sk.petsematary-第6部分

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　　〃Are　there　moose？〃　Rachel　asked　apprehensively；　and　Louis　smiled。　If　Rachel　wanted　to　fret；　she　would　jolly　well　fret。
　　〃Well；　you　might　see　a　moose；〃　Jud　said；　〃but　he　wouldn't　give　you　any　trouble；　Rachel。　During　mating　season　they　get　a　little　irritated；　but　otherwise　they　do　no　more　than　look。　Only　people　they　take　after　out　of　their　rutting　time　are　people　from　Massachusetts。　I　don't　know　why　that's　so；　but　it　is。〃　Louis　thought　the　man　was　joking　but　could　not　be　sure；　Jud　looked　utterly　serious。　〃I've　seen　it　time　and　time　again。　Some　fella　from　Saugus　or　Milton　or　Weston　up　a　tree；　yelling　about　a　herd　of　moose；　every　damn　one　of　em　as　big　as　a　motorhome。　Seems　like　moose　can　smell　Massachusetts　on　a　man　or　a　woman。　Or　maybe　it's　just　all　those　new　clothes　from　L。　L。　Bean's　they　smell…I　dunno。　I'd　like　to　see　one　of　those　animal　husbandry　students　from　the　college　do　a　paper　on　it；　but　I　s'pose　none　ever　will。〃
　　〃What's　rutting　time？〃　Ellie　asked。
　　〃Never　mind；〃　Rachel　said。　〃I　don't　want　you　up　here　unless　you're　with　a　grown…up；　Ellie。〃　Rachel　moved　a　step　closer　to　Louis。
　　Jud　looked　pained。　〃I　didn't　want　to　scare　you；　Rachel…you　or　your　daughter。　No　need　to　be　scared　in　these　woods。　This　is　a　good　path；　it　gets　a　little　buggy　in　the　spring　and　it's　a　little　sloppy　all　the　time…except　for　'55；　which　was　the　driest　summer　I　can　remember…but　hell；　there…isn't　even　any　poison　ivy　or　poison　oak；　which　there　is　at　the　back　of　the　schoolyard；　and　you　want　to　stay　away　from　it；　Ellie；　if　you　don't　want　to　spend　three　weeks　of　your　life　takin　starch　baths。〃
　　Ellie　covered　her　mouth　and　giggled。
　　〃It's　a　safe　path；〃　Jud　said　earnestly　to　Rachel；　who　still　didn't　look　convinced。　〃Why；　I　bet　even　Gage　could　follow　it；　and　the　town　kids　e　up　here　a　lot；　I　already　told　you　that。　They　keep　it　nice。　Nobody　tells　them　to；　they　just　do　it。　I　wouldn't　want　to　spoil　that　for　Ellie。〃　He　bent　over　her　and　winked。　〃It's　like　many　other　things　in　life；　Ellie。　You　keep　on　the　path　and　all's　well。　You　get　off　it　and　the　next　thing　you　know　you're　lost　if　you're　not　lucky。　And　then　someone　has　to　send　out　a　searchin　party。〃
　　They　walked　on。　Louis　began　to　get　a　dull　cramp　of　pain　in　his　back　；from　the　baby　carrier。　Every　now　and　then　Gage　would　grab　a　double　handful　of　his　hair　and　tug　enthusiastically　or　administer　a　cheerful　kick　to　Louis's　kidneys。　Late　mosquitoes　cruised　around　his　face　and　neck；　making　their　eye…watering　hum。
　　The　path　curved　down；　bending　in　and　out　between　very　old　firs；　and　then　cut　widely　through　a　brambly；　tangled　patch　of　undergrowth。　The　going　was　soupy　here；　and　Louis's　boots　squelched　in　mud　and　some　standing　water。　At　one　point　they　stepped　over　a　marshy　spot　using　a　pair　of　good…sized　tussocks　as　stepping　stones。　That　was　the　worst　of　it。　They　started　to　climb　again　and　the　trees　reasserted　themselves。　Gage　seemed　to　have　magically　put　on　ten　pounds；　and　the　day　had；　with　some　similar　magic；　warmed　up　ten　degrees。　Sweat　poured　down　Louis's　face。
　　〃How　you　doing；　hon？〃　Rachel　asked。　〃Want　me　to　carry　him　for　a　while？〃
　　〃No；　I'm　fine；〃　he　said；　and　it　was　true；　although　his　heart　was　larruping　along　at　a　good　speed　in　his　chest。　He　was　more　used　to　prescribing　physical　exercise　than　he　was　to　doing　it。
　　Jud　was　walking　with　Ellie　by　his　side；　her　lemon…yellow　slacks　and　red　blouse　were　bright　splashes　of　color　in　the　shady　brown…green　gloom。
　　〃Lou；　does　he　really　know　where　he's　going；　do　you　think？〃　Rachel　asked　in　a　low；　slightly　worried　tone。
　　〃Sure；〃　Louis　said。
　　Jud　called　back　cheerily　over　his　shoulder：　〃Not　much　farther　now。　。　。　you　bearin　up；　Louis？〃
　　My　God；　Louis　thought；　the　man's　well　past　eighty；　but　I　don't　think　he's　even　broken　a　sweat。
　　〃I'm　fine；〃　he　called　back　a　little　aggressively。　Pride　probably　would　have　led　him　to　say　the　same　thing　even　if　he　had　felt　the　onset　of　a　coronary。　He　grinned；　hitched　the　straps　of　the　Gerrypack　up　a　bit；　and　went　on。
　　They　topped　the　second　hill；　and　then　the　path　sloped　through　a　head…high　swatch　of　bushes　and　tangled　underbrush。　It　narrowed　and　then；　just　ahead；　Louis　saw　Ellie　and　Jud　go　under　an　arch　made　of　old　weather　stained　boards。　Written　on　these　in　faded　black　paint；　only　just　legible；　were　the　words
　　PET　SEMATARY。
　　He　and　Rachel　exchanged　an　amused　glance　and　stepped　under　the　arch；　instinctively　reaching　out　and　grasping　each　other's　hands　as　they　did　so；　as　if　they　had　e　here　to　be　married。
　　For　the　second　time　that　morning　Louis　was　surprised　into　wonder。…
　　There　was　no　carpet　of　needles　here。　Here　was　an　almost　perfect　circle　of　mown　grass；　perhaps　as　large　as　forty　feet　in　diameter。　It　was　bounded　by　thickly　interlaced　underbrush　on　three　sides　and　an　old　blowdown　on　the　fourth；　a　jackstraw　jumble　of　fallen　trees　that　looked　both　sinister　and　dangerous。　A　man　trying　so　pick　his　way　through　that　or　to　climb　over　it　would　do　well　to　put　on　a　steel　jock；　Louis　thought。　The　clearing　was　crowded　with　markers；　obviously　made　by　children　from　whatever　materials　they　could　beg　or　borrow…the　slats　of　crates；　scrapwood；　pieces　of　beaten　…tin。　And　yet；　seen　against　the　perimeter　of　low　bushes　and　straggly　trees　that　fought　for　living　space　and　sunlight　here；　the　very　fact　of　their　clumsy　manufacture；　and　the　fact　that　humans　were　responsible　for　what　was　here；　seemed　to　emphasize　what　symmetry　they　had。　The　forested　backdrop　lent　the　place　a　crazy　sort　of　profundity；　a　charm　that　was　not　Christian　but　pagan。
　　〃It's　lovely；〃　Rachel　said；　not　sounding　as　if　she　meant　it。
　　〃Wow！〃　Ellie　cried。
　　Louis　unshouldered　Gage　and　pulled　him　out　of　the　baby　carrier　so　he　could　crawl。　Louis's　back　sighed　with　relief。
　　Ellie　ran　from　one　monument　to　the　next；　exclaiming　over　each。　Louis　followed　her　while　Rachel　kept　an　eye　on　the　baby。　Jud　sat　down　cross…legged；　his　back　against　a　protruding　rock；　and　smoked。
　　Louis　noticed　that　the　place　did　not　just　seem　to　have　a　sense　of　order；　a　pattern；　the　memorials　had　arranged　in　rough　concentric　circles。
　　SMUCKY　THE　CAT；　one　crate…board　marker　proclaimed。　The　hand　was　childish　but　careful。　HE　WAS　OBEDIANT。　And　below　this：　1971…1974。　A　little　way　around　the　outer　circle　he　came　to　a　piece　of　natural　slate　with　a　name　written　on　it　in　fading　but　perfectly　legible　red　paint：　BIFFER。　And　below　this　a　bit　of　verse：　BIFFER；　BIFFER。　A　HELLUVA　SNIFFER　/　UNTIL　HE　DIED　HE　MADE　US　RICHER。
　　〃Buffer　was　the　Desslers'　cocker　spaniel；〃　Jud　said。　He　had　dug　a　bald　place　in　the　earth　with　the　heel　of　his　shoe　and　was　carefully　tapping　all　his　ashes　into　it。　〃Got　run　over　by　a　dumpster　last　year。　Ain't　that　some　poime？〃
　　〃It　is；〃　Louis　agreed。　
　　Some　of　the　graves　were　marked　with　flowers；　some　fresh；　most　old；　not　a　few　almost　totally　deposed。　Over　half　of　the　painted　and　penciled　inscriptions　that　Louis　tried　to　read　had　faded　away　to　partial　or　total　illegibility。　Others　bore　no　discernible　mark　at　all；　and　Louis　guessed　that　the　writing　on　these　might　have　been　done　with　chalk　or　crayon。
　　〃Mom！〃　Ellie　yelled。　〃Here's　a　goldfishie！　e　and　see！〃
　　〃I'll　pass；〃　Rachel　said；　and　Louis　glanced　at　her。　She　was　standing　by　herself；　outside　the　outermost　circle；　looking　more　unfortable　than　ever。　Louis　thought：　Even　here　she's　upset。　She　never　had　been　easy　around　the　appearances　of　death　（not；　he　supposed；　that　anyone　really　was）；　probably　because　of　her　sister。　Rachel's　sister　had　died　very　young；　and　it　had　left　a　scar　which　Louis　had　learned　early　in　their　marriage　not　to　touch。　Her　name　had　been　Zelda；　and　her　death　had　been　from　spinal　meningitis。　Her　mortal　Illness　had　probably　been　long　and　painful　and　ugly；　and　Rachel　would　have　been　at　an　impressionable　age。　If　she　Wanted　to　forget　it；　he　thought　there　could　be　no　harm　in　that。
　　Louis　tipped　her　a　wink；　and　Rachel　smiled　gratefully　at　him。
　　Louis　looked　up。　They　were　in　a　natural　clearing。　He　supposed　that　explained　how　well　the　grass　did；　the　sun　could　get　through。　Nevertheless　it　would　have　taken　watering　and　careful　tending。　That　meant　cans　of　water　lugged　up　here　or　maybe　Indian　pumps　even　heavier　than　Gage　in　his　Gerrypack　carried　on　small　backs。　He　thought　again　that　it　was　an　odd　thing　for　children　to　have　kept　up　for　so　long。　His　own　memory　of　childhood　enthusiasms；　reinforced　by　his　dealings　with　Ellie；　was　that　they　tended　to　bum　like　newsprint…fast。。。　hot　。　。　。　and　quick　to　die。
　　Moving　inward；　the　pet　graves　became　older；　fewer　and　fewer　of　the　inscriptions　could　be　read；　but　those　that　could　yielded　a　rough　timeline　extending　into　the　past。　Here　was　TRIXIE。　KILT　ON　THE　HIGHWAY　SEPT　15；　1968。　in　the　same　circle　was　a　wide　flat　board　planted　deep　in　the　earth。　Frost　and　thaw　had　warped　it　and　canted　it　to　one　side；　but　Louis　could　still　make　Out　IN　MEMORY　OF　MARTA　OUR　PET　RABIT　DYED　MARCH　1　1965。　A　row　farther　in　was：　GEN。　PATTON　（OUR！　GOOD！　DOG！　the　inscription　amplified）；　who　had　died　in　1958；　and　POLYNESIA　（who　would　have　been　a　parrot；　if　Louis　remembered　his　Doctor　Doolittle　correctly）；　who　had　squawked　her　last　〃Polly　want　a　cracker〃　in　the　summer　of　1953。　There　was　nothing　readable　in　the　next　two　rows；　and　then；　still　a　long　way　in　from　the　center；　chiseled　roughly　on　a　piece　of　sandstone；　was　HANNAH　THE　BEST　DOG　THAT　EVER　LIVED　1929…1939。　Although　sandstone　was　relatively　soft…as　a　result　the　inscription　was　now　little　more　than　a　ghost…Louis　found　it　hard　to　conceive　of　the　hours　some　child　must　have　spent　impressing　those　nine　words　on　the　stone。　The　mitment　of　love　and　grief　seemed　to　him　staggering；　this　was　something　parents　did　not　even　do　for　their　own　parents　or　for　their　children　if　they　died　young。
　　〃Boy；　this　does　go　back　some；〃　he　said　to　Jud；　who　had　strolled　over　to　join　him。　
　　Jud　nodded。　〃e　here；　Louis。　Want　to　show　you　something。〃
　　They　walked　to　a　row　only　three　back　from　the　center。　Here　the　circular　pattern；　perceived　as　an　almost　haphazard　coincidence　in　the　outer　rows；　was　very　evident。　Jud　stopped　before　a　small　piece　of　slate　that　had　fallen　over。　Kneeling　carefully；　the　old　man　set　it　up　again。
　　〃Used　to　be　words　here；〃　Jud　said。　〃I　chiseled　em　myself；　but　it's　worn　away　now。　I　buried　my　first　dog