gns.snakes-第1部分

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　　SUDDENLY　THE　child　began　to　scream；　piercing　shrieks　of　terror　that　died　down　to　shaking　sobs；　clutching　at　his　mother　so　that　his　tiny　ringers　pinched　her　skin　agonisingly　through　her　flimsy　summer　dress。
　　
　　Veronica　Jones　grimaced　in　the　deep　green　gloom　of　the　reptile　house；　had　to　check　herself　from　giving　her　five…year…old　son　one　of　her　habitual　cuffs　across　his　head。　She　held　him　to　her；　closed　her　eyes　momentarily；　a　human　ostrich　trying　to　hide　her　embarrassment　from　the　ghostly　white　faces　that　turned　in　her　direction。　Trust　the　little　sod　to　start　playing　up。　You　squandered　a　sizeable　chunk　of　the　weekly　family　allowance　to　give　him　a　treat　and　this　was　how　he　repaid　you。　Outside　he　had　plained　of　the　heat　incessantly；　and　shown　more　interest　in　playing　with　the　gravel　on　the　paths　than　looking　at　the　zoo　animals；　not　that　there　were　many　on　show　because　the　bloody　place　was　closing　down　at　the　end　of　the　week　and　the　owners　appeared　to　have　got　rid　of　a　lot　of　the　exhibits　already。　Conning　you　right　up　to　the　end；　the　money　grabbers。　And　now　Ian　was　frightened　of　the　snakes。
　　
　　'It's　。。。　all　right；'　she　muttered　and　forced　her　eyes　open。
　　
　　'I'm　frightened；　Mam。'
　　
　　'There's　nothing　to　be　frightened　of。'　she　replied；　hoping　her　tone　was　reassuring；　but　she　could　not　keep　her　annoyance　out　of　it。　'The　snakes　are　all　in　glass　cages。　They　can't　get　at　you。'　At　least；　I　hope　they　can't。
　　
　　'That　one　。。　。'　the　boy　pointed　to　a　large　glass　exhibit　case　with　a　shaking　hand。　'He　wants　to　kill　me。'
　　
　　'Don't　be　so　stupid；'　she　hissed；　the　way　an　angry　snake　might　hiss；　'it。。。'　her　voice　died　away　and　she　felt　the　sweat　on　her　body　turning　cold；　a　clammy　invisible　hand　stroking　her；　sliding　up　and　down　her　the　way　that　creature　in　the　cage　might　do　if　it　got　out；　A　slimy　reptile；　revolting　in　every　aspect。　And　deadly。
　　
　　Veronica　tried　to　pull　herself　together。　It　was　the　heat　that　was　affecting　her　just　like　it　had　upset　Ian。　Hell；　it　was　hot　outside　but　it　was　like　a　blast　furnace　in　here。　No　air…conditioning；　the　lighting　just　a　dim　green　glow　designed　to　make　these　reptiles　doubly　sinister。　All　part　of　the　creep　show；　like　the　spook　house　at　the　funfair。　An　extra　quid　to　go　in　the　snake　house；　half…price　for　children　and　we'll　guarantee　to　scare　the　shit　out　of　them　so　that　neither　you　nor　they　will　get　any　sleep　tonight。　You'll　have　to　have　the　little　boy　in　your　bed　tonight；　ma'am；　after　he's　seen　what　we've　got　in　store　for　him。
　　
　　'I　want　to　go　home；　Mam。'
　　
　　'You'll　get　a　clip　round　the　ear　in　a　minute；'　she　breathed。　'I　can　see　that　I've　wasted　my　money　on　you；　but　I'm　going　to　have　my　money's　worth。　So　shut　your　eyes　and　hang　on　to　me　if　you　don't　want　to　look。'
　　
　　She　was　aware　that　he　was　trembling；　shaking　with　sheer　terror；　afraid　to　cry　out　loud　in　case　she　hit　him。　'You　start　blarting　and　see　what　you　get；'　she　warned。　'Now；　hold　on　to　my　hand　and　let's　have　no　more　of　this　nonsense。'
　　
　　Veronica　Jones　wanted　to　move　on；　a　quick　glance　at　each　cage　as　she　passed　just　to　satisfy　her　own　conscience。　No　more　than　a　cursory　glimpse　and　then　back　outside　into　the　heat　of　a　summer's　day。　Except　that　the　crowd　in　here　seemed　to　have　swelled；　a　crush　of　bodies　hemming　her　in。　You　aren't　going　anywhere；　lady。　You　can't　escape　as　easily　as　that。　You've　got　to　stay　and　look。
　　
　　She　almost　screamed；　'For　God's　sake　let　me　out；'　but　she　realised　the　futility　of　it。　Nobody　was　interested　in　her；　they　didn't　give　a　damn　whether　she　lived　or　died。　Just　faceless　shapes　that　were　supposed　to　be　people；　aliens　in　a　reptile　den。　Everybody　just　staring；　gloating　at　the　hideous　things　on　the　other　side　of　the　glass。　Somebody　was　tapping　on　the　front　of　a　case；　stabbing　a　finger　at　the　hideous　thing　only　a　quarter　of　an　inch　away。　You　can't　get　at　me；　you　bugger。　You'll　stop　in　there　till　you　die。　Go　on；　try　and　bite　me。　Go　on！
　　
　　It　was　the　same　snake　that　had　scared　Ian。　Veronica　stared　at　the　toad…like　head；　the　large　unblinking　eyes；　features　that　might　have　been　left　unchanged　over　a　million　years。　Coiled；　motionless；　you　didn't　even　know　if　it　saw　you；　knew　you　were　there。　It　could　even　have　been　dead。　'It's　a　bloody　stuffed　one；'　someone　said；　but　nobody　laughed。　Veronica　felt　the　watchers　move　back　half　a　pace；　a　man　trod　on　her　toe　and　it　hurt　but　she　stopped　her　self　from　crying　out　aloud。　Don't　make　a　noise；　it　might　hear　you。　And　it　might　get　out。
　　
　　She　found　herself　reading　the　illuminated　notice　below　the　aquarium…type　cage。　She　read　the　printed　words　because　for　some　reason　she　wanted　to　know　just　what　kind　of　creature　it　was　that　remained　motionless　and　scared　you　to　hell。
　　
　　RUSSELL'S　VIPER。　One　of　the　most　feared　snakes　of　India；　Burma　and　Thailand。　Its　bite　is　usually　fatal；　but　its　venom　is　sometimes　used　in　medication。
　　
　　Ugh！　Veronica　Jones　hoped　that　she　had　never　had　any　injected　into　her。　You　couldn't　trust　doctors　these　days；　they　got　up　to　all　sorts　of　tricks。　That　snake　ought　never　to　have　been　brought　back　to　England；　it　should've　been　left　in　peace　in　India　or　wherever　they'd　got　it。　There　should　be　a　ban　on　importing　such　things。　It　moved！
　　
　　At　least；　she　thought　it　did；　although　it　could　have　been　just　her　own　start　of　fright。　Everybody　seemed　to　move　back　another　half…pace　and　a　clumsy　shoe　scraped　the　side　of　her　sandalled　foot　again。　Faces　still　staring；　an　entire　audience　hypnotised　by　that　viper　in　its　pseudo…jungle　of　no　more　than　a　cubic　metre。　Watching　it　intently；　basking　in　their　terror；　though　logically　it　could　not　get　at　them。　All　the　same；　the　finger…poking　jibes　had　stopped；　the　reptile's　tormentor　standing　well　back　from　the　glass。　He　was　scared　too。
　　
　　And　then　its　jaws　opened；　a　reptilian　cavern　of　sheer　evil；　the　watchers　felt　its　hate　for　them　as　if　a　dragon　had　breathed　angry　fire。　Those　glassy　eyes　fixed　them；　searched　out　every　single　one　of　them　without　so　much　as　a　blink　or　a　movement　of　that　squat　head。　A　loathsome　creature　that　loathed　its　captors　with　a　malevolence　that　even　plate　glass　could　not　shut　in。　You　felt　the　sheer　power　of　the　viper；　felt　it　turning　your　lathered　sweat　to　an　icy　chill；　drying　out　your　mouth　and　weakening　your　legs；　huddling　you　together；　silent　mass　panic　that　made　you　incapable　of　flight。　And　if　it　got　out　then　you　wouldn't　be　able　to　do　a　damned　thing　to　protect　yourself。
　　
　　The　Russell's　viper's　spell　might　have　lasted　a　second　or　an　hour。　Veronica　was　aware　of　the　others　pressed　up　against　her；　of　Ian　pinching　her　flesh　in　his　infantile　terror　but　she　made　no　move　to　push　him　away。　Greenish　silhouettes　all　around　that　might　have　been　statues　in　some　underground　temple　of　snake　worship。　Bow　before　your　lord　and　master　and　beg　of　him　forgiveness　and　mercy。
　　
　　The　snake's　eyes　were　closed　and　suddenly　everybody　was　moving；　just　a　flexing　of　cramped　limbs；　turning　one　way；　then　another；　as　though　they　had　bee　so　disorientated　that　they　had　forgotten　in　which　direction　the　exit　lay。
　　
　　The　atmosphere　was　heavy　with　the　sour　smell　of　human　sweat。　The　tension　had　built　up　to　a　peak；　it　might　have　blown　but　instead　it　had　subsided。　You　knew　it　was　still　there；　though；　and　you　wanted　to　get　the　hell　out　of　here　before　something　happened。
　　
　　'Mam；　I　want　to　go　home。'　A　distant　muffled　familiar　cry。　She　didn't　want　to　hit　her　bastard　son　any　more；　suddenly　she　wanted　to　protect　him；　to　shield　him　from　this　illogical　evil。　She　thought　for　a　moment　that　she　might　cry。
　　
　　'They're　nasty　things　in　cages。'　She　wished　her　whispers　didn't　echo；　didn't　quaver。　'Shut　your　eyes　and　think　of　something　else。　We'll　be　outside　in　a　minute。'
　　
　　The　queue　had　bottlenecked。　Nobody　seemed　to　be　in　a　hurry　any　more。　More　glass　cages；　all　lit　with　that　same　eerie　glow。　The　horror　show　isn't　over　yet；　folks。
　　
　　Oh；　Jesus　Christ；　get　a　move　on！　Veronica　stole　a　sideways　glance；　breathed　her　relief　aloud。　This　case　was　empty；　thank　God。　The　thick　glass　acted　like　a　mirror；　threw　her　own　reflection　back　at　her。
　　
　　A　little　more　personal　care　and　she　could　have　been　attractive。　A　perm　for　that　shoulder…length　blonde　hair；　she　didn't　have　the　money；　but　a　good　bing　and　brushing　would　have　helped　to　separate　those　tangled　strands。　Cosmetics　would　have　masked　the　lines　in　her　face；　knocked　five　years　off　her；　maybe　even　made　her　feel　thirty　again。　The　flowered　cotton　dress；　the　one　she　had　picked　up　for　50p　at　a　jumble　sale　down　at　the　hall；　clung　wetly　to　a　figure　that　was　still　sensuous。　An　observer　could　see　that　she　wasn't　wearing　a　bra；　that　she　didn't　really　care　any　longer。　The　hardness　was　there　in　her　expression；　the　pressed　lips；　the　lines　beneath　the　eyes；　the　resentment　towards　life。
　　
　　Once；　almost　six　years　ago；　it　seemed　an　eternity；　she　had　been　happy。　Her　boyfriend　was　going　to　rescue　her　from　a　life　of　downtown　squalor　and　hardship；　a　man　of　some　means　was　going　to　spirit　her　away　from　all　this；　take　her　someplace　else　where　she　could　forget　the　past　like　a　bad　dream。　Which　was　why　she　had　let　him　have　his　way　most　nights　and　had　not　been　too　bothere