sk.cujo-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　in　my　lap。'
He　stubbed　out　his　cigarette　in　the　ashtray　set　into　the　arm　of　his　chair。　He　did　look　ill；　his　face　had　a　yellowish　sheen　that　Vic　didn't　like　at　all。　Call　it　shellshock；　bat　fatigue；　whatever　you　wanted；　but　what　you　meant　was　scared　shitless；　backed　into　a　rathole。　It　was　looking　into　the　dark　and　seeing　something　that　was　going　to　cat　you　up。
'I　kept　telling　myself；'　Roger　said；　reaching　for　another　cigarette；　'that　I'd　see　something。　You　know？　Something。　I　couldn't　believe　it　was　as　bad　as　it　seemed。　But　the　cumulative　effect　of　those　spots　。。。　it's　like　watching　Jimmy
Carter　saying；　〃I'll　never　lie　to　you〃。'　He　took　a　drag　from　the　new　cigarette；　grimaced；　and　stuffed　it　into　the　ashtray。　'No　wonder　George　Carlin　and　Steve　Martin　and　fucking　Saturday　Night　Live　had　a　field　day。　That　guy　just　looks　so　sanctimonious　to　me　now　。　。　。'　His　voice　had　developed　a　sudden　watery　tremble。　He　shut　his　mouth　with　a　snap。
'I've　got　an　idea；'　Vic　said　quietly。
'Yeah；　you　said　something　on　the　plane。'　Roger　looked　at　him；　but　without　much　hope。　'If　you　got　one；　let's　hear　it。'
'I　think　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　has　to　make　one　more　spot；'　Vic　said。　'I　think　we　have　to　convince　old　man　Sharp　of　that。　Not　the　kid。　The　old　man。'
'What's　the　old　prof　gonna　sell　this　time？'　Roger　asked；　twisting　open　another　button　on　his　shirt。　'Rat　poison　or　Agent　Orange？'
'e　on；　Roger。　No　one　got　poisoned。'
'Might　as　well　have；'　Roger　said；　and　laughed　shrilly。　'Sometimes　I　wonder　if　you　understand　what　advertising　really　is。　It's　holding　a　wolf　by　the　tail。　Well；　we　lost　our　grip　on　this　particular　wolf　and　he's　just　about　to　e　back　on　us　and　eat　us　whole。'
'Roger　
'This　is　the　country　where　it's　front…page　news　when　some　consumer　group　weighed　the　McDonald's　Quarter　Pounder　and　found　out　it　weighed　a　little　shy　of　a　quarter　pound。　Some　obscure　California　magazine　publishes　a　report　that　a　rear…end　collision　can　cause　a　gas…tank　explosion　in　Pintos；　and　the　Ford　Motor　pany　shakes　in　its　shoes　…'
'Don't　get　on　that；'　Vic　said；　laughing　a　little。　'My　wife's　got　a　Pinto。　I　got　problems　enough。'
'All　I'm　saying　is　that　getting　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　to　do　another　spot　seems　about　as　shrewd　to　me　as　having　Richard　Nixon　do　an　encore　State　of　the　Union　address。　He's　promised；　Vic；　he's　totally　blown！'　He　paused；　looking　at　Vic。　Vic　looked　back　at　him　gravely。　'What　do　you　want　him　to　say？'
'That　he's　sorry。'
Roger　blinked　at　him　glassily　for　a　moment。　Then　he　threw　back　his　head　and　cackled。　'That　he's　sorry。　Sorry？　Oh；　dear；　that's　wonderful。　Was　that　your　great　idea？
'Hold　on；　Rog。　You're　not　even　giving　me　a　chance。　That's　not　like　you。'
'No；'　Roger　said。　'I　guess　it's　not。　Tell　me　what　you　mean。　But　I　can't　believe　you're　…'
'Serious？　I'm　serious；　all　right。　You　took　the　courses。　What's　the　basis　of　all　successful　advertising？　Why　bother　to　advertise　at　all？'
'The　basis　of　all　successful　advertising　is　that　people　want　to　believe。　That　people　sell　themselves。
'Yeah。　When　the　Maytag　Repairman　says　he's　the　loneliest　guy　in　town；　people　want　to　believe　that　there　really　is　such　a　guy　someplace；　not　doing　anything　but　listening　to　the　radio　and　maybe　jacking　off　once　in　awhile。　People　want　to　believe　that　their　Maytags　will　never　need　repairs。　When　Joe　DiMaggio　es　on　and　says　Mr。　Coffee　saves　coffee；　saves　money；　people　want　to　believe　that。　If。。
'But　isn't　that　why　we've　got　our　asses　in　a　crack？　They　wanted　to　believe　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　and　he　let　them　down。　Just　like　they　wanted　to　believe　in　Nixon；　and　he　…~
'Nixon；　Nixon；　Nixon！'　Vic　said；　surprised　by　his　own　angry　vehemence。　'You're　getting　blinded　by　that　particular　parison；　I've　heard　you　make　it　two　hundred　times　since　this　thing　blew；　and　it　doesn't　fit！'
Roger　was　looking　at　him；　stunned。
'Nixon　was　a　crook；　he　knew　he　was　a　crook；　and　he　said　he　wasn't　a　crook。　The　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　said　there　was　nothing　wrong　with　Red　Razberry　Zingers　and　there　was　something　wrong；　but　he　didn't　know　it。'　Vic　leaned　forward　and　pushed　his　finger　gently　against　Roger's　arm；　emphasizing。　'There　was　no　breach　of　faith。　He　has　to　say　that；　Rog。　He　has　to　get　up　in　front　of　the　American　people　and　tell　them　there　was　no　breach　of　faith。　What　there　was；　there　was　a　mistake　made　by　a　pany　which　manufactures　food　dye。　The　mistake　was　not　made　by　the　Sharp　pany。　He　has　to　say　that。　And　most　important　of　all；　he　has　to　say　he's　sorry　that　mistake　happened　and　that；　although　no　one　was　hurt；　he's　sorry　people　were　frightened。'
Roger　nodded；　then　shrugged。　'Yes；　I　see　the　thrust　of　it。　But　neither　the　old　man　or　the　kid　will　go　for　it；　Vic。　They　want　to　bury　the　b　…'
'Yes；　yes；　yes！'　Vic　cried；　actually　making　Roger　flinch。　He　jumped　to　his　feet　and　began　to　walk　jerkily　up　and　down　the　screening　room's　short　aisle。　'Sure　they　do；　and　they're　right；　he's　dead　and　he　has　to　be　buried；　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　has　to　be　buried；　Zingers　has　already　been　buried。　But　the　thing　we've　got　to　make　them　see　is　that　it　can't　be　a　midnight　burial。　That's　the　exact　point！　Their　impulse　is　to　go　at　this　thing　like　a　Mafia　button　man　。。。　or　a　scared　relative　burying　a　cholera　victim。'
He　leaned　over　Roger；　so　close　that　their　noses　were　almost　touching。
'Our　job　is　to　make　them　understand　that　the　Cereal　Professor　will　never　rest　easy　unless　he's　interred　in　broad　daylight。　And　I'd　like　to　make　the　whole　country　mourners　at　his　burial。'
'You're　cr　…'　Roger　began　then　closed　his　mouth　with　a　snap。
At　long　last　Vic　saw　that　scared；　vague　expression　go　out　of　his　partner's　eyes。　A　sudden　sharpening　happened　in　Roger's　face；　and　the　scared　expression　was　replaced　by　a　slightly　mad　one。　Roger　began　to　grin。　Vic　was　so　relieved　to　see　that　grin　that　he　forgot　about　Donna　and　what　had　happened　with　her　for　the　first　time　since　he　had　gotten　Kemp's　note。　The　job　took　over　pletely；　and　it　was　only　later　that　he　would　wonder；　slightly　dumbfounded；　how　long　it　had　been　since　he　had　felt　that　pure；　trippy；　wonderful　feeling　of　being　fully　involved　with　something　he　was　good　at。
'On　the　surface；　we　just　want　him　to　repeat　the　things　Sharp　has　been　saying　since　it　happened；'　Vic　went　on。　'But　when　the　Cereal　Professor　himself　says　them
'It　es　full　circle；'　Roger　murmured。　He　lit　another　cigarette。
'Sure；　right。　We　can　maybe　pitch　it　to　the　old　man　as　the　final　scene　in　the　Red　Razberry　Zingers　farce。　ing　clean。　Getting　it　behind　us　~'
'Taking　the　bitter　medicine。　Sure；　that'd　appeal　to　the　old　goat。　Public　penance　。。。　scourging　himself　with　whips。　。　。'
'And　instead　of　going　out　like　a　dignified　guy　that　took　a　pratfall　in　a　mudpuddle；　everyone　laughing　at　him；　he　goes　out　like　Douglas　MacArthur；　saying　old　soldiers　never　die；　they　just　fade　away。　That's　the　surface　of　the　thing。　But　underneath；　we're　looking　for　a　tone　。。。　a　feeling。　。　。　。'　He　was　crossing　the　border　into　Roger's　country　now。　If　he　could　only　delineate　the　shape　of　what　he　meant；　the　idea　that　had　e　to　him　over　coffee　at　Bentley's；　Roger　would　take　it　from　there。
'MacArthur；'　Roger　said　softly。　'But　that's　it；　isn't　it？　The　tone　is　farewell。　The　feeling　is　regret。　Give　people　the　feeling　that　he's　been　unjustly　treated；　but　it's　too　late　now。　And
He　looked　at　Vic；　almost　startled。
'What？'
'Prime　time；'　Roger　said。
'Huh？'
'The　spots。　We　run　em　in　prime　time。　These　ads　are　for　the　parents；　not　the　kids。　Right？'
'Yeah；　yeah。'
'If　we　ever　get　the　damned　things　made。'
Vic　grinned。　'We'll　get　them　made。'　And　using　one　of　Roger's　terms　for　good　ad　copy：　'It's　a　tank；　Roger。　We'll　drive　it　right　to　fuck　over　them　if　we　have　to。　As　long　as　we　can　get　something　concrete　down　before　we　go　to　Cleveland。　。　。　。'
They　sat　and　talked　it　over　in　the　tiny　screening　room　for　another　hour；　and　when　they　left　to　go　back　to　the　hotel；　both　of　them　sweaty　and　exhausted；　it　was　full　dark。
'Can　we　go　home　now；　Mommy？'　Tad　asked　apathetically。
'Pretty　soon；　honey。'
She　looked　at　the　key　in　the　ignition　switch。　Three　other　keys　on　the　ring：　house　key；　garage　key；　and　the　key　that　opened　the　Pinto's　hatchback。　There　was　a　piece　of　leather　attached　to　the　ring　with　a　mushroom　branded　on　it。　She　had　bought　the　keyring　in　Swanson's；　a　Bridgt