dw.jimmythekid-第16部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃You're　on；〃　Kelp　said。
　Four　miles　away；　the　silver…gray　Cadillac　limousine　took　the　curving　ramp　down　from　Interstate　80　to　the　county　road　and　turned　south。　The　chauffeur；　Maurice　K。　Van　Golden；　drove　at　varying　speeds　above　fifty…five；　peting　with　the　occasional　other　car　he　met。　In　the　backseat；　Jimmy　Harrington　read　the　〃Letter　from　Washington〃　in　the　current　New　Yorker　and　wished　he　had　the　self…confidence　to　tell　Maurice　to　quit　racing　the　other　drivers。　Maurice　behaved　himself　when　Jimmy's　father　was　in　the　car；　but　when　it　was　just　Jimmy　back　there　he　obviously　thought　he　could　get　away　with　being　a　cowboy。　And　the　annoying　part　of　it　was；　he　could；　Jimmy　wouldn't　plain　to　his　father；　since　that　would　be　the　act　of　a　baby；　but　on　the　other　hand　he　hadn't　yet　felt　quite　secure　enough　to　plain　to　Maurice　directly。
　Pretty　soon　I　will；　Jimmy　thought；　and　read　about　the　administration's　hopes　for　a　settlement　in　the　Middle　East。
　Five　minutes　later；　May　and　Kelp　both　simultaneously　said；　〃Here　they　e。〃
　〃I　see　them；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　put　the　Caprice　in　gear　as　the　Cadillac　rocketed　by　them。　The　Caprice　moved　out　from　the　dirt　road　and　accelerated　in　the　Cadillac's　wake。
　〃That's　five　dollars　you　owe　me；〃　Kelp　said。
　Dortmunder　didn't　answer。
　Van　Gelden；　at　the　wheel　of　the　Cadillac；　suddenly　slammed　on　the　brakes　and　swerved　all　over　the　road　when　he　saw　the　sign　blocking　the　road　ahead。　Jimmy；　flung　off　the　seat；　came　sputtering　up；　crying；　〃Maurice！　What　in　the　name　of　God　is　going　on？〃
　〃Goddam　denture！〃　Van　Celden　cried。　He　thought　the　word　was　spelled　that　way。
　Jimmy　got　one　quick　flashing　glimpse　of　the　sign　as　the　Cadillac　slewed　around；　tires　squealing；　and　roared　off　down　the　secondary　road。　〃Detour？〃　He　frowned　out　the　back　window；　there'd　been　something　about　that　sign；　he　wasn't　sure　what。　It　had　gone　by　so　fast。　As　a　soft　drink　mercial's　jingle　started　up　in　his　brain；　distracting　him；　he　said　to　himself；　〃The　detour　wasn't　there　before。〃
　This　secondary　road　was　narrower；　bumpier；　and　curvier　than　the　county　road。　Van　Gelden；　taking　out　his　rage　at　the　fact　of　the　denture　by　flinging　the　car　forward　as　rapidly　as　possible；　was　tossing　Jimmy　around　the　back　seat　like　a　sneaker　in　a　dryer。　Jimmy；　holding　on　for　dear　life；　found　at　last　the　maturity　to　shout　out；　〃Damn　it；　Maurice；　slow　down！〃
　Van　Celden　didn't　touch　the　brake；　but　he　did　lift　his　foot　from　the　accelerator。　〃I'm　just　trying　to　get　you　home；〃　he　snarled；　glaring　in　the　rearview　mirror　at　the　boy；　and　as　he　did　so　he　came　around　a　curve　in　the　road　and　saw　vehicles　stopped　ahead。　A　school　bus；　facing　this　way；　its　red　lights　flashing；　meaning　it　was　unloading　passengers　and　traffic　wasn't　permitted　to　pass　it　in　either　direction。　And　a　truck；　a　big　tractor…trailer　rig；　facing　the　same　direction　as　the　Cadillac　and　obediently　standing　still。　The　two　vehicles　between　them　blocked　the　road　pletely。
　〃Goddammit；〃　Van　Gelden　said；　and　tromped　on　the　brake　again。　He　had　to　brake　hard　to　stop　in　time；　but　it　was　less　violent　than　if　his　foot　had　still　been　pressed　on　the　accelerator　when　he'd　rounded　the　bend。　Jimmy；　since　he'd　been　clutching　the　armrest　and　a　strap　anyway；　managed　to　stay　on　the　seat　as　the　Cadillac　nosed　down　to　a　shuddering　stop　directly　behind　the　tractor…trailer。
　〃One　thing　after　another；〃　Van　Golden　said。
　〃Maurice；〃　Jimmy　said；　〃you　drive　too　fast。〃
　〃It's　not　my　fault　there's　all　this　stuff　in　the　way。〃　Van　Golden　gestured　angrily　toward　the　truck　and　the　bus。
　〃You　drive　too　fast　all　the　time；〃　Jimmy　insisted。　〃Except　when　my　father　is　in　the　car。　From　now　on；　I　want　you　to　drive　me　the　way　you　drive　my　father。〃
　Van　Golden；　being　sullen；　jammed　his　uniform　cap　farther　down　on　his　forehead；　folded　his　arms；　and　said　nothing。
　Jimmy　said；　〃Did　you　hear　me；　Maurice？〃
　〃I　hear　you。〃
　〃I　hear　you！〃
　〃Thank　you；　Maurice；〃　Jimmy　said；　and　sat　back　to　savor　his　triumph。　After　a　moment　he　picked　up　the　New　Yorker　again。
　Back　at　the　intersection；　Dortmunder　stopped　the　Caprice　and　Kelp　jumped　out　to　move　the　sign。　He　picked　it　up；　moved　it　to　another　side；　and　started　back；　when　Dortmunder　leaned　out　the　window　and　shouted；　〃Not　there！　Where　we　follow　the　Cadillac！〃
　〃Huh？〃　Kelp　looked　around；　pointing　at　various　places；　reorienting　himself。　Then；　with　a　sudden　sunny　smile　of　recognition；　he　waved　to　Dortmunder　and　shouted；　〃Gotcha！〃　He　ran　back　to　the　sign；　picked　it　up；　and　put　it　back　where　it　had　been。
　〃Not　there！〃　Dortmunder　yelled。　He　was　leaning　his　whole　upper　torso　out　of　the　car；　pounding　the　door　panel　with　his　arm　and　the　flat　of　his　hand。　Waving　that　hand　violently　around；　he　yelled；　〃Over　there！〃
　〃Right！〃　Kelp　yelled。　〃Right！　Right！　I　got　it　now！〃　And　he　picked　up　the　sign　and　started　trotting　toward　the　last　possible　wrong　choice。
　Dortmunder　came　boiling　out　of　the　Caprice。　〃I'm　going　to　wrap　that　sign　around　your　head！〃
　〃Now　what？〃　Kelp　stood　there；　bewildered；　while　Dortmunder　came　over　and　wrenched　the　sign　and　sticks　away　from　him　and　put　them　where　they　belonged。　Kelp　watched；　and　when　Dortmunder　was　finished　the　two　men　met　again　at　the　car；　where　Kelp　said；　〃I　would　have　got　it；　I　really　would　have。〃
　〃Get　in　the　car；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　got　behind　the　wheel　and　slammed　the　door。
　Kelp　got　in　the　back　seat　again。　May　shook　her　head　at　him；　not　pleased；　and　he　lifted　his　shoulders　helplessly。　Dortmunder　punched　the　accelerator；　and　the　Caprice　bounced　forward。
　Van　Gelden；　his　sullenness　boiling　over　all　at　once　into　rage；　pushed　the　button　that　rolled　his　window　down；　stuck　his　head　out；　and　yelled　toward　the　school　bus；　〃Get　with　it；　will　ya！　We　don't　have　all　day！〃
　Jimmy　looked　up　from　his　magazine。　〃What's　the　matter；　Maurice？〃
　〃Bus　just　sitting　there；〃　Van　Golden　said。　〃Tying　up　traffic。〃　Looking　in　the　rearview　mirror；　he　said；　〃And　here　es　somebody　else。〃
　Jimmy　looked　back；　and　saw　the　blue　car　approaching　around　the　curve。　The　road　here　was　hemmed　in　by　trees　and　shrubbery　on　both　sides。　Scrub　pine　gave　some　swaths　of　green；　but　the　rest　of　the　trees　had　lost　about　half　their　foliage；　making　black　trunks　and　branches　form　jagged　lines　against　the　orange　and　gold　of　autumn　leaves。　Dead　leaves　swirled　around　the　tires　of　the　blue　car　as　it　came　silently　toward　them；　slowed；　and　stopped。　The　figures　through　the　windshield　were　indistinct；　but　in　some　sort　of　motion　back　there。
　Jimmy　faced　front　again。　The　woods　were　close　on　both　sides；　the　rear　of　the　tractor…trailer　was　like　a　looming　silver　wall　directly　in　front　of　the　Cadillac；　and　leaves　kept　fluttering　down　off　the　trees；　rustling　down　past　the　windows。　The　driver　of　the　school　bus　was　a　vague　mound　through　the　big　flat　windshield；　afternoon　sunlight　glinted　from　that　windshield；　reddish…yellow　with　a　bright　white　center。
　〃There's　something　wrong；〃　Jimmy　said。
　〃What？〃　Van　Golden　looked　at　Jimmy　in　the　rearview　mirror；　and　caught　a　glimpse　of　somebody　going　by　with　a　Mickey　Mouse　mask　on　his　head。　〃What　the　hell？〃
　Jimmy　said；　〃What？〃　and　his　right…hand　door　opened；　and　a　woman　wearing　a　Mickey　Mouse　mask　slid　in。　〃Hi；　Jimmy；〃　she　said。　Her　voice　was　so　muffled　by　the　mask　he　could　barely　make　out　what　she　was　saying。　It　was；　〃Do　you　know　whose　face　this　is　I'm　wearing？〃
　Dortmunder；　trotting　forward；　yanked　at　the　driver's　door；　but　it　was　locked。　Van　Golden；　seeing　the　big　man　with　the　jacket　and　the　Mickey　Mouse　mask　and　the　gun；　pushed　the　button　again　to　roll　his　window　back　up。　but　Dortmunder　stuck　the　barrel　through　the　diminishing　space　and　said；　〃Stop　that。　Stop　it　now。〃
　Van　Golden　released　the　button。　He　blinked　at　the　gun　barrel　pointing　more　or　less　at　him。
　Jimmy；　not　only　knowing　whose　face　the　woman　was　wearing　but　also　realizing　at　once　why　she　was　wearing　it；　reached　out　for　the　telephone。　May；　expecting　a　dialogue　on　the　subject　of　Mickey　Mouse；　was　too　startled　to　react　until　the　boy　had　already　dialed　Operator。　Then　she　grabbed　for　the　phone；　saying；　〃Stop　that！　Don't　be　like　that！〃
　Kelp；　reaching　the　passenger　door　on　the　front　right；　found　it　locked　and　looked　across　the　top　of　the　Cadillac　at　Dortmunder。　〃Make　him　unlock　it；〃　he　said。