gns.snakes-第26节

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　reptilian　and　human　copulation。
　　
　　Joan　Doyle　screamed　just　once　before　she　died；　subconsciously　tried　to　check　that　cry　of　terror　in　case　it　brought　Keith　rushing　into　the　room。　She　felt　her　life　being　squeezed　from　her；　an　expulsion　of　air　and　vomit。　Bursting　like　a　balloon　filled　with　water　might　have　done。
　　
　　And　after　it　had　feasted　for　the　second　time　that　night　the　African　rock　python　left　by　the　way　it　had　entered；　out　through　the　open　window；　negotiated　the　drainpipe　with　ease；　and　slunk　away　in　the　direction　of　the　old　graveyard。
　　
　　Man　was　easy　prey　if　you　were　cunning　enough　to　single　out　an　unsuspecting　victim。　Now　it　would　sleep　the　daylight　hours　away　in　the　safety　of　that　underground　lair。
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　14
　　
　　JOHN　PRICE　was　knocking　on　the　door　of　the　Doyles'　council　house　shortly　after　seven　o'clock　the　next　morning；　an　air　of　urgency　and　frustration　about　him。　Where　the　hell　was　the　guy？　His　van　was　not　parked　in　the　short　drive。　Perhaps　Keith's　mother　could　give　him　some　information。　God；　was　she　bloody　well　deaf？
　　
　　In　the　end　he　gave　up；　turned　away　and　headed　back　towards　the　police　station。　Christ　alone　knew　where　they　were　going　to　search　today；　there　weren't　many　places　left。
　　
　　He　slowed　his　step；　halted。　No　reason　except　a　kind　of　premonition；　his　thoughts　going　back　to　the　Doyles。　Keith　was　hardly　likely　to　have　left　for　work　at　this　hour　of　the　morning　so　where　had　he　gone？　None　of　your　bloody　business；　John　Price。　And　his　mother？　Gone　with　him　probably。
　　
　　The　zoologist　stood　there；　his　forehead　creased。　He　felt　a　nagging　concern。　In　all　probability　there　was　a　simple；　innocuous　answer　to　those　questions。　At　any　other　time；　yes；　but　with　the　occupants　of　Stainforth　hiding　behind　closed　doors　and　windows；　nobody　went　out　much　at　all　except　for　absolute　necessities。　Mrs　Doyle　was　probably　still　in　bed；　and　Keith　had　not　actually　promised　to　help　him。　Hell；　he　didn't　need　him。　Yes　he　did；　he　needed　pany；　somebody　to　talk　to；　to　pool　a　few　ideas；　maybe　throw　a　different　angle　on　the　whole　thing。
　　
　　Slowly　John　began　to　retrace　his　steps　towards　those　few　council　houses；　his　uneasy　feeling　growing　stronger　by　the　yard。　There　had　been　horrific　deaths；　nobody　was　safe。　You　got　to　believe　that　almost　anything　could　happen　to　anybody；　including　yourself。
　　
　　He　knocked　on　the　door　again；　louder　this　time；　thumping　it　so　that　the　woodwork　rattled。　No　answer。　He　walked　round　the　side　of　the　house；　for　some　reason　council…house　dwellers　seldom　opened　their　front　doors；　everybody　using　the　rear　entrance；　a　sort　of　tradition　that　dated　back　to　wartime　days。
　　
　　He　tapped　on　the　glass　panel　of　the　back　door；　did　not　expect　any　answer。　He　could　see　into　the　small　kitchen；　through　into　the　hallway。　A　light　was　burning　and　that　was　damned　odd；　he　got　a　peculiar　sensation　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach；　an　apprehension　that　was　manifesting　itself。　There's　something　terribly　wrong　here；　John　Price。
　　
　　He　tried　the　door；　it　was　unlocked；　swung　right　back　on　its　hinges。　You've　no　business　opening　people's　doors。　Or　going　inside。　But　all　the　same　he　stepped　over　the　threshold。　You　could　find　yourself　in　an　awful　lot　of　trouble；　you　ought　to　go　and　fetch　PC　Aylott　or　one　of　the　other　policemen。
　　
　　Mounting　the　stairs；　his　feeling　that　all　was　not　well　escalated　with　each　step　and　then　when　he　was　almost　at　the　landing　the　stench　hit　him；　a　vile　odour　that　brought　back　memories　of　those　hours　he　had　spent　in　the　laboratory　at　university　carrying　out　experiments　on　dead　creatures；　steeling　himself　to　the　stink　of　dissected　bodies；　intestines；　blood。　Offal。
　　
　　God；　this　place　stank。　I　don't　know　what　the　hell's　happened；　maybe　I　should　go　for　the　police。　You　might　as　well　check　first。
　　
　　He　recoiled　in　the　bedroom　doorway；　had　to　lean　against　the　wall　for　support；　heaved　and　almost　threw　up；　wanted　to　turn　and　flee　and　would　probably　have　done　so　had　his　legs　not　suddenly　weakened　until　they　were　scarcely　able　to　support　the　weight　of　his　body。
　　
　　The　crumpled　bed　sheets　were　soaked　in　blood　which　had　saturated　the　mattress　and　dripped　right　through　to　form　a　pool　on　the　carpet　beneath。　The　wails　were　splashed　and　streaked　with　crimson；　and　a　vile　slimy　matter　which　he　recognised　instantly　as　human　intestines；　adhered　to　the　flowery　wallpaper　in　places；　hanging　down　in　strings。　A　human　intestinal　explosion　had　taken　place；　whoever　had　been　in　this　room　had　been　crushed　with　such　force　that　they　had　burst。　And　then　disappeared；　the　remnants　of　the　corpse　vanished　pletely。
　　
　　It　was　the　python；　of　course。　Even　in　his　state　of　dazed　shock　John　Price　read　the　scene　as　others　might　read　a　book。　The　constrictor　had　entered　by　the　open　window…had　scented　a　victim　inside　and　scaled　the　wall　by　means　of　a　convenient　drainpipe；　no　trouble　at　all。　Then；　having　devoured　its　prey；　it　had　returned　whence　it　had　e。　And　that　was　what　was　eluding　everybody；　the　whereabouts　of　the　snakes'　lair。
　　
　　He　went　back　downstairs；　holding　on　to　the　stair…rail　the　whole　way。　Shaken；　repulsed；　he　vomited　outside　on　the　drive。　If　Mrs　Doyle　was　the　victim　then　where　was　her　son？
　　
　　The　operational　HQ　had　an　atmosphere　of　confusion　about　it；　groups　of　police　and　soldiers　clustered　outside　around　the　vehicles；　a　meeting　of　some　kind　was　being　held　in　the　small　office。　John　recognised　Burlington；　Colonel　Marks；　Chief　Inspector　Watts　and　several　others　through　the　open　window；　caught　a　buzz　oflow　voices。
　　
　　'You　can't　go　in　there；　sir。'　A　uniformed　sergeant　barred　his　path　to　the　door。
　　
　　'I　。。。　have　to　。　。　。'
　　
　　'I'm　sorry；　sir。'
　　
　　'There's　been　a　。。。　killing。　Another　death。'
　　
　　The　officer　puffed　his　cheeks　out；　closed　his　eyes；　opened　them　again。　'Who？　Where？'　His　voice　was　low；　tired。
　　
　　'The　council　houses　。。　。　the　Doyles　。。。　I'm　not　sure　which　one；　Mrs　Doyle　probably。　It　was　the　python。'
　　
　　'We'll　get　somebody　up　there　right　away。'　The　sergeant　gave　some　instructions　to　another　officer　in　the　doorway；　turned　back　to　the　zoologist。　'There's　problems　this　morning。　PC　Aylott　vanished　during　the　night　shift。　We　don't　think　it's　the　snakes；　he　just　appears　to　have　walked　out。　His　nerve　might　have　cracked；　we　don't　know。　Anyway；　it's　not　up　to　me　to　say。'
　　
　　'Where　are　we　going　to　search　today？'　John　was　still　shaking　from　his　experience；　the　last　thing　he　wanted　was　another　day　in　the　burning　sun　bashing　out　thick　undergrowth。
　　
　　'We'll　be　told　soon；'　the　policeman　replied。　'Until　then　you'll　just　have　to　hang　around　like　everybody　else。'
　　
　　It　was　another　ten　minutes　before　the　superintendent　emerged　from　the　building；　those　lines　in　his　features　etched　even　deeper；　his　voice　husky　as　though　he　had　done　a　lot　of　talking　and　his　vocal　cords　were　on　the　verge　of　packing　up。
　　
　　'There　is　the　possibility　that　we　have　another　snake　casualty。'　He　addressed　the　crowded　driveway；　manded　an　instant　silence。　The　listeners　felt　the　tension；　the　sudden　change　in　those　around　them。　'We　cannot　be　sure　at　the　moment　but　it　seems　that　way。　Also　we　have　one　of　our　officers　missing　but　again　we　do　not　know　if　that　is　directly　linked　to　the　current　crisis。　We　must；　therefore；　for　the　safety　of　this　munity；　assume　that　the　snakes　have　not　left　the　area。　We　have　searched　for　them　diligently；　and　for　that　I　thank　every　one　of　you；　but　now　the　time　has　e　when　we　must　change　our　tactics。　We　shall　not　let　up　on　the　offensive　but　priority　has　to　be　given　to　the　defence　of　this　village。　We　must　guard　every　house　24　hours　a　day；　leaving　just　a　small　band　to　continue　the　search。　No　more　lives　must　be　lost。　Let　us　hope　that　we　can　conclude　this　terrible　business　in　as　short　a　time　as　possible。'
　　
　　John　Price　moved　away　back　out　on　to　the　road。　They　would　not　be　needing　him　today；　maybe　not　again。　The　searches　over　the　last　few　days　had　yielded　nothing；　he　had　not　e　up　with　a　magical　formula　for　finding　the　serpents'　hidden　lair；　so　he　had　not　been　much　use　after　all。　They　could　dispense　with　him　now。　The　authorities　resented　civilian　help；　you　could　sense　it　even　if　they　did　not　put　it　into　words。　They　used　you　just　so　long　as　you　were　useful　to　them。

　　
　　He　had　the　rest　of　the　day　to　kill　somehow；　the　rest　of　the　week；　month；　year。　Except　for　Aunt　Elsie's　funeral　tomorrow　he　had　no　plans。　That　was　when　being　unemployed　hit　you；　you　had　no　plans；　nobody　had　any　for　you。　Just　hang　around；　John　Price。　The　game　of　eternal　waiting；　building　up　futile　hopes。
　　
　　A　police　van　passed　him；　It　would　be　going　up　to　the　Doyles。　He　grimaced。　He　wondered　again　where　Keith　had　gone。　And　Aylott。　There　were　a　lot　of　disquieting；　unexplained　mysteries　right　now。
　　
　　Something　interrupted　his　thoughts；　a　movement　breaking　into　his　morbid　reverie；　a　small　creature　darting　across　the　road；　long　body；　reddish　brown　fur；　streamlined。　A　half…jar　on　his　nerves；　alarm　bells　starting　to　ring　in　his　system　and　then　cutting　out　because　it　was　a　false　alarm。　These　days　everything　that　moved　had　to　be　a　snake　until　proved　otherwise。
　　
　　He　ident