dw.jimmythekid-第15部分

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the　Cadillac；　picked　up　his　gun　from　the　road；　and　said　to　Murch；　〃Forget　that　goddam　truck。　We'll　go　straight　to　the　hideout　from　here。　All　that　other　crap　was　more　plicated　than　it　had　to　be　anyway？'
　〃Right；〃　Murch　said。　〃I'll　get　my　Mom；〃　he　said；　and　jumped　down　out　of　the　truck。
　May　had　put　the　Mickey　Mouse　mask　with　the　taped　eyeholes　over　Jimmy's　head。　She'd　considered　using　the　dialogue　from　the　book　about　pretending　it　was　night　and　all　that；　but　somehow　it　didn't　seem　to　fit　the　case；　so　all　she'd　said　was；　〃I'm　going　to　blindfold　you　now。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Jimmy　said。
　Murch　rid　himself　of　his　mask　and　went　over　to　the　school　bus；　where　his　Mom　was　impatiently　tapping　her　fingernails　on　the　steering　wheel。　She　pushed　the　lever　on　her　left；　the　door　accordioned　open；　and　she　said；　〃So？　You　want　to　tell　me　something？〃
　〃We're　all　taking　off　in　our　car；　Mom。　Run　the　bus　out　of　the　way　and　e　on　over。〃
　〃I　been　sitting　here；〃　she　said。　〃Wondering　what's　going　on。〃
　〃It　would　take　a　while　to　tell；　Mom。〃
　〃I　saw　the　Caddy　bounce；〃　she　said。
　〃That　was　part　of　it。〃
　〃I　wish　I　had　springs　like　that　in　the　cab；〃　she　said。　〃Climb　aboard。〃　She　shifted　into　first；　and　Murch　stepped　up　into　the　bus　as　she　eased　it　forward　and　off　onto　the　shoulder　of　the　road。
　May　had　now　led　the　boy　from　the　Cadillac　to　the　back　seat　of　the　Caprice；　Kelp　had　handcuffed　Van　Golden　to　the　steering　wheel；　and　Dortmunder　had　filled　his　pockets　with　guns　and　was　standing　beside　the　Cadillac　looking　mulish。　When　Murch　and　his　Mom　came　over　from　the　school　bus　Dortmunder　said；　〃Stan；　you　drive。〃
　〃Right。〃
　Murch's　Mom　got　in　the　back　seat　with　May　and　Jimmy。　〃Well；　hello；　Jimmy；〃　she　said。　〃I　see　you're　playing　Mickey　Mouse。〃
　May　shook　her　head。　〃It's　not　quite　like　that；〃　she　said。　Inside　his　mask；　Jimmy　said；　〃I　really　am　a　bit　old　for　this　kind　of　psychological　reassurance。〃
　〃Hmp；〃　Murch's　Mom　said。　〃A　smart　aleck。〃
　In　the　front　seat；　Kelp　sat　in　the　middle；　with　Murch　on　his　left　and　Dortmunder　on　his　right。　As　Murch　started　the　engine；　Kelp　said　to　Dortmunder；　〃Can　I　have　my　gun　back？〃
　〃No；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　looked　around　at　the　setting　they　were　leaving；　giving　everything　the　same　impartial　look　of　disgust：　truck；　school　bus；　planks；　Cadillac；　chauffeur。　〃Hands　up；〃　he　muttered；　and　the　Caprice　drove　off　in　a　flurry　of　falling　leaves。
　
　14
　
　DORTMUNDER　　SAID；　〃What's　taking　so　long？　We　been　driving　for　forty…five　minutes。〃
　〃I've　been　taking　some　extra　turns　and　cutbacks；〃　Murch　said；　〃to　confuse　the　boy's　sense　of　direction。　That's　what　they　did　in　the　book。〃
　〃In　the　meantime；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃the　cops　are　out　looking　by　now。〃
　〃We　should　have　picked　up　the　detour　signs；〃　Kelp　said。　〃We　shouldn't　have　left　them　behind　like　that。〃
　〃We　don't　need　them　any　more；〃　Dortmunder　told　him。　〃And　I　don't　want　to　waste　any　more　time。〃　To　Murch　he　said；　〃So　let's　go　straight　to　the　farmhouse。　No　more　extra　turns？'
　〃Well；〃　Murch　said。
　Dortmunder　looked　at　him。　〃What　do　you　mean；　well？〃
　〃Well；　the　fact　is；〃　Murch　said。　He　was　blinking　a　lot　as　he　drove；　and　looking　troubled；　even　embarrassed。　〃The　fact　is；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　I　took　too　many　extra　turns　and　cutbacks　already。〃
　〃You're　lost？〃
　〃Well；〃　Murch　said；　〃not　exactly　lost。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean；　not　exactly　lost？〃
　〃Well；　there　was　a　road　I　thought　was　down　this　way；　and　it　isn't　here。　I　can't　seem　to　find　it。〃
　〃If　you　can't　seem　to　find　the　road　you're　looking　for；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃that　means　you're　lost。　Exactly　lost。〃
　〃It　would　help　if　the　sun　was　out；〃　Murch　said。　It　was　late　afternoon　now；　and　the　sky　was　filling　with　clouds。
　〃I　think　it's　gonna　rain；〃　Kelp　said。
　Dortmunder　nodded。　〃And　we're　lost。〃
　〃If　I　take　the　next　left；〃　Murch　said；　〃we　should　be　all　right。〃
　〃You　think　so；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃Maybe；〃　Murch　said。
　
　15
　
　〃THERE　IT　IS；〃　Murch　said。　〃This　time　I'm　positive。〃
　〃The　last　time　you　were　positive；〃　Kelp　said；　〃I　almost　got　bit　by　a　dog。〃
　The　three　men　peered　squinting　out　the　windshield；　through　the　streaming　sheets　of　rain　at　the　structure　vaguely　showing　in　the　headlights。　This　was　the　fourth　dirt　road　they'd　taken　since　the　simultaneous　arrival　of　darkness　and　rain；　and　tempers　in　the　car　were　generally　frayed。　Jimmy　had　gone　to　sleep；　with　his　head　propped　against　May's　arm；　but　everybody　else　was　wide　awake　and　jittery。　Twice　on　other　dirt　roads　they'd　bee　stuck　in　the　mud；　and　Kelp　and　Dortmunder　had　had　to　get　out　and　push。　Once；　when　they'd　found　a　house　that　had　looked　right　to　Murch；　they'd　discovered　just　after　Kelp　got　out　of　the　car　that　it　was　the　wrong　house；　occupied　by　several　human　beings　and　at　least　one　big　German　shepherd。
　〃Right　house　or　wrong　house；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃just　don't　get　us　stuck　again。〃
　〃I'm　doing　my　best；〃　Murch　said。　〃Besides；　that's　definitely　the　right　house。〃
　〃I'm　your　mother；　Stan；〃　Murch's　Mom　said；　〃and　I'll　tell　you　right　now；　if　you're　wrong　again；　don't　ever　stand　in　front　of　my　cab。〃
　Murch；　leaning　forward　over　the　steering　wheel；　scrinching　his　face　up　as　he　tried　to　see；　kept　the　gearshift　in　low　and　his　foot　gently　on　the　accelerator。　They　thumped　and　jounced　slowly　through　the　potholes；　and　the　structure　out　front　gradually　became　more　and　more　visible。　A　house；　weathered　clapboard；　with　an　open　front　porch。　Boarded…up　windows。　No　lights　anywhere。
　〃It　is　the　right　house！〃　Murch　cried。　〃By　golly；　it　really　is！〃
　〃How　e　you　sound　surprised？〃　Dortmunder　asked　him；　but　Murch's　Mom　was　leaning　forward；　her　head　between　Dortmunder　and　her　son；　and　she　said；　〃Stan；　you're　right。　That's　the　place；　it　definitely　is。〃
　〃By　golly；〃　Murch　said。　〃By　golly。〃
　The　dirt　road　made　a　sweep　around　the　front　of　the　house；　then　petered　away　into　the　woods　to　the　right。　Murch　jounced　them　as　close　to　the　stoop　as　he　could；　then　stopped　the　ear　and　said；　〃We　made　it。〃
　〃Leave　the　headlights　on；〃　Dortmunder　told　him。
　In　the　back　seat；　the　stopping　of　the　car　had　awakened　Jimmy。　Sitting　up；　trying　to　rub　his　eyes　and　discovering　he　had　some　sort　of　rubber　thing　over　his　bead；　he　said；　〃Hey！〃
　〃Take　it　easy；　Jimmy；〃　May　said；　patting　him　soothingly　on　the　arm。　〃Everything's　all　right。〃
　In　darkness；　his　head　covered　by　something　that　both　felt　and　smelled　unpleasant；　surrounded　by　strangers　whose　voices　he　didn't　recognize；　Jimmy　felt　a　swift　moment　of　panic。　Reality　and　dream　swam　together　in　his　mind；　and　he　had　no　idea　where　he　was　or　what　was　happening　or　what　was　real。
　But　after　a　person　has　been　in　analysis　for　nearly　four　years；　it　bees　second　nature　to　automatically　study　and　dissect　all　dreams　and　dream　fragments。　With　his　mind　busily　seeking　the　symbolic　content　of　darkness；　rubber　masks；　and　strange　voices；　he　couldn't　pletely　lose　control；　or　remain　panic…stricken　for　very　long。　〃Oh；〃　he　said；　sighing　with　relief；　〃it's　just　the　kidnappers。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　May　said。　〃Nothing　to　worry　about。〃
　〃I　was　really　scared　for　a　second　there；〃　he　said。
　〃We're　going　to　get　out　of　the　car　now；〃　May　told　him。　〃It's　raining；　and　we　have　some　stairs　to　go　up；　so　hold　my　hand。〃
　〃All　right。〃
　They　transferred　themselves　from　car　to　house；　getting　drenched　in　the　process；　and　Murch；　ing　last；　switched　off　the　headlights　before　going　up　into　the　house。
　It　had　apparently　been　several　years　since　anybody　had　lived　here。　Except　for　a　nonworking　gas　stove　in　the　kitchen；　a　framed　newspaper　photograph　of　moon…walking　astronauts　on　the　wall　in　the　living　room；　and　a　badly　stained　mattress　in　one　of　the　bedrooms　upstairs；　the　place　had　been　pletely　empty　when　Murch　and　his　Mom　had　found　it。　Since　then；　they'd　driven　out　three　carloads　of　furnishings；　and　Murch　had　discovered　that　the　toilet　upstairs　would　work　if　the　tank　was　filled　with　buckets　full　of　water　from　the　hand…pump　well　in　the　back　yard。　〃The　only　thing　is；〃　he'd　told　the　others　earlier；　〃you　don't　flush　for　everything。〃
　May　and　Murch's　Mom　led　Jimmy　directly　upstairs；　lighting　their　way　with　two　of　the　flashlights　Murch　had　brought　out　on　one　of　his　earlier　trips。　The　bedroom　they'd　chosen　didn't　have　bars　over　the　windows；　like　the　room　in　Child　Heist；　but　it　did　have　boards　nailed　over　the　windows；　which　was　just　as　good。　And　it　had　a　solid　door　that　could　be　locked　with　a　key　from　the　outside。
　May　had　carried　her　mask　up　with　her；　and　Murch's　Mom　had　borrowed　her　son's；　they　put　them　both　on　now；　before　taking　Jimmy's　mask　off。　May　said；　〃This　is　where　you're　going　to　live　for　the　next　day　or　two。　Until　we　get　the　money　from　your　father。〃
　Jimmy　looked　around。　Vaguely　in　the　beams　of　the　two　flashlights　he　could　see　the　cot　with　pajamas　laid　out　on　it；　and　the　folding　chair　piled　with　half　a　dozen　ic　books。　The　two　windows　were　both　covered　with　boards　on　the　outside。　〃It's　cold　in　here；〃　he　said。
　〃There's　lots　of　blankets　on　the　bed；〃　May　told　him。　〃And　I'll　bring　you　up　some　hot　dinner　pretty　soon。〃
　The　two　women　started　to　leave；　and　Jimmy　said；　〃May　I　keep　one　of　the　flashlights？　So　I　can　read　the　ic　books。〃
　〃Sure；〃　May　said；　and　gave　him　hers。　Then　she　and　Murch's　Mom　went　out　to　the　hail　and　took　their　masks　off　again。　They　locked　the　door；　left　the　key　in　the　lock；　and　went　downstairs。
　Murch　had　lit　the　three　kerosene　lanterns　he'd　stashed　here；　and　the　living　room　looked　almost　livable。　Wet　clothing　now　hung　from　the　nails　and　hooks　left　in　the　walls。　Kelp　was　sitting　at　the　card　table　in　his　undershirt；　playing　solitaire；　and　Dortmunder　was　wringing　out　his　shirt。　The　smell　of　wet　cloth　mixed　with　the　odor　of　kerosene　smoke；　bined　with　the　boarded　up　windows　and　the　exaggerated　shadows　on　the　walls　and　the　darkness　beyond　the　interior　doorways；　it　was　more　like　being　in　a　cave　underground　than　in　a　house。
　Dortmunder　said；　〃The　kid　okay？〃
　Murch's　Mom　said；　〃He's　in　better　shape　than　we　are。〃
　〃I'll　get　us　something　to　eat；〃　May　said；　and　went　over　to　the　stone　fireplace　in　the　corner　of　the　room。　Murch　had　brought　out　charcoal　and　a　hibachi；　two　large　cans　to　boil　water　in；　and　some　field　rations　nicknamed　Lurps；　officially　Long　Range　Reconnaissance　Patrol　Rations；　they　were　dry　rations　in　plastic　bags；　which　converted　into　c