dk.nightchills-第43节

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　AGENT：　A　bad　time？　How's　that？
　MR。　BARGER：　It　was　all　girls　then。
　AGENT：　All　girls？
　MR。　BARGER：　Carrie　was　on　a　kick。　She　wouldn't　take　in　any　but　little　girls。　Maybe　she　thought　she　could　control　them　better　than　she　could　a　bunch　of　boys。　So　this　Ogden　and　I　were　the　only　men　in　the　house　for　about　two　or　three　years。
　AGENT：　And　that　was　bad　for　him？
　MR。　BARGER：　The　older　girls　knew　what　had　happened　to　him。　They　used　to　tease　him　something　fierce。　He　couldn't　take　it。　He'd　blow　up　every　time。　Start　yelling　and　screaming　at　them。　Of　course　that　was　what　they　wanted；　so　they　just　teased　him　some　more。　When　this　Ogden　used　to　let　the　girls　get　his　goat；　I'd　take　him　aside　and　talk　to　him…almost　father　to　son。　I　used　to　tell　him　not　to　pay　them　any　mind。　I　used　to　tell　him　that　they　were　just　women　and　that　women　were　good　for　only　two　things。　Fucking　and　cooking。　That　was　my　attitude　before　I　met　my　second　wife。　Anyway；　I　think　I　must　have　been　a　great　help　to　that　boy。　A　great　help　。　。　。　Do　you　know　they　won't　let　you　fuck　in　this　nursing　home？
　The　other　report　that　Dawson　found　especially　interesting　was　an　interview　with　Laud　Richardson；　a　first…level　clerk　in
　the　Pentagon's　Bureau　of　Security　Clearance　Investigations。　A　Harrison…Bodrei　agent　had　offered　Richardson　five　hundred　dollars　to　pull　Salsbury's　army　security　file；　study　it；　and　report　its　contents。
　Again；　Dawson　had　bracketed　the　most　relevant　passages　with　a　red　pen。
　RICHARDSON：　Whatever　research　he's　doing　must　be　damned　important。　They've　spent　a　lot　of　money　covering　for　the　sonofabitch　over　the　past　ten　years。　And　the　Pentagon　just　doesn't　do　that　unless　it　expects　to　be　repaid　in　spades　some　day。
　AGENT：　Covering　for　him？　How？
　RICHARDSON：　He　likes　to　mark　up　prostitutes。
　AGENT：　Mark　them　up？
　RICHARDSON：　Mostly　with　his　fists。
　AGENT：　How　often　does　this　happen？
　RICHARDSON：　Once　or　twice　a　year。
　AGENT：　How　often　does　he　see　prostitutes？
　RICHARDSON：　He　goes　whoring　the　first　weekend　of　every　other　month。　Regular　as　you　please。　Like　he's　a　robot　or　something。　You　could　set　your　watch　by　his　need。　Usually；　he　goes　into　Manhattan；　makes　the　rounds　of　the　leisure　and　health　spas；　phones　a　couple　of　call　girls　and　has　them　up　to　his　hotel　room。　Now　and　then　one　of　them　es　along　with　the　kind　of　look　that　sets　him　off；　and　he　beats　the　shit　out　of　her。
　AGENT：　What　look　is　that？
　RICHARDSON：　Usually　blond；　but　not　always。　Usually　pale；　but　not　always。　But　she　is　always　small。　Five　one　or　five　two。　A　hundred　pounds。　And　delicate。　Very　delicate　features。
　AGENT：　Why　would　a　girl　like　that　set　him　off？
　RICHARDSON：　The　Pentagon　tried　to　force　him　into　psychoanalysis。　He　went　to　one　session　and　refused　to　go　the　second　time。　He　did　tell　the　psychiatrist　that　these　frenzies　of　his　were　generated　by　more　than　the　girls'　appearance。　They　have　to　be　delicate。…but　not　just　in　a
　physical　sense。　They　have　to　seem　emotionally　vulnerable　to　him　before　be　gets　the　urge　to　pound　them　senseless。
　AGENT：　In　other　words　if　he　thinks　the　woman　is　his　equal　or　his　superior；　she's　safe。　But　if　be　feels　that　he　can　dominate　her…
　RICHARDSON：　Then　she'd　better　have　her　Blue　Cross　paid　in　full。
　AGENT：　He　hasn't　killed　any　of　these　women；　has　he？
　RICHARDSON：　Not　yet。　But　he's　e　close　a　couple　of　times。
　AGENT：　You　said　someone　in　the　Pentagon　covers　up　for　him。
　RICHARDSON：　Usually　someone　from　our　bureau。
　AGENT：　How？
　RICHARDSON：　By　paying　the　girl's　hospital　bills　and　giving　her　a　lump　sum。　The　size　of　the　pay…off　depends　on　the　extent　of　her　injuries。
　AGENT：　Is　he　considered　a　high　security　risk？
　RICHARDSON：　Oh；　no。　If　be　was　a　closet　queen　and　we　found　out　about　it；　he'd　be　classified　as　a　fairly　bad　risk。　But　his　hang…ups　and　vices　aren't　secret。　They're　out　in　the　open。　No　one　can　blackmail　him；　threaten　him　with　the　loss　of　his　job　because　we　already　know　all　of　his　dirty　little　secrets。　In　fact；　whenever　he　marks　up　a　girl；　he　has　a　special　number　to　call；　a　relay　point　right　in　my　department。　Someone　is　at　his　hotel　room　within　an　hour　to　clean　up　after　him。
　AGENT：　Nice　people　you　work　for。
　RICHARDSON：　Aren't　they？　But　I'm　surprised　that　even　they　put　up　with　this　sonofabitch　Salsbury。　He's　a　sick　man。　He's　a　real　can　of　worms　all　by　himself。　They　should　stick　him　away　in　a　cell　somewhere　and　just　forget　all　about　him。
　AGENT：　Do　you　know　about　his　childhood？
　RICHARDSON：　About　his　mother　and　the　man　who　raped　him？　It's　in　the　file。
　AGENT：　It　helps　to　explain　why　he…
　RICHARDSON：　You　know　what？　Even　though　I　can　see　where　his　craziness　es　from；　even　though　I　can　see　that　it　isn't　entirely　his　fault　that　he　is　what　he　is；　I　can't　dredge　up　any　passion　for　him。　When　I　think　about　all　of　those　girls　who　ended　up　in　hospitals　with　their　jaws　broken　and　their　eyes　swollen　shut　。　。　。　Listen；　did　any　of　those　girls　feel　less　pain　because　Salsbury's　evil　isn't　entirely　his　own　doing？　I'm　an　old…style　liberal　when　it　es　to　most　things。　But　this　liberal　line　about　passion　for　the　criminal…that's　ninety　percent　horseshit。　You　can　only　spout　that　kind　of　garbage　if　you　and　your　own　family　have　been　lucky　enough　to　avoid　animals　like　Salsbury。　If　it　was　up　to　me；　I'd　put　him　on　trial　for　all　of　those　beatings。　Then　I'd　send　him　away　to　a　cell　somewhere；　hundreds　of　miles　from　the　nearest　woman。
　Dawson　sighed。
　He　put　the　reports　in　the　folder　and　returned　the　folder　to　the　lower　right…hand　desk　drawer。
　O　Lord；　he　thought　prayerfully；　give　me　the　power　to　undo　what　damage　he's　done　in　Black　River。　If　this　mistake　can　be　remedied；　if　the　field　test　can　be　pleted　properly；　then　I　will　be　able　to　feed　the　drug　to　both　Ernst　and　Ogden。　I'll　be　able　to　program　them。　I've　been　making　preparations。　You　know　that。　I'll　be　able　to　program　them　and　convert　them　to　Your　holy　fellowship。　And　not　just　them。　The　world。　There　will　be　no　more　souls　for　Satan。　Heaven　on　earth。　That's　what　it'll　be；　Lord。　True　heaven　on　earth；　all　in　the　shining　light　of　Your　love。
　2：55　P。M。
　Sam　read　the　last　line　of　Salsbury's　article；　closed　the　book；　and　said；　〃Jesus！〃
　〃At　least　now　we　have　some　idea　of　what's　happening　in　Black　River；〃　Paul　said。
　〃All　of　that　crazy　stuff　about　breaking　down　the　ego；　primer　drugs；　code　phrases；　achieving　total　control；　bringing　contentment　to　the　masses　through　behavioral　modification；　the　benefits　of　a　subliminally　directed　society。　。　。〃　Somewhat　dazed　by　Salsbury's　rhetoric；　Jenny　shook　her　head　as　if　that　would　help　her　to　think　more　clearly。　〃He　sounds　like　a　lunatic。　He's　certifiable。〃
　〃He's　a　Nazi；〃　Sam　said；　〃in　spirit　if　not　in　name。　That's　a　very　special　breed　of　lunatic。　A　very　deadly　breed。　And　there　are　literally　thousands　of　people　like　him；　hundreds　of　thousands　who　would　agree　with　every　word　he　said　about　the　benefits　of　a　'subliminally　directed　society。'〃
　Thunder　exploded　with　such　violence　that　it　sounded　as　if　the　bowl　of　the　sky　had　cracked　in　two。　A　fierce　gust　of　wind　slammed　against　the　house。　The　tempo　of　the　rain　on　the　roof　and　windows　picked　up　to　double　time。
　〃Whatever　he　is；〃　Paul　said；　〃he's　done　exactly　what　he　said　could　be　done。　He's　made　this　insane　scheme　work。　By　God；　that　has　to　be　what's　happening　here。　It　explains　everything　since　the　epidemic　of　night　chills　and　nausea。〃
　〃I　still　don't　understand　why　Dad　and　I　weren't　afflicted；〃　Jenny　said。　〃Salisbury　mentions　in　the　article　that　the　subliminal　program　would　not　affect　illiterates　and　children　who　haven't　yet　e　to　terms；　however　crude；　with　sex　and　death。　But　neither　Dad　nor　I　fit　into　one　of　those　categories。〃
　〃I　think　I　can　answer　that；〃　Paul　said。
　Sam　said；　〃So　can　I。　One　thing　they　teach　budding　pharmacologists　is　that　no　drug　affects　everyone　the　same　way。　On　some　people；　for　instance；　penicillin　has　little　or　no　effect。　Some　people　don't　respond　well　at　all　to　sulfa　drugs。　I　suspect　that；　for　whatever　reasons　of　genes　and　metabolisms　and　body　chemistries；　we're　among　the　tiny　percentage　of　those　who　aren't　touched　by　Salsbury's　drug。〃
　〃And　thank　God　for　that；〃　Jenny　said。　She　hugged　herself　and　shivered。
　〃There　ought　to　be　more　adults　unaffected；〃　Paul　said。　〃It's　summertime。　People　take　vacations。　Wasn't　anyone　out　of　town　during　the　week　when　the　reservoir　was　contaminated　and　the　subliminal　messages　broadcast？〃
　〃When　the　heavy　snows　e；〃　Sam　said；　〃logging　operations　have　to　stop。　So　in　the　warm　months　everyone　connected　with　the　mill　works　his　butt　off　to　make　sure　there　will　be　a　stockpile　of　logs　to　keep　the　saws　going　all　winter。　No　one　at　the　mill　takes　a　vacation　in　the　summer；　And　everyone　in　town　who　serves　the　mill　takes　his　time　off　in　the　winter　too。〃
　Paul　felt　as　if　he　were　on　a　turntable；　whirling　around　and　around。　His　mind　spun　with　the　implications　of　the　article　that　Sam　had　read。　〃Mark　and　Rya　and　I　weren't　affected　because　we　got　to　town　after　the　contaminant　had　passed　out　of　the　reservoir…and　because　we　didn't　watch　whatever　television　programs　or　mercials　contained　the　subliminal　messages。　But　virtually　everyone　else　in　Black　River　is　now　under　Salsbury's　control。〃
　They　stared　at　one　another。
　The　storm　moaned　at　the　window。
　Fin