stephen king - mist-第18节

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　the　concatenation　was；　it　was　ing　my　way。
　〃Please；〃　Mike　Hatlen　was　saying。　〃Please；　let's　talk　this　thing　through。〃
　〃There　is　nothing　to　talk　about；〃　Norton　proclaimed。　Now　his　face　swam　out　of　the　gloom。　It　was　determined　and　haggard　and　wholly　wretched。　He　was　holding　one　of　the　two　flashlights　allocated　to　the　Flat…Earthers。　The　corkscrewed　tufts　of　hair　still　stuck　up　behind　his　ears　like　a　cuckold's　horns。　He　was　at　the　head　of　an　extremely　small　procession…five　of　the　original　nine　or　ten。　〃We　are　going　out；〃　he　said。
　〃Don't　stick　to　this　craziness；〃　Miller　said。　〃Mike's　right。　We　can　talk　it　over；　can't　we？　Mr。　McVey　is　going　to　barbecue　some　chicken　over　the　gas　grill；　we　can　all　sit　down　and　eat　and　just…〃
　He　got　in　Norton's　way　and　Norton　gave　him　a　push。　Miller　didn't　like　it。　His　face　flushed　and　then　set　in　a　hard　expression。　〃Do　what　you　want；　then；〃　he　said。　〃But　you're　as　good　as　murdering　these　other　people。〃
　With　all　the　evenness　of　great　resolve　or　unbreakable　obsession；　Norton　said：　〃We'll　send　help　back　for　you。〃
　One　of　his　followers　murmured　agreement；　but　another　quietly　slipped　away。　Now　there　was　Norton　and　four　others。　Maybe　that　wasn't　so　bad。　Christ　Himself　could　only　find　twelve。
　〃Listen；〃　Mike　Hatlen　said。　〃Mr。　Norton　…　Brent　…　at　least　stay　for　the　chicken。　Get　some　hot　food　inside　you。〃
　〃And　give　you　a　chance　to　go　on　talking？　I've　been　in　too　many　courtrooms　to　fall　for　that。　You've　psyched　out　half　a　dozen　of　my　people　already。〃
　〃Your　people？〃　Haden　almost　groaned　it。　〃Your　people？　Good　Christ；　what　kind　of　talk　is　that？　They're　people；　that's　all。　This　is　no　game；　and　it's　surely　not　a　courtroom。　There　are；　for　want　of　a　better　word；　there　are　things　out　there；　and　what's　the　sense　of　getting；　yourself　killed？〃
　〃Things；　you　say；〃　Norton　said；　sounding　superficially　amused。　〃Where？　Your　people　have　been　on　watch　for　a　couple　of　hours　now。　Who's　seen　one？〃
　〃Well；　out　back。　In　the…〃
　〃No；　no；　no；〃　Norton　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃That　ground　has　been　covered　and　covered。　We're　going　out…〃
　〃No；〃　someone　whispered；　and　it　echoed　and　spread；　sounding　like　the　rustle　of　dead　leaves　at　dusk　of　an　October　evening。　No；　no；　no　。。。
　〃Will　you　restrain　us？〃　a　shrill　voice　asked。　This　was　one　of　Norton's　〃people；〃　to　use　his　word…an　elderly　lady　wearing　bifocals。　〃Will　you　restrain　us　？〃
　The　soft　babble　of　negatives　died　away。
　〃No；〃　Mike　said。　〃No；　I　don't　think　anyone　will　restrain　you。
　I　whispered　in　Billy's　ear。　He　looked　at　me；　startled　and　questioning。　〃Go　on；　now；〃　I　said。　〃Be　quick。〃
　He　went。
　Norton　ran　his　hands　through　his　hair；　a　gesture　as　calculated　as　any　ever　made　by　a　Broadway　actor。　I　had　liked　him　better　pulling　the　cord　of　his　chainsaw　fruitlessly；　cussing　and　thinking　himself　unobserved。　I　could　not　tell　then　and　do　not　know　any　better　now　if　he　believed　in　what　he　was　doing　or　not。　I　think；　down　deep；　that　he　knew　what　was　going　to　happen。　I　think　that　the　logic　he　had　paid　lip　service　to　all　his　life　turned　on　him　at　the　end　like　a　tiger　that　has　gone　bad　and　mean。
　He　looked　around　restlessly；　seeming　to　wish　that　there　was　more　to　say。　Then　he　led　his　four　followers　through　one　of　the　checkout　lanes。　In　addition　to　the　elderly　woman；　there　was　a　chubby　boy　of　about　twelve；　a　young　girl；　and　a　man　in　blue　jeans　wearing　a　golf　cap　tipped　back　on　his　head。
　Norton's　eyes　caught　mine；　widened　a　little；　and　then　started　to　swing　away。
　〃Brent；　wait　a　minute；〃　I　said。
　〃I　don't　want　to　discuss　it　any　further。　Certainly　not　with　you。
　〃I　know　you　don't。　I　just　want　to　ask　a　favor。〃　I　looked
　around　and　saw　Billy　ing　back　toward　the　checkouts　at　a　run。
　〃What's　that？〃　Norton　asked　suspiciously　as　Billy　came　up　and　handed　me　a　package　done　up　in　cellophane。
　〃Clothesline；〃　I　said。　I　was　vaguely　aware　that　everyone　in　the　market　was　watching　us　now；　loosely　strung　out　on　the　other　side　of　the　cash　registers　and　checkout　lanes。　〃It's　the　big　package。　Three　hundred　feet。〃
　〃so？〃
　〃I　wondered　if　you'd　tie　one　end　around　your　waist　before　you　go　out。　I'll　let　it　out。　When　you　feel　it　e　up　tight；　just　tie　it　around　something。　It　doesn't　matter　what。　A　car　door　handle　would　do。〃
　〃What　in　God's　name　for？〃
　〃It　will　tell　me　you　got　at　least　three　hundred　feet；〃　I　said。
　Something　in　his　eyes　flickered　。。。　but　only　momentarily。　〃No；〃　he　said。
　I　shrugged。　〃Okay。　Good　luck；　anyhow。〃
　Abruptly　the　man　in　the　golf　cap　said；　〃I'll　do　it；　mister。　No　reason　not　to。〃
　Norton　swung　on　him；　as　if　to　say　something　sharp；　and　the　man　in　the　golf　cap　studied　him　calmly。　There　was　nothing　flickering　in　his　eyes。　He　had　made　his　decision　and　there　was　simply　no　doubt　in　him。　Norton　saw　it　too　and　said　nothing。
　〃Thanks；〃　I　said。
　I　slit　the　wrapping　with　my　pocketknife　and　the　clothesline　accordioned　out　in　stiff　loops。　I　found　one　loose　end　and　tied　it　around　Golf　Cap's　waist　in　a　loose　granny。　He　immediately　untied　it　and　cinched　it　tighter　with　a　good　quick　sheet…bend　knot。　There　was　not　a　sound　in　the　market。　Norton　shifted　uneasily　from　foot　to　foot。
　〃You　want　to　take　my　knife？〃　I　asked　the　man　in　the　golf　cap。
　〃I　got　one。〃　He　looked　at　me　with　that　same　calm　contempt。　〃You　just　see　to　paying　out　your　line。　If　it　binds　up；　I'll　chuck　her。〃
　〃Are　we　all　ready？〃　Norton　asked；　too　loud。　The　chubby　boy　jumped　as　if　he　had　been　goosed。　Getting　no　response；　Norton　turned　to　go。
　〃Brent；〃　I　said；　and　held　out　my　hand。　〃Good　luck；　man。
　He　studied　my　hand　as　if　it　were　some　dubious　foreign　object。　〃We'll　send　back　help；〃　he　said　finally；　and　pushed　through　the　OUT　door。　That　thin；　acrid　smell　came　in　again。　The　others　followed　him　out。
　Mike　Hatlen　came　down　and　stood　beside　me。　Norton's　party　of　five　stood　in　the　milky；　slow…moving　fog。　Norton　said　something　and　I　should　have　heard　it；　but　the　mist　seemed　to　have　an　odd　damping　effect。　I　heard　nothing　but　the　sound　of　his　voice　and　two　or　three　isolated　syllables；　like　the　voice　on　the　radio　heard　from　some　distance。　They　moved　off。
　Hatlen　held　the　door　a　little　way　open。　I　paid　out　the　clothesline；　keeping　as　much　slack　in　it　as　I　could；　mindful　of　the　man's　promise　to　chuck　the　rope　if　it　bound　him　up。　There　was　still　not　a　sound。　Billy　stood　beside　me；　motionless　but　seeming　to　thrum　with　his　own　inner　current。
　Again　there　was　that　weird　feeling　that　the　five　of　them　did　not　so　much　disappear　into　the　fog　as　bee　invisible。　For　a　moment　their　clothes　seemed　to　stand　alone；　and　then　they　were　gone。　You　were　not　really　impressed　with　the　unnatural　density　of　the　mist　until　you　saw　people　swallowed　up　in　a　space　of　seconds。
　I　paid　the　line　out。　A　quarter　of　it　went；　then　a　half。　it　stopped　going　out　for　a　moment。　It　went　from　a　live　thing　to　a　dead　one　in　my　hands。　I　held　my　breath。　Then　it　started　to　go　out　again。　I　paid　it　through　my　fingers；　and　suddenly　remembered　my　father　taking　me　to　see　the　Gregory　Peck　film　of　Moby　Dick　at　the　Brookside。　I　think　I　smiled　a　little。
　Three…quarters　of　the　line　was　gone　now。　I　could　see　the　end　of　it　lying　beside　one　of　Billy's　feet。　Then　the　rope　stopped　moving　through　my　hands　again。　It　lay　motionless　for　perhaps　five　seconds；　and　then　another　five　feet　jerked　out。　Then　it　suddenly　whipsawed　violently　to　the　left；　twanging　off　the　edge　of　the　OUT　door。
　Twenty　feet　of　rope　suddenly　paid　out；　making　a　thin　heat　across　my　left　palm。　And　from　out　of　the　mist　there　came　a　high；　wavering　scream。　It　was　impossible　to　tell　the　sex　of　the　screamer。
　The　rope　whipsawed　in　my　hands　again。　And　again。　It　skated　across　the　space　in　the　doorway　to　the　right；　then　back　to　the　left。　A　few　more　feet　paid　out；　and　then　there　was　a　ululating　howl　from　out　there　that　brought　an　answering　moan　from　my　son。　Hatlen　stood　aghast。　His　eyes　were　huge。　One　corner　of　his　mouth　turned　down；　trembling。
　The　howl　was　abruptly　cut　off。　There　was　no　sound　at　all　for　what　seemed　to　be　forever。　Then　the　old　lady　cried　out…this　time　there　could　be　no　doubt　about　who　it　was。
　Git　it　offa　me！　〃　she　screamed。　〃　Oh　my　Lord　my　Lord　get　it…〃
　Then　her　voice　was　cut　off；　too。
　Almost　all　of　the　rope　abruptly　ran　out　through　my　loosely　closed　fist；　giving　me　a　hotter　burn　this　time。　Then　it　went　pletely　slack；　and　a　sound　came　out　of　the　mist　…　a　thick；　loud　grunt…that　made　all　the　spit　in　my　mouth　dry　up。
　It　was　like　no　sound　I've　ever　heard；　but　the　closest　approximation　might　be　a　movie　set　in　the　African　veld　or　a　South　American　swamp。　It　was　the　sound　of　a　big　animal。　It　came　again；　low　and　tearing　and　savage。　Once　more　。。。　and　then　it　subsided　to　a　series　of　low　mutterings。　Then　it　was　pletely　gone。
　〃Close　the　door；〃　Amanda　Dumfries　said　in　a　trembling　voice。　〃Please。〃
　〃In　a　minute；〃　I　said；　and　began　to　yank　the　line　back　in。
　It　came　out　of　the　mist　and　piled　up　around　my　feet　in　untidy　loops　and　snarls。　About　three　feet　from　the　end；　the　new　white　clothesline　went　barn…red。
　〃Death！〃　Mrs。　Carmody　screamed。　〃Death　to　go　out　there！　Now　do　you　see？〃
　The　end　of　the　clothesline　was　a　chewed　and　frayed　tangle　of　fiber　and　little　puffs　of　cotton。　The　little　puffs
　were　dewed　with　minute　drops　of　blood。
　No　one　contradicted　Mrs。　Carmo