dk.nightchills-第49章

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　2：55　P。M。
　Sam　read　the　last　line　of　Salsbury's　article；　closed　the　book；　and　said；　〃Jesus！〃
　〃At　least　now　we　have　some　idea　of　what's　happening　in　Black　River；〃　Paul　said。
　〃All　of　that　crazy　stuff　about　breaking　down　the　ego；　primer　drugs；　code　phrases；　achieving　total　control；　bringing　contentment　to　the　masses　through　behavioral　modification；　the　benefits　of　a　subliminally　directed　society。　。　。〃　Somewhat　dazed　by　Salsbury's　rhetoric；　Jenny　shook　her　head　as　if　that　would　help　her　to　think　more　clearly。　〃He　sounds　like　a　lunatic。　He's　certifiable。〃
　〃He's　a　Nazi；〃　Sam　said；　〃in　spirit　if　not　in　name。　That's　a　very　special　breed　of　lunatic。　A　very　deadly　breed。　And　there　are　literally　thousands　of　people　like　him；　hundreds　of　thousands　who　would　agree　with　every　word　he　said　about　the　benefits　of　a　'subliminally　directed　society。'〃
　Thunder　exploded　with　such　violence　that　it　sounded　as　if　the　bowl　of　the　sky　had　cracked　in　two。　A　fierce　gust　of　wind　slammed　against　the　house。　The　tempo　of　the　rain　on　the　roof　and　windows　picked　up　to　double　time。
　〃Whatever　he　is；〃　Paul　said；　〃he's　done　exactly　what　he　said　could　be　done。　He's　made　this　insane　scheme　work。　By　God；　that　has　to　be　what's　happening　here。　It　explains　everything　since　the　epidemic　of　night　chills　and　nausea。〃
　〃I　still　don't　understand　why　Dad　and　I　weren't　afflicted；〃　Jenny　said。　〃Salisbury　mentions　in　the　article　that　the　subliminal　program　would　not　affect　illiterates　and　children　who　haven't　yet　e　to　terms；　however　crude；　with　sex　and　death。　But　neither　Dad　nor　I　fit　into　one　of　those　categories。〃
　〃I　think　I　can　answer　that；〃　Paul　said。
　Sam　said；　〃So　can　I。　One　thing　they　teach　budding　pharmacologists　is　that　no　drug　affects　everyone　the　same　way。　On　some　people；　for　instance；　penicillin　has　little　or　no　effect。　Some　people　don't　respond　well　at　all　to　sulfa　drugs。　I　suspect　that；　for　whatever　reasons　of　genes　and　metabolisms　and　body　chemistries；　we're　among　the　tiny　percentage　of　those　who　aren't　touched　by　Salsbury's　drug。〃
　〃And　thank　God　for　that；〃　Jenny　said。　She　hugged　herself　and　shivered。
　〃There　ought　to　be　more　adults　unaffected；〃　Paul　said。　〃It's　summertime。　People　take　vacations。　Wasn't　anyone　out　of　town　during　the　week　when　the　reservoir　was　contaminated　and　the　subliminal　messages　broadcast？〃
　〃When　the　heavy　snows　e；〃　Sam　said；　〃logging　operations　have　to　stop。　So　in　the　warm　months　everyone　connected　with　the　mill　works　his　butt　off　to　make　sure　there　will　be　a　stockpile　of　logs　to　keep　the　saws　going　all　winter。　No　one　at　the　mill　takes　a　vacation　in　the　summer；　And　everyone　in　town　who　serves　the　mill　takes　his　time　off　in　the　winter　too。〃
　Paul　felt　as　if　he　were　on　a　turntable；　whirling　around　and　around。　His　mind　spun　with　the　implications　of　the　article　that　Sam　had　read。　〃Mark　and　Rya　and　I　weren't　affected　because　we　got　to　town　after　the　contaminant　had　passed　out　of　the　reservoir…and　because　we　didn't　watch　whatever　television　programs　or　mercials　contained　the　subliminal　messages。　But　virtually　everyone　else　in　Black　River　is　now　under　Salsbury's　control。〃
　They　stared　at　one　another。
　The　storm　moaned　at　the　window。
　Finally　Sam　said；　〃We　enjoy　the　benefits　and　luxuries　provided　by　modern　science…all　the　while　forgetting　that　the　technological　revolution；　just　like　the　industrial　revolution　before　it；　has　its　dark　side。〃　For　several　long　seconds；　with　the　mantel　clock　ticking　behind　him；　he　studied　the　cover　of　the　book　in　his　hand。　〃The　more　plex　a　society　bees；　the　more　dependent　each　part　of　it　bees　on　every　other　part　of　it；　the　easier　it　is　for　one　man；　one　lunatic　or　true　believer；　to　destroy　it　all　on　a　whim。　One　man　working　alone　can　assassinate　a　chief　of　state　and　precipitate　major　changes　in　his　country's　foreign　and　domestic　policies。　They　tell　us　that　one　man　with　a　degree　in　biology　and　a　lot　of　determination　can　culture　more　than　enough　plague　bacillus　to　destroy　the　world。　One　man　working　alone　can　even　build　a　nuclear　bomb。　All　he　needs　is　a　college　degree　in　physics。　And　the　ability　to　get　his　hands　on　a　few　Pounds　of　plutonium。　Which　isn't　so　damned　hard　to　do　either。　He　can　build　a　bomb　inside　a　suitcase　and　wipe　out　New　York
　City　because。　。　。　Well；　hell；　why　not　because　he　was　mugged　there；　or　because　he　once　got　a　traffic　ticket　in　Manhattan　and　he　doesn't　think　he　deserved　it。
　〃But　Salsbury　can't　be　working　alone；〃　Jenny　said。
　〃I　agree　with　you。〃
　〃The　resources　needed　to　perfect　and　implement　the　program　that　he　described　in　his　article。　。　。　Why；　they　would　be　enormous。〃
　〃A　private　industry　might　be　able　to　finance　it；〃　Paul　said。　〃A　pany　as　large　as　AT&T。〃
　〃No；〃　Sam　said。　〃Too　many　executives　and　research　people　would　have　to　know　about　it。　There　would　be　a　leak。　It　would　never　get　this　far　without　a　leak　to　the　press　and　a　major　scandal。〃
　〃A　single　wealthy　man　could　provide　what　Salsbury　needed；〃　Jenny　said。　〃Someone　as　rich　as　Onassis　was。　Or　Hughes。〃
　Tugging　gently　on　his　beard；　Sam　said；　〃It's　possible；　I　suppose。　But　we're　all　avoiding　the　most　logical　explanation。〃
　〃That　Salsbury　is　working　for　the　United　States　government；〃　Paul　said　worriedly。
　〃Exactly；〃　Sam　said。　〃And　if　he　is　working　for　the　government　or　the　CIA　or　any　branch　of　the　military…then　we're　finished。　Not　just　the　three　of　us　and　Rya；　but　the　whole　damned　country。〃
　Paul　went　to　the　window；　wiped　away　some　of　the　dew；　and　stared　at　wind…lashed　trees　and　billowing　gray　sheets　of　rain。　〃Do　you　think　that　what's　happening　here　is　happening　all　over　the　country？〃
　〃No；〃　Sam　said。　〃If　there　were　a　general　takeover　in　progress；　Salsbury　wouldn't　be　in　a　backwoods　mill　town。　He'd　be　at　a　mand　post　in　Washington。　Or　somewhere　else；　anywhere　else。〃
　〃Then　it's　a　test。　A　field　test；〃
　〃Probably。〃
　〃And　that's　maybe　a　good　sign；〃　Sam　said。　〃The　government　would　run　a　field　test　where　it　already　bad　tight　security。　Most　likely　on　an　army　or　air　force　base。　Not　here。〃
　Lightning　blasted　through　the　thunderheads；　and　for　an　instant　the　patterns　of　rain　on　the　window　seemed　to　form　faces：　Annie's　face；　Mark's　face。。。
　Suddenly　Paul　thought　that　his　wife　and　son；　although　they　had　met　quite　different　deaths；　had　been　killed　by　the　same　force。　Technology。　Science。　Annie　had　gone　into　the　hospital　for　a　simple　appendectomy。　It　hadn't　even　been　an　emergency　operation。　The　anesthesiologist　had　given　her　a　brand…new…on…the…market…revolutionary…you…couldn't…ask…for…better　anesthetic；　something　that　wasn't　as　messy　as　ether；　something　that　was　easier　to　use　（easier　for　the　anesthesiologist）　than　pentothal。　But　after　the　operation　she　didn't　regain　consciousness　as　she　should　have　done。　She　slipped；　instead；　into　a　a。　She'd　had　an　allergic　reaction　to　the　brand…new…on…the…market…revolutionary…you…couldn't…ask…for…better　anesthetic；　and　it　had　destroyed　a　large　part　of　her　liver。　Fortunately；　the　doctors　told　him；　the　liver　was　the　one　organ　of　the　body　that　could　regenerate　itself。　If　they　kept　her　in　the　intensive　care　unit；　supporting　her　life　processes　with　machines；　the　liver　would　repair　itself　day　by　day；　until　eventually　she　would　be　well　again。　She　was　in　intensive　care　for　five　weeks；　at　which　time　the　doctors　fed　all　of　the　data　from　the　life…support　machines　into　a　Medico　puter；　and　the　puter　told　them　that　she　was　well　enough　to　be　moved　out　of　intensive　care　and　into　a　private　room。　Eleven　weeks　later；　the　same　puter　said　she　was　well　enough　to　go　home。　She　was　listless　and　apathetic…but　she　agreed　that　the　puter　must　be　right。　Two　weeks　after　she　came　home；　she　had　a　relapse　and　died　within　forty…eight　hours。　Sometimes　he　thought　that　if　he　had　only　been　a　medical　doctor　instead　of　a　veterinarian；　he　might　have　saved　her。　But　that　was　pointless　masochism。　What　he　could　have　done　was　demand　that　her　Original　surgery　be　performed　with　ether　or　pentothal；　something　known　to　be　safe；　something　that　had　stood　the　test　of　decades。　He　could　have　told　them　to　stuff　their　puter　up　their　collective　ass。　But　he　hadn't　done　that　either。　He　had　trusted　in　their　technology　simply　because　it　was　technology；　because　it　was　all　new。　Americans　were　brought　up　to　respect
　what　was　new　and