dw.jimmythekid-第23部分

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　drenched　to　the　skin；　Jimmy　reached　out　in　front　of　himself；　patted　the　weathered　boards　of　the　house；　and　then　moved　off　to　his　right；　keeping　his　left　hand　constantly　in　touch　with　the　house。
　Traveling　that　way；　he　walked　around　the　house　to　the　front；　and　there　at　last　he　did　see　some　light；　flickering　yellowish　light　showing　through　chinks　in　the　boarded…up　living　room　windows。　So；　if　he　turned　his　back　on　those　lights；　the　farm　road　should　lead　directly　away　in　front　of　him。　Turning　that　way；　looking　over　his　shoulder　to　be　sure　he　was　facing　exactly　away　from　the　light；　he　made　off　cautiously　into　the　rain…drenched　darkness。
　The　first　two　times　he　looked　over　his　shoulder　those　faint　lines　of　light　were　still　there；　but　the　third　time　they　were　gone。　〃Ten　more　steps；〃　he　whispered　to　himself；　and　made　ten　slow　slithering　steps　through　the　mud　before　hesitantly　switching　on　the　flashlight；　keeping　his　fingers　dosed　over　most　of　the　glass　so　not　too　much　light　would　e　out。
　He　was　in　a　field。　At　one　time　under　cultivation；　it　had　apparently　e　recently　into　a　state　of　semi　abandonment。　That　is；　no　crop　was　grown　here；　but　it　seemed　as　though　someone　was　keeping　the　rougher　vegetation　cut　back；　and　any　case；　it　wasn't　a　road。
　To　the　left？　Jimmy　flashed　the　light　that　way；　and　couldn't　see　any　road。
　To　the　right？　No。
　Okay。　So　he'd　have　to　do　it　differently；　go　back　to　the　house　and　start　all　over；　with　quick　on…oils　of　the　flashlight　right　from　the　beginning；　so　he　wouldn't　get　lost。　Flashlight　off；　he　turned　around　and　headed　back　the　way　he'd　e。
　No　house。　After　a　while　he　became　pretty　sure　he　should　have　reached　the　house；　and　there　just　wasn't　any　house。　No　thin　lines　of　yellow　light　at　all；　not　a　one。
　Oh；　the　hell　with　this　darkness！　Switching　on　the　flashlight；　not　putting　any　fingers　over　the　glass　at　all；　he　aimed　the　beam　all　around　himself；　and　didn't　see　a　damn　thing。
　Where　was　the　house？　Where　was　the　road？
　It　was　getting　cold　out　here。　The　rain　didn't　help　and　the　wind　didn't　help；　and　even　without　them　it　would　have　been　cold。　With　them；　it　was　being　almost　terrifying。
　Well；　he　couldn't　just　stand　here。　If　he　didn't　get　to　someplace　pretty　soon；　he'd　be　in　big　trouble。　He　could　die　of　exposure　out　here；　and　wouldn't　that　be　a　dumb　thing　to　do！
　Apparently　he'd　e　farther　from　the　house　than　he'd　thought。　It　had　to　be　out　in　front　of　him；　invisible　in　the　pounding　rain。　So　the　thing　to　do　was　keep　moving　forward。
　He　moved　forward。　His　shoes　were　being　heavy　with　mud；　and　after　a　while　it　became　easier　to　just　drag　his　feet　through　the　puddles　rather　than　try　to　lift　them。
　Heavy。　Cold。　Hard　to　see　in　this　light。　And　now　the　flashlight　was　starting　to　dim。
　A　road。
　He　didn't　believe　it。　He　almost　walked　across　it　and　off　the　other　side；　except　that　his　sliding　foot　got　caught　briefly　in　one　of　the　ruts。　He　looked　down　to　see　what　the　problem　was；　saw　the　parallel　lines　going　from　left　to　right；　and　shone　the　dimming　light　off　to　his　right。　A　definite　road；　a　farm　road；　two　deep　ruts　with　a　grassy　lane　in　the　center。
　Which　way？　He　had　to　have　overshot　the　house　somehow；　so　it　would　be　off　to　the　left　there。　The　highway　would　be　to　the　right；　so　that's　the　direction　he　took。
　It　was　easier　walking　now；　on　the　high　grassy　mound　between　the　ruts。　He　made　good　time；　all　things　considered；　and　he　just　didn't　believe　it　when　he　saw　those　yellow　lines　of　light　out　in　the　darkness　ahead　of　himself　and　to　the　right；　just　outside　the　yellow　cone　from　the　flashlight。
　The　house。
　He　could　see　the　way　it　went　now。　The　road　didn't　go　directly　to　the　house；　it　came　in　from　an　angle　and　swept　across　in　front　of　it。　His　ideas　of　his　location　and　direction　had　been　wrong　at　every　single　stage　of　the　journey。
　So　the　highway　was　back　the　other　way。　Jimmy　turned　and　shone　his　feeble　light　down　the　road　he'd　just　e　along。　He　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　house。
　He　sighed。
　
　19
　
　ALUMINOUS　afternoon　'n　the　black…and…white　forest。　The　monster；　played　by　Boris　Karloff；　pauses　as　he　hears　the　sweet　notes　of　a　violin。　His　face　lights；　he　lumbers　through　the　woods；　following　the　sound。　He　es　to　a　cozy　cottage　amid　the　trees；　very　gingerbread。　Inside；　the　violin　is　being　played　by　a　blind　hermit；　who　is　being　played　by　0。　P。　Heggie。　The　monster　approaches；　and　pounds　on　the　door。
　Someone　pounded　on　the　door。
　〃Eee！〃　Murch's　Mom　said；　and　jumped　straight　up　out　of　her　folding　chair。　Which　folded；　and　fell　over　with　a　slap。
　They　had　all　been　sitting　around　the　battery…operated　small　television　set　they'd　brought　out　to　follow　the　kidnapping　news。　There'd　been　no　kidnapping　news…apparently　the　cops　were　keeping　a　news　blackout　on…so　now　they　were　watching　the　late　movie。　The　three　kerosene　lamps；　the　hibachi　in　the　fireplace；　and　the　flickering　television　screen；　all　gave　some　light　and　less　heat。
　Someone　pounded　at　the　door　again。　On　the　TV　screen；　the　blind　hermit　opened　his　door　to　the　monster。
　The　others　had　all　scrambled　to　their　feet　too　by　now；　though　without　knocking　over　their　chairs。　Harshly　Kelp　whispered；　〃What　do　we　do？〃
　〃They　know　we're　here；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃Let　me　do　the　talking。〃　He　glanced　upstairs；　and　said；　〃May；　if　the　kid　acts　up；　say　something　about　him　having　nightmares　and　go　up　there　and　keep　him　quiet。〃
　May　nodded。　The　pounding　sounded　at　the　door　for　a　third　time。　Murch's　Mom　said；　〃I'll　go。〃
　They　all　waited。　Dortmunder's　hand　was　near　the　pocket　with　his　revolver。　Murch's　Mom　opened　the　door　and　said；　〃Well；　for　God…〃
　And　the　kid　walked　in。
　〃Holy　Toledo！〃　Murch　said。
　Kelp；　slapping　his　hands　to　his　face；　yelled；　〃Masks！　Masks！　Don't　let　him　see　your　faces！〃
　Dortmunder　didn't　believe　it。　He　stared　at　the　kid；　looking　as　wet　and　muddy　and　ragged　as　a　drowned　kitten；　and　then　he　looked　upstairs。　And　then　he　ran　upstairs。　He　didn't　know　what　he　thought；　maybe　that　the　kid　was　twins　or　something；　but　he　just　didn't　believe　he　wasn't　in　that　room。
　The　door　was　locked；　and　Dortmunder　fumbled　with　the　key　for　a　few　seconds　before　remembering　he　had　a　flashlight　in　his　other　pocket…the　pocket　without　the　revolver　in　it…but　once　he　had　the　flashlight　out　and　shining　he　swiftly　unlocked　the　door；　pushed　it　open；　stepped　inside；　aimed　the　light　beam　all　around；　and　the　room　was　empty。
　Empty。　How　could　that　be？　Dortmunder　looked　under　the　bed　and　in　the　closet；　and　the　kid　was　gone。
　But　the　door　had　been　locked。　The　boards　were　still　on　the　windows。　There　were　no　holes　in　the　ceiling　or　the　floor　or　any　of　the　walls。　There　were　no　other　exits　from　the　room。　〃It's　a　locked…room　mystery；〃　Dortmunder　told　himself；　and　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　flashing　the　light　slowly　this　way　and　that；　pletely　baffled。
　Downstairs；　Kelp　was　the　first　one　to　find　and　don　his　mask；　and　then　he　ran　over　to　grab　the　kid。　〃I'm　not　trying　to　get　away；〃　the　kid　said。　〃I'm　just　closing　the　door。〃
　〃Well；　just　stay　put；〃　Kelp　told　him。
　〃I　came　back；　didn't　I？　Why　should　I　try　to　get　away？〃
　May　too　had　put　on　her　mask　by　now；　and　she　came　over　to　say；　〃You're　drenched！　You'll　catch　your　death！　You've　got　to　get　out　of　those　wet　clothes　right　now。〃　To　Kelp　she　said；　〃Go　up　and　get　his　blankets；〃　and　to　the　boy　she　said；　〃Now　get　out　of　those　clothes。〃
　Hearing　the　authoritarian　maternal　voice；　both　Kelp　and　the　kid　promptly　obeyed。　Meantime；　Murch　and　his　Mom　were　squabbling　over　the　mask　they'd　both　been　using。　Murch's　Mom　hadn't　worn　one　during　the　kidnapping；　and　when　she'd　gone　upstairs　with　May　earlier　she'd　borrowed　her　son's。　It　hadn't　been　anticipated　the　whole　gang　would　be　in　the　boy's　presence　at　once。　Now　they　were　both　holding　the　mask；　and　tugging　a　little。　〃Stan；〃　Murch's　Mom　said；　〃you　give　me　that。　I　have　a　much　more　memorable　face　than　you。〃
　〃You　do　not；　Mom；　you　look　like　every　other　cabdriver　in　New　York。　I　really　need　that　mask；　and　anyway　it's　mine。〃
　Going　upstairs；　Kelp　found　Dortmunder　in　the　kid's　room；　walking　around　in　circles；　shining　his　flashlight　here　and　there。　Kelp　said；　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃It's　impossible；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃How'd　he　get　out？〃
　〃I　dunno。〃　Kelp　picked　up　the　blanke