sk.cujo-第77章

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　this　been　allowed　to　happen？　How　could　so　many　events　have　conspired　together？
His　head　was　suddenly　throbbing　violently。　His　nose　closed　with　tears　and　his　sinuses　began　to　pound。　He　snorted　the　tears　back　and　passed　a　hand　over　his　face。　It　occurred　to　him　that；　counting　Tad；　Cujo　had　been　responsible　for　the　deaths　of　at　least　three　people；　more　than　that　if　the　Cambers　were　discovered　to　be　among　his　victims。　Did　the　cop　he　had　covered　with　the　blanket　have　a　wife　and　children？　Probably。
If　I'd　gotten　here　even　an　hour　earlier。　If　I　hadn't　gone　to　sleep　
His　mind　cried：　I　was　so　sure　it　was　Kemp！　So　sure！
If　I'd　gotten　here　just　fifteen　minutes　earlier；　would　that　have　been　enough？　If　I　hadn't　talked　to　Roger　so　long；　would　Tad　be　alive　now？　When　did　he　die？　Did　it　really　happen　at　all？　And　how　am　I　supposed　to　deal　with　it　for　the　rest　of　my　life　without　going　mad？　What's　going　to　happen　to　Donna？
Another　police　car　pulled　up。　One　of　the　cops　got　out　of　it　and　conferred　with　one　of　the　cops　waiting　for　Vic。　The　latter　stepped　forward　and　said　quietly。　'I　think　we　ought　to　go；　Mr。。　Trenton。　Quentin　here　says　there　are　reporters　on　the　way。　You　don't　want　to　talk　to　any　reporters　just　now。'
'No；'　Vic　agreed；　and　started　to　get　up。　As　he　did；　he　saw　a　bit　of　yellow　at　the　very　bottom　of　his　field　of　vision。　A　bit　of　paper　poking　out　from　under　Tad's　seat。　He　pulled　it　out　and　saw　it　was　the　Monster　Words　he　had　written　to　case　Tad's　mind　at　bedtime。　The　sheet　was　crumpled　and　ripped　in　two　places　and　badly　stained　with　sweat；　along　the　deep　creases　it　was　nearly　transparent。
Monsters；　stay　out　of　this　room！
You　have　no　business　here。
No　monsters　under　Tad's　bed！
You　can't　fit　under　there。
No　monsters　hiding　in　Tad's　closet！
It's　too　small　in　there。
No　monsters　outside　of　Tad's　window！
You　can't　hold　on　out　there。
No　vampires；　no　werewolves；　no　things　that　bite。
You　have　no　business　here。
Nothing　will　touch　Tad；　or　hurt　Tad；　all　this　ni
He　could　read　no　more。　He　crumpled　the　sheet　of　paper　up　and　threw　it　at　the　dead　dog's　body。　The　paper　was　a　sentimental　lie；　it's　sentiments　as　inconstant　as　the　color　in　that　stupid　runny…dyed　cereal。　It　was　all　a　lie。　The　world　was　full　of　monsters；　and　they　were　all　allowed　to　bite　the　innocent　and　the　unwary。
He　let　himself　be　led　to　the　police　car。　They　drove　him　away；　as　George　Bannerman　and　Tad　Trenton　and　Donna　Trenton　had　been　driven　away　before　him。　After　a　while；　a　veterinarian　came　in　a　panel　truck。　She　looked　at　the　dead　dog；　then　donned　long　rubber　gloves　and　brought　out　a　circular　bone　saw。　The　cops；　realizing　what　she　was　going　to　do；　turned　away。
The　vet　cut　off　the　Saint　Bernard's　head　and　put　it　in　a　large　white　plastic　garbage　bag。　Later　that　day　it　was　forwarded　to　the　State　missioner　of　Animals；　where　the　brain　would　be　tested　for　rabies。
So　Cujo　was　gone；　too。
It　was　quarter　to　four　that　afternoon　when　Holly　called　Charity　to　the　telephone。　Holly　looked　mildly　worried。　'It　sounds　like　somebody　official；'　she　said。　About　an　hour　earlier；　Brett　had　given　in　to　Jim　Junior's　endless　supplications　and　had　acpanied　his　young　cousin　down　to　the　playground　at　the　Stratford　munity　Center。
Since　then　the　house　had　been　silent　except　for　the　women's　voices　as　they　talked　over　old　times　…　the　good　old　times；　Charity　amended　slightly。　The　time　Daddy　had　fallen　off　the　haytruck　and　gone　into　a　great　big　cowflop　in　Back　Field　（but　no　mention　of　the　times　he　had　beaten　them　until　they　couldn't　sit　down　in　payment　for　some　real　or　imagined　transgression）；　the　time　they　had　snuck　into　the　old　Met　Theater　in　Lisbon　Falls　to　see　Elvis　in　Love　Me　Tender　（but　not　the　time　Momma　had　had　her　credit　cut　off　at　the　Red　&　White　and　had　backed　out　of　the　grocery　in　tears；　leaving　a　full　basket　of　provisions　behind　and　everybody　watching）；　how　Red　Timmins　from　up　the　road　was　always　trying　to　kiss　Holly　on　their　walk　back　from　school　（but　not　how　Red　had　lost　an　arm　when　his　tractor　turned　turtle　on　him　in　August　of　1962）。　The　two　of　them　had　discovered　it　was　all　right　to　open　the　closets　。。。　as　long　as　you　didn't　poke　too　far　back　in　them。　Because　things　might　still　be　lurking　there；　ready　to　bite。
Twice；　Charity　had　opened　her　mouth　to　tell　Holly　that　she　and　Brett　would　be　going　home　tomorrow；　and　both　times　she　had　closed　it　again；　trying　to　think　of　a　way　she　could　say　it　without　leading　Holly　to　believe　they　didn't　like　it　here。
Now　the　problem　was　momentarily　forgotten　as　she　sat　at　the　telephone　table；　a　fresh　cup　of　tea　beside　her。　She　felt　a　little　anxious　…　nobody　likes　to　get　a　telephone　call　while　they're　on　vacation　from　someone　who　sounds　official。
'Hello？'　she　said。
Holly　watched　her　sister's　face　go　white；　listened　as　her　sister　said；　'What？　What？　No　。。。　no！　There　must　be　some　mistake。　I　tell　you；　there　must
She　fell　silent；　listening　to　the　telephone。　Some　dreadful　news　was　being　passed　down　the　wire　from　Maine；…　Holly　thought。　She　could　see　it　in　the　gradually　tightening　mask　of　her　sister's　face；　although　she　could　hear　nothing　from　the　phone　itself　except　a　series　of　meaningless　squawks。
Bad　news　from　Maine。　To　her　it　was　an　old　story。　It　was　all　right　for　her　and　Charity　to　sit　in　the　sunny　morning　kitchen；　drinking　tea　and　eating　orange　sections　and　talking　about　sneaking　into　the　Met　Theater。　It　was　all　right；　but　it　didn't　change　the　fact　that　every　day　she　could　remember　of　her　childhood　had　brought　a　little　piece　of　bad　news　with　it；　each　piece　a　part　of　her　early　life's　jigsaw；　the　whole　picture　so　terrible　that　she　would　not　really　have　minded　if　she　had　never　seen　her　older　sister　again。　Torn　cotton　underpants　that　the　other　girls　at　school　made　fun　of。　Picking　potatoes　until　her　back　ached　and　if　you　stood　up　suddenly　the　blood　rushed　out　of　your　head　so　fast　you　felt　like　you　were　going　to　faint。　Red　Timmins　…　how　carefully　she　and　Charity　had　avoided　mentioning　Red's　arm；　so　badly　crushed　it　had　to　be　amputated；　but　when　Holly　heard　she　had　been　glad；　so　glad。　Because　she　remembered　Red　throwing　a　green　apple　at　her　one　day；　hitting　her　in　the　face；　making　her　nose　bleed；　making　her　cry。　She　remembered　Red　giving　her　Indian　rubs　and　laughing。　She　remembered　an　occasional　nourishing　dinner　of　Shedd's　Peanut　Butter　and　Cheerios　when　things　were　particularly　bad。　She　remembered　the　way　the　outhouse　stank　in　high　summer；　that　smell　was　shit；　and　in　case　you　should　wonder；　that　wasn't　a　good　smell。
Bad　news　from　Maine。　And　somehow；　for　some　crazed　reason　she　knew　they　would　never　discuss　even　if　they　both　lived　to　be　a　hundred　and　spent　the　last　twenty　old…maid　years　together；　Charity　had　elected　to　stick　with　that　life。　Her　looks　were　almost　entirely　gone。　There　were　wrinkles　around　her　eyes。　Her　breasts　sagged；　even　in　her　bra　they　sagged。　There　were　only　six　years　between　them；　but　an　observer　might　well
have　thought　it　was　more　like　sixteen。　And　worst　of　all；　she　seemed　totally　unconcerned　about　dooming　her　lovely；　intelligent　boy　to　a　similar　life　。。。　unless　he　got　smart；　unless　he　wised　up。　For　the　tourists；　Holly　thought　with　an　angry　bitterness　that　all　the　good　years　had　not　changed；　it　was　Vacationland。　But　if　you　came　from　the　puckies；　it　was　day　after　day　of　bad　news。　Then　one　day　you　looked　in　the　mirror　and　the　face　looking　back　at　you　was　Charity　Camber's　face。　And　now　there　was　more　dreadful　news　from　Maine；　that　home　of　all　dreadful　news。　Charity　was　hanging　up　the　telephone。　She　sat　staring　at　it；　her　hot　tea　steaming　beside　her。
'Joe's　dead；'　she　announced　suddenly。
Holly　sucked　in　breath。　Her　teeth　felt　cold。　Why　did　you　e？　she　felt　like　shrieking。　I　knew　you'd　bring　it　all　with　you；　and　sure　enough；　you　did。
'Oh；　honey；'　she　said；　'are　you　sure？'
'That　was　a　man　from　Augusta。　Name　of　Masen。　From　the　Attorney　General's　office；　Law　Enforcement　Division。'
'Was　it　。。。　was　it　a　car　accident？
Charity　looked　directly　at　her　then；　and　Holly　was　both　shocked　and　terrified　to　see　that　her　sister　did　not　look　like　someone　who　has　just　received　dreadful　news；　she　looked　like　someone　who　has　just　received　good　news。　The　lines　in　her　face　had　smoothed　out。　Her　eyes　were　blank　。。。　but　was　it　shock　behind　that　blankness　or　the　dreamy