sk.carrie-第27部分

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rbershop；　gas　stations；　police　station；　fire　station
（they'll　put　out　my　fire）
But　they　wouldn't。　She　began　to　giggle　and　it　was　an　insane　sound：　triumphant；　lost；　victorious；　terrified。　She　came　to　the　first　hydrant　and　tried　to　twist　the　huge　painted　lug　nut　on　the　side。
（ohuh）
It　was　heavy。　It　was　very　heavy。　Metal　twisted　fight　to　balk　here。　Didn't　matter。
She　twisted　harder　and　felt　it　give。　Then　the　other　side。　Then　the　top。　Then　she　twisted　all　three　at　once；　standing　back；　and　they　unscrewed　in　a　flash。　Water　exploded　outward　and　upward；　one　of　the　lug　nuts　flying　five　feet　in　front　of　her　at　suicidal　speed；　It　hit　the　street；　caromed　high　into　the　air；　and　was　gone。　Water　gushed　with　white　pressure　in　a　cruciform　pattern。
Smiling；　staggering；　her　heart　beating　at　over　two　hundred　per　minute；　she　began　to　to　walk　down　toward　Grass　Plaza。　She　was　unaware　that　she　was　scrubbing　her　bloodied　hands　against　her　dress　like　Lady　Macbeth；　or　that　she　was　weeping　even　as　she　laughed；　or　that　one　hidden　part　of　her　mind　was　keening　over　her　final　and　utter　ruin。
Bemuse　she　was　going　to　take　them　with　her；　and　there　was　going　to　be　a　great　burning；　until　the　land　was　full　of　its　stink。
She　opened　the　hydrant　at　Grass　Plaza；　and　then　began　to　walk　down　to　Teddy's　Amoco。　It　happened　to　be　the　first　gas　station　she　came　to；　but　it　was　not　the　last
From　the　sworn　testimony　of　Sheriff　Otis　Doyle；　taken　before　The　State　Investigatory　Board　of　Maine　（from　The　White　mission　Report）；　pp。　29…31：
Q。　Sheriff；　where　were　you　on　the　night　of　May　twentyseventh？
A。　I　was　on　Route　179；　known　as　Old　Bentown　Road；　investigating　an　automobile　accident。　This　was　actually　over　the　Chamberlain　town　line　and　into　Durham；　but　I　was　assisting　Mel　Crager；　who　is　the　Durham　constable。
Q。　When　were　you　first　informed　that　trouble　had　broken　out　at　Ewen　High　School？
A。　I　received　a　radio　transmission　from　Officer　Jacob　Plessy　at　10：21。
Q。　What　was　the　nature　of　the　radio　call？
A。　Officer　Plessy　said　there　was　trouble　at　the　school；　but　he　didn't　know　if　it　was　serious　or　not。　There　was　a　lot　of　shouting　going　on；　he　said；　and　someone　had　pulled　a　couple　of　fire　alarms。　he　said　He　was　going　over　to　try　and　determine　the　nature　of　the　trouble。
Q。　Did　he　say　the　school　was　on　fire？
A。　No；　sir。
Q。　Did　you　ask　him　to　report　back　to　you？
A。　I　did。
Q。　Did　Officer　Plessy　report　back？
A。　No。　He　was　killed　in　the　subsequent　explosion　of　Teddy's　Amoco　gas　station　on　the　corner　of　Main　and　Summer。
Q。　When　did　you　next　have　a　radio　munication　concerning　Chamberlain？
A。　At　10：42。　I　was　at　that　time　returning　to　Chamberlain　with　a　suspect　in　the　back　of　my　car　…　a　drunk　driver。　As　I　have　said；　the　case　was　actually　in　Mel　Crager's　town；　but　Durham　has　no　jail。　When　I　got　him　to　Chamberlain；　we　didn't　have　much　of　one；　either。
Q。　What　munication　did　you　receive　at　10。42？
A。　I　got　a　call　from　the　State　police　that　had　been　relayed　from　the　Motton　Fire　Department　The　State　Police　dispatcher　said　there　was　a　fire　and　an　apparent　riot　at　Ewen　High　School；　and　a　probable　explosion。　No　one　was　sure　of　anything　at　that　time。　Remember；　it　all　happened　in　a　space　of　forty　minutes。
Q。　We　understand　that　Sheriff。　What　happened　then？
A。　I　drove　back　to　Chamberlain　with　siren　and　flasher。　I　was　trying　to　raise　Jake　Plessy　and　not　having　any　luck。　That's　when　Tom　Quillan　came　on　and　started　to　babble　about　the　whole　town　going　up　in　flames　and　no　water。
Q。　Do　you　know　what　time　that　was？
A。　Yes；　sir。　I　was　keeping　a　record　by　then。　It　was　10。58。
Q。　Quillan；　claims　the　Amoco　station　exploded　at　11：00。
A。　I'd　take　the　average；　sir。　Call　it　10：59。
Q。　At　what　time　did　you　arrive　in　Chamberlain？
A。　At　11：　10　P。M。
Q。　What　was　your　immediate　impression　upon　arriving；　Sheriff　Doyle？
A。　I　was　stunned。　I　couldn't　believe　what　I　was　seeing。
Q。　What　exactly　were　you　seeing？
A。　The　entire　upper　half　of　the　town's　business　section　was　burning。　The　Amoco　station　was　gone。　Woolworth's　was　nothing　but　a　blazing　frame。　The　fire　had　spread　to　three　wooden　store　fronts　next　to　that　…　Duffy's　Bar　and　Grille；　The　Kelly　Fruit　pany；　and　the　billiard　parlour。　The　heat　was　ferocious。　Sparks　were　flying　on　to　the　roofs　of　The　Maitland　Real　Estate　Agency　and　Doug　Brann's　Western　Auto　Store。　Fire　trucks　were　ing　in；　but　they　could　do　very　little。　Every　fire　hydrant　on　that　side　of　the　street　was　stripped。　The　only　tracks　doing　any　business　at　all　were　two　old　volunteer　fire　department　pumpers　from　Westover。　and　about　all　they　could　do　was　wet　the　roofs　of　the　surrounding　buildings。　And　of　course　the　high　school。　It　was　just　。。。　gone。　Of　course　it's　fairly　isolated…nothing　close　enough　to　it　to　burn　…　but　my　God；　all　those　kids　inside　。。。　all　those　kids　。。。
Q。　Did　you　meet　Susan　Snell　upon　entering　town？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　flagged　me　down。
Q。　What　time　was　this？
A。　Just　as　I　entered　。。。　11：12；　no　later。
Q。　What　did　she　say？
A。　She　was　distraught。　She'd　been　in　a　minor　car　accident　…　skidding　…　and　she　was　barely　making　sense。　She　asked　me　if　Tommy　was　dead。　I　asked　her　who　Tommy　was；　but　she　didn't　answer。　She　asked　me　if　we　had　caught　Carrie　yet。
Q。　The　mission　is　extremely　interested　in　this　part　of　your　testimony；　Sheriff　Doyle。
A。　Yes；　sir；　I　know　that。
Q。　How　did　you　respond　to　her　question？
A。　Well；　there's　only　one　Carrie　in　town　as　far　as　I　know；　and　that's　Margaret　White's　daughter。　I　asked　her　if　Carrie　had　something　to　do　with　the　fires。　Miss　Snell　told　me　Carrie　had　done　it。　Those　were　her　words。　'Carrie　did　it。　Carrie　did　it。'　She　said　it　twice。
Q。　Did　she　say　anything　else？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　said：　'They've　hurt　Carrie　for　the　last　time。'
Q。　Sheriff；　are　you　sure　she　didn't　say：　'We've　hurt　Carrie　for　the　last　time？'
A。　I　am　quite　sure。
Q。　Are　you　positive？　One　hundred　per　cent？
A。　Sir；　the　town　was　burning　around　our　heads。　I　
Q。　Had　she　been　drinking？
A。　I　beg　pardon？
Q。　Had　she　been　drinking？　You　said　she　had　been　involved　in　a　car　smash。
A。　I　believe　I　said　a　minor　skidding　accident。
Q。　And　you　can't　be　sure　she　didn't　say　we　instead　Of　they？
A。　I　guess　she　might　have；　but　
Q。　What　did　Miss　Snell　do　then？
A。　She　burst　into　tears。　I　slapped　her。
Q。　Why　did　you　do　that？
A。　She　seemed　hysterical。
Q。　Did　she　quiet　eventually？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　quieted　down　and　got　control　of　herself　pretty　well；　in　light　of　the　fact　that　her　boy　friend　was　probably　dead。
Q。　Did　you　interrogate　her？
A。　Well；　not　the　way　you'd　interrogate　a　criminal；　if　that's　what　you　mean。　I　asked　her　if　she　knew　anything　about　what　had　happened。　She　repeated　what　she　had　already　said；　but　in　a　calmer　way。　I　asked　her　where　she　had　been　when　the　trouble　began；　and　she　told　me　that　she　had　been　at　home。
Q。　Did　you　interrogate　her　further？
A。　No；　sir。
Q。　Did　she　say　anything　else　to　you？
A。　Yes；　sir。　She　asked　me　…　begged　me　…　to　find　Carrie　White。
Q。　What　was　your　reaction　to　that？
A。　I　told　her　to　go　home。
Q。　Thank　you；　Sheriff　Doyle。
Vic　Mooney　lurched　out　of　the　shadows　near　the　Bankers　Trust　drive…in　office　with　a　grin　on　his　face。　It　was　a　huge　and　awful　grin；　a　Cheshire　cat　grin；　floating　dreamily　in　the　fireshot　darkness　like　a　trace　memory　of　lunacy。　His　hair；　carefully　slicked　down　for　this　emcee　duties；　was　now　sticking　up　in　a　crow's　nest。　Tiny　drops　of　blood　were　branded　across　his　forehead　from　some　unremembered　fall　in　his　mad　flight　from　the　Spring　Ball。　One　eye　was　swelled　purple　and　screwed　shut。　He　walked　into　Sheriff　Doyle's　squad　car；　bounced　back　like　a　pool　ball；　and　grinned　in　at　the　drunk　driver　dozing　in　the　back；　then　he　turned　to　Doyle；　who　had　just　finished　with　Sue　Snell。　The　fire　cast　wavering　shadows　of　light　across　everything；　turning　the　world　into　the　maroon　tones　of　dried　blood。
As　Doyle　turned；　Vic　Mooney　clutched　him。　He　clutched　Doyle　as　an　amorous　swam　might　clutch　his　lady　in　a　hug　dance。　He　clutched　Doyle　with　both　arms　and　squeezed　him；　all　the　while　goggling　upward　into　Doyle's　face　with　his　great　crazed　grin。
'Vic…'　Doyle　began。
'She　pulled　all　the　plugs；'　Vic　said　lightly；
'Pulled　all　the　plugs　and　turned　on　the　water　and　buzz；　buzz；　buzz。'
'Vic…'
'We　can't　let　'em。　Oh　no。　NoNoNo。　We　can't。　Carrie　pulled　all　the　plugs。　Rhonda　Simard　burnt　up。　Oh　Jeeeeeeeeeesuuuuuuuuusss…'
Doyle　slapped　him　twice；　calloused　palm　cracking　flatly　on　the　boy's　face。　The　scream　died　with　shocking　suddenness；　but　the　grin　remained；　like　an　echo　of　evil。　It　was　loose　and　terrible。
'What　happened？'　Doyle　said　roughly。　'What　happened　at　the　school？'
'Carrie；'　Vic　Muttered。　'Carrie　happened　at　the　school。　She。　。　。'He　trailed　of　and　grinned　at　the　ground。
Doyle　gave　him　three　brisk　shakes。　Vic's　teeth　clicked　together　like　castanets。
'What　about　Carrie？'
'Queen　of　the　Prom；'　Vic　muttered。　'They　dumped　blood　on　her　and　Tommy。'
'What…'
It　was　11：　15。　Tony's　Citgo　on　Summer　Street　suddenly　exploded　with　a　great；　coughing　roar。　The　street　went　daylight　that　made　them　both　stagger　back　against　the　police　car　and　shield　their　eyes。　A　huge；　oily　cloud　of　fire　climbed　over　the　elms　in　Courthouse　Park；　lighting　the　duck　pond　and　the　Little　League　diamond　in　scarlet。　Amid　the　hungry　crackling　roar　that　followed　Doyle　could　hear　glass　and　wood　and　hunks　of　gas…station　cinderblock　rattling　back　to　earth。　A　secondary　explosion　followed；　making　them　wince　again。　He　still　couldn't　get　it　straight
（my　town　this　is　happening　in　my　town）
that　this　was　happening　in　Chamberlain；　in　Chamberlain；　for　God's　sake；　where　he　drank　iced　tea　on　his　mother's　sun　porch　and　refereed　PAL　basketball　and　made　one　last　cruise　out　Route　6　past　The　Cavalier　before　turning　in　at　2：30　every　morning。　His　town　was　burning　UP。
Tom　Quillan　came　out　of　the　police　station　and　ran　down　the　sidewalk　to　Doyle's　cruiser。　His　hair　was　standing　up　every　which　way；　he　was　dressed　in　dirty　green　work　fatigues　and　an　undershirt　and　he　had　his　loafers　on　the　wrong　feet；　but　Doyle　thought　he　had　never　been　so　glad　to　see　anyone　in　his　life。　Tom　Quillan　was　as　much　Chamberlain　as　anything；　and　he　was　thereintact。
'Holy　God；'　he　panted。　'Did　you　see　that？'
'What's　been　happening？'　Doyle　asked　curtly。
'I　been　monitorin'　the　radio；'　Quillan　said；　'Motton　and　Westover　wanted　to　know　if　they　should　send　ambula