stephen king - mist-第25章

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nooses　and　pulled　them　tight　by　jerking　their　heads　to　one　side。　Maybe　one　of　them　counted　to　three　and　they　jumped　together。　I　don't　know。〃
　〃It　couldn't　be　done；〃　I　said　through　a　dry　mouth。　But　their　hands　were　tied　behind　them；　all　right。　I　couldn't　seem　to　take　my　eyes　away　from　that。
　〃It　could。　If　they　wanted　to　bad　enough；　David；　they　could。〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃I　think　you　know　why。　Not　any　of　the　tourists；　the　summer　people…like　that　guy　Miller…but　there　are　people　from　around　here　who　could　make　a　pretty　decent　guess。
　〃The　Arrowhead　Project？〃
　Ollie　said；　〃I　stand　by　one　of　those　registers　all　day　long　and　I　hear　a　lot。　All　this　spring　I've　been　hearing　things　about　that　damned　Arrowhead　thing；　none　of　it　good。　The　black　ice　on　the　lakes…〃
　I　thought　of　Bill　Giosti　leaning　in　my　window；　blowing　warm　alcohol　in　my　face。　Not　just　atoms；　but　different　atoms。　Now　these　bodies　hanging　from　that　overhead　pipe。　The　cocked　heads。　The　dangling　shoes。　The　tongues　protruding　like　summer　sausages。
　I　realized　with　fresh　horror　that　new　doors　of　perception　were　opening　up　inside。　New？　Not　so。　Old　doors　of　perception。　The　perception　of　a　child　who　has　not　yet　learned　to　protect　itself　by　developing　the　tunnel　vision　that　keeps　out　ninety　percent　of　the　universe。　Children　see　everything　their　eyes　happen　upon；　hear　everything　in　their　ears'　range。　But　if　life　is　the　rise　of　consciousness　（as　a　crewel…work　sampler　my　wife　made　in　high　school　proclaims）；　then　it　is　also　the　reduction　of　input。
　Terror　is　the　widening　of　perspective　and　perception。　The　horror　was　in　knowing　I　was　swimming　down　to　a　place　most　of　us　leave　when　we　get　out　of　diapers　and　into　training　pants。　I　could　see　it　on　Ollie's　face；　too。　When　rationality　begins　to　break　down；　the　circuits　of　the　human　brain　can　overload。　Axons　grow　bright　and　feverish。　Hallucinations　turn　real：　the　quicksilver　puddle　at　the　point　where　perspective　makes　parallel　lines　seem　to　intersect　is　really　there；　the　dead　walk　and　talk；　a　rose　begins　to　sing。
　〃I've　heard　stuff　from　maybe　two　dozen　people；〃　Ollie　said。　〃Justine　Robards。　Nick　Tochai。　Ben　Michaelson。　You　can't　keep　secrets　in　small　towns。　Things　get　out。　Sometimes　it's　like　a　spring　…　it　just　bubbles　up　out　of　the　earth　and　no　one　has　an　idea　where　it　came　from。　You　overhear　something　at　the　library　and　pass　it　on；　or　at　the　marina　in　Harrison。　Christ　knows　where　else；　or　why。　But　all　spring　and　summer　I've　been　hearing　Arrowhead　Project；　Arrowhead　Project。〃
　〃But　these　two；〃　I　said。　〃Christ；　Ollie；　they're　just　kids。〃
　〃There　were　kids　in　Nam　who　used　to　take　ears。　I　was　there。　I　saw　it。〃
　〃But…what　would　drive　them　to　do　this？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe　they　knew　something。　Maybe　they　only　suspected。　They　must　have　known　people　in　here　would　start　asking　them　questions　eventually。　If　there　is　an　eventually。〃
　〃If　you're　right；〃　I　said；　〃it　must　be　something　really　bad。〃
　〃That　storm；〃　Ollie　said　in　his　soft；　level　voice。　〃Maybe　it　knocked　something　loose　up　there。　Maybe　there　was　an　accident。　They　could　have　been　fooling　around　with　anything。　Some　people　claim　they　were　messing　with　high…intensity　lasers　and　masers。　Sometimes　I　hear　fusion　power。　And　suppose。。。　suppose　they　ripped　a　hole　straight　through　into　another　dimension？〃
　〃That's　hogwash；〃　I　said。
　〃Are　they？〃　Ollie　asked；　and　pointed　at　the　bodies。
　〃No。　The　question　now　is：　What　do　we　do？〃
　〃I　think　we　ought　to　cut　them　down　and　hide　them；〃　he　said　promptly。　〃Put　them　under　a　pile　of　stuff　people　won't　want…dog　food；　dish　detergent；　stuff　like　that。　If　this　gets　out；　it　will　only　make　things　worse。　That's　why　I　came　to　you；　David。　I　felt　you　are　the　only　one　I　could　really　trust。'
　I　muttered；　〃It's　like　the　Nazi　war　criminals　killing　themselves　in　their　cells　after　the　war　was　lost。〃
　〃Yeah。　I　had　the　same　thought。〃
　We　fell　silent；　and　suddenly　those　soft　shuffling　noises　began　outside　the　steel　loading　door　again…the　sound　of　the　tentacles　feeling　softly　across　it。　We　drew　together。　My　flesh　was　crawling。
　〃Okay；〃　I　said。
　〃We'll　make　it　as　quick　as　we　can；〃　Ollie　said。　His　sapphire　ring　glowed　mutely　as　he　moved　his　flashlight。　〃I　want　to　get　out　of　here　fast。〃
　I　looked　up　at　the　ropes。　They　had　used　the　same　sort　of　clothesline　the　man　in　the　golf　cap　had　allowed　me　to　tic　around　his　waist。　The　nooses　had　sunk　into　the　puffed　flesh　of　their　necks；　and　I　wondered　again　what　it　could　have　been　to　make　both　of　them　go　through　with　it。　I　knew　what　Ollie　meant　by　saying　that　if　the　news　of　the　double　suicide　got　out；　it　would　make　things　worse。　For　me　it　already　had…and　I　wouldn't　have　believed　that　possible。
　There　was　a　snicking　sound。　Ollie　had　opened　his　knife；　a　good　heavy　job　made　for　slitting　open　cartons。　And；　of　course；　cutting　rope。
　〃You　or　me？〃　he　asked。
　I　swallowed。　〃One　each。〃
　We　did　it。
　When　I　got　back；　Amanda　was　gone　and　Mrs。　Turman　was　with　Billy。　They　were　both　sleeping。　I　walked　down　one　of　the　aisles　and　a　voice　said：　〃Mr。　Drayton。　David。〃　It　was　Amanda；　standing　by　the　stairs　to　the　manager's　office；　her　eyes　like　emeralds。　〃What　was　it？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　I　said。
　She　came　over　to　me。　I　could　smell　faint　perfume。　And　oh　how　I　wanted　her。　〃You　liar；〃　she　said。
　〃It　was　nothing。　A　false　alarm。〃
　〃If　that's　bow　you　want　it。〃　She　took　my　hand。　〃I've　just　been　up　to　the　office。　It's　empty　and　there's　a　lock　on　the　door。〃　Her　face　was　perfectly　calm；　but　her　eyes　were　lambent；　almost　feral；　and　a　pulse　beat　steadily　in　her　throat。
　〃I　don't…〃
　〃I　saw　the　way　you　looked　at　me；〃　she　said。　〃If　we　need　to　talk　about　it；　it's　no　good。　The　Turman　woman　is　with　your　son。
　〃Yes。〃　It　came　to　me　that　this　was　a　way　…　maybe　not　the　best　one；　but　a　way；　nevertheless…to　take　the　curse　off　what　Ollie　and　I　had　just　done。　Not　the　best　way；　just　the　only　way。
　We　went　up　the　narrow　flight　of　stairs　and　into　the　office。　it　was　empty；　as　she　had　said。　And　there　was　a　lock　on　the　door。　I　turned　it。　In　the　darkness　she　was　nothing　but　a　shape。　I　put　my　arms　out；　touched　her；　and　pulled　her　to　me。　She　was　trembling。　We　went　down　on　the　floor；　first　kneeling；　kissing；　and　I　cupped　one　firm　breast　and　could　feel　the　quick　thudding　of　her　heart　through　her　sweatshirt。　I　thought　of　Steffy　telling　Billy　not　to　touch　the　live　wires。　I　thought　of　the　bruise　that　had　been　on　her　hip　when　she　took　off　the　brown　dress　on　our　wedding　night。　I　thought　of　the　first　time　I　had　seen　her；　biking　across　the　mall　of　the　University　of　Maine　at　Orono；　me　bound　for　one　of　Vincent　Hartgen's　classes　with　my　portfolio　under　my　arm。　And　my　erection　was　enormous。
　We　lay　down　then；　and　she　said；　〃Love　me；　David。　Make　me　warm。〃　When　she　came；　she　dug　into　my　back　with　her　nails　and　called。　me　by　a　name　that　wasn't　mine。　I　didn't　mind。　It　made　us　about　even。
　When　we　came　down；　some　sort　of　creeping　dawn　had　begun。　The　blackness　outside　the　loopholes　went　reluctantly　to　dull　gray；　then　to　chrome；　then　to　the　bright；　featureless；　and　unsparkling　white　of　a　drive…in　movie　screen。　Mike　Hatlen　was　asleep　in　a　folding　chair　he　had　scrounged　somewhere。　Dan　Miller　sat　on　the　floor　a　little　distance　away；　eating　a　Hostess　donut。　The　kind　that's　powdered　with　white　sugar。
　〃Sit　down；　Mr。　Drayton；〃　he　invited。
　I　looked　around　for　Amanda；　but　she　was　already　halfway　up　the　aisle。　She　didn't　look　back。　Our　act　of　love　in　the　dark　already　seemed　something　out　of　a　fantasy；　impossible　to　believe　even　in　this　weird　daylight。　I　sat　down。
　〃Have　a　donut。〃　He　held　the　box　out。
　I　shook　my　head。　〃All　that　white　sugar　is　death。　Worse　than　cigarettes。〃
　That　made　him　laugh　a　little　bit。　〃in　that　case；　have　two。　〃
　I　was　surprised　to　find　a　little　laughter　left　inside　me…he　had　surprised　it　out；　and　I　liked　him　for　it。　I　did　take　two　of　his　donuts。　They　tasted　pretty　good。　I　chased　them　with　a　cigarette；　although　it　is　not　normally　my　habit　to　smoke　in　the　mornings。
　〃I　ought　to　get　back　to　my　kid；〃　I　said。　〃He'll　be　waking　up。
　Miller　nodded。　〃Those　pink　bugs；〃　he　said。　〃They're　all　gone。　So　are　the　birds。　Hank　Vannerman　said　the　last　one　hit　the　windows　around　four。　Apparently　the　。。。　the　wildlife　。。。　is　a　lot　more　active　when　it's　dark