stephen king - mist-第10部分

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　It　came　on；　eating　up　the　blue　sky　and　the　fresh　black　hottop　with　equal　ease。　Even　twenty　feet　away　the　line　of　demarcation　was　perfectly　clear。　I　had　the　nutty　feeling　that　I　was　watching　some　extra…good　piece　of　visual　effects；　something　dreamed　up　by　Willys　O'Brian　or　Douglas　Trumbull。　It　happened　so　quickly。　The　blue　sky　disappeared　to　a　wide　swipe；　then　to　a　stripe；　then　to　a　pencil　line。　Then　it　was　gone。　Blank　white　pressed　against　the　glass　of　the　wide　show　window。　I　could　see　as　far　as　the　litter　barrel　that　stood　maybe　four　feet　away；　but　not　much　farther。　I　could　see　the　front　bumper　of　my　Scout；　but　that'　was　all。
　A　woman　screamed；　very　loud　and　long。　Billy　pressed　himself　more　tightly　against　me。　His　body　was　trembling　like　a　loose　bundle　of　wires　with　high　voltage　running　through　them。
　A　man　yelled　and　bolted　through　one　of　the　deserted　lanes　toward　the　door。　I　think　that　was　what　finally　started　the　stampede。　People　rushed　pell…mell　into　the　fog。
　〃Hey！〃　Brown　roared。　I　don't　know　if　he　was　angry；　scared；　or　both。　His　face　was　nearly　purple。　Veins　stood　out　on　his　neck；　looking　almost　as　thick　as　battery　cables。　〃Hey　you　people；　you　can't　take　that　stuff！　Get　back　here　with　that　stuff；　you're　shoplifting！〃
　They　kept　going；　but　some　of　them　tossed　their　stuff　aside。　Some　were　laughing　and　excited；　but　they　were　a　minority。　They　poured　out　into　the　fog；　and　none　of　us　who　stayed　ever　saw　them　again。　There　was　a　faint；　acrid　smell　drifting　in　through　the　open　door。　People　began　to　jam　up　there。　Some　pushing　and　shoving　started。　I　was　getting　an　ache　in　my　shoulders　from　holding　Billy。　He　was　good…sized；　Steff　sometimes　called　him　her　young　heifer。
　Norton　started　to　wander　off；　his　face　preoccupied　and　rather　bemused。　He　was　heading　for　the　door。
　I　switched　Billy　to　the　other　arm　so　I　could　grab　Norton's　arm　before　he　drifted　out　of　reach。　〃No；　man；　I　wouldn't；〃　I　said。
　He　turned　back。　〃What？〃
　〃Better　wait　and　see。〃
　〃See　what？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。
　〃You　don't　think…〃　he　began；　and　a　shriek　came　out　of　the　fog。
　Norton　shut　up。　The　tight　jam　at　the　OUT　door　loosened　and　then　reversed　itself。　The　babble　of　excited　conversation；　shouts　and　calls；　subsided。　The　faces　of　the　people　by　the　door　suddenly　looked　flat　and　pale　and　two　dimensional。
　The　shriek　went　on　and　on；　peting　with　the　fire　whistle。　It　seemed　impossible　that　any　human　pair　of　lungs　could　have　enough　air　in　them　to　sustain　such　a　shriek。　Norton　muttered；　〃Oh　my　God；〃　and　ran　his　hands　through　his　hair。
　The　shriek　ended　abruptly。　It　did　not　dwindle；　it　was　cut　off。　One　more　man　went　outside；　a　beefy　guy　in　chino　workpants。　I　think　he　was　set　on　rescuing　the　shrieker。　For　a　moment　he　was　out　there；　visible　through　the　glass　and　the　mist；　like　a　figure　seen　through　a　milkscum　on　a　tumbler。　Then　（and　as　far　as　I　know；　I　was　the　only　one　to　see　this）　something　beyond　him　appeared　to　move；　a　gray　shadow　in　all　that　white。　And　it　seemed　to　me　that　instead　of　running　into　the　fog；　the　man　in　the　chino　pants　was　jerked　into　it；　his　hands　flailing　upward　as　if　in　surprise。
　For　a　moment　there　was　total　silence　in　the　market。
　A　constellation　of　moons　suddenly　glowed　into　being　outside。　The　parking…lot　sodium　lights；　undoubtedly　supplied　by　underground　electrical　cables；　had　just　gone　on。
　〃Don't　go　out…there；〃　Mrs。　Carmody　said　in　her　best　gore…crow　voice。　〃It's　death　to　go　out　there。〃
　All　at　once；　no　one　seemed　disposed　to　argue　or　laugh。
　Another　scream　came　from　outside；　this　one　muffled　and　rather　distant…　sounding。　Billy　tensed　against　me　again。
　〃David；　what's　going　on？〃　Ollie　Weeks　asked。　He　had　left　his　position。　There　were　big　beads　of　sweat　on　his　round；　smooth　face。　〃What　is　this？〃
　〃I'll　be　goddammed　if　I　have　any　idea；〃　I　said。　Ollie　looked　badly　scared。　He　was　a　bachelor　who　lived　in　a　nice　little　house　up　by　Highland　Lake　and　who　liked　to　drink　in　the　bar　at　Pleasant　Mountain。　On　the　pudgy　little　finger　of　his　left　hand　was　a　star…sapphire　ring。　The　February　before；　he　won　some　money　in　the　state　lottery。　He　bought　the　ring　out　of　his　winnings。　I　always　had　the　idea　that　Ollie　was　a　little　afraid　of　girls。
　〃I　don't　dig　this；〃　he　said。
　〃No。　Billy；　I　have　to　put　you　down。　I'll　hold　your　hand；　but　you're　breaking　my　arms；　okay？〃
　〃Mommy；〃　he　whispered。
　〃She's　okay；〃　I　told　him。　It　was　something　to　say。
　The　old　geezer　who　runs　the　secondhand　shop　near　Jon's　Restaurant　walked　past　us；　bundled　into　the　old　collegiate　letter…sweater　he　wears　year…round。　He　said　loudly：　〃It's　one　of　those　pollution　clouds。　The　mills　at　Rumford　and　South　Paris。　Chemicals。〃　With　that；　he　made　off　up　the　Aisle　4；　past　the　patent　medicines　and　toilet　paper。
　〃Let's　get　out　of　here；　David；〃　Norton　said　with　no　conviction　at　all。　〃What　do　you　say　we…〃
　There　was　a　thud。　An　odd；　twisting　thud　that　I　felt　mostly　in　my　feet；　as　if　the　entire　building　had　suddenly　dropped　three　feet。　Several　people　cried　out　in　fear　and　surprise。　There　was　a　musical　jingle　of　bottles　leaning　off　their　shelves　and　destroying　themselves　upon　the　tile　floor。　A　chunk　of　glass　shaped　like　a　pie　wedge　fell　out　of　one　of　the　segments　of　the　wide　front　window；　and　I　saw　that　the　wooden　frames　banding　the　heavy　sections　of　glass　had　buckled　and　splintered　in　some　places。
　The　fire　whistle　stopped　in　mid…whoop。
　The　quiet　that　followed　was　the　bated　silence　of…people　waiting　for　something　else；　something　more。　I　was　shocked　and　numb；　and　my　mind　made　a　strange　cross…patch　connection　with　the　past。　Back　when　Bridgton　was　little　more　than　a　crossroads；　my　dad　would　take　me　in　with　him　and　stand　talking　at　the　counter　while　I　looked　through　the　glass　at　the　penny　candy　and　two…cent　chews。　It　was　January　thaw。　No　sound　but　the　drip　of　meltwater　falling　from　the　galvanized　tin　gutters　to　the　rain　barrels　on　either　side　of　the　store。　Me　looking　at　the　jawbreakers　and　buttons　and　pinwheels。　The　mystic　yellow　globes　of　light　overhead　showing　up　the　monstrous；　projected　shadows　of　last　summer's　battalion　of　dead　flies。　A　little　boy　named　David　Drayton　looking　at　the　candy　and　the　Davy　Crockett　bubble…gum　cards　and　vaguely　needing　to　go　pee。　And　outside；　the　pressing；　billowing　yellow　fog　of　January　thaw。
　The　memory　passed；　but　very　slowly。
　〃You　people！〃　Norton　bellowed。　〃All　you　people；　listen　to　me！〃
　They　looked　around。　Norton　was　holding　up　both　hands；　the　fingers　splayed　like　a　political　candidate　accepting　accolades。
　〃It　may　be　dangerous　to　go　outside！〃　Norton　yelled。
　〃Why？〃　a　woman　screamed　back。　〃My　kids're　at　home！　I　got　to　get　back　to　my　kids！〃
　〃It's　death　to　go　out　there！〃　Mrs。　Carmody　came　back　smartly。　She　was　standing　by　the　twenty…five…pound　sacks　of　fertilizer　stacked　below　the　window；　and　her　face　seemed　to　bulge　somehow；　as　if　she　were　swelling。
　A　teenager　gave　her　a　sudden　hard　push　and　she　sat　down　on　the　bags　with　a　surprised　grunt。　〃Stop　saying　that；　you　old　bag！　Stop　rappin'　that　crazy　bullshit！　〃
　〃Please！〃　Norton　yelled。　〃if　we　just　wait　a　few　moments　until　it　blows　over　and　we　can　see…〃
　A　babble　of　conflicting　shouts　greeted　this。
　〃He's　right；〃　I　said；　shouting　to　be　heard　over　the　noise。　〃Let's　just　try　to　keep　cool。〃
　〃I　think　that　was　an　earthquake；〃　a　bespectacled　man　said。　His　voice　was　soft。　In　one　hand　he　held　a　package　of　hamburger　and　a　bag　of　buns。　The　other　hand　was　holding　the　hand　of　a　little　girl；　maybe　a　year　younger　than　Billy。　〃I　really　think　that　was　an　earthquake。〃
　〃They　had　one　over　in　Naples　four　years　ago；〃　a　fat　local　man　said。
　〃That　was　in　Casco；〃　his　wife　contradicted　immediately。　She　spoke　in　the　unmistakable　tones　of　a　veteran　contradictor。
　〃Naples；〃　the　fat　local　man　said；　but　with　less　assurance。　〃Casco；〃　his　wife　said　firmly；　and　he　gave　up。
　Somewhere　a　can　that　had　been　jostled　to　the　very　edge　of　its　shelf　by　the　thump；　earthquake；　whatever　it　had　been；　fell　off　with　a　delayed　clatter。　Billy　burst　into　tears。　〃I　want　to　go　home'！　I　want　my　MOTHER！〃
　〃Can't　you　shut　that　kid　up？〃　Bud　Brown　asked。　His　eyes　were　darting　rapidly　but　aimlessly　from　place　to　place。
　〃Would　you　like；　a　shot　in　the　teeth；　motormouth？〃　I　asked　him。
　〃e　on；　Dave；　that's