sk.dreamcatcher-第68部分

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curls　itself　next　to　that　narrow　gray　head。　It　was　no　wonder　McCarthy　felt　a　little　indisposed；　Jonesy　thinks。
　　　　Blood　continues　to　pour　down　Jonesy's　legs；　sticky　as　honey　and　hot　as　fever。　It　patters　on　to　the　floor　and　you'd　think　it　would　soon　be　sprouting　its　own　colony　of　that　reddish　mold　or　fungus　or　whatever　it　is；　a　regular　jungle　of　it；　but　Jonesy　knows　better。　He　is　unique。　The　cloud　can　carry　him；　but　it　cannot　change　him。
　　　　No　bounce　no　play；　he　thinks；　and　then；　immediately：　Shhh；　shhh；　keep　that　to　yourself
　　　　The　gray　creature　raises　its　hand　in　a　kind　of　weary　greeting。　On　it　are　three　long　fingers　ending　in　rosy…pink　nails。　Thick　yellow　pus　is　oozing　from　beneath　them。　More　of　this　stuff　gleams　loosely　in　the　folds　of　the　guy's　skin；　and　from　the　ers　of　his　…　its？　…　eyes。
　　　　You're　right；　you　do　need　a　shot；　Jonesy　says。　Maybe　a　little　Drano　or　Lysol；　something　like　that。　Put　you　out　of　your　mi…
　　　　A　terrible　thought　occurs　to　him　then；　for　a　moment　it's　so　strong　he　is　unable　to　resist　the　force　moving　him　toward　the　bed。　Then　his　feet　begin　to　move　again；　leaving　big　red　tracks　behind　him。
　　　　You're　not　going　to　drink　my　blood；　are　you？　Like　a　vampire？
　　　　The　thing　in　the　bed　smiles　without　smiling。　We　are；　so　far　as　can　express　it　in　your　terms；　vegetarians。
　　　　Yeah；　but　what　about　Bowser　there？　Jonesy　points　to　the　legless　weasel；　and　it　bares　a　mouthful　of　needle　teeth　in　a　grotesque　grin。　Is　Bowser　a　vegetarian？
　　　　You　know　he's　not；　the　gray　thing　says；　its　slit　of　a　mouth　not　moving　…　this　guy　is　one　hell　of　a　ventriloquist；　you　had　to　give　him　that；　they'd　love　him　in　the　Catskills。　But　you　know　you　have　nothing　to　fear　from　him。
　　　　Why？　How　am　I　different？
　　　　The　dying　gray　thing　（of　course　it's　dying；　its　body　is　breaking　down；　decaying　from　the　inside　out）　doesn't　reply；　and　Jonesy　once　again　thinks　No　bounce；　no　play。　He　has　an　idea　this　is　one　thought　the　gray　fellow　would　dearly　love　to　read；　but　no　chance　of　that；　the　ability　to　shield　his　thoughts　is　another　part　of　what　makes　him　different；　unique；　and　vive　la　difference　is　all　Jonesy　can　say　（not　that　he　does　say　it）。
　　　　How　am　I　different？
　　　　Who　is　Duddits？　the　gray　thing　asks；　and　when　Jonesy　doesn't　answer；　the　thing　once　more　smiles　without　moving　its　mouth。　There；　the　gray　thing　says。　We　both　have　questions　the　other　will　not　answer。　Let's　put　them　aside；　shall　we？　Facedown。　They　are　。　。　。　what　do　you　call　it？　What　do　you　call　it　in　the　game？
　　　　The　crib；　Jonesy　says。　Now　he　can　smell　the　thing's　decay。　It's　the　smell　McCarthy　brought　into　camp　with　him；　the　smell　of　ether…spray。　He　thinks　again　that　he　should　have　shot　the　oh…gosh　oh…dear　son　of　a　bitch；　shot　him　before　he　could　get　in　where　it　was　warm。　Left　the　colony　inside　him　to　die　beneath　the　deer…stand　in　the　old　maple　as　the　body　grew　cold。
　　　　The　crib；　yes；　the　gray　thing　says。　The　dreamcatcher　is　now　in　here；　suspended　from　the　ceiling　and　spinning　slowly　above　the　gray　thing's　head。　These　things　we　each　don't　want　the　other　to　know；　we'll　set　them　aside　to　count　later。　We'll　put　them　in　the　crib。
　　　　What　do　you　want　from　me？
　　　　The　gray　creature　gazes　at　Jonesy　unblinkingly。　So　far　as　Jonesy　can　tell；　it　can't　blink；　it　has　neither　lids　nor　lashes。
　　　　Nyther　lids　nor　lashes；　it　says；　only　it's　Pete's　voice　Jonesy　hears。　Always　nyther；　never　neether。　who's　Duddits？
　　　　And　Jonesy　is　so　surprised　to　hear　Pete's　voice　that　he　almost　by…God　tells　him　。　。　。　which；　of　course；　was　the　intention：　to　surprise　it　out　of　him。　This　thing　is　crafty；　dying　or　not。　He　would　do　well　to　be　on　his　guard。　He　sends　the　gray　fellow　a　picture　of　a　big　brown　cow　with　a　sign　around　its　neck。　The　sign　reads　DUDDITS　THE　COW。
　　　　Again　the　gray　fellow　smiles　without　smiling；　smiles　inside　Jonesy's　head。　Duddits　the　cow；　it　says。　I　think　not
　　　　Where　are　you　from？　Jonesy　asks。
　　　　Planet　X。　We　e　from　a　dying　planet　to　eat　Domino's　Pizza；　buy　on　easy　credit　terms；　and　learn　Italian　the　easy　Berlitz　way。　Henry's　voice　this　time。　Then　Mr　ET…Phone…Home　reverts　to　its　own　voice　。　。　。　except；　Jonesy　realizes　with　a　weary　lack　of　surprise；　its　voice　is　his　voice；　Jonesy's　voice。　And　he　knows　what　Henry　would　say：　that　he's　having　one　whopper　of　a　hallucination　in　the　wake　of　Beaver's　death。
　　　　Not　anymore；　he　wouldn't；　Jonesy　thinks。　Not　anymore。　Now　he's　the　eggman；　and　the　eggman　knows　better。
　　　　Henry？　He'll　be　dead　soon；　the　gray　fellow　says　indifferently。　Its　hand　steals　across　the　counterpane；　the　trio　of　long　gray　fingers　enfolds　Jonesy's　hand。　Its　skin　is　warm　and　dry。
　　　　What　do　you　mean？　Jonesy　asks；　afraid　for　Henry　。　。　。　but　the　dying　thing　in　the　bed　doesn't　answer。　It's　another　card　for　the　crib；　so　Jonesy　plays　another　one　from　his　hand：　Why　did　you　call　me　here？
　　　　The　gray　creature　expresses　surprise；　although　its　face　still　doesn't　move。　No　one　wants　to　die　alone；　it　says。　I　just　want　someone　to　be　with。　I　know；　we'll　watch　television。
　　　　I　don't　want…
　　　　There's　a　movie　I　particularly　want　to　see。　You'll　enjoy　it；　too。　It's　called　Sympathy　for　the　Grayboys。　Bowser！　The　remote！
　　　　Bowser　favors　Jonesy　with　what　seems　a　particularly　ill…natured　look；　then　slithers　off　the　pillow；　its　flexing　tail　making　a　dry　rasp　like　a　snake　crawling　over　a　rock。　On　the　table　is　a　TV　remote；　also　overgrown　with　fungus。　Bowser　seizes　it；　turns；　and　slithers　back　to　the　gray　creature　with　the　remote　held　in　its　teeth。　The　gray　thing　releases　Jonesy's　hand　（its　touch　is　not　repulsive；　but　the　release　is　still　something　of　a　relief）；　takes　the　controller；　points　it　at　the　TV；　and　pushes　the　ON　button。　The　picture　that　appears　…　blurred　slightly　but　not　hidden　by　the　light　fuzz　growing　on　the　glass　…　is　of　the　shed　behind　the　cabin。　In　the　center　of　the　screen　is　a　shape　hidden　by　a　green　tarp。　And　even　before　the　door　opens　and　he　sees　himself　e　in；　Jonesy　understands　that　this　has　already　happened。　The　star　of　Sympathy　for　the　Grayboys　is　Gary　Jones。
　　　　Well；　the　dying　creature　in　the　bed　says　from　its　fortable　spot　in　the　center　of　his　brain；　we　missed　the　credits；　but　really；　the　movie's　just　starting。
　　　　That's　what　Jonesy's　afraid　of。


5

The　shed　door　opens　and　Jonesy　es　in。　Quite　the　motley　fellow　he　is；　dressed　in　his　own　coat；　Beaver's　gloves；　and　one　of　Lamar's　old　orange　hats。　For　a　moment　the　Jonesy　watching　in　the　hospital　room　（he　has　pulled　up　the　visitor's　chair　and　is　sitting　by　Mr　Gray's　bed）　thinks　that　the　Jonesy　in　the　snowmobile　shed　at　Hole　in　the　Wall　has　been　infected　after　all；　and　that　red　moss　is　growing　all　over　him。　Then　he　remembers　that　Mr　Gray　exploded　right　in　front　of　him　…　his　head　did；　anyway　…　and　Jonesy　is　wearing　the　remains。
　　　　Only　you　didn't　explode；　he　says。　You　。　。　。　you　what？　Went　to　seed？　　
　　　　Shhh！　says　Mr　Gray；　and　Bowser　bares　its　formidable　headful　of　teeth；　as　if　to　tell　Jonesy　to　stop　being　so　impolite。　I　love　this　song；　don't　you？
　　　　The　soundtrack　is　the　Rolling　Stones'　'Sympathy　for　the　Devil；'　fitting　enough　since　this　is　almost　the　name　of　the　movie　（my　screen　debut；　Jonesy　thinks；　wait'll　Carla　and　the　kids　see　it）；　but　in　fact　Jonesy　doesn't　love　it；　it　makes　him　sad　for　some　reason。
　　　　How　can　you　love　it？　he　asks；　ignoring　Bowser's　bared　teeth　Bowser　is　no　danger　to　him；　and　both　of　them　know　it；　How　can　you？　It's　what　they　were　playing　when　they　slaughtered　you。
　　　　They　always　slaughter　us；　Mr　Gray　says。　Now　be　quiet；　watch　the　movie；　this　part　is　slow　but　it　gets　a　lot　better。
　　　　Jonesy　folds　his　hands　in　his　red　lap　…　the　bleeding　seems　to　have　stopped；　at　least　…　and　watches　Sympathy　for　the　Grayboys；　starring　the　one　and　only　Gary　Jones。


6

The　one　and　only　Gary　Jones　pulls　the　tarp　off　the　snowmobile；　spots　the　battery　sitting　on　the　worktable　in　a　cardboard　box；　and　puts　it　in；　being　careful　to　clamp　the　cables　to　the　correct　terminals。　This　pretty　well　exhausts　his　store　of　mechanical　knowledge　…　he's　a　history　teacher；　not　a　mechanic；　and　his　idea　of　home　improvement　is　making　the　kids　watch　the　History　Channel　once　in　a　while　instead　of　Xena。　The　key　is　in　the　ignition；　and　the　dashboard　lights　e　on　when　he　turns　the　key　…　got　the　battery　right；　anyway　…　but　t