dw.jimmythekid-第27部分

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　〃No；　I'll　go　last；〃　Jimmy　said。　〃I'll　fix　the　boards　over　the　window　again；　the　way　I　did　last　time。　I　already　locked　the　door；　while　everybody　else　was　going　down。〃
　〃From　the　inside？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Jimmy　said。
　John　made　some　sort　of　guttural　noise　in　his　throat。　〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃I'll　go　next。〃
　John　went　down　one…handed；　carrying　the　hibachi。　Then　Jimmy；　the　Air　France　bag　over　his　shoulder　again；　went　out　the　window　for　the　third　and　final　time。　He　was　very　adept　by　now　at　replacing　the　boards；　and　then　he　skimmed　down　the　rope　and　joined　the　others。　〃All　set；〃　he　whispered。
　〃You　want　to　lead　the　way？〃　John　asked　him。　It　didn't　sound　sarcastic；　it　sounded　mostly　heavy　and　fatalistic。
　〃Not　me；〃　Jimmy　said。　〃I　don't　know　what's　over　there。〃
　〃More　trouble；〃　John　said；　and　led　off。
　The　six　of　them　marched　away　from　the　house　in　the　darkness；　off　across　the　scrubby　pastureland；　following　one　another　mainly　by　the　sound　of　their　footsteps　as　they　tramped　through　the　dry　autumn　grass。　John　went　first；　carrying　the　flashlight；　which　he　didn't　dare　switch　on。　May　followed；　not　carrying　anything。　Then　Jimmy；　carrying　his　Air　France　bag；　Stan's　Mom；　carrying　her　hibachi；　Stan；　carrying　his　portable　TV　set；　and　Andy；　carrying　the　suitcase。
　
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　AT　FOUR…TWENTY　A。M。；　elements　of　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Investigation　under　the　mand　of　Field　Agent　Leonard　Bradford；　assisted　by　elements　of　the　Warren　County　Sheriff's　Department　under　the　mand　of　Sheriff　Larch　K。　Dooley；　and　elements　of　the　New　Jersey　State　Police　under　the　mand　of　Sergeant　Ambrose　Rust；　broke　in　the　front　door　of　the　deserted　farmhouse　known　as　the　Pootey　place；　Hezakiah　Township；　Lot　19；　Block　47；　and　shouted；　〃Hands　up！〃
　And　found　the　place　empty。
　Agent　Bradford；　entering　with　the　second　wave；　announced；　〃They're　in　here　someplace！　Tear　it　apart。〃
　They　tore　it　apart。　State　troopers；　sheriff's　deputies；　and　Federal　agents　reported　to　Bradford　in　streams；　and　all　of　the　reports　were　discouraging。　There　was　no　one　in　the　building。　A　second…floor　room；　furnished　for　a　child　and　locked　from　the　outside；　was　empty。　Air　mattresses；　blankets；　food；　folding　chairs；　and　other　indicators　indicated　that　the　fugitives　actually　had　been　in　this　building…thus　confirming　the　eyewitness　report　of　Agent　Wilson；　who　had　peeked　in　and　seen　them　all　watching　television…but　they　sure　weren't　here　now。
　Nor；　unfortunately；　was　there　any　way　for　them　to　have　left。　Every　door　and　every　window　in　the　place　was　solidly　boarded　up；　with　the　single　exception　of　the　front　door；　which　had　been　under　constant　surveillance　since　late　yesterday　afternoon。　There　were　no　tunnels　in　the　basement；　no　secret　passages；　no　hidden　rooms。　They　were　not　here；　and　it　was　not　possible　for　them　to　have　left。
　And　what　made　it　worse；　the　radio　trucks　claimed　they　were　still　here。　The　three　trucks　were　out　roaming　the　world；　triangulating　and　triangulating　and　triangulating；　and　every　damn　time　the　three　lines　crossed　at　the　exact　same　spot　on　the　map。　This　spot。
　The　gang　wasn't　here。　The　child　wasn't　here。　The　suitcase　wasn't　here。　But　the　gang　and　the　child　could　not　have　left；　and　the　radio　trucks　insisted　the　suitcase　was　here。
　By　dawn's　early　light；　Agent　Bradford　stood　on　the　sagging　front　porch　and　watched　his　demoralized　men　wandering　around　that　field　out　there；　looking　for　clues。　Sergeant　Ambrose　Rust　of　the　New　Jersey　State　Police　came　out　of　the　house；　after　one　last　head…scratching　inspection；　and　said；　〃Well；　Mr。　Bradford；　what　do　we　do　now？〃
　〃I　don't　know　about　you；　Sergeant；〃　Agent　Bradford　said；　〃but　I'm　going　to　start　looking　for　somebody　to　pin　this　on。〃
　
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　I　N　T　H　E　deep　dark　woods　they　huddled　around　the　television　set；　for　warmth　as　much　as　for　entertainment。　The　movie　now　was　Captain　Blood；　Errol　Flynn's　first　picture；　directed　by　Michael　Curtiz；　best　known　for　Casablanca。　Jimmy　was　pointing　out　to　an　uncaring　audience　how　the　obsessive　close…ups　of　Flynn　from　a　low…angle　camera　made　him　separate　from　and　above　the　surrounding　action　when　Kelp　came　blundering　back　through　the　woods　to　say；　〃Well；　I　finally　found　something。　It　wasn't　easy　out　here；　let　me　tell　you。〃
　It　was　now　shortly　after　dawn；　Captain　Blood　would　soon　be　giving　way　to　Sunrise　Semester。　They　had　spent　over　an　hour　heading　away　from　the　house；　first　across　open　fields；　then　through　woods；　then　across　a　county　road　and　a　plowed　field　and　more　woods　until　they'd　felt　secure　enough　to　stop。　Another　county　road　was　ahead　of　them；　while　the　rest　retired　deeper　into　the　woods　to　hide　and　watch　television；　Kelp　had　gone　off　to　find　them　transportation；　a　vehicle　to　get　them　to　New　York。　
　And　now　Kelp　was　back。　Slowly　Dortmunder　rose；　clutching　his　back。　He　had　found　and　fixed　the　leak　in　his　air　mattress；　but　the　patch　had　popped　during　the　night；　and　he'd　awakened　stiff　as　a　board　again。　Sitting　around　on　the　cold　ground　late　at　night　hadn't　helped　much；　so
　that　by　now　the　movie　character　he　resembled　was　no　…　longer　Frankenstein's　Monster　but　the　Tin　Woodman　before　he's　been　oiled。
　〃Oh；　to　be　home；〃　Murch's　Mom　said。　〃Home　in　my　own　warm　bed。〃
　Jimmy　said；　〃Can't　we　watch　the　finish？　It's　really　well　done。〃
　〃I'm　almost　willing；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃I'd　like　to　see　something　well　done。〃
　〃Like　a　steak；〃　Murch　said。
　May　said；　〃Don't　talk　about　food。〃
　They　turned　off　the　TV；　over　Jimmy's　protests；　and　all　trailed　after　Kelp　through　the　woods　and　out　to　the　county　road；　where　they　found　a　Ford　Econoline　van　waiting　for　them。　Colored　dark　green；　it　had　lettering　on　the　side　doors　that　read　BUXTON　J。　LOWERING；　D。　V。　M。
　Dortmunder　said；　〃What's　this？〃
　〃The　only　vehicle　I　could　find；〃　Kelp　said；　〃that　didn't　have　dogs　or　barbed　wire　in　the　way　of　me　getting　to　it。　People　are　very　mistrustful　out　here；　don't　believe　any　of　that　stuff　about　the　gullible　hicks。〃
　〃D。　V。　M。；〃　May　read。　〃That's　some　kind　of　doctor；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Even　out　here；〃　Murch　said；　〃he　steals　doctors'　cars。〃
　〃Doctor　of　Veterinary　Medicine；〃　Jimmy　said。
　Dortmunder　looked　at　Kelp。　〃A　vet？〃
　〃It's　all　I　could　find；〃　Kelp　insisted。　〃You　go　look。〃
　〃No；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃It's　okay。　Stan；　you　and　your　Mom　ride　up　front。　The　rest　of　us'll　get　in　back。　And　Stan？〃
　〃Mm？〃
　〃Just　get　us　to　the　city；　okay？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Murch　said。　〃Why　not？〃
　Kelp　opened　the　rear　doors　of　the　van；　and　they　started　to　climb　in。　Wistfully　May　said；　〃And　we　were　going　back　in　a　Country　Squire。　I　was　really　looking　forward　to　that。〃
　Most　of　the　interior　was　taken　up　by　a　large　cage。　They　had　to　get　into　the　cage；　there　being　no　place　else　to　sit　down；　and　try　to　get　fortable　on　the　crisscross　metal　bars　of　the　cage　floor。　Jimmy　sat　on　his　Air　France　bag；　May　sat　on　the　suitcase；　and　Kelp　tried　sitting　on　the　TV　set。　When　that　didn't　work　he　tried　the　hibachi；　which　also　didn't　work。　Dortmunder；　past　caring；　simply　sat　down　on　the　floor。
　Murch　turned　and　called；　〃All　set　back　there？〃
　〃Just　wonderful；〃　May　said。
　Murch　started　them　forward。　The　drive　wasn't　as　bumpy　as　it　might　have　been。
　〃Andy；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃Uh　huh？〃
　〃The　next　time　you　have　an　idea；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃if　you　e　to　me　with　it；　I'll　bite　your　nose　off。〃
　〃Now　what？〃　Kelp　was　aggrieved　again。　〃Doggone　it；　this　thing's　working　out　isn't　it？　We're　making　thirty　thousand　apiece　out　of　it；　aren't　we？〃
　〃I'm　just　saying；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃I　don't　see　how　you　can　plain。〃
　〃I'm　plaining　anyway；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃And　I'm　also　warning　you。〃
　〃Boy。　Some　people　are　just　never　satisfied。〃　May　said；　〃What's　that　smell？〃
　〃Dog；〃　Jimmy　said。
　〃Sick　dog；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃I　suppose　that's　my　fault；　too；〃　Kelp　said。　Nobody　said　anything。
　
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　〃I　U　S　E　D　to　like　dogs；〃　May　said。　〃In　fact；　I　had　one　once。〃
　〃Lincoln　Tunnel　ing　up；〃　Murch　called　to　them。
　〃That's　not　all　that's　ing　up；〃　May　said。
　They'd　been　in　this　truck　for　nearly　two　hours；　except　for　three　pauses　at　rest　stops　along　route　80；　when　they　would　all　get　out　and　do　a　lot　of　breathing。　Dortmunder；　whose　stiffness　wasn't　being　helped　by　sitting　on　a　cage　floor　and　leaning　his　back　against　a　cage　wall；　would　simply　stand　behind　the　truck　during　the　rest　stops；　hanging　there　like　an　elm　tree　struck　by　the　blight；　but　the　others　would　all　walk　around；　inhaling　and　limbering　up。
　〃It'll　be　over　soon；〃　Kelp　said；　but　not　with　his　usual　sparkle。　He'd　cut　out　the　sparkle　about　an　hour　ago；　when　after　one　optimistic　remark　he'd　made　Dortmunder　had　given　him　a　flat　look　and　had　started　thumping　his　right　fist　into　his　left　palm。　Now；　Kelp　too　seemed　beaten　by　events；　even　if　only　temporarily。
　Lincoln　Tunnel。　Murch　paid　the　toll；　and　they　drove　through；　following　a　slow…moving；　belching　tractor…trailer　bringing…if　the　back　doors　could　be　believed…pork　fat　to　an　anxious　city。
　Out　the　other　side；　Murch　scooted　the　van　around　the　tractor…trailer　and　headed　up　Dyer　Avenue　to　Forty…second　Street；　where　a　red　light　stopped　him。　〃Where　to？〃　he　called　back。
　〃Out；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　Kelp　said；　〃Don't　we　have　to　let　the　kid　off　first？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　May　called　to　Murch；　〃Stop　at　Eighth　Avenue。　He　can　take　the　subway　there；　up　to　Central　Park　West。〃
　〃Right。〃
　Jimmy　had　been　half　dozing；　sitting　on　his　Air　France　bag　and　leaning　back　against　May's　side。　Now　she　jostled　his　shoulder；　saying；　〃Here　we　are；　Jimmy。　New　York。〃
　〃Mm？〃　The　boy　sat　up；　blinking。　When　he　stretched；　his　bones　cracked　like　tree　limbs。　〃Boy；　what　a　trip；〃　he　said。
　Murch　drove　to　Eighth　Avenue　and　stopped。　May　gave　the　boy　a　token；　and　Kelp　opened　the　rear　door　for　him。　Carrying　his　bag；　he　climbed　awkwardly　out　onto　the　street。　（In　some　places　this　might　have　caused　ment；　but　at　Eighth　Avenue　and　Forty…second　Street　in　New　York　City　a　twelve…year…old　boy　with　an　Air　France　bag　climbing　out　of　the　back　of　a　veterinarian's　truck　at　eight…thirty　on　a　Friday　morning　was　the　closest　thing　to　normality　that　had　happened　there　in　six　years。）
　〃So　long；　Jimmy；〃　May　called；　and　waved　to　him。
　〃So　long；　everybody；〃　Jimmy　said；　waving　to　them　all　through　the　open　door　of　the　truck。　〃Don't　feel　bad；〃　he　said；　and　turned　away。
　Kelp　pulled　the　do