js&cs.thebridge-第33章

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　　〃Actually；　I　was　hoping　you　might　have　a　suggestion。〃
　　〃Me？〃　Leonard　laughed。　The　pain　was　still　bad…a　fireball　in　his　chest；　radiating　outward　to　his　extremities…but　at　least　it　was　stable。　It　was　easy　to　believe；　in　that　moment；　that　the　worst　was　actually　over。　〃I　thought　you　were　taking　care　of　this。〃
　　Barely　missing　a　beat。　〃We're　working　on　it。〃
　　〃Well；　good；　because　I　talked　to　Pusser　a　while　ago；　and　he　was　threatening　to　talk　to　the　cops　if　something　didn't　happen　fast。〃
　　〃Oh　。。。　？〃
　　〃　'Oh'　is　right。〃　He　was　on　a　roll　now；　and　the　taint　of　sarcasm　in　his　voice　exhilarated　him。　〃And　that　could　be　a　problem。　Because　if　they　go　to　prison；　they'll　take　me　with　them。〃
　　〃Not　necessarily…〃
　　〃And　if　I　go　down；〃　he　cut　in；　〃I'll　have　no　choice　but　to　drag　everyone　else　down；　too。〃
　　Long　beat　of　silence。
　　〃Harry；　don't　you　think　you're　overreacting？〃
　　〃Am　I？〃
　　〃Yes；　I　think　you　are。〃
　　〃Well；　then；　straighten　me　out；　Werner。　Calm　me　down。〃
　　〃What　do　you　need　to　know？〃
　　〃How　you　plan　to　keep　me　out　of　jail。〃
　　Not　a　dropped　beat　this　time。　Straight　into　the　pitch。　Leonard　had　to　admire　how　quick　Blake　was；　when　the　chips　were　down。
　　〃The　first　and　most　important　job　is　containment。　So　far；　we've　been　lucky。　Nobody　knows　anything　。。。　〃
　　〃Ah。〃　Using　Blake's　smug　little　throat　noise　against　him。　〃But　don't　you　think　they　should？〃
　　〃What？〃　Incredulous　now。　It　made　Leonard　smile　to　get　a　rise　out　of　him　like　that。　Amazingly；　the　pain　in　his　chest　had　dwindled　to　little　more　than　an　afterthought。
　　〃Don't　you　think　people　deserve　to　know　that　there's　poison　in　the　Codorus？　I　mean；　when　you　talk　about　containment；　does　that　mean　you　intend　to　hush　the　whole　thing　up？　Or　just　the　part　that　might　point　back　at　you？〃
　　〃Harry　。。。　〃
　　〃When　is　someone　gonna　take　some　responsibility　for　this？　I　mean；　Christ！　It's　not　worth　the　money　anymore；　Werner！　This　whole　thing　is　just　out　of　control！　Doesn't　it　scare　you　to　think　of　what　might　be　out　there？　In　your　water？　In　your　food？　In　your　air？〃
　　Nothing　from　Blake。　Leonard　continued；　feeling　his　whole　life　solidify；　e　together　beneath　him　in　this　moment　of　truth。
　　〃Well；　it　scares　me　half　to　death；　and　I'll　tell　you　what　else。　I　feel　guilty　as　hell；　and　I　don't　know　what　to　do　about　it。　I　mean；　in　some　ways；　we　probably　should　go　to　jail　。。。　〃
　　〃Harry；〃　Blake　interrupted；　and　this　time　he　would　not　be　forestalled。　〃I　hear　what　you're　saying；　but　I've　got　to　ask：　do　you　really　think　that；　by　going　to　jail；　you'd　be　helping　make　the　world　a　better　place　for　anybody？〃
　　Leonard　started　to　reply；　but　it　was　Blake's　turn　to　override。
　　〃Seriously；　just　stop　and　think　for　a　minute。　I　mean；　I　certainly　understand　how　you　feel。　Sometimes　I　lay　awake　nights；　thinking　about　all　the　terrible　things　we've　done　to　this　poor　world　of　ours；　and　wondering　if　it　isn't　already　too　late。〃
　　Leonard's　mouth　opened；　and　nothing　came　out。
　　〃But　then　I　think　about　our　work…about　all　the　jobs　that　we　create；　the　meaningful　and　necessary　employment　we　generate；　the　goods　and　services　that　we　provide…and　I　think；　the　world　needs　guys　like　us；　Harry！〃
　　Leonard　felt　his　spirit　deflate　and　his　fight　diminish；　as　Blake　turned　Harold's　own　rationalizations　on　him　like　a　pack　of　hounds。　For　a　moment　there；　everything　had　seemed　so　clear　。。。
　　〃You　know　what　would　happen　if　there　were　no　Paradise　Waste　Disposal？〃　Blake　asked；　and　answered。　〃Local　industry　would　either　be　forced　to　spend　more　money　shipping　their　waste　out　of　town；　which　they　would　not　like　to　do：　or　we'd　go　back　to　the　bad　old　days；　when　waste　treatment　was　unheard…of　and　it　ALL　went　into　the　creek！　Does　that　make　any　kind　of　sense　to　you？〃
　　〃Well；　no；　but…〃
　　〃But；　nothing；　Harry！　You　know　I'm　right　on　this　one。〃
　　〃But　I…〃
　　〃Harry；〃　Blake　said；　crushing　the　last　of　Leonard's　fight　like　a　spent　cigarette　butt。　〃Don't　go　soft　on　me　now；　buddy。　You're　right：　we've　been　playing　this　way　too　fast　and　loose；　and　it's　high　time　we　cleaned　up　our　act。〃
　　〃That's　what　I…〃
　　〃I'll　tell　you　what；〃　Blake　continued；　a　velvet　steamroller　squashing　all　debate。　〃We　pull　together　on　this　one　until　we're　out　of　the　woods。　And　if　you　still　want　out；　well；　we'll　buy　you　out。　You　walk　away：　free　and　clear；　new　lease　on　life。〃
　　This　time；　the　silence　was　entirely　Leonard's　call。
　　〃C'mon；　Harry。　Whaddaya　say？〃
　　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃　Leonard　said　at　last。
　　On　the　other　end；　Blake　sighed　with　enormous　relief；　and　Leonard；　perversely；　echoed　the　sound；　if　not　the　sentiment。
　　〃You're　a　stand…up　guy；　Harry。　I　mean　that；〃　Blake　said；　and　he　sounded　utterly　genuine；　like　a　real　friend。　It　was　the　first　time　Werner　had　ever　spoken　that　way　to　him。　Like　he　was　one　of　the　gang。
　　〃Okay！〃　Blake　said。　〃First　off；　I　want　you　to　relax；　and　trust　me；　for　God's　sake！　I　won't　let　you　go　down　the　tubes。　The　DER　can　find　hazardous　chemicals　in　the　river　without　knowing　where　they　came　from；　right？　It's　not　like　they　have　your　fingerprints　on　'em；　right？〃
　　And　Leonard　was　forced　to　agree。
　　〃As　for　the　Pusser　boy；　I'll　arrange　for　someone　to　take　care　of　him。〃
　　〃What　about　the　truck？〃　His　voice；　to　his　own　ears；　sounded　panicky　and　stupid：　the　same　old　Harold　Leonard。
　　〃Once　again；〃　Blake　said；　〃just　trust　me；　alright？〃
　　And　right　then　something　went　ping　in　Harold　Leonard's　head。　Maybe　it　was　the　way　Blake　leaned　on　the　T…word　till　it　squealed。　Maybe　it　was　the　whiff　of　reptile…smile　on　the　other　end　of　the　line。
　　Either　way；　something　clicked：　and　Harold　Leonard　realized　that　Blake　was　playing　him　like　a　fiddle；　stroking　his　every　insecurity　even　as　he　force…fed　him　his　own　rationalizations。　And　Harold　knew　then　that　he　was　not　a　part　of　Werner's　gang；　and　never　ever　would　be。
　　It　was　a　fact　that　made　him　proud。
　　Harold　sat　up　a　little　more　erect；　as　if　he'd　just　grown　in　stature。　He　reflected　the　smile　back　through　the　miles　of　fiber…optic　cable；　and　was　glad　he　did。
　　〃Sure　will；　Werner；〃　he　promised。
　　〃And　thanks　for　setting　me　straight。〃
　　
　　Blake　took　another　three　minutes；　give　or　take　a　second；　to　stroke　Leonard　utterly　into　submission。　Then　the　two　men　hung　up；　each　certain　in　his　own　mind　of　what　had　to　be　done。
　　Blake　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　thought　about　the　conversation　past。　How　easy　it　was　to　bamboozle　the　little　shit。　And　paradoxically；　how　close　they　had　e　to　actual　honest　confrontation。　How　wele；　in　so　many　respects；　that　confrontation　would　have　actually　been。
　　Of　course；　there　was　no　place　for　straightforwardness　in　human　politics。　The　bank　shot　was　always　best。　As　in　the　case　of　ol'　Harry；　his　problems　were　best　addressed　by　a　separate　phone　call　entirely。　A　very　simple　directive；　to　be　executed　right　away。
　　Ah；　but　Harry；　he　sighed　to　himself。　How　nice　it　would　have　been　to；　just　once；　show　you　how　I　really　feel。
　　Blake　shrugged；　dismissing　the　notion　as　shamelessly　romantic。　He　sat　back　and　sucked　on　his　Chivas；　staring　into　the　fire。
　　The　fire　was　beautiful。
　　It　knew　no　promise。
　　
　　
　　　Twenty…Two
　　　
　　　
　　born　of　poison　raised　in　poison　claiming　all　form　as　its　own　it　rested　silent　virulent　hidden　growing　surrounded　by　trees　and　crawling　shadow　sharing　itself　with　the　mud　and　rock　beneath　its　wheels　the　desolate　road　ahead　the　dead…end　culvert　where　it　all　began　in　the　days　before　the　bridge　awakening　its　seed　in　everything　it　touched　reaching　out　in　insatiable　monstrous　desire　for　more　of　its　own　kind
　　
　　There　were　five　dozen　drums　half…buried　in　the　shit　pit　out　back　of　Terry　Honeger's　land。
　　It　was；　in　fact；　Boonie　and　Drew's　first　dump　site；　way　back　at　the　dawn　of　their　PWD　affiliation。　Boonie'd　picked　it　for　many　of　the　same　reasons　he　was　to　later　select　Black　Bridge：　privacy；　proximity；　ease　of　disposal。
　　At　the　time；　it　had　seemed　like　genius。　The　Honegers；　after　all；　were　the　most　worthless　fuckers　in　all　of　Felton　Township；　with　a　hardcore　defile…your…own…nest　tradition　that　spanned　back　over　generations。　Of　the　three　to　four　heavily　wooded　acres　they　owned　or　abutted；　literally　dozens　of　pockets　had　been　clear