dk.watchers-第10部分

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　Then　he　went　into　the　garage；　where　he　searched　through　cabinets　until　he　found　some　tools。　He　selected　a　hammer　with　a　fortable　rubberized　handle　and　a　polished　steel　head。
　When　he　returned　to　the　quiet　bedroom　and　put　the　hammer　on　the　mattress　beside　the　bound　woman；　her　eyes　widened　almost　ically。
　She　began　to　twist　and　squirm；　tried　to　wrench　her　hands　loose　of　the　looped　adhesive　tape；　to　no　avail。
　Vince　stripped　out　of　his　clothes。
　Seeing　the　woman's　eyes　fix　on　him　with　the　same　terror　with　which　she　had　regarded　the　hammer；　he　said；　〃No；　please；　don't　worry；　Dr。　Yarbeck。　I'm　not　going　to　molest　you。〃　He　hung　his　suit　jacket　and　shirt　on　the　back　of　a　chair。　〃I　have　no　sexual　interest　in　you。〃　He　slipped　out　of　his　shoes；　socks；　and　trousers。　〃You　won't　have　to　suffer　that　humiliation。　I'm　not　that　sort　of　man。　I'm　just　removing　my　clothes　to　avoid　getting　blood　all　over　them。〃
　Naked；　he　picked　up　the　hammer　and　swung　it　at　her　left　leg；　shattering　her　knee。　Perhaps　fifty　or　sixty　hammer　strikes　after　he　began；　The　Moment　arrived。
　Sssssnap。
　Sudden　energy　blasted　through　him。　He　felt　inhumanly　alert；　acutely　sensitive　of　the　color　and　texture　of　everything　around　him。　And　he　felt　far　stronger　than　ever　before　in　his　life；　like　a　god　in　a　man's　body。
　He　dropped　the　hammer　and　fell　to　his　bare　knees　beside　the　bed。　He　put　his　forehead　on　the　bloodied　bedspread　and　took　deep　breaths；　shuddering　with　pleasure　so　intense　it　could　almost　not　be　borne。
　A　couple　of　minutes　later；　when　he　had　recovered；　when　he　had　adjusted　to　his　new　and　more　powerful　condition；　he　got　up；　turned　to　the　dead　woman；　and　bestowed　kisses　on　her　battered　face；　plus　one　in　the　palm　of　each　of　her　hands。
　〃Thank　you。〃
　He　was　so　deeply　moved　by　the　sacrifice　she　had　made　for　him　that　he
　thought　he　might　weep。　But　his　joy　at　his　own　good　fortune　was　greater　than　his　pity　for　her；　and　the　tears　would　not　flow。
　In　the　bathroom　he　took　a　quick　shower。　As　the　hot　water　sluiced　the　soap　from　him；　he　thought　about　how　lucky　he　was　to　have　found　a　way　to　make　murder　his　business；　to　be　paid　for　what　he　would　have　done　anyway；　without　remuneration。
　When　he　had　dressed　again；　he　used　a　towel　to　wipe　off　the　few　things　he　had　touched　since　entering　the　house。　He　always　remembered　every　move　he'd　made；　and　he　never　worried　about　missing　an　object　in　the　wipe…down　and　leaving　a　stray　fingerprint。　His　perfect　memory　was　just　another　part　of　his　Gift。
　When　he　let　himself　out　of　the　house；　he　discovered　that　night　had　fallen。
　　
　　
　THREE
　1
　Throughout　the　early　part　of　the　evening；　the　retriever　exhibited　none　of　the　remarkable　behavior　that　had　stirred　Travis's　imagination。　He　kept　a　watch　on　the　dog；　sometimes　directly；　sometimes　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　but　he　saw　nothing　that　engaged　his　curiosity。
　He　made　a　dinner　of　bacon；　lettuce；　and　tomato　sandwiches　for　himself；　and　he　opened　a　can　of　Alpo　for　the　retriever。　It　liked　the　Alpo　well　enough；　consuming　the　stuff　in　great　gulps；　but　it　clearly　preferred　his　food。　It　sat　on　the　kitchen　floor　beside　his　chair；　looking　at　him　forlornly　as　he　ate　two　sandwiches　at　the　red　Formica…topped　table。　At　last　he　gave　it　two　strips　of　bacon。
　Nothing　about　its　doggy　begging　was　extraordinary。　It　performed　no　startling　tricks。　It　merely　licked　its　chops；　whined　now　and　then；　and　repeatedly　employed　a　limited　repertoire　of　sorrowful　expressions　designed　to　elicit　pity　and　passion。　Any　mutt　would　have　tried　to　cadge　a　treat　in　the　same　fashion。
　Later；　in　the　living　room；　Travis　switched　on　the　television；　and　the　dog　curled　up　on　the　couch　beside　him。　After　a　while　it　put　its　head　on　his　thigh；　wanting　to　be　petted　and　scratched　behind　the　ears；　and　he　obliged。　The　dog　glanced　occasionally　at　the　television　but　had　no　great　interest　in　the　programs。
　Travis　was　not　interested　in　TV；　either。　He　was　intrigued　only　by　the　dog。　He　wanted　to　study　it　and　encourage　it　to　perform　more　tricks。　Although　he　tried　to　think　of　ways　to　elicit　displays　of　its　astonishing　intelligence；　he　could　e　up　with　no　tests　that　would　reliably　gauge　the　animal's　mental　capacity。
　Besides；　Travis　had　a　hunch　that　the　dog　would　not　cooperate　in　a　test。　Most　of　the　time　it　seemed　instinctively　to　conceal　its　cleverness。　He　recalled　its　witlessness　and　ical　clumsiness　in　pursuit　of　the　butterfly；　then　contrasted　that　behavior　with　the　wit　and　agility　required　to　turn　on　the　patio　water　faucet：　those　actions　appeared　to　be　the　work　of　two　different　animals。　Though　it　was　a　crazy　idea；　Travis　suspected　that　the　retriever　did　not　wish　to　draw　attention　to　itself　and　that　it　revealed　its　uncanny　intelligence　only　in　times　of　crisis　（as　in　the　woods）；　or　if　it　was　very　hungry　（as　when　it　had　opened　the　glove　partment　in　the　truck　to　obtain　the　candy　bar）；　or　if　no　one　was　watching　（as　when　it　had　turned　on　the　water　faucet）。
　This　was　a　preposterous　idea　because　it　suggested　that　the　dog　was　not
　only　highly　intelligent　for　one　of　its　species　but　was　aware　of　the　extraordinary　nature　of　its　own　abilities。　Dogs…all　animals；　in　fact…simply　did　not　possess　the　high　degree　of　self　awareness　required　to　analyze　themselves　in　parison　to　others　of　their　kind。　parative　analysis　was　strictly　a　human　quality。　If　a　dog　was　especially　bright　and　capable　of　many　tricks；　it　would　still　not　be　aware　it　was　different　from　most　of　its　kind。　To　assume　this　dog　was；　in　fact；　aware　of　such　things　was　to　credit　it　not　only　with　remarkable　intelligence　but　with　a　capacity　for　reason　and　logic；　and　with　a　facility　for　rational　judgment　superior　to　the　instinct　that　ruled　the　decisions　of　all　other　animals。
　〃You；〃　Travis　told　the　retriever；　gently　stroking　its　head；　〃are　an　enigma　wrapped　in　a　mystery。　Either　that；　or　I'm　a　candidate　for　a　rubber　room。〃
　The　dog　looked　at　him　in　response　to　his　voice；　gazed　into　his　eyes　for　a　moment；　yawned…and　suddenly　jerked　its　head　up　and　stared　beyond　him　at　the　bookshelves　that　flanked　the　archway　between　the　living　and　dining　rooms。　The　satisfied；　dopey；　doggy　expression　on　its　face　had　vanished；　replaced　by　the　keen　interest　Travis　had　seen　before；　which　transcended　ordinary　canine　alertness。
　Scrambling　off　the　sofa；　the　retriever　dashed　to　the　bookshelves。　It　ran　back　and　forth　beneath　them；　looking　up　at　the　colorful　spines　of　the　neatly　arranged　volumes。
　The　rental　house　came　fully…if　unimaginatively　and　cheaply…furnished；　with　upholstery　chosen　for　durability　（vinyl）　or　for　the　ability　to　conceal　ineradicable　stains　（eye…searing　plaids）。　Instead　of　wood；　there　was　lots　of　wood…finish　Formica　that　was　resistant　to　chipping；　scratching；　abrasion；　and　cigarette　burns。　Virtually　the　only　things　in　the　place　reflecting　Travis　Cornell's　own　tastes　and　interests　were　the　books…both　paperbacks　and　hardcovers…　that　filled　the　shelves　in　the　living　room。
　The　dog　appeared　to　be　intensely　curious　about　at　least　some　of　those　few　hundred　volumes。
　Getting　to　his　feet；　Travis　said；　〃What　is　it；　boy？　What's　got　your　tail　in　an　uproar？〃
　The　retriever　jumped　onto　its　hind　feet；　put　its　forepaws　on　one　of　the　shelves；　and　sniffed　the　spines　of　the　books。　It　glanced　at　Travis；　then　returned　to　its　eager　examination　of　his　library。
　He　went　to　the　shelf　in　question；　withdrew　one　of　the　volumes　to　which　the　dog　had　pressed　its　nose…　Treasure　Island　by　Robert　Louis　Stevenson…　and　held　it　out。　〃This？　You're　interested　in　this？〃
　The　dog　studied　the　painting　of　Long　John　Silver　and　a　pirate　ship　that　adorned　the　dust　jacket。　It　looked　up　at　Travis；　then　down　at　Long　John　Silver　again。　After　a　moment；　it　dropped　back　from　the　shelf；　onto　the　floor；　dashed　to　the　shelves　on　the　other　side　of　the　archway；　leaped　up　again；　and　began　sniffing　other　books。
　Travis　replaced　Treasure　Island　and　followed　the　retriever。　It　was　now　applying　its　damp　nose　to　his　collection　of　Charles　Dickens's　novels。　Travis　Picked　up　a　paperback　of　A　Tale　of　Two　Cities。
　Again；　the　retriever　carefully　studied　the　cover　illustration　as　if　actually　trying　to　determine　what　the　book　was　about；　then　looked　up　expectantly　at　Travis。
　Utterly　baffled；　he　said；　〃The　French　Revolution。　Guillotines。　Beheadings。　Tragedy　and　heroism。　It's　。　。　。　uh　。　。　。　well；　it's　all　about　the　importance　of　valuing　individuals　over　groups；　about　the　need　to　place　a　far　greater　value　on　one　man's　or　woman's　life　than　on　the　advancement　of　the　masses。〃
　The　dog　returned　its　attention　to　the　tomes　shelved　in　front　of　it；　sniffing；　sniffing。
　〃This　is　nuts；〃　Travis　said；　putting　A　Tale　of　Two　Cities　back　where　he'd　gotten　it。　〃I'm　giving　plot　synopses　to　a　dog；　for　God's　sake！〃
　Dropping　its　big　forepaws　down　to　the　next　shelf；　the　retriever　panted　and　snuffled　over　the　literature　on　that　row。　When　Travis　did　not　pull　any　of　those　books　out　for　inspection；　the　dog　tilted　its　head　to　get　into　the　shelf；　gently　gripped　a　volume　in　its　teeth；　and　tried　to　withdraw　it　for　further　examination。
　〃Whoa；〃　Travis　said；　reaching　for　the　book。　〃Keep　your　slobber　off　the　fine　bindings；　fur　face。　This　one's　Oliver　Twist。　Another　Dickens。　The　story　of　an　orphan　in　Victorian　England。　He　gets　involved　with　shady　characters；　the　criminal　underworld；　and　they…〃
　The　retriever　dropped　to　the　floor　and　padded　back　to　the　shelves　on　the　other　side　of　the　archway；　where　it　continued　to　sniff　at　those　volumes　within　its　reach。　Travis　could　have　sworn　it　even　gazed　up　wistfully　at　the　books　that　were　above　its　head。
　For　perhaps　five　minutes；　in　the　grip　of　an　eerie　premonition　that　something　of　tremendous　importance　was　about　to　happen；　Travis　followed　the　dog；　showing　it　the　covers　of　a　dozen　novels；　providing　a　line　or　two　of　plot　description　of　each　story。　He　had　no　idea　if　that　was　what　the　precocious　pooch　wanted　him　to　do。　Surely；　it　could　not　understand　the　synopses　he　provided。　Yet　it　seemed　to　listen　raptly　as　he　spoke。　He　knew　he　must　be　misinterpreting　essentially　meaningless　animal　behavior；　attributing　plex　intentions　to　the　dog　when　it　had　none。　Still；　a　premonitory　tingle　coursed　along　the　back　of　his　neck。　As　their　peculiar　search　continued；　Travis　half…expected　some　startling　revelation　at　any　moment…and　at　the　same　time　fel