sk.dreamcatcher-第114节

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ut…'
　　　　'We　could　stop　for　water；　I　guess；'　Kurtz　allowed。　'If　we　had　a　contact；　that　is。　But　if　we've　lost　all　of　them　…　this　guy　Jones　as　well　as　Owen　and　Devlin　…　well；　you　know　how　I　am；　buck。　I'll　bite　when　I　die；　and　it'll　take　two　surgeons　and　a　shotgun　to　get　me　to　let　go　even　then。　You're　going　to　have　a　long　and　thirsty　day　sitting　there　while　Freddy　and　I　course　the　southbound　roads；　looking　for　a　trace　of　them　。　。　。　unless　you　can　help　out。　You　do　that；　Archie；　and　I'll　order　Freddy　to　pull　off　at　the　next　exit。　I　will　personally　trot　into　the　Stop　n　Go　or　Seven…Eleven　and　buy　you　the　biggest　bottle　of　Poland　Spring　water　in　the　cooler。　How　does　that　sound？'
　　　　It　sounded　good；　Kurtz　could　tell　that　just　by　the　way　Perlmutter　first　smacked　his　lips　and　then　ran　his　tongue　out　to　wet　them　（on　Perlmutter's　lips　and　cheeks　the　Ripley　was　still　full　and　rich；　most　patches　the　color　of　strawberries；　some　as　dark　as　burgundy　wine）；　but　that　sly　look　had　e　back。　His　eyes；　rimmed　with　crusts　of　Ripley；　darted　from　side　to　side。　And　all　at　once　Kurtz　understood　the　picture　he　was　looking　at。　Pearly　had　gone　crazy；　God　love　him。　Perhaps　it　took　one　to　know　one。
　　　　'I　told　him　the　God's　truth。　I'm　out　of　touch　with　all　of　them　now。'　But　then　Archie　laid　his　finger　alongside　his　nose　and　looked　slyly　up　into　the　mirror　again。
　　　　'We　catch　them；　I　think　there's　a　good　chance　we　can　get　you　cured　up；　laddie。'　Kurtz　said　this　in　his　driest　just…making…my…report　voice。　'Now　which　of　them　are　you　still　in　touch　with？　Jonesy？　Or　is　it　the　new　one？　Duddits？'　What　Kurtz　actually　said　was　'Dud…Duts'。
　　　　'Not　him。　None　of　them。'　But　still　the　finger　by　the　nose；　still　the　sly　look。
　　　　'Tell　me　and　you　get　water；'　Kurtz　said。　'Continue　to　yank　my　crank；　soldier；　and　I　will　put　a　bullet　in　you　and　roll　you　out　into　the　snow。　Now　you　go　on　and　read　my　mind　and　tell　me　that's　not　so。'
　　　　Pearly　looked　at　him　sulkily　in　the　rearview　a　moment　longer　and　then　said；　'Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　are　still　on　the　turnpike。　They're　down　around　Portland；　now。　Jonesy　told　Mr　Gray　how　to　go　around　the　city　on　295。　Only　it　isn't　like　telling。　Mr　Gray　is　in　his　head；　and　when　he　wants　something；　I　think　he　just　takes　it。'
　　　　Kurtz　listened　to　this　with　mounting　awe；　all　the　time　calculating。
　　　　'There's　a　dog；'　Pearly　said。　'They　have　a　dog　with　them。　His　name　is　Lad。　He's　the　one　I'm　in　contact　with。　He's　。　。　。　like　me。'　His　eyes　met　Kurtz's　again　in　the　mirror；　only　this　time　the　slyness　was　gone。　In　its　place　was　a　miserable　half…sanity。　'Do　you　think　there's　really　a　chance　I　could　be　。　。　。　you　know　。　。　。　myself　again？'
　　　　Knowing　that　Perlmutter　could　see　into　his　mind　made　Kurtz　proceed　cautiously。　'I　think　there's　a　chance　you　could　be　delivered　of　your　burden；　at　least。　With　a　doctor　in　attendance　who　understands　the　situation？　Yes；　I　think　that　could　be。　A　big　whiff　of　cbloro；　and　when　you　wake　up。　。　。　poof。'　Kurtz　kissed　the　ends　of　his　fingers；　then　turned　to　Freddy。　'If　they're　in　Portland；　what's　their　lead　on　us？'
　　　　'Maybe　seventy　miles；　boss。'
　　　　'Then　step　it　up　a　little；　praise　Jesus。　Don't　put　us　in　the　ditch；　but　step　it　up。'　Seventy　miles。　And　if　Owen　and　Devlin　and　'Dud…Duts'　knew　what　Archie　Perlmutter　knew；　they　were　still　on　track。
　　　　'Let　me　get　this　straight；　Archie。　Mr　Gray　is　in　Jonesy…'
　　　　'Yes…'
　　　　'And　they　have　a　dog　with　them　that　can　read　their　minds？'
　　　　'The　dog　hears　their　thoughts；　but　he　doesn't　understand　them。　He's　stiff　only　a　dog。　Boss；　I'm　thirsty。'
　　　　He's　listening　to　the　dog　like　it's　a　fucking　radio；　Kurtz　marvelled。
　　　　'Freddy；　next　exit。　Drinks　all　around。'　He　resented　having　to　make　a　pit…stop　…　resented　losing　even　a　couple　of　miles　on　Owen　…　but　he　needed　Perlmutter。　Happy；　if　possible。
　　　　Up　ahead　was　the　rest　area　where　Mr　Gray　had　traded　his　plow　for　the　cook's　Subaru；　where　Owen　and　Henry　had　also　briefly　pulled　in　because　the　line　went　in　there。　The　parking　lot　was　crammed；　but　among　the　three　of　them　they　had　enough　change　for　the　vending　machines　out　front。
　　　　Praise　God。


7

Whatever　the　triumphs　and　failures　of　the　so…called　'Florida'　Presidency　（that　record　is　in　large　part　still　unwritten）；　there　will　always　be　this：　he　put　an　end　to　the　Space　Scare　with　his　speech　that　November　morning。
　　　　There　were　differing　views　on　why　the　speech　worked　（'It　wasn't　leadership；　it　was　timing；'　one　critic　sniffed）；　but　it　did　work。　Hungry　for　hard　information；　people　who　were　already　on　the　run　pulled　off　the　highway　to　see　the　President　speak。　Appliance　stores　in　malls　filled　up　with　crowds　of　silent；　staring　people。　At　the　food…fuel　stops　along　1…95；　the　counters　shut　down。　TVs　were　placed　beside　the　quiet　cash…registers。　Bars　filled　up。　In　many　places；　people　threw　their　homes　open　to　others　who　wanted　to　watch　the　speech。　They　could　have　listened　on　their　car　radios　（as　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　did）　and　kept　on　trucking；　but　only　a　minority　did。　Most　people　wanted　to　see　the　leader's　face。　According　to　the　President's　detractors；　the　speech　did　nothing　but　break　the　momentum　of　the　panic　…　'Porky　Pig　could　have　given　a　speech　at　that　particular　time　and　gotten　that　particular　result；'　one　of　them　opined。　The　other　took　a　different　view。　'It　was　a　pivotal　moment　in　the　crisis；'　this　fellow　said。　'There　were　maybe　six　thousand　people　on　the　road。　If　the　President　had　said　the　wrong　thing；　there　would　have　been　sixty　thousand　by　two　in　the　afternoon　and　maybe　six　hundred　thousand　by　the　time　the　wave　hit　New　York　…　the　biggest　wave　of　DPs　since　the　Dust　Bowl。　The　American　people；　especially　those　in　New　England；　came　to　their　narrowly…elected　leader　for　help　。　。　。　for　fort　and　reassurance。　He　responded　with　what　may　have　been　the　greatest　my…fellow…Americans　speech　of　all　time。　Simple　as　that。'
　　　　Simple　or　not；　sociology　or　great　leadership；　the　speech　was　about　what　Owen　and　Henry　had　expected　。　。　。　and　Kurtz　could　have　predicted　every　word　and　turn。　At　the　center　were　two　simple　ideas；　both　presented　as　absolute　facts　and　both　calculated　to　soothe　the　terror　which　beat　that　morning　in　the　ordinarily　placent　American　breast。　The　first　idea　was　that；　while　they　had　not　e　waving　olive　branches　and　handing　out　free　introductory　gifts；　the　newers　had　evinced　absolutely　no　signs　of　aggressive　or　hostile　behavior。　The　second　was　that；　while　they　had　brought　some　sort　of　virus　with　them；　it　had　been　contained　within　the　Jefferson　Tract　（the　President　pointed　it　out　on　a　Chroma…Key　green…screen　as　adeptly　as　any　weatherman　pointing　out　a　low…pressure　system）。　And　even　there　it　was　dying；　with　absolutely　no　help　from　the　scientists　and　military　experts　who　were　on　the　scene。
　　　　'While　we　cannot　say　for　sure　at　this　Juncture；'　the　President　told　his　breathless　watchers　（those　who　found　themselves　at　the　New　England　end　of　the　Northeast　Corridor　were；　perhaps　understandably；　the　most　breathless　of　all）；　'we　believe　that　our　visitors　brought　this　virus　with　them　much　as　travellers　from　abroad　may　bring　certain　insects　into　their　country　of　origin　in　their　luggage　or　on　the　produce　they've　purchased。　This　is　something　customs　officials　look　for；　but　of　course'　…　big　smile　from　Great　White　Father　…　'our　recent　visitors　did　not　pass　through　a　customs　checkpoint。'
　　　　Yes；　a　few　people　had　succumbed　to　the　virus。　Most　were　military　personnel。　The　great　in　majority　of　those　who　contracted　it　（'a　fungal　growth　not　unlike　athlete's　foot；'　said　the　Great　White　Father）　beat　it　quite　easily　on　their　own。　A　quarantine　had　been　imposed　around　the　area；　but　the　people　outside　that　zone　were　in　no　danger；　repeat；　no　danger。　'If　you　are　in　Maine　and　have　left　your　homes；'　said　the　President；　'I　suggest　you　return。　In　the　words　of　Franklin　Delano　Roosevelt；　we　have　nothing　to　fear　but　fear　itself。'　Nothing　about　the　slaughter　of　the　grayboys；　the　blown　ship；　the　interred　hunters；　the　fire　at　Gosselin's；　or　the　breakout。　Nothing　about　the　last　of　Gallagher's　Imperial　Valleys　being　hunted　down　like　dogs　（they　were　dogs；　in　the　view　of　many；　worse　than　dogs）。　Nothing　about　Kurtz　and　not　a　whisper　about　Typhoid　Jonesy。　The　President　gave　them　just　enough　to　break　the　back　of　the　panic　before　it　surged　out　of　control。
　　　　Most　people　followed　his　advice　and　went　home。
　　　　For　some；　of　course；　this　was　impossible。
　　　　For　some；　home　had　been　cancelled。


8

The　little　parade　moved　south　under　dark　skies；　led　by　the　rusty　red　Subaru　that　Marie　Turgeon　of　Litchfield　would　never　see　again。　Henry；　Owen；　and　Duddits　were　fifty…five　miles；　or　about　fifty　minutes；　behind。　Pulling　out　of　the　Mile　81　rest　area　（Pearly　was　greedily　glugging　down　his　second　bottle　of　Naya　water　by　the　time　they　rejoined　the　traffic　flow）；　Kurtz　and　his　men　were　roughly　seventy…five　miles　behind　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray；　twenty　miles　behind　Kurtz's　prime　quarry。
　　　　If　not　for　the　cloud　cover；　a　spotter　in　a　low…flying　plane　might　have　been　able　to　see　all　three　at　the　same　time；　the　Subaru　and　both　Humvees；　at　11：43　EST；　when　the　President　finished　his　speech　by　saying；　'God　bless　you；　my　fellow　Americans；　and　God　bless　America。'
　　　　Jonesy　and　Mr　Gray　were　crossing　the　Kittery…Portsmouth　bridge　into　New　Hampshire；　Henry；　Owen；　an