thedestroyer.deathcheck-第25部分

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　let　him　know　that　he　was　not　getting　through　to　you；　and　made　him　try　even　harder　with　less　success。
　So　Remo　did　what　he　knew　was　right；　even　though　he　did　not　wish　Deborah　to　see　it　from　her　window　if　she　was　standing　there。
　He　repeated　Brewster's　desperate　yell。　〃Ooooh。　Ahhhh。　Oho；〃　he　shouted；　looking　directly　into　Brewster's　eyes。
　Remo　joined　Brewster　in　his　hysteria；　in　order　to　bring　Brewster　back　with　him　to　coherency。。
　〃Ratchett；〃　Remo　gasped。
　〃Ratchett；〃　Brewster　gasped。　〃Dead。〃
　〃Ratchett　is　dead；〃　Remo　moaned。
　〃Ratchett　murdered。　Blood。〃
　〃Ratchett　has　been　murdered。　There's　lots　of　blood。〃
　And　Brewster　nodded　and　said：　〃I　went　to　his　place　just　now。　His　special　place。　He　was　dead。　Blood　and　water。　He　was　dead。　You。〃
　〃Me。〃
　〃Yes。　Do　something。〃
　〃Good。　I'll　do　something。〃
　〃Walls。　Fences。　Machine　guns。　Help　us。〃
　〃Yes；　yes。　Of　course。　Help　you。　Machine　guns。　Fences。　Walls。〃
　〃Yes。　Get　the　killers。　Get　them。　Kill　them。　Destroy　them。　Bomb　them。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃But　don't　let　the　police　know。〃；
　〃No；　no。　Of　course　not。〃
　〃Good；〃　said　Nils　Brewster。　His　eyes　wide；　he　rose　to　Ms　feet。　〃We'll　go　now。〃
　
　He　was　still　unsteady　as　they　crossed　the　small　bridge　over　the　brook　and　Remo　gently　guided　him　by　applying　light　pressure　to　an　elbow。
　〃Is　that　his　house？；〃　Remo　asked；　looking　at　the　large　white　egg　with　windows。
　Brewster　nodded。　〃I　didn't　see　him　this　morning。　We　had　a　9　o'clock　appointment　and　he's　always　punctual。　I　just　wanted　to　explain　to　him　that　I　thought　his　hypnotism　had　gone　far　enough　and　that　we　should　look　for　some　other　form　of　his　artistic　expression。　But　he　didn't　show　up；　and　he　didn't　answer　the　phone。　So　I　came　here。　He　has　a　special　room；　an　obvious　imitation　of　his　concept　of　womb。　And　he　was　there；　and　the　door　was　jammed　from　the　outside。〃
　The　sun　played　over　the　house；　as　they　approached　it；　as　if　boiling　it　for　an　egg　salad　lunch。
　〃I　like　it；〃　Remo　said。
　〃Nobody　likes　it。〃
　〃I　like　it。　I　think　it's　a　hell　of　an　idea　for　a　home。〃
　〃It's　grotesque；〃　Brewster　said。
　〃That's　your　opinion。〃
　〃That's　the　opinion　of　everyone　in　Brewster　Forum。〃
　〃No；　it's　not。〃
　〃No？　Who　likes　it？〃
　〃I　like　it。〃
　〃Oh；　you。　Well；　I'm　talking　about　everyone。〃
　〃I'm　someone。〃
　〃You're　our　security　officer。〃
　〃But　I'm　a　someone。〃
　〃Yes。　All　right。　If　you　want　to　look　at　it　that　way。　He's　in　there。　I　touched　nothing。〃　Brewster　stood　at　the　entrance。　The　door　was　ajar。
　Remo　nodded。　〃It's　really　hard　to　refrain　from　panic　in　a　situation　like　this；〃　Brewster　said。　〃You　may　not　have　noticed；　but　I　was　on　the　verge　of　panic。　Fortunately；　I　have　incredible　self…control。　But　this　pushed　me　to　my　limit。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Remo　said　softly。　Like　most　panic　victims；　Brewster　had　no　recollection　of　his　actions。　He　would　not　even　remember　fainting。　〃Stay　here；　Nils。〃
　〃Call　me　Dr。　Brewster。〃　He　leaned　against　the　door　frame；　still　shaking。　〃We'd　be　in　an　awful　fix　if　I　were　the　type　to　lose　my　head；〃　he　said。
　〃Yes；　Dr。　Brewster；　we　would；〃　Remo　said。
　〃Call　me　Nils；〃　Brewster　said。　Remo　smiled　reassuringly　and　went　into　the　living　room。　He　spotted　the　fireplace　opening　to　Ratchett's　special　retreat。　There　was　Ratchett；　nude；　his　body　half　covered　in　a　pink　puddle　of　water　and　blood。　His　face　was　a　final　set　mask　of　horror。　Remo　reached　in；　careful　not　to　slosh　around　in　the　liquid；　and　flipped　Ratchett　over。　So　much　for　how　they　did　it。　Now　they　had　attacked　the　scientists；　and　to　save　them　it　might　be　necessary　to　kill　them。　If　he　called　the　police　now；　the　next　passage　from　Dial…a…Prayer　might　well　be　Deuteronomy。　Remo　stepped　back　carefully　and　picked　up　Ratchett's　phone。　It　was　a　vulnerable　phone。　But　he　was　not　doing　business。
　He　dialed　information；　got　the　number　of　Dr。　Deborah　Hirshbloom；　and　dialed　it。　The　phone　rang。　And　rang。　And　rang。　Remo　looked　to　the　ceiling　without　seeing；　looked　to　the　floor　without　seeing　and　whistled　impatiently。　And　the　phone　rang。
　〃Shit；〃　he　said　and　hung　up。
　He　went　outside。
　〃Shocking；　wasn't　it？〃　said　Brewster。
　〃What？〃　said　Remo；　his　mind　still　on　the　phone　call。
　〃You　look　upset。〃
　〃Oh。　Yes。　Shocking　scene。　Awful。〃　
　〃If　you　were　as　familiar　with　violence　and　its　dynamics　as　a　human　form　of　expression；　if　you　were　as　familiar　with　it　as　I　am；　it　might　have　been　easier　for　you；　son。〃
　〃I　suppose　so；〃　Remo　said。　Dammit；　she　wasn't　home。　This　was　his　day　off　peak。　And　he　planned　to　spend　it　with　her。　All　day　and　all　night。　And　now　she　wasn't　home。
　Dr。　Brewster　reached　for　something　in　his　pocket；　and　brought　out　a　pipe　and　a　ripped　bag　of　tobacco。　〃How　the　hell　did　this　happen？〃　he　said；　looking　at　the　ripped　pouch　as　if　it　had　betrayed　him。　〃My　pants　are　dirty　too。　I　must　have　brushed　against　something。〃　He　lit　his　pipe。
　〃Violence　is　a　strange　thing；〃　Dr。　Brewster　said；　musing　on　the　smoke。　〃Many　people　never　learn　to　accept　it　as　a　part　of　life。〃
　She　was　supposed　to　be　home。　All　right；　maybe　she　had　just　gone　out　for　something。　Maybe　she　was　just　being　funny。　Playing　a　game。　Or　maybe　she　had　changed　her　mind。　The　bitch。　The　little　Israeli　bitch　had　changed　her　mind。
　The　two　men　went　back　to　the　forum　center；　the　scientist　talking；　musing；　explaining；　pontificating；　placing　the　elements　of　life　and　death　in　intellectual　perspective。　Remo　Williams　was　planning。　If　she　was　just　trying　to　make　him　wait；　he　would　be　very　casual。　Say　that　he　wasn't　sure　of　the　time。　Was　she　late？　Oh。　Or　maybe　he'd　disappear　for　a　while　and　be　late　himself。　No。　He'd　see　her　and　tell　her　she　was　immature。
　〃You　see；〃　Brewster　explained。　〃Even　though　you　are　a　policeman；　you　have　not　fully　accepted　the　fact　of　violence　as　an　integral　part　of　man's　life。　You　have　not　e　to　terms　with　the　very　obvious　fact　that　man　is　a　killer。　And　his　greatest　game　is　man　himself。　A　predator。　Only　late　in　development　did　he　bee　herbivorous。　The　overreaction　against　violence　in　more　backward　American　munities　is　an　eruption　of　the　sublimation　of　violence。　Which　is　really　not　sick。　Violence　is　healthy；　human。　Vital。〃
　Maybe　he　would　call　her　a　kike　and　just　walk　away。　But　what…if　she　laughed　when　he　said　that？　Worse；　what　if　she　were　hurt？　He　would　apologize　and　hold　her。　But　if　she　were　really　hurt；　she　wouldn't　let　him。　No。　Not　Deborah。　She　would　laugh。　Right　at　him。　In　his　face。　Then　he　would　laugh。　Then　it　would　be　all　right。
　〃I　know　it's　difficult；　son；　but　as　I　was　explaining　to　some　general　or　other；　no；　a　congressman；　I　believe…well；　in　any　case；　one　of　those　things。　I　told　him　that　perhaps　policemen　like　yourself　are　the　ones　who　are　least　able　to　handle　violence　and　therefore　are　drawn　toward　it　as　a　profession。　You　know　that's　how　we　get　funding？〃
　〃What？〃　said　Remo。
　〃How　we　get　funding；　son；〃　Dr。　Brewster　explained。　〃You　exploit　their　little　dreams　or　fears。　Whatever。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　Remo　asked。　He　would　take　care　of　Deborah　later。　〃I　was　rinding　it　hard　to　follow。〃
　〃Our　funding；　son。　The　way　to　get　funding　is　to　decide　what　you　want；〃　then　throw　in　something　the　government　may　want。　As　an　afterthought。　Like　our　study　on　the　munity　life　of　bat。〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃Well；　that　paid　for　Schulter's　animal　experiments　and　Boyle's　ethnic　studies。〃
　〃I　see；〃　said　Remo。　〃And　your　little　plan　to　conquer　the　world？〃　He　dropped　the　reference　casually。
　〃That　bought　the　golf　course；　the　auditorium　and　about　five　more　years　of　just　about　anything　we　want。　I　don't　know　why　I　trust　you　like　this。　I　just　do。　I'm　a　good　judge　of　men。〃
　He　was；　thought　Remo；　like　most　people　who　do　not　work　at　it；　a　very　bad　judge　of　himself。　He　trusted　now　because　he　felt　safe。　Apparently；　he　had　taken　Remo's　preoccupation　with　Deborah　as　shock　over　the　Ratchett　killing　and　no　longer　felt　threatened　by　someone　who　might　possibly　be　above　panic。
　〃Is　there　a　plan　to　coefluer　the　world？〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。　You　could　conquer　the　world　with　50；000　men。　Provided；　the　rest　of　the　world　wanted　to　be　conquered。　Hah。　You　see；　it　takes　the　cooperation　of　the　losers。　But　we're　not　going　to　include　that　in　any　study　for　at　least　three　years　though；　not　until　we　have　another　funding　source。　Your　job　is　safe　with　us　for　another