stephen king - mist-第16节

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　I　went　over；　and　Billy　clung　to　my　neck。　When　I　tried　to　put　him　down；　he　clung　tighter　and　said；　〃Don't　do　that；　Daddy。　Please。〃
　I　found　a　shopping　cart　and　put　him　in　the　baby　seat。　He　looked　very　big　in　there。　It　would　have　been　ical　except　for　his　pale　face；　the　dark　hair　brushed　across　his　forehead　just　above　his　eyebrows；　his　woeful　eyes。　He　probably　hadn't　been　up　in　the　baby　seat　of　the　shopping　cart　for　as　long　as　two　years。　These　little　things　slide　by　you；　you　don't　realize　at　first；　and　when　what　has　changed　finally　es　to　you；　it's　always　a　nasty　shock。
　Meanwhile；　with　the　Flat…Earthers　having　withdrawn；　the　argument　had　found　another　lightning　rod…this　time　it　was　Mrs。　Carmody；　and　understandably　enough；　she　stood　alone。
　In　the　faded；　dismal　light　she　was　witchlike　in　her　blazing　canary　pants；　her　bright　rayon　blouse；　her　armloads　of　clacking　junk　jewelry　…　copper；　tortoiseshell；　adamantine…and　her　thyroidal　purse。　Her　parchment　face　was　grooved　with　strong　vertical　lines。　Her　frizzy　gray　hair
　was　yanked　flat　with　three　horn　bs　and　twisted　in　the　back。　Her　mouth　was　a　line　of　knotted　rope。
　〃There　is　no　defense　against　the　will　of　God。　This　has　been　ing。　I　have　seen　the　signs。　There　are　those　here　that　I　have　told；　but　there　are　none　so　blind　as　those　who　will　not　see。〃
　〃Well；　what　are　you　saying？　What　are　you　proposing？〃　Mike　Haden　broke　in　impatiently。　He　was　a　town　selectman；　although　he　didn't　look　the　part　now；　in　his　yachtsman's　cap　and　saggy…seated　Bermudas。　He　was　sipping　at　a　beer；　a　great　many　men　were　doing　it　now。　Bud　Brown　had　given　up　protesting；　but　he　was　indeed　taking　names…keeping　a　rough　tab　on　everyone　he　could。
　〃Proposing？〃　Mrs。　Carmody　echoed；　wheeling　toward　Haden。　〃Proposing？　Why；　I　am　proposing　that　you　prepare　to　meet　your　God；　Michael　Haden。〃　She　gazed　around　at　all　of　us。　〃Prepare　to　meet　your　God！〃
　〃Prepare　to　meet　shit；〃　Myron　LaFleur　said　in　a　drunken　snarl　from　the　beer　cooler。　〃Old　woman；　I　believe　your　tongue　must　be　hung　in　the　middle　so　it　can　run　on　both　ends。〃
　There　was　a　rumble　of　agreement。　Billy　looked　around　nervously；　and　I　slipped　an　arm　around　his　shoulders。
　〃I'll　have　my　say！〃　she　cried。　Her　upper　lip　curled　back；　revealing　snaggle　teeth　that　were　yellow　with　nicotine。　I　thought　of　the　dusty　stuffed　animals　in　her　shop；　drinking　eternally　at　the　mirror　that　served　as　their　creek。　〃Doubters　will　doubt　to　the　end！　Yet　a　monstrosity　did　drag　that　poor　boy　away！　Things　in　the　mist！　Every　abomination　out　of　a　bad　dream！　Eyeless　freaks！　Pallid　horrors！　Do　you　doubt？　Then　go　on　out！　Go　on　out　and　say　howdy…do！　〃
　〃Mrs。　Carmody；　you'll　have　to　stop；〃　I　said。　〃You're　scaring　my　boy。〃
　The　man　with　the　little　girl　echoed　the　sentiment。　She；　all　plump　legs　and　scabby　knees；　had　hidden　her　face　against　her　father's　stomach　and　put　her　hands　over　her　cars。　Big　Bill　wasn't　crying；　but　he　was　close。
　〃There's　only　one　chance；〃　Mrs。　Carmody　said。
　〃What's　that；　ma'am？〃　Mike　Haden　asked　politely。
　〃A　sacrifice；〃　Mrs。　Carmody　said…she　seemed　to　grin　in　the　gloom。　〃A　blood　sacrifice。〃
　Blood　sacrifice　…　the　words　hung　there；　slowly　turning。　Even　now；　when　I　know　better；　I　tell　myself　that　then　what　she　meant　was　someone's　pet　dog　…　there　were　a　couple　of　them　trotting　around　the　market　in　spite　of　the　regulations　against　them。　Even　now　I　tell　myself　that。　She　looked　like　some　crazed　remnant　of　New　England　Puritanism　in　the　gloom　。。。　but　I　suspect　that　something　deeper　and　darker　than　mere　Puritanism　motivated　her。　Puritanism　had　its　own　dark　grandfather；　old　Adam　with　bloody　hands。
　She　opened　her　mouth　to　say　something　more；　and　a　small；　neat　man　in　red　pants　and　a　natty　sport　shirt　struck　her　openhanded　across　the　face。　His　hair　was　parted　with　ruler　evenness　on　the　left。　He　wore　glasses。　He　also　wore　the　unmistakable　look　of　the　summer　tourist。
　〃You　shut　up　that　bad　talk；〃　he　said　softly　and　tonelessly。
　Mrs。　Carmody　put　her　hand　to　her　mouth　and　then　held　it　out　to　us；　a　wordless　accusation。　There　was　blood　on　the　palm。　But　her　black　eyes　seemed　to　dance　with　mad　glee。
　〃You　had　it　ing！〃　a　woman　cried　out。　〃I　would　have　done　it　myself！　〃
　〃They'll　get　hold　of　you；〃　Mrs。　Carmody　said；　showing　us　her　bloody　palm。　The　trickle　of　blood　was　now　running　down　one　of　the　wrinkles　from　her　mouth　to　her　chin　like　a　droplet　of　rain　down　a　gutter。　〃Not　today；　maybe。　Tonight。　Tonight　when　the　dark　es。　They'll　e　with　the　night　and　take　someone　else。　With　the　night　they'll　e。　You'll　hear　them　ing；　creeping　and　crawling。　And　when　they　e；　you'll　beg　for　Mother　Carmody　to　show　you　what　to　do。〃
　The　man　in　the　red　pants　raised　his　hand　slowly。
　〃You　e　on　and　hit　me；〃　she　whispered；　and　grinned　her　bloody　grin　at　him。　His　hand　wavered。　〃Hit　me　if　you　dare。〃　His　hand　dropped。　Mrs。　Carmody　walked　away　by　herself。　Then　Billy　did　begin　to　cry；　hiding　his　face　against　me　as　the　little　girl　had　done　with　her　father。
　〃I　want　to　go　home；〃　he　said。　〃I　want　to　see　my　mommy。；；
　I　forted　him　as　best　I　could。　Which　probably　wasn't　very　well。
　The　talk　finally　turned　into　less　frightening　and　destructive　channels。　The　plate…glass　windows；　the　market's　obvious　weak　point；　were　mentioned。　Mike　Haden　asked　what　other　entrances　there　were；　and　Ollie　and　Brown　quickly　ticked　them　off…two　loading　doors　in　addition　to　the　one　Norm　had　opened。　The　main　IN'OUT　doors。　The　window　in　the　manager's　office　（thick；　reinforced　glass；　securely　locked）。
　Talking　about　these　things　had　a　paradoxical　effect。　it　made　the　danger　seem　more　real　but　at　the　same　time　made　us　feel　better。　Even　Billy　felt　it。　He　asked　if　he　could　go　get　a　candy　bar。　I　told　him　it　would　be　all　right　so　long　as　he　didn't　go　near　the　big　windows。
　When　he　was　out　of　earshot；　a　man　near　Mike　Haden　said；　〃Okay；　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　those　windows？　The　old　lady　may　be　as　crazy　as　a　bedbug；　but　she　could　be　right　about　something　moving　in　after　dark。〃
　〃Maybe　the　fog　will　blow　over　by　then；〃　a　woman　said。
　〃Maybe；〃　the　man　said。　〃And　maybe　not。〃
　〃Any　ideas？〃　I　asked　Bud　and　Ollie。
　〃Hold　on　a　sec；〃　the　man　near　Haden　said。　〃I'm　Dan　Miller。　From　Lynn；　Mass。　You　don't　know　me；　no　reason　why　you　should；　but　I　got　a　place　on　Highland　Lake。　Bought　it　just　this　year。　Got　held　up　for　it；　is　more　like　it；　but　I　had　to　have　it。〃　There　were　a　few　chuckles。　〃Anyway；　I　saw　a　whole　pile　of　fertilizer　and　lawn…food　bags　down　there。　Twenty…five…pound　sacks；　most　of　them。　We　could　put　them　up　like　sandbags。　Leave　loopholes　to　look　out　through　。。。〃
　Now　more　people　were　nodding　and　talking　excitedly。　I　almost　said　something；　then　held　it　back。　Miller　was　right。　Putting　those　bags　up　could　do　no　harm；　and　might　do　some　good。　But　my　mind　went　back　to　that　tentacle　squeezing　the　dog…food　bag。　I　thought　that　one　of　the　bigger　tentacles　could　probably　do　the　same　for　a　twenty…five…pound　bag　of　Green　Acres　lawn　food　or　Vigoro。　But　a　sermon　on　that　wouldn't　get　us　out　or　improve　anyone's　mood。
　People　began　to　break　up；　talking　about　getting　it　done；　and　Miller　yelled：　〃Hold　it！　Hold　it！　Let's　thrash　this　out　while　we're　all　together！　〃
　They　came　back；　a　loose　congregation　of　fifty　or　sixty　people　in　the　corner　formed　by　the　beer　cooler；　the　storage　doors；　and　the　left　end　of　the　meat　case；　where　Mr。　McVey　always　seems　to　put　the　things　no　one　wants；　like　sweetbreads　and　Scotch　eggs　and　sheep's　brains　and　head　cheese。　Billy　wove　his　way　through　them　with　a　five…year…old's　unconscious　agility　in　a　world　of　giants　and　held　up　a　Hershey　bar。　〃Want　this；　Daddy？〃
　〃Thanks。〃　I　took　it。　It　tasted　sweet　and　good。
　〃This　is　probably　a　stupid　question；〃　Miller　resumed；　〃but　we　ought　to　fill　in　the　blanks。　Anyone　got　any　firearms？〃
　There　was　a　pause。　People　looked　around　at　each　other　and　shrugged。　An　old　man　with　grizzled　white　hair　who　introduced　himself　as　Ambrose　Cornell　said　he　had　a　shotgun　in　the　trunk　of　his　car。　〃I'll　try　for　it；　if　you　want。〃
　Ollie　said；　〃Right　now　I　don't　think　that　would　be　a　good　idea；　Mr。　Cornell。〃
　Cornell　grunted。　〃Right　now；　neither　do　I；　son。　But　I　thought　I　ought　to　make　the　offer。〃
　〃Well；　I　didn't　really　think　so；〃　Dan　Miller　said。　〃But　I　thought…〃
　〃Wait；　hold　it　a　minute；〃　a　woman　said。　It　was　the　lady　in　the　cranberry…colored　sweatshirt　and　the　dark…green　slacks。　She　had　sandy…blond　hair　and　a　good　figure。　A　very　pretty　young　woman。　She　opened　her　purse　and　from　it　she　produced　a　medium…sized　pistol。　The　crowd　made　an　ahhhh…ing　sound；　as　if　they　had　just　seen　a　magician　do　a　particularly　fine　trick。　The　woman；　who　had　been　blushing；　blushed　that　much　the　harder。　She　rooted　in　her　purse　again　and　brought　out　a　box　of　Smith　&　Wesson　ammunition。
　〃I'm　Amanda　Dumfries；〃　she　said　to　Miller。　〃This　gun　。。。　my　husband's　idea。　He　thought　I　should　have　it　for　protection。　I've　carried　it　unloaded　for　two　years。〃
　〃Is　your　husband　here；　ma'am？〃
　〃No；　he's　in　New　York。　On　business。　He's　gone　on　business　a　lot。　That's　why　he　wanted　me　to　carry　the　gun。〃
　〃Well；〃　Miller　said；　〃if　you　can　use　it；　you　ought　to　keep　it。　What　is　it；　a　thirty…eight？''
　〃Yes。　And　I've　never　fired　it　in　my　life　except　on　a　target　range　once。〃
　Miller　took　the　gun；　fumbled　around；　and　got　the