sk.dreamcatcher-第35部分

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　　　　'Why　not？'
　　　　'Because　I　saw　the　hole　it　made　getting　out；'　Jonesy　said；　'and　so　did　you。　I　don't　know　what　it　is；　but　we're　not　going　to　get　rid　of　it　just　by　pushing　a　handle。　It's　too　big。'
　　　　'Fuck。'　Beaver　slammed　the　heel　of　his　hand　against　his　forehead。
　　　　Jonesy　nodded。
　　　　'All　right；　Jonesy。　Go　get　the　tape。'
　　　　In　the　doorway；　Jonesy　paused　and　looked　back。　'And　Beaver　。。。　？'
　　　　The　Beav　raised　his　eyebrows。
　　　　'Sit　tight；　buddy…'
　　　　Beaver　started　to　giggle。　So　did　Jonesy。　They　looked　at　each　other；　Jonesy　in　the　doorway　and　the　Beav　sitting　on　the　closed　toilet　seat；　snorting　laughter。　Then　Jonesy　burned　across　the　big　central　room　（still　giggling　…　sit　tight；　the　more　he　thought　about　it　the　funnier　it　seemed）　toward　the　kitchen　door。　He　felt　hot　and　feverish；　both　horrified　and　hilarious。　Sit　tight。　Jesus…Christ…Bananas。


2

Beav　could　hear　Jonesy　giggling　all　the　way　across　the　room；　still　giggling　when　he　went　out　the　door。　In　spite　of　everything；　Beav　was　glad　to　hear　that　sound。　It　had　already　been　a　bad　year　for　Jonesy；　getting　run　over　the　way　he　had　…　for　awhile　there　at　first　they'd　all　thought　he　was　going　to　step　out；　and　that　was　awful；　poor　old　Jonesy　wasn't　yet　thirty…eight。　Bad　year　for　Pete；　who'd　been　drinking　too　much；　a　bad　year　for　Henry；　who　sometimes　got　a　spooky　absence　about　him　that　Beav　didn't　understand　and　didn't　like　。　。　。　and　now　he　guessed　you　could　say　it　had　been　a　bad　year　for　Beaver　Clarendon；　as　well。　Of　course　this　was　only　one　day　in　three　hundred　and　sixty…five；　but　you　just　didn't　get　up　in　the　morning　thinking　that　by　afternoon　there'd　be　a　dead　guy　laying　naked　in　the　tub　and　you'd　be　sitting　on　a　closed　toilet　seat　in　order　to　keep　something　you　hadn't　even　seen　from…
　　　　'Nope；'　Beaver　said。　'Not　going　there；　okay？　Just　not　going　there。'
　　　　And　he　didn't　have　to。　Jonesy　would　be　back　with　the　friction　tape　in　a　minute　or　two；　three　minutes　tops。　The　question　was　where　did　he　want　to　go　until　Jonesy　returned？　Where　could　he　go　and　feel　good？
　　　　Duddits；　that　was　where。　Thinking　about　Duddits　always　made　him　feel　good。　And　Roberta；　thinking　about　her　was　good；　too。　Undoubtedly。
　　　　Beav　smiled；　remembering　the　little　woman　in　the　yellow　dress　who'd　been　standing　at　the　end　of　her　walk　on　Maple　Lane　that　day。　The　smile　widened　as　he　remembered　how　she'd　caught　sight　of　them。　She　had　called　her　boy　that　same　thing。　She　had　called　him。


3

'Duddits！'　she　cries；　a　little　graying　wren　of　a　woman　in　a　flowered　print　dress；　then　runs　up　the　sidewalk　toward　them。
　　　　Duddits　has　been　walking　contentedly　with　his　new　friends；　chattering　away　six　licks　to　the　minute；　holding　his　Scooby…Doo　lunchbox　in　his　left　hand　and　Jonesy's　hand　in　his　right；　swinging　it　cheerfully　back　and　forth。　His　gabble　seems　to　consist　almost　entirely　of　open　vowel…sounds。　The　thing　which　amazes　Beaver　the　most　about　it　is　how　much　of　it　he　understands。
　　　　Now；　catching　sight　of　the　graying　birdie…woman；　Duddits　lets　go　of　Jonesy's　hand　and　runs　toward　her；　both　of　them　running；　and　it　reminds　Beaver　of　some　musical　about　a　bunch　of　singers；　the　Von　Cripps　or　Von　Crapps　or　something　like　that。　'Ah…mee；　Ah…mee！'　Duddits　shouts　exuberantly　…　Mommy！　Mommy！
　　　　'Where　have　you　been？　Where　have　you　been；　you　bad　boy；　you　bad　old　Duddits！'
　　　　They　e　together　and　Duddits　is　so　much　bigger　…　two　or　three　inches　taller；　too　…　that　Beaver　winces；　expecting　the　birdie…woman　to　be　flattened　the　way　Coyote　is　always　getting　flattened　in　the　Roadrunner　cartoons。　Instead；　she　picks　him　up　and　swings　him　around；　his　sneakered　feet　flying　out　behind　him；　his　mouth　stretched　halfway　up　to　his　ears　in　an　expression　of　joyful　ecstasy。
　　　　'I　was　just　about　to　go　in　and　call　the　police；　you　bad　old　late　thing；　you　bad　old　late　D…'
　　　　She　sees　Beaver　and　his　friends　and　sets　her　son　down　on　his　feet。　Her　smile　of　relief　is　gone；　she　is　solemn　as　she　steps　toward　them　over　some　little　girl's　hopscotch　grid　…　crude　as　it　is；　Beav　thinks；　even　that　will　always　be　beyond　Duddits。　The　tears　on　her　checks　gleam　in　the　glow　of　the　sun　that　has　finally　broken　through。
　　　　'Uh…oh；'　Pete　says。　'We're　gonna　catch　it。'
　　　　'Be　cool；'　Henry　says；　speaking　low　and　fast。　'Let　her　rant　and　then　I'll　explain。'
　　　　But　they　have　misjudged　Roberta　Cavell　…　have　judged　her　by　the　standard　of　so　many　adults　who　seem　to　view　boys　their　age　as　guilty　until　proven　innocent。　Roberta　Cavell　isn't　that　way；　and　neither　is　her　husband；　Alfie。　The　Cavells　are　different。　Duddits　has　made　them　different。
　　　　'Boys；'　she　says　again。　'Was　he　wandering？　Was　he　lost？　I've　been　so　afraid　to　let　him　walk；　but　he　wants　so　much　to　be　a　real　boy　。　。　。'
　　　　She　gives　Beaver's　fingers　a　strong　squeeze　with　one　hand　and　Pete's　with　the　other。　Then　she　drops　them；　takes　Jonesy's　and　Henry's　hands；　and　gives　them　the　same　treatment。
　　　　'Ma'am　。　。　。'　Henry　begins。
　　　　Mrs　Cavell　looks　at　Henry　with　fixed　concentration；　as　if　she　is　trying　to　read　his　mind。　'Not　just　lost；'　she　says。　'Not　just　wandering。'　'Ma'am　Henry　tries　again；　and　then　gives　up　any　thought　of　dissembling。　It　is　Duddits's　green　gaze　looking　up　at　him　from　her　face；　only　intelligent　and　aware；　keen　and　questioning。　'No；　ma'am。'　Henry　sighs。　'Not　just　wandering。'
　　　　'Because　usually　he　es　right　home。　He　says　he　can't　get　lost　because　he　sees　the　line。　How　many　were　there？'
　　　　'Oh；　a　few；'　Jonesy　says；　then　shoots　a　swift　look　at　Henry。　Beside　them；　Duddits　has　found　a　last　few　gone…to…seed　dandelions　on　the　neighbors'　lawn　and　is　down　on　his　belly；　blowing　the　fluff　off　them　and　watching　it　float　away　on　the　breeze。　'A　few　boys　were　teasing　him；　ma'am。'
　　　　'Big　boys；'　Pete　says。
　　　　Again　her　eyes　search　them；　from　Jonesy　to　Pete；　from　Pete　to　Beaver；　and　then　back　to　Henry　again。　'e　up　to　the　house　with　us；'　she　says。　'I　want　to　hear　all　about　it。　Duddits　has　a　big　glass　of　ZaRex　every　afternoon　…　it's　his　special　drink　…　but　I'll　bet　you　guys　would　rather　have　iced　tea。　Wouldn't　you？'
　　　　The　three　of　them　look　at　Henry；　who　considers　and　then　nods。　'Yes；　ma'am；　iced　tea　would　be　great。'
　　　　So　she　leads　them　back　to　the　house　where　they'll　spend　so　much　of　their　time　in　the　following　years　…　the　house　at　19　Maple　Lane　…　only　it　is　really　Duddits　who　leads　the　way；　prancing；　skipping；　sometimes　lifting　his　yellow　Scooby…Doo　lunchbox　over　his　head；　but　always；　Beaver　notices；　keeping　at　almost　exactly　the　same　place　on　the　sidewalk；　about　a　foot　from　the　grass　margin　between　the　walk　and　the　street。　Years　later；　after　the　thing　with　the　Rinkenhauer　girl；　he　will　consider　what　Mrs　Cavell　said。　They　all　will。　He　sees　the　line。


4

'Jonesy？'　Beaver　called。
　　　　No　answer。　Christ；　it　seemed　like　Jonesy　had　been　gone　a　long
　　　　time。　Probably　hadn't　been；　but　there　was　no　way　Beaver　could　tell；　he'd　forgotten　to　put　on　his　watch　that　morning。　Stupid；　but　then；　he'd　always　been　stupid；　he　ought　to　be　used　to　it　by　now。　Next　to　Jonesy　and　Henry；　both　he　and　Pete　had　been　stupid。　Not　that　Jonesy　or　Henry　had　ever　treated　them　that　way　…　that　was　one　of　the　great　things　about　them。
　　　　'Jonesy？'
　　　　Still　nothing。　Probably　he　was　having　trouble　finding　the　tape；　that　was　all。
　　　　There　was　a　vile　little　voice　far　back　in　Beaver's　head　telling　him　that　the　tape　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　that　Jonesy　had　just　gone　Powder　River；　leaving　him　here　to　sit　on　the　toilet　like　Danny　Glover　in　that　movie；　but　he　wouldn't　listen　to　that　voice　because　Jonesy　would　never　do　anything　like　that。　They　were　friends　to　the　end；　always　had　been。
　　　　That's　right；　the　vile　voice　agreed。　You　were　friends。　And　this　is　the　end。
　　　　'Jonesy？　You　there；　man？'
　　　　Still　nothing。　Maybe　the　tape　had　fallen　off　the　nail　it　had　been　hung　on。　　　　
　　　　Nothing　from　beneath　him；　either。　And　hey；　it　really　wasn't　possible　that　McCarthy　had　shit　some　kind　of　monster　into　the　john；　was　it？　That　he'd　given　birth　to　…　Gasp！　…　The　Beast　in　the　Bowl？　It　sounded　like　a　horror…movie　spoof　on　Saturday　Night　Live。　And　even　if　that　had　happened；　The　Beast　in　the　Bowl　had　probably　drowned　by　now；　drowned　or　gone　deep。　A　line　from　a　story　suddenly　occurred　to　him；　one　they'd　read　to　Duddits　…　taking　turns；　and　it　was　good　there　were　four　of　them　because　when　Duddits　liked　something　he　never　got　tired　of　it。
　　　　'Eee　doool！'　Duddits　would　shout；　running　to　one　of　them　with　the　book　held　high　over　his　head；　the　way　he'd　carried　his　lunchbox　home　that　first　day。　'Eee　doool；　eee　doool！'　Which　in　this　case　meant　Read　Pool！　Read　Pool！　The　book　was　McElligot's　Pool；　by　Dr。　Seuss；　the　first　memorable　couplet　of　which　went；　'Young　man；'　（argued　the　farmer）　'You're　sort　of　a　fool！　You'll　never　catch　fish　in　McElligot's　Pool！'　But　there　had　been　fish；　at　least　in　the　imagination　of　the　little　boy　in　the　story。　Plenty　of　fish。　Big　fish。
　　　　No　splashes　from　beneath　him；　though。　No　bumps　on　the　underside　of　the　lid；　either。　Not　for　awhile　now。　He　could　maybe　risk　one　quick　look；　just　raise　the　lid　a　little　and　slam　it　back　down　if　anything…
　　　　But　sit　tight；　buddy　was　the　last　thing　Jonesy　had　said　to　him；　and　that　was　what　he'd　better　do。
　　　　Jonesy's　most　likely　a　mile　down　the　road　by　now；　the　vile　v