dk.nightchills-第20章

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　Inside；　booths　upholstered　in　blue　plastic　stood　beside　the　windows。　The　table　at　each　booth　held　an　ash　tray；　a　cylindrical　glass　sugar　dispenser；　salt　and　pepper　shakers；　a　napkin　dispenser；　and　a　selector　for　the　jukebox。　An　aisle　separated　the　booths　from　the　counter　that　ran　the　length　of　the　restaurant。
　Ogden　Salsbury　was　in　the　corner　booth　at　the　north　end　of　the　cafe。　He　was　drinking　a　second　cup　of　coffee　and　watching　the　other　customers。
　At　1：50　in　the　afternoon；　most　of　the　lunch…hour　rush　had　passed。　Ultman's　was　nearly　deserted。　In　a　booth　near　the　door；　an　elderly　couple　was　reading　the　weekly　newspaper；　eating　roast　beef　and　French　fries；　and　quietly　arguing　politics。　The　chief　of　police；　Bob　Thorp；　was　on　a　stool　at　the　counter；　finishing　his　lunch　and　joking　with　the　gray…haired　waitress　named　Bess。　At　the　far　end　of　the　room；　Jenny　Edison　was　in　the　other　corner　booth　with　a　good…looking　man　in　his　late　thirties；　Salsbury　didn't　know　him　but　assumed　he　worked　at　the　mill　or　in　the　logging　camp。
　Of　the　five　other　customers；　Jenny　was　of　the　greatest　interest　to　Salsbury。　A　few　hours　ago；　when　he　talked　to　Dr。　Troutman；　he　learned　that　neither　Jenny　nor　her　father　had　plained　of　the　night　chills。　The　fact　that　a　number　of　children　had　also　escaped　them　did　not　disturb　him。　The　effect　of　the　subliminals　was；　in　part；　directly　proportionate　to　the　subject's　language　skills　and　reading　ability；　and　he　had　expected　that　some　children　would　be　unaffected。　But　Sam　and　Jenny　were　adults；　and　they　should　not　have　gone　untouched。
　Possibly　they　hadn't　consumed　any　of　the　drug。　If　that　was　true；　then　they　hadn't　drunk　any　water　from　the　town　system；　hadn't　used　it　to　make　ice　cubes；　and　hadn't　cooked　with　it。　That　was　marginally　possible；　he　supposed。　Marginally。　However；　the　drug　had　also　been　introduced　into　fourteen　products　at　a　food　wholesaler's　warehouse　in　Bangor　before　those　products　were　shipped　to　Black　River；　and　it　was　difficult　for　him　to　believe　that　they　could　have　been　so　fortunate　as　to　have　avoided；　by　chance；　every　contaminated　substance。
　There　was　a　second　possibility。　It　was　conceivable；　although　highly　improbable；　that　the　Edisons　had　taken　the　drug　but　hadn't　e　into　contact　with　any　of　the　sophisticated　subliminal　programming　that　had　been　designed　with　such　care　for　the　Black　River　experiment　and　that　had　inundated　the　town　through　half　a　dozen　forms　of　print　and　electronic　media　for　a　period　of　seven　days。
　Salsbury　was　nearly　certain　that　neither　of　these　explanations　was　correct；　and　that　the　truth　was　both　plex　and　technical。　Even　the　most　beneficial　drugs　did　not　have　a　benign　effect　on　everyone；　any　drug　could　be　counted　upon　to　sicken　or　kill　at　least　a　tiny　percentage　of　those　people　to　whom　it　was　administered。　Moreover；　for　virtually　every　drug；　there　were　some　people；　another　extremely　small　group；　who　were　either　minimally　affected　or　utterly　untouched　by　it；　owing　to　differences　in　metabolisms；　variances　in　body　chemistries；　and　unknown　factors。　More　likely　than　not；　Jenny　and　Sam　Edison　had　taken　the　subliminal　primer　in　water　or　food　but　hadn't　been　altered　by　it…either　not　at　all　or　not　as　they　should　have　been…and　subsequently　were　unimpressed　by　the　subliminals　because　they　hadn't　been　made　ready　for　them。
　Eventually　he　would　have　to　give　the　two　of　them　a　series　of　examinations　and　tests　at　a　fully　equipped　medical　clinic；　with　the　hope　that　he　could　find　what　it　was　that　made　them　impervious　to　the　drug。　But　that　could　wait。　During　the　next　three　weeks　he　would　be　quietly　recording　and　studying　the　effects　that　the　drug　and　subliminals　produced　in　the　other　people　of　Black　River。
　Although　Salsbury　was　more　interested　in　Jenny　than　in　any　of　the　other　customers；　most　of　the　time　his　attention　was　focused　on　the　younger　of　Ultman's　two　waitresses。　She　was　a　lean；　lithe　brunette　with　dark　eyes　and　a　honey　plexion。　Perhaps　twenty…five　years　old。　A　captivating　smile。　A　rich；　throaty　voice　perfect　for　the　bedroom。　To　Salsbury；　her　every　movement　was　filled　with　sexual　innuendo　and　an　all　but　open　invitation　to　violation。
　More　important；　however；　the　waitress　reminded　him　of　Miriam；　the　wife　he　had　divorced　twenty…seven　years　ago。　Like　Miriam；　she　had　small；　high…set　breasts　and　very　beautiful；　supple　legs。　Her　throaty　voice　resembled　Miriam's。　And　she　had　Miriam's　walk：　an　unstudied　grace　in　every　step；　an　unconscious　and　sinuous　rolling　of　the　hips　that　took　his　breath　away。
　He　wanted　her。
　But　he　would　never　take　her　because　she　reminded　him　too　much　of　Miriam；　reminded　him　of　the　frustrations；　angers；　and　disappointments　of　that　awful　five…year　marriage。　She　stirred　his　lust…but　she　also　stirred　his　somewhat　suppressed；　long…nurtured　hatred　of　Miriam　and；　by　extension；　of　women　in　general。　He　knew　that；　in　the　act；　as　he　achieved　penetration　and　began　to　move；　her　resemblance　to　Miriam　would　leave　him　impotent。
　When　she　brought　the　check　for　his　lunch；　flashing　that　dazzling　smile　that　had　begun　to　seem　smug　and　superior　to　him；　he　said；　〃I　am　the　key。〃
　He　was　taking　an　unwarranted　risk。　He　couldn't　defend　it　even　to　himself。　Until　he　was　certain　that　everyone　in　town；　other　than　the　Edisons　and　a　handful　of　children；　was　properly　programmed；　he　should　restrict　the　use　of　the　mand　phrase　to　telephone　conversations；　as　with　Troutman；　and　to　situations　wherein　he　was　alone　with　the　subject　and　free　from　fear　of　interruption。　Only　after　three　weeks　of　observation　and　individual　Contact　could　he　even　begin　to　assume　there　was　no　risk　involved；　and　now；　on　one　level；　he　was　a　bit　disturbed　that　he
　was　conducting　himself　irresponsibly　on　his　first　day　in　town。　He　didn't　particularly　mind　if　absolute　power　corrupted　him　absolutely…just　so　it　didn't　make　him　overconfident　and　careless。　On　the　other　hand；　so　long　as　they　kept　their　voices　low；　there　was　little　chance　that　they　would　be　overheard。　The　elderly　couple　in　the　booth　by　the　door　was　nearer　to　Salsbury　than　anyone　else　in　the　cafe；　and　they　were　half　a　room　away。　Besides；　unwarranted　risk　or　not；　he　couldn't　resist　taking　control　of　this　woman。　His　emotions　had　unseated　his　reason；　and　he　was　riding　with　them。
　〃I　am　the　lock；〃　she　said。
　〃Keep　your　voice　low。〃　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃What's　your　name？〃　〃Alice。〃
　〃How　old　are　you？〃　〃Twenty…six。〃
　〃You're　lovely；〃　he　said。
　She　said　nothing。
　〃Smile　for　me；　Alice。〃
　She　smiled。　She　didn't　look　the　least　bit　dazed。　Even　her　big；　dark　eyes　held　no　hint　of　a　trance。　Yet　she　was　unhesitatingly　obedient。
　He　said；　〃You've　got　a　nice　body。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　〃Do　you　like　sex？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Do　you　like　it　very　much？〃
　〃Yeah。　I　like　it。〃
　〃When　you're　in　bed　with　a　man；　is　there　anything　you　won't　let　him　do　to　you？〃
　〃Yeah。　Greek。〃
　〃You　won't　let　him　take　you　in　the　ass？〃
　She　blushed　and　said；　〃Yeah。　I　don't　like　that。〃
　〃If　I　wanted　you；　I　could　have　you。〃
　She　stared　at　him。
　〃Couldn't　I？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃If　I　wanted　you；　I　could　have　you　right　now；　right　here；　on　top　of　this　table。〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃If　I　wanted　to　take　you　Greek…style；　I　could。〃
　She　resisted　the　idea　but　finally　said；　〃Is　that　what　you　want？〃
　〃If　I　did　want　it；　I　could　have　it。　You'd　let　me。〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　It　was　his　turn　to　smile。　He　glanced　around　the　cafe。　No　one　was　looking　at　them；　no　one　had　heard。　〃Are　you　married；　Alice？〃
　〃No。　Divorced。〃
　〃Why　did　you　get　a　divorce？〃
　〃He　couldn't　hold　a　job。〃
　〃Your　husband　couldn't？〃
　〃Yeah；　him。〃
　〃Was　he　good　in　bed？〃
　〃Not　very。〃
　She　was　even　more　like　Miriam　than　he　had　thought。　After　all　these　years　he　could　still　remember　what　Miriam　had　said　to　him　the　day　she　left。　You're　not　just　bad　in　bed；　Ogden。　You're　terrible。　And　you've　no　inclination　to　learn。　But　you　know；　I　could　live　with　that　if　there　were　pensations。　If　you　had　money　and　could　buy　me　things；　maybe　I　could　live　with　your　fumbling　sex。　When　I　said　I'd　marry　you；　I　thought　you　were　going　to　make　lots　of　money。　Jesus　Christ；　you　were　at　the　top　of　your　class　at　Harvard！　When　you　pleted　your　doctorate；　everyone　wanted　to　hire　you。　If　you　had　any　ambition　whatsoever；　you'd　have　already　gotten　your　hands　on　a　decent　piece　of　mon