sk.theplant-第7部分

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sh　that　will　make　money。
　　I　can't　make　myself　clearer。　I　love　you；　John；　but　let　this　go　and　get　back　to　work；　or　I'm　going　to　have　to　make　some　hard　choices。
　　Roger
　　
　　interoffice　memo　TO：　Riddley　FROM：　John　Kenton　RE：　Possible　ining　package
　　
　　I　have　an　idea　that　I　may　be　receiving　a　UPS　package　from　somewhere　in　the　midwest　during　the　next　week　to　ten　days。　The　sender's　name　is　Roberta　Solrac。　If　you　see　such　a　package；　make　sure　I　don't。　In　other　words；　dump　it　immediately　down　the　nearest　incinerator　chute。　I　suspect　you　know　most　of　what　there　is　to　know　about　the　Detweiller　business。　This　may　be　associated　with　that；　and　the　contents　of　the　package　could　be　dangerous。　Unlikely；　but　in　therealm　of　possibility。　Thanking　you；
　　John　Kenton
　　
　　interoffice　memo　TO：　John　Kenton　FROM：　Riddley　RE：　Possible　ining　package
　　
　　Yassuh；　Mist　Kenton！
　　Riddley/Mail　Room
　　
　　from　THE　SAKRED　BOOK　OF　CARLOS　SAKRED　MONTH　OF　FEBBA　（Entry　#64）
　　
　　I　know　how　to　get　him。　I　have　set　things　in　motion；　praise　Abbalah。　Praise　Green　Demeter。　I'll　get　them　all。　Green　Green　〃must　be　seen。〃　Ha！　You　Judas！　Little　do　you　know！　But　I　know！　All　about　your　girlfriend；　too…only　girlfriend　is　now　girlFIEND；　little　do　you　know　what　she　is　up　to！　There　is　another　mule　kicking　in　your　stall；　Mr。　Judas　Big…Shot　Editor！　OUIJA　says　this　mule's　name　is　GARY！　In　my　dreams　I　have　seen　them　and　GARY　is　HAIRY！　Not　like　you；　you　wimpy　little　JUDAS！　Soon　I'm　sending　you　a　present！　Everyone　prospers！　Every　Judas　safe　in　the　arms　of　Abbalah！　e　Abbalah！　E　GREAT　DEMETER！
　　E　GREEN！
　　
　　SYNOPSIS
　　JOHN　KENTON；　who　majored　in　English　and　was　President　of　the　Brown　University　Literary　Society；　has　had　a　rude　initiation　into　the　real　world　as　one　of　Zenith　House's　four　editors。　Zenith　House；　which　captured　only　2％　of　the　total　paperback　market　the　year　before　（1980）；　is　dying　on　the　vine。　All　of　its　employees　are　worried　that　Apex；　the　parent　corporation；　may　soon　take　extreme　measures　to　stem　the　tide　of　red　ink。　。　。　and　the　most　likely　possibility　is　looking　more　and　more　like　terminating　Zenith　House；　with　extreme　sanction。　The　only　hope　is　a　drastic　sales　turnaround；　but　with　Zenith's　tiny　advances　and　creaky　distribution　system；　that　seems　unlikely。
　　Enter　CARLOS　DETWEILLER；　first　in　the　form　of　a　query　letter　received　by　John　Kenton。　Detweiller；　twenty…three；　works　in　the　Central　Falls　House　of　Flowers　and　is　hawking　a　book　he's　written；　called　True　Tales　of　Demon　Infestations。　Kenton；　with　the　vague　idea　that　Detweiller　may　have　some　interesting　stuff　which　can　be　rewritten　by　a　staffer；　encourages　Detweiller　to　submit　sample　chapters　and　an　outline。　Detweiller　instead　submits　the　entire　manuscript；　along　with　a　bundle　of　photographs。　The　mss　is　even　more　abysmal　than　Kenton…who　thought　the　book　could　maybe　be　juiced　up　for　The　Amityville　Horror　audience…would　have　believed　in　his　worst　nightmares。　Yet　the　worst　nightmare　of　all　is　contained　in　the　form　of　the　enclosed　photographs。　Most　are　shots　of　painfully　faked　seance　effects；　but　four　of　them　show　a　gruesomely　realistic　human　sacrifice；　in　which　an　old　man's　heart　is　being　pulled　from　his　gaping　chest。　。　。　and　it　seems　very　likely　to　Kenton　that　the　fellow　doing　the　pulling　is　none　other　than　Carlos　Detweiller　himself。
　　ROGER　WADE　concurs　with　Kenton's　feeling　that　they　have　stumbled　into　something　which　is　probably　a　police　matter…and　a　very　nasty　police　matter　at　that。　Kenton　takes　the　photos　to　SGT。　TYNDALE；　who　wires　them　to　CHIEF　IVERSON　in　Central　Falls。　Carlos　Detweiller　is　arrested；　then　released　when　an　officer　assigned　to　surveillance　sees　the　photos　in　question　and　remarks　that　he　saw　the　so…called　〃sacrifice　victim〃　sitting　in　the　House　of　Flowers　office　that　very　day；　playing　solitaire　and　watching　Ryan's　Hope　on　TV。　Tyndale　tries　to　fort　Kenton。　Go　home；　he　says；　have　a　drink；　forget　it。　You　made　a　perfectly　forgivable　mistake　in　the　course　of　trying　to　do　your　civic　duty。
　　Kenton　burns　the　〃sacrifice　photos；〃　but　he　can't　forget；　he　receives　a　letter　from　the　obviously　insane　Carlos　Detweiller；　promising　revenge。　Two　weeks　later；　he　receives　a　letter　from　one　〃Roberta　Solrac；〃　who　purports　to　be　a　great　fan　of　Zenith's　second…hottest　author；　Anthony　La　Scorbia　（La　Scorbia　is　responsible　for　a　series　of　nature…run…amok　novels　such　as　Rats　from　Hell；　Ants　from　Hell；　and　Scorpions　from　Hell）。　〃She〃　claims　to　have　sent　La　Scorbia　roses；　and　wants　to　send　Kenton；　as　La　Scorbia's　editor；　a　small　plant　〃as　a　token　of　esteem。〃
　　Kenton；　no　fool；　realizes　at　once　that　Solrac　is　Carlos　spelled　backward。　。　。　and　Detweiller；　of　course；　worked　in　a　greenhouse。　Convinced　that　the　〃token　of　esteem〃　is　apt　to　be　something　like　deadly　nightshade　or　belladonna；　Kenton　sends　an　interoffice　memo　to　Riddley；　instructing　him　to　incinerate　any　package　which　es　to　him　from　a　〃Roberta　Solrac。〃
　　RIDDLEY　WALKER；　who　respects　Kenton　more　than　Kenton　himself　would　ever　believe；　agrees；　but　privately　adopts　a　wait…and…see　attitude。　Near　the　end　of　February　1981；　a　package　from　〃Roberta　Solrac；〃　addressed　to　John　Kenton；　actually　does　arrive。　Riddley　opens　the　package　in　spite　of　a　strong　feeling　that　the　sender…Detweiller…is　a　terribly　evil　man。　If　so；　the　contents　of　the　package　are　hardly　in　keeping　with　such　notions；　it　is　nothing　more　than　a　sickly…looking　mon　Ivy　with　a　little　plastic　sign　stuck　into　the　earth　of　its　pot。　The　sign　reads：
　　
　　HI！
　　MY　NAME　IS　ZENITH
　　I　AM　A　GIFT　TO　JOHN
　　FROM　ROBERTA
　　
　　Riddley　puts　it　on　a　high　shelf　of　his　janitor's　room　and　forgets　it。
　　For　the　time　being。
　　
　　February　25
　　Dear　Ruth；
　　I've　got　a　case　of　the　mean　reds；　so　I　thought　I'd　pass　some　of　them　on…see　the　enclosed　Xeroxes；　concluding　with　a　typically　impudent　munication　from　Riddley；　he　of　the　coal…black　skin　and　three　hundred　huge　white　teeth。
　　You'll　notice　that　Roger　kicked　my　ass　good　and　hardnot　much　like　Roger；　and　doubly　sobering　for　that　very　reason。　I　don't　think　one　has　to　be　very　paranoid　to　see　that　he's　talking　about　the　possibility　of　firing　me。　If　I'd　talked　this　out　with　him　over　martinis　at　Flaherty's　after　work；　I　doubt　very　much　if　he　would　have　e　down　so　hard；　and　of　course　I　had　no　idea　he　was　waiting　on　a　call　from　Enders。　I　undoubtedly　deserved　the　ass…kicking　I　got…I　haven't　really　been　doing　my　job…but　he　has　no　idea　of　the　scare　that　letter　threw　into　me　when　I　realized　it　was　Detweiller　again。　I'm　too　goddam　thin…skinned　for　my　own　good；　that's　what　Roger　thinks。　。　。　but　Detweiller　is　scary　for　other；　less　easily　grasped　reasons。　Being　the　idee　that's　gotten　fixe　in　some　crazy's　head　has　got　to　be　one　of　the　most　unfortable　feelings　in　the　world…if　I　knew　Jody　Foster；　I　think　I'd　give　her　a　jingle　and　tell　her　I　know　exactly　how　she　feels。　There's　an　almost　palpable　texture　of　slime　about　Detweiller's　munications；　and　oh　boy；　oh　yeah；　I　wish　I　could　get　him　out　of　my　head；　but　I　still　have　nightmares　about　those　pictures。
　　Anyway；　I　have　taken　care　of　matters　as　well　as　I　can；　and　no；　I　have　no　intention　of　calling　Central　Falls。　We　have　an　editorial　meeting　tomorrow。　I'll　try　to　the　best　of　my　limited　abilities　to　get　back　on　the　beam。　。　。　except　at　Zenith　House　the　beam　is　so　narrow　it　almost　doesn't　exist。
　　I　love　you；　I　miss　you；　I　long　for　your　return。　Maybe　you　being　gone　is　part　of　the　problem。　Not　to　make　you　feel　guilty。
　　All　my　love；
　　John
　　
　　From　the　journals　of　Riddley　Walker
　　
　　2/23/81
　　Like　a　stone　thrown　into　a　large　and　stagnant　pond；　the　Detweiller　affair　has　caused　any　number　of　ripples　at　my　place　of　employment。　I　thought　that　all　of　them　had　gone　by；　yet　this　afternoon　one　more　rolled　past；　and　who　is　to　say　even　that　one　will　be　the　last？
　　I　have　included　a　Xerox　of　an　exceedingly　curious　memo　I　received　from　Kenton　at　2：35　P。　M。　plus　my　own　reply　（the　memo　came　just　after　Gelb　left；　in　something　of　a　huff；　why　he　should　have　been　in　a　huff　eludes　me　since　today　he　brought　his　own　dice　and　I　did　him　the　courtesy　of　not　even　checking　them；　but　Ah　g'iss　Ah　woan　nevuh　understand　dese　white　folks）。　I　think　I　have　covered　the　Detweiller　affair　to　a　nicety　in　these　pages；　but　I　should　add　that　it　never　surprised　me　in　the　least　that　Kenton　was　the　one　to　bring　Detweiller；　the　rogue　et；　into　the　erratic　（and；　I　fear；　degenerating）　orbit　of　Zenith　House。
　　He　is　brighter　than　Sandra　Jackson；　brighter　than　that　crapshooting；　Ivy　League　tie…wearing　devil　William　Gelb；　far　brighter　than　Herbert　Porter　（Porter；　as　previously　noted；　is　not　above　wandering　into　Ms。　Jackson's　office　after　she　has　left　for　the　day　and　sniffing　the　seat　of　her　office　chair…a　strange　man；　but　be　it　not　for　me　to　judge）；　and　the　only　one　of　the　staff　who　might　be　capable　of　recognizing　a　mercial　book　if　it　came　within　his　purview。　Right　now　he　is　eaten　up　with　guilt　and　embarrassment　over　l'affaire　Detweiller；　and　can　see　only　that　he　made　a　rather　ic　faux　pas。　He　would　be　incapable　of　seeing　that　his　decision　to　even　look　at　the　Detweiller　book　demonstrated　that　his　editorial　ears　are　still　open；　and　still　attuned　to　that　sweetest　of　all　tones…the　celestial　notes　of　Sweda　cash　registers　in　drugstores　and　book　emporia　ringing　up　sales；　even　if　it　was　pointed　out　to　him。
　　Incapable　of　seeing　that　it　proves　he's　still　trying。
　　The　others　have　given　up。
　　Anyway；　here　is　this　enchanting　memo…between　its　lines　I　hear　a　man　whose　nerve　is　temporarily　shot；　a　man　who　might　be　capable　of　facing　a　lion　but　who　now　cannot　even　look　at　a　mouse；　a　man　who　is；　in　consequence；　shrieking　〃Eeeek！　Get　rid　of　it！　Get　rid　of　it！〃　and　swatting　at　it　with　the　handiest　broom；　which　in　dis　case　jus　happen　t'be　Riddley；　who　dus'　de　awfishes　an　wipe　de　windows　an　delivah　de　mail。　Yassuh；　Mist　Kenton；　I　git　rid　of　it　fo　you！　I　sholy　goan　get　rid　of　dat　hoodoo　Solrac　woman's　package　if　she　sen　one！
　　Maybe。
　　On　the　other　hand；　maybe　John　Kenton　should　have　to　face　up　to　the　consequences　of　his　own　actions…swat　his　own　mouse。　After　all；　if　you　don't　swat　your　own；　maybe　you　never　really　know　what　a　harmless　little　thing　a　mouse　is。　。　。　and　is　it　not　possible　that