sk.dreamcatcher-第13部分

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unny。　Sometimes　the　sound　seems　to　be　ing　from　your　left　or　your　right；　then　you'd　swear　it's　behind　you　and　you　better　turn　back。'
　　　　Jonesy　nodded；　although　he　did　not；　in　fact；　know　how　it　was。　Unless　you　counted　the　week　or　so　immediately　after　his　accident；　time　he　had　spent　wandering　in　a　fog　of　drugs　and　pain；　he　had　never　been　lost。
　　　　'I'm　trying　to　think　what'd　be　the　best　thing；'　Jonesy　said。　'I　guess　when　Pete　and　Henry　get　back；　we　better　take　you　out。　How　many　in　your　party？'
　　　　It　seemed　McCarthy　had　to　think。　That；　added　to　the　unsteady　way　he　had　been　walking；　solidified　Jonesy's　impression　that　the　man　was　in　shock。　He　wondered　that　one　night　lost　in　the　woods　would　do　that；　he　wondered　if　it　would　do　it　to　him。
　　　　'Four；'　McCarthy　said；　after　that　minute　to　think。　'Just　like　you　guys。　We　were　hunting　in　pairs。　I　was　with　a　friend　of　mine；　Steve　Otis。　He's　a　lawyer　like　me；　down　in　Skowhegan。　We're　all　from　Skowhegan；　you　know；　and　this　week　for　us　。　。　。　it's　a　big　deal。'　Jonesy　nodded；　smiling。　'Yeah。　Same　here。'
　　　　'Anyway；　I　guess　I　just　wandered　off。'　He　shook　his　head。　'I　don't　know；　I　was　hearing　Steve　over　on　my　right；　sometimes　seeing　his　vest　through　the　trees；　and　then　I　。　。　。　I　just　don't　know。　I　got　thinking　about　stuff；　I　guess　…　one　thing　the　woods　are　great　for　is　thinking　about　stuff　…　and　then　I　was　on　my　own。　I　guess　I　tried　to　backtrack　but　then　it　got　dark　。　。　。'　He　shook　his　head　yet　again；　'It's　all　mixed　up　in　my　mind；　but　yeah　…　there　were　four　of　us；　I　guess　that's　one　thing　I'm　sure　of　Me　and　Steve　and　Nat　Roper　and　Nat's　sister；　Becky。'
　　　　'They　must　be　worried　sick。'
　　　　McCarthy　looked　first　startled；　then　apprehensive。　This　was　clearly　a　new　idea　for　him。　'Yeah；　they　must　be。　Of　course　they　are。　Oh　dear；　Oh　gee。'
　　　　Jonesy　had　to　restrain　a　smile　at　this。　When　he　got　going；　McCarthy　sounded　a　little　like　a　character　in　that　movie；　Fargo。
　　　　'So　we　better　take　you　out。　If；　that　is…'
　　　　'I　don't　want　to　be　a　bother…'
　　　　'We'll　take　you　out。　If　we　can。　I　mean；　this　weather　came　in　fast。'
　　　　'It　sure　did；'　McCarthy　said　bitterly。　'You'd　think　they　could　do　better　with　all　their　darn　satellites　and　doppler　radar　and　gosh　knows　what　else。　So　much　for　fair　and　seasonably　cold；　huh？'
　　　　Jonesy　looked　at　the　man　under　the　forter；　just　the　flushed　face　and　the　thatch　of　thinning　brown　hair　showing；　with　some　perplexity。　The　forecasts　he　had　heard　…　he；　Pete；　Henry；　and　the　Beav　…　had　been　full　of　the　prospect　of　snow　for　the　last　two　days。　Some　of　the　prognosticators　hedged　their　bets；　saying　the　snow　could　change　over　to　rain；　but　the　fellow　on　the　Castle　Rock　radio　station　that　morning　（WCAS　was　the　only　radio　they　could　get　up　here；　and　even　that　was　thin　and　jumbled　with　static）　had　been　talking　about　a　fast…moving　Alberta　Clipper；　six　or　eight　inches；　and　maybe　a　nor'easter　to　follow；　if　the　temperatures　stayed　down　and　the　low　didn't　go　out　to　sea。　Jonesy　didn't　know　where　McCarthy　had　gotten　his　weather　forecasts；　but　it　sure　hadn't　been　WCAS。　The　guy　was　just　mixed　up；　that　was　most　likely　it；　and　had　every　right　to　be。
　　　　'You　know；　I　could　put　on　some　soup。　How　would　that　be；　Mr　McCarthy？'
　　　　McCarthy　smiled　gratefully。　'I　think　that　would　be　pretty　fine；〃　he　said。　'My　stomach　hurt　last　night　and　something　fierce　this　morning；　but　I　feel　better　now。'
　　　　'Stress；'　Jonesy　said。　'I　would　have　been　puking　my　guts。　Probably　filling　my　pants；　as　well。'
　　　　'I　didn't　throw　up；'　McCarthy　said。　'I'm　pretty　sure　I　didn't。　But　。　。　。'　Another　shake　of　the　head；　it　was　like　a　nervous　tic　with　him。　'I　don't　know。　The　way　things　are　jumbled；　it's　like　a　nightmare　I　had。'
　　　　'The　nightmare's　over；'　Jonesy　said。　He　felt　a　little　foolish　saying　such　a　thing　…　a　little　auntie…ish　…　but　it　was　clear　the　guy　needed　reassurance。
　　　　'Good；'　McCarthy　said。　'Thank　you。　And　I　would　like　some　soup。'
　　　　'There's　tomato；　chicken；　and　I　think　maybe　a　can　of　Chunky　Sirloin。　What　do　you　fancy？'
　　　　'Chicken；'　McCarthy　said。　'My　mother　always　said　chicken　soup　was　the　thing　when　you're　not　feeling　your　best。'
　　　　He　grinned　as　he　said　it；　and　Jonesy　tried　to　keep　the　shock　off　his　face。　McCarthy's　teeth　were　white　and　even；　really　too　even　to　be　anything　but　capped；　even　the　man's　age；　which　had　to　be　forty…five　or　thereabouts。　But　at　least　four　of　them　were　missing　…　the　canines　on　top　（what　Jonesy's　father　had　called　'the　vampire　teeth'）　and　two　right　in　front　on　the　bottom　…　Jonesy　didn't　know　what　those　were　called。　He　knew　one　thing；　though：　McCarthy　wasn't　aware　they　were　gone。　No　one　who　knew　about　such　gaps　in　the　line　of　his　teeth　could　expose　them　so　unselfconsciously；　even　under　circumstances　like　these。　Or　so　Jonesy　believed。　He　felt　a　sick　little　chill　rush　through　his　gut；　a　telephone　call　from　nowhere。　He　turned　toward　the　kitchen　before　McCarthy　could　see　his　face　change　and　wonder　what　was　wrong。　Maybe　ask　what　was　wrong。
　　　　'One　order　chicken　soup　ing　right　up。　How　about　a　grilled　cheese　to　go　with　it？'
　　　　'If　it's　no　trouble。　And　call　me　Richard；　will　you？　Or　Rick；　that's　even　better。　When　people　save　my　life；　I　like　to　get　on　a　first…name　basis　with　them　as　soon　as　possible。'
　　　　'Rick　it　is；　for　sure；'　Better　get　those　teeth　fixed　before　you　step　in　front　of　another　Jury；　Rick。
　　　　The　feeling　that　something　was　wrong　here　was　very　strong。　It　was　that　click；　just　as　almost　guessing　McCarthy's　name　had　been。　He　was　a　long　way　from　wishing　he'd　shot　the　man　when　he　had　the　chance；　but　he　was　already　starting　to　wish　McCarthy　had　stayed　the　hell　away　from　his　tree　and　out　of　his　life。


2

He　had　the　soup　on　the　stove　and　was　making　the　cheese　sandwiches　when　the　first　gust　of　wind　arrived　…　a　big　whoop　that　made　the　cabin　creak　and　raised　the　snow　in　a　furious　sheet。　For　a　moment　even　the　black　scrawled　shapes　of　the　trees　in　The　Gulch　were　erased；　and　there　was　nothing　outside　the　big　window　but　white：　it　was　as　if　someone　had　set　up　a　drive…in　movie　screen　out　there。　For　the　first　time；　Jonesy　felt　a　thread　of　unease　not　just　about　Pete　and　Henry；　presumably　on　their　way　back　from　Gosselin's　in　Henry's　Scout；　but　for　the　Beaver。　You　would　have　said　that　if　anybody　knew　these　woods　it　would　have　been　the　Beav；　but　nobody　knew　anything　in　a　whiteout　…　all　bets　were　off；　that　was　another　of　his　ne'er…do…well　father's　sayings；　probably　not　as　good　as　you　can't　make　yourself　be　lucky；　but　not　bad。　The　sound　of　the　genny　might　help　Beav　find　his　way；　but　as　McCarthy　had　pointed　out；　sounds　had　a　way　of　deceiving　you。　Especially　if　the　wind　started　kicking　up；　as　it　had　now　apparently　decided　to　do。
　　　　His　mom　had　taught　him　the　dozen　basic　things　he　knew　about　cooking；　and　one　of　them　had　to　do　with　the　art　of　making　grilled　cheese　sandwiches。　Lay　in　a　little　mouseturds　first；　she　said　…　mouseturds　being　Janet　Jones　for　mustard　…　and　then　butter　the　goddam　bread；　not　the　skillet。　Butter　the　skillet　and　all's　you　got's　fried　bread　with　some　cheese　in　it。　He　had　never　understood　how　the　difference　between　where　you　put　the　butter；　on　the　bread　or　in　the　skillet；　could　change　the　ultimate　results；　but　he　always　did　it　his　mother's　way；　even　though　it　was　a　pain　in　the　ass　buttering　the　tops　of　the　sandwiches　while　the　bottoms　cooked。　No　more　would　he　have　left　his　rubber　boots　on　once　he　was　in　the　house　。　。　。　because；　his　mother　had　always　said；　'they　draw　your　feet。'　He　had　no　idea　just　what　that　meant；　but　even　now；　as　a　man　going　on　forty；　he　took　his　boots　off　as　soon　as　he　was　in　the　door；　so　they　wouldn't　draw　his　feet。
　　　　'I　think　I　might　have　one　of　these　babies　myself；'　Jonesy　said；　and　laid　the　sandwiches　in　the　skillet；　butter　side　down。　The　soup　had　begun　to　simmer；　and　it　smelled　fine　…　like　fort。
　　　　'Good　idea。　I　certainly　hope　your　friends　are　all　right。'　　　　
　　　　'Yeah；'　Jonesy　said。　He　gave　the　soup　a　stir。　'Where's　your　place？'
　　　　'Well；　we　used　to　hunt　in　Mars　Hill；　at　a　place　Nat　and　Becky's　uncle　owned；　but　some　god…bless'd　idiot　burned　it　down　two　summers　ago。　Drinking　and　then　getting　careless　with　the　old　smokes；　that's　what　the　Fire　Marshal　said；　anyway。'　Jonesy　nodded。　'Not　an　unmon　story。'
　　　　'The　insurance　paid　the　valu