dk.nightchills-第39部分
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r something。 You could set your watch by his need。 Usually； he goes into Manhattan； makes the rounds of the leisure and health spas； phones a couple of call girls and has them up to his hotel room。 Now and then one of them es along with the kind of look that sets him off； and he beats the shit out of her。
AGENT： What look is that？
RICHARDSON： Usually blond； but not always。 Usually pale； but not always。 But she is always small。 Five one or five two。 A hundred pounds。 And delicate。 Very delicate features。
AGENT： Why would a girl like that set him off？
RICHARDSON： The Pentagon tried to force him into psychoanalysis。 He went to one session and refused to go the second time。 He did tell the psychiatrist that these frenzies of his were generated by more than the girls' appearance。 They have to be delicate。…but not just in a
physical sense。 They have to seem emotionally vulnerable to him before be gets the urge to pound them senseless。
AGENT： In other words if he thinks the woman is his equal or his superior； she's safe。 But if be feels that he can dominate her…
RICHARDSON： Then she'd better have her Blue Cross paid in full。
AGENT： He hasn't killed any of these women； has he？
RICHARDSON： Not yet。 But he's e close a couple of times。
AGENT： You said someone in the Pentagon covers up for him。
RICHARDSON： Usually someone from our bureau。
AGENT： How？
RICHARDSON： By paying the girl's hospital bills and giving her a lump sum。 The size of the pay…off depends on the extent of her injuries。
AGENT： Is he considered a high security risk？
RICHARDSON： Oh； no。 If be was a closet queen and we found out about it； he'd be classified as a fairly bad risk。 But his hang…ups and vices aren't secret。 They're out in the open。 No one can blackmail him； threaten him with the loss of his job because we already know all of his dirty little secrets。 In fact； whenever he marks up a girl； he has a special number to call； a relay point right in my department。 Someone is at his hotel room within an hour to clean up after him。
AGENT： Nice people you work for。
RICHARDSON： Aren't they？ But I'm surprised that even they put up with this sonofabitch Salsbury。 He's a sick man。 He's a real can of worms all by himself。 They should stick him away in a cell somewhere and just forget all about him。
AGENT： Do you know about his childhood？
RICHARDSON： About his mother and the man who raped him？ It's in the file。
AGENT： It helps to explain why he…
RICHARDSON： You know what？ Even though I can see where his craziness es from； even though I can see that it isn't entirely his fault that he is what he is； I can't dredge up any passion for him。 When I think about all of those girls who ended up in hospitals with their jaws broken and their eyes swollen shut 。 。 。 Listen； did any of those girls feel less pain because Salsbury's evil isn't entirely his own doing？ I'm an old…style liberal when it es to most things。 But this liberal line about passion for the criminal…that's ninety percent horseshit。 You can only spout that kind of garbage if you and your own family have been lucky enough to avoid animals like Salsbury。 If it was up to me； I'd put him on trial for all of those beatings。 Then I'd send him away to a cell somewhere； hundreds of miles from the nearest woman。
Dawson sighed。
He put the reports in the folder and returned the folder to the lower right…hand desk drawer。
O Lord； he thought prayerfully； give me the power to undo what damage he's done in Black River。 If this mistake can be remedied； if the field test can be pleted properly； then I will be able to feed the drug to both Ernst and Ogden。 I'll be able to program them。 I've been making preparations。 You know that。 I'll be able to program them and convert them to Your holy fellowship。 And not just them。 The world。 There will be no more souls for Satan。 Heaven on earth。 That's what it'll be； Lord。 True heaven on earth； all in the shining light of Your love。
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。 Scien
