jg.skippingchristmas-第7部分

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iver　them　to　every　house　on　Hemlock。　It　read：　〃Neighbor…Weather　tomorrow　should　be　clear；　an　excellent　time　to　bring　Frosty　back　to　life…Call　Marty　or　Judd　or　myself　if　you　need　assistance…Vic　Frohmeyer。〃
　Luther　took　the　memo　from　a　smiling　kid。　
　〃Who　is　it？〃　Nora　called　from　the　kitchen。
　〃Frohmeyer。〃
　〃What's　it　about〃
　〃Frosty。〃
　She　walked　slowly　into　the　living　room；　where　Luther　was　holding　the　half…sheet　of　paper　as　if　it　were　a　summons　to　jury　duty。　They　gave　each　other　a　fearful　look；　and　very　slowly　Luther　began　shaking　his　head
　〃You　have　to　do　it；〃　she　said。
　〃No；　I　do　not；〃　he　said；　very　firmly；　his　temper　rising　with　each　word。　〃I　certainly　do　not。　I　will　not　be　told　by　Vic　Frohmeyer　that　I　have　to　decorate　my　house　for　Christmas；　〃
　〃It's　just　Frosty。〃
　〃No；　it　is　much　more〃
　〃What？〃
　〃It's　the　principle　of　it；　Nora。　Don't　you　understand？　We　can　forget　about　Christmas　if　we　damned　well　choose；　and…〃
　〃Don't　swear；　Luther。〃
　'〃And　no　one；　not　even　Vic　Frohmeyer；　can　stop　us。〃　Louder。　〃I　will　not　be　forced　into　doing　this！〃　He　was　pointing　to　the　ceiling　with　one　hand　and　waving　the　memo　with　the　other。　Nora　retreated　to　the　kitchen。
　
　Five
　
　Hemlock　Frosty　came　in　four　sections…a　wide　round　base；　a　slightly　smaller　snowball　that　wedged　into　the　base；　then　a　trunk；　then　the　head　with　the　face　and　hat。　Each　section　could　be　stuffed　into　the　next　larger　one；　so　that　storage　for　the　other　eleven　months　of　the　year　was　not　too　demanding。　At　a　cost　of　82。99；　plus　shipping；　everyone　packed　away　their　Frostys　with　care。　
　And　they　unpacked　them　with　great　delight。　Throughout　the　afternoon　sections　of　Frostys　could　be　seen　inside　most　garages　along　Hemlock　as　the　snowmen　were　dusted　off　and　checked　for　parts。　Then　they　were　put　together；　built　just　like　a　real　snowman；　section　on　top　of　section；　until　they　were　seven　feet　tall　and　ready　for　the　roof。　Installation　was　not　a　simple　matter。　A　ladder　and　a　rope　were　required；　along　with　the　help　of　a　neighbor。　First；　the　roof　had　to　be　scaled　with　a　rope　around　the　waist；　then　Frosty；　who　was　made　of　hard　plastic　and　weighed　about　forty　pounds；　was　hoisted　up；　very　carefully　so　as　not　to　scratch　him　over　the　asphalt　shingles。　When　Frosty　reached　the　summit；　he　was　strapped　to　the　chimney　with　a　canvas　band　that　Vic　Frohmeyer　had　invented　himself。　A　two…hundred…watt　lamp　was　screwed　into　Frosty's　innards；　and　an　extension　cord　was　dropped　from　the　backside　of　the　roof。
　Wes　Trogdon　was　an　insurance　broker　who'd　called　in　sick　so　he　could　surprise　his　kids　by　having　their　Frosty　up　first。　He　and　his　wife；　Trish；　washed　their　snowman　just　after　lunch；　then；　under　her　close　supervision；　Wes　climbed　and　grappled　and　adjusted　until　the　task　was　plete。　Forty　feet　high；　with　a　splendid　view；　he　looked　up　and　down　Hemlock　and　was　quite　smug　that　he　had　got　the　jump　on　everyone；　including　Frohmeyer。
　While　Trish　made　hot　cocoa；　Wes　began　hauling　boxes　of　lights　up　from　the　basement　to　the　driveway；　where　he　laid　them　out　and　checked　circuits。　No　one　on　Hemlock　strung　more　Christmas　lights　than　the　Trogdons。　They　lined　their　yard；　wrapped　their　shrubs；　draped　their　trees；　outlined　their　house；　adorned　their　windows…fourteen　thousand　lights　the　year　before。
　Frohmeyer　left　work　early　so　he　could　supervise　matters　on　Hemlock；　and　he　was　quite　pleased　to　see　activity。　He　was　momentarily　jealous　that　Trogdon　had　beaten　him　to　the　punch；　but　what　did　it　really　matter？　Before　long　they　joined　forces　in　the　driveway　of　Mrs。　Ellen　Mulholland；　a　lovely　widow　who　was　already　baking　brownies。　Her　Frosty　was　up　in　a　flash；　her　brownies　devoured；　and　they　were　off　to　render　more　assistance。　Kids　joined　them；　including　Spike　Frohmeyer；　a　twelve…year…old　with　his　father's　flair　for　organization　and　munity　activism；　and　they　went　door　to　door　in　the　late　afternoon；　hurrying　before　darkness　slowed　them。
　At　the　Kranks'；　Spike　rang　the　doorbell　but　got　no　response。　Mr。　Krank's　Lexus　was　not　there；　which　was　certainly　not　unusual　at　5　P。M。　But　Mrs。　Krank's　Audi　was　in　the　garage；　a　sure　sign　that　she　was　home。　The　curtains　and　shades　were　pulled。　No　answer　at　the　door　though；　and　the　gang　moved　to　the　Seekers'；　where　Ned　was　in　the　front　yard　washing　his　Frosty　with　his　mother…in…law　barking　instructions　from　the　steps。
　〃They're　leaving　now；〃　Nora　whispered　into　the　phone　in　their　bedroom。　
　〃Why　are　you　whispering？〃　Luther　asked　with　agitation。
　〃Because　I　don't　want　them　to　hear　me。〃
　〃Who　is　it？〃
　〃Vic　Frohmeyer；　Wes　Trogdon；　looks　like　that　Brixley　fellow　from　the　other　end　of　the　street；　some　kids。〃
　〃A　regular　bunch　of　thugs；　huh？〃
　〃More　like　a　street　gang。　They're　at　the　Beckers'　now。〃
　〃God　help　them。〃
　〃Where's　Frosty？〃　she　asked。
　〃Same　place　he's　been　since　January。　Why？〃
　〃Oh；　I　don't　know。〃
　〃This　is　ical；　Nora。　You're　whispering　into　the　phone；　in　a　locked　house；　because　our　neighbors　are　going　door　to　door　helping　our　other　neighbors　put　up　a　ridiculous　seven…foot　plastic　snowman；　which；　by　the　way；　has　absolutely　nothing　to　do　with　Christmas。　Ever　think　about　that；　Nora？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃We　voted　for　Rudolph；　remember？〃
　〃It's　ical。〃
　〃I'm　not　laughing。〃
　〃Frosty's　taking　a　year　off；　okay？　The　answer　is　no。〃
　Luther　hung；　up　gently　and　tried　to　concentrate　on　his　work。　After　dark；　he　drove　home；　slowly；　all　the　way　telling　himself　that　it　was　silly　to　be　worried　about　such　trivial　matters　as　putting　a　snowman　on　the　roof。　And　all　the　way　he　kept　thinking　of　Walt　Scheel。
　〃e　on；　Scheel；〃　he　mumbled　to　himself。　〃Don't　let　me　down。〃
　Walt　Scheel　was　his　rival　on　Hemlock；　a　grumpy　sort　who　lived　directly　across　the　street。　Two　kids　out　of　college；　a　wife　battling　breast　cancer；　a　mysterious　job　with　a　Belgian　conglom；　an　ine　that　appeared　to　be　in　the　upper　range　on　Hemlock…but　regardless　of　what　he　earned　Scheel　and　the　missus　expected　their　neighbors　to　think　they　had　a　lot　more。　Luther　bought　a　Lexus；　Scheel　had　to　have　one。　Bellington　put　in　a　pool；　Scheel　suddenly　needed　to　swim　in　his　own　backyard；　doctor's　orders。　Sue　Kropp　on　the　west　end　outfitted　her　kitchen　with　designer　appliances…8；000　was　the　rumor…and　Bev　Scheel　spent　9；000　six　months　later。
　A　hopeless　cook；　Bev's　cuisine　tasted　worse　after　the　renovation；　according　to　witnesses。
　Their　haughtiness　had　been　stopped　cold；　however；　with　the　breast　cancer　eighteen　months　earlier。　The　Scheels　had　been　humbled　mightily。　Keeping　ahead　of　the　neighbors　didn't　matter　anymore。　Things　were　useless。　They　had　endured　the　disease　with　a　quiet　dignity；　and；　as　usual；　Hemlock　had　supported　them　like　family。　A　year　after　the　first　chemo；　the　Belgian　conglom　had　reshuffled　itself。　Whatever　Walt's　job　had　been；　it　was　now　something　less。
　The　Christmas　before　the　Scheels　had　been　too　distracted　to　decorate。　No　Frosty　for　them；　not　much　of　a　tree；　just　a　few　lights　strung　around　the　front　window；　almost　an　afterthought。
　A　year　earlier；　two　houses　on　Hemlock　had　gone　without　Frostys…the　Scheels'　and　one　on　the　west　end　owned　by　a　Pakistani　couple　who'd　lived　there　three　months　then　moved　away。　It　had　been　for　sale；　and　Frohmeyer　had　actually　considered　ordering　another　Frosty　and　conducting　a　nighttime　raid　on　the　premises　to　erect　it。　
　〃e　on；　Scheel；〃　Luther　mumbled　in　traffic。　〃Keep　your　Frosty　in　the　basement。〃
　The　Frosty　idea　had　been　cute　six　years　earlier　when　first　hatched　by　Frohmeyer。　Now　it　was　tedious。　But；　Luther　confessed；　certainly　not　tedious　to　the　kids　on　Hemlock。　He　had　been　secretly　delighted　two　years　before　when　the　storm　gusts　cleared　the　roofs　and　sent　Frostys　flying　over　half　the　city。
　He　turned　onto　Hemlock；　and　as　far　as　he　could　see　the　street　was　lined　with　identical　snowmen　sitting　like　glowing　sentries　above　the　houses。　Just　two　gaps　in　their　ranks…the　Scheels　and　the　Kranks。　〃Thank　you；　Scheel；〃　Luther　whispered。　Kids　were　riding　bikes。　Neighbors　were　outside；　stringing　lights；　chatting　across　hedgerows。
　A　street　gang　was　meeting　in　Scheel's　garage；　Luther　noticed　as　he　parked　and　walked　hurriedly　into　his　house。　Sure　enough；　within　minutes　a　ladder　went　up　and　Frohmeyer　scurried　up　like　a　veteran　roofer。　Luther　peeke