sk.dreamcatcher-第103部分

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　　　　'Maybe　seventy　miles；　boss。'
　　　　'Then　step　it　up　a　little；　praise　Jesus。　Don't　put　us　in　the　ditch；　but　step　it　up。'　Seventy　miles。　And　if　Owen　and　Devlin　and　'Dud…Duts'　knew　what　Archie　Perlmutter　knew；　they　were　still　on　track。
　　　　'Let　me　get　this　straight；　Archie。　Mr　Gray　is　in　Jonesy…'
　　　　'Yes…'
　　　　'And　they　have　a　dog　with　them　that　can　read　their　minds？'
　　　　'The　dog　hears　their　thoughts；　but　he　doesn't　understand　them。　He's　stiff　only　a　dog。　Boss；　I'm　thirsty。'
　　　　He's　listening　to　the　dog　like　it's　a　fucking　radio；　Kurtz　marvelled。
　　　　'Freddy；　next　exit。　Drinks　all　around。'　He　resented　having　to　make　a　pit…stop　…　resented　losing　even　a　couple　of　miles　on　Owen　…　but　he　needed　Perlmutter。　Happy；　if　possible。
　　　　Up　ahead　was　the　rest　area　where　Mr　Gray　had　traded　his　plow　for　the　cook's　Subaru；　where　Owen　and　Henry　had　also　briefly　pulled　in　because　the　line　went　in　there。　The　parking　lot　was　crammed；　but　among　the　three　of　them　they　had　enough　change　for　the　vending　machines　out　front。
　　　　Praise　God。


7

Whatever　the　triumphs　and　failures　of　the　so…called　'Florida'　Presidency　（that　record　is　in　large　part　still　unwritten）；　there　will　always　be　this：　he　put　an　end　to　the　Space　Scare　with　his　speech　that　November　morning。
　　　　There　were　differing　views　on　why　the　speech　worked　（'It　wasn't　leadership；　it　was　timing；'　one　critic　sniffed）；　but　it　did　work。　Hungry　for　hard　information；　people　who　were　already　on　the　run　pulled　off　the　highway　to　see　the　President　speak。　Appliance　stores　in　malls　filled　up　with　crowds　of　silent；　staring　people。　At　the　food…fuel　stops　along　1…95；　the　counters　shut　down。　TVs　were　placed　beside　the　quiet　cash…registers。　Bars　filled　up。　In　many　places；　people　threw　their　homes　open　to　others　who　wanted　to　watch　the　speech。　They　could　have　listened　on　their　car　radios　（as　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　did）　and　kept　on　trucking；　but　only　a　minority　did。　Most　people　wanted　to　see　the　leader's　face。　According　to　the　President's　detractors；　the　speech　did　nothing　but　break　the　momentum　of　the　panic　…　'Porky　Pig　could　have　given　a　speech　at　that　particular　time　and　gotten　that　particular　result；'　one　of　them　opined。　The　other　took　a　different　view。　'It　was　a　pivotal　moment　in　the　crisis；'　this　fellow　said。　'There　were　maybe　six　thousand　people　on　the　road。　If　the　President　had　said　the　wrong　thing；　there　would　have　been　sixty　thousand　by　two　in　the　afternoon　and　maybe　six　hundred　thousand　by　the　time　the　wave　hit　New　York　…　the　biggest　wave　of　DPs　since　the　Dust　Bowl。　The　American　people；　especially　those　in　New　England；　came　to　their　narrowly…elected　leader　for　help　。　。　。　for　fort　and　reassurance。　He　responded　with　what　may　have　been　the　greatest　my…fellow…Americans　speech　of　all　time。　Simple　as　that。'
　　　　Simple　or　not；　sociology　or　great　leadership；　the　speech　was　about　what　Owen　and　Henry　had　expected　。　。　。　and　Kurtz　could　have　predicted　every　word　and　turn。　At　the　center　were　two　simple　ideas；　both　presented　as　absolute　facts　and　both　calculated　to　soothe　the　terror　which　beat　that　morning　in　the　ordinarily　placent　American　breast。　The　first　idea　was　that；　while　they　had　not　e　waving　olive　branches　and　handing　out　free　introductory　gifts；　the　newers　had　evinced　absolutely　no　signs　of　aggressive　or　hostile　behavior。　The　second　was　that；　while　they　had　brought　some　sort　of　virus　with　them；　it　had　been　contained　within　the　Jefferson　Tract　（the　President　pointed　it　out　on　a　Chroma…Key　green…screen　as　adeptly　as　any　weatherman　pointing　out　a　low…pressure　system）。　And　even　there　it　was　dying；　with　absolutely　no　help　from　the　scientists　and　military　experts　who　were　on　the　scene。
　　　　'While　we　cannot　say　for　sure　at　this　Juncture；'　the　President　told　his　breathless　watchers　（those　who　found　themselves　at　the　New　England　end　of　the　Northeast　Corridor　were；　perhaps　understandably；　the　most　breathless　of　all）；　'we　believe　that　our　visitors　brought　this　virus　with　them　much　as　travellers　from　abroad　may　bring　certain　insects　into　their　country　of　origin　in　their　luggage　or　on　the　produce　they've　purchased。　This　is　something　customs　officials　look　for；　but　of　course'　…　big　smile　from　Great　White　Father　…　'our　recent　visitors　did　not　pass　through　a　customs　checkpoint。'
　　　　Yes；　a　few　people　had　succumbed　to　the　virus。　Most　were　military　personnel。　The　great　in　majority　of　those　who　contracted　it　（'a　fungal　growth　not　unlike　athlete's　foot；'　said　the　Great　White　Father）　beat　it　quite　easily　on　their　own。　A　quarantine　had　been　imposed　around　the　area；　but　the　people　outside　that　zone　were　in　no　danger；　repeat；　no　danger。　'If　you　are　in　Maine　and　have　left　your　homes；'　said　the　President；　'I　suggest　you　return。　In　the　words　of　Franklin　Delano　Roosevelt；　we　have　nothing　to　fear　but　fear　itself。'　Nothing　about　the　slaughter　of　the　grayboys；　the　blown　ship；　the　interred　hunters；　the　fire　at　Gosselin's；　or　the　breakout。　Nothing　about　the　last　of　Gallagher's　Imperial　Valleys　being　hunted　down　like　dogs　（they　were　dogs；　in　the　view　of　many；　worse　than　dogs）。　Nothing　about　Kurtz　and　not　a　whisper　about　Typhoid　Jonesy。　The　President　gave　them　just　enough　to　break　the　back　of　the　panic　before　it　surged　out　of　control。
　　　　Most　people　followed　his　advice　and　went　home。
　　　　For　some；　of　course；　this　was　impossible。
　　　　For　some；　home　had　been　cancelled。


8

The　little　parade　moved　south　under　dark　skies；　led　by　the　rusty　red　Subaru　that　Marie　Turgeon　of　Litchfield　would　never　see　again。　Henry；　Owen；　and　Duddits　were　fifty…five　miles；　or　about　fifty　minutes；　behind。　Pulling　out　of　the　Mile　81　rest　area　（Pearly　was　greedily　glugging　down　his　second　bottle　of　Naya　water　by　the　time　they　rejoined　the　traffic　flow）；　Kurtz　and　his　men　were　roughly　seventy…five　miles　behind　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray；　twenty　miles　behind　Kurtz's　prime　quarry。
　　　　If　not　for　the　cloud　cover；　a　spotter　in　a　low…flying　plane　might　have　been　able　to　see　all　three　at　the　same　time；　the　Subaru　and　both　Humvees；　at　11：43　EST；　when　the　President　finished　his　speech　by　saying；　'God　bless　you；　my　fellow　Americans；　and　God　bless　America。'
　　　　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　were　crossing　the　Kittery…Portsmouth　bridge　into　New　Hampshire；　Henry；　Owen；　and　Duddits　were　passing　Exit　9；　which　gives　access　to　the　munities　of　Falmouth；　Cumberland；　and　Jerusalem's　Lot；　Kurtz；　Freddy；　and　Perlmutter　（Perlmutter's　belly　was　swelling　again；　he　lay　back　groaning　and　passing　noxious　gas；　perhaps　a　kind　of　critical　ment　on　the　Great　White　Father's　speech）　were　near　the　Bowdoinham　exit　of　295；　not　far　north　of　Brunswick。　All　three　vehicles　would　have　been　easy　enough　to　pick　out　because　so　many　people　had　pulled　in　somewhere　to　watch　the　President　give　his　soothing；　Chroma…Key…aided　lecture。
　　　　Drawing　on　Jonesy's　admirably　organized　memories；　Mr　Gray　left　95　for　495　just　after　crossing　over　the　New　Hampshire　Massachusetts　border　。　。　。　and　directed　by　Duddits；　who　saw　Jonesy's　passage　as　a　bright　yellow　line；　the　lead　Humvee　would　follow。　At　the　town　of　Marlborough；　Mr　Gray　would　leave　495　for　1…90；　one　of　America's　major　east…west　highways。　In　the　Bay　State　this　road　is　known　as　the　Mass　Pike。　Exit　8；　according　to　Jonesy；　was　marked　Palmer；　UMass；　Amherst；　and　Ware。　Six　miles　beyond　Ware　was　the　Quabbin。
　　　　Shaft　12　was　what　he　wanted；　Jonesy　said　so；　and　Jonesy　couldn't　lie；　much　as　he　might　have　liked　to。　There　was　a　Massachusetts　Water　Authority　office　at　the　Winsor　Dam；　on　the　south　end　of　the　Quabbin　Reservoir。　Jonesy　could　get　him　that　far；　and　then　Mr　Gray　would　do　the　rest。


9

Jonesy　couldn't　sit　behind　the　desk　anymore　…　if　he　did；　he'd　start　to　blubber。　From　blubbering　he　would　no　doubt　progress　to　gibbering；　from　gibbering　to　yammering；　and　once　he　started　to　yammer；　he'd　probably　be　out　and　rushing　into　Mr　Gray's　arms；　totally　bonkers　and　ready　to　be　extinguished。
　　　　Where　are　we　now；　anyway？　he　wondered。　Marlborough　yet？　Leaving　495　for　90？　7hat　sounds　about　right。
　　　　Not　that　there　was　any　way　to　tell　for　sure；　with　his　window　shuttered。　Jonesy　looked　at　the　window　。　。　。　and　grinned　in　spite　of　himself。　Had　to。　GIVE　UP　E　OUT　had　been　replaced　with　what　he'd　been　thinking　of…　SURRENDER　DOROTHY。
　　　　I　did　that；　he　thought；　and　I　bet　I　could　make　the　goddam　shutters　vanish；　if　I　wanted　to。
　　　　And　so　what？　Mr　Gray　would　put　up　another　set；　or　maybe　just　slop　some　black　paint　on　the　glass。　If　he　didn't　want　Jonesy　looking　out；　Jonesy　would　stay　blind。　The　point　was；　Mr　Gray　controlled　the　outside　part　of　him。　Mr　Gray's　head　had　exploded；　he'd　sporulated　right　in　front　of　Jonesy's　eyes　…　Dr　Jekyll　turns　into　Mr　Byrus　…　and　Jonesy　had　inhaled　him。　Now　Mr　Gray　was　。　。　。
　　　　He's　a　pain；　Jonesy　thought。　Mr　Gray　is　the　pain　in　my　brain。
　　　　Something　tried　to　protest　this　view；　and　he　actually　had　a　coherent　dissenting　thought　…　No；　you've　got　it　all　backward；　you　were　the　one　who　got　out；　who　escaped　…　but　he　pushed　it　away。　That　was　pseudo…intuitive　bullshit；　a　cognitive　hallucination；　not　much　different　than　a　thirsty　man　seeing　a　nonexistent　oasis　in　the　desert。　He　was　locked　in　here。　Mr　Gray　was　out　there；　eating　bacon　and　ruling　the　roost。　If　Jonesy　allowed　himself　to　think　differently；　he'd　be　an　April　Fool　in　November。
　　　　Got　to　slow　him　down。　If　I　can't　stop　him；　is　there　a　way　I　can　at　least　throw　a　monkeywrench　into　the　works？
　　　　He　got　up　and　began　to　walk　around　the　edge　of　the　office。　It　was　thirty…four　paces。　Hell　of　a　short　round…trip。　Still；　he　supposed；　it　was　bigger　than　your　average　jail　cell；　guys　in　Walpole　or　Danvers　or　Shawshank　would　think　this　was　the　cat's　ass。　In　the　middle　of　the　room；　the　dreamcatcher　danced　and　turned。　One　part　of　Jonesy's　mind　counted　paces；　the　other　wondered　how　close　they　were　getting　to　Exit　8　of　the　Mass　Pike。
　　　　Thirty…one；　thirty…two；　thirty…three；　thirty…four。　And　here　he　was；　back　behind　his　chair　again。　Time　for　Round　Two。
　　　　They'd　be　in　Ware　soon　enough　。　。　。　not　that　they'd　stop　there。　Unlike　the　Russian　woman；　Mr　Gray　knew　exactly　where　he　wanted　to　go。
　　　　Thirty…two；　thirty…three；　thirty…four；　thirty…five；　thirty…six。　Behind　his　chair　again　and　ready　for　another　spin。
　　　　He　and　Carla　had　had　three　children　by　the　time　they　turned　thirty　（number　four　had　e　less　than　a　year　ago）；　and