sk.dreamcatcher-第78章

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ause　to　you；　a　lie　es　more　naturally　than　the　truth。
　　　　'Okay；　I'm　lying；'　Kurtz　said；　never　missing　a　beat。　He　gave　Owen　a　quick　gleaming　look　before　dropping　his　gaze　to　his　cigarette　again。　'But　the　facts　are　true　and　verifiable。　Some　of　them　do　explode　and　turn　into　red　dandelion　fluff。　The　fluff　is　Ripley。　You　inhale　enough　of　it　and　in　a　period　of　time　we　can't　yet　predict　…　it　could　be　an　hour　or　two　days　…　your　lungs　and　brain　are　Ripley　salad。　You　look　like　a　walking　patch　of　poison　sumac。　And　then　you　die。
　　　　'There　will　be　no　mention　of　our　little　venture　earlier　today。　According　to　the　President's　version；　the　ship；　which　had　apparently　been　badly　damaged　in　the　crash；　was　either　blown　up　by　its　crew　or　blew　up　on　its　own。　All　the　grayboys　were　killed。　The　Ripley；　after　some　initial　spread；　is　also　dying；　apparently　because　it　does　very　poorly　in　the　cold。　The　Russians　corroborate　that；　by　the　way。　There　has　been　a　fairly　large　kill…off　of　animals；　which　also　carry　the　infection。'
　　　　'And　the　human　population　of　Jefferson　Tract？'
　　　　'POTUS　is　going　to　say　that　about　three　hundred　people　…　seventy　or　so　locals　and　about　two　hundred　and　thirty　hunters　are　currently　being　monitored　for　the　Ripley　fungus。　He　will　say　that　while　some　appear　to　have　been　infected；　they　also　appear　to　be　beating　the　infection　with　the　help　of　such　standard　antibiotics　as　Ceftin　and　Augmentin。'
　　　　'And　now　this　word　from　our　sponsor；'　Owen　said。　Kurtz　laughed；　delighted。
　　　　'At　a　later　time；　it's　going　to　be　announced　that　the　Ripley　seems　a　little　more　antibiotic…resistant　than　was　first　believed；　and　that　a　number　of　patients　have　died。　The　names　we　give　out　will　be　those　of　people　who　have　in　fact　already　died；　either　as　a　result　of　the　Ripley　or　those　gruesome　fucking　implants；　Do　you　know　what　the　men　are　calling　the　implants？'
　　　　'Yeah；　shit…weasels。　Will　the　President　mention　them？'
　　　　'No　way。　The　guys　in　charge　believe　the　shit…weasels　are　just　a　little　too　upsetting　for　John　Q。　Public。　As　would　be；　of　course；　the　facts　concerning　our　solution　to　the　problem　here　at　Gosselin's　Store；　that　rustic　beauty…spot。'
　　　　'The　final　solution；　you　could　call　it；'　Owen　said。　He　had　smoked　his　cigarette　all　the　way　down　to　the　filter；　and　now　crushed　it　out　on　the　rim　of　his　empty　coffee　cup。
　　　　Kurtz's　eyes　rose　to　Owen's　and　met　them　unflinchingly。　'Yes；　you　could　call　it　that。　We're　going　to　wipe　out　approximately　three　hundred　and　fifty　people　…　mostly　men；　there's　that；　but　I　can't　say　the　cleansing　won't　include　at　least　a　few　women　and　children。　The　upside；　of　course；　is　that　we　will　be　insuring　the　human　race　against　a　pandemic　and；　very　possibly；　subjugation。　Not　an　inconsiderable　upside。'
　　　　Owen's　thought　…　I'm　sure　Hitler　would　like　the　spin　…　was　unstoppable；　but　he　covered　it　as　well　as　he　could　and　got　no　sense　that　Kurtz　had　heard　it　or　sensed　it。　Impossible　to　tell　for　sure；　of　course；　Kurtz　was　sly。
　　　　'How　many　are　we　holding　now？'　Kurtz　as　ed。
　　　　'About　seventy。　And　twice　that　number　on　the　way　from　Kineo；　they'll　be　here　around　nine；　if　the　weather　doesn't　get　any　worse。'　It　was　supposed　to；　but　not　until　after　midnight。
　　　　Kurtz　was　nodding。　'Uh…huh。　Plus　I'm　going　to　say　fifty　more　from　up　north；　seventy　or　so　from　St　Cap's　and　those　little　places　down　south　。　。　。　and　our　guys。　Don't　forget　them。　The　masks　seem　to　work；　but　we've　already　picked　up　four　cases　of　Ripley　in　the　medical　debriefings。　The　men；　of　course；　don't　know。'
　　　　'Don't　they？'
　　　　'Let　me　rephrase　that；'　Kurtz　said。　'Based　on　their　behavior；　I　have　no　reason　to　believe　the　men　know。　All　right？'
　　　　Owen　shrugged。
　　　　'The　story；'　Kurtz　resumed；　'will　be　that　the　detainees　are　being　flown　to　a　top…secret　medical　installation；　a　kind　of　Area　51；　where　they　will　undergo　further　examination；　and；　if　necessary；　long…term　treatment。　There　will　never　be　another　official　statement　concerning　them　…　not　if　all　goes　according　to　plan　…　but　there　will　be　time…release　leaks　over　the　next　two　years：　encroaching　infection　despite　best　medical　efforts　to　stop　it　。　。　。　madness　。　。　。　grotesque　physical　changes　better　left　undescribed　。　。　。　and　finally；　death　es　as　a　mercy。　Far　from　being　outraged；　the　public　will　be　relieved。'
　　　　'While　in　reality　。　。　。　？'
　　　　He　wanted　to　hear　Kurtz　say　it；　but　he　should　have　known　better。　There　were　no　bugs　here　（except；　maybe；　for　the　ones　hiding　between　Kurtz's　ears）；　but　the　boss's　caution　was　ingrained。　He　raised　one　hand；　made　a　gun　of　his　thumb　and　forefinger；　and　dropped　his　thumb　three　times。　His　eyes　never　left　Owen's　as　he　did　this。　Crocodile's　eyes；　Owen　thought。
　　　　'All　of　them？'　Owen　asked。　'The　ones　who　aren't　showing　Ripley…Positive　as　well　as　those　who　are？　And　where　does　that　leave　us？　The　soldiers　who　also　show　Negative？'
　　　　'The　laddies　who　are　okay　now　are　going　to　stay　okay；'　Kurtz　said。　'Those　showing　Ripley　were　all　careless。　One　of　them　。　。　。　well；　there's　a　little　girl　out　there；　about　four　years　old；　cute　as　the　devil。　You　almost　expect　her　to　start　tap…dancing　across　the　barn　floor　and　singing　〃On　the　Good　Ship　Lollipop。〃'　　　
　　　　Kurtz　obviously　thought　he　was　being　witty；　and　Owen　supposed　that　in　a　way　he　was；　but　Owen　himself　was　overe　by　a　wave　of　intense　horror。　There's　a　four…year…old　out　there；　he　thought。　Just　four　years　old；　how　about　that。　　　　
　　　　'She's　cute；　and　she's　hot；'　Kurtz　was　saying。　'Visible　Ripley　on　the　inside　of　one　wrist；　growing　at　her　hairline；　growing　in　the　corner　of　one　eye。　Classic　spots。　Anyway；　this　soldier　gave　her　a　candybar；　just　like　she　was　some　starving　Kosovar　rug…muncher；　and　she　gave　him　a　kiss。　Sweet　as　pie；　a　real　Kodak　moment；　only　now　he's　got　a　lipstick　print　that　ain't　lipstick　growing　on　his　cheek。'　Kurtz　grimaced。　'He　had　himself　a　little　tiny　shaving　cut；　barely　visible；　but　there　goes　your　ballgame。　Similar　stuff　with　the　others。　The　rules　don't　change；　Owen；　carelessness　gets　you　killed。　You　may　go　along　lucky　for　awhile；　but　in　the　end　it　never　fails。　Carelessness　gets　you　killed。　Most　of　our　guys；　I'm　delighted　to　say；　will　walk　away　from　this。　We're　going　to　face　scheduled　medical　exams　for　the　rest　of　our　lives；　not　to　mention　the　occasional　surprise　exam；　but　look　at　the　upside　…　they're　gonna　catch　your　ass…cancer　wicked　early。'
　　　　'The　civilians　who　appear　clean？　What　about　them？'
　　　　Kurtz　leaned　forward；　now　at　his　most　charming；　his　most　persuasively　sane。　You　were　supposed　to　be　flattered　by　this；　to　feel　yourself　one　of　the　fortunate　few　to　see　Kurtz　with　his　mask　（'two　parts　Patton；　one　part　Rasputin；　add　water；　stir　and　serve'）　laid　aside。　It　had　worked　on　Owen　before；　but　not　now。　Rasputin　wasn't　the　mask；　this　was　the　mask。
　　　　Yet　even　now　…　here　was　the　hell　of　it　…　he　wasn't　pletely　sure。
　　　　'Owen；　Owen；　Owen！　Use　your　brain　…　that　good　brain　God　gave　you！　We　can　monitor　our　own　without　raising　suspicions　or　opening　the　door　to　a　worldwide　panic　…　and　there's　going　to　be　enough　panic　anyway；　after　our　narrowly　elected　President　slays　the　phooka　horse。　We　couldn't　do　that　with　three　hundred　civilians。　And　if　we　really　flew　them　out　to　New　Mexico；　put　them　up　in　some　model　village　for　fifty　or　seventy　years　at　the　taxpayers'　expense？　What　if　one　or　more　of　them　escaped？　Or　what　if　…　and　I　think　this　is　what　the　smart　boys　are　really　afraid　of　…　given　time；　the　Ripley　mutates？　That　instead　of　dying　off；　it　turns　into　something　a　lot　more　infectious　and　a　lot　less　vulnerable　to　the　environmental　factors　that　are　killing　it　here　in　Maine？　If　the　Ripley's　intelligent；　it's　dangerous。　Even　if　it　isn't；　what　if　it　serves　the　grayboys　as　a　kind　of　beacon；　an　interstellar　road…flare　marking　our　world　out　…　yum…yum；　e　and　get　it；　these　guys　are　tasty　。　。　。　and　there's　plenty　of　them？'
　　　　'You're　saying　better　safe　than　sorry。'
　　　　Kurtz　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　beamed。　'That's　it。　That's　it　in　a　nutshell。'
　　　　Well；　Owen　thought；　it　might　be　the　nut；　but　the　shell　is　something　we're　not　talking　about。　We　watch　out　for　our　own。　We're　merciless　if　we　have　to　be；　but　even　Kurtz　watches　out　for　his　laddie…bucks。　Civilians；　on　the　other　hand；　are　just　civilians。　If　you　need　to　burn　em；　they　go　up　pretty　ea