sk.carrie-第16部分

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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　hear　the　candidates　announced　over　the　school's　inter。　The　King　and　Queen　would　be　voted　in　by　those　attending　the　prom；　but　blank　nomination　ballots　had　been　circulated　to　home　rooms　almost　a　month　earlier。　The　results　were　supposed　to　be　top　secret。
There　was　a　gaining　student　move　afoot　to　do　away　with　the　King　and　Queen　business　all　together　…　some　of　the　girls　claimed　it　was　sexist；　the　boys　thought　it　was　just　plain　stupid　and　a　little　embarrassing。　Chances　were　good　that　this　would　be　the　last　year　the　dance　would　be　so　formal　or　traditional。
But　for　Chris；　this　was　the　only　year　that　counted。　She　stared　at　the　ballot　with　greedy　intensity。
George　and　Frieda。　No　way。　Frieda　Jason　was　a　Jew。
Peter　and　Myra。　No　way　here；　either。　Myra　was　one　of　the　female　clique　dedicated　to　erasing　the　whole　horse　race。　She　wouldn't　serve　even　if　elected。　Besides；　she　was　about　as　good…looking　as　the　ass　end　of　old　drayhorse　Ethel。
Frank　and　Jessica。　Quite　possible。　Frank　Grier　had　made　the　All　New　England　football　team　this　year；　but　Jessica　was　another　little　sparrowfart　with　more　pimples　than　brains。
Don　and　Helen。　Forget　it。　Helen　Shyres　couldn't　get　elected　dog　catcher。
And　the　last　pairing。　Tommy　and　Sue。　Only　Sue；　of　course；　had　been　crossed　out；　and　Carrie's　name　had　been　written　in。　There　was　a　pairing　to　conjure　with！　A　kind　of　strange；　shuffling　laughter　came　over　her；　and　she　clapped　a　hand　over　her　mouth　to　hold　it　in。
Tina　scurried　back　in。　'Jesus；　Chris；　you　still　here？　She's　ing！'
'Don't　sweat　it；　doll；'　Chris　said；　and　put　the　papers　back　on　the　desk。　She　was　still　grinning　as　she　walked　out；　pausing　to　raise　a　mocking　hand　to　Sue　Snell；　who　was　slaying　her　skinny　butt　off　on　that　stupid　mural。
In　the　outer　hall；　she　fumbled　a　dime　from　her　bag；　dropped　it　into　the　pay　phone；　and　called　Billy　Nolan。
From　The　Shadow　Exploded　（pp。　100…　10　1）：
One　wonders　just　how　much　planning　went　into　the　ruination　of　Carrie　White　…　was　it　a　carefully　made　plan；　rehearsed　and　gone　over　many　times；　or　just　something　that　happened　in　a　bumbling　sort　of　way？
。。。　I　favour　the　latter　idea。　I　suspect　that　Christine　Hargensen　was　the　brains　of　the　allair；　but　that　she　herself　had　only　the　most　nebulous　of　ideas　on　how　one　might　'get'　a　girl　like　Carrie。　I　rather　suspect　it　was　she　who　suggested　that　William　Nolan　and　his　friends　make　the　trip　to　Irwin　Henty's　farm　in　North　Chamberlain。　The　thought　of　that　trip's　imagined　result　would　have　appealed　to　a　warped　sense　of　poetic　justice；　I　am　sure。　。。
The　car　screamed　up　the　rutted　Stack　End　Road　in　North　Chamberlain　at　a　sixty…five　that　was　dangerous　to　life　and　limb　on　the　washboard　unpaved　hardpan。　A　low…hanging　branch；　lush　with　May　leaves；　occasionally　scraped　the　roof　of　the　'61　Biscayne；　which　was　fender…dented；　rusted　out；　jacked　in　the　back；　and　equipped　with　dual　glasspack　mufflers。　One　headlight　was　out；　the　other　flickered　in　the　midnight　dark　when　the　car　struck　a　particularly　rough　bump。
Billy　Nolan　was　at　the　pink　fuzz…covered　wheel。　Jackie　Talbot；　Henry　Blake；　Steve　Deighan；　and　the　Garson　brothers；　Kenny　and　Lou；　were　also　squeezed　in。　Three　joints　were　going；　passing　through　the　inner　dark　like　the　lambent　eyes　of　some　rotating　Cerberus。
'You　sure　Henty　ain't　around？'　Henry　asked。　'I　got　no　urge　to　go　back　up；　ole　Sweet　William。　They　feed　you　shit。'
Kenny　Garson；　who　was　wrecked　to　the　fifth　power　found　this　unutterably　funny　and　emitted　a　slipstream　of　high…pitched　giggles。
'He　aint　around；'　Billy　said。　Even　those　few　words　seemed　to　slip　out　grudgingly；　against　his　win。　'Funeral。'
Chris　had　found　this　out　accidentally。　Old　man　Henty　ran　one　of　the　few　successful　independent　farms　in　the　Chamberlain　area。　Unlike　the　crotchety　old　farmer　with　a　heart　of　gold　that　is　one　of　the　staples　of　pastoral　literature；　old　man　Henty　was　as　mean　as　cat　dirt。　He　did　not　load　his　shotgun　with　rock　salt　at　apple　time；　but　with　birdshot。　He　had　also　prosecuted　several　fellows　for　pilferage。　One　of　them　had　been　a　friend　of　these　boys；　a　luckless　bastard　named　Freddy　Overlock。　Freddy　had　been　caught　red…handed　in　old　man　Henty's　henhouse；　and　had　received　a　double　dose　of　number…six　bird　where　the　good　Lord　had　split　him。　Good　ole　Fred　had　spent　four　raving；　cursing　hours　on　his　belly　in　an　Emergency　Wing　examining　room　while　a　jovial　interne　picked　tiny　pellets　off　his　butt　and　dropped　them　into　a　steel　pan。　To　add　insult　to　injury；　he　had　been　fined　two　hundred　dollars　for　larceny　and　trespass。　There　was　no　love　lost　between　Irwin　Henty　and　the　Chamberlain　greaser　squad。
'What　about　Red？'　Steve　asked。
'He's　trying　to　get　into　some　new　waitress　at　The　Cavalier；'　Billy　said；　swinging　the　wheel　and　puffing　the　Biscayne　through　a　juddering　racing　drift　and　on　to　the　Henty　Road。　Red　Trelawney　was　old　man　Henty's　hired　hand。　He　was　a　heavy　drinker　and　just　as　handy　with　the　bird…shot　as　his　employer。　'He　won't　be　back　until　they　close　up。'
'Hell　of　a　risk　for　a　joke；'　Jackie　Talbot　grumbled。
Billy　stiffened。　'You　want　out？'
'No；　uh…uh；'　Jackie　said　hastily。　Billy　had　produced　an　ounce　of　good　grass　to　split　among　the　five　of　them　…　and　besides；　it　was　nine　miles　back　to　town。　'It's　a　good　joke；　Billy。'
Kenny　opened　the　glove　partment；　took　out　an　ornate　scrolled　roach　clip　（Chris's）；　and　fixed　the　smouldering　butt…end　of　a　joint　in　it　This　operation　struck　him　as　highly　amusing；　and　he　let　out　his　highpitched　giggle　again。　
Now　they　were　flashing　past　No　Tresspassing　signs　on　either　side　of　the　road；　barbed　wire；　newly　turned　fields。　The　smell　of　fresh　earth　was　heavy　and　gravid　and　sweet　on　the　warm　May　air。
Billy　popped　the　headlights　off　as　they　breasted　the　next　hill；　dropped　the　gearshift　into　neutral　and　killed　the　ignition。　They　rolled；　a　silent　hulk　of　metal；　toward　the　Henty　driveway。
Billy　negotiated　the　turn　with　no　trouble；　and　most　of　their　speed　bled　away　as　they　breasted　another　small　rise　and　passed　the　dark　and　empty　house。　Now　they　could　see　the　huge　bulk　of　barn　and　beyond　it；　moonlight　glittering　dreamily　on　the　cow　pond　and　the　apple　orchard。
In　the　pigpen；　two　sows　poked　their　flat　snouts　through　the　bars。　In　the　bar；　one　cow　lowed　softly；　perhaps　in　sleep。
Billy　stopped　the　car　with　the　emergency　brake　…　not　really　necessary　since　the　ignition　was　off；　but　it　was　a　nice　mando　touch　…　and　they　got　out。
Lou　Garson　reached　past　Kenny　and　got　something　out　of　the　glove　partment。　Billy　and　Henry　went　around　to　the　trunk　and　opened　it。
'The　bastard　is　going　to　shit　where　he　stands　when　he　es　back　and　gets　a　look；'　Steve　said　with　soft　glee。
'For　Freddy；'　Henry　said；　taking　the　hammer　out　of　the　trunk。
Billy　said　nothing；　but　of　course　it　was　not　for　Freddy　Overlock；　who　was　an　asshole。　It　was　for　Chris　Hargensen；　just　as　everything　was　for　Chris；　and　had　been　since　the　day　she　swept　down　from　her　lofty　collegecourse　Olympus　and　made　herself　vulnerable　to　him　He　would　have　done　murder　for　her；　and　more。
Henry　was　swinging　the　nine…pound　sledge　experimentally　in　one　hand。　The　heavy　block　of　its　business　end　made　a　portentous　swishing　noise　in　the　night　air；　and　the　other　boys　gathered　around　as　Billy　opened　the　lid　of　the　ice　chest　and　took　out　the　two　galvanized　steel　pads。　They　were　numbingly　cold　to　the　touch；　lightly　traced　with　frost
'Okay；'　he　said。
The　six　of　them　walked　quickly　to　the　hogpen；　their　respiration　shortening　with　excitement。　The　two　sows　were　both　as　tame　as　tabbies；　and　the　old　boar　lay　asleep　on　his　side　at　the　far　end。　Henry　swung　the　sledge　once　more　through　the　air；　but　this　time　with　no　conviction。　He　handed　it　to　Billy。
'I　can't；'　he　said　sickly。　'You。'
Billy　took　it　and　looked　questioningly　at　Lou；　who　held　the　broad　butcher　knife　he　had　taken　from　the　glove　partment。
'Don't　worry；'　he　said；　and　touched　the　ball　of　his　thumb　to　the　honed　edge。
'The　throat；'　Billy　reminded。
'I　know。'
Kenny　was　crooning　and　grinning　as　he　fed　the　remains　of　a　crumpled　bag　of　potato　chips　to　the　pigs。　'Doan　worry；　piggies；　doan　worry；　big　Bills　gonna　bash　your　fuckin　heads　in　and　you　woan　have　to　worry　about　the　bomb　any　more。'　He　scratched　their　bristly　chins；　and　the　pigs　grunted　and　munched　contentedly。
'Here　it　es；'　Billy　remarked；　and　the　sledge　flashed　down。
There　was　a　sound　that　reminded　him　of　the　time　he　and　Henry　had　dropped　a　pumpkin　off　Claridge　Road　overpass；　which　crossed　495　west　of　town。　One　of　the　sows　dropped　dead　with　its　tongue　protruding；　eyes　still　open；　potato　chip　crumbs　around　its　snout
Kenny　giggled。　'She　didn't　even　have　time　to　burp。'
'Do　it　quick；　Lou；'　Billy　said。
Kenny's　brother　slid　between　the　slates；　lifted　the　pig's　head　toward　the　moon…the　glazing　eyes　regarded　the　crescent　with　rapt　blackness　…　and　slashed。
The　flow　of　blood　was　immediate　and　startling。　Several　of　the　boys　were　splattered　and　jumped　back　with　little　cries　of　disgust。
Billy　leaned　through　and　put　one　of　the　buckets　under　the　main　flow。　The　pail　filled　up　rapidly；　and　he　set　it　aside。　The　second　was　half　full　when　the　flow　trickled　and　died。
'The　other　one；'　he　said。
'Jesus；　Billy；'　Jackie　whined。　'Isn't　that　en…'
'The　other　one；'　Billy　repeated。
'Soo…ee；　pig…pig…pig；'　Kenny　called；　grinning　and　rattling　the　empty　potato…chip　bag。　After　a　pause；　the　sow　returned　to　the　fence；　the　sledge　flashed；　the　second　bucket　was　filled　and　the　remainder　of　the　blood　allowed　to　flow　into　the　ground。　A　rank；　coppery　smell　hung　on　the　air。　Billy　found　he　was　slimed　in　pig　blood　to　the　forearms。
Carrying　the　pails　back　to　the　trunk；　his　mind　made　a　dim；　symbolic　connection。　Pig　blood。　That　was　good。　Chris　was　right。　It　was　really　good。　It　made　everything　solidify。
Pig　blood　for　a　pig。
He　nestled　the　galvanized　steel　pails　into　the　crushed　ice　and　slammed　the　lid　of　the　chest。　'Let's　go；'　he　said。
Billy　got　behind　the　wheel　and　released　the　emergency　brake。　The　five　boys　got　behind；　put　their　shoulders　into　it；　and　the　car　turned　in　a　tight；　noiseless　circle　and　trundled　up　past　the　barn　to　the　crest　of　the　hill　across　from　Henty's　house。
When　the　car　began　to　roll　on　its　own；　they　trotted　up　beside　the　doors　and　cl