　Jud　looked　pained。　〃I　didn't　want　to　scare　you；　Rachel…you　or　your　daughter。　No　need　to　be　scared　in　these　woods。　This　is　a　good　path；　it　gets　a　little　buggy　in　the　spring　and　it's　a　little　sloppy　all　the　time…except　for　'55；　which　was　the　driest　summer　I　can　remember…but　hell；　there…isn't　even　any　poison　ivy　or　poison　oak；　which　there　is　at　the　back　of　the　schoolyard；　and　you　want　to　stay　away　from　it；　Ellie；　if　you　don't　want　to　spend　three　weeks　of　your　life　takin　starch　baths。〃
　　Ellie　covered　her　mouth　and　giggled。
　　〃It's　a　safe　path；〃　Jud　said　earnestly　to　Rachel；　who　still　didn't　look　convinced。　〃Why；　I　bet　even　Gage　could　follow　it；　and　the　town　kids　e　up　here　a　lot；　I　already　told　you　that。　They　keep　it　nice。　Nobody　tells　them　to；　they　just　do　it。　I　wouldn't　want　to　spoil　that　for　Ellie。〃　He　bent　over　her　and　winked。　〃It's　like　many　other　things　in　life；　Ellie。　You　keep　on　the　path　and　all's　well。　You　get　off　it　and　the　next　thing　you　know　you're　lost　if　you're　not　lucky。　And　then　someone　has　to　send　out　a　searchin　party。〃
　　They　walked　on。　Louis　began　to　get　a　dull　cramp　of　pain　in　his　back　；from　the　baby　carrier。　Every　now　and　then　Gage　would　grab　a　double　handful　of　his　hair　and　tug　enthusiastically　or　administer　a　cheerful　kick　to　Louis's　kidneys。　Late　mosquitoes　cruised　around　his　face　and　neck；　making　their　eye…watering　hum。
　　The　path　curved　down；　bending　in　and　out　between　very　old　firs；　and　then　cut　widely　through　a　brambly；　tangled　patch　of　undergrowth。　The　going　was　soupy　here；　and　Louis's　boots　squelched　in　mud　and　some　standing　water。　At　one　point　they　stepped　over　a　marshy　spot　using　a　pair　of　good…sized　tussocks　as　stepping　stones。　That　was　the　worst　of　it。　They　started　to　climb　again　and　the　trees　reasserted　themselves。　Gage　seemed　to　have　magically　put　on　ten　pounds；　and　the　day　had；　with　some　similar　magic；　warmed　up　ten　degrees。　Sweat　poured　down　Louis's　face。
　　〃How　you　doing；　hon？〃　Rachel　asked。　〃Want　me　to　carry　him　for　a　while？〃
　　〃No；　I'm　fine；〃　he　said；　and　it　was　true；　although　his　heart　was　larruping　along　at　a　good　speed　in　his　chest。　He　was　more　used　to　prescribing　physical　exercise　than　he　was　to　doing　it。
　　Jud　was　walking　with　Ellie　by　his　side；　her　lemon…yellow　slacks　and　red　blouse　were　bright　splashes　of　color　in　the　shady　brown…green　gloom。
　　〃Lou；　does　he　really　know　where　he's　going；　do　you　think？〃　Rachel　asked　in　a　low；　slightly　worried　tone。
　　〃Sure；〃　Louis　said。
　　Jud　called　back　cheerily　over　his　shoulder：　〃Not　much　farther　now。　。　。　you　bearin　up；　Louis？〃
　　My　God；　Louis　thought；　the　man's　well　past　eighty；　but　I　don't　think　he's　even　broken　a　sweat。
　　〃I'm　fine；〃　he　called　back　a　little　aggressively。　Pride　probably　would　have　led　him　to　say　the　same　thing　even　if　he　had　felt　the　onset　of　a　coronary。　He　grinned；　hitched　the　straps　of　the　Gerrypack　up　a　bit；　and　went　on。
　　They　topped　the　second　hill；　and　then　the　path　sloped　through　a　head…high　swatch　of　bushes　and　tangled　underbrush。　It　narrowed　and　then；　just　ahead；　Louis　saw　Ellie　and　Jud　go　under　an　arch　made　of　old　weather　stained　boards。　Written　on　these　in　faded　black　paint；　only　just　legible；　were　the　words
　　PET　SEMATARY。
　　He　and　Rachel　exchanged　an　amused　glance　and　stepped　under　the　arch；　instinctively　reaching　out　and　grasping　each　other's　hands　as　they　did　so；　as　if　they　had　e　here　to　be　married。
　　For　the　second　time　that　morning　Louis　was　surprised　into　wonder。…
　　There　was　no　carpet　of　needles　here。　Here　was　an　almost　perfect　circle　of　mown　grass；　perhaps　as　large　as　forty　feet　in　diameter。　It　was　bounded　by　thickly　interlaced　underbrush　on　three　sides　and　an　old　blowdown　on　the　fourth；　a　jackstraw　jumble　of　fallen　trees　that　looked　both　sinister　and　dangerous。　A　man　trying　so　pick　his　way　through　that　or　to　climb　over　it　would　do　well　to　put　on　a　steel　jock；　Louis　thought。　The　clearing　was　crowded　with　markers；　obviously　made　by　children　from　whatever　materials　they　could　beg　or　borrow…the　slats　of　crates；　scrapwood；　pieces　of　beaten　…tin。　And　yet；　seen　against　the　perimeter　of　low　bushes　and　straggly　trees　that　fought　for　living　space　and　sunlight　here；　the　very　fact　of　their　clumsy　manufacture；　and　the　fact　that　humans　were　responsible　for　what　was　here；　seemed　to　emphasize　what　symmetry　they　had。　The　forested　backdrop　lent　the　place　a　crazy　sort　of　profundity；　a　charm　that　was　not　Christian　but　pagan。
　　〃It's　lovely；〃　Rachel　said；　not　sounding　as　if　she　meant　it。
　　〃Wow！〃　Ellie　cried。
　　Louis　unshouldered　Gage　and　pulled　him　out　of　the　baby　carrier　so　he　could　crawl。　Louis's　back　sighed　with　relief。
　　Ellie　ran　from　one　monument　to　the　next；　exclaiming　over　each。　Louis　followed　her　while　Rachel　kept　an　eye　on　the　baby。　Jud　sat　down　cross…legged；　his　back　against　a　protruding　rock；　and　smoked。
　　Louis　noticed　that　the　place　did　not　just　seem　to　have　a　sense　of　order；　a　pattern；　the　memorials　had　arranged　in　rough　concentric　circles。
　　SMUCKY　THE　CAT；　one　crate…board　marker　proclaimed。　The　hand　was　childish　but　careful。　HE　WAS　OBEDIANT。　And　below　this：　1971…1974