sk.cujo-第56章

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He　shrugged；　openly　antagonistic　now；　provoking　her　purposely；　she　suspected。　It　went　back　to　his　perception　of　what　had　happened　at　lunch；　but　it　went　further　back　than　that。　He　was　contrasting　his　own　way　of　life　and　his　father's　way　of　fife　with　another　one。　Had　she　thought　he　would　automatically　embrace　the　way　that　her　sister　and　her　husband　lived；　just　because　Charity　wanted　him　to　embrace　it　…　a　life…style　that　she　herself　had　been　denied；　either　by　bad　luck；　her　own　stupidity；　or　both？　Had　he　no　right　to　criticize　。。。　or　analyze？
Yes；　she　acknowledged　that　he　did；　but　she　hadn't　expected　that　his　observation　would　be　so　unsettlingly　（if　intuitively）　sophisticated；　so　accurate；　or　so　depressingly　negative。
'I　suppose　it　was　Jim　who　made　the　money；'　she　said。　'You　know　what　he　does　…'
'Yeah；　he's　a　pencil…pusher。'
But　this　time　she　refused　to　be　drawn。
'If　you　want　to　see　it　that　way。　Holly　married　him　when　he　was　in　college　at　the　University　of　Maine　in　Portland；　studying　pre…law。　While　he　was　in　law　school　in　Denver；　she　worked　a　lot　of　crummy　jobs　to　see　that　he　got　through。　It's　often　done　that　way。　Wives　work　so　their　husbands　can　go　to　school　and　learn　some　special　skill。　。　。　。'
She　was　searching　for　Holly　with　her　eyes；　and　finally　thought　she　saw　the　top　of　her　younger　sister's　head　several　aisles　to　the　left。
'Anyway；　when　Jim　finally　got　out　of　school；　he　and　Holly　came　back　east　and　he　went　to　work　in　Bridgeport　with　a　big　firm　of　lawyers。　He　didn't　make　much　money　then。　They　lived　in　a　third…floor　apartment　with　no　air　conditioning　in　the　summer　and　not　much　heat　in　the　winter。　But　he's　worked　his　way　up。　and　now　he's　what's　called　a　junior　partner。　And　I　suppose　he　does　make　a　lot　of　money；　by　our　standards。'
'Maybe　she　shows　her　credit　cards　around　because　sometimes　she　still　feels　poor　inside；'　Brett　said。
She　was　struck　by　the　almost　eerie　perceptiveness　of　that；　as　well。　She　ruffled　his　hair　gently；　no　longer　angry　at　him。　'You　did　say　you　liked　her。'
'Yeah；　I　do。　There　she　is；　right　over　there。'
'I　see　her。'
They　went　over　and　joined　Holly；　who　already　had　an　armload　of　curtains　and　was　now　prospecting　for　tablecloths。
The　sun　had　finally　gone　down　behind　the　house。
Little　by　little；　the　oven　that　was　inside　the　Trentons'　Pinto　began　to　cool　off。　A　more…or…less　steady　breeze　sprang　up；　and　Tad　turned　his　face　into　it　gratefully。　He　felt　better；　at　least　for　the　time　being；　than　he　had　all　day。　In　fact；　all　the　rest　of　the　day　before　now　seemed　like　a　terribly　bad　dream；　one　he　could　only　partly　remember。　At　times　he　had　gone　away；　had　simply　left　the　car　and　gone　away。　He　could　remember　that。　He　had　gone　on　a　horse。　He　and　the　horse　had　ridden　down　a　long　field；　and　there　were　rabbits　playing　there；　'lust　like　in　that　cartoon　his　mommy　and　daddy　had　taken　him　to　see　at　the　Magic　Lantern　Theater　in　Bridgton。　There　was　a　pond　at　the　end　of　the　field；　and　ducks　in　the　pond。　The　ducks　were　friendly。　Tad　played　with　them。　It　was　better　there　than　with　Mommy；　because　the　monster　was　where　Mommy　was；　the　monster　that　had　gotten　out　of　his　closet。　The　monster　was　not　in　the　place　where　the　ducks　were。　Tad　liked　it　there；　although　he　knew　in　a　vague　way　that　if　he　stayed　in　that　place　too　long；　he　might　forget　how　to　get　back　to　the　car。
'Men　the　sun　had　gone　behind　the　house。　There　were　cool　shadows；　almost　thick　enough　to　have　a　texture；　like　velvet。　The　monster　had　stopped　trying　to　get　them。　The　mailman　hadn't　e；　but　at　least　now　he　was　able　to　rest　fortably。　The　worst　thing　was　being　so　thirsty。　Never　in　his　life　had　he　wanted　a　drink　so　much。　That　was　what　made　the　place　where　the　ducks　were　so　nice　…　it　was　a　wet；　green　place。
'What　did　you　say；　honey？'　Mommy's　face　bending　down　over　him。
'Thirsty；'　he　said　in　a　frog's　croak。　'I'm　so　thirsty；　Mommy。'　He　remembered　that　he　used　to　say　'firsty'　instead　of　'thirsty。'　But　some　of　the　kids　at　daycamp　had　laughed　at　him　and　called　him　a　baby；　the　same　way　they　laughed　at　Randy　Hofnager　for　saying　'brefkust'　when　he　meant　'breakfast'。　So　he　began　to　say　it　right；　scolding　himself　fiercely　inside　whenever　he　forgot。　
'Yes；　I　know。　Mommy's　thirsty　coo。'
'I　bet　there's　water　in　that　house。'
'Honey；　we　can't　go　into　the　house。　Not　just　yet。　The　bad　dog's　in　front　of　the　car。'
'Where？'　Tad　got　up　on　his　knees　and　was　surprised　at　the　lightness　that　ran　lazily　through　his　head；　like　a　slowbreaking　wave。　He　put　a　hand　on　the　dashboard　to　support　himself；　and　the　hand　seemed　on　the　end　of　an　arm　that　was　a　mile　long。　'I　don't　see　him。'　Even　his　voice　was　distant；　echoey。
'Sit　back　down；　Tad。　You're。。。'
She　was　still　talking；　and　he　could　feel　her　sitting　him　back　into　the　scat；　but　it　was　all　distant。　The　words　were　ing　to　him　over　a　long　gray　distance；　it　was　foggy　between　him　and　her；　as　it　had　been　foggy　this　morning　。。。　or　yesterday　morning　。。。　or　on　whatever　morning　it　had　been　when　his　daddy　left　to　go　on　his　trip。　But　there　was　a　bright　place　up　ahead；　so　he　left　his　mother　to　go　to　it。　It　was　the　duck　place。
Ducks　and　a　pool　and　lilypads。　Mommy's　voice　became　a　faraway　drone。　Her　beautiful　face；　so　large；　always　there；　so　calm；　so　like　the　moon　that　sometimes　looked　in　his　window　when　he　awoke　late　at　night　having　to　go　peepee　。。。　that　face　became　gray　and　lost　definition。　It　melted　into　the　gray　mist。　Her　voice　became　the　lazy　sound　of　bees　which　were　far　too　nice　to　sting；　and　lapping　water。
Tad　played　with　the　ducks。
Donna　dozed　off；　and　when　she　woke　up　again　all　the　shadows　had　blended　with　one　another　and　the　last　of　the　light　in　the　Camber　driveway　was　the　color　of　ashes。　It　was　dusk。　Somehow　it　had　gotten　around　to　dusk　again　and　they　were　…　unbelievably　…　still　here。　The　sun　sat　on　the　horizon；　round　and　scarlet…orange。　It　looked　to　her　like　a　basketball　that　had　been　dipped　in　blood。　She　moved　her　tongue　around　in　her　mouth。　Saliva　that　had　dotted　into　a　thick　gum　broke　apart　reluctantly　and　became　more　or　less　ordinary　spit　again。　Her　throat　felt　like　a　flannel。　She　thought　how　wonderful　it　would　be　to　lie　under　the　garden　faucet　at　home；　turn　the　spigot　on　full；　open　her　mouth；　and　just　let　the　icy　water　cascade　in。　The　image　was　powerful　enough　to　make　her　shiver　and　break　out　in　a　skitter　of　gooseflesh；　powerful　enough　to　make　her　head　ache。
Was　the　dog　still　in　front　of　the　car？
She　looked；　but　of　course　there　was　no　real　way　of　telling。　All　she　could　see　for　sure　vas　that　it　wasn't　in　front　of　the　barn。
She　tapped　the　horn；　but　it　only　produced　a　rusty　hoot　and　nothing　changed。　He　could　be　anywhere。　She　ran　her　finger　along　the　silver　crack　in　her　window　and　wondered　what　would　happen　if　the　dog　hit　the　glass　a　few　more　times。　Could　it　break　through？　She　wouldn't　have　believed　so　twenty…four　hours　before；　but　now　she　wasn't　so　sure。
She　looked　at　the　door　leading　to　Cambers'　porch　again。　It　seemed　father　away　than　it　had　before。　That　made　her　think　of　a　concept　they　had　discussed　in　a　college　psychology　course。　Idee　fixe；　the　instructor；　a　prissy　little　man　with　a　toothbrush　mustache；　had　called　it。　If　you　get　on　a　down　escalator　that　isn't　moving；　you'll　suddenly　find　it　very　hard　to　walk。　That　had　amused　her　so　much　that　she　had　eventually　found　a　down　escalator　in　Bloomingdale's　that　was　marked　OUT　OF　ORDER　and　had　walked　down　it。　She　had　found　to　her　further　amusement　that　the　prissy　Iittle　associate　professor　was　right　…your　legs　just　didn't　want　to　move。　That　had　led　her　to　try　and　imagine　what　would　happen　to　your　head　if　the　stairs　in　your　house　suddenly　started　to　move　as　you　were　walking　down　them。　The　very　idea　had　made　her　laugh　out　loud。
But　it　wasn't　so　funny　now。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　wasn't　funny　at　all。
That　porch　door　definitely　looked　farther　away。
The　dog's　psyching　me　out。
She　tried　to　reject　the　thought　as　soon　as　it　occurred　to　her；　and　then　stopped　trying。　Things　had　bee　too　desperate　now　to　indulge　in　the　luxury　of　lying　to　herself。　Knowingly　or　unknowingly；　Cujo　was　psyching　her　out。　Using；　perhaps；　her　own　idee　fixe　of　how　the　world　was　supposed　to　be。　But　things　had　changed。　The　smooth　escalator　ride　was　over。　She　could　not　just　continue　to　stand　on　the　still　steps　with　her　son　and　wait　for