sk.dreamcatcher-第128部分

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and　each　had　the　requisite　five　fingers。
　　　　'What　time　is　it；　Freddy？'
　　　　'Don't　know；　boss　…　still　morning's　all　I　can　say　for　sure。'
　　　　Of　course。　Clocks　all　tucked　up。　Even　his　pocket　watch　had　run　down。　As　much　a　victim　of　modem　times　as　anyone　else；　he　had　forgotten　to　wind　it。　To　Kurtz；　whose　time　sense　had　always　been　at　least　fairly　sharp；　it　felt　like　about　nine；　which　would　mean　he'd　gotten　about　two　hours　of　shuteye。　Not　much；　but　he　didn't　need　much。　He　felt　better。　Well　enough；　certainly；　to　hear　the　concern　in　Freddy's　voice。　　　　
　　　　'What's　up；　bucko？'
　　　　'Pearly　says　he's　lost　contact　with　all　of　them　now；　He　says　Owen　was　the　last；　and　now　he's　gone；　too。　He　says　Owen　must　have　beat　back　the　Ripley　fungus；　sir。'
　　　　Kurtz　caught　sight　of　Perlmutter's　sunken；　I…fooled…you　grin　in　the　wide　rearview　mirror。
　　　　'What's　the　deal；　Archie？'
　　　　'No　deal；'　Pearly　said；　sounding　considerably　more　lucid　than　before　Kurtz's　nap。　'I　。　。　。　boss；　I　could　use　a　drink　of　water。　I'm　not　hungry；　but…'
　　　　'We　could　stop　for　water；　I　guess；'　Kurtz　allowed。　'If　we　had　a　contact；　that　is。　But　if　we've　lost　all　of　them　…　this　guy　Jones　as　well　as　Owen　and　Devlin　…　well；　you　know　how　I　am；　buck。　I'll　bite　when　I　die；　and　it'll　take　two　surgeons　and　a　shotgun　to　get　me　to　let　go　even　then。　You're　going　to　have　a　long　and　thirsty　day　sitting　there　while　Freddy　and　I　course　the　southbound　roads；　looking　for　a　trace　of　them　。　。　。　unless　you　can　help　out。　You　do　that；　Archie；　and　I'll　order　Freddy　to　pull　off　at　the　next　exit。　I　will　personally　trot　into　the　Stop　n　Go　or　Seven…Eleven　and　buy　you　the　biggest　bottle　of　Poland　Spring　water　in　the　cooler。　How　does　that　sound？'
　　　　It　sounded　good；　Kurtz　could　tell　that　just　by　the　way　Perlmutter　first　smacked　his　lips　and　then　ran　his　tongue　out　to　wet　them　（on　Perlmutter's　lips　and　cheeks　the　Ripley　was　still　full　and　rich；　most　patches　the　color　of　strawberries；　some　as　dark　as　burgundy　wine）；　but　that　sly　look　had　e　back。　His　eyes；　rimmed　with　crusts　of　Ripley；　darted　from　side　to　side。　And　all　at　once　Kurtz　understood　the　picture　he　was　looking　at。　Pearly　had　gone　crazy；　God　love　him。　Perhaps　it　took　one　to　know　one。
　　　　'I　told　him　the　God's　truth。　I'm　out　of　touch　with　all　of　them　now。'　But　then　Archie　laid　his　finger　alongside　his　nose　and　looked　slyly　up　into　the　mirror　again。
　　　　'We　catch　them；　I　think　there's　a　good　chance　we　can　get　you　cured　up；　laddie。'　Kurtz　said　this　in　his　driest　just…making…my…report　voice。　'Now　which　of　them　are　you　still　in　touch　with？　Jonesy？　Or　is　it　the　new　one？　Duddits？'　What　Kurtz　actually　said　was　'Dud…Duts'。
　　　　'Not　him。　None　of　them。'　But　still　the　finger　by　the　nose；　still　the　sly　look。
　　　　'Tell　me　and　you　get　water；'　Kurtz　said。　'Continue　to　yank　my　crank；　soldier；　and　I　will　put　a　bullet　in　you　and　roll　you　out　into　the　snow。　Now　you　go　on　and　read　my　mind　and　tell　me　that's　not　so。'
　　　　Pearly　looked　at　him　sulkily　in　the　rearview　a　moment　longer　and　then　said；　'Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　are　still　on　the　turnpike。　They're　down　around　Portland；　now。　Jonesy　told　Mr　Gray　how　to　go　around　the　city　on　295。　Only　it　isn't　like　telling。　Mr　Gray　is　in　his　head；　and　when　he　wants　something；　I　think　he　just　takes　it。'
　　　　Kurtz　listened　to　this　with　mounting　awe；　all　the　time　calculating。
　　　　'There's　a　dog；'　Pearly　said。　'They　have　a　dog　with　them。　His　name　is　Lad。　He's　the　one　I'm　in　contact　with。　He's　。　。　。　like　me。'　His　eyes　met　Kurtz's　again　in　the　mirror；　only　this　time　the　slyness　was　gone。　In　its　place　was　a　miserable　half…sanity。　'Do　you　think　there's　really　a　chance　I　could　be　。　。　。　you　know　。　。　。　myself　again？'
　　　　Knowing　that　Perlmutter　could　see　into　his　mind　made　Kurtz　proceed　cautiously。　'I　think　there's　a　chance　you　could　be　delivered　of　your　burden；　at　least。　With　a　doctor　in　attendance　who　understands　the　situation？　Yes；　I　think　that　could　be。　A　big　whiff　of　cbloro；　and　when　you　wake　up。　。　。　poof。'　Kurtz　kissed　the　ends　of　his　fingers；　then　turned　to　Freddy。　'If　they're　in　Portland；　what's　their　lead　on　us？'
　　　　'Maybe　seventy　miles；　boss。'
　　　　'Then　step　it　up　a　little；　praise　Jesus。　Don't　put　us　in　the　ditch；　but　step　it　up。'　Seventy　miles。　And　if　Owen　and　Devlin　and　'Dud…Duts'　knew　what　Archie　Perlmutter　knew；　they　were　still　on　track。
　　　　'Let　me　get　this　straight；　Archie。　Mr　Gray　is　in　Jonesy…'
　　　　'Yes…'
　　　　'And　they　have　a　dog　with　them　that　can　read　their　minds？'
　　　　'The　dog　hears　their　thoughts；　but　he　doesn't　understand　them。　He's　stiff　only　a　dog。　Boss；　I'm　thirsty。'
　　　　He's　listening　to　the　dog　like　it's　a　fucking　radio；　Kurtz　marvelled。
　　　　'Freddy；　next　exit。　Drinks　all　around。'　He　resented　having　to　make　a　pit…stop　…　resented　losing　even　a　couple　of　miles　on　Owen　…　but　he　needed　Perlmutter。　Happy；　if　possible。
　　　　Up　ahead　was　the　rest　area　where　Mr　Gray　had　traded　his　plow　for　the　cook's　Subaru；　where　Owen　and　Henry　had　also　briefly　pulled　in　because　the　line　went　in　there。　The　parking　lot　was　crammed；　but　among　the　three　of　them　they　had　enough　change　for　the　vending　machines　out　front。
　　　　Praise　God。


7

Whatever　the　triumphs　and　failures　of　the　so…called　'Florida'　Presidency　（that　record　is　in　large　part　still　unwritten）；　there　will　always　be　this：　he　put　an　end　to　the　Space　Scare　with　his　speech　that　November　morning。
　　　　There　were　differing　views　on　why　the　speech　worked　（'It　wasn't　leadership；　it　was　timing；'　one　critic　sniffed）；　but　it　did　work。　Hungry　for　hard　information；　people　who　were　already　on　the　run　pulled　off　the　highway　to　see　the　President　speak。　Appliance　stores　in　malls　filled　up　with　crowds　of　silent；　staring　people。　At　the　food…fuel　stops　along　1…95；　the　counters　shut　down。　TVs　were　placed　beside　the　quiet　cash…registers。　Bars　filled　up。　In　many　places；　people　threw　their　homes　open　to　others　who　wanted　to　watch　the　speech。　They　could　have　listened　on　their　car　radios　（as　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　did）　and　kept　on　trucking；　but　only　a　minority　did。　Most　people　wanted　to　see　the　leader's　face。　According　to　the　President's　detractors；　the　speech　did　nothing　but　break　the　momentum　of　the　panic　…　'Porky　Pig　could　have　given　a　speech　at　that　particular　time　and　gotten　that　particular　result；'　one　of　them　opined。　The　other　took　a　different　view。　'It　was　a　pivotal　moment　in　the　crisis；'　this　fellow　said。　'There　were　maybe　six　thousand　people　on　the　road。　If　the　President　had　said　the　wrong　thing；　there　would　have　been　sixty　thousand　by　two　in　the　afternoon　and　maybe　six　hundred　thousand　by　the　time　the　wave　hit　New　York　…　the　biggest　wave　of　DPs　since　the　Dust　Bowl。　The　American　people；　especially　those　in　New　England；　came　to　their　narrowly…elected　leader　for　help　。　。　。　for　fort　and　reassurance。　He　responded　with　what　may　have　been　the　greatest　my…fellow…Americans　speech　of　all　time。　Simple　as　that。'
　　　　Simple　or　not；　sociology　or　great　leadership；　the　speech　was　about　what　Owen　and　Henry　had　expected　。　。　。　and　Kurtz　could　have　predicted　every　word　and　turn。　At　the　center　were　two　simple　ideas；　both　presented　as　absolute　facts　and　both　calculated　to　soothe　the　terror　which　beat　that　morning　in　the　ordinarily　placent　American　breast。　The　first　idea　was　that；　while　they　had　not　e　waving　olive　branches　and　handing　out　free　introductory　gifts；　the　newers　had　evinced　absolutely　no　signs　of　aggressive　or　hostile　behavior。　The　second　was　that；　while　they　had　brought　some　sort　of　virus　with　them；　it　had　been　contained　within　the　Jefferson　Tract　（the　President　pointed　it　out　on　a　Chroma…Key　green…screen　as　adeptly　as　any　weatherman　pointing　out　a　low…pressure　system）。　And　even　there　it　was　dying；　with　absolutely　no　help　from　the　scientists　and　military　experts　who　were　on　the　scene。
　　　　'While　we　cannot　say　for　sure　at　this　Juncture；'　the　President　told　his　breathless　watchers　（those　who　found　themselves　at　the　New　England　end　of　the　Northeast　Corridor　were；　perhaps　understandably；　the　most　breathless　of　all）；　'we　believe　that　our　visitors　brought　this　virus　with　them　much　as　travellers　from　abroad　may　bring　certain　insects　into　their　country　of　origin　in　their　luggage　or　on　the　produce　they've　purchased。　This　is　something　customs　officials　look　for；　but　of　course'　…　big　smile　from　Gr