sk.carrie-第31部分

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He　smiled。　'Maybe。'　But　he　wouldn't。　Not　any　more。　'e　on。　We're　going　to　town。'
They　went　downstairs　and　through　the　empty　dance　hall；　where　chairs　were　still　pushed　back　and　beers　were　standing　flat　on　the　tables。
As　they　went　out　through　the　fire　door　Billy　said：　'This　place　sucks。　anyway。'
They　got　into　his　car；　and　he　started　it　up。　When　he　popped　on　the　headlights；　Chris　began　to　scream；　hands　in　fists　up　to　her　cheeks。
Billy　felt　it　at　the　same　time：　Something　in　his　mind。
（came　came　came　came）
a　presence。
Carrie　was　standing　in　front　of　them；　perhaps　seventy　feet　away。
The　high　beams　picked　her　out　in　ghastly　horror…movie　blacks　and　whites；　dripping　and　clotted　with　blood。　Now　much　of　it　was　her　own。　The　hilt　of　the　butcher　knife　still　protruded　from　her　shoulder；　and　her　gown　was　covered　with　dirt　and　grass　stain。　She　had　crawled　much　of　the　distance　from　Carlin　Street；　half　fainting；　to　destroy　this　roadhouse　…　perhaps　the　very　one　where　the　doom　of　her　creation　had　begun。
She　stood　swaying；　her　arms　thrown　out　like　the　arms　of　a　stage　hypnotist；　and　she　began　to　totter　toward　them。
It　happened　in　the　blink　of　a　second。　Chris　had　not　had　time　to　expend　her　first　scream。　Billy's　reflexes　were　good　and　his　reaction　was　instantaneous。　He　shifted　into　low；　popped　the　clutch；　and　floored　it。
The　Chevrolet's　tyres　screamed　against　the　asphalt；　and　the　car　sprang　forward　like　some　old　and　terrible　mancater。　The　figure　swelled　in　the　windshield　and　as　it　did　the　presence　became　louder
（CARRIE　CARRIE　CARRIE）
and　louder
（CARRIE　CARRIE　CARRIE）
like　a　radio　being　turned　up　to　full　volume。　Time　seemed　to　close　around　them　in　a　frame　and　for　a　moment　they　were　frozen　even　in　motion：　Billy
（CARRIE　just　like　the　dogs　CARRIE　jut　like　the　goddam　dogs　CARRIE　brucie　i　wish　i　could　CARRIE　be　CARRIE　you）
and　Chris
（CARRIE　Jesus　not　to　kill　her　CARRIE　didn't　mean　to　kill　her　CARRIE　billy　i　dont　CARRIE　want　to　CARRIE　see　it　CA）
and　Carrie　herself
（see　the　wheel　car　wheel　gas　pedal　i　see　the　WHEEL　o　god　my　heart　my　heart　my　heart）
And　Billy　suddenly　felt　his　car　turn　traitor；　e　alive；　slither　in　his　hands；　The　Chevvy　dug　around　in　a　smoking　half…circle；　straight　pipes　racketing；　and　suddenly　the　clapboard　side　of　The　Cavalier　was　swelling；　swelling；　swelling　and
（this　is）
they　slammed　into　it　at　forty；　still　accelerating；　and　wood　sprayed　up　in　a　neon…tinted　detonation。　Billy　was　thrown　forward　and　the　steering　column　speared　him。　Chris　was　thrown　into　the　dashboard。
The　gas　tank　split　open；　and　fuel　began　to　puddle　around　the　rear　of　the　car。　Part　of　one　straight　pipe　fell　into　it；　and　the　gas　bloomed　into　flame。
Carrie　lay　on　her　side；　eyes　closed；　panting　thickly。　Her　chest　was　on　fire。
She　began　to　drag　herself　across　the　parking　lot；　going　nowhere。
（momma　i'm　sorry　it　all　went　wrong　o　momma　o　please　o　please　i　hurt　so　bad　momma　what　do　i　do）
And　suddenly　it　didn't　seem　to　matter　any　more；　nothing　would　matter　if　she　could　turn　over；　turn　over　and　see　the　stars；　turn　over　and　look　once　and　die。
And　that　was　how　Sue　found　her　at　two　o'clock。
When　Sheriff　Doyle　left　her；　Sue　walked　down　the　Street　and　sat　on　the　steps　of　the　Chamberlain　U…Wash…It。　She　stared　at　the　burning　sky　without　swing　it。　Tommy　was　dead。　She　knew　it　was　true　and　accepted　it　with　an　case　that　was　dreadful。
And　Carrie　had　done　it。
She　had　no　idea　how　she　knew　it；　but　the　conviction　was　as　pure　and　right　as　arithmetic。
Time　passed。　It　didn't　matter。　Macbeth；　hath　murdered　sleep　and　Carrie　hath　murdered　time。　Pretty　good。　A　bon　mot　Sue　smiled　dolefully。　Can　this　be　the　end　of　our　heroine；　Miss　Sweet　Little　Sixteen？　No　worries　about　the　country　club　and　Kleen　Korners　now。　Not　ever。　Gone。　Burned　out。　Someone　ran　past；　blabbering　that　Carlin　Street　was　on　fire。　Good　for　Carlin　Street。　Tommy　was　gone。　And　Carrie　had　gone　home　to　murder　her　mother。
（？？？）
She　sat　bolt　upright；　staring　into　the　darkness。
（？？？）
She　didn't　know　how　she　knew。　It　bore　no　relationship　to　anything　she　had　ever　read　about　telepathy。　There　were　no　pictures　in　her　head；　no　great　white　flashes　of　revelation；　only　prosaic　knowledge；　the　way　you　know　summer　follows　spring；　that　cancer　can　kill　you；　that　Carrie's　mother　was　dead　already；　that
（！！！！！）
Her　heart　row　thickly　in　her　chest。　Dead？　She　examined　in　her　knowledge　of　the　incident；　trying　to　disregard　the　insistent　weirdness　of　knowing　from　nothing。
Yes；　Margaret　White　was　dead；　something　to　do　with　her　heart。　But　she　had　stabbed　Carrie。　Carrie　was　badly　hurt。　She　was
There　was　nothing　more。
She　got　up　and　ran　back　to　her　mother's　car。　Ten　minutes　later　she　parked　on　the　corner　of　Branch　and　Carlin　Street；　which　was　on　fire。　No　trucks　were　available　to　fight　the　blaze　yet；　but　saw…horses　had　been　put　across　both　ends　of　the　street；　and　greasily　smoking　roads　pots　lit　a　sign　which　said；
DANGER！　LIVE　WIRES！
Sue　cut　through　two　back　yards　and　forced　her　way　through　a　budding　hedge　that　scraped　at　her；　white　short；　stiff　bristles。　She　came　out　one　yard　from　the　White's　house　and　crossed　over。
The　house　was　in　flames；　the　roof　blazing。　It　was　impossible　to　even　think　about　getting　close　enough　to　look　in。　But　in　the　strong　firelight　she　saw　something　better。　the　splashed　trail　of　Carrie's　blood。　She　followed　it　with　her　head　down；　past　the　larger　spots　where　Carrie　had　rested；　through　another　hedge；　across　a　Willow　Street　back　yard；　and　then　through　an　undeveloped　tangle　of　scrub　pine　and　oak。　Beyond　that；　a　short；　unpaved　spur　…　little　more　than　a　footpath　…　wound　up　the　rise　of　land　to　the　right；　angling　away　from　Route　6。
She　stopped　suddenly　as　doubt　struck　her　with　vicious　and　corrosive　force。　Suppose　she　could　find　her？　What　then？　Heart　failure？　Set　on　fire？　Controlled　and　forced　to　walk　in　front　of　an　oning　car　or　fire　engine？　Her　peculiar　knowledge　told　her　Carrie　would　be　capable　of　all　things。
（find　a　policeman）
She　giggled　a　little　at　that　one　and　sat　down　in　the　grass；　which　was　silked　with　dew。　She　had　already　found　a　policeman。　And　even　supposing　Otis　Doyle　had　believed　her；　what　then？　A　mental　picture　came　to　her　of　a　hundred　desperate　manhunters　surrounding　Came；　demanding　her　to　hand　over　her　weapons　and　give　up。　Carrie　obediently　raises　her　hands　and　plucks　her　head　from　her　shoulders。　Hands　it　to　Sheriff　Doyle；　who　solemnly　puts　it　in　a　wicker　basket　marked　People's　Exhibit　A。
（and　tommy's　dead）
Well；　well。　She　began　to　cry。　She　put　her　hands　over　her　face　and　sobbed　into　them。　A　soft　breeze　snuffled　through　the　juniper　bushes　on　top　of　the　hill。　More　fire　engines　screamed　by　on　Route　6　like　huge　red　hounds　in　the　night。
（the　town's　burning　down　o　well）
She　had　no　idea　how　long　she　sat　there；　crying　in　a　grainy　half…doze。　She　was　not　even　aware　that　she　was　following　Carrie's　progress　toward　The　Cavalier；　no　more　than　she　was　aware　of　the　process　of　respiration　unless　she　thought　about　it。　Carrie　was　hurt　very　badly；　was　going　on　brute　determination　alone　at　this　point。　It　was　three　miles　out　to　The　Cavalier；　even　across…country；　as　Carrie　was　going。　Sue
（watched？　thought？　doesn't　matter）
as　Carrie　fell　in　a　brook　and　dragged　herself　out；　icy　and　shivering。　It　was　really　amazing　that　she　kept　going。　But　of　course　it　was　for　Momma。　Momma　wanted　her　to　be　the　Angel's　Fiery　Sword；　to　destroy…　
（she's　going　to　destroy　that　too）
She　got　up　and　began　to　run　clumsily；　not　bothering　to　follow　the　trail　of　blood。　She　didn't　need　to　follow　it　any　more。
From　The　Shadow　Exploded　（pp。　164…165）：
Whatever　any　of　us　may　think　of　the　Carrie　White　affair；　it　is　over。　It's　time　to　turn　to　the　future。　As　Dean　McGuffin　points　out；　in　his　excellent　Science　Yearbook　article；　if　we　refuse　to　do　this；　we　will　almost　certainly　have　to　pay　the　piper　…　and　the　price　is　apt　to　be　a　high　one。
A　thorny　moral　question　is　raised　here。　Progress　is　already　being　made　toward　plete　isolation　of　the　TK　gene。　It　is　more　or　less　assumed　in　the　scientific　munity　（see；　for　instance；　Bourke　and　Hannegan's　'A　View　Toward　Isolation　of　the　TK　Gene　with　Specific　Remendations　for　Control　Parameters'　in　Mocrobiology　Annual；　Berkeley：　1982）　that　when　a　testing　procedure　is　established；　all　school…age　children　will　undergo　the　test　as　routinely　as　they　now　undergo　the　TB　skin…patch。　Yet　TK　is　not　a　germ；　it　is　as　much　a　part　of　the　afflicted　person　as　the　colour　of　his　eyes。
If　overt　TK　ability　occurs　as　a　part　of　puberty；　and　if　this　hypothetical　TK　test　is　performed　on　children　entering　the　first　grade；　we　shall　certainly　be　forewarned。　But　in　this　case；　is　forewarned　forearmed？　If　the　TB　test　shows　positive　a　child　can　be　treated　or　isolated。　If　the　TK　test　shows　positive；　we　have　no　treatment　except　a　bullet　in　the　head。　And　how　is　it　possible　to　isolate　a　person　who　will　eventually　have　the　power　to　knock　down　all　walls？
And　even　if　isolation　could　be　made　successful；　would　the　American　people　allow　a　small；　pretty　girl…child　to　be　ripped　away　from　her　parents　at　the　first　sign　of　puberty　to　be　locked　in　a　bank　vault　for　the　rest　of　her　life？　I　doubt　it。　Especially　when　The　White　mission　has　worked　so　hard　to　convince　the　public　that　the　nightmare　in　Chamberlain　was　a　plete　fluke。
Indeed；　we　seem　to　have　returned　to　Square　One。
From　the　sworn　testimony　of　Susan　Snell；　taken　before　The　State　Investigatory　Board　of　Maine　（from　The　White　mission　Report）；　pp。　306…472：
Q。　Now；　Miss　Snell；　the　Board　would　like　to　go　through　your　testimony　concerning　your　alleged　meeting　with　Carrie　White　in　The　Cavalier　parking　lot
A。　Why　do　you　keep　asking　the　same　questions　over　and　over？　I've　told　you　twice　already。
Q。　We　want　to　make　sure　the　record　is　correct　in　every
A。　You　want　to　catch　me　in　a　lie；　isn't　that　what　you　really　mean？　You　don't　think　I'm　telling　the　truth；　do　YOU？
Q。　You　say　you　came　upon　Carrie　at
A。　Will　you　answer　me？
Q。　…at　2：00　on　the　morning　of　May　28th。　Is　that　correct？
A　I'm　not　going　to　answer　any　more　questions　until　you　answer　the　one　I　just　asked。
Q。　Miss　Snell；　this　body　is　empowered　to　cite　you　for　contempt　if　you　refuse　to　answer　on　any　other　grounds　than　Constitutional　ones。
A。　I　don't　care　what　you're　empowered　to　do。　I've　lost　someone　I　love。　Go　and　throw　me　in　jail。　I　don't　care。　I　…　go　to　hell。　All　of　you；　go