dk.nightchills-第1部分

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　BY　THE　TIME　they　have　finished　this　book；　many　readers　will　be　uneasy；　frightened；　perhaps　even　horrified。　Once　entertained；　however；　they　will　be　tempted　to　dismiss　Night　Chills　as　quickly　as　they　might　a　novel　about　demonic　possession　or　reincarnation。　Although　this　story　is　intended　primarily　to　be　a　〃good　read；〃　I　cannot　stress　strongly　enough　that　the　basic　subject　matter　is　more　than　merely　a　fantasy　of　mine；　it　is　a　reality　and　already　a　major　influence　on　all　our　lives。
　Subliminal　and　subaudial　advertising；　carefully　planned　manipulation　of　our　subconscious　minds；　became　a　serious　threat　to　individual　privacy　and　freedom　at　least　as　long　ago　as　1957。　In　that　year　Mr。　James　Vicary　gave　a　public　demonstration　of　the　tachistoscope；　a　machine　for　flashing　messages　on　a　motion　picture　screen　so　fast　that　they　can　be　read　only　by　the　subconscious　mind。　As　discussed　in　chapter　two　of　this　book；　the　tachistoscope　has　been　replaced；　for　the　most　part；　by　more　sophisticated…and　shocking…devices　and　processes。　The　science　of　behavior　modification；　as　achieved　through　the　use　of　subliminal　advertising；　is　ing　into　a　Golden　Age　of　technological　breakthroughs　and　advancements　in　theory。
　Particularly　sensitive　readers　will　be　dismayed　to　learn　that　even　such　details　as　the　infinity　transmitter　（chapter　ten）　are　not　figments　of　the　author's　imagination。　Robert　Farr；　the　noted　electronic　security　expert；　discusses　wiretapping　with　infinity　transmitters　in　his　The　Electronic　Criminals；　as　noted　in　the　reference　list　at　the　end　of　this　novel。
　The　drug　that　plays　a　central　role　in　Night　Chills　is　a　novelist's　device。　It　does　not　exist。　It　is　the　only　piece　of　the　scientific　background　that　I　have　allowed　myself　to　create　from　whole　cloth。　Countless　behavioral　researchers　have　conceived　of　it。　Therefore；　when　I　say　that　it　does　not　exist；　perhaps　I　should　add　one　cautionary　word…yet。
　Those　who　are　studying　and　shaping　the　future　of　subliminal　advertising　will　say　that　they　have　no　intention　of　creating　a　society　of　obedient　robots；　that　such　a　goal　would　be　in　violation　of　their　personal　moral　codes。　However；　as　have　thousands　of　other　scientists　in　this　century　of　change；　they　will　surely　learn　that　their　concepts　of　right　and　wrong　will　not　restrict　the　ways　in　which　more　ruthless　men　will　use　their　discoveries。
　D。　R。　K。
　　
　　THE　BEGINNING
　　
　　
　Saturday；　August　6；　1977
　THE　DIRT　TRAIL　was　narrow。　Drooping　boughs　of　tamarack；　spruce；　and　pine　scraped　the　roof　and　brushed　the　side　windows　of　the　Land　Rover。
　〃Stop　here；〃　Rossner　said　tensely。
　Holbrook　was　driving。　He　was　a　big；　stem…faced　man　in　his　early　thirties。　He　gripped　the　wheel　so　tightly　that　his　knuckles　were　bloodless。　He　braked；　pulled　the　Rover　to　the　right；　and　coasted　in　among　the　trees。　He　switched　off　the　headlamps　and　turned　on　a　dash　light。
　〃Check　your　gun；〃　Rossner　said。
　Each　man　wore　a　shoulder　holster　and　carried　a　SIC…Petter；　the　finest　automatic　pistol　in　the　world。　They　pulled　the　magazines；　checked　for　a　full　plement　of　bullets；　slammed　the　magazines　back　into　the　butts；　and　holstered　the　guns。　Their　movements　seemed　to　be　choreographed；　as　if　they　had　practiced　this　a　thousand　times。
　They　got　out　and　walked　to　the　back　of　the　car。
　At　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　Maine　woods　were　ominously　dark　and　still。
　Holbrook　lowered　the　tailgate。　A　light　winked　on　inside　the　Rover。　He　threw　aside　a　tarpaulin；　revealing　two　pairs　of　rubber　hip　boots；　two　flashlights；　and　other　equipment。
　Rossner　was　shorter；　slimmer；　and　quicker　than　Holbrook。
　He　got　his　boots　on　first。　Then　he　dragged　the　last　two　pieces　of　their　gear　from　the　car。
　The　main　ponent　of　each　device　was　a　pressurized　tank　much　like　an　aqualung　cylinder；　plete　with　shoulder　straps　and　chest　belt。　A　hose　led　from　the　tank　to　a　stainless…steel；　pinspray　nozzle。
　They　helped　each　other　into　the　straps；　made　certain　their　shoulder　holsters　were　accessible；　and　paced　a　bit　to　get　accustomed　to　the　weight　on　their　backs。
　At　3：10　Rossner　took　a　pass　from　his　pocket；　studied　it　in　his　flashlight　beam；　put　it　away；　and　moved　off　into　the　forest。
　Holbrook　followed；　surprisingly　quiet　for　such　a　large　man。　The　land　rose　rather　steeply。　They　had　to　stop　twice　in　the　next　half　hour　to　rest。
　At　3：40　they　came　within　sight　of　the　Big　Union　sawmill。　Three　hundred　yards　to　their　right；　a　plex　of　two…　and　three…story　clapboard　and　cinder…block　buildings　rose　out　of　the　frees。　Lights　glowed　at　all　the　windows；　and　arc　lamps　bathed　the　fenced　storage　yard　in　fuzzy　purplish…white　light。　Within　the　huge　main　building；　giant　saws　stuttered　and　whined　continuously。　Logs　and　cut　planks　toppled　from　conveyor　belts　and　boomed　when　they　landed　in　metal　bins。
　Rossner　and　Holbrook　circled　around　the　mill　to　avoid　being　seen。　They　reached　the　top　of　the　ridge　at　four　o'clock。
　They　had　no　difficulty　locating　the　man…made　lake。　One　end　of　it　shimmered　in　the　wan　moonlight；　and　the　other　end　was　shadowed　by　a　higher　ridge　that　rose　behind　it。　It　was　a　neat　oval；　three　hundred　yards　long　and　two　hundred　yards　wide；　fed　by　a　gushing　spring。　It　served　as　the　reservoir　for　both　the　Big　Union　mill　and　the　small　town　of　Black　River　that　lay　three　miles　away　in　the　valley。
　They　followed　the　six…foot…high　fence　until　they　came　to　the　main　gate。　The　fence　was　there　to　keep　out　animals；　and　the　gate　was　not　even　locked。　They　went　inside。
　At　the　shadowed　end　of　the　reservoir；　Rossner　entered　the　water　and　walked　out　ten　feet　before　it　rose　nearly　to　the　tops
　of　his　hip　boots。　The　walls　of　the　lake　slanted　sharply；　and　the　depth　at　the　center　was　sixty　feet。
　He　unraveled　the　hose　from　a　storage　reel　on　the　side　of　the　tank；　grasped　the　steel　tube　at　the　end　of　it；　and　thumbed　a　button。　A　colorless；　odorless　chemical　exploded　from　the　nozzle。　He　thrust　the　end　of　the　tube　underwater　and　moved　it　back　and　forth；　fanning　the　fluid　as　widely　as　possible。
　In　twenty　minutes　his　tank　was　empty。　He　wound　the　hose　around　the　reel　and　looked　toward　the　far　end　of　the　lake。　Holbrook　had　finished　emptying　his　tank　and　was　climbing　out　onto　the　concrete　apron。
　They　met　at　the　gate。　〃Okay？〃　Rossner　asked。
　〃Perfect。〃
　By　5：10　they　were　back　at　the　Land　Rover。　They　got　shovels　from　the　back　of　the　car　and　dug　two　shallow　holes　in　the　rich　black　earth。　They　buried　the　empty　tanks；　boots；　holsters；　and　guns。
　For　two　hours　Holbrook　drove　along　a　series　of　rugged　dirt　trails；　crossed　St。　John　River　on　a　timber　bridge；　picked　up　a　graveled　lane；　and　finally　connected　with　a　paved　road　at　half　past　eight。
　From　there　Rossner　took　the　wheel。　They　didn't　say　more　than　a　dozen　words　to　each　other。
　At　twelve　thirty　Holbrook　got　out　at　the　Starlite　Motel　on　Route　15　where　he　had　a　room。　He　closed　the　car　door　without　saying　good…by；　went　inside；　locked　the　motel　door；　and　sat　by　the　telephone。
　Rossner　had　the　Rover's　tank　filled　at　a　Sunoco　station　and　picked　up　Interstate　95　south　to　Waterville　and　past　Augusta。　From　there　he　took　the　Maine　Turnpike　to　Portland；　where　he　stopped　at　a　service　area　and　parked　near　a　row　of　telephone　booths。
　The　afternoon　sun　made　mirrors　of　the　restaurant　windows　and　flashed　off　the　parked　cars。　Shimmering　waves　of　hot　air　rose　from　the　pavement。
　He　looked　at　his　watch。　3：35。
　He　leaned　back　and　closed　his　eyes。　He　appeared　to　be　nap
　ping；　but　every　five　minutes　he　glanced　at　his　watch。　At　3：55　he　got　out　of　the　car　and　went　to　the　last　booth　in　the　row。
　At　four　o'clock　the　phone　rang。
　〃Rossner。〃
　The　voice　at　the　other　end　of　the　line　was　cold　and　sharp：
　〃I　am　the　key；　Mr。　Rossner。〃
　〃I　am　the　lock；〃　Rossner　said　dully。
　〃How　did　it　go？〃
　〃As　scheduled。〃
　〃You　missed　the　three…thirty　call。〃
　〃Only　by　five　minutes。〃
　The　man　at　the　other　end　hesitated。　Then：　〃Leave　the　turnpike　at　the　next　exit　Turn　right　on　the　state　route。　Put　the　Rover　up　to　at　least　one　hundred　miles　an　hour。　Two　miles　along；　the　road　takes　a　sudden　turn；　hard　to　the　right；　it's　banked　by　a　fieldstone　wall。　Do　not　apply　your　brakes　when　you　reach　the　curve。　Do　not　turn　with　the　road。　Drive　straight　into　that　wall　at　a　hundred　miles　an　hour。〃
　Rossner　stared　through　the　glass　wall　of　the　booth。　A　young　woman　was　crossing　from　the　restaurant　toward　a　little　red　sports　car。　She　was　wearing　fight　white　shorts　with　dark　stitching。　She　had　nice　legs。
　〃Glenn？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Do　you　understand　me？〃
　〃Repeat　what　I've　said。〃
　Rossner　went　through　it；　almost　word　for　word。
　〃Very　good；　Glenn。　Now　go　do　it。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　Rossner　returned　to　the　Land　Rover　and　drove　back　onto　the　busy　turnpike。
　Holbrook　sat　quietly；　patiently　in　the　unlighted　motel　room。　He　switched　on　the　television　set；　but　he　didn't　watch　it。　He　got　up　once　to　use　the　bathroom　and　to　get　a　drink　of　water；　but　that　was　the　only　break　in　his　vigil。
　At　4：10　the　telephone　rang。
　He　picked　it　up。　〃Holbrook。〃
　〃I　am　the　key；　Mr。　Holbrook。〃
　〃I　am　the　lock。〃
　The　man　on　the　other　end　of　the　line　spoke　for　half　a　minute。　〃Now　repeat　what　I've　said。〃
　Holbrook　repeated　it。
　〃Excellent。　Now　do　it。〃
　He　hung　up；　went　into　the　bathroom；　and　began　to　draw　a　tub