stephen king - mist-第15章

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eatshirt　walked　by　aimlessly　and　gave　Myron　a　cautious　look。　I　could　have　told　her　that　Myron　was　only　dangerous　to　teenage　boys　intent　on　proving　their　manhood；　but　saved　my　breath。　After　all；　Ollie　was　right…they　had　only　been　doing　what　they　thought　was　best；　although　in　a　blind；　fearful　way　rather　than　in　any　real　mon　interest。　And　now　I　needed　them　to　do　what　I　thought　was　best。　I　didn't　think　that　would　be　a　problem。　They　had　both　had　the　stuffing　knocked　out　of　them。　Neither…especially　Myron　the　flower…was　going　to　be　good　for　anything　for　some　time　to　e。　Something　that　had　been　in　their　eyes　when　they　were　fixing　to　send　Norm　out　to　unplug　the　exhaust　vent　had　gone　now。　Their　peckers　were　no　longer　up。
　〃We're　going　to　have　to　tell　these　people　something；〃　I　said。
　Jim　opened　his　mouth　to　protest。
　〃Ollie　and　I　will　leave　out　any　part　you　and　Myron　had　in　sending　Norm　out　there　if　you'll　back　up　what　he　and　I　say　about。。。　well；　about　what　got　him。〃
　〃　Sure；〃　Jim　said；　pitifully　eager。　〃Sure；　if　we　don't　tell；　people　might　go　out　there　。。。　like　that　woman　。。。　that　woman　who　。。。〃　He　wiped　his　hand　across　his　mouth　and　then　drank　more　beer　quickly。　〃Christ；　what　a　mess。〃
　〃　David；〃　Ollie　said。　〃What…〃　He　stopped；　then　made　himself　go　on。　〃What　if　they　get　in？　The　tentacles？〃
　〃　How　could　they？〃　Jim　asked。　〃You　guys　shut　the　door。〃
　〃Sure；〃　Ollie　said。　〃But　the　whole　front　wall　of　this　place　is　plate　glass。〃
　An　elevator　shot　my　stomach　down　about　twenty　floors。　I　had　known　that；　but　had　somehow　been　successfully　ignoring　it。　I　looked　over　at　where　Billy　…　lay　asleep。　I　thought　of　those　tentacles　swarming　over　Norm。　I　thought　about　that　happening　to　Billy。
　〃Plate　glass；〃　Myron　LaFleur　whispered。　〃Jesus　Christ　in　a　chariot…driven　sidecar。〃
　I　left　the　three　of　them　standing　by　the　cooler；　each　working　a　second　can　of　beer；　and　went　looking　for　Brent　Norton。　I　found　him　in　sober…sided　conversation　with　Bud　Brown　at　Register　2。　The　pair　of　them…Norton　with　his　styled　gray　hair　and　his　elderly…stud　good　looks；　Brown　with　his　dour　New　England　phiz　…　looked　like　something　out　of　a　New　Yorker　cartoon。
　As　many　as　two　dozen　people　milled　restlessly　in　the　space　between　the　end　of　the　checkout　lanes　and　the　long　show　window。　A　lot　of　them　were　lined　up　at　the　glass；　looking　out　into　the　mist。　I　was　again　reminded　of　the　people　that　congregate　at　a　building　site；
　Mrs。　Carmody　was　seated　on　the　stationary　conveyor　belt　of　one　of　the　checkout　lanes；　smoking　a　Parliament　in　a　One　Step　at　a　Time　filter。　Her　eyes　measured　me；　found　me　wanting；　and　passed　on。　She　looked　as　if　she　might　be　dreaming　awake。
　〃Brent　〃　I　said。
　〃David！　Where　did　you　get　off　to？〃
　〃That's　what　I'd　like　to　talk　to　you　about。〃
　〃There　are　people　back　at　the　cooler　drinking　beer；〃　Brown　said　grimly。　He　sounded　like　a　man　announcing　that　X…rated　movies　had　been　shown　at　the　deacons'　party。　〃I　can　see　them　in　the　security　mirror。　This　has　simply　got　to　stop。〃
　〃Brent？〃
　〃Excuse　me　for　a　minute；　would　you；　Mr。　Brown？〃
　〃Certainly。〃　He　folded　his　arms　across　his　chest　and　stared　grimly　up　into　the　convex　mirror。　〃It　is　going　to　stop。　I　can　promise　you　that。〃
　Norton　and　I　headed　toward　the　beer　cooler　in　the　far　corner　of　the　store；　walking　past　the　housewares　and　notions。　I　glanced　back　over　my　shoulder；　noticing　uneasily　how　the　wooden　beams　framing　the　tall；　rectangular　sections　of　glass　had　buckled　and　twisted　and　splintered。　And　one　of　the　windows　wasn't　even　whole；　I　remembered。　A　pie…shaped　chunk　of　glass　had　fallen　out　of　the　upper　corner　at　the　instant　of　that　queer　thump。　Perhaps　we　could　stuff　it　with　cloth　or　something…maybe　a　bunch　of　those　3。59　ladies'　tops　I　had　noticed　near　the　wine
　My　thoughts　broke　off　abruptly；　and　I　had　to　put　the　back　of　my　hand　over　my　mouth；　as　if　stifling　a　burp。　What　I　was　really　stifling　was　the　rancid　flood　of　horrified　giggles　that　wanted　to　escape　me　at　the　thought　of　stuffing　a　bunch　of　shirts　into　a　hole　to　keep　out　those　tentacles　that　had　carried　Norm　away。　I　had　seen　one　of　those　tentacles　…　a　small　one…squeeze　a　bag　of　dog　food　until　it　simply　ruptured。
　〃David　？　Are　you　okay？〃
　〃Huh？〃
　〃Your　face…you　looked　like　you　just　had　a　good　idea　or　a　bloody　awful　one。〃
　Something　hit　me　then。　〃Brent；　what　happened　to　that　man　who　came　in　raving　about　something　in　the　mist　getting　John　Lee　Frovin？〃
　〃The　guy　with　the　nosebleed？〃
　〃Yes；　him。〃
　〃He　passed　out　and　Mr。　Brown　brought　him　around　with　some　smelling　salts　from　the　first…aid　kit。　Why？〃
　〃Did　he　say　anything　else　when　he　woke　up？〃
　〃He　started　in　on　that　hallucination。　Mr。　Brown　conducted　him　up　to　the　office。　He　was　frightening　some　of　the　women。　He　seemed　happy　enough　to　go。　Something　about　the　glass。　When　Mr。　Brown　said　there　was　only　one　small　window　in　the　manager's　office；　and　that　that　one　was　reinforced　with　wire；　he　seemed　happy　enough　to　go。　I　presume　he's　still　there。〃
　〃What　he　was　talking　about　is　no　hallucination。〃
　〃No；　of　course　it　isn't。〃
　〃And　that　thud　we　felt？〃
　〃No；　but；　David…〃
　He's　scared；　I　kept　reminding　myself。　Don't　blow　up　at　him；　you've　treated　yourself　to　one　blowup　this　morning　and　that's　enough。　Don't　blow　up　at　him　just　because　this　is　the　way　he　was　during　that　stupid　property…line　dispute　。。。　first　patronizing；　then　sarcastic；　and　finally；　when　it　became　clear　he　was　going　to　lose；　ugly。　Don't　blow　up　at　him　because　you're　going　to　need　him。　He　may　not　be　able　to　start　his　own　chainsaw；　but　he　looks　like　the　father　figure　of　the　Western　world；　and　if　he　tells　people　not　to　panic；　they　won't。　So　don't　blow　up　at　him。
　〃You　see　those　double　doors　up　there　beyond　the　beer　cooler？〃
　He　looked；　frowning。　〃Isn't　one　of　those　men　drinking　beer　the　other　assistant　manager？　Weeks？　If　Brown　sees　that；　I　can　promise　you　that　man　will　be　looking　for　a　job　very　soon。
　〃Brent；　will　you　listen　to　me？〃
　He　glanced　back　at　me　absently。　〃What　were　you　saying；　Dave？　I'm　sorry。〃
　Not　as　sorry　as　he　was　going　to　be。　〃Do　you　see　those　doors？〃
　〃Yes；　of　course　I　do。　What　about　them？〃
　〃They　give　on　the　storage　area　that　runs　all　the　way　along　the　west　face　of　the　building。　Billy　fell　asleep　and　I　went　back　there　to　see　if　I　could　find　something　to　cover　him　up　with。
　I　told　him　everything；　only　leaving　out　the　argument　about　whether　or　not　Norm　should　have　gone　out　at　all。　I　told　him　what　had　e　in　。。。　and　finally；　what　had　gone　out；　screaming。　Brent　Norton　refused　to　believe　it。　No…he　refused　to　even　entertain　it。　I　took　him　over　to　Jim；　Ollie；　and　Myron。　All　three　of　them　verified　the　story；　although　Jim　and　Myron　the　flower　were　well　on　their　way　to　getting　drunk。
　Again；　Norton　refused　to　believe　or　even　to　entertain　it。　He　simply　balked。　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃No；　no；　no。　Forgive　me；　gentlemen；　but　it's　pletely　ridiculous。　Either　you're　having　me　on〃　…　he　patronized　us　with　his　gleaming　smile　to　show　that　he　could　take　a　joke　as　well　as　the　next　fellow…〃　or　you're　suffering　from　some　form　of　group　hypnosis。〃
　My　temper　rose　again；　and　I　controlled　it　…　with　difficulty。　I　don't　think　that　I'm　ordinarily　a　quick…tempered　man；　but　these　weren't　ordinary　circumstances。　I　had　Billy　to　think　about；　and　what　was　happening…or　what　had　already　happened…to　Stephanie。　Those　things　were　constantly　gnawing　at　the　back　of　my　mind。
　〃All　right；〃　I　said。　〃Let's　go　back　there。　There's　a　chunk　of　tentacle　on　the　floor。　The　door　cut　it　off　when　it　came　down。　And　you　can　hear　them。　They're　rustling　all　over　that　door。　It　sounds　like　the　wind　in　ivy。〃
　〃No；〃　he　said　calmly。
　〃What？〃　I　really　did　believe　I　had　misheard　him。　〃What　did　you　say？''
　〃I　said　no；　I'm　not　going　back　there。　The　joke　has　gone　far　enough。〃
　〃Brent；　I　swear　to　you　it's　no　joke。〃
　〃Of　course　it　is；〃　he　snapped。　His　eyes　ran　over　Jim；　Myron；　rested　briefly　on　Ollie　Weeks…who　held　his　glance　with　calm　impassivity…and　at　last　came　back　to　me。　〃It's　what　you　locals　probably　call　'a　real　belly…buster。'　Right；　David？〃
　〃Brent　。。。　look…〃
　〃No；　you　look！〃　His　voice　began　to　rise　toward　a　courtroom　shout。　It　carried　very；　very　well；　and　several　of　the　people　who　were　wandering　around；　edgy　and　aimless；　looked　over　to