sk.dreamcatcher-第107部分

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tell　you　something　you　want　to　know。'　A　pause。　'Something　you　need　to　know。'
　　　　Kurtz　considered。　Pain　slapped　the　side　of　the　car　and　came　in　through　the　busted　window。　The　goddamned　window　was　a　pain　in　the　ass；　praise　Jesus；　the　arm　of　his　jacket　was　soaked　right　through　；　but　he　would　have　to　bear　up。　Who　was　responsible；　after　all？
　　　　'You　are；'　Pearly　said；　and　Kurtz　jumped。　The　mind…reading　thing　was　just　so　spooky。　You　thought　you　were　getting　used　to　it　and　then　realized　that　no　negative；　you　were　not。　'You're　responsible。　So　give　me　a　fucking　drink。　Boss。'
　　　　'Watch　your　mouth；　cheeseboy；'　Freddy　rumbled。
　　　　'Tell　me　what　you　know　and　you　can　have　the　rest　of　this。'　Kurtz　raised　the　Pepsi　bottle；　waggling　it　in　front　of　Pearly's　tortured　gaze。　Kurtz　was　not　without　humorous　self…loathing　as　he　did　this。　Once　he　had　manded　whole　units　and　had　used　them　to　alter　entire　geopolitical　landscapes。　Now　his　mand　was　two　men　and　a　soft　drink。　He　had　fallen　low。　Pride　had　brought　him　low；　praise　God。　He　had　the　pride　of　Satan；　and　if　it　was　a　fault；　it　was　a　hard　one　to　give　up。　Pride　was　the　belt　you　could　use　to　hold　up　your　pants　even　after　your　pants　were　gone。
　　　　'Do　you　promise？'　Pearly's　red…fizzed　tongue　came　out　and　licked　at　his　parched　lips。
　　　　'If　I'm　lyin　I'm　dyin；'　Kurtz　said　solemnly。　'Hell；　buck；　read　my　fucking　mind！'
　　　　Pearly　studied　him　for　a　moment　and　Kurtz　could　almost　feel　the　man's　creepy　little　fingers　（mats　of　red　stuff　now　growing　under　each　nail）　in　his　head。　An　awful　sensation；　but　he　bore　it。
　　　　At　last　Perlmutter　seemed　satisfied。　He　nodded。
　　　　'I'm　getting　more　now；'　he　said；　and　then　his　voice　lowered　to　a　confidential；　horrified　whisper。　'It's　eating　me；　you　know。　It's　eating　my　guts。　I　can　feel　it。'
　　　　Kurtz　patted　him　on　the　arm。　just　now　they　were　passing　a　sign　which　read　WELE　TO　MASSACHUSETTS。　'I'm　going　to　take　care　of　you；　laddie…buck；　I　promised；　didn't　I？　Meantime；　tell　me　what　you're　getting。'
　　　　'Mr　Gray　is　stopping。　He's　hungry。'
　　　　Kurtz　had　left　his　hand　on　Perlmutter's　arm。　Now　he　tightened　his　grip；　turning　his　fingernails　into　talons。　'Where？'
　　　　'Close　to　where　he's　going。　It's　a　store。'　In　a　chanting；　childish　voice　that　made　Kurtz's　skin　crawl；　Archie　Perlmutter　said：　〃'Best　bait；　why　wait？　Best　bait；　why　wait？〃'　Then；　resuming　a　more　normal　tone：　'Jonesy　knows　Henry　and　Owen　and　Duddits　are　ing。　That's　why　he　made　Mr　Gray　stop。'
　　　　The　idea　of　Owen's　catching　Jonesy/Mr　Gray　filled　Kurtz　with　panic。　'Archie；　listen　to　me　carefully。'
　　　　'I'm　thirsty；'　Perlmutter　whined。　'I'm　thirsty；　you　son　of　a　bitch。'
　　　　Kurtz　held　the　Pepsi　bottle　up　in　front　of　Perlmutter's　eyes；　then　slapped　away　Perlmutter's　hand　when　Pearly　reached　for　it。
　　　　'Do　Henry；　Owen；　and　Dud…Duts　know　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　have　stopped？'
　　　　'Dud…dits；　you　old　fool！'　Perlmutter　snarled；　then　groaned　with　pain　and　clutched　at　his　stomach；　which　was　on　the　rise　again。　'Dits；　dits；　Dud…dits！　Yes；　they　know！　Duddits　helped　make　Mr　Gray　hungry！　He　and　Jonesy　did　it　together！'　　　　
　　　　'I　don't　like　this；'　Freddy　said。
　　　　Join　the　club；　Kurtz　thought。
　　　　'Please；　boss；'　Pearly　said。　'I'm　so　thirsty。'
　　　　Kurtz　gave　him　the　bottle；　watched　with　a　jaundiced　eye　as　Perlmutter　drained　it。
　　　　'495；　boss；'　Freddy　announced。　'What　do　I　do？'
　　　　'Take　it；'　Perlmutter　said。　'Then　90　west。'　He　burped。　It　was　loud　but　blessedly　odorless。　'It　wants　another　Pepsi。　It　likes　the　sugar。　Also　the　caffeine。'
　　　　Kurtz　pondered。　Owen　knew　their　quarry　had　stopped；　at　least　temporarily。　Now　Owen　and　Henry　would　sprint；　trying　to　make　up　as　much　of　that　ninety　to　a　hundred…minute　lag　as　they　could。　Consequently；　they　must　sprint；　as　well。
　　　　Any　cops　who　got　in　their　way　would　have　to　die；　God　bless　them。　One　way　or　the　other；　this　was　ing　to　a　head。
　　　　'Freddy。'
　　　　'Boss。'
　　　　'Pedal　to　the　metal。　Make　this　bitch　strut；　God　love　you。　Make　her　strut。'
　　　　Freddy　Johnson　did　as　ordered。


20

There　was　no　barn；　no　corral；　no　paddock；　and　instead　Of　OUT…OF…STATE　LICS　the　sign　in　the　window　showed　a　photograph　of　the　Quabbin　Reservoir　over　the　legend　BEST　BAIT；　WHY　WAIT？；　but　otherwise　the　little　store　could　have　been　Gosselin's　all　over　again：　same　ratty　siding；　same　mud…brown　shingles；　same　crooked　chimney　dribbling　smoke　into　the　rainy　sky；　same　rusty　gas…pump　out　front。　Another　sign　leaned　against　the　pump；　this　one　reading　NO　GAS　BLAME　THE　RAGHEADS。
　　　　On　that　early　afternoon　in　November　the　store　was　empty　save　for　the　proprietor；　a　gentleman　named　Deke　McCaskell。　Like　most　other　folks；　he　had　spent　the　morning　glued　to　the　TV。　All　the　coverage　（repetitive　stuff；　for　the　most　part；　and　with　that　part　of　the　North　Woods　cordoned　off；　no　good　pictures　of　anything　but　Army；　Navy；　and　Air　Force　hardware）　had　led　up　to　the　President's　speech。　Deke　called　the　President　Okeefenokee；　on　account　of　the　fucked…up　way　he'd　been　elected　…　couldn't　anybody　down　there　fucking　count？　Although　he　had　not　exercised　his　own　option　to　vote　since　the　Gipper　（now　there　had　been　a　President）；　Deke　hated　President　Okeefenokee；　thought　he　was　an　oily；　untrustworthy　motherfucker　with　big　teeth　（good…looking　wife；　though）；　and　he　thought　the　President's　eleven　o'clock　speech　had　been　the　usual　blah…dee…blah。　Deke　didn't　believe　a　word　old　Okeefenokee　said。　In　his　view；　the　whole　thing　was　probably　a　hoax；　scare　tactics　calculated　to　make　the　American　taxpayer　more　willing　to　hike　defense　spending　and　thus　taxes。　There　was　nobody　out　there　in　space；　science　had　proved　it。　The　only　aliens　in　America　（except　for　President　Okeefenokee　himself；　that　was）　were　the　beaners　who　swam　across　the　border　from　Mexico。　But　people　were　scared；　sitting　home　and　watching　TV。　A　few　would　be　in　later　for　beer　or　bottles　of　wine；　but　for　now　the　place　was　as　dead　as　a　cat　run　over　in　the　highway。
　　　　Deke　had　turned　off　the　TV　half　an　hour　ago　…　enough　was　enough；　by　the　Christ　…　and　when　the　bell　over　his　door　jangled　at　quarter　past　one；　he　was　studying　a　magazine　from　the　rack　at　the　back　of　the　store；　where　a　sign　proclaimed　B　21　OR　B　GONE。　This　particular　periodical　was　titled　Lasses　in　Glasses；　a　fair　title　since　all　the　lasses　within　were　wearing　spectacles。　Nothing　else；　but　glasses；　sí。
　　　　He　looked　up　at　the　newer；　started　to　say　something　like　'How　ya　doin'　or　'Roads　gettin　slippery　yet；'　and　then　didn't。　He　felt　a　bolt　of　unease；　followed　by　a　sudden　certainty　that　he　was　going　to　be　robbed　。　。　。　and　if　robbery　was　all；　he'd　be　off　lucky。　He　never　had　been　robbed；　not　in　the　twelve　years　he'd　owned　the　place　…　if　a　fellow　wanted　to　risk　prison　for　a　handful　of　cash；　there　were　places　in　the　area　where　bigger　handfuls　could　be　had。　A　guy　would　have　to　be　。　。　。
　　　　Deke　swallowed。　A　guy　would　have　to　be　crazy；　he'd　been　thinking；　and　maybe　this　guy　was；　maybe　he　was　one　of　those　maniacs　who'd　just　offed　his　whole　family　and　then　decided　to　ramble　around　a　bit；　kill　a　few　more　folks　before　turning　one　of　his　guns　on　himself。
　　　　Deke　wasn't　paranoid　by　nature　（he　was　lumpish　by　nature；　his　ex…wife　would　have　told　you）；　but　that　didn't　change　the　fact　that　he　felt　suddenly　menaced　by　the　afternoon's　first　customer。　He　didn't　care　very　much　for　the　fellows　who　sometimes　turned　up　and　loafed　around　the　store；　talking　about　the　patriots　or　the　Red　Sox　or　telling　stories　about　the　whoppers　they'd　caught　up　to　the　Reservoir；　but　he　wished　for　a　few　of　them　now。　A　whole　gang　of　them；　actually。
　　　　The　man　just　stood　there　inside　the　door　at　first；　and　yeah；　there　was　something　wrong　with　him。　He　was　wearing　an　orange　hunting　coat　and　deer　season　hadn't　started　yet　in　Massachusetts；　but　that　could　have　been　nothing。　What　Deke　didn't　like　were　the　scratches　on　the　man's　face；　as　if　he　had　spent　at　least　some　of　the　last　couple　of　days　going　cross…country　through　the　woods；　and　the　haunted；　drawn　quality　of　the　features　themselves。　His　mouth　was　moving；　as　though　he　was　talking　to　himself。　Something　else；　too。　The　gray　afternoon　light　slanting　in　through　the　dusty　front　window　glinted　oddly　on　his　lips　and　chin。
　　　　That　sonofabitch　is　drooling；　Deke　thought。　Be　goddamned　if　he　ain't。
　　　　The　newer's　head　snapped　around　in　quick　little　tics　while　his　body　remained　perfectly　still；　reminding　Deke　of　the　way　an　owl　remains　perfectly　still　on　its　branch　as　it　looks　for　prey。　Deke　thought　briefly　of　sliding　out　of　his　chair　and　hiding　under　the　counter；　but　before　he　could　do　more　than　begin　to　consider　the　pros　and　cons　of　such　a　move　（not　a　particularly　quick　thinker；　his　ex…wife　would　have　told　you　that；　as　well）；　the　guy's　head　did　another　of　those　quick　flicks　and　was　pointing　right　at　him。
　　　　The　rational　part　of　Deke's　mind　had　been　harboring　the　hope　（it　was　not　quite　an　articulated　idea）　that　he　was　imagining　the　whole　thing；　just　suffering　the　whimwhams　from　all　the　weird　news　and　weirder　rumors；　each　dutifully　reported　by　the　press；　ing　out　of　northern　Maine。　Maybe　this　was　just　a　guy　who　wanted　smokes　or　a　six…pack　or　maybe　a　bottle　of　coffee　brandy　and　a　stroke…book；　something　to　get　him　through　a　long；　sleety　night　in　a　motel　outside　of　Ware　or　Belchertown。
　　　　That　hope　died　when　the　man's　eyes　met　his。
　　　　It　wasn't　the　gaze　of　a　family…murdering　maniac　off　on　his　own　private　cruise　to　nowhere；　it　almost　would　have　been　better　if　that　had　been　the　case。　The　newer's　eyes；　far　from　empty；　were　too　full。　A　million　thoughts　and　ideas　seemed　to　be　crossing　them；　like　one　of　those　big…city　tickertapes　being　run　at　super　speed。　They　seemed　almost　to　be　hopping　in　their　sockets。　　　　　　　
　　　　And　they　were　the　hungriest　eyes　Deke　McCaskell　had　seen　in　his　entire　life。
　　　　'We're　closed；'　Deke　said。　The　words　came　out　in　a　croak　that　didn't　sound　like　his　voice　at　all。　'Me　and　my　partner　…　he's　in　the　back　…　we　closed　for　the　day。　On　account　of　the　goings…on　up　north。　I　…　we；　I　mean　…　just　forgot　to　flip　over　the　sign。　We…'
　　　　He　might　have　run　on　for　hours　…　days；　even　…　but　the　man　in　the　hunting　coat　interrupted　him。　'Bacon；'　he　said。　'Where　is　it？'
　　　　Deke　knew；　suddenly　and　absolutely；　that　if　he　didn't　have　bacon；　this　man　would　kill　him。　He　might　kill　him　anyway；　but　without　bacon　。　。　。　yes；　certainly。　He　did　ha