dk.watchers-第12部分

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idn't　give　you　any　mand。　I　didn't　ask　you　to　get　me　a　beer。　You　did　it　on　your　own　hook；　as　if　you　figured　a　beer　was　exactly　what　I　needed　at　the　moment。　And　it　was。〃
　Travis　put　one　can　down　on　the　table。　He　wiped　the　other　on　his　shirt；　popped　it　open；　and　took　a　few　swallows。　He　was　not　concerned　that　the　can　had　been　in　the　dog's　mouth。　He　was　too　excited　by　the　animal's　amazing　performance　to　worry　about　germs。　Besides；　it　had　held　each　can　by　the　bottom；　as　if　concerned　about　hygiene。
　The　retriever　watched　him　drink。
　When　he　had　finished　a　third　of　the　beer；　Travis　said；　〃It　was　almost　as　if　you　understood　that　I　was　tense；　upset…and　that　a　beer　would　help　relax　me。　Now；　is　that　crazy　or　what？　We're　talking　analytical　reasoning。　Okay；　so　pets　can　sense　their　masters'　moods　a　lot　of　the　time。　But　how　many　pets　know　what　beer　is；　and　how　many　realize　what　it　can　do　to　make　the　master　more　mellow？　Anyway；　how'd　you　know　there　was　beer　in　the　fridge？　I　guess　you　could've　seen　it　sometime　during　the　evening　when　I　was　fixing　dinner；　but　still　。　。
　His　hands　were　shaking。　He　drank　more　of　the　beer；　and　the　can　rattled　lightly　against　his　teeth。
　The　dog　went　around　the　red　Formica　table　to　the　twin　cabinet　doors　below　the　sink。　It　opened　one　of　these；　stuck　its　head　into　the　dark　space；　and　pulled　out　the　bag　of　Milk…Bone　biscuits；　which　it　brought　straight　to　Travis。
　He　laughed　and　said；　〃Well；　if　I　can　have　a　beer；　I　guess　you　deserve　a　treat　of　your　own；　huh？〃　He　took　the　bag　from　the　dog　and　tore　it　open。　〃Do　a　few　Milk…Bones　mellow　you　out；　fur　face？〃　He　put　the　open　bag　on　the　floor。　〃Serve　yourself。　I　trust　you　not　to　overindulge　like　an　ordinary　dog。〃　He　laughed　again。　〃Hell；　I　think　I　might　trust　you　to　drive　the　car！〃
　The　retriever　finessed　a　biscuit　out　of　the　package；　sat　down　with　its　hind　legs　splayed；　and　happily　crunched　up　the　treat。
　Pulling　out　a　chair　and　sitting　at　the　table；　Travis　said；　〃You　give　me　reason　to　believe　in　miracles。　Do　you　know　what　I　was　doing　in　those　woods　this　morning？〃
　Working　its　jaws；　industriously　grinding　up　the　biscuit；　the　dog　seemed　to　have　lost　interest　in　Travis　for　the　moment。
　〃I　went　out　there　on　a　sentimental　journey；　hoping　to　recall　the　pleasure
　I　got　from　the　Santa　Anas　when　I　was　a　boy；　in　the　days　before　。　。　。　everything
　turned　so　dark。　I　wanted　to　kill　a　few　snakes　like　I　did　when　I　was　a　kid；
　hike　and　explore　and　feel　in　tune　with　life　like　in　the　old　days。　Because　for
　a　long　time　now；　I　haven't　cared　whether　I　live　or　die。〃
　The　dog　stopped　chewing；　swallowed　hard；　and　focused　on　Travis　with　undivided　attention。
　〃Lately；　my　depressions　have　been　blacker　than　midnight　on　the　moon。　Do　you　understand　about　depression；　pooch？〃
　Leaving　the　Milk…Bone　biscuits　behind；　the　retriever　got　up　and　came　to　him。　It　gazed　into　his　eyes　with　that　unnerving　directness　and　intensity　that　it　had　shown　before。
　Meeting　its　stare；　he　said；　〃Wouldn't　consider　suicide；　though。　For　one　thing；　I　was　raised　a　Catholic；　and　though　I　haven't　gone　to　Mass　in　ages；　I　still　sort　of　believe。　And　for　a　Catholic；　suicide　is　a　mortal　sin。　Murder。　Besides；　I'm　too　mean　and　too　stubborn　to　give　up；　no　matter　how　dark　things　get。〃
　The　retriever　blinked　but　did　not　break　eye　contact。
　〃I　was　in　those　woods　searching　for　the　happiness　I　once　knew。　And　then　I　ran　into　you。〃
　〃Woof；〃　it　said；　as　if　it　were　saying；　Good。
　He　took　its　head　in　both　his　hands；　lowered　his　face　to　it；　and　said；　〃Depression。　A　feeling　that　existence　was　pointless。　How　would　a　dog　know　about
　those　things；　hmmm？　A　dog　has　no　worries；　does　it？　To　a　dog；　every　day　is　a　joy。　So　do　you　really　understand　what　I'm　talking　about；　boy？　Honest　to　God；　I　think　maybe　you　do。　But　am　I　crediting　you　with　too　much　intelligence；　too　much　wisdom　even　for　a　magical　dog？　Huh？　Sure；　you　can　do　some　amazing　tricks；　but　that's　not　the　same　as　understanding　me。〃
　The　retriever　pulled　away　from　him　and　returned　to　the　Milk…Bone　package。　It　took　the　bag　in　its　teeth　and　shook　out　twenty　or　thirty　biscuits　onto　the　linoleum。
　〃There　you　go　again；〃　Travis　said。　〃One　minute；　you　seem　half　human…　and　the　next　minute　you're　just　a　dog　with　a　dog's　interests。〃
　However；　the　retriever　was　not　seeking　a　snack。　It　began　to　push　the　biscuits　around　with　the　black　tip　of　its　snout；　maneuvering　them　into　the　open　center　of　the　kitchen　floor　one　at　a　time；　ordering　them　neatly　end　to　end。
　〃What　the　hell　is　this？〃
　The　dog　had　five　biscuits　arranged　in　a　row　that　gradually　curved　to　the　right；　it　pushed　a　sixth　into　place；　emphasizing　the　curve。
　As　he　watched；　Travis　hastily　finished　his　first　beer　and　opened　the　second。　He　had　a　feeling　he　was　going　to　need　it。
　The　dog　studied　the　row　of　biscuits　for　a　moment；　as　if　not　quite　sure　what　it　had　begun　to　do。　It　padded　back　and　forth　a　few　times；　clearly　uncertain；　but　eventually　nudged　two　more　biscuits　into　line。　It　looked　at　Travis；　then　at　the　shape　it　was　creating　on　the　floor；　then　nosed　a　ninth　biscuit　into　place。
　Travis　sipped　some　beer　and　waited　tensely　to　see　what　would　happen　next。　With　a　shake　of　its　head　and　a　snort　of　frustration；　the　dog　went　to　the　far　end　of　the　room　and　stood　facing　into　the　corner；　its　head　hung　low。　Travis　wondered　what　it　was　doing；　and　then　somehow　he　got　the　idea　that　it　had　gone　into　the　corner　in　order　to　concentrate。　After　a　while；　it　returned　and　pushed　the　tenth　and　eleventh　Milk…Bones　into　place；　enlarging　the　pattern。
　He　was　stricken　again　by　the　premonition　that　something　of　great　importance　was　about　to　happen。　Gooseflesh　dimpled　his　arms。
　This　time　he　was　not　disappointed。　The　golden　retriever　used　nineteen　biscuits　to　form　a　crude　but　recognizable　question　mark　on　the　kitchen　floor；　then　raised　its　expressive　eyes　to　Travis。
　A　question　mark。
　Meaning：　Why？　Why　have　you　been　so　depressed？　Why　do　you　feel　life　is　pointless；　empty？
　The　dog　apparently　understood　what　he　had　told　it。　All　right；　okay；　so　maybe　it　didn't　understand　language　exactly；　didn't　follow　every　word　that　he　spoke；　but　it　somehow　perceived　the　meaning　of　what　he　was　saying；　or　at　least　enough　of　the　meaning　to　arouse　its　interest　and　curiosity。
　And；　by　God；　if　it　also　understood　the　purpose　of　a　question　mark；　then　it　was　capable　of　abstract　thinking！　The　very　concept　of　simple　symbols…　like　alphabets；　numbers；　question　marks；　and　exclamation　points…serving　as　shorthand　for　municating　plex　ideas　。　。　。　well；　that　required　abstract　thinking。　And　abstract　thinking　was　reserved　for　only　one　species　on　earth：　humankind。　This　golden　retriever　was　demonstrably　not　human；　but　somehow　it　had　e　into　possession　of　intellectual　skills　that　no　other　animal　could　claim。
　Travis　was　stunned。　But　there　was　nothing　accidental　about　the　question　mark。　Crude　but　not　accidental。　Somewhere；　the　dog　must　have　seen　the
　symbol　and　been　taught　its　meaning。　Statistical　theorists　said　an　infinite　number　of　monkeys；　equipped　with　an　infinite　number　of　typewriters；　would　eventually　be　able　to　recreate　every　line　of　great　English　prose　merely　by　random　chance。　He　figured　that　this　dog　forming　a　Milk…Bone　question　mark　in　about　two　minutes　flat；　merely　by　purest　chance；　was　about　ten　times　as　unlikely　as　all　those　damn　monkeys　recreating　Shakespeare's　plays。
　The　dog　was　watching　him　expectantly。
　Getting　up；　he　found　he　was　a　bit　shaky　in　the　legs。　He　went　to　the　carefully　arranged　biscuits；　scattered　them　across　the　floor；　and　returned　to　his　chair。
　The　retriever　studied　the　disarranged　Milk…Bones；　regarded　Travis　inquiringly；　sniffed　at　the　biscuits　again；　and　seemed　baffled。
　Travis　waited。
　The　house　was　unnaturally　quiet；　as　if　the　flow　of　time　had　been　suspended　for　every　living　creature；　machine；　and　object　on　earth…though　not　for　him；　the　retriever；　or　the　contents　of　the　kitchen。
　At　last；　the　dog　began　to　push　the　biscuits　around　with　its　nose　as　it　had　done　before。　In　a　minute　or　two；　it　formed　a　question　mark。
　Travis　chugged　some　Coors。　His　heart　was　hammering。　His　palms　were　sweaty。　He　was　filled　with　both　wonder　and　trepidation；　with　both　wild　joy　and　fear　of　the　unknown；　simultaneously　awestricken　and　bewildered。　He　wanted　to　laugh　because　he　had　never　seen　anything　half　as　delightful　as　this　dog。　He　also　wanted　to　cry　because　only　hours　ago　he'd　thought　life　was　bleak；　dark；　and　pointless。　But　no　matter　how　painful　it　was　sometimes；　life　was　（he　now　realized）　nonetheless　precious。　He　actually　felt　as　if　God　had　sent　the　retriever　to　intrigue　him；　to　remind　him　that　the　world　was　full　of　surprises　and　that　despair　made　no　sense　when　one　had　no　understanding　of　the　purpose…and　strange　possibilities…of　existence。　Travis　wanted　to　laugh；　but　his　laughter　teetered　on　the　brink　of　a　sob。　Yet　when　he　surrendered　to　the　sob；　it　became　a　laugh。　When　he　attempted　to　stand；　he　knew　that　he　was　even　shakier　than　before；　too　shaky；　so　he　did　the　only　thing　he　could　do：　he　stayed　in　his　chair　and　took　another　long　swallow　of　Coors。
　Cocking　its　head　one　way　and　then　the　other；　looking　slightly　wary；　the　dog　watched　him　as　if　it　thought　he　had　gone　mad。　He　had。　Months　ago。　But　he　was　all　better　now。
　He　put　down　the　Coors　and　wiped　tears　out　of　his　eyes　with　the　backs　of　his　hands。　He　said；　〃e　here；　fur　face。〃
　The　retriever　hesitated；　then　came　to　him。
　He　ruffled　and　stroked　its　coat；　scratched　behind　its　ears。　〃You　amaze　me　and　scare　me。　I　can't　figure　where　you　came　from　or　how　you　got　to　be　what　you　are；　but　you　couldn't　have　e　where　you're　more　needed。　A　question　mark；　huh？　Jesus。　All　right。　You　want　to　know　why　I　felt　life　had　no　purpose　or　joy　for　me？　I'll　tell　you。　I　will；　by　God；　I'll　sit　right　here　and　have　another　beer　and　tell　it　to　a　dog。　But　first　。　。　。　I'm　going　to　name　you。〃
　The　retriever　blew　air　out　of　its　nostrils；　as　if　to　say；　Well；　it's　about　time。
　Holding　the　dog's　head；　looking　straight　into　its　eyes；　Travis　said；　〃Einstein。　From　now　on；　fur　face；　your　name　is　Einstein。〃
　4
　　
　Streck　called　again　at　ten　minutes　past　nine。
　Nora　snatched　up　the　phone　on　the　first　ring；　fiercely　determined　to　tell　him　off　and　make　him　leave　her　alone。　But　for　some　reason　she　clenched　up　again　and　was　un