sk.petsematary-第2节

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　　〃You　want　to　stop　that　or　your　ass　will　sting；〃　Louis　said。　
　　〃She's　tired；　Lou；〃　Rachel　said　quietly。
　　〃Yeah；　I　know　the　feeling。　Hold　her　leg　out。〃
　　Rachel　put　Gage　down　and　held　Eileen's　leg；　which　Louis　painted　with　Mercurochrome　in　spite　of　her　increasingly　hysterical　wails。
　　〃Someone　just　came　out　on　the　porch　of　that　house　across　the　street；〃　Rachel　said。　She　picked　Gage　up。　He　had　started　to　crawl　away　through　the　grass。
　　〃Wonderful；〃　Louis　muttered。
　　〃Lou；　she's…〃
　　〃Tired；　I　know。〃　He　capped　the　Mercurochrome　and　looked　grimly　at　his　daughter。　〃There。　And　it　really　didn't　hurt　a　bit。　Fess　up；　Ellie。
　　〃it　does！　It　does　hurt！　It　hurrrr…〃
　　His　hand　itched　to　slap　her　and　he　grabbed　his　leg　hard。
　　〃Did　you　find　the　keys？〃　Rachel　asked。
　　〃Not　yet；〃　Louis　said；　snapping　the　first…aid　kit　closed　and　getting　up。　〃I'll…〃
　　Gage　began　to　scream。　He　was　not　fussing　or　crying　but　really　screaming；　writhing　in　Rachel's　arms。
　　〃What's　wrong　with　him？〃　Rachel　cried；　thrusting　him　almost　blindly　at　Louis。　It　was；　he　supposed；　one　of　the　advantages　of　having　married　a　doctor…you　could　shove　the　kid　at　your　husband　whenever　the　kid　seemed　to　be　dying。　〃Louis！　What's…〃
　　The　baby　was　grabbing　frantically　at　his　neck；　screaming　wildly。　Louis　flipped　him　over　and　saw　an　angry　white　knob　rising　on　the　side　of　Gage's　neck。　And　there　was　also　something　on　the。　strap　of　his　jumper；　something　fuzzy；　squirming　weakly。
　　Eileen；　who　had　bee　quieter；　began　to　scream　again；
　　〃Bee！　Bee！　BEEEEEE！〃　She　jumped　back；　tripped　over　the　same　protruding　rock　on　which　she　had　already　e　a　cropper；　sat　down　hard；　and　began　to　cry　again　in　mingled　pain；　surprise；　and　fear。
　　I'm　going　crazy；　Louis　thought　wonderingly。　Wheeeeee！　〃Do　something；　Louis！　Can't　you　do　something？〃
　　〃Got　to　get　the　stinger　out；〃　a　voice　behind　them　drawled。　That's　the　ticket。　Get　the　stinger　out　and　put　some　baking
　　Soda　on　it。　Bump'll　go　down。〃　But　the　voice　was　so　thick　With　Down　East　accent　that　for　a　moment　Louis's　tired；　confused　mind　refused　to　translate　the　dialect：　Got　t'get　the　stinga　out　'n　put　some　bakin　soda　on't。　TI！　go　daown。
　　He　turned　and　saw　an　old　man　of　perhaps　seventy…a　hale　and　healthy　seventy…standing　there　on　the　grass。　He　wore　a　biballs　over　a　blue　chambray　shirt　that　showed　his　thickly　folded　and　wrinkled　neck。　His　face　was　sunburned；　and　he　was　smoking　an　unfiltered　cigarette。　As　Louis　looked　at　him；　the　old　man　pinched　the　cigarette　out　between　his　thumb　and　forefinger　and　pocketed　it　neatly。　He　held　out　his　hands　and　smiled　crookedly　。　。　。　a　smile　Louis　liked　at　once…and　he　was　not　a　man　who　〃took〃　to　people。
　　〃Not　to　tell　you　y'business；　Doc；〃　he　said。　And　that　was　how　Louis　met　Judson　Crandall；　the　man　who　should　have　been　his　father。
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　　He　had　watched　them　arrive　from　across　the　street　and　had　e　across　to　see　if　he　could　help　when　it　seemed　they　were　〃in　a　bit　of　a　tight；〃　as　he　put　it。
　　While　Louis　held　the　baby　on　his　shoulder；　Crandall　stepped　near；　looked　at　the　swelling　on　Gage's　neck；　and　reached　out　with　one　blocky；　twisted　hand。　Rachel　opened　her　mouth　to　protest…his　hand　looked　terribly　clumsy　and　almost　as　big　as　Gage's　head…but　before　she　could　say　a　word；　the　old　man's　fingers　had　made　a　single　decisive　movement；　as　apt　and　deft　as　the　fingers　of　a　man　walking　cards　across　his　knuckles　or　sending　coins　into　conjurer's　limbo。　And　the　stinger　lay　in　his　palm。
　　〃Big　'un；〃　he　remarked。　〃No　prize…winner；　but　it'd　do　for　a　ribbon；　I　guess。〃　Louis　burst　out　laughing。
　　Crandall　regarded　him　with　that　crooked　smile　and　said；　〃Ayuh；　corker；　ain't　she？〃
　　〃What　did　he　say；　Mommy？〃　Eileen　asked；　and　then　Rachel　burst　out　laughing　too。　Of　course　it　was　terribly　impolite；　but　somehow　it　was　okay。　Crandall　pulled　out　a　deck　of　Chesterfield　Kings；　poked　one　into　the　seamed　corner　of　his　mouth；　nodded　at　them　pleasantly　as　they　laughed…　even　Gage　was　chortling　now；　in　spite　of　the　swelling　of　the　bee　sting…and　popped　a　wooden　match　alight　with　his　thumbnail。　The　old　have　their　tricks；　Louis　thought。　Small　ones；　but　some　of　them　are　good　ones。
　　He　stopped　laughing　and　held　out　the　hand　that　wasn't　supporting　Gage's　bottom…Gage's　decidedly　damp　bottom。　〃I'm　pleased　to　meet　you；　Mr。…〃
　　〃Jud　Crandall；〃　he　said　and　shook。　〃You're　the　doc；　I　guess。〃
　　〃Yes。　Louis　Creed。　This　is　my　wife　Rachel；　my　daughter　Ellie；　and　the　kid　with　the　bee　sting　is　Gage。〃
　　〃Nice　to　know　all　of　you。〃
　　〃I　didn't　mean　to　laugh　。　。　。　that　is；　we　didn't　mean　to　laugh　。　。　。　it's　just　that　we're　。　。　。　a　little　tired。〃
　　That…the　understatement　of　it…caused　him　to　giggle　again。　He　felt　totally　exhausted。
　　Crandall　nodded。　〃Course　you　are；〃　he　said；　which　came　out：　Coss　you　aaa。　He　glanced　at　Rachel。　〃Why　don't　you　take　your　little　boy　and　your　daughter　over　to　the　house　for　a　minute；　Missus　Creed？　We　can　put　some　bakin　soda　on　a　washrag　and　cool　that　off　some。　My　wife　would　like　to　say　hello　too。　She　don't　get　out　too　much。　Arthritis　got　bad　the　last　two　or　three　years。〃
　　Rachel　glanced　at　Louis；　who　nodded。
　　〃That　would　be　very　kind　of　you；　Mr。　Crandall。〃
　　〃Oh；　I　just　answer　to　Jud；〃　he　said。
　　There　was　a　sudden　loud　honk；　a　motor　winding　down；　and　then　the　big　blue　moving　van　was　turning…lumbering…into　the　driveway。
　　〃Oh　Christ；　and　I　don't　know　where　the　keys　are；〃　Louis　said。
　　〃That's　okay；〃　Crandall　said。　〃I　got　a　set。　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Cleveland。。。they　that　lived　here　before　you…gave　me　a　set；　oh；　must　have　been　fourteen；　fifteen　years　ago。　They　lived　here　a　long　time。　Joan　Cleveland　was　my　wife's　best　friend。　She　died　two　years　ago。　Bill　went　to　that　old　folks'　apartment　plex　over　in　Orrington。　I'll　bring　em　back　over。　They　belong　to　you　now；　anyway。〃
　　〃You're　very　kind；　Mr。　Crandall；〃　Rachel　said。
　　〃Not　at　all；〃　he　said。　〃Lookin　forward　to　having　young　'uns　around　again。〃　Except　that　the　sound　of　this；　as　exotic　to　their　Midwestern　ears　as　a　foreign　language；　was　yowwuns　〃You　just　want　to　watch　em　around　the　road；　Missus　Creed　Lots　of　big　trucks　on　that　road。〃
　　Now　there　was　the　sound　of　slamming　doors　as　the　moving　men　hopped　out　of　the　cab　and　came　toward　them。
　　Ellie　had　wandered　away　a　little；　and　now　she　said；　〃Daddy　what's　this？〃
　　Louis；　who　had　started　to　meet　the　moving　men；　glanced　back。　At　the　edge　of　the　field；　where　the　lawn　stopped　and　high　summer　grass　took　over；　a　path　about　four　feet　wide　had　been　cut；　smooth　and　close。　It　wound　up　the　hill；　curved　through　a　low　stand　of　bushes　and　a　copse　of　birches；　and　out　of　sight。
　　〃Looks　like　a　path　of　some　kind；〃　Louis　said。
　　〃Oh；　ayuh；〃　Crandall　said；　smiling。　〃Tell　you　about　it　sometime；　missy。　You　want　to　e　over　and　we'll　fix　your　baby　brother　up？〃
　　〃Sure；〃　Ellie　said　and　then　added　with　a　certain　hopefulness　〃Does　baking　soda　sting？〃
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　　Crandall　brought　back　the　keys；　but　by　then　Louis　found　his　set。　There　was　a　space　at　the　top　of　the　glove　partment　and　the　small　envelope　had　slipped　down　into　the　wiring。　He　fished　it　out　and　let　the　movers　in。　Crandall　gave　him　the　extra　set。　They　were　on　an　old；　tarnished　fob。　Louis　thanked　him　and　slipped　them　absently　into　his　pocket；　watching　the　movers　take　in　boxes　and　dressers　and　bureaus　and　all　the　other　things　they　had　collected　over　the　ten　years　of　their　marriage。　Seeing　them　this　way；　out　of　their　accustomed　places；　diminished　them。　Just　a　bunch　of　stuff　in　boxes；　he　thought；　and　suddenly　he　felt　sad　and　depressed…he　guessed　he　was　feeling　what　people　called　homesickness。
　　〃Uprooted　and　transplanted；〃　Crandall　said；　suddenly　beside　him；　and　Louis　jumped　a　little。
　　〃You　sound　like　you　know　the　feeling；〃　he　said。
　　〃No；　actually　I　don't。〃　Crandall　lit　a　cigarette…pop！　went　the　match；　flaring　brightly　in　the　first　early　evening　shadows。
　　〃My　dad　built　that　house　across　the　way。　Brought　his　wife　there；　and　she　was　taken　with　child　there；　and　that　child　was　me；　born　in　the　very　year　1900。〃
　　〃That　makes　you…〃
　　〃Eighty…three；〃　Crandall　said；　and　Louis　was　mildly　relieved　that　he　didn't　add　years　young；　a　phrase　he　cordially　detested。
　　〃You　look　a　lot　younger　than　that。〃
　　Crandall　shrugged。　〃Anyway；　I've　always　lived　there。　I　joined　up　when　we　fought　the　Great　War；　but　the　closest　I　got　to　Europe　was　Bayonne；　New　Jersey。　Nasty　place。　Even　in　1917　it　was　a　nasty　place。　I　was　just　as　glad　to　e　back　here。　Got　married　to　my　Norma；　put　in　my　time　on　the　railroad；　and　here　we　still　are。　But　I've　seen　a　lot　of　life　right　here　in　Ludlow。　I　sure　have。〃
　　The　moving　men　stopped　by　the　shed　entrance；　holding　the　box　spring　that　went　under　the　big　double　bed　he　and　Rachel　shared。　〃Where　do　you　want　this；　Mr。　Creed？〃
　　〃Upstairs　。　。　。　just　a　minute；　I'll　show　you。〃　He　started　toward　them；　then　paused　for　a　moment　and　glanced　back　at　Crandall。
　　〃You　go　on；〃　Crandall　said；　smiling。　〃I'll　see　how　y'　folks're　makin　out。　Send　em　back　over　and　get　out　of　your　way。　But　movin　in's　mighty　thirsty　work。　I　usually　sit　out　on　my　porch　about　nine　and　have　a　couple　of　beers。　In　warm　Weather　I　like　to　watch　the　night　e　on。　Sometimes　Norma　Joins　me。　You　e　over；　if　you're　a　mind。〃
　　Well；　maybe