js&cs.thebridge-第43章

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　　Jennie　shook　her　head　no；　began　to　back　away。
　　〃DON'T　LET　THAT　FUCKIN'　ASSHOLE　TOUCH　YOU！〃　There　was　more　than　a　touch　of　hysteria　in　the　voice。　An　incredible　hatred；　born　of　terror。　〃DON'T　EVEN　LET　HIM　TOUCH　THE　FUCKIN'　PUMPS　。。。　AW；　MAN　。。。　！！！〃
　　Jennie's　gaze　swept　from　the　kid　to　the　man　and　back　again；　back。　The　driver　of　the　Hyundai　was　in　the　picture　now；　staring。　He　had　no　idea　what　was　going　on。　She　wanted　to　relate；　but　that　level　of　innocence　had　already　been　burned　off　of　her　by　the　last　thirty　seconds。
　　All　those　years　of　reading　science　fiction；　of　voluntarily　and　willfully　empathizing　with　the　impossible；　weirdly　helped　her　to　draw　a　bead　on　the　moment。　There　was　a　voice　in　her　head…of　course　there　was…and　that　voice　was　insisting　that　this　isn't　happening。
　　But　that　voice　was　wrong；　and　all　she　had　to　do　was　look　in　the　eyes　of　the　dying　children　in　order　to　know　that　truth。　All　she　had　to　do　was　look　in　the　crying　eyes　of　the　mother　who　turned　to　her　now。
　　And　mouthed　the　word。
　　The　magic　word。
　　Please。
　　
　　There　was　a　paper　towel　rack　on　the　pole　that　supported　the　inter　speaker。　She　had　resupplied　it　shortly　before　noon。　She　pulled　from　it　now　a　stack　of　paper　towels　as　thick　as　a　Frank　Herbert　novel；　then　turned　her　attention　to　the　pump。
　　There　was　a　greasy　skidmark　that　glossed　the　metal　lever　that　activated　Number　Two。
　　The　skidmark　was　spreading。
　　Oh　God。　Jennie　palmed　the　bluegray　towels；　advancing　on　the　stain。　Omigod。　She　watched　it　spread；　then　stop；　as　if　it　were　aware　of　her　advance。　Oh　Jesus。　When　the　pale　gray/white…faced　man　offered　her　the　money　yet　again；　she　whispered；　〃No；　please〃　and　then　sidled　slowly　past　him。
　　Reaching　out　for　the　lever。
　　〃NO！！！〃　screamed　the　kid；　and　she　flipped　the　switch；　letting　go　of　the　towels　the　instant　she　was　done。　They　hit　the　curb　and　began　to　stain；　going　dark　and　slick　as　they　twitched　on　the　pavement。　Jennie　backed　away　fast；　staring　at　her　fingertips。　They　were　fine。　Zero　contact。　She　rubbed　them　together。　Nothing。　Fine。
　　〃Okay；〃　she　said；　then　turned　away；　getting　as　far　away　from　the　sight　and　smell　of　them　as　she　possibly　could；　turning　and　walking　rapidly　toward　the　door　of　the　store　and　the　safety　within。　She　didn't　look　at　the　Cherokee's　driver。　She　didn't　look　at　the　Hyundai　maricon。　She　just　stared　at　the　doors　until　she　was　upon　them；　then　threw　them　open　and　didn't　look　back。
　　〃　'Scuse　me；〃　said　one　of　the　longhairs　inside；　the　one　from　the　passenger　seat。　He　had　a　loud　pink　and　black　R。E。M。　T…shirt；　and　his　pupils　were　enormous。　She　brushed　past　him；　unable　to　even　think　about　him　as　she　moved　back　to　her　place　behind　the　counter。
　　〃　'Scuse　me；〃　he　repeated；　following　her　to　the　end　and　then　pacing　her　back　up　front　to　the　register。　〃Do　you　have　any　cases　of；　like；　Spaghetti…O's　in　the　back？〃
　　〃Any　canned　shit！〃　yelled　his　friend；　from　the　back。　He　had　opened　a　box　of　Heftys；　was　loading　one　garden…size　bag　with　cans　that　he　swept　with　one　arm　off　the　shelves。
　　〃No。〃　Jennie　had　the　phone　in　her　hand。　She　was　punching　in　911。
　　〃Any　cans　at　all；〃　said　R。E。M。　The　courteous　veneer　was　thin；　and　spreading　like　the　gas　pump　stain。　〃Look；　it's　kinda　important　。。。　〃
　　Jennie　thought　about　the　supplies　in　the　back。　She　hadn't　really　checked；　but　she　knew　they　had　to　be　slim。　Tuesday；　they'd　restock。
　　If　Tuesday　ever　came。
　　The　phone　rang。　〃No；〃　she　said。　It　rang　again。　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　　〃Listen。〃　R。E。M。　leaned　close；　against　the　counter。　His　winning　smile　was　horribly　frayed。　〃You　can　e　with　us　if　you　want。　Okay？　I　mean；　you　have　a　car？〃
　　Jennie　sucked　wind；　and　her　eyes　went　no。　The　realization　was　like　a　cinder　block　dropped　on　her　belly。　No。　And　she　thought　about　her　man。
　　The　phone　rang　again。　No　answer。　No　answer　at　911。
　　〃Listen　to　me。　You　don't　want　to　be　stuck　here。〃　The　kid's　voice　was　urgent；　and　utterly　sincere。　〃You　don't　know　what's　going　on　down　there　。。。　〃
　　〃Down　where？〃　The　phone　rang　again。　Her　voice　sounded　tiny。
　　〃WHAT　THE　FUCK　ARE　YOU　TELLIN'　HER；　MAN？〃　yelled　the　guy　in　the　back。　His　voice　had　picked　up　the　driver's　ugly　edge。
　　〃SHUT　UP！〃　screamed　R。E。M。　〃JUST　SHUT　THE　FUCK　UP！！！〃
　　The　phone　rang　again；　then　loudly　clicked。　A　voice　came　on。　A　robot　voice。　〃We're　sorry。　All　our　circuits　are　busy　at　present　。。。　〃
　　〃Oh；　God；〃　said　Jennifer　Quirez。　Something　else　had　clicked　in　place。　It　threatened　to　drag　her　to　her　knees。　〃Oh；　God；〃　she　reiterated。
　　Thinking　of　Austin　Deitz。
　　Once　upon　a　time；　a　million　years　ago；　Jennie　had　seen　a　film　called　Miracle　Mile。　It　was　a　story　of　doomed　True　Love　in　the　face　of　nuclear　Armageddon。　The　film　had　ached　and　torn　at　her；　for　all　the　right　wrong　reasons。
　　Because　she　wanted　to　believe　in　true　love。
　　And　because　she　wanted　to　believe　that　the　world　would　never　end。
　　At　that　point…late　one　night；　alone　with　her　HBO…she　had　watched　that　goddam　movie　and　then　cried　for　hours；　not　crying　herself　to　sleep　because　sleep　never　came；　it　disturbed　her　that　badly。
　　And　she'd　realized　that…if　it　came　right　down　to　it…the　only　thing　worse　than　dying　with　your　own　true　love　would　be　to　die　alone。
　　Especially　once　you'd　found　him　。。。
　　
　　〃Please　hold。〃
　　Jennie　came　back。　R。E。M。　was　still　staring　at　her；　but　his　friend　was　already　heading　out　the　door　with　the　garbage　bag。　〃E　ON！〃　screamed　the　friend；　throwing　open　the　doors。
　　〃Good　luck；〃　said　R。E。M；　and　then　turned　away；　too。
　　Outside；　the　Cherokee　driver　was　yelling　at　the　white…faced　man。　〃YEAH！〃　he　hollered。　〃I　WANNA　SEE　JESUS　AIRLIFT　YOUR　ASS　OUT　OF　THIS　ONE；　YOU　STUPID　COCKSUCKER　。。。　！〃
　　Then　the　doors　slid　shut；　and　she　couldn't　hear　what　happened　anymore。　She　watched　them　move　in　pantomime；　all　three　of　them　climbing　into　the　Jeep　while　the　all…but…dead　man　pumped　away；　twenty　dollars　and　counting　as　she　read　the　console　meter；　all　of　it　free　as　the　canned　goods　clattering　away　in　the　Hefty　Cinch　Sak；　down　old　Route　74　and　away　from　here　forever。
　　The　guy　in　the　Hyundai　got　back　in　his　car　and　drove　off　without　even　touching　the　pump。　When　the　tan　Arrow　van　pulled　away　at　last；　it　was　almost　as　if　nothing　had　ever　happened。
　　
　　Another　illusion；　quickly　dispelled　by　the　sight　of　the　spreading　stain。
　　There　were　a　couple　of　orange　emergency　roadside　cones　in　the　back。　She　knew　just　where　to　put　them。　When　the　next　car　pulled　in；　it　was　restricted　to　the　three　and　four　pumps　at　the　butt　end　of　the　island。　Then　she　went　back　in　to　wait　and　pray。
　　While　she　waited；　she　stared　at　the　clock。
　　It　was　two…fifteen。
　　And　counting。
　　
　　
　　　Thirty
　　　
　　Deitz　came　up　from　the　darkness；　piece　by　piece。
　　His　entire　being　was　fragmented；　his　consciousness　buried　beneath　the　rubble　like　an　earthquake　victim　in　the　wreckage　of　his　home。　Every　synapse　and　sinew；　dislocated　and　disjointed；　lay　in　a　heap　inside　him。
　　Slowly；　something　shifted　through　the　rubble。
　　Rebuilding。
　　Hearing　was　the　first　sense　to　return。　His　stoppered　ears　opened　suddenly；　the　fluid　in　his　cochlea　giving　way　in　a　hot　trickle；　and　suddenly　Deitz　could　hear　again。
　　Hssssssss　。。。　sh…sshhhh　。。。
　　The　claustrophobic　deep…sea…diver　hiss　of　ragged；　clotted　breath　filled　his　head。　Hsssssss　。。。　sshhhhhh　。。。
　　How　long　he　listened　there　was　no　way　to　gauge；　time　was　marked　but　not　counted　by　the　simplest　of　life's　cycles。　Air　flowed　in；　flowed　out　again。　Dimly；　primordially；　he　recognized　the　breathing　as　his　own。
　　Hssssssss　。。。　sh…s…sshhhhh　。。。
　　Feeling　came　next；　sensitizing　the　millions　of　nerve　endings　that　laced　through　his　skin　like　a　shut…down　electrical　grid。　Deitz　was　now　a　feeling；　hearing；　breathing　machine。　There　was　pain；　but　it　was　veiled；　muted　as　the　thud　of　novocaine　on　a　rotted　tooth。　He　could　feel　his　lungs　move　up　and　down；　could　feel　the　thousand　points　of　penetration　where　razored　grass　punctured　rubberized　canvas　and　quivering　flesh。
　　He　could　feel　other　things；　too。　Strange。　New。　Shifting　and　sliding　inside　his　suit。　Hard　to　fix　in　the　contained　universe　that　was　Deitz。
　　Gradually；　consciousness　focused　as　the　power　came　back　on　in　his