dk.watchers-第58部分

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　spotted。　The　day　was　still　light　enough　to　make　the　thing　leery　of　the　outdoors。　Furthermore；　Travis　could　sense　its　presence　nearby；　the　way　he　might　sense　that　someone　was　staring　at　him　behind　his　back；　the　way　he　might　sense　an　oning　thunderstorm　on　a　humid　day　with　a　lowering　sky。　It　was　out　there；　all　right；　waiting　in　the　kitchen；　ready　and　waiting。
　Cautiously；　Travis　returned　to　the　archway　and　stepped　into　the　half…dark　dining　room。
　Einstein　stayed　close　at　his　side；　neither　whining　nor　growling　nor　barking。　The　dog　seemed　to　realize　that　Travis　needed　plete　silence　in　order　to　hear　any　sound　the　beast　might　make。
　Travis　took　two　more　steps。
　Ahead；　through　the　kitchen　door；　he　could　see　a　corner　of　the　table；　the　sink；　part　of　a　counter；　half　of　the　dishwasher。　The　setting　sun　was　at　the　other　end　of　the　house；　and　the　light　in　the　kitchen　was　dim；　gray；　so　their　adversary　would　not　cast　a　revealing　shadow。　It　might　be　waiting　on　either　side　of　the　door；　or　it　might　have　climbed　onto　the　counters　from　which　it　could　launch　itself　down　at　him　when　he　entered　the　room。
　Trying　to　trick　the　creature；　hoping　that　it　would　react　without　hesitation　to　the　first　sign　of　movement　in　the　doorway；　Travis　tucked　the　revolver　under　his　belt；　quietly　picked　up　one　of　the　dining…room　chairs；　eased　to　within　six　feet　of　the　kitchen；　and　pitched　the　chair　through　the　open　door。　He　snatched　the　revolver　out　of　his　waistband　and；　as　the　chair　sailed　into　the　kitchen；　assumed　a　shooter's　stance。　The　chair　crashed　into　the　Formica…topped　table；　clattered　to　the　floor；　and　banged　against　the　dishwasher。
　The　lantern…eyed　enemy　did　not　go　for　it。　Nothing　moved。　When　the　chair　finished　tumbling；　the　kitchen　was　again　marked　by　a　hushed　expectancy。
　Einstein　was　making　a　curious　sound；　a　quiet　shuddery　huffing；　and　after　a　moment　Travis　realized　the　noise　was　a　result　of　the　dog's　uncontrollable　shivering。
　No　question　about　it：　the　intruder　in　the　kitchen　was　the　very　thing　that　had　pursued　them　through　the　woods　more　than　three　months　ago。　During　the　intervening　weeks；　it　had　made　its　way　north；　probably　traveling　mostly　in　the　wildlands　to　the　east　of　the　developed　part　of　the　state；　relentlessly　tracking　the　dog　by　some　means　that　Travis　could　not　understand　and　for　reasons　he　could　not　even　guess。
　In　response　to　the　chair　he　had　thrown；　a　large　white…enameled　canister　crashed　to　the　floor　just　beyond　the　kitchen　doorway；　and　Travis　jumped　back　in　surprise；　squeezing　off　a　wild　shot　before　he　realized　he　was　only　being　taunted。　The　lid　flew　off　the　container　when　it　hit　the　floor；　and　flour　spilled　across　the　tile。
　Silence　again。
　By　responding　to　Travis's　taunt　with　one　of　its　own；　the　intruder　had　displayed　unnerving　intelligence。　Abruptly　Travis　realized　that；　ing　from　the　same　research　lab　as　Einstein　and　being　a　product　of　related　experiments；　the　creature　might　be　as　smart　as　the　retriever。　Which　would　explain　Einstein's　fear　of　it。　If　Travis　had　not　already　acmodated　himself　to　the　idea　of　a
　dog　with　humanlike　intelligence；　he　might　have　been　unable　to　credit　this　beast　with　more　than　mere　animal　cleverness；　however；　events　of　the　past　few　months　had　primed　him　to　accept…and　quickly　adapt　to…almost　anything。
　Silence。
　Only　one　round　left　in　the　gun。
　Deep　silence。
　He　had　been　so　startled　by　the　flour　canister　that　he　had　not　noticed　from　which　side　of　the　doorway　it　had　been　flung；　and　it　had　fallen　in　such　a　fashion　that　he　could　not　deduce　the　position　of　the　creature　that　had　hurled　it。　He　still　did　not　know　if　the　intruder　was　to　the　left　or　right　of　the　doorway。
　He　was　not　sure　he　any　longer　cared　where　it　was。　Even　with　the　。357　in　hand；　he　did　not　think　he　would　be　wise　to　enter　the　kitchen。　Not　if　the　damn　thing　was　as　smart　as　a　man。　It　would　be　like　doing　battle　with　an　intelligent　buzz　saw；　for　Christ's　sake。
　The　light　in　the　east…facing　kitchen　was　dwindling；　almost　gone。　In　the　dining　room；　where　Travis　and　Einstein　stood；　the　darkness　was　deepening。　Even　behind　them；　in　spite　of　the　open　front　door　and　window　and　the　corner　lamp；　the　living　room　was　filling　with　shadows。
　In　the　kitchen；　the　intruder　hissed　loudly；　a　sound　like　escaping　gas；　which　was　immediately　followed　by　a　click…click…click　that　might　have　been　made　by　its　sharply　clawed　feet　or　hands　tapping　against　a　hard　surface。
　Travis　had　caught　Einstein's　tremors。　He　felt　as　if　he　were　a　fly　on　the　edge　of　a　spider's　web；　about　to　step　into　a　trap。
　He　remembered　Ted　Hockney's　bitten；　bloodied；　eyeless　face。
　Click…click。
　In　antiterrorist　training；　he　had　been　taught　how　to　stalk　men；　and　he　had　been　good　at　it。　But　the　problem　here　was　that　the　yellow…eyed　intruder　was　maybe　as　smart　as　a　man　but　could　not　be　counted　on　to　think　like　a　man；　so　Travis　had　no　way　of　knowing　what　it　might　do　next；　how　it　might　respond　to　any　initiative　he　made。　Therefore；　he　could　never　outthink　it；　and　by　its　alien　nature　the　creature　had　a　perpetual　and　deadly　advantage　of　surprise。
　Click。
　Travis　quietly　took　a　step　back　from　the　open　kitchen　door；　then　another　Step；　treading　with　exaggerated　care；　not　wanting　the　thing　to　discover　that　he　was　retreating　because　only　God　knew　what　it　might　do　if　it　knew　he　was　slipping　out　of　its　reach。　Einstein　padded　silently　into　the　living　room；　now　equally　eager　to　put　distance　between　himself　and　the　intruder。
　When　he　reached　Ted　Hockney's　corpse；　Travis　glanced　away　from　the　dining　room；　searching　for　the　least　littered　route　to　the　front　door…and　he
　saw　Nora　standing　by　the　armchair。　Frightened　by　the　gunfire；　she　had　gotten　a　butcher's　knife　from　the　kitchenette　in　the　Airstream　and　had　e　to　see　if　he　needed　help。
　He　was　impressed　by　her　courage　but　horrified　to　see　her　there　in　the　glow　of　the　corner　lamp。　Suddenly　it　seemed　as　if　his　nightmares　of　losing　both
　Einstein　and　Nora　were　on　the　verge　of　ing　true；　the　Cornell　Curse　again；　because　now　they　were　both　inside　the　house；　both　vulnerable；　both　possibly　within　striking　distance　of　the　thing　in　the　kitchen。
　She　started　to　speak。
　Travis　shook　his　head　and　raised　one　hand　to　his　mouth。
　Silenced；　she　bit　her　lip　and　glanced　from　him　to　the　dead　man　on　the　floor。
　As　Travis　quietly　stepped　through　the　rubble；　he　was　stricken　by　a　feeling　that　the　intruder　had　gone　out　the　back　of　the　house　and　was　ing　around　the　side；　heading　for　the　front　door；　risking　being　seen　by　neighbors　in　the　gloom　of　twilight；　intending　to　enter　behind　them；　swift　and　fast。　Nora　was　standing　between　Travis　and　the　front　door；　so　he　would　not　have　a　clear　shot　at　the　creature　if　it　came　that　way；　hell；　it　would　be　all　over　Nora　one　second　after　it　reached　the　door。　Trying　not　to　panic；　trying　not　to　think　of　Hockney's　eyeless　face；　Travis　moved　more　quickly　across　the　living　room；　risking　the　crackle　of　some　debris　underfoot；　hoping　those　small　noises　would　not　carry　to　the　kitchen　if　the　intruder　was　still　out　there。　Reaching　Nora；　he　took　her　by　the　arm　and　propelled　her　toward　the　front　door；　out　onto　the　stoop　and　down　the　stairs；　looking　left　and　right；　half…expecting　to　see　the　living　nightmare　rushing　at　them；　but　it　was　nowhere　in　sight。
　The　gunshots　and　Nora's　shouting　had　drawn　neighbors　as　far　as　their　front　doors　all　along　the　street。　A　few　had　even　e　outside　onto　porches　and　lawns。　Somebody　surely　would　have　called　the　cops。　Because　of　Einstein's　status　as　a　much…wanted　fugitive；　the　police　seemed　almost　as　grave　a　danger　as　the　yellow…eyed　thing　in　the　house。　
　The　three　of　them　piled　into　the　pickup。　Nora　locked　her　door；　and　Travis　locked　his。　He　started　the　engine　and　backed　the　truck…and　the　Airstream…　out　of　the　driveway；　into　the　street。　He　was　aware　of　people　staring。
　The　twilight　was　going　to　be　short…lived；　as　it　always　was　near　the　ocean。　Already；　the　sunless　sky　was　blackish　in　the　east；　purple　overhead；　and　a　steadily　darkening　blood…red　in　the　west。　Travis　was　grateful　for　the　oning　cover　of　nightfall；　although　he　knew　the　yellow…eyed　creature　would　be　sharing　it　with　them。
　He　drove　past　the　gaping　neighbors；　none　of　whom　he　had　ever　met　during　his　years　of　self…imposed　solitude；　and　he　turned　at　the　first　corner。　Nora　held　Einstein　tightly；　and　Travis　drove　as　fast　as　he　dared。　The　trailer　rocked　and　swayed　behind　them　when　he　took　the　next　couple　of　corners　at　too　great　a　speed。
　〃What　happened　in　there？〃　she　asked。
　〃It　killed　Hockney　earlier　today　or　yesterday…〃
　〃It？〃
　〃…and　it　was　waiting　for　us　to　e　home。〃
　〃It？〃　she　repeated。
　Einstein　mewled。
　Travis　said；　〃I'll　have　to　explain　later。〃　He　wondered　if　he　could　explain。
　No　description　he　gave　of　the　intruder　would　do　it　justice；　he　did　not　possess　the　words　necessary　to　convey　the　degree　of　its　strangeness。
　They　had　gone　no　more　than　eight　blocks　when　they　heard　sirens　in　the　neighborhood　that　they　had　just　left。　Travis　drove　another　four　blocks　and　parked　in　the　empty　lot　of　a　high　school。
　〃What　now？〃　Nora　asked。
　〃We　abandon　the　trailer　and　the　truck；〃　he　said。　〃They'll　be　looking　for　both。〃
　He　put　the　revolver　in　her　purse；　and　she　insisted　on　slipping　the　butcher's　knife　in　there；　too；　rather　than　leave　it　behind。
　They　got　out　of　the　pickup　and；　in　the　descending　night；　walked　past　the　side　of　the　school；　across　an　athletic　field；　through　a　gate　in　a　chain…link　fence；　and　onto　a　residential　street　lined　with　mature　trees。
　With　nightfall；　the　breeze　became　a　blustery　wind；　warm　and　parched。　It　blew　a　few　dry　leaves　at　them　and　harried　dust　ghosts　along　the　pavement。
　Travis　knew　they　were　too　conspicuous　even　without　the　trailer　and　truck。　The　neighbors　would　be　telling　the　police　to　look　for　a　man；　woman；　and　golden　retriever…not　the　most　mon　trio。　They　would　be　wanted　for　questioning　in　the　death　of　Ted　Hockney；　so　the　search　for　them　would　not　be　perfunctory。　They　had　to　get　out　of　sight　quickly。
　He　had　no　friends　with　whom　they　could　take　refuge。　After　Paula　died；　he　had　withdrawn　from　his　few　friends；　and　he　hadn't　maintained　relationships　with　any　of　the　real…estate　agents　who　had　once　worked　for　him。　Nora　had　no　friends；　either；　thanks　to　Violet　Devon。
　The　houses　they　passed；　most　with　war