sk.petsematary-第29章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
see you back。〃
Rachel came up then； her traveling bag and pocketbook slung over one arm； Gage's diaper bag slung over the other。 I'LL BE A BIG BOY SOON was printed on the side of the diaper bag； a sentiment probably meant more to cheer up the parents than the diaper…wearing child。 She looked like a professional photographer at the end of a long； grueling assignment。
Louis bent between his two kids and planted a kiss on her mouth。 〃Hi。〃
〃Hi； Doe；〃 she said； and smiled。
〃You look beat。〃
〃I am beat。 We got as far as Boston with no problem。 We changed planes with no problem。 We took off with no problem。 But as the plane is banking over the city； Gage looks down and says； 'Pretty； pretty；' and then whoopses all over himself。〃
〃Oh； Jesus。〃
〃I got him changed in the toilet；〃 she said。 〃I don't think it's a virus or anything。 He was just airsick。〃
〃e on home；〃 Louis said。 〃I've got chili on the stove。〃
〃Chili！ Chili！〃 Ellie screamed in Louis's ear； transported with delight and excitement。
〃Chiwwi！ Chiwwi！〃 Gage screamed in Louis's other ear； which at least equalized the ringing on；〃 Louis said。 〃Let's get your suitcases and blow this joint。
〃Daddy； how's Church？〃 Ellie asked as he set her down。 It was a question Louis had expected； but not Ellie's anxious face； and the deep worry line that appeared between her dark blue eyes。 Louis frowned and then glanced at Rachel。
〃She woke up screaming over the weekend；〃 Rachel said quietly。 〃She had a nightmare。〃
〃I dreamed that Church got run over；〃 Ellie said。
〃Too many turkey sandwiches after the big day； that's my guess；〃 Rachel said。 〃She had a bout of diarrhea too。 Set her mind at rest； Louis； and let's get out of this airport。 I've seen enough airports in the last week to last me for at least five years。〃
〃Why； Church is fine； honey；〃 Louis said slowly。
Yes； he's fine。 He lies around the house all day long and looks at me with those strange； muddy eyes…as if he'd seen something that had blasted away most of whatever intelligence a cat has。 He's just great。 1 put him out with a broom at night because I don't like to touch him。 I just kind of sweep at him with it and he goes。 And the other day when 1 opened the door； Ellie； he had a mouse…or what was left of it。 He'd strewed the guts hell to breakfast。 And speaking of breakfast； I skipped mine that morning。 Otherwise… 〃He's just fine。〃
〃Oh；〃 Ellie said； and that furrow between her eyes smoothed out。 〃Oh； that's good。 When I had that dream； I was sure he was dead。〃
〃Were you？〃 Louis asked； and smiled。 〃Dreams are funny； aren't they？〃
〃Dweems！〃 Cage hollered…he had reached the parrot stage that Louis remembered from Ellie's development。 〃Dweeeeeems！〃 He gave Louis's hair a hearty tug。
〃e on； gang；〃 Louis said； and they started down to the baggage area。
They had gotten as far as the station wagon in the parking lot when Gage began saying 〃Pretty； pretty；〃 in a strange； hiccupping voice。 This time he whoopsed all over Louis； who had put on a new pair of double…knit slacks for the plane…meeting occasion。 Apparently Gage thought pretty was the code word for I've got to throw up now； so sorry； stand clear。
It turned out to be a virus after all。
By the time they had driven the seventeen miles from the Bangor airport to their house in Ludlow； Gage had begun to show signs of fever and had fallen into an unfortable doze。 Louis backed into the garage； and out of the corner of his eye he saw Church slink along one wall； tail up； strange eyes fixed on the car。 It disappeared into the dying glow of the day； and a moment later Louis saw a disemboweled mouse lying beside a stack of four summer tires…he had had the snows put on while Rachel and the kids were gone。 The mouse's innards glowed pink and raw in the garage's gloom。
Louis got out quickly and purposely bumped against the pile of tires； which were stacked up like black checkers。 The top two fell over and covered the mouse。 〃Ooops；〃 he said。
〃You're a spaz； Daddy；〃 Ellie said； not unkindly。
〃That's right；〃 Louis said with a kind of hectic cheer。 He felt a little like saying Pretty； pretty and blowing his groceries all over everything。 〃Daddy's a spaz。〃 He could remember Church killing only a single rat before his queer resurrection； he sometimes cornered mice and played with them in that deadly cat way that ultimately ended in destruction； but he or Ellie or Rachel had always intervened before the end。 And once cats were fixed； he knew； few of them would do more than give a mouse an interested stare； at least as long as they were well…fed。
〃Are you going to stand there dreaming or help me with this kid？〃 Rachel asked。 〃e back from Planet Mongo； Dr。 Creed。 Earth people need you。〃 She sounded tired and irritable。
〃I'm sorry； babe；〃 Louis said。 He came around to get Gage； who was now as hot as the coals in a banked stove。
So only the three of them ate Louis's famous South Side Chili that night； Gage reclined on the living room sofa； feverish and apathetic； drinking a bottle filled with lukewarm chicken broth and watching a cartoon show on TV。
After dinner Ellie went to the garage door and called Church。 Louis； who was doing the dishes while Rachel unpacked upstairs； hoped the cat wouldn't e； but he did…he came in walking in his new slow lurch； and he came almost at once； as if he…as if it… had been lurking out there。 Lurking。 The word came immediately to mind。
〃Church！〃 Ellie cried。 〃Hi； Church！〃 She picked the cat up and hugged it。 Louis watched out of the corner of his eye； his hands； which had been groping on the bottom of the sink for any leftover silverware； were still。 He saw Ellie's happy face change slowly to puzzlement。 The cat lay quiet in her arms； its ears laid back； its eyes on hers。
After a long moment…it seemed very long to Louis…she put Church down。 The cat padded away toward the dining room without looking back。 Executioner of small mice； Louis thought randomly。 Christ； what did we do that night？
He tried honestly to remember； but it already seemed far away； dim and distant； like the messy death of Victor Pascow on the floor of the infirmary's reception room。 He could remember carriages of wind passing in the sky and the white glimmer of snow in the back field which rose to the woods。 That was all。
〃Daddy？〃 Ellie said in a low； subdued voice。
'What； Ellie？〃
〃Church smells funny。〃
〃Does he？〃 Louis asked； his voice carefully neutral。
〃Yes！〃 Ellie said； distressed。 〃Yes； he does！ He never smelled funny before！ He smells like。 。 。 he smells like ka…ka！〃
〃Well； maybe he rolled in something bad； honey；〃 Louis said。 〃Whatever that bad smell is； he'll lose it。〃
〃I certainly hope so；〃 Ellie said in a ical dowager's voice。 She walked off。
Louis found the last fork； washed it； and pulled the plug。 He stood at the sink； looking out into the night while the soapy water ran down the drain with a thick chuckling sound。
When the sound from the drain was gone he could hear the wind outside； thin and wild； ing from the north； bringing down winter； and he realized he was afraid； simply； stupidly afraid； the way you are afraid when a cloud suddenly sails across the sun and somewhere you hear a ticking sound you can't account for。
〃A hundred and three？〃 Rachel asked。 〃Jesus； Lou！ Are you sure？〃
〃It's a virus；〃 Louis said。 He tried not to let Rachel's voice； which seemed almost accusatory； grate on him。 She was tired。 It had been a long day for her； she had crossed half the country with her kids today。 Here it was eleven o'clock； and the day wasn't over yet。 Ellie was deeply asleep in her room。 Gage was on their bed in a state that could best be described as semiconscious。
Louis had started him on Liquiprin an hour ago。 〃The aspirin will bring his fever down by morning； hon。〃
〃Aren't you going to give him ampicfflin or anything？〃
Patiently； Louis said； 〃If he had the flu or a strep infection； I would。 He doesn't。 He's got a virus； and that stuff doesn't do doodly…squat for viruses。 It would just give him the runs and dehydrate him more。〃
〃Are you sure it's a virus？〃
〃Well； if you want a second opinion；〃 Louis snapped； 〃be my guest。〃
〃You don't have to shout at me！〃 Rachel shouted。
〃I wasn't shouting！〃 Louis shouted back。
〃You were；〃 Rachel began； 〃you were shuh…shuh…shouting…〃 And then her mouth began to quiver and she put a hand up to her face。 Louis saw there were deep gray…brown pockets under her eyes and felt badly ashamed of himself。
〃I'm sorry；〃 he said； and sat down beside her。 〃Christ； I don't know what's the matter with me。 I apologize； Rachel。〃
〃Never plain； never explain；〃 she said； smiling wanly。 〃Isn't that what you told me once？ The trip was a bitch。 And I've been afraid you'd hit the roof when you looked in Gage's dresser drawers。 I guess maybe I ought to tell you now； while you're feeling sorry for me。〃
〃What's to hit the roof about？〃
She smiled wanly。 〃My mother and father bought him ten new outfits。 He was wearing one of them today。〃
〃I noticed he had on something new；〃 he said shortly。
〃I noticed you noticing；〃 she replied and pulled a ic scowl that made him laugh； although he didn't feel much like laughing。 〃And six new dresses for Ellie。〃
〃Six dresses！〃 he said； strangling the urge to yell。 He was suddenly furious…sickly furious and hurt in a way he couldn't explain。 〃Rachel； why？ Why did you let him do that？ We don't need。 。 。 we can buy。 。 。〃
He ceased。 His rage had made him inarticulate； and for a moment he saw himself carrying Ellie's dead cat through the woods； shifting the plastic bag from one hand to the other。 。 。 and all the while Irwin Goldman； that dirty old fuck from Lake Forest； had been busy trying to buy his daughter's affection by unlimbering the world…famous checkbook and the world…famous fountain pen。
For one moment he felt himself on the verge of shouting He bought her six dresses and I brought her goddam cat back from the dead； so who loves her more？
He clamped down on the words。 He would never say anything like that。 Never。
She touched his neck gently。 〃Louis；〃 she said。 〃It was both of them together。 Please try to see。 Please。 They love the children； and they don't see them much。 And they're getting old。 Louis； you'd hardly recognize my father。 Really。〃
〃I'd recognize him；〃 Louis muttered。
〃Please； honey。 Try to see。 Try to be kind。 It doesn't hurt you。〃 He looked at her for a long time。 〃It does though；〃 he said finally。 〃Maybe it shouldn't； but it does。〃
She opened her mouth to reply； and then Ellie called out from her room： 〃Daddy！ Mommy！ Somebody！〃
Rachel started to get up； and Louis pulled her back down。 〃Stay with Gage。 I'll go。〃 He thought he knew what the trouble was。 But he had put the cat out； damn it； after Ellie had gone to bed； he had caught it in the kitchen sniffing around its dish and had put it out。 He didn't want the cat sleeping with her。 Not anymore。 Odd thoughts of disease； mingled with memories of Uncle Carl's funeral parlor； had e to him when he thought of Church sleeping on Ellie's bed。
She's going to know that something's wrong a
