sk.carrie-第15部分

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　carried　harmlessly。　Male　offspring；　however；　are　'bleeders。'　This　disease　is　generated　only　if　an　afflicted　male　marries　a　woman　carrying　the　recessive　gene。　If　the　offspring　of　such　union　is　male；　the　result　will　be　a　haemophiliac　son。　If　the　offspring　is　female；　the　result　will　be　a　daughter　who　is　a　carrier。　It　should　be　emphasized　that　the　haemophilia　gene　may　be　carried　recessively　in　the　male　as　a　part　of　his　genetic　make…up。　But　if　he　marries　a　woman　with　the　same　outlaw　gene；　the　result　will　be　haemophilia　if　the　offspring　is　male。
In　the　case　of　royal　families；　where　intermarriage　was　mon；　the　chances　of　the　gene　reproducing　once　it　entered　the　family　tree　were　high　…　thus　the　name　King's　Evil。　Haemophilia　also　showed　up　in　significant　quantities　in　Appalachia　during　the　earlier　part　of　this　century；　and　is　monly　noticed　in　those　cultures　where　incest　and　the　marriage　of　first　cousins　is　mon。
With　the　TK　phenomenon；　the　male　appears　to　be　the　carrier。。　the　TK　gene　may　be　recessive　in　the　female；　but　dominates　only　in　the　female。　It　appears　that　Ralph　White　carried　the　gene。　Margaret　Brigham；　by　purest　name；　also　carried　the　outlaw　gene　sign；　but　we　may　be　fairly　confident　that　it　was　recessive；　as　no　information　has　ever　been　found　to　indicate　that　she　had　telekinetic　powers　resembling　her　daughter's。　Investigations　are　now　being　conducted　into　the　life　of　Margaret　Brigham's　grandmother；　Sadie　Cochran　…　for；　if　the　dominant/recessive　pattern　obtains　with　TK　as　it　does　with　haemophilia；　Mrs　Cochran　must　have　been　TK…dominant。
If　the　issue　of　the　White　marriage　had　been　male；　the　result　would　have　been　another　carrier。　Chances　that　the　mutation　would　have　died　with　him　would　have　been　excellent；　as　neither　side　of　the　Ralph　White　…　Margaret　Brigham　alliance　had　cousins　of　a　parable　age　for　the　theoretical　male　offspring　to　marry。　And　the　chances　of　meeting　and　marrying　another　woman　with　TK　gene　at　random　would　be　small。　None　of　the　teams　working　on　the　problem　have　yet　isolated　the　gene。
Surely　no　one　can　doubt；　in　light　of　the　Maine　holocaust；　that　isolating　this　gene　must　bee　one　of　medicine's　number…one　priorities。　The　haemophiliac；　or　H…gene；　produces　male　issue　with　a　lack　of　blood　platelets。　The　telekineticn　or　TK…gene；　produces　female　Typhoid　Marys　capable　of　destroying　almost　at　will　。。。
Wednesday　afternoon。
Susan　and　fourteen　other　students　…　The　Spring　Ball　Decoration　mittee；　no　less　…　were　working　on　the　huge　mural　that　would　hang　behind　the　twin　bandstand　on　Friday　night。　The　theme　was　Springtime　in　Venice　（who　picked　thew　hokey　themes；　Sue　wondered。　She　had　been　a　student　at　Ewen　for　four　years；　had　after　two　Balls；　and　she　still　didn't　know。　Why　did　the　goddam　thing　need　a　theme；　anyway？　Why　not　just　have　a　sock　hop　and　be　done　with　W）：　George　Chizmar；　Ewen's　most　artistic　student；　had　done　a　small　chalk　sketch　of　gondolas　on　a　canal　at　sunset　and　a　gondolier　in　a　huge　straw　fedora　leaning　against　the　tiller　as　a　gorgeous　panoply　of　pinks　and　reds　and　oranges　stained　both　sky　and　water。　It　was　beautiful；　no　doubt　about　that。　He　had　redrawn　it　in　silhouette　on　a　huge　fourteen…by…twenty…foot　canvas　flat；　numbering　the　various　sections　to　go　with　the　various　chalk　hues。　Now　the　mittee　was　patiently　colouring　it　in；　like　children　crawling　over　a　huge　page　in　a　giant's　colouring　book。　Still；　Sue　thought；　looking　at　her　hands　and　forearms；　both　heavily　dusted　with　pink　chalk；　it　was　going　to　be　the　prettiest　prom　ever。
Next　to　her；　Helen　Shyres　sat　up　on　her　haunches；　stretched；　and　groaned　as　her　back　popped。　She　brushed　a　hank　of　hair　from　her　forehead　with　the　back　of　her　hand；　leaving　a　rose…coloured　smear。
'How　in　hell　did　you　talk　me　into　this？'
'You　want　it　to　be　nice；　don't　you？'　Sue　mimicked　Miss　Geer；　the　spinster　chairman　（apt　enough　term　for　Miss　Mustache）　of　the　Decoration　mittee。
'Yeah；　but　why　not　the　refreshment　mittee　or　the　Entertainment　mittee？　Less　back；　more　mind。　The　mind；　that's　my　area。　Besides；　you're　not　even　…'　She　bit　down　on　the　words。
'Going？'　Susan　shrugged　and　picked　up　her　chalk　again。　She　had　a　monstrous　writer's　cramp。　'No；　but　I　still　want　it　to　be　nice。'　She　added　shyly：　'Tommy's　going。'
They　worked　in　silence　for　a　bit；　and　then　Helen　stopped　again。　No　one　was　near　them；　the　closest　was　Holly　Marshall；　on　the　other　end　of　the　mural；　colouring　the　gondola's　keel。
'Can　I　ask　you　about　it；　Sue？'　Helen　asked　finally。　'God；　everybody's　talking。'
'Sure。'　Sue　stopped　colouring　and　flexed　her　hand。
'Maybe　I　ought　to　tell　someone；　just　so　the　story　stays　straight。　I　asked　Tommy　to　take　Carrie。　I'm　hoping　it'll　bring　her　out　of　herself　a　little　。。。　knock　down　some　of　the　barriers。　I　think　I　owe　her　that　much。'
'Whom　does　that　put　the　rest　of　us？'　Helen　asked　without　rancour。
Sue　shrugged。　'You　have　to　make　up　your　own　mind　about　what　we　did；　Helen。　I'm　in　no　position　to　throw　stones。　But　I　don't　want　people　to　think　I'm　uh　。。。'
'Playing　match'
'Something　like　that。'
'And　Tommy　went　along　with　it？'　This　was　the　part　that　most　fascinated　her。
'Yea；'　Sue　said；　and　did　not　elaborate。　After　a　pause：　'I　suppose　the　other　kids　think　I'm　stuck　up。'
Helen　thought　it　over。　'Well　。。。　they're　all　talking　about　it。　But　most　of　them　still　think　you're　okay。　Like　you　said；　you　make　your　own　decisions。　There　is；　however；　a　small　dissenting　faction。'　She　snickered　dolefully。
'The　Chris　Hargensen　people？'
'And　the　Billy　Nolan　people。　God；　he's　scuzzy。'
'She　doesn't　like　me　much？'　Sue　said；　making　it　a　question。
'Susie；　she　hates　your　guts。'
Susan　nodded；　surprised　to　find　the　thought　both　distressed　and　excited　her。
'I　heard　her　father　was　going　to　sue　the　school　department　and　then　he　changed　his　mind；'　she　said。
Helen　shrugged。　'She　hasn't　made　any　friends　out　of　this；'　she　said。　'I　don't　know　what　got　into　us；　any　of　us。　It　makes　me　feel　like　I　don't　even　know　my　own　mind。'
They　worked　on　in　silence。　Across　the　room；　Don　Barrett　was　putting　up　an　extension　ladder　preparatory　to　gilding　the　overhead　steel　beams　with　crepe　paper。
'Look；'　Helen　said。　'There　goes　Chris　now。'
Susan　looked　up　just　in　time　to　see　her　walking　into　the　cubby…hole　office　to　the　left　of　the　gym　entrance。　She　was　wearing　wine…coloured　velvet　hot　pants　and　a　silky　white　blouse　…　no　bra；　from　the　way　things　were　jiggling　up　front　…　a　dirty　old　man's　dream；　Sue　thought　sourly；　and　then　wondered　what　Chris　could　want　in　where　the　Prom　mittee　had　set　up　shop。　Of　course　Tina　Blake　was　on　the　mittee　and　the　two　of　them　were　thicker　than　thieves。
Stop　it；　she　scolded　herself。　Do　you　want　her　in　sackcloth　and　ashes？
Yes；　she　admitted。　A　part　of　her　wanted　just　that。
'Helen？'
'Hmmmm？'
'Are　they　going　to　do　something？'
Helen's　face　took　on　an　unwilling　masklike　quality。　'I　don't　know。'　The　voice　was　light；　over　innocent。
'Oh；'　Sue　said　nonmittally。
（you　know　you　know　something：　accept　something　goddammit　if　its　only　yourself　tell　me）
They　continued　to　colour；　and　neither　spoke。　She　knew　it　wasn't　as　all　right　as　Helen　had　said。　It　couldn't　be；　she　would　never　be　quite　the　same　golden　girl　again　in　the　eyes　of　her　mates。　She　had　done　an　ungovernable；　dangerous　thing　…　she　had　broken　cover　and　shown　her　face。
The　late　afternoon　sunlight；　warm　as　oil　and　sweet　as　childhood；　slanted　through　the　high；　bright　gymnasium　windows。
From　My　Name　Is　Susan　Snell　（p。　40）。
I　can　understand　some　of　what　must　have　led　up　to　the　prom。　Awful　as　it　was；　I　can　understand　how　someone　like　Billy　Nolan　could　go　along；　for　instance。　Chris　Hargensen　led　him　by　the　nose…at　least；　most　of　the　time。
His　friends　were　just　as　easily　led　by　Billy　himself。　Kenny　Garson；　who　dropped　out　of　high　school　when　he　was　eighteen；　had　a　tested　third…grade　reading　level。　In　the　clinical　sense；　Steve　Deighan　was　little　more　than　an　idiot。　Some　of　the　others　had　police　records；　one　of　them；　Jackie　Talbot；　was　first　busted　at　the　age　of　nine；　for　stealing　hubcaps。　If　you've　got　a　social…worker　mentality；　you　can　even　regard　these　people　as　unfortunate　victims。
But　what　can　you　say　for　Chris　Hargensen　herself？
It　seems　to　me　that　from　first　to　last；　her　one　and　only　object　in　view　was　the　plete　and　total　destruction　of　Carrie　White　。。。
'I'm　not　supposed　to；'　Tina　Blake　said　uneasily。　She　was　a　small；　pretty　girl　with　a　billow　of　red　hair。　A　pencil　was　pushed　importantly　in　it。　'And　if　Norma　es　back；　she'll　spill。'
'She's　in　the　crapper；'　Chris　said。　'e　on。'
Tina；　a　little　shocked；　giggled　in　spite　of　herself。　Still；　she　offered　token　resistance：　'Why　do　you　want　to　see；　anyway？　You　can't　go。'
'Never　mind；'　Chris　said。　As　always；　she　seemed　to　bubble　with　dark　humour。
'Here；'　Tina　said；　and　pushed　a　sheet　enclosed　in　limp　plastic　across　the　desk。　'I'm　going　out　for　a　Coke。　If　that　bitchy　Norma　Watson　es　back　and　catches　you　I　never　saw　you。'
'Okay；'　Chris　murmured；　already　absorbed　in　the　floor　plan。　She　didn't　hear　the　door　close。
George　Chizmar　had　also　done　the　floor　plan；　so　it　was　perfect。　The　dance　floor　was　clearly　marked。　Twin　bandstands。　The　stage　where　the　King　and　Queen　would　be　crowned
（i'd　like　to　crown　that　fucking　snell　bitch　carrie　too）
at　the　end　of　the　evening。　Ranged　along　the　three　sides　of　the　floor　were　the　prom…goers'　tables。　Card　tables；　actually；　but　covered　with　a　froth　of　crepe　and　ribbon；　each　holding　party　favours；　prom　programmes；　and　ballots　for　King　and　Queen。
She　ran　a　lacquered；　spade…shaped　fingernail　down　the　tables　to　the　right　of　the　dance　floor；　then　the　left。　There：　Tommy　R。　&　Carrie　W。　They　were　really　going　through　with　it。　She　could　hardly　believe　it。　Outrage　made　her　tremble。　Did　they　really　think　they　would　be　allowed　to　get　away　with　it？　Her　lips　tautened　grimly。
She　looked　over　her　shoulder。　Norma　Watson　was　still　nowhere　in　sight。
Chris　put　the　seating　chart　back　and　rifled　quickly　through　the　rest　of　the　papers　on　the　pitted　and　initialwarred　desk。　Invoices　（mostly　for　crepe　paper　and　hapenny　nails）；　a　list　of　parents　who　had　loaned　card　tables；　petty…cash　vouchers；　a　bill　from　Star　Printers；　who　had　run　off　the　prom　tickets；　a　sample　King　and　Queen　ballot
Ballot！　She　snatched　it　up。
No　one　was　supposed　to　see　the　actual　King　and　Queen　ballot　until　Friday；　when　the　whole　student　body　would　h