sk.cujo-第6章

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　a　really　good　case　of　acid　burn。
'Looks　like　we're　going　to　lose　the　ball；　doesn't　it？'　Vic　said　to　the　other　man；　who　was　regarding　a　Danish　ham　with　a　marked　lack　of　enthusiasm。　The　other　man　was　Roger　Breakstone；　and　when　he　looked　at　food　without　enthusiasm；　you　knew　that　some　sort　of　cataclysm　was　at　hand。　Roger　weighed　two　hundred　and　seventy　pounds　and　had　no　lap　when　he　sat　down。　Once；　when　the　two　of　them　had　been　in　bed　with　a　kids…at…camp　case　of　the　giggles；　Donna　had　told　Vic　she　thought　Roger's　tap　had　been　shot　off　in　Vietnam。
'It　looks　piss…poor；'　Roger　admitted。　'It　looks　so　fucking　piss…poor　you　wouldn't　believe　it；　Victor　old　buddy。'
'You　really　think　making　this　trip　will　solve　anything？'
'Maybe　not；'　Roger　said；　'but　we're　going　to　lose　the　Sharp　account　for　sure　if　we　don't　go。　Maybe　we　can　salvage　something。　Work　our　way　back　in。'　He　bit　into　his　sandwich。
'Closing　up　for　ten　days　is　going　to　hurt　us。'
'You　think　we're　not　hurting　now？'
'Sure；　we're　hurting。　But　we've　got　those　Book　Folks　spots　to　shoot　down　at　Kennebunk　Beach
'Lisa　can　handle　that。'
'I'm　not　entirely　convinced　that　Lisa　can　handle　her　own　love…life；　let　along　the　Book　Folks　spots；'　Vic　said。　'But　even　supposing　she　can　handle　it；　the　Yor　Choice　Blueberries　series　is　still　hanging　fire　。。。　Casco　Bank　and　Trust　。。。　and　you're　supposed　to　meet　with　the　head　honcho　from　the　Main　Realtors‘　Association…'
'Huh…uh；　that's　yours。'
'Fuck　you　it's　mine；'　Vic　said。　'I　break　up　every　time　think　of　those　red　pants　and　white　shoes。　I　kept　wanting　to　look　in　the　closet　to　see　if　I　could　find　the　guy　a　sandwich　board。'
'It　doesn't　matter；　and　you　know　it　doesn't。　None　of　them　bills　a　tenth　of　what　Sharp　bills。　What　else　can　I　say？　You　know　Sharp　and　the　kid　are　going　to　want　to　talk　to　both　of　us。　Do　I　book　you　a　seat　or　not？'
The　thought　of　ten　days；　five　in　Boston　and　five　in　New　York；　gave　Vic　a　mild　case　of　the　cold　sweats。　He　and　Roger　had　both　worked　for　the　Ellison　Agency　in　New　York　for　six　years。　Vic　now　had　a　home　in　Castle　Rock。　Roger　and　Althea　Breakstone　lived　in　neighboring　Bridgton；　about　fifteen　miles　away。
For　Vic；　it　had　been　a　case　of　never　even　wanting　to　look　back。　He　felt　he　had　never　e　fully　alive；　had　never　really　known　what　he　was　for；　until　he　and　Donna　moved　to　Maine。　And　now　he　had　a　morbid　sense　that　New　York　had　only　been　waiting　these　last　three　years　to　get　him　in　its　clutches　again。　The　plane　would　skid　off　the　runway　ing　in　and　he　engulfed　in　a　roaring　firecloud　of　hi…test　jet　fuel。　Or　there　would　be　a　crash　on　the　Triborough　Bridge；　their　Checker　crushed　into　a　bleeding　yellow　accordion。　A　mugger　would　use　his　gun　instead　of　just　waving　it。　A　gas　main　would　explode　and　he　would　be　decapitated　by　a　manhole　cover　flying　through　the　air　like　a　deadly　ninetypound　Frisbee。　Something。　If　he　went　back；　the　city　would　kill　him。
'Rog；'　he　said；　putting　down　his　meatball　sandwich　after　one　small　bite；　'have　you　ever　thought　that　it　might　not　be　the　end　of　the　world　if　we　did　lose　the　Sharp　account？'
'The　world　will　go　on；'　Roger　said；　pouring　a　Busch　down　the　side　of　a　pilsner　glass；　'but　will　we？　Me；　I've　got　seventeen　years　left　on　a　twenty…year　mortgage　and　twin　girls　who　have　their　hearts　set　on　Bridgton　Academy。　You've　got　your　own　mortgage；　your　own　kid；　plus　that　old　jag　sportster　that's　going　to　half…buck　you　to　death。'
'Yes；　but　the　local　economy　…'
'The　local　economy　sucks！'　Roger　exclaimed　violently；　and　set　his　pilsner　glass　down　with　a　bang。
A　party　of　four　at　the　next　table；　three　in　UMP　tennis　shirts　and　one　wearing　a　faded　T…shirt　with　the　legend　DARTH　VADER　IS　GAY　written　across　the　front；　began　to　applaud。
Roger　waved　a　hand　at　them　impatiently　and　leaned　toward　Vic。　'We're　not　going　to　make　it　happen　doing　campaigns　for　Yor　Choice　Blueberries　and　the　Main　Realtors；　and　you　know　it。　If　we　lose　the　Sharp　account；　we're　going　to　go　under　without　a　ripple。　On　the　other　hand；　if　we　can　keep　even　a　piece　of　Sharp　over　the　next　two　years；　we'll　be　in　line　for　some　of　the　Department　of　Tourism　budget；　maybe　even　a　crack　at　the　state　lottery　if　they　don't　mismanage　it　into　oblivion　by　then。　juicy　pies；　Vic。　We　can　wave　so　long　to　Sharp　and　their　crappy　cereals　and　there's　happy　endings　all　around。　The　big　bad　wolf　has　to　go　somewhere　else　to　get　his　dinner；　these　little　piggies　are　home　free。'
'All　contingent　on　us　being　able　to　save　something；'　Vic　said；　'which　is　about　as　likely　as　the　Cleveland　Indians　winning　the　World　Series　this　fall。'
'I　think　we　better　try；　buddy。'
Vic　sat　silent；　looking　at　his　congealing　sandwich　and　thinking。　It　was　totally　unfair；　but　he　could　live　with　unfairness。　What　really　hurt　was　the　whole　situation's　crazed　absurdity。　It　had　blown　up　out　of　a　dear　sky　like　a　killer　tornado　that　lays　a　zigzagging　trail　of　destruction　and　then　disappears。　He　and　Roger　and　Ad　Worx　itself　were　apt　to　be　numbered　among　the　fatalities　no　matter　what　they　did；　he　could　read　it　on　Roger's　round　face；　which　had　not　looked　so　pallidly　serious　since　he　and　Althea　had　lost　their　boy；　Timothy；　to　the　crib…death　syndrome　when　the　infant　was　only　nine　days　old。　Three　weeks　after　that　happened；　Roger　had　broken　down　and　wept；　his　hands　plastered　to　his　fat　face　in　a　kind　of　terrible　hopeless　sorrow　that　had　squeezed　Vic's　heart　into　his　throat。　That　had　been　bad。　But　the　incipient　panic　he　saw　in　Roger's　eyes　now　was　bad；　too。
Tornadoes　blew　out　of　nowhere　in　the　advertising　business　from　time　to　time。　A　bit　outfit　like　the　Ellison
Agency；　which　billed　in　the　millions；　could　withstand　them。　A　little　one　like　Ad　Worx　just　couldn't。　They　had　been　carrying　one　basket　with　a　lot　of　little　eggs　in　it　and　another　basket　with　one　big　egg　…　the　Sharp　account　…　and　it　now　remained　to　be　seen　whether　the　'　big　egg　had　been　lost　entirely　or　if　it　could　at　least　be　scrambled。　None　of　it　had　been　their　fault；　but　ad　agencies　make　lovely　whipping　boys。
Vic　and　Roger　had　teamed　naturally　together　ever　since　their　first　joint　effort　at　the　Ellison　Agency；　six　years　ago。　Vic；　tall　and　skinny　and　rather　quiet；　had　formed　the　perfect　yin　for　Roger　Breakstone's　fat；　happy；　and　extroverted　yang。　They　had　clicked　on　a　personal　basis　and　on　a　professional　one。　That　first　assignment　had　been　a　minor　one；　to　submit　a　magazine　ad　campaign　for　United　Cerebral　Palsy。
They　had　e　up　with　a　stark　black…and…white　ad　that　showed　a　small　boy　in　huge；　cruel　leg　braces　standing　in　foul　territory　by　the　first…base　line　of　a　Little　League　ballfield。　A　New　York　Mets　cap　was　perched　on　his　head；　and　his　expression　…　Roger　had　always　maintained　that　it　had　been　the　boy's　expression　which　sold　the　ad　…　wasn't　sad　at　all；　it　was　simply　dreamy。　Almost　happy；　in　fact。　The　copy　read
Simply：　BILLY　BELLAMY　IS　NEVER　GOING　TO　BAT　CLEANUP。　Beneath：　BILLY　HAS　CEREBRAL　PALSY。　Beneath　that；　smaller　type：　Give　Us　a　Hand；　Huh？
CP　donations　had　taken　a　noticeable　leap。　Good　for　them；　good　for　Vic　and　Roger。　The　team　'Of　Trenton　and　Breakstone　had　been　off　and　running。　Half　a　dozen　successful　campaigns　had　followed；　Vic　dealing　most　monly　with　broad…scope　conception；　Roger　dealing。　with　actual　execution。
For　the　Sony　Corporation；　a　picture　of　a　man　sitting　cross…legged　on　the　median　strip　of　a　sixteen…lane　superhighway　in　a　business　suit；　a　big　Sony　radio　on　his　lap；　a　seraphic　smile　on　his　kisser。　The　copy　read：　POLICE　BAND；　THE　ROLLING　STONES；　VIVALDI；　MIKE　WALLACE；　THE　KINGSTON　TRIO；　PAUL　HARVEY。　PATTI　SMITH；　JERRY　FALWELL　And　below　that：　HELLO；　LA！
For　the　Voit　people；　makers　of　swim　equipment；　an　ad　that　showed　a　man　who　was　the　utter　antithesis　of　the　Miami　beachboy。　Standing　arrogantly　hipshot　on　the　golden　beach　of　some　tropical　paradise；　the　model　was　a　fifty…year…old　man　with　tattoos；　a　beer　belly；　slab…muscled　arms　and　legs；　and　a　puckered　scar　high　across　one　thigh。　In　his　arms　this　battered　soldier　of　fortune　was　cradling　a　pair　of　Voit　swimfins。　MISTER；　the　copy　for　this　one　read；　I　DIVE　FOR　A　LIVING。　I　DON'T　MESS　AROUND。　There　was　a　lot　more　underneath；　stuff　Roger　always　referred　to　as　the　blah…blah；　but　the　copy　set　in　boldface　was　the　real　hooker。　Vic　and　Roger　had　wanted　it　to　read　I　DON't　SCREW　AROUND；　but　they　hadn't　been　able　t