sk.dreamcatcher-第18部分

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y　extra　mess　for　the　people　who　find　you。
　　　　'Maybe　you　better　slow　down　a　little；'　Pete　said。　He　had　a　beer　between　his　legs　and　it　was　half　gone；　but　one　wouldn't　be　enough　to　mellow　Pete　out。　Three　or　four　more；　though；　and　Henry　could　go　barrel…assing　down　this　road　at　sixty　and　Pete　would　just　sit　there　in　the　passenger　seat；　singing　along　with　one　of　those　horrible　fucking　Pink　Floyd　discs。　And　he　could　go　sixty；　probably；　without　putting　so　much　as　another　ding　in　the　front　bumper。　Being　in　the　ruts　of　the　Deep　Cut；　even　when　they　were　filled　with　snow；　was　like　being　on　rails。　If　it　kept　snowing　that　might　change；　but　for　now；　all　was　well。
　　　　'Don't　worry；　Pete　…　everything's　five…by…five。'
　　　　'You　want　a　beer？'
　　　　'Not　while　I'm　driving。'
　　　　'Not　even　out　here　in　West　Overshoe？'
　　　　'Later。'
　　　　Pete　subsided；　leaving　Henry　to　follow　the　bore　of　the　headlights；　to　thread　his　way　along　this　white　lane　between　the　trees。　Leaving　him　with　his　thoughts；　which　was　where　he　wanted　to　be。　It　was　like　returning　to　a　bloody　place　inside　your　mouth；　exploring　it　again　and　again　with　the　tip　of　your　tongue；　but　it　was　where　he　wanted　to　be。
　　　　There　were　pills。　There　was　the　old　Baggie…over…the…head…in…the…bathtub…trick。　There　was　drowning。　There　was　jumping　from　a　high　place。　The　handgun　in　the　ear　was　too　unsure　…　too　much　chance　of　waking　up　paralyzed　…　and　so　was　slitting　the　wrists；　that　was　for　people　who　were　only　practicing；　but　the　Japanese　had　a　way　of　doing　it　that　interested　Henry　very　much。　Tie　a　rope　around　your　neck。　Tie　the　other　end　to　a　large　rock。　Put　the　rock　on　the　seat　of　a　chair；　then　sit　down　with　your　back　braced　so　you　can't　fall　backward　but　have　to　keep　sitting。　Tip　the　chair　over　and　the　rock　rolls　off。　Subject　may　live　for　three　to　five　minutes　in　a　deepening　dream　of　asphyxiation。　Gray　fades　to　black；　hello　darkness；　my　old　friend。　He　had　read　about　that　method　in　one　of　Jonesy's　beloved　Kinsey　Milhone　detective　novels；　of　all　places。　Detective　novels　and　horror　movies：　those　were　the　things　that　floated　Jonesy's　boat。
　　　　On　the　whole；　Henry　leaned　toward　the　Hemingway　Solution。
　　　　Pete　finished　his　first　beer　and　popped　the　top　on　his　second；　looking　considerably　more　content。　'What'd　you　make　of　it？'　Pete　asked。
　　　　Henry　felt　called　to　from　that　other　universe；　the　one　where　the　living　actually　wanted　to　live。　As　always　these　days；　that　made　him　feel　impatient。　But　it　was　important　that　none　of　them　suspect；　and　he　had　an　idea　Jonesy　already　did；　a　little。　Beaver　might；　too。　They　were　the　ones　who　could　sometimes　see　inside。　Pete　didn't　have　a　clue；　but　he　might　say　the　wrong　thing　to　one　of　the　others；　about　how　preoccupied　ole　Henry　had　gotten；　like　there　was　something　on　his　mind；　something　heavy；　and　Henry　didn't　want　that。　This　was　going　to　be　the　last　trip　to　Hole　in　the　Wall　for　the　four　of　them；　the　old　Kansas　Street　gang；　the　Crimson　Pirates　of　the　third　and　fourth　grades；　and　he　wanted　it　to　be　a　good　one。　He　wanted　them　to　be　shocked　when　they　heard；　even　Jonesy；　who　saw　into　him　the　most　often　and　always　had。　He　wanted　them　to　say　they'd　had　no　idea。　Better　that　than　the　three　of　them　sitting　around　with　their　heads　hung；　not　able　to　make　eye　contact　with　one　another　except　in　fleeting　glances；　thinking　that　they　should　have　known；　they　had　seen　the　signs　and　should　have　done　something。　So　he　came　back　to　that　other　universe；　simulating　interest　smoothly　and　convincingly。　Who　could　do　that　better　than　a　headshrinker？
　　　　'What　did　I　make　of　what？'
　　　　Pete　rolled　his　eyes。　'At　Gosselin's；　dimbulb！　All　that　stuff　Old　Man　Gosselin　was　talking　about。'
　　　　'Peter；　they　don't　call　him　Old　Man　Gosselin　for　nothing。　He's　eighty　if　he's　a　day；　and　if　there's　one　thing　old　women　and　old　men　are　not　short　on；　it's　hysteria。'　The　Scout　…　no　spring　chicken　itself；　fourteen　years　old　and　far　into　its　second　trip　around　the　odometer　popped　out　of　the　ruts　and　immediately　skidded；　four…wheel　drive　or　not。　Henry　steered　into　the　skid；　almost　laughing　when　Pete　dropped　his　beer　onto　the　floor　and　yelled；　'Whoa　…　fuck；　watch　out！'
　　　　Henry　let　off　on　the　gas　until　he　felt　the　Scout　start　to　straighten　out；　then　zapped　the　go…pedal　again；　deliberately　too　fast　and　too　hard。　The　Scout　went　into　another　skid；　this　time　widdershins　to　the　first；　and　Pete　yelled　again。　Henry　let　up　once　more　and　the　Scout　thumped　back　into　the　ruts　and　once　again　ran　smoothly；　as　if　on　rails。　One　positive　to　deciding　to　end　your　life；　it　seemed；　was　no　longer　sweating　the　small　stuff。　The　lights　cut　through　the　white　and　shifting　day；　full　of　a　billion　dancing　snowflakes；　not　one　of　them　the　same；　if　you　believed　the　conventional　wisdom。
　　　　Pete　picked　up　his　beer　（only　a　little　had　spilled）；　and　patted　his　chest。　'Aren't　you　going　a　little　fast？'
　　　　'Not　even　close；'　Henry　said；　and　then；　as　if　the　skid　had　never　occurred　（it　had）　or　interrupted　his　train　of　thought　（it　hadn't）；　he　went　on；　'Group　hysteria　is　most　mon　in　the　very　old　and　the　very　young。　It's　a　well…documented　phenomenon　in　both　my　field　and　that　of　the　sociology　heathens　who　live　next　door。'
　　　　Henry　glanced　down　and　saw　he　was　doing　thirty…five；　which　was；　in　fact；　a　little　fast　for　these　conditions。　He　slowed　down。　'Better？'
　　　　Pete　nodded。　'Don't　get　me　wrong；　you're　a　great　driver；　but　man；　it's　snowing。　Also；　we　got　the　supplies。'　He　jerked　his　thumb　back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　two　bags　and　two　boxes　in　the　back　seat。　'In　addition　to　hot　dogs；　we　got　the　last　three　boxes　of　Kraft　Macaroni　and　Cheese。　Beaver　can't　live　without　that　stuff；　you　know。'
　　　　'I　know；'　Henry　said。　'I　like　it；　too。　Remember　those　stories　about　devil…worship　in　Washington　State；　the　ones　that　made　the　press　in　the　mid…nineties？　They　were　traced　back　to　several　old　people　living　with　their　children　…　grandchildren；　in　one　case　…　in　two　small　towns　south　of　Seattle。　The　mass　reports　of　sexual　abuse　in　daycare　centers　apparently　began　with　teenage　girls　working　as　part…time　aides　crying　wolf　at　the　same　time　in　Delaware　and　California。　Possibly　coincidence；　or　possibly　the　time　was　simply　ripe　for　such　stories　to　gain　credence　and　these　girls　caught　a　wave　out　of　the　air。'
　　　　How　smoothly　the　words　rolled　out　of　his　mouth；　almost　as　if　they　mattered。　Henry　talked；　the　man　beside　him　listened　with　dumb　admiration；　and　no　one　（certainly　not　Pete）　could　have　surmised　that　he　was　thinking　of　the　shotgun；　the　rope；　the　exhaust　pipe；　the　pills。　His　head　was　full　of　tape…loops；　that　was　all。　And　his　tongue　was　the　cassette　player。
　　　　'In　Salem；'　Henry　went　on；　'the　old　men　and　the　young　girls　bined　their　hysteria；　and　voilá；　you　have　the　Salem　Witch　Trials。'
　　　　'I　saw　that　movie　with　Jonesy；'　Pete　said。　'Vincent　Price　was　in　it。　Scared　the　shit　out　of　me。'
　　　　'I'm　sure；'　Henry　said；　and　laughed。　For　one　wild　moment　he'd　thought　Pete　was　talking　about　The　Crucible。　'And　when　are　hysterical　ideas　most　likely　to　gain　credence？　Once　the　crops　are　in　and　the　bad　weather　closes　down；　of　course　…　then　there's　time　for　telling　stories　and　making　mischief　In　Wenatchee；　Washington；　it's　devil…worship　and　child　sacrifices　in　the　woods。　In　Salem　it　was　witches。　And　in　the　Jefferson　Tract；　home　of　the　one　and　only　Gosselin's　Market；　it's　strange　lights　in　the　sky；　missing　hunters；　and　troop　maneuvers。　Not　to　mention　weird　red　stuff　growing　on　the　trees。'
　　　　'I　don't　know　about　the　helicopters　and　the　soldiers；　but　enough　people　have　seen　those　lights　so　they're　having　a　special　town　meeting。　Old　Man　Gosselin　told　me　so　while　you　were　getting　the　canned　stuff。　Also；　those　folks　over　Kineo　way　are　really　missing。　That　ain't　hysteria。'
　　　　'Four　quick　points；'　Henry　said。　'First；　you　can't　have　a　town　meeting　in　the　Jefferson　Tract　because　there's　no　town　…　even　Kineo's　just　an　unincorporated　township　with　a　name。　Second；　the　meeting　will　be　held　around　Old　Man　Gosselin's　Franklin　stove　and　half　those　attending　will　be　shot　on　peppermint　schnapps　or　coffee　brandy。'
　　　　Pete　snickered。
　　　　'Third；　what　else　have　they　got　to　do？　And　fourth　…　this　concerns　the　hunters　…　they　probably　either　got　tired　of　it　and　went　home；　or　they　all　got　drunk　and　decided　to　get　r