dw.jimmythekid-第18部分

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ys　the　trickiest；　since　he　didn't　want　the　board　to　fall　out　onto　the　ground　below；　managing　to　avoid　that；　he　would　bring　the　board　inside；　then　use　the　pliers　to　snap　each　nail　off　short。　After　oiling　the　nails　once　more；　he　would　put　the　board　back　in　place；　the　stubby　nails　slipping　a　short　distance　into　their　former　seats　in　the　window　frame。　The　boards　looked　the　same　as　before；　but　would　pop　out　at　the　touch　of　a　finger。
　It　was　that　last　part　that　took　the　extra　time。　The　job　would　have　been　much　quicker　and　simpler　if　all　he　had　to　do　was　bash　the　boards　out　and　depart。　But　in　the　first　place　he　never　knew　when　they　might　decide　to　e　back　up　and　double…check　on　him；　and　in　the　second　place　he　wanted　to　leave　them　with　a　certain　amount　of　misdirection　and　confusion。　Therefore　he　took　the　extra　time　to　do　the　job　right；　and　considered　it　time　well　spent。
　Outside；　in　those　intervals　when　he　had　a　board　out　of　the　window　space；　he　could　hear　the　rain　continuing　to　pound。　This　room　faced　the　back　of　the　house；　and　there　was　no　light　outside　at　all；　nothing　but　pitch　blackness　and　the　sound　of　pelting　rain。
　Some　water　did　splash　in　from　time　to　time；　but　not　enough　to　give　him　away。　A　worse　problem　was　the　cold；　a　chill　wet　wind　blew　in　whenever　he　had　a　board　off　the　window；　and　his　jacket　just　wasn't　warm　enough　for　weather　like　this。　When　he'd　put　it　on　this　morning；　the　worst　climate　he'd　expected　to　be　exposed　to　was　the　air…conditioning　in　Dr。　Schraubenzieher's　office。
　Well；　one　did　have　to　expect　to　rough　it　from　time　to　time　in　this　life。　With　which　thought　Jimmy　snapped　the　last　nail　that　needed　to　be　snapped；　picked　up　the　oilcan；　oiled　the　nails　in　this　fourth　board；　and　carefully　reinserted　the　board　into　the　window；　thus　not　only　restoring　the　original　appearance　of　the　room；　but　also　eliminating　again　that　whistling　wind。
　What　next？　The　tools　and　oilcan　went　into　the　toolbox；　and　the　toolbox　went　into　the　space　beneath　the　floorboard　he　had　previously　loosened。　Flashing　the　light　around　the　room；　he　reassured　himself　he　wasn't　leaving　any　unnecessary　clues　in　his　wake；　and　then　turned　to　the　rope。
　It　was　quite　long；　but　maybe　not　as　thick　or　as　strong　as　he　would　have　liked　it。　Still；　it　would　have　to　do；　and　once　it　was　doubled　it　surely　would　do。　Fine。　So　now　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　depart。
　So　why　did　he　hesitate？　Why　did　be　glance　ruefully　toward　that　small　cot　with　its　inadequate　blankets？
　Childishness；　he　told　himself。　Babyishness　and　weakness。　And　not　to　be　given　in　to。
　Taking　a　deep　breath；　squaring　his　shoulders；　he　hesitated　just　a　second　longer；　then　abruptly　began　to　move；　and　from　then　on　continued　to　move　steadily　and　smoothly；　doing　everything　just　as　he　had　planned　it。
　First；　all　four　boards　were　taken　out；　and　stacked　next　to　the　window。　Next；　one　end　of　the　rope　was　slipped　through　between　the　still…attached　fifth　and　sixth　boards；　in　a　tiny　space　showing　down　by　the　windowsill。　That　end　of　the　rope　was　played　through　and　around　the　outside　of　the　fifth　board　and　back　into　the　room；　until　the　center　of　the　rope　rested　on　the　windowsill；　against　the　bottom　of　the　fifth　board；　inside　the　room。　Dirt　smudged　on　that　length　of　rope　made　it　virtually　invisible。
　Now。　The　two　lengths　of　rope　were　allowed　to　hang　down　along　the　outer　wall　of　the　house。　Jimmy；　leaning　out；　feeling　now　the　force　of　the　wind　and　rain　on　his　bead；　grasped　the　two　lengths；　brought　a　part　of　it　back　into　the　room；　and　tied　a　loop　in　it　that　would　hang　about　three　feet　below　the　window。　Then　he　dropped　it　outside　again。
　The　rest　would　have　to　be　done　in　darkness。　Switching　off　the　flashlight；　Jimmy　put　it　in　his　jacket　pocket　and　felt　his　way　to　the　window。　Climbing　carefully　over　the　sill；　he　grasped　the　rope；　pulled　it　up　till　he　felt　the　loop；　and　put　the　loop　like　a　stirrup　over　his　right　foot。　Then　he　lowered　himself　slowly　out　the　window　until　he　was　standing　on　the　loop　of　rope；　his　forearms　resting　on　the　windowsill。
　Now　for　the　tricky　part。　Reaching　inside；　he　took　the　first　board；　which　he　knew　belonged　in　position　number　four；　and　working　by　feel　he　slipped　it　back　into　place。　Then　three；　and　then　two。　Number　one　was　the　most　difficult；　since　he　had　such　a　narrow　space　to　bring　the　board　out　through；　and　he　almost　gave　the　whole　thing　up　as　an　over…elaboration；　but　at　last　he　did　get　the　thing　out　and　in　place；　and　felt　better　for　having　done　it。
　The　idea　was；　whenever　the　gang　next　decided　to　check　on　him　the　room　would　appear　to　be　unchanged。　They　would　have　to　believe　that　he'd　managed　to　turn　the　key　in　the　lock　from　inside；　and　that　while　he　was　no　longer　in　the　room　he　must　still　be　somewhere　in　the　house。　So　they　would　confine　their　search；　at　least　for　a　while；　to　the　interior　of　the　house；　thus　giving　him　longer　to　get　away。
　And　if　worse　came　to　worst；　if　they　did　catch　him　again；　he　would　say　that　he'd　turned　the　key　with　his　ballpoint　pen　insert；　had　locked　the　door　again　behind　himself；　and　had　snuck　downstairs；　going　out　the　front　door　while　they　were　all　searching　elsewhere。　If　they　swallowed　that　and　put　him　back　in　the　same　room…which　they　probably　would；　since　they　didn't　have　any　other　room　prepared　for　him…he　could　simply　take　the　boards　down　again　and　escape　all　over。
　So。　Having　been　as　clever　as　possible　in　his　departure；　Jimmy　now　rappelled　down　the　side　of　the　house；　permitting　the　back　of　his　jacket　to　take　most　of　the　stress　and　most　of　the　friction　of　the　rope　passing　through；　and　all　at　once　he　found　himself　standing　in　mud；　on　the　ground；　outside　the　house。
　Escape；　he'd　done　it。
　Now　all　that　was　left　was　to　walk　to　the　highway；　hail　a　passing　car；　and　inform　the　police。　This　gang　would　be　rounded　up；　probably　in　less　than　an　hour；　and　by　midnight　Jimmy　would　be　safely　at　home　and　asleep　in　his　own　bed。
　He　almost　felt　sorry　for　the　kidnappers。　But　they
　couldn't　say　they　hadn't　asked　for　it。
　For　the　first　leg　of　the　journey　he　wouldn't　be　able　to　use　the　flashlight；　and　it　really　was　dark　out　here。　Also　wet。　Also　cold。　Already　drenched　to　the　skin；　Jimmy　reached　out　in　front　of　himself；　patted　the　weathered　boards　of　the　house；　and　then　moved　off　to　his　right；　keeping　his　left　hand　constantly　in　touch　with　the　house。
　Traveling　that　way；　he　walked　around　the　house　to　the　front；　and　there　at　last　he　did　see　some　light；　flickering　yellowish　light　showing　through　chinks　in　the　boarded…up　living　room　windows。　So；　if　he　turned　his　back　on　those　lights；　the　farm　road　should　lead　directly　away　in　front　of　him。　Turning　that　way；　looking　over　his　shoulder　to　be　sure　he　was　facing　exactly　away　from　the　light；　he　made　off　cautiously　into　the　rain…drenched　darkness。
　The　first　two　times　he　looked　over　his　shoulder　those　faint　lines　of　light　were　still　there；　but　the　third　time　they　were　gone。　〃Ten　more　steps；〃　he　whispered　to　himself；　and　made　ten　slow　slithering　steps　through　the　mud　before　hesitantly　switching　on　the　flashlight；　keeping　his　fingers　dosed　over　most　of　the　glass　so　not　too　much　light　would　e　out。
　He　was　in　a　field。　At　one　time　under　cultivation；　it　had　apparently　e　recently　into　a　state　of　semi　abandonment。　That　is；　no　crop　was　grown　here；　but　it　seemed　as　though　someone　was　keeping　the　rougher　vegetation　cut　back；　and　any　case；　it　wasn't　a　road。
　To　the　left？　Jimmy　flashed　the　light　that　way；　and　couldn't　see　any　road。
　To　the　right？　No。
　Okay。　So　he'd　have　to　do　it　differently；　go　back　to　the　house　and　start　all　over；　with　quick　on…oils　of　the　flashlight　right　from　the　beginning；　so　he　wouldn't　get　lost。　Flashlight　off；　he　turned　around　and　headed　back　the　way　he'd　e。
　No　house。　After　a　while　he　became　pretty　sure　he　should　have　reached　the　house；　and　there　just　wasn't　any　house。　No　thin　lines　of　yellow　light　at　all；　not　a　one。
　Oh；　the　hell　with　this　darkness！　Switching　on　the　flashlight；　not　putting　any　fingers　over　the　glass　at　all；　he　aimed　the　beam　all　around　himself；　and　didn't　see　a　damn　thing。
　Where　was　the　house？　Where　was　the　road？
　It　was　getting　cold　out　here。　The　rain　didn't　help　and　the　wind　didn't　help；　and　even　without　them　it　would　have　been　cold。　With　them；　it　was　being　almost　terrifying。
　Well；　he　couldn't　just　stand　here。　If　he　didn't　get　to　someplace　pretty　soon；　he'd　be　in　big　trouble。　He　could　die　of　exposure　out　here；　and　wouldn't　that　be　a　dumb　thing　to　do！
　Apparently　he'd　e　farther　from　the　house　than　he'd　thought。　It　had　to　be　out　in　front　of　him；　invisible　in　the　pounding　rain。　So　the　thing　to　do　was　keep　moving　forward。
　He　moved　forward。　His　shoes　were　being　heavy　with　mud；　and　after　a　while　it　became　easier　to　just　drag　his　feet　through　the　puddles　rather　than　try　to　lift　them。
　Heavy。　Cold。　Hard　to　see　in　this　light。　And　now　the　flashlight　was　starting　to　dim。
　A　road。
　He　didn't　believe　it。　He　almost　walked　across　it　and　off　the　other　side；　except　that　his　sliding　foot　got　caught　briefly　in　one　of　the　ruts。　He　looked　down　to　see　what　the　problem　was；　saw　the　parallel　lines　going　from　left　to　right；　and　shone　the　dimming　light　off　to　his　right。　A　definite　road；　a　farm　road；　two　deep　ruts　with　a　grassy　lane　in　the　center。
　Which　way？　He　had　to　have　overshot　the　house　somehow；　so　it　would　be　off　to　the　left　there。　The　highway　would　be　to　the　right；　so　that's　the　direction　he　took。
　It　was　easier　walking　now；　on　the　high　grassy　mound　between　the　ruts。　He　made　good　time；　all　things　considered；　and　he　just　didn't　believe　it　when　he　saw　those　yellow　lines　of　light　out　in　the　darkness　ahead　of　himself　and　to　the　right；　just　outside　the　yellow　cone　from　the　flashlight。
　The　house。
　He　could　see　the　way　it　went　now。　The　road　didn't　go　directly　to　the　house；　it　came　in　from　an　angle　and　swept　across　in　front　of　it。　His　ideas　of　his　location　and　direction　had　been　wrong　at　every　single　stage　of　the　journey。
　So　the　highway　was　back　the　other　way。　Jimmy　turned　and　shone　his　feeble　light　down　the　road　he'd　just　e　along。　He　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　house。
　He　sighed。
　
　19
　
　ALUMINOUS　afternoon　'n　the　black…and…white　forest。　The　monster；　played　by　Boris　Karloff；　pauses　as　he　hears　the　sweet　notes　of　a　violin。　His　face　lights；　he　lumbers　through　the