sk.thetalisman-第113部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　
　　　2
　　
　　Richard　had　bee；　Jack　saw；　an　admirer　of　John　McPhee　and　Lewis　Thomas　and　Stephen　Jay　Gould。　He　picked　The　Panda's　Thumb　from　the　row　of　books　on　Richard's　shelves　because　he　liked　the　title　and　returned　to　the　bed。
　　Richard　did　not　return　from　his　basketball　practice　for　what　seemed　an　impossibly　long　time。　Jack　paced　back　and　forth　in　the　little　room。　He　could　not　imagine　what　would　keep　Richard　from　returning　to　his　room；　but　his　imagination　gave　him　one　calamity　after　another。
　　After　the　fifth　or　sixth　time　Jack　checked　his　watch；　he　noticed　that　he　could　see　no　students　on　the　grounds。
　　Whatever　had　happened　to　Richard　had　happened　to　the　entire　school。
　　The　afternoon　died。　Richard　too；　he　thought；　was　dead。　Perhaps　all　Thayer　School　was　dead…and　he　was　a　plague…bearer；　a　carrier　of　death。　He　had　eaten　nothing　all　day　since　the　chicken　Richard　had　brought　him　from　the　dining　room；　but　he　wasn't　hungry。　Jack　sat　in　numb　misery。　He　brought　destruction　wherever　he　went。
　　　
　　　3
　　
　　Then　there　were　footfalls　in　the　corridor　once　more。
　　From　the　floor　above；　Jack　now　dimly　heard　the　thud　thud　thud　of　a　bass　pattern；　and　then　again　recognized　it　as　being　from　a　record　by　Blue　Oyster　Cult。　The　footsteps　paused　outside　the　door。　Jack　hurried　to　the　door。
　　Richard　stood　in　the　doorway。　Two　boys　with　cornsilk　hair　and　half…mast　ties　glanced　in　and　kept　moving　down　the　corridor。　The　rock　music　was　much　more　audible　in　the　corridor。
　　'Where　were　you　all　afternoon？'　Jack　demanded。
　　'Well；　it　was　sort　of　freaky；'　Richard　said。　'They　cancelled　all　the　afternoon　classes。　Mr。　Dufrey　wouldn't　even　let　kids　go　back　to　their　lockers。　And　then　we　all　had　to　go　to　basketball　practice；　and　that　was　even　weirder。'
　　'Who's　Mr。　Dufrey？'　
　　Richard　looked　at　him　as　if　he'd　just　tumbled　out　of　a　bassinette。　'Who's　Mr。　Dufrey？　He's　the　headmaster。　Don't　you　know　anything　at　all　about　this　school？'
　　'No；　but　I'm　getting　a　few　ideas；'　Jack　said。　'What　was　so　weird　about　practice？'
　　'Remember　I　told　you　that　Coach　Frazer　got　some　friend　of　his　to　handle　it　today？　Well；　he　said　we'd　all　get　punishment　laps　if　we　tried　to　cut　out；　so　I　thought　his　friend　would　be　some　Al　Maguire　type；　you　know；　some　real　hotshot。　Thayer　School　doesn't　have　a　very　good　athletic　tradition。　Anyhow；　I　thought　his　replacement　must　be　somebody　really　special。'
　　'Let　me　guess。　The　new　guy　didn't　look　like　he　had　anything　to　do　with　sports。'　
　　Richard　lifted　his　chin；　startled。　'No；'　he　said。　'No；　he　didn't。'　He　gave　Jack　a　considering　look。　'He　smoked　all　the　time。　And　his　hair　was　really　long　and　greasy…he　didn't　look　anything　like　a　coach。　He　looked　like　somebody　most　coaches　would　like　to　step　on；　to　tell　you　the　truth。　Even　his　eyes　looked　funny。　I　bet　you　he　smokes　pot。'　Richard　tugged　at　his　sweater。　'I　don't　think　he　knew　anything　about　basketball。　He　didn't　even　make　us　practice　our　patterns…that's　what　we　usually　do；　after　the　warm…up　period。　We　sort　of　ran　around　and　threw　baskets　and　he　shouted　at　us。　Laughing。　Like　kids　playing　basketball　was　the　most　ridiculous　thing　he'd　seen　in　his　whole　life。　You　ever　see　a　coach　who　thought　sports　was　funny？　Even　the　warm…up　period　was　strange。　He　just　said；　'Okay；　do　push…ups；'　and　smoked　his　cigarette。　No　count；　no　cadence；　everybody　just　doing　them　by　themselves。　After　that　it　was　'Okay；　run　around　a　little　bit。'　He　looked　。　。　。　really　wild。　I　think　I'm　going　to　plain　to　Coach　Frazer　tomorrow。'
　　'I　wouldn't　plain　to　him　or　the　headmaster　either；'　Jack　said。
　　'Oh；　I　get　it；'　Richard　said。　'Mr。　Dufrey's　one　of　them。　One　of　the　Territories　people。'
　　'Or　he　works　for　them；'　Jack　said。
　　'Don't　you　see　that　you　could　fit　anything　into　that　pattern？　Anything　that　goes　wrong？　It's　too　easy…you　could　explain　everything　that　way。　That's　how　craziness　works。　You　make　connections　that　aren't　real。'
　　'And　see　things　that　aren't　there。'　
　　Richard　shrugged；　and　despite　the　insouciance　of　the　gesture；　his　face　was　miserable。　'You　said　it。'
　　'Wait　a　minute；'　Jack　said。　'You　remember　me　telling　you　about　the　building　that　collapsed　in　Angola；　New　York？'
　　'The　Rainbird　Towers。'
　　'What　a　memory。　I　think　that　accident　was　my　fault。'
　　'Jack；　you're…'　
　　Jack　said：　'Crazy；　I　know。　Look；　would　anyone　blow　the　whistle　on　me　if　we　went　out　and　watched　the　evening　news？'
　　'I　doubt　it。　Most　kids　are　studying　now；　anyway。　Why？'
　　Because　I　want　to　know　what's　been　happening　around　here；
　　Jack　thought　but　did　not　say。　Sweet　little　fires；　nifty　little　earthquakes…signs　that　they're　ing　through。　For　me。　For　us。
　　'I　need　a　change　of　scenery；　Richard　old　chum；'　Jack　said；　and　followed　Richard　down　the　watery　green　corridor。
　　
　　　CHAPTER　31
　　　Thayer　Goes　to　Hell
　　　
　　　1
　　
　　Jack　became　aware　of　the　change　first　and　recognized　what　had　happened；　it　had　happened　before；　while　Richard　was　out；　and　he　was　sensitized　to　it。
　　The　screaming　heavy　metal　of　Blue　Oyster　Cult's　'Tattoo　Vampire'　was　gone。　The　TV　in　the　mon　room；　which　had　been　cackling　out　an　episode　of　Hogan's　Heroes　instead　of　the　news；　had　fallen　dormant。
　　Richard　turned　toward　Jack；　opening　his　mouth　to　speak。
　　'I　don't　like　it；　Gridley；'　Jack　said　first。　'The　native　tom…toms　have　stopped。　It's　too　quiet。'
　　'Ha…ha；'　Richard　said　thinly。
　　'Richard；　can　I　ask　you　something？'
　　'Yes；　of　course。'
　　'Are　you　scared？'
　　Richard's　face　said　that　he　wanted　more　than　anything　to　say　No；　of　course　not…it　always　gets　quiet　around　Nelson　House　this　time　of　the　evening。　Unfortunately；　Richard　was　utterly　incapable　of　telling　a　lie。　Dear　old　Richard。　Jack　felt　a　wave　of　affection。
　　'Yes；'　Richard　said。　'I'm　a　little　scared。'
　　'Can　I　ask　you　something　else？'
　　'I　guess　so。'
　　'Why　are　we　both　whispering？'
　　Richard　looked　at　him　for　a　long　time　without　saying　anything。　Then　he　started　down　the　green　corridor　again。
　　The　doors　of　the　other　rooms　on　the　other　corridor　were　either　open　or　ajar。　Jack　smelled　a　very　familiar　odor　wafting　through　the　half…open　door　of　Suite　4；　and　pushed　the　door　all　the　way　open　with　tented　fingers。
　　'Which　one　of　them　is　the　pothead？'　Jack　asked。
　　'What？'　Richard　replied　uncertainly。
　　Jack　sniffed　loudly。　'Smell　it？'
　　Richard　came　back　and　looked　into　the　room。　Both　study　lamps　were　on。　There　was　an　open　history　text　on　one　desk；　an　issue　of　Heavy　Metal　on　the　other。　Posters　decorated　the　walls：　the　Costa　del　Sol；　Frodo　and　Sam　trudging　across　the　cracked　and　smoking　plains　of　Mordor　toward　Sauron's　castle；　Eddie　Van　Halen。　Earphones　lay　on　the　open　issue　of　Heavy　Metal；　giving　out　little　tinny　squeaks　of　music。
　　'If　you　can　get　expelled　for　letting　a　friend　sleep　under　your　bed；　I　doubt　if　they　just　slap　your　wrist　for　smoking　pot；　do　they？'　Jack　said。
　　'They　expel　you　for　it；　of　course。'　Richard　was　looking　at　the　joint　as　if　mesmerized；　and　Jack　thought　he　looked　more　shocked　and　bewildered　than　he　had　at　any　other　time；　even　when　Jack　had　shown　him　the　healing　burns　between　his　fingers。
　　'Nelson　House　is　empty；'　Jack　said。
　　'Don't　be　ridiculous！'　Richard's　voice　was　sharp。
　　'It　is；　though。'　Jack　gestured　down　the　hall。　'We're　the　only　ones　left。　And　you　don't　get　thirty…some　boys　out　of　a　dorm　without　a　sound。　They　didn't　just　leave；　they　disappeared。'
　　'Over　into　the　Territories；　I　suppose。'
　　'I　don't　know；'　Jack　said。　'Maybe　they're　still　here；　but　on　a　slightly　different　level。　Maybe　they're　there。　Maybe　they're　in　Cleveland。　But　they're　not　where　we　are。'
　　'Close　that　door；'　Richard　said　abruptly；　and　when　Jack　didn't　move　quickly　enough　to　suit　him；　Richard　closed　it　himself。
　　'Do　you　want　to　put　out　the…'
　　'I　don't　even　want　to　touch　it；'　Richard　said。　'I　ought　to　report　them；　you　know。　I　ought　to　report　them　both　to　Mr。　Haywood。'
　　'Would　you　do　that？'　Jack　asked；　fascinated。
　　Richard　looked　chagrined。　'No　。　。　。　probably　not；'　he　said。　'But　I　don't　like　it。'
　　'Not　orderly；'　Jack　said。
　　'Yeah。'　Richard's　eyes　flashed　at　him　from　behind　his　spectacles；　telling　him　that　was　exactly　right；　he　had　hit　the　nail　o