dk.watchers-第51部分

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　and　The　Outsider's　intelligence；　to　discover　how　close　their　perceptions　were　to　those　of　a　human　being。　One　of　the　experiments　had　been　designed　to　probe　their　ability　to　differentiate　between　fantasy　and　reality。　On　several　occasions；　the　dog　and　The　Outsider　had　separately　been　shown　a　videotape　that　had　been　assembled　from　film　clips　of　all　kinds：　bite　of　old　John　Wayne　movies；　footage　from　George　Lucas's　Star　Wars；　news　films；　scenes　from　a　wide　variety　of　documentaries…and　old　Mickey　Mouse；　cartoons。　The　reactions　of　the　dog　and　The　Outsider　were　filmed　and；　later；　they　were　quizzed　to　see　it　they　understood　which　segments　of　the　videotape　were　of　real　events　and　which　were　flights　of　the　imagination。　Both　creatures　had　gradually　learned　to　identify　fantasy　when　they　saw　it；　but；　strangely；　the　one　fantasy　they　most　wanted　to　believe　in；　the　fantasy　they　clung　to　the　longest；　was　Mickey　Mouse。　They　were　enthralled　by　Mickey's　adventures　with　his　cartoon　friends。　After　escaping　Banodyne；　The　Outsider　had　some　how　e　across　this　coin　bank　and　had　wanted　it　badly　because　the　poor　damn　thing　was　reminded　of　the　only　real　pleasure　it　had　ever　known　while　in　the　lab。
　In　the　beam　of　Deputy　Bockner's　flashlight；　something　on　the　shelf　glinted。　It　was　lying　nearly　flat　beside　the　coin　bank；　and　they　almost　overlooked　it。　Cliff　stepped　onto　the　grass　bed　and　plucked　the　gleaming　object　Out　of　the　wall　niche：　a　three…inch…by…four…inch　triangular　fragment　of　a　mirror。
　The　Outsider　huddled　here；　Lem　thought；　trying　to　take　heart　from　its　meager　treasures；　trying　to　make　as　much　of　a　home　for　itself　as　was　possible。　Once　in　a　while　it　picked　up　this　jagged　shard　from　a　mirror　and　stared　at　itself；　perhaps　searching　hopefully　for　an　aspect　of　its　countenance　that　was　not　ugly；　perhaps　trying　to　e　to　terms　with　what　it　was。　And　failing。　Surely　failing。
　〃Dear　God；〃　Cliff　Soames　said　quietly；　for　the　same　thoughts　had　apparently　passed　through　his　mind。　〃The　poor　miserable　bastard。〃
　The　Outsider　had　possessed　one　additional　item：　a　copy　of　People　magazine。　Robert　Redford　was　on　the　cover。　With　a　claw；　sharp　stone；　or　some　other　instrument；　The　Outsider　had　cut　out　Redford's　eyes。
　The　magazine　was　rumpled　and　tattered；　as　if　it　had　been　paged　through　a　hundred　times；　and　now　Deputy　Bockner　handed　it　to　them　and　suggested　they　page　through　it　once　more。　On　doing　so；　Lem　saw　that　the　eyes　of　every　person　pictured　in　the　issue　had　been　either　scratched；　cut；　or　crudely　torn　out。
　The　thoroughness　of　this　symbolic　mutilation…not　one　image　in　the　magazine　had　been　spared…was　chilling。
　The　Outsider　was　pathetic；　yes；　and　it　was　to　be　pitied。
　But　it　was　also　to　be　feared。
　Five　victims…some　gutted；　some　decapitated。
　The　innocent　dead　must　not　be　forgotten；　not　for　a　moment。　Neither　an　affection　for　Mickey　Mouse　nor　a　love　of　beauty　could　excuse　such　slaughter。
　But　Jesus　。
　The　creature　had　been　given　sufficient　intelligence　to　grasp　the　importance　and　the　benefits　of　civilization；　to　long　for　acceptance　and　a　meaningful　existence。　Yet　a　fierce　lust　for　violence；　a　killing　instinct　second　to　none　in　nature；　was　also　engineered　into　it　because　it　was　meant　to　be　a　smart　killer　on　a　long　invisible　leash；　a　living　machine　of　war。　No　matter　how　long　it　existed　in　peaceful　solitude　in　its　canyon　cave；　no　matter　how　many　days　or　weeks　it　resisted　its　own　violent　urges；　it　could　not　change　what　it　was。　The　pressure　would　build　within　it　until　it　could　no　longer　contain　itself；　until　the　slaughter　of　small　animals　would　not　provide　enough　psychological　relief；　and　then　it　would　seek　larger　and　more　interesting　prey。　It　might　damn　itself　for　its　savagery；　might　long　to　remake　itself　into　a　creature　that　could　exist　in　harmony　with　the　rest　of　the　world；　but　it　was　powerless　to　change　what　it　Was。　Only　hours　ago；　Lem　had　pondered　how　difficult　it　was　for　him　to　bee　a　different　man　from　the　one　his　father　had　raised；　how　hard　it　was　for　any　man　to　change　what　life　had　made　him；　but　at　least　it　was　possible　if　one　had　the　determination；　willpower；　and　time。　However；　for　The　Outsider　change　Was　impossible；　murder　was　in　the　beast's　genes；　locked　in；　and　it　could　expect　no　hope　of　re…creation　or　salvation。
　〃What　the　hell　is　this　all　about？〃　Deputy　Bockner　asked；　finally　unable　to　repress　his　curiosity。
　〃Believe　me；〃　Lem　said；　〃you　don't　want　to　know。〃
　〃What　was　in　this　cave？〃　Bockner　asked。
　Lem　only　shook　his　head。　If　two　more　people　had　to　die；　it　was　a　stroke　of　good　fortune　that　they　had　been　murdered　in　a　national　forest。　This　was　federal　land；　which　meant　much　simpler　procedures　by　which　the　NSA　could　assume　authority　in　the　investigation。
　Cliff　Soames　was　still　turning　the　fragment　of　mirror　over　and　over　in　his　hand；　staring　at　it　thoughtfully。
　Looking　around　the　eerie　chamber　one　last　time；　Lem　Johnson　made　a　promise　to　himself　and　to　his　dangerous　quarry：　When　I　find　you；　I　won't　consider　trying　to　take　you　alive；　no　net　or　tranquilizer　guns；　as　the　scientists　and　the　military　types　would　prefer；　instead；　I'll　shoot　you　quick　and　clean；　take　you　down　fast。
　That　was　not　only　the　safest　plan。　It　would　also　be　an　act　of　passion　and　mercy。
　　　
　4
　By　the　first　of　August；　Nora　sold　all　of　Aunt　Violet's　furniture　and　other　possessions。　She　had　phoned　a　man　who　dealt　in　antiques　and　secondhand　furniture；　and　he　had　given　her　one　price　for　everything；　and　she　had　accepted　it　happily。　Now…except　for　dishes；　silverware；　and　the　furniture　in　the　bedroom　that　she　had　made　her　own…the　rooms　were　empty　from　wall　to　wall。　The　house　seemed　cleansed；　purified；　exorcised。　All　evil　spirits　had　been　driven　out；　and　she　knew　she　now　had　the　will　to　redecorate　entirely。　But　she　no　longer　wanted　the　place；　so　she　telephoned　a　real…estate　agent　and　put　it　on　the　market。
　Her　old　clothes　were　gone；　too；　all　of　them；　and　she　had　an　entirely　new　wardrobe　with　slacks　and　skirts　and　blouses　and　jeans　and　dresses　like　any　woman　might　have。　Occasionally；　she　felt　too　conspicuous　in　bright　colors；　but　she　always　resisted　the　urge　to　change　into　something　dark　and　drab。
　She　still　had　not　found　the　courage　to　put　her　artistic　talent　on　the　market　and　see　if　her　work　was　worth　anything。　Travis　nudged　her　about　it　now　and　then；　in　ways　he　thought　were　subtle；　but　she　was　not　ready　to　lay　her　fragile　ego　on　the　anvil　and　give　just　anyone　a　chance　to　swing　a　hammer　at　it。　Soon；　but　not　yet。
　Sometimes；　when　she　looked　at　herself　in　a　mirror　or　noticed　her　reflection　in　a　sun…silvered　store　window；　she　realized　that；　indeed；　she　was　pretty。　Not　beautiful；　perhaps；　not　gorgeous　like　some　movie　star；　but　moderately　pretty。　However；　she　did　not　seem　to　be　able　to　hold　on　to　this　breakthrough　perception　of　her　appearance；　at　least　not　for　long；　because　every　few　days　she　would　be　surprised　anew　by　the　eliness　of　the　face　looking　back　at　her　from　the　mirror。
　On　the　fifth　of　August；　late　in　the　afternoon；　she　and　Travis　were　sitting　at　the　table　in　his　kitchen；　playing　Scrabble；　and　she　was　feeling　pretty。　A　few　minutes　ago；　in　the　bathroom；　she'd　had　another　of　those　revelations　when　she　had　looked　in　the　mirror；　and　in　fact　she　had　liked　her　looks　more　than　ever　before。　Now；　back　at　the　Scrabble　board；　she　felt　buoyant；　happier　than　she　would　have　once　believed　possible…and　mischievous。　She　started　using　her　tiles　to　spell　nonsense　words　and　then　vociferously　defended　them　when　Travis　questioned　their　legitimacy。
　'Dofnup'？〃　he　said；　frowning　at　the　board。　〃There's　no　such　word　as　'dofnup。'〃
　〃It's　a　triangular　cap　that　loggers　wear；〃　she　said。
　〃Loggers？〃
　〃Like　Paul　Bunyan。〃
　〃Loggers　wear　knit　caps；　what　you　call　toboggan　caps；　or　round　leather　caps　with　earflaps。〃
　〃I'm　not　talking　about　what　they　wear　to　work　in　the　woods；〃　she　explained　patiently。　〃　'Dofnup。'　That's　the　name　of　the　cap　they　wear　to　bed。〃
　He　laughed　and　shook　his　head。　〃Are　you　putting　me　on？〃
　She　kept　a　straight　face。　〃No。　It's　true。〃
　〃Loggers　wear　a　special　cap　to　bed？〃
　〃Yes。　The　dofnup。〃
　He　was　unaccustomed　to　the　very　idea　that　Nora　would　play　a　joke　on　him；　so　he　fell　for　it。　〃Dofnup？　Why　do　they　call　it　that？〃
　〃Beats　me；〃　she　said。
　Einstein　was　on　the　floor；　on　his　belly；　reading　a　novel。　Since　graduating　with　startling　swiftness　from　picture　books　to　children's　literature　like　The　Wind　in　the　Willows；　he　had　been　reading　eight　and　ten　hours　a　day；　every　day。　He　couldn't　get　enough　books。　He'd　bee　a　prose　junkie。　Ten　days　ago；　when　the　dog's　obsession　with　reading　had　finally　outstripped　Nora's　patience　for　holding　books　and　turning　pages；　they　had　tried　to　puzzle　out　an　arrangement　that　would　make　it　possible　for　Einstein　to　keep　a　volume　open　in　front　of　him　and　turn　the　pages　himself。　At　a　hospital…supply　pany；　they　had　found　a　device　designed　for　patients　who　had　the　use　of　neither　arms　nor　legs。　It　was　a　metal　stand　onto　which　the　boards　of　the　book　were　clamped；　electrically　powered　mechanical　arms；　controlled　by　three　push　buttons；　turned　the　pages　and　held　them　in　place。　A　quadriplegic　could　operate　it　with　a　stylus　held　in　his　teeth；　Einstein　used　his　nose。　The　dog　seemed　immensely　pleased　by　the　arrangement。　Now；　he　whimpered　softly　about　something　he　had　just　read；　pushed　one　of　the　buttons；　and　turned　another　page。
　Travis　spelled　〃wicked〃　and　picked　up　a　lot　of　points　by　using　a　doublescore　square；　so　Nora　used　her　tiles　to　spell　〃hurkey；〃　which　was　worth　even　more　points。
　〃'Hurkey'？〃　Travis　said　doubtfully。
　〃It's　a　favorite　Yugoslavian　meal；〃　she　said。
　〃It　is？〃
　〃Yes。　The　recipe　includes　both　ham　and　turkey；　which　is　why　they　call　it…〃　She　couldn't　finish。　She　broke　into　laughter。
　He　gaped　at　her　in　astonishment。　〃You　are　putting　me　on。　You　are　putting　me　on！　Nora　Devon；　what's　bee　of　you？　When　I　first　met　you；　I　said　to　myself；　'Now；　there's　the　grimmest…damn…most…serious　young　woman　I've　ever　seen。'〃
　〃And　squirrelly。〃
　〃Well；　not　squirrelly。〃
　〃Yes；　squirrelly；〃　she　insisted。　〃You　thought　I　was　squirrelly。〃
　〃All　right；　yeah；　I　thought　you　were　so　squirrelly　you　probably　had　the　attic　of　that　house　packed　full　of　walnuts。〃
　Grinning；　she　said；　〃If　Violet　and　I　had　lived　in　the　south；　we'd