sk.carrie-第13章

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ling。
'God！　God！　God！'　Her　jaw　snapped　brutally　over　each　syllable。
Carrie　sat　without　moving。
Mrs　White　got　up　and　came　around　the　table。　Her　hands　were　hooked　into　shaking　claws。　Her　face　bore　a　half…mad　expression　of　passion　mixed　with　hate。
'The　closet；'　she　said。　'Go　to　your　closet　and　pray。'
'No；　Momma。'
'Boys。　Yes；　boys　e　next。　After　the　blood　the　boys　e。　Like　sniffing　dogs；　grinning　and　slobbering；　trying　to　find　out　where　that　smell　is。　That　。。。　smell！'
She　swung　her　whole　arm　into　the　blow；　and　the　sound　of　her　palm　against　Carrie's　face
（o　god　i　am　so　afraid　now）
was　like　that　flat　sound　of　a　leather　belt　being　snapped　in　air。　Carrie　remained　seated；　although　her　upper　body　swayed。　The　mark　on　her　cheek　was　first　white；　then　blood　red。
'The　mark；'　Mrs　White　said。　Her　eyes　were　large　but　blank；　she　was　breathing　in　rapid；　snatching　gulps　of　air。　She　seemed　to　be　talking　to　herself　as　the　claw　hand　descended　on　to　Carrie's　shoulder　and　pulled　her　out　of　her　chair。
'I've　seen　it；　all　right。　Oh　yes。　But。　I。　Never。　Did。　But　for　him。　He。　Took。　Me　。　。　。'　She　paused；　her　eyes　wandering　vaguely　toward　the　ceiling。　Carrie　was　terrified。　Momma　seemed　in　the　throes　of　some　great　revelation　which　might　destroy　her。
'Momma…'
'In　cars。　Oh；　I　know　where　they　take　you　in　their　arms。　City　limits。　Roadhouses。　Whiskey。　Smelling　。。。　oh　they　smell　it　on　you！'　Her　voice　rose　to　a　scream。　Tendons　stood　out　on　her　neck；　and　her　head　twisted　in　a　questing　upward　rotation。
'Momma；　you　better　stop。'
This　seemed　to　snap　her　back　to　some　kind　of　hazy　reality。　Her　lips　twitched　in　a　kind　of　elementary　surprise　and　she　halted；　as　if　groping　for　old　bearings　in　a　new　world。
'The　closet；'　she；　muttered。　'Go　to　your　closet　and　pray。
'No。'
Momma　raised　her　hand　to　strike。
'No！'
The　hand　stopped　in　the　dead　air。　Momma　stared　up　at　it；　as　if　to　confirm　that　it　was　still　there；　and　whole。
The　pie　pan　suddenly　rose　from　the　trivet　on　the　table　and　hurled　itself　across　the　room　to　impact　beside　the　living…room　door　in　a　splash　of　blueberry　drool。
'I'm　going；　Momma！'
Momma's　overturned　teacup　rose　and　flew　past　her　head　to　shatter　above　the　stove。　Momma　shrieked　and　dropped　to　her　knees　with　her　hands　over　her　head。
'Devil's　child；'　she　moaned。　'Devil's　child。　Satan　spawn…'
'Momma；　stand　up。'
'Lust　and　licentiousness；　the　cravings　of　the　flesh…'
'Stand　up！'
Momma's　voice　faded　her　but　she　did　stand　up；　with　her　hands　still　on　her　head；　like　a　prisoner　of　war。
Her　lips　moved。　To　Carrie　she　seemed　to　be　reciting　the　Lord's　＇Prayer。
'I　don't　want　to　fight　with　you；　Momma；'　Carrie　said；　and　her　voice　almost　broke　from　her　and　dissolved。　She　struggled　to　control　it。　'I　only　want　to　be　let　to　live　my　own　life。　I。。。　I　don't　like　yours。'　She　stopped；　horrified　in　spite　of　herself。　The　ultimate　blasphemy　had　been　spoken；　and　it　was　a　thousand　times　worse　than　the　Eff　Word。
'Witch；'　Momma　whispered。　'It　says　in　the　Lord's　Book：　〃Thou　shalt　not　suffer　a　witch　to　bye。〃　Your　father　did　the　Lord's　work…'
'I　don't　want　to　talk　about　that；'　Carrie　said。　It　always　disturbed　her　to　hear　Momma　talk　about　her　father。　'I　just　want　you　to　understand　that　things　are　going　to　change　around　here；　Momma。'　Her　eyes　gleamed。　'They　better　understand　it；　too。'
But　Momma　was　whispering　to　herself　again。
Unsatisfied；　with　a　feeling　of　anticlimax　in　her　throat　and　the　dismal　rolling　of　emotional　upset　in　her　belly；　she　went　to　the　cellar　to　get　her　dress　material。
It　was　better　than　the　closet。　There　was　that。　Anything　was　better　than　the　closet　with　its　blue　light　and　the　overpowering　stench　of　sweat　and　her　own　sin。　Anything。　Everything。
She　stood　with　the　wrapped　package　hugged　against　her　breast　and　closed　her　eyes；　shutting　out　the　weak　glow　of　the　cellar's　bare；　cobweb…festooned　bulb。　Tommy　Ross　didn't　love　her；　she　knew　that。　This　was　some　strange　kind　of　atonement；　and　she　could　understand　that　and　respond　to　it。　She　had　lain　cheek　and　jowl　with　the　concept　of　penance　since　she　had　been　old　enough　to　reason。
He　had　said　it　would　be　good…that　they　would　see　to　it。　Well；　she　would　see　to　it。　They　better　not　start　anything。　They　just　better　not。　She　did　not　know　if　her　gift　had　e　from　the　lord　of　light　or　of　darkness；　and　now；　finally　finding　that　she　did　not　care　which；　she　was　overe　with　an　almost　indescribable　relief；　as　if　a　huge　weight；　long　carried；　had　slipped　from　her　shoulders。
Upstairs；　Momma　continued　to　whisper。　It　was　not　the　Lord's　Prayer。　It　was　the　Prayer　of　Exorcism　from　Deuteronomy。
From　My　Name　Is　Susan　Snell　（p。　23）：
They　finally　even　made　a　movie　about　it。　I　saw　it　last　April。　When　I　came　out；　I　was　sick。　Whenever　anything　important　happens　in　America；　they　have　to　gold…plate　it；　like　baby　shoes。　That　way　you　can　forget　it。　And　forgetting　Carrie　White　may　be　a　bigger　mistake　than　anyone　realizes　。。。
Monday　morning：　Principal　Grayle　and　his　understudy；　Pete　Morton；　were　having　coffee　in　Grayle's　office。
'No　word　from　Hargensen　yet？'　Morty　asked。　His　lips　curled　into　a　John　Wayne　leer　that　was　a　little　frightened　around　the　edges。
'Not　a　peep。　And　Christine　has　stopped　lipping　off　about　how　her　father　is　going　to　send　us　down　the　road。'　Grayle　blew　on　his　coffee　with　a　long　face。
'You　don't　exactly　seem　to　be　turning　cartwheels。'
'I'm　not。　Did　you　know　Carrie　White　is　going　to　the　prom？'
Morty　blinked。　'With　who？　The　Beak？'　The　Beak　was　Freddy　Holt；　another　of　Ewen's　misfits。　He　weighed　perhaps　one　hundred　pounds　soaking　wet；　and　the　casual　observer　might　be　tempted　to　believe　that　sixty　of　it　was　nose。
'No；'　Grayle　said。　'With　Tommy　Ross。'
Morty　swallowed　his　coffee　the　wrong　way　and　went　into　a　coughing　fit。
'That's　the　way　I　felt；'　Grayle　said。
'What　about　his　girl　friend？　The　little　Snell　girl？'
I　think　she　put　him　up　to　it；'　Grayle　said。　'She　certainly　seemed　guilty　enough　about　what　happened　to　Carrie　when　I　talked　to　her。　Now　she's　on　the　Decoration　mittee；　happy　as　a　clam；　just　as　if　not　going　to　her　Senior　prom　was　nothing　at　all。'
'Oh；'　Morty　said　wisely。
'And　Hargensen　…　I　think　he　must　have　talked　to　some　people　and　discovered　we　really　could　sue　him　on　behalf　of　Carrie　White　if　we　wanted　to。　I　think　he's　cut　his　losses。　It's　the　daughter　that's　worrying　me。'
'Do　you　think　there's　going　to　be　an　incident　Friday　night？'
'I　don't　know。　I　do　know　Chris　has　got　a　lot　of　friends　who　are　going　to　be　there。　And　she's　going　around　with　that　Billy　Nolan　mess；　he's　got　a　zooful　of　friends；　too。　The　kind　that　make　a　career　out　of　scaring　pregnant　ladies。　Chris　Hargensen　has　him　tied　around　her　finger；　from　what　I've　heard。'
'Are　you　afraid　of　anything　specific？'
Grayle　made　a　restless　gesture。　'Specific？　No。　But　I've　been　in　the　game　long　enough　to　know　it's　a　bad　situation。　Do　you　remember　the　Stadler　game　in　seventy…six？'
Morty　nodded。　It　would　take　more　than　the　passage　of　three　years　to　obscure　the　memory　of　the　Ewen…Stadler　game。　Bruce　Trevor　had　been　a　marginal　student　but　a　fantastic　basketball　player。　Coach　Gaines　didn't　like　him；　but　Trevor　was　going　to　put　Ewen　in　the　area　tournament　for　the　first　time　in　ten　years。　He　was　cut　from　the　team　a　week　before　Ewen's　but　must…win　game　against　the　Stadler　Bobcats。　A　regular　announced　locker　inspection　had　uncovered　a　kilo　of　marijuana　behind　Trevor's　civic　book。　Ewen　lost　the　game　…　and　their　shot　at　the　tourney　…　104…48。　But　no　one　remembered　that；　what　they　remembered　was　the　riot　that　had　interrupted　the　game　in　the　fourth　period。　Led　by　Bruce　Trevor；　who　righteously　claimed　he　had　been　bum　rapped；　it　resulted　in　four　hospital　admissions。　One　of　them　had　been　the　Stadler　coach；　who　had　been　hit　over　the　head　with　a　first…aid　kit。
'I've　got　that　kind　of　feeling；'　Grayle　said。　'A　hunch。　Someone's　going　to　e　with　rotten　apples　or　something。'
'Maybe　you're　psychic；'　Morty　said。
From　The　Shadow　Exploded　（pp。　92…93）：
It　is　now　generally　agreed　that　the　TK　phenomenon　is　a　geneticrecessive　occurrence　…　but　the　opposite　of　a　disease　like　haemophilia；　which　bees　overt　only　in　males。　In　that　disease；　once　called　'King's　Evil；'　the　gene　is　recessive　in　the　female　and　is　carried　harmlessly。　Male　offspring；　however；　are　'bleeders。'　This　disease　is　generated　only　if　an　afflicted　male　marries　a　woman　carrying　the　recessive　gene。　If　the　offspring　of　such　union　is　male；　the　result　will　be　a　haemophiliac　son。　If　the　offspring　is　female；　the　result　will　be　a　daughter　who　is　a　carrier。　It　should　be　emphasized　that　the　haemophilia　gene　may　be　carried　recessively　in　the　male　as　a　part　of　his　genetic　make…up。　But　if　he　marries　a　woman　with　the　same　outlaw　gene；　the　result　will　be　haemophilia　if　the　offspring　is　male。
In　the　case　of　royal　families；　where　intermarriage　was　mon；　the　chances　of　the　gene　reproducing　once　it　entered　the　family　tree　were　high　…　thus　the　name　King's　Evil。　Haemophilia　also　showed　up　in　significant　quantities　in　Appalachia　during　the　earlier　part　of　this　century；　and　is　monly　noticed　in　those　cultures　where　incest　and　the　marriage　of　first　cousins　is　mon。
With　the　TK　phenomenon；　the　male　appears　to　be　the　carrier。。　the　TK　gene　may　be　recessive　in　the　female；　but　dominates　only　in　the　female。　It　appears　that　Ralph　White　carried　the　gene。　Margaret　Brigham；　by　purest　name；　also　carried　the　outlaw　gene　sign；　but　we　may　be　fairly　confident　that　it　was　recessive；　as　no　information　has　ever　been　found　to　indicate　that　she　had　telekinetic　powers　resembling　her　daughter's。　Investigations　are　now　being　conducted　into　the　life　of　Margaret　Brigham's　grandmother；　Sadie　Cochran　…　for；　if　the　dominant/recessive　pattern　obtains　with　TK　as　it　does　with　haemophilia；　Mrs　Cochran　must　have　been　TK…dominant。
If　the　issue　of　the　White　marriage　had　been　male；　the　result　would　have　been　another　carrier。　Chances　that　the　mutation　would　have　died　with　him　would　have　been　excellent；　as　neither　side　of　the　Ralph　White　…　Margaret　Brigham　alliance　had　cousins　of　a　parable　age　for　the　theoretical　male　offspring　to　marry。　And　the　chances　of　meeting　and　marrying　another　woman　with　TK　gene　at　random　would　be　small。　None　of　the　teams　working　on　the　problem　have　yet　isolated　the　gene。
Surely　no　one　can　doubt；　in　light　of　the　Maine　holocaust；　that　isolating　this　gene　must　bee　one　of　medicine's　number…one　priorities。　The　haemophiliac；　or　H…gene；　produces　male　issue　with　a　lack　of　blood　platelets。　The　telekineticn　or　TK…gene；　produces　female　Typhoid　Marys　capable　of　destroying　almost　at　will　。。。
Wednesday　afternoon。
Susan　and　fourteen　other　students　…　The　Spring　Ball　Decoration　mittee；　no　less　…　were　working　on　the　huge　mural　that　would　hang　behind　the　twin　bandstand　on　Friday　night。　The　theme　was　Springtime　in　Venice　（who　picked　thew　hokey　themes；　Sue　wondered。　She　had　been　a　student　at　Ewen　for　four　years；　had　after　two　Balls；　and　she　still　didn't　know。　Why　did　the　goddam　thing　need　a　theme；　anyway？　Why　not　just　have　a　sock　hop　and　be　done　with　W）：　George　Chizmar；　Ewen's　most　artistic　student；　had　done　a　small　chalk　sketch　of　gondolas　on　a　canal　at　sunset　and　a　gondolier　in　a　huge　straw　fedora　leaning　against　the　tiller　as　a　gorgeous　panoply　of　pinks　and　reds　and　oranges　stained　both　sky　and　water。　It　was　beautiful；　no　doubt　about　that。　He　had　redrawn　it　in　silhouette　on　a　huge　fourteen…by…twenty…f