sk.dreamcatcher-第117部分

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　　　　This　a　game　too；　only　Pete　used　to　say　Duddits　it　doesn't　matter　if　you　win　or　booze　it's　how　you　play　the　game　only　this　time　it　does　matter；　it　does；　Jonesy　say　it　does；　Jonesy　hard　of　hearing　but　pretty　soon　it'll　be　better；　pretty　soon。　If　only　he　don't　hurt。　Even　his　Perco　don't　help。　His　throat　make　sore　and　his　body　shakes　and　his　belly　make　hurry　kind　of　like　when　he　has　to　go　poopoo；　kind　of　like　that；　but　he　doesn't　have　to　go　poopoo；　and　when　he　cough　sometimes　make　blood。　He　would　like　to　sleep　but　there　is　Henry　and　his　new　friend　Owen　that　was　there　the　day　they　found　Josie　and　they　say　If　only　we　could　slow　him　down　and　If　only　we　could　catch　up　and　he　has　to　stay　awake　and　help　them　but　he　has　to　close　his　eyes　to　hear　Jonesy　and　they　think　he's　asleep；　Owen　says　Shouldn't　we　wake　him　up；　what　if　the　son　of　a　bitch　turns　off　somewhere；　and　Henry　says　I　tell　you　I　know　where　he's　going；　but　we'll　wake　him　up　at　1…90　just　to　be　sure。　For　now　let　him　sleep；　my　God；　he　looks　so　tired。　And　again；　only　this　time　thinking　it：　If　only　we　could　slow　the　son　of　a　bitch　down。
　　　　Eyes　closed。　Arms　crossed　over　his　aching　chest。　Breathing　slow；　Mumma　say　breathe　slow　when　you　cough。　Jonesy's　not　dead；　not　in　heaven　with　Beaver　and　Pete；　but　Mr　Gray　say　Jonesy　locked　and　Jonesy　believes　him。　Jonesy's　in　the　office；　no　phone　and　no　facts；　hard　to　talk　to　because　Mr　Gray　is　mean　and　Mr　Gray　is　scared。　Scared　Jonesy　will　find　out　which　one　is　really　locked　up。
　　　　When　did　they　talk　most？
　　　　When　they　played　the　game。
　　　　The　game。
　　　　A　shudder　racks　him。　He　has　to　make　hard　think　and　it　hurts；　he　can　feel　it　stealing　away　his　strength；　the　last　little　bits　of　his　strength；　but　this　time　it's　more　than　just　a　game；　this　time　it　matters　who　wins　and　who　boozes；　so　he　gives　his　strength；　he　makes　the　board　and　he　makes　the　cards；　Jonesy　is　crying；　Jonesy　thinks　o　lost；　but　Duddits　Cavell　isn't　lost；　Duddits　sees　the　line；　the　line　goes　to　the　office；　and　this　time　he　will　do　more　than　peg　the　pegs。
　　　　Don't　cry　Jonesy；　he　says；　and　the　words　are　clear；　in　his　mind　they　always　are；　it　is　only　his　stupid　mouth　that　mushes　them　up。　Don't　cry；　I'm　not　lost。
　　　　Eyes　closed。　Arms　crossed。
　　　　In　Jonesy's　office；　beneath　the　dreamcatcher；　Duddits　plays　the　game。


14

'I've　got　the　dog；'　Henry　said。　He　sounded　exhausted。　'The　one　Perlmutter's　homed　in　on。　I've　got　it。　We're　a　little　bit　closer。　Christ；　if　there　was　just　a　way　to　slow　them　down！'
　　　　It　was　raining　now；　and　Owen　could　only　hope　they'd　be　south　of　the　freeze…line　if　it　went　over　to　sleet。　The　wind　was　gusting　hard　enough　to　sway　the　Hummer　on　the　road。　It　was　noon；　and　they　were　between　Saco　and　Biddeford。　Owen　glanced　into　the　rearview　mirror　and　saw　Duddits　in　the　back　seat；　eyes　closed；　head　back；　skinny　arms　crossed　on　his　chest。　His　plexion　was　an　alarming　yellow；　but　a　thin　line　of　bright　blood　trickled　from　the　er　of　his　mouth。
　　　　'Is　there　any　way　your　friend　can　help？'　Owen　asked。
　　　　'I　think　he's　trying。'
　　　　'I　thought　you　said　he　was　asleep。'
　　　　Henry　turned；　looked　at　Duddits；　then　looked　at　Owen。　'I　was　wrong；'　he　said。


15

Jonesy　dealt　the　cards；　threw　two　into　the　crib　from　his　hand；　then　picked　up　the　other　hand　and　added　two　more。
　　　　'Don't　cry；　Jonesy。　Don't　cry；　I'm　not　lost。'
　　　　Jonesy　glanced　up　at　the　dreamcatcher；　quite　sure　the　words　had　e　from　there。　'I'm　not　crying；　Duds。　Fuckin　allergies；　that's　all。　Now　I　think　you　want　to　play…'
　　　　'Two；'　said　the　voice　from　the　dreamcatcher。
　　　　Jonesy　played　the　deuce　from　Duddits's　hand　…　not　a　bad　lead；　actually　…　then　played　a　seven　from　his　own。　That　made　nine。　Duddits　had　a　six　in　his　hand；　the　question　was　whether　or　not…
　　　　'Six　for　fifteen；'　said　the　voice　from　the　dreamcatcher。　'Fifteen　for　two。　Kiss　my　bender！'
　　　　Jonesy　laughed　in　spite　of　himself　It　was　Duddits；　all　right；　but　for　a　moment　he　had　sounded　just　like　the　Beav。　'Go　on　and　peg　it；　then。'　And　watched；　fascinated；　as　one　of　the　pegs　on　the　board　rose；　floated；　and　settled　back　down　in　the　second　hole　on　First　Street。
　　　　Suddenly　he　understood　something。
　　　　'You　could　play　all　along；　couldn't　you；　Duds？　You　used　to　peg　all　crazy　just　because　it　made　us　laugh。'　The　idea　brought　fresh　tears　to　his　eyes。　All　those　years　they'd　thought　they　were　playing　with　Duddits；　he　had　been　playing　with　them。　And　on　that　day　behind　Tracker　Brothers；　who　had　found　whom？　Who　had　saved　whom？
　　　　'Twenty…one；'　he　said。
　　　　'Thirty…one　for　two。'　From　the　dreamcatcher。　And　once　again　the　unseen　hand　lifted　the　peg　and　played　it　two　holes　farther　on。　'He's　blocked　to　me；　Jonesy。'
　　　　'I　know。'　Jonesy　played　a　three。　Duddits　called　thirteen；　and　Jonesy　played　it　out　of　Duddits's　hand。
　　　　'But　you're　not。　You　can　talk　to　him。'
　　　　Jonesy　played　his　own　deuce　and　pegged　two。　Duddits　played；　pegged　one　for　last　card；　and　Jonesy　thought：　Outpegged　by　a　retard　…　what　do　you　know。　Except　this　Duddits　wasn't　retarded。　Exhausted　and　dying；　but　not　retarded。
　　　　They　pegged　their　hands；　and　Duddits　was　far　ahead　even　though　it　had　been　Jonesy's　crib。　Jonesy　swept　the　cards　together　and　began　to　shuffle　them。
　　　　'What　does　he　want；　Jonesy？　What　does　he　want　besides　water？'
　　　　Murder；　Jonesy　thought。　He　likes　to　kill　people。　But　no　more　of　that。　Please　God；　no　more　of　that。
　　　　'Bacon；'　he　said。　'He　does　like　bacon。'
　　　　He　began　to　shuffle　the　cards　。　。　。　then　froze　as　Duddits　filled　his　mind。　The　real　Duddits；　young　and　strong　and　ready　to　fight。


16

Behind　them；　in　the　back　seat；　Duddits　groaned　loudly。　Henry　turned　and　saw　fresh　blood；　red　as　byrus；　running　from　his　nostrils。　His　face　was　twisted　in　a　terrible　cramp　of　concentration。　Beneath　their　closed　lids；　his　eyeballs　rolled　rapidly　back　and　forth。
　　　　'What's　the　matter　with　him？'　Owen　asked。　'I　don't　know。'
　　　　Duddits　began　to　cough：　deep　and　racking　bronchial　sounds。　Blood　flew　from　between　his　lips　in　a　fine　spray。
　　　　'Wake　him　up；　Henry！　For　Christ's　sake；　wake　him　up！'
　　　　Henry　gave　Owen　Underhill　a　frightened　look。　They　were　approaching　Kennebunkport　now；　no　more　than　twenty　miles　from　the　New　Hampshire　border；　a　hundred　and　ten　from　the　Quabbin　Reservoir。　Jonesy　had　a　picture　of　the　Quabbin　on　the　wall　of　his　office；　Henry　had　seen　it。　And　a　cottage　nearby；　in　Ware。
　　　　Duddits　cried　out：　a　single　word　repeated　three　times　between　bursts　of　coughing。　The　sprays　of　blood　weren't　heavy；　not　yet；　the　stuff　was　ing　from　his　mouth　and　throat；　but　if　his　lungs　began　to　rupture…
　　　　'Wake　him　up！　He　says　he's　aching！　Can't　you　hear　him…'
　　　　'He's　not　saying　aykin。'
　　　　'What；　then？　What？'
　　　　'He's　saying　bacon。'


17

The　entity　which　now　thought　of　itself　as　Mr　Gray　…　who　thought　of　himself　as　Mr　Gray　…　had　a　serious　problem；　but　at　least　it　（he）　knew　it。
　　　　Forewarned　is　forearmed　was　how　Jonesy　put　it。　There　were　hundreds　of　such　sayings　in　Jonesy's　storage　cartons；　perhaps　thousands。　Some　of　them　Mr　Gray　found　utterly　inprehensible　…　A　nod's　as　good　as　a　wink　to　a　blind　horse　was　one　such；　What　goes　around　es　around　was　another　…　but　forewarned　is　forearmed　was　a　good　one。
　　　　His　problem　could　be　best　summed　up　with　how　he　felt　about　Jonesy　。　。　。　and　of　course　that　he　felt　at　all　was　bad　enough。　He　could　think　Now　Jonesy　is　cut　off　and　I　have　solved　my　problem；　I　have　quarantined　him　just　as　their　military　tried　to　quarantine　us。　I　am　being　followed　…　chased；　intact　…　but　barring　engine　trouble　or　a　flat　tire；　neither　group　of　followers　has　much　chance　of　catching　me。　I　have　too　great　a　lead。
　　　　These　things　were　facts　…　truth　…　but　they　had　no　savor。　What　had　savor　was　the　idea　of　going　to　the　door　behind　which　his　reluctant　host　was　imprisoned　and　yelling：　'I　fixed　you；　didn't　I？　I　fixed　your　little　red　wagon；　didn't　I？'　What　a　wagon；　red　or　otherwise；　had　to　do　with　any　of　this　Mr　Gray　didn't　know；　but　it　was　an　emotional　bullet　of　fairly　high　caliber　from　Jonesy's　armory　…　it　had　a　deep　and　satisfying　childhood　resonance。　And　then　he　would　stick　Jonesy's　tongue　（my　tongue　now；　Mr　Gray　thought　with　undeniable　satisfaction）　between　Jonesy's　lips　and　'give　him　the　old　raspberry'。
　　　　As　for　the　followers；　he　wanted　to　drop　Jonesy's　pants　and　show　them　Jonesy's　buttocks。　This　was　as　senseless　as　What　goes　around　es　around；　as　senseless　as　little　red　wagon；　but　he　wanted　to　do　it。　It　was　called　'mooning　the　assholes'　and　he　wanted　to　do　it。
　　　　He　was；　Mr　Gray　realized；　infected　with　this　world's　byrus。　It　began　with　emotion；　progressed　to　sensory　awareness　（the　taste　of　food；　the　undeniable　savage　pleasure　of　making　the　State　Trooper　beat　his　head　in　against　the　tiled　bathroom　wall　…　the　hollow　thud…thud　of　it）；　and　then　progressed　to　what　Jonesy　called　higher　thinking。　This　was　a　joke；　in　Mr　Gray's　view；　not　much　different　from　calling　shit　reprocessed　food　or　genocide　ethnic　cleansing。　And　yet　thinking　had　its　attractions　for　a　being　which　had　always　existed　as　part　of　a　vegetative　mind；　a　sort　of　highly　intelligent　not…consciousness。
　　　　Before　Mr　Gray　had　shut　him　up；　Jonesy　had　suggested　that　he　give　over　his　mission　and　simply　enjoy　being　human。　Now　he　discovered　that　desire　in　himself　as　his　previously　harmonious