dk.nightchills-第19节

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ard　the　door。
　She　dropped　her　tip　into　a　pocket　of　her　uniform；　closed　the　cash　register　drawer；　and　went　into　the　kitchen。
　At　the　entrance　Salsbury　stopped　and　put　a　quarter　in　the　newspaper　vending　machine。
　Bob　Thorp　laughed　loudly　at　some　joke；　and　the　waitress　named　Bess　giggled　like　a　young　girl。
　Salsbury　took　a　copy　of　the　Black　River　Bulletin　from　the　wire　rack；　folded　it；　put　it　under　his　arm；　and　opened　the　door　to　the　foyer。　He　stepped　across　the　sill　and　began　to　pull　the　door　shut　behind　him；　thinking　all　the　while：　e　on；　you　bitch；　e　on！　His　heart　was　pounding；　and　he　felt　slightly　dizzy。
　Alice　began　to　scream。
　Grinning；　Salsbury　closed　the　first　door；　pushed　through　the　outer　door；　went　down　the　steps；　and　walked　east　on　Main　Street；　as　if　he　were　unaware　of　the　uproar　in　the　cafe。
　The　day　was　bright　and　warm。　The　sky　was　cloudless。
　He　had　never　been　happier。
　Paul　shouldered　past　Bob　Thorp　and　stepped　into　the　kitchen。　The　young　waitress　was　standing　at　a　counter　that　lay　between　two　upright　food　freezers。　Her　left　hand　was　palm　down　on　a　wooden　cutting　board。　With　her　right　hand　she　gripped　an　eighteen…inch…long　meat　fork。　The　two　wickedly　sharp　prongs　appeared　to　have　been　driven　all　the　way　through　her　left　hand　and　into　the　wood　beneath。　Blood　spotted　her　light　blue　uniform；　glistened　on　the　cutting　board；　and　dripped　from　the　edge　of　the　Formica…topped　counter。　She　was　screaming　and　gasping　for　breath　between　the　screams　and　shaking　and　trying　to　wrench　the　fork　loose。
　Turning　back　to　Bob　Thorp；　who　stood　transfixed　in　the　doorway；　Paul　said；　〃Get　Doc　Troutman。〃
　Thorp　didn't　have　to　be　told　again。　He　hurried　away。
　Taking　hold　of　the　woman's　right　hand；　Paul　said；　〃Let　go
　of　the　fork。　I　want　you　to　let　go　of　the　fork。　You're　doing　more　harm　than　good。〃
　She　raised　her　head　and　seemed　to　look　straight　through　him。　Her　face　was　chalky　beneath　her　dark　plexion；　she　was　obviously　in　shock。　She　couldn't　stop　screaming…an　ululating　wail　more　animal　than　human…and　she　probably　didn't　even　know　that　he　had　spoken　to　her。
　He　had　to　pry　her　fingers　from　the　handle　of　the　fork。
　At　his　side　Jenny　said；　〃Oh；　my　God！〃
　〃Hold　her　for　me；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　let　her　grab　the　fork。〃
　Jenny　gripped　the　woman's　right　wrist。　She　said；　〃I　think　I'm　going　to　be　sick。〃
　Paul　wouldn't　have　blamed　her　if　she　had　been　just　that。　In　the　tiny　restaurant　kitchen；　with　the　ceiling　only　a　few　inches　above　their　heads；　the　screams　were　deafening。　The　sight　of　that　slender　hand　with　the　fork　embedded　in　it　was　horrifying；　the　stuff　of　nightmares。　The　air　was　thick　with　the　stale　odors　of　baked　ham；　roast　beef；　fried　onions；　grease…and　the　fresh；　metallic　tang　of　blood。　It　was　enough　to　nauseate　anyone。　But　he　said；　〃You　won't　be　sick。　You're　a　tough　lady。〃
　She　bit　her　lower　lip　and　nodded。
　Quickly；　as　if　he　had　been　prepared　and　waiting　for　exactly　this　emergency；　Paul　took　a　dishcloth　from　the　towel　rack　and　tore　it　into　two　strips。　He　threw　one　of　these　aside。　With　the　other　length　of　cloth　and　a　long　wooden　tasting　spoon；　he　fashioned　a　tourniquet　for　the　waitress's　left　arm。　He　twisted　the　wooden　spoon　with　his　right　hand　and　covered　the　handle　of　the　meat　fork　with　his　left。　To　Jenny　he　said；　〃e　around　here　and　take　the　tourniquet。〃
　As　soon　as　her　right　hand　was　free；　the　waitress　tried　to　get　to　the　handle　of　the　fork。　She　clawed　at　Paul's　fist。
　Jenny　took　hold　of　the　spoon。
　Pressing　down　on　the　waitress's　wounded　hand；　Paul　jerked　up　on　the　fork；　which　was　sunk　into　the　wood　perhaps　half　an　inch　past　her　flesh；　and　pulled　the　tines　from　her　in　one　sudden；　clean　movement。　He　dropped　the　fork　and　slipped　an　arm
　around　her　waist　to　keep　her　from　falling。　Her　knees　had　begun　to　buckle；　he　had　thought　they　might。
　As　he　stretched　the　woman　out　on　the　floor；　Jenny　said；　〃She　must　be　in　awful　pain。〃
　Those　words　seemed　to　shatter　the　waitress's　terror。　She　stopped　screaming　and　began　to　cry。
　〃I　don't　see　how　she　did　it；〃　Paul　said　as　he　tended　to　her。　〃She　put　that　fork　through　her　hand　with　incredible　force。　She　was　pinned　to　the　board。〃
　Weeping；　trembling；　the　waitress　said；　〃Accident。〃　She　gasped　and　groaned　and　shook　her　head。　〃Terrible　。　。　。　accident。〃
　6
　Fourteen　Months　Earlier：
　Thursday；　June　10；　1976
　NAKED；　THE　DEAD　MAN　lay　on　his　back　in　the　center　of　the　slightly　tilted　autopsy　table；　framed　by　blood　gutters　on　all　sides。
　〃Who　was　he？〃　Klinger　asked。
　Salsbury　said；　〃He　worked　for　Leonard。〃
　The　room　in　which　the　three　men　stood　was　illuminated　only　in　the　center　by　two　hooded　lamps　above　the　autopsy　table。　Three　walls　were　lined　with　puter　housings；　consoles；　and　monitor　boards；　and　the　tiny　systems　bulbs　and　glowing　scopes　made　ghostly　patches　of　green；　blue；　yellow；　and　pale　red　light　in　the　surrounding　shadows。　Nine　TV　display　screens…cathode…ray　tubes…were　set　high　on　three　walls；　and　four　other　screens　were　suspended　from　the　ceiling；　and　all　of　them　emitted　a　thin　bluish…green　light。
　In　that　eerie　glow　the　corpse　looked　less　like　a　real　body　than　like　a　prop　in　a　horror　film。
　Somber；　almost　reverent；　Dawson　said；　〃His　name　was　Brian　Kingman。　He　was　on　my　personal　staff。〃
　〃For　very　long？〃　Klinger　asked。
　〃Five　years。〃
　The　dead　man　had　been　in　his　late　twenties　and　in　good　condition。　Now；　circulation　having　ceased　seven　hours　ago；　lividity　had　set　in；　the　blood　had　settled　into　his　calves；　the　backs　of
　his　thighs；　his　buttocks；　and　his　lower　back；　and　in　these　places　the　flesh　was　purple　and　a　bit　distended。　His　face　was　white　and　deeply　lined。　His　hands　were　at　his　sides；　his　palms　up；　the　fingers　curled。
　〃Was　he　married？〃　Klinger　asked。
　Dawson　shook　his　head：　no。
　〃Family？〃
　〃Grandparents　dead。　No　brother　or　sisters。　His　mother　died　when　he　was　born；　and　his　father　was　killed　in　an　auto　accident　last　year。〃
　〃Aunts　and　uncles？〃
　〃None　close。〃
　〃Girl　friends？〃
　〃None　that　he　was　serious　about　or　that　were　serious　about　him；〃　Dawson　said。　〃That's　why　we　chose　him。　If　he　disappears；　there's　no　one　to　waste　a　lot　of　time　and　energy　looking　for　him。〃
　Klinger　considered　that　for　a　few　seconds。　Then　he　said；　〃You　expected　the　experiment　to　kill　him？〃
　〃We　thought　there　was　a　chance　of　it；〃　Ogden　said。
　Smiling　grimly；　Klinger　said；　〃You　were　right。〃
　Something　about　the　general's　tone　angered　Salsbury。　〃You　knew　the　stakes　when　you　came　in　with　Leonard　and　me。〃
　〃Of　course　I　did；〃　Klinger　said。
　〃Then　don't　act　as　if　Kingman's　death　is　entirely　my　fault。　The　blame　belongs　to　all　of　us。〃
　Frowning；　the　general　said；　〃Ogden；　you　misunderstand　me。　I　don't　believe　that　you　and　Leonard　and　I　are　to　blame　for　anything。　This　man　was　a　machine　that　broke　down。　Nothing　more。　We　can　always　get　another　machine。　You're　too　sensitive；　Ogden。〃
　〃Poor　boy；〃　Dawson　said；　regarding　the　corpse　sadly。　〃He　would　have　done　anything　for　me。〃
　〃He　did；〃　the　general　said。　He　stared　thoughtfully　at　the　dead　man。　〃Leonard；　you've　got　seven　servants　in　this　house。　Did　any　of　them　know　Kingman　was　here？〃
　〃That's　highly　unlikely。　We　brought　him　in　secretly。〃
　For　thirteen　months；　this　wing　of　the　Greenwich　house　had　been　sealed　off　from　the　other　twenty　rooms。　It　had　been　provided　with　a　new　private　entrance；　and　all　of　the　locks　had　been　changed。　The　servants　were　told　that　experiments；　none　of　them　dangerous；　were　being　conducted　for　a　subsidiary　of　Futurex；　and　that　the　security　precautions　were　needed　to　protect　the　operation's　files　and　discoveries　from　industrial　espionage。
　〃Is　the　household　staff　still　curious　about　what　goes　on　here？〃　Klinger　asked。
　〃No；〃　Dawson　said。　〃So　far　as　they　can　see；　nothing's　happened　in　the　past　year。　The　sealed　wing　has　lost　its　mystery。〃
　〃Then　I　think　we　can　bury　Kingman　on　the　estate　without　too　much　risk。〃　He　faced　Salsbury。　〃What　happened？　How　did　he　die？〃
　Salsbury　sat　on　a　high；　white　stool　at　the　head　of　the　autopsy　table；　hooked　his　heels　around　one　of　its　rungs；　and　spoke　to　them　across　the　corpse。　〃We　brought　Kingman　here　for　the　first　time　in　early　February。　He　thought　he　was　helping　us　with　some　sociological　research　that　had　important　business　applications　for　Futurex。　During　forty　hours　of　interviews　with　him；　I　learned　everything　I　wanted　to　know　about　the　man's　likes；　dislikes；　prejudices；　personality　quirks；　desires；　and　basic　thought　processes。　Later；　at　the　end　of　February；　I　went　through　the　transcripts　of　those　interviews　and　selected　five　test　points；　five　of　Kingman's　attitudes　and/or　opinions　that　I　would　try　to　reverse　with　a　series　of　subliminals。〃
　He　had　chosen　three　simple　test　points　and　two　plex　ones。　Kingman　craved　chocolate　candy；　chocolate　cake；　chocolate　in　every　form；　and　Salsbury　wanted　to　make　him　ill　at　the　first　taste　of　chocolate。　He　couldn't　and　wouldn't　eat　broccoli；　but　Salsbury　wanted　to　make　him　like　it。　Kingman　had　an　ingrained　fear　of　dogs；　an　attempt　to　transform　that　fear　into　affection　would　constitute　the　third　of　the　simple　test　points。　The　remaining　two　indices　presented　Salsbury　with　a　far　greater　chance　of　failure；　for　to　deal　with　them　he　would　have　to　design　subliminal　mands　that　bored　especially　deeply　into　King…