sk.carrie-第34部分

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nts　next　to　that　…　Duffy's　Bar　and　Grille；　The　Kelly　Fruit　pany；　and　the　billiard　parlour。　The　heat　was　ferocious。　Sparks　were　flying　on　to　the　roofs　of　The　Maitland　Real　Estate　Agency　and　Doug　Brann's　Western　Auto　Store。　Fire　trucks　were　ing　in；　but　they　could　do　very　little。　Every　fire　hydrant　on　that　side　of　the　street　was　stripped。　The　only　tracks　doing　any　business　at　all　were　two　old　volunteer　fire　department　pumpers　from　Westover。　and　about　all　they　could　do　was　wet　the　roofs　of　the　surrounding　buildings。　And　of　course　the　high　school。　It　was　just　。。。　gone。　Of　course　it's　fairly　isolated…nothing　close　enough　to　it　to　burn　…　but　my　God；　all　those　kids　inside　。。。　all　those　kids　。。。
Q。　Did　you　meet　Susan　Snell　upon　entering　town？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　flagged　me　down。
Q。　What　time　was　this？
A。　Just　as　I　entered　。。。　11：12；　no　later。
Q。　What　did　she　say？
A。　She　was　distraught。　She'd　been　in　a　minor　car　accident　…　skidding　…　and　she　was　barely　making　sense。　She　asked　me　if　Tommy　was　dead。　I　asked　her　who　Tommy　was；　but　she　didn't　answer。　She　asked　me　if　we　had　caught　Carrie　yet。
Q。　The　mission　is　extremely　interested　in　this　part　of　your　testimony；　Sheriff　Doyle。
A。　Yes；　sir；　I　know　that。
Q。　How　did　you　respond　to　her　question？
A。　Well；　there's　only　one　Carrie　in　town　as　far　as　I　know；　and　that's　Margaret　White's　daughter。　I　asked　her　if　Carrie　had　something　to　do　with　the　fires。　Miss　Snell　told　me　Carrie　had　done　it。　Those　were　her　words。　'Carrie　did　it。　Carrie　did　it。'　She　said　it　twice。
Q。　Did　she　say　anything　else？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　said：　'They've　hurt　Carrie　for　the　last　time。'
Q。　Sheriff；　are　you　sure　she　didn't　say：　'We've　hurt　Carrie　for　the　last　time？'
A。　I　am　quite　sure。
Q。　Are　you　positive？　One　hundred　per　cent？
A。　Sir；　the　town　was　burning　around　our　heads。　I　
Q。　Had　she　been　drinking？
A。　I　beg　pardon？
Q。　Had　she　been　drinking？　You　said　she　had　been　involved　in　a　car　smash。
A。　I　believe　I　said　a　minor　skidding　accident。
Q。　And　you　can't　be　sure　she　didn't　say　we　instead　Of　they？
A。　I　guess　she　might　have；　but　
Q。　What　did　Miss　Snell　do　then？
A。　She　burst　into　tears。　I　slapped　her。
Q。　Why　did　you　do　that？
A。　She　seemed　hysterical。
Q。　Did　she　quiet　eventually？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　quieted　down　and　got　control　of　herself　pretty　well；　in　light　of　the　fact　that　her　boy　friend　was　probably　dead。
Q。　Did　you　interrogate　her？
A。　Well；　not　the　way　you'd　interrogate　a　criminal；　if　that's　what　you　mean。　I　asked　her　if　she　knew　anything　about　what　had　happened。　She　repeated　what　she　had　already　said；　but　in　a　calmer　way。　I　asked　her　where　she　had　been　when　the　trouble　began；　and　she　told　me　that　she　had　been　at　home。
Q。　Did　you　interrogate　her　further？
A。　No；　sir。
Q。　Did　she　say　anything　else　to　you？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　asked　me　…　begged　me　…　to　find　Carrie　White。
Q。　What　was　your　reaction　to　that？
A。　I　told　her　to　go　home。
Q。　Thank　you；　Sheriff　Doyle。
Vic　Mooney　lurched　out　of　the　shadows　near　the　Bankers　Trust　drive…in　office　with　a　grin　on　his　face。　It　was　a　huge　and　awful　grin；　a　Cheshire　cat　grin；　floating　dreamily　in　the　fireshot　darkness　like　a　trace　memory　of　lunacy。　His　hair；　carefully　slicked　down　for　this　emcee　duties；　was　now　sticking　up　in　a　crow's　nest。　Tiny　drops　of　blood　were　branded　across　his　forehead　from　some　unremembered　fall　in　his　mad　flight　from　the　Spring　Ball。　One　eye　was　swelled　purple　and　screwed　shut。　He　walked　into　Sheriff　Doyle's　squad　car；　bounced　back　like　a　pool　ball；　and　grinned　in　at　the　drunk　driver　dozing　in　the　back；　then　he　turned　to　Doyle；　who　had　just　finished　with　Sue　Snell。　The　fire　cast　wavering　shadows　of　light　across　everything；　turning　the　world　into　the　maroon　tones　of　dried　blood。
As　Doyle　turned；　Vic　Mooney　clutched　him。　He　clutched　Doyle　as　an　amorous　swam　might　clutch　his　lady　in　a　hug　dance。　He　clutched　Doyle　with　both　arms　and　squeezed　him；　all　the　while　goggling　upward　into　Doyle's　face　with　his　great　crazed　grin。
'Vic…'　Doyle　began。
'She　pulled　all　the　plugs；'　Vic　said　lightly；
'Pulled　all　the　plugs　and　turned　on　the　water　and　buzz；　buzz；　buzz。'
'Vic…'
'We　can't　let　'em。　Oh　no。　NoNoNo。　We　can't。　Carrie　pulled　all　the　plugs。　Rhonda　Simard　burnt　up。　Oh　Jeeeeeeeeeesuuuuuuuuusss…'
Doyle　slapped　him　twice；　calloused　palm　cracking　flatly　on　the　boy's　face。　The　scream　died　with　shocking　suddenness；　but　the　grin　remained；　like　an　echo　of　evil。　It　was　loose　and　terrible。
'What　happened？'　Doyle　said　roughly。　'What　happened　at　the　school？'
'Carrie；'　Vic　Muttered。　'Carrie　happened　at　the　school。　She。　。　。'He　trailed　of　and　grinned　at　the　ground。
Doyle　gave　him　three　brisk　shakes。　Vic's　teeth　clicked　together　like　castanets。
'What　about　Carrie？'
'Queen　of　the　Prom；'　Vic　muttered。　'They　dumped　blood　on　her　and　Tommy。'
'What…'
It　was　11：　15。　Tony's　Citgo　on　Summer　Street　suddenly　exploded　with　a　great；　coughing　roar。　The　street　went　daylight　that　made　them　both　stagger　back　against　the　police　car　and　shield　their　eyes。　A　huge；　oily　cloud　of　fire　climbed　over　the　elms　in　Courthouse　Park；　lighting　the　duck　pond　and　the　Little　League　diamond　in　scarlet。　Amid　the　hungry　crackling　roar　that　followed　Doyle　could　hear　glass　and　wood　and　hunks　of　gas…station　cinderblock　rattling　back　to　earth。　A　secondary　explosion　followed；　making　them　wince　again。　He　still　couldn't　get　it　straight
（my　town　this　is　happening　in　my　town）
that　this　was　happening　in　Chamberlain；　in　Chamberlain；　for　God's　sake；　where　he　drank　iced　tea　on　his　mother's　sun　porch　and　refereed　PAL　basketball　and　made　one　last　cruise　out　Route　6　past　The　Cavalier　before　turning　in　at　2：30　every　morning。　His　town　was　burning　UP。
Tom　Quillan　came　out　of　the　police　station　and　ran　down　the　sidewalk　to　Doyle's　cruiser。　His　hair　was　standing　up　every　which　way；　he　was　dressed　in　dirty　green　work　fatigues　and　an　undershirt　and　he　had　his　loafers　on　the　wrong　feet；　but　Doyle　thought　he　had　never　been　so　glad　to　see　anyone　in　his　life。　Tom　Quillan　was　as　much　Chamberlain　as　anything；　and　he　was　thereintact。
'Holy　God；'　he　panted。　'Did　you　see　that？'
'What's　been　happening？'　Doyle　asked　curtly。
'I　been　monitorin'　the　radio；'　Quillan　said；　'Motton　and　Westover　wanted　to　know　if　they　should　send　ambulances　and　I　said　bell　yes；　send　everything。　Hearses　too。　Did　I　do　right？'
'Yes。'　Doyle　ran　his　hands　through　his　hair。　'Have　you　seen　Harry　Block？'　Block　was　the　town's　missioner　of　Public　Utilities；　and　that　included　water。
　
'Nope。　But　Chief　Deighan　says　they　got　water　in　the　old　Rennet　Block　across　town。　They're　laying　hose　now。　I　collared　some　kids；　and　they're　settin'　up　a　hospital　in　the　police　station。　They're　good　boys；　but　they're　gonna　get　blood　on　your　floor；　Otis。'
Otis　Doyle　felt　unreality　surge　over　him。　Surely　this　conversation　couldn't　be　happening　in　Chamberlain。　Couldn't。
'That's　all　right；　Tommy。　You　did　right。　You　go　back　there　and　start　calling　every　doctor　in　the　phone　book。　I'm　going　over　to　Summer　Street。'
'Okay；　Otis。　If　you　see　that　crazy　broad；　be　careful。'
'Who？'　Doyle　was　not　a　barking　man；　but　now　he　did。
Tom　Quillan　flinched　back。　'Carrie；　Carrie　White。'
'Who？　How　do　you　know？'
Quillan　blinked　slowly。　'I　dunno。　It　just　sort　of　。。。　came　to　me。'
From　the　national　AP　ticker；　11：46　Pm：
CHAMBERLAIN；　MAINE　（AP）
A　DISASTER　OF　MAJOR　PROPORTIONS　HAS　STRUCK　THE　TOWN　OF　CHAMBERLAIN；　MAINE　TONIGHT。　A　FIRE；　BELIEVED　TO　HAVE　BEGUN　AT　EWEN　（U…WIN）　HIGH　SCHOOL　DURING　A　SCHOOL　DANCE；　HAS　SPREAD　TO　THE　DOWNTOWN　AREA；　RESULTING　IN　MULTIPLE　EXPLOSIONS　THAT　HAVE　LEVELLED　MUCH　OF　THE　DOWNTOWN　AREA。　A　RESIDENTIAL　AREA　TO　THE　WEST　OF　THE　DOWNTOWN　AREA　IS　ALSO　REPORTED　TO　BE　BURNING。　HOWEVER；　MOST　CONCERN　AT　THIS　TIME　IS　OVER　THE　HIGH　SCHOOL　WHERE　A　JUNIOR…SENIOR　PROM　WAS　BEING　HELD。　IT　IS　BELIEVED　THAT　MANY　OF　THE　PROM…GOERS　WERE　TRAPPED　INSIDE。　AN　ANDOVER　FIRE　OFFICIAL　SUMMONED　TO　THE　SCENE　SAID　THE　KNOWN　TOTAL　OF　DEAD　STOOD　AT　SIXTY…SEVEN。　MOST　OF　THEM　HIGH　SCHOOL　STUDENTS。　ASKED　HOW　HIGH　THE　TOTAL　MIGHT　GO　HE　SAID：　'WE　DON'T　KNOW。　WE'RE　AFRAID　TO　GUESS。　THIS　IS　GOING　TO　BE　WORSE　THAN　THE　COCONUT　GROVE。'　AT　LAST　REPORT　THREE　FIRES　WERE　RAGING　OUT　OF　CONTROL　IN　THE　TOWN。　REPORTS　OF　POSSIBLE　ARSON　ARE　UNCONFIRMED。　ENDS。
11：56　PM　MAY　27　8943F　AP
There　were　no　more　AP　reports　from　Chamberlain。