jg.skippingchristmas-第21部分

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　Walt　Scheel　had　been　in　the　kitchen；　where　Bev　was　finishing　a　pie；　and；　out　of　habit　now；　he　walked　to　his　front　window　to　observe　the　Krank　house。　Nothing；　at　first；　then　he　froze。　Peeking　over　the　roof；　next　to　the　chimney；　was　Luther；　then　slowly　Walt　saw　Frosty's　black　hat；　then　his　face。　〃Bev！〃　he　yelled。
　Luther　dragged　himself　up；　looked　around　quickly　as　if　he　were　a　burglar；　braced　himself　on　the　chimney；　then　began　tugging　on　Frosty。
　〃You　must　be　kidding；〃　Bev　said；　wiping　her　hands　on　a　dish　towel。　Walt　was　laughing　too　hard　to　say　anything。　He　grabbed　the　phone　to　call　Frohmeyer　and　Becker。
　When　Frosty　was　in　full　view；　Luther　carefully　swung　him　around　to　the　front　of　the　chimney；　to　the　spot　where　he　wanted　him　to　stand。　His　plan　was　to　somehow　hold　him　there　for　a　second；　while　he　wrapped　a　two…inch…wide　canvas　band　around　his　rather　large　midsection　and　secured　it　firmly　around　the　chimney。　Just　like　last　year。　It　had　worked　fine　then。
　Vic　Frohmeyer　ran　to　his　basement；　where　his　children　were　watching　a　Christmas　movie。　〃Mr。　Krank's　putting　up　his　Frosty。　You　guys　go　watch；　but　stay　on　the　sidewalk。〃　The　basement　emptied。
　There　was　a　patch　of　ice　on　the　front　side　of　the　roof；　just　inches　from　the　chimney　and　virtually　invisible　to　Luther。　With　Frosty　in　place　but　not　attached；　and　while　Luther　was　struggling　to　remove　the　nylon　rope　and　pull　tight　the　electrical　cord　and　secure　the　canvas　band　around　the　chimney；　and　just　as　he　was　to　make　perhaps　the　most　dangerous　move　of　the　entire　operation；　he　heard　voices　below。　And　when　he　turned　to　see　who　was　watching　he　inadvertently　stepped　on　the　patch　of　ice　just　below　the　crown；　and　everything　fell　at　once。
　Frosty　tipped　over　and　was　gone；　careening　dawn　the　front　of　the　roof　with　nothing　to　hold　him　back…no　ropes；　cords；　bands；　nothing。　Luther　was　right　behind　him；　but；　fortunately；　Luther　had　managed　to　entangle　himself　with　everything。　Sliding　headfirst　down　the　steep　roof；　and　yelling　loud　enough　for　Walt　and　Bev　to　hear　indoors；　Luther　sped　like　an　avalanche　toward　certain　death。
　Later；　he　would　recall；　to　himself　of　course；　that　he　clearly　remembered　the　fall。　Evidently；　there　was　more　ice　on　the　front　of　the　roof　than　on　the　rear；　and　once　he　found　it　he　felt　like　a　hockey　puck。　He　well　remembered　flying　off　the　roof；　headfirst；　with　the　concrete　driveway　awaiting　him。　And　he　remembered　hearing　but　not　seeing　Frosty　crash　somewhere　nearby。　Then　the　sharp　pain　as　his　fall　was　stopped…pain　around　the　ankles　as　the　rope　and　extension　cord　abruptly　ran　out　of　slack；　jerking　poor　Luther　like　a　bullwhip；　but　no　doubt　saving　his　life。
　Watching　Luther　shoot　down　the　roof　on　his　stomach；　seemingly　in　pursuit　of　his　bouncing　Frosty；　was　more　than　Walt　Scheel　could　stand。　He　ached　with　laughter　until　he　bent　at　the　waist。　Bev　watched　in　horror。
　〃Shut　up；　Walt！〃　she　yelled；　then；　〃Do　something！〃　as　Luther　was　hanging　and　spinning　well　above　the　concrete；　his　feet　not　far　from　the　gutter。
　Luther　swung　and　spun　helplessly　above　his　driveway。　After　a　few　turns　the　cord　and　rope　were　tightly　braided　together；　and　the　spinning　stopped。　He　felt　sick　and　closed　his　eyes　for　a　second。　How　do　you　vomit　when　you're　upside　down？
　Wall　punched　911。　He　reported　that　a　man　had　been　injured　and　might　even　be　dying　on　Hemlock；　so　send　the　rescue　people　immediately。　Then　he　ran　out　of　his　house　and　across　the　street　where　the　Frohmeyer　children　were　gathering　under　Luther。　Vic　Frohmeyer　was　running　from　two　houses　down；　and　the　entire　Becker　clan　from　next　door　was　spilling　out　of　their　house。
　〃Poor　Frosty；〃　Luther　heard　one　of　the　children　say。　Poor　Frosty；　my　ass；　he　wanted　say。　
　The　nylon　rope　was　cutting　into　the　flesh　around　his　ankles。　He　was　afraid　to　move　because　the　rope　seemed　to　give　just　a　little。　He　was　still　eight　feet　above　the　ground；　and　a　fall　would　be　disastrous。　Inverted；　Luther　tried　to　breathe　and　collect　his　wits。　He　heard　Frohmeyer's　big　mouth。　Would　somebody　please　shoot　me？
　〃Luther；　you　okay？〃　asked　Frohmeyer。
　〃Swell；　Vic；　thanks；　and　you？〃　Luther　began　rotating　again；　slightly；　turning　very　slowly　in　the　wind。　Soon；　he　pivoted　back　toward　the　street；　and　came　face　to　face　with　his　neighbors；　the　last　people　he　wanted　to　see。
　〃Get　a　ladder；〃　someone　said。
　〃Is　that　an　electrical　cord　around　his　feet？〃　asked　someone　else。
　〃Where　is　the　rope　attached？〃　asked　another。　All　the　voices　were　familiar；　but　Luther　couldn't　distinguish　them。
　〃I　called　nine…one…one；〃　he　heard　Walt　Scheel　say。
　〃Thanks；　Walt；〃　Luther　said　loudly；　in　the　direction　of　the　crowd。　But　he　was　revolving　back　toward　the　house。
　〃I　think　Frosty's　dead；〃　one　teenager　mumbled　to　another。
　Hanging　there；　waiting　for　death；　waiting　for　the　rope　to　slip　then　give　pletely　and　send　him　crashing　down；　Luther　hated　Christmas　with　a　renewed　passion。　Look　what　Christmas　was　doing　to　him。
　All　because　of　Christmas。
　And　he　hated　his　neighbors　too；　all　of　them；　young　and　old。　They　were　gathering　in　his　driveway　by　the　dozens　now；　he　could　hear　them　ing；　and　as　he　rotated　slowly　he　could　glimpse　them　running　down　the　street　to　see　this　sight。
　The　cord　and　the　rope　popped　somewhere　above　him；　then　gave；　and　Luther　fell　another　six　inches　before　he　was　jerked　to　another　stop。　The　crowd　gasped；　no　doubt；　some　of　them　wanted　to　cheer。
　Frohmeyer　was　barking　orders　as　if　he　handled　these　situations　every　day。　Two　ladders　arrived　and　one　was　placed　on　each　side　of　Lather。　Ned　Becker　yelled　from　the　back　patio　that　he'd　found　what　was　holding　the　electrical　cord　and　the　nylon　rope；　and；　in　his　very　experienced　opinion；　it　wouldn't　hold　much　longer。
　〃Did　you　plug　in　the　extension　cord？〃　Frohmeyer　asked。
　〃No；〃　answered　Luther。
　〃We're　gonna　get　you　down；　okay？〃
　〃Yes；　please。〃
　Frohmeyer　was　climbing　one　ladder；　Ned　Becker　the　other。　Luther　was　aware　that　Swade　Kerr　was　down　there；　as　were　Ralph　Brixley　and　John　Galdy；　and　some　of　the　older　boys　on　the　street。
　My　life　is　in　their　hands；　Luther　said　to　himself；　and　closed　his　eyes。　He　weighed　one　seventy…four；　down　eleven　for　the　cruise；　and　he　was　quite　concerned　with　how；　exactly；　they　planned　to　untangle　him；　then　lower　him　to　the　ground。　His　rescuers　were　middle…aged　men　who；　if　they　broke　a　sweat；　did　so　on　the　golf　course。　Certainly　not　power　lifting。　Swade　Kerr　was　a　frail　vegetarian　who　could　barely　pick　up　his　newspaper；　and　right　then　he　was　under　Luther　hoping　to　help　lower　him　to　the　ground。
　〃What's　the　plan　here；　Vic？〃　Luther　asked。　It　was　difficult　to　talk　with　his　feet　straight　above　him。　Gravity　was　pulling　all　the　blood　to　his　head；　and　it　was　pounding。
　Vic　hesitated。　They　really　didn't　have　a　plan。
　What　Luther　couldn't　see　was　that　a　group　of　men　was　standing　directly　under　him；　to　break　any　fall。
　What　Luther　could　hear；　though；　were　two　things。　First；　someone　said；　〃There's　Nora！〃
　Then　he　heard　sirens。
　
　
　Eighteen
　
　The　crowd　parted　to　allow　the　ambulance　through。　It　stopped　ten　feet　from　the　ladders；　from　the　man　hanging　by　his　feet　and　his　would…be　rescuers。　Two　medics　and　a　fireman　jumped　out；　removed　the　ladders；　shooed　back　Frohmeyer　and　his　cohorts；　then　one　of　them　drove　the　ambulance　carefully　under　Mr。　Krank。
　〃Luther；　what　are　you　doing　up　there？〃　Nora　yelled　as　she　rushed　through　the　crowd
　〃What　does　it　look　like？〃　he　yelled　back；　and　his　head　pounded　harder。
　〃Are　you　okay？〃
　〃Wonderful。〃
　The　medics　and　the　fireman　crawled　up　on　the　hood　of　the　ambulance；　quickly　lifted　Luther　a　few　inches；　unraveled　the　cord　and　the　rope；　then　eased　him　down。　A　few　folks　applauded；　but　most　seemed　indifferent。
　The　medics　checked　his　vitals；　then　lowered　him　to　the　ground　and　carried　him　to　the　back　of　the　ambulance；　where　the　doors　were　open。　Luther's　feet　were　numb　and　he　couldn't　stand。　He　was　shivering；　so　a　medic　draped　two　orange　blankets　over　him。　As　he　sat　there　in　the　back　of　the　ambulance；　looking　toward　the　street；　trying　to　ignore　the　gawking　mob　that　was　no　doubt　reveling　in　his　humiliation；　Luther　could　only　feel　relief。　His　headfirst　slide　down　the　roof　had　been　brief　but　horrifying。　He　was　lucky　to　be　conscious　right　now。
　Let　them　stare。　Let　them　gawk。　He　ached　too　much　to　care。
　Nora　was　there　to　inspect　him。　She　recognized　the　fireman　Kistler　and　the　medic　Kendall　as　the　two　fine　young　men　who'd　stopped　by　a　couple　of　weeks　ago　selling　fruitcakes　for　their　holiday　fund…raiser。　She　thanked　them　for　rescuing　her　husband。
　〃You　wanna　go　to　the　hospital？〃　asked　Kendall。
　〃Just　a　precaution；〃　said　Kistler。
　〃No　thanks；〃　Luther　said；　his　teeth　chattering。　〃Nothing's　broken。〃　At　that　moment；　though；　everything　felt　broken。
　A　police　car　arrived　in　a　rush　and　parked　in　the　street；　of　course　with　its　lights　still　flashing。　Treen　and　Salino　jumped　out　and　strutted　through　the　crowd　to　observe　things。
　Frohmeyer；　Becker；　Kerr；　Scheel；　Brixley；　Kropp；　Galdy；　Bellington…they　all　eased　in　around　Luther　and　Nora。　Spike　was　in　the　middle　of　them　too。　As　Luther　sat　there；　nursing　his　wounds；　answering　banal　questions　from　the　boys　in　uniform；　practically　all　of　Hemlock　squeezed　in　for　a　better　view。
　When　Salino　got　the