dk.nightchills-第55部分

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　〃Then　we　can　get　to　the　puter。〃
　〃And　the　cover…up　here？〃
　〃We'll　manage。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃That's　the　least　of　our　problems。〃
　〃You're　so　goddamned　optimistic。〃
　〃I've　got　to　be。　So　do　you。〃
　Paul　pushed　away　from　the　wall。　〃All　right。　But　Jenny　and　Rya　must　have　heard　the　shots。　They'll　be　worried。　Before　we　go　to　the　mill；　we　should　stop　back　at　the　church　and　fill　them　in；　let　them　know　where　we　all　stand。〃
　Sam　nodded。　〃Lead　the　way。〃
　about…Salsbury？〃
　Later。
　They　left　by　the　rear　door　and　started　across　the　parking　lot　toward　the　alley。
　After　a　few　steps　Paul　said；　〃Wait。〃
　Sam　stopped；　turned　back。
　〃We　don't　have　to　sneak　around　the　long　way；〃　Paul　said。　〃We're　in　control　of　the　town　now。〃
　〃Good　point。〃
　They　circled　around　the　municipal　building　and　went　out　to　East　Main　Street。
　　
　11：45　P。M。
　　
　　
　Klinger　stood　in　the　velvety　darkness；　two…thirds　of　the　way　up　the　bell　tower　stairs；　listening。　Voices　drifted　down　from　above：　two　men；　a　woman；　a　child。　Edison。　And　Jenny　Edison。　Annendale　and　his　daughter。。。
　He　now　knew　what　was　happening　in　Black　River；　what　the　carnage　at　Thorp's　office　signified。　He　knew　the　extent　of　these　people's　knowledge　of　the　field　test　and　of　all　the　working；　planning；　and　scheming　that　lay　behind　the　field　test…and　he　was　shocked。
　Because　of　what　he　had　heard；　he　knew　that　they　were　motivated　to　resist；　at　least　in　part；　for　altruistic　reasons。　He　didn't　understand　that。　He　could　easily　have　understood　them　if　they　had　wanted　to　seize　the　power　of　the　subliminals　for　their　own。　But　altruism　。　。　。　That　had　always　seemed　foolish　to　him。　He　had　decided　a　long　time　ago　that　men　who　eschewed　power　were　far　more　dangerous　and　deadly　than　those　who　pursued　it；　if　only　because　they　were　so　difficult　to　fathom；　so　unpredictable。
　However；　he　also　knew　that　these　people　could　be　stopped。　The　field　test　wasn't　an　unmitigated　disaster；　not　yet。　They　weren't　going　to　win　as　easily　as　they　thought。　They　hadn't　yet　brought　him　or　Dawson　to　ruin。　The　project　could　be　saved。
　Overhead；　they　finished　discussing　their　plans。　They　said　good…by　to　one　another　and　told　one　another　to　be　careful　and　wished　one　another　luck　and　hugged　and　kissed　and　said　they　would　pray　for　one　another　and　said　that　they　really　had　to　get　on　with　it。
　In　the　perfect　darkness；　without　a　flashlight　or　even　a　match　to　show　them　the　way；　out　of　sight　around　two　or　three　bends　in　the　long　spiral　staircase；　Sam　Edison　and　Paul　Annendale　started　down　the　narrow；　creaking　steps。
　Klinger's　own　hurried　descent　was　masked　by　the　noise　that　the　two　men　made　above　him。
　He　paused　in　the　whispery；　echo…filled　nave　of　the　church；　where　the　walls　and　the　altar　and　the　pews　were　no　more　than　adumbrated　by　the　meager　nocturnal　storm　light　that　shone　through　the　arched　windows。　He　wasn't　certain　what　he　should　do　next。
　Confront　them　here　and　now？　Shoot　them　both　as　they　came　out　of　the　stairwell？
　No。　The　light　was　much　too　poor　for　gunplay。　He　couldn't　target　them　with　any　accuracy。　Under　these　conditions　he　would　never　bring　down　both　of　them…and　perhaps　not　either　of　them。
　He　thought　of　searching　quickly　for　a　light　switch。　He　could　flip　it　on　as　they　entered　the　nave　and　open　fire　on　them　in　the　same　instant。　But　if　there　was　a　switch　nearby；　he　would　never　find　it　in　time。　And　if　he　did　find　it　in　time；　he　would　be　every　bit　as　surprised　and　blinded　by　the　light　as　they　would　be。
　Even　if；　by　the　grace　of　one　of　the　saints　depicted　in　these　stained…glass　windows；　he　did　somehow　kill　both　of　them；　then　he　would　have　alerted　the　woman　in　the　tower。　She　might　be　armed；　she　almost　certainly　was。　And　if　that　was　the　case；　the　belfry　would　be　virtually　impregnable。　With　any　sort　of　weapon　at　all…rifle　or　shotgun　or　handgun…and　a　supply　of　ammunition；　she　would　be　able　to　hold　him　off　indefinitely。
　He　wished　to　God　that　he　were　properly　equipped。　He　should　have　at　least　those　few　essentials　of　behind…the…lines　bat：
　a　pretty　damned　good　machine　pistol；　preferably　German…made　or　Belgian；　and　several　fully　loaded　magazines　for　it；　an　automatic　rifle　with　a　bandolier　of　ammo；　and　a　few　grenades；　three　or　four。　Especially　the　grenades。　After　all；　this　was　no　ladies'　tea　party。　This　was　a　classic　mando　operation；　a　classic　clandestine　raid；　deep　in　hostile　territory。
　Behind　him；　Edison　and　Annendale　were　unsettlingly　close；　on　the　last　twenty　steps　and　ing　fast。
　He　dashed　along　the　side　aisle　to　the　fourth　or　fifth　row　of　pews　where　he　intended　to　hide　between　the　high…backed　seats。　He　tripped　over　a　kneeler　that　some　thoughtless　member　of　the　congregation　had　forgotten　to　put　up　after　saying　a　prayer；　and　he　fell　with　a　loud　crash。　His　heart　hammering；　he　scrambled　farther　along　the　row　toward　the　center　aisle；　then　stretched　out　on　the　bench　of　the　pew；　flat　on　his　back；　the　Webley　at　his　side。
　As　they　came　into　the　dark　church；　Paul　put　one　hand　on　Sam's　shoulder。
　Sam　stopped。　〃Yeah？〃　he　said　softly。
　〃Sssshhh；〃　Paul　said。
　They　listened　to　the　storm　wind　and　to　the　distant　thunder　and　to　the　settling　sounds　that　the　building　made。
　Finally　Sam　said；　〃Is　something　wrong？〃
　〃Yeah。　What　was　that？〃
　〃What　was　what？〃
　〃That　noise。〃
　〃I　didn't　hear　anything。〃
　Paul　studied　the　darkness　that　seemed　to　pulse　around　them。　He　squinted　as　if　that　would　help　him　penetrate　the　inky　pools　in　the　corners　and　the　purple…black　shadows　elsewhere。　The　atmosphere　was　Lovecraftian；　a　dank　seed　bed　of　paranoia。　He　rubbed　the　back　of　his　neck　which　was　suddenly　cold。
　〃How　could　you　have　heard　anything　with　all　that　racket　we　were　making　on　the　stairs？〃　Sam　asked。
　〃I　heard　it。　Something。　。　。〃
　〃Probably　the　wind。〃
　〃No。　It　was　too　loud　for　that。　Sharp。　It　sounded　as　if…as　if　someone　knocked　over　a　chair。〃
　They　waited。
　Half　a　minute。　A　minute。
　Nothing。
　〃e　on；〃　Sam　said。　〃Let's　go。〃
　〃Give　it　another　minute。〃
　As　Paul　spoke　a　particularly　violent　gust　of　wind　battered　the　east　side　of　the　church；　and　one　of　the　ten…foot…high　windows　fluttered　noisily　in　its　frame。
　〃There　you　are；〃　Sam　said。　〃You　see？　That's　what　you　heard。　It　was　just　the　window。〃
　Relieved；　Paul　said；　〃Yeah。〃
　〃We've　got　work　to　do；〃　Sam　said。
　They　left　the　church　by　the　front　door。　They　went　east　on　Main　Street　to　Paul's　station　wagon；　which　was　parked　in　front　of　the　general　store。
　As　the　station　wagon　reached　the　mill　road　and　its　taillights　dwindled　to　tiny　red　dots　beyond　the　west　end　of　town；　Klinger　left　the　church　and　ran　half　a　block　to　the　telephone　booth　beside　Ultman's　Cafe。　He　paged　through　the　slim　directory　until　he　found　the　numbers　for　the　Big　Union　Supply　pany：　twenty　of　them；　eight　at　the　logging　camp　and　twelve　at　the　mill　plex。　There　wasn't　time　to　try　all　of　them。　In　what　part　of　the　mill　would　Dawson　establish　his　HQ？　Klinger　wondered。　He　thought　about　it；　painfully　aware　of　the　precious　seconds　ticking　by。　Finally　he　decided　that　the　main　office　was　the　location　most　consistent　with　Dawson's　personality；　and　he　dialed　that　number。
　After　it　had　rung　fifteen　times；　just　as　Klinger　was　about　to　give　up；　Dawson　answered　it　warily。　〃Big　Union　Supply　pany。〃
　〃Klinger　here。〃
　〃Have　you　finished？〃
　〃He's　dead；　but　I　didn't　kill　him。　Edison　and　Annendale　got　to　him　first。〃
　〃They're　in　town？〃
　〃That's　right。　Or　they　were。　Right　now　they're　ing　for　you。　And　for　me。　They　think　we're　both　at　the　mill。〃　As　best　he　could　in　less　than　a　minute；　the　general　summed　up　the
　Situation
　〃Why　didn't　you　eliminate　them　when　you　had　the　chance；　in　the　Church？〃　Dawson　asked。
　〃Because　J　didn't　have　the　chance；〃　Klinger　said　impatiently。
　〃I　didn't　have　time　to　set　it　up　right。　But　you　can　set　it　up　just　perfectly。　They'll　probably　park　half　a　mile　from　the　mill　and　walk　in　to　you。　They　expect　to　surprise　you。　But　now　you　can　surprise　them。〃
　〃Look；　why　don't　you　get　in　a　car　and　e　up　here　right　away？〃　Dawson　asked。　〃e　in　behind　them。　Trap　them　between　us。〃
　〃Under　the　circumstances；〃　Klinger　said；　〃that　makes　no　military　sense；　Leonard。　As　a　group　of　four；　three　of　them　armed；　they'd　be　too　formidable　for　us。　Now　that　they're　split　into　pairs　and　puffed　up　with　self…confidence；　the　advantage　is　ours。〃
　〃But　if　Edison　and　Annendale　know　the　key…lock　phrases；　I　can't　keep　guards　posted。　I　can't　use　any　of　these　people　up　here。　I'm　alone。〃
　〃You　can　handle　it。〃
　〃Ernst；　my　training　is　in　business；　finance。　This　is　more　your　line　of　work。〃
　〃And　I've　got　work　down　here　in　town。〃
　〃I　don't　eliminate　people。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Not　like　this。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Not　personally。〃
　〃You　brought　guns　back　from　the　camp？〃
　〃A　few　of　them。　I've　posted　guards。〃
　〃With　a　rifle　or　shotgun；　you　can　do　what's　necessary。　I　know　you　can。　I've　seen　you　shoot　skeet　both　ways。〃
　〃You　don't　understand。　It's　against　my　beliefs。　My　religious　beliefs。〃
　〃You'll　have　to　set　those　aside　for　now；〃　Klinger　said。　〃This　is　a　matter　of　survival。〃
　〃You　can't　just　set　aside　morality；　Ernst；　whether　or　not　it's　a　matter　of　survival。　Anyway；　I　don't　like　being　here　alone。　Handling　this　alone。　It's　no　good。〃
　Trying　to　think　of　some　way　to　convince　the　man　that　be　cou