sk.carrie-第39部分

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ou　know　summer　follows　spring；　that　cancer　can　kill　you；　that　Carrie's　mother　was　dead　already；　that
（！！！！！）
Her　heart　row　thickly　in　her　chest。　Dead？　She　examined　in　her　knowledge　of　the　incident；　trying　to　disregard　the　insistent　weirdness　of　knowing　from　nothing。
Yes；　Margaret　White　was　dead；　something　to　do　with　her　heart。　But　she　had　stabbed　Carrie。　Carrie　was　badly　hurt。　She　was
There　was　nothing　more。
She　got　up　and　ran　back　to　her　mother's　car。　Ten　minutes　later　she　parked　on　the　corner　of　Branch　and　Carlin　Street；　which　was　on　fire。　No　trucks　were　available　to　fight　the　blaze　yet；　but　saw…horses　had　been　put　across　both　ends　of　the　street；　and　greasily　smoking　roads　pots　lit　a　sign　which　said；
DANGER！　LIVE　WIRES！
Sue　cut　through　two　back　yards　and　forced　her　way　through　a　budding　hedge　that　scraped　at　her；　white　short；　stiff　bristles。　She　came　out　one　yard　from　the　White's　house　and　crossed　over。
The　house　was　in　flames；　the　roof　blazing。　It　was　impossible　to　even　think　about　getting　close　enough　to　look　in。　But　in　the　strong　firelight　she　saw　something　better。　the　splashed　trail　of　Carrie's　blood。　She　followed　it　with　her　head　down；　past　the　larger　spots　where　Carrie　had　rested；　through　another　hedge；　across　a　Willow　Street　back　yard；　and　then　through　an　undeveloped　tangle　of　scrub　pine　and　oak。　Beyond　that；　a　short；　unpaved　spur　…　little　more　than　a　footpath　…　wound　up　the　rise　of　land　to　the　right；　angling　away　from　Route　6。
She　stopped　suddenly　as　doubt　struck　her　with　vicious　and　corrosive　force。　Suppose　she　could　find　her？　What　then？　Heart　failure？　Set　on　fire？　Controlled　and　forced　to　walk　in　front　of　an　oning　car　or　fire　engine？　Her　peculiar　knowledge　told　her　Carrie　would　be　capable　of　all　things。
（find　a　policeman）
She　giggled　a　little　at　that　one　and　sat　down　in　the　grass；　which　was　silked　with　dew。　She　had　already　found　a　policeman。　And　even　supposing　Otis　Doyle　had　believed　her；　what　then？　A　mental　picture　came　to　her　of　a　hundred　desperate　manhunters　surrounding　Came；　demanding　her　to　hand　over　her　weapons　and　give　up。　Carrie　obediently　raises　her　hands　and　plucks　her　head　from　her　shoulders。　Hands　it　to　Sheriff　Doyle；　who　solemnly　puts　it　in　a　wicker　basket　marked　People's　Exhibit　A。
（and　tommy's　dead）
Well；　well。　She　began　to　cry。　She　put　her　hands　over　her　face　and　sobbed　into　them。　A　soft　breeze　snuffled　through　the　juniper　bushes　on　top　of　the　hill。　More　fire　engines　screamed　by　on　Route　6　like　huge　red　hounds　in　the　night。
（the　town's　burning　down　o　well）
She　had　no　idea　how　long　she　sat　there；　crying　in　a　grainy　half…doze。　She　was　not　even　aware　that　she　was　following　Carrie's　progress　toward　The　Cavalier；　no　more　than　she　was　aware　of　the　process　of　respiration　unless　she　thought　about　it。　Carrie　was　hurt　very　badly；　was　going　on　brute　determination　alone　at　this　point。　It　was　three　miles　out　to　The　Cavalier；　even　across…country；　as　Carrie　was　going。　Sue
（watched？　thought？　doesn't　matter）
as　Carrie　fell　in　a　brook　and　dragged　herself　out；　icy　and　shivering。　It　was　really　amazing　that　she　kept　going。　But　of　course　it　was　for　Momma。　Momma　wanted　her　to　be　the　Angel's　Fiery　Sword；　to　destroy…　
（she's　going　to　destroy　that　too）
She　got　up　and　began　to　run　clumsily；　not　bothering　to　follow　the　trail　of　blood。　She　didn't　need　to　follow　it　any　more。
From　The　Shadow　Exploded　（pp。　164…165）：
Whatever　any　of　us　may　think　of　the　Carrie　White　affair；　it　is　over。　It's　time　to　turn　to　the　future。　As　Dean　McGuffin　points　out；　in　his　excellent　Science　Yearbook　article；　if　we　refuse　to　do　this；　we　will　almost　certainly　have　to　pay　the　piper　…　and　the　price　is　apt　to　be　a　high　one。
A　thorny　moral　question　is　raised　here。　Progress　is　already　being　made　toward　plete　isolation　of　the　TK　gene。　It　is　more　or　less　assumed　in　the　scientific　munity　（see；　for　instance；　Bourke　and　Hannegan's　'A　View　Toward　Isolation　of　the　TK　Gene　with　Specific　Remendations　for　Control　Parameters'　in　Mocrobiology　Annual；　Berkeley：　1982）　that　when　a　testing　procedure　is　established；　all　school…age　children　will　undergo　the　test　as　routinely　as　they　now　undergo　the　TB　skin…patch。　Yet　TK　is　not　a　germ；　it　is　as　much　a　part　of　the　afflicted　person　as　the　colour　of　his　eyes。
If　overt　TK　ability　occurs　as　a　part　of　puberty；　and　if　this　hypothetical　TK　test　is　performed　on　children　entering　the　first　grade；　we　shall　certainly　be　forewarned。　But　in　this　case；　is　forewarned　forearmed？　If　the　TB　test　shows　positive　a　child　can　be　treated　or　isolated。　If　the　TK　test　shows　positive；　we　have　no　treatment　except　a　bullet　in　the　head。　And　how　is　it　possible　to　isolate　a　person　who　will　eventually　have　the　power　to　knock　down　all　walls？
And　even　if　isolation　could　be　made　successful；　would　the　American　people　allow　a　small；　pretty　girl…child　to　be　ripped　away　from　her　parents　at　the　first　sign　of　puberty　to　be　locked　in　a　bank　vault　for　the　rest　of　her　life？　I　doubt　it。　Especially　when　The　White　mission　has　worked　so　hard　to　convince　the　public　that　the　nightmare　in　Chamberlain　was　a　plete　fluke。
Indeed；　we　seem　to　have　returned　to　Square　One。
From　the　sworn　testimony　of　Susan　Snell；　taken　before　The　State　Investigatory　Board　of　Maine　（from　The　White　mission　Report）；　pp。　306…472：
Q。　Now；　Miss　Snell；　the　Board　would　like　to　go　through　your　testimony　concerning　your　alleged　meeting　with　Carrie　White　in　The　Cavalier　parking　lot
A。　Why　do　you　keep　asking　the　same　questions　over　and　over？　I've　told　you　twice　already。
Q。　We　want　to　make　sure　the　record　is　correct　in　every
A。　You　want　to　catch　me　in　a　lie；　isn't　that　what　you　really　mean？　You　don't　think　I'm　telling　the　truth；　do　YOU？
Q。　You　say　you　came　upon　Carrie　at
A。　Will　you　answer　me？
Q。　…at　2：00　on　the　morning　of　May　28th。　Is　that　correct？
A　I'm　not　going　to　answer　any　more　questions　until　you　answer　the　one　I　just　asked。
Q。　Miss　Snell；　this　body　is　empowered　to　cite　you　for　contempt　if　you　refuse　to　answer　on　any　other　grounds　than　Constitutional　ones。
A。　I　don't　care　what　you're　empowered　to　do。　I've　lost　someone　I　love。　Go　and　throw　me　in　jail。　I　don't　care。　I　…　go　to　hell。　All　of　you；　go　to　hell。　You're　trying　to　。。。　to　。。。　I　don't　know；　crucify　me　or　something。　Just　lay　off　me！
（A　short　recess）
Q。　Miss　Snell；　are　you　willing　to　continue　your　testimony　at　this　time？
A。　Yes。　But　I　won't　be　badgered。　Mr　Chairman。
Q。　Of　course　not；　young　lady。　No　one　wants　to　badger　you。　Now　you　claim　to　have　e　upon　Carrie　in　the　parking　lot　of　this　tavern　at　2：00。　Is　that　correct？
A。　Yes。
Q。　You　knew　it　was　2：00？
A。　I　was　wearing　the　watch　you　see　on　my　wrist　right　now。
Q。　To　be　sure。　Isn't　The　Cavalier　better　than　six　miles　from　where　you　left　your　mother's　car？
A。　It　is　by　the　road。　It's　close　to　three　as　the　crow　flies。
Q。　You　walked　this　distance？
X　Yes。
Q。　Now　you　testified　earlier　that　you　'knew'　you　were　getting　close　to　Carrie。　Can　you　explain　this？
A。　No。
Q。　Could　you　smell　her？
A。　What？
Q。　Did　you　follow　your　nose？
（Laughter　in　the　galleries）
A。　Are　you　playing　games　with　me？
Q。　Answer　the　question；　please。
A。　No。　I　didn't　follow　my　nose。
Q。　Could　you　see　her？
A。　No。
Q。　Hear　her？
A。　No。
Q。　Then　how　could　you　possibly　know　she　was　there？　A。　How　did　Tom　Quillan　know？　Or　Cora　Simard？　Or　poor　Vic　Mooney？　How　did　any　of　them　know？
Q。　Answer　the　question；　miss。　This　is　hardly　the　place　or　the　time　for　impertinence。
A。　But　they　did　say　they　'just　knew；'　didn't　they？　I　read　Mrs　Simard's　testimony　in　the　paper！　And　what　about　the　fire　hydrants　that　opened　themselves？　And　the　gas　pumps　that　broke　their　own　locks　and　turned　themselves　on？　The　power　lines　that　climbed　down　off　their　poles！　And
Q。　Miss　Snell；　please　
A。　Those　things　are　in　the　record　of　this　mission's　proceedings！
Q。　This　is　not　an　issue　here。
A。　Then　what　is？　Are　you　looking　for　the　truth　or　just　a　scapegoat？
Q。　You　deny　you　had　prior　knowledge　of　Carrie　White's　whereabouts？
A。　Of　course　I　do。　It's　an　absurd　idea。
Q。　Oh？　And　why　is　it　absurd？
A。　Well；　if　you're　suggesting　some　kind　of　conspiracy；　it's　absurd　because　Carrie　was　dying　when　I　found　her。　It　could　not　have　been　an　easy　way　to　die。
Q。　If　you　had　no　prior　knowledge　of　her　whereabouts；　how　could　you　go　directly　to　her　location？
A。　Oh