sk.dreamcatcher-第39部分

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！


blood。
　　　　Pete　suddenly　felt　that　he　couldn't　die　soon　enough。
　　　　The　sound　of　the　machine…guns　in　the　west　had　stopped；　but　it　wasn't　over；　not　by　a　long　shot。　And　as　if　the　thought　had　summoned　it；　a　huge　explosion　hammered　the　day；　blotting　out　the　wasp…whine　of　the　oning　snowmobile　and　everything　else。　Everything　but　the　busy　fizz　in　his　hand；　that　was。　In　his　hand；　the　crud　was　dining　on　him　the　way　the　cancer　that　had　killed　his　father　had　dined　on　the　old　man's　stomach　and　lungs。
　　　　Pete　ran　his　tongue　over　his　teeth；　felt　gaps　where　some　of　them　had　fallen　out。
　　　　He　closed　his　eyes　and　waited。

P　A　R　T　　T　W　O

GRAYBOYS




　　　A　ghost　es　out　of　the　unconscious　mind
　　　To　grope　my　sill：　It　moans　to　be　reborn！
　　　The　figure　at　my　back　is　not　my　friend；
　　　The　hand　upon　my　shoulder　turns　to　horn

　　　Theodore　Roethke

CHAPTER　TEN

KURTZ　AND　UNDERHILL


1

The　only　thing　in　the　cps　area　was　a　little　beer　n　deer　store　called　Gosselin's　Country　Market。　Kurtz's　cleaners　began　arriving　there　shortly　after　the　snow　began　to　fall。　By　the　time　Kurtz　himself　got　there；　at　ten…thirty；　support　was　starting　to　appear。　They　were　getting　a　grip　on　the　situation。
　　　　The　store　was　designated　Blue　Base。　The　barn；　the　adjacent　stable　（dilapidated　but　still　standing）；　and　the　corral　had　been　designated　Blue　Holding。　The　first　detainees　had　already　been　deposited　there。
　　　　Archie　Perlmutter；　Kurtz's　new　aide…de…camp　（his　old　one；　Calvert；　had　died　of　a　heart　attack　not　two　weeks　before　…　goddam　bad　timing）；　had　a　clipboard　with　a　dozen　names　on　it。　Perlmutter　had　arrived　with　both　a　laptop　puter　and　a　Palm　Pilot　only　to　discover　that　electronic　gear　was　currently　FUBAR　in　the　Jefferson　Tract：　tucked　up　beyond　all　recognition。　The　top　two　names　on　the　clipboard　were　Gosselins：　the　old　man　who　ran　the　store　and　his　wife。
　　　　'More　on　the　way；'　Perlmutter　said。
　　　　Kurtz　gave　the　names　on　Pearly's　clipboard　a　cursory　look；　then　handed　it　back。　Big　recreational　vehicles　were　being　parked　behind　them；　semi　trailers　were　being　jacked　and　leveled；　light　poles　were　going　up。　When　night　came；　this　place　would　be　as　well…lighted　as　Yankee　Stadium　at　World　Series　time。
　　　　'We　missed　two　guys　by　this　much；'　Perlmutter　said；　and　held　up　his　right　hand　with　the　thumb　and　forefinger　a　quarter　of　an　inch　apart。　'They　came　in　for　supplies。　Principally　beer　and　hot　dogs。'　Perlmutter's　face　was　pale；　with　a　wild　pink　rose　blooming　in　each　cheek。　He　had　to　raise　his　voice　against　the　steadily　increasing　noise　level。　Helicopters　were　ing　in　two　by　two　and　landing　on　the　blacktop　lane　that　eventually　made　its　way　out　to　Interstate　95；　where　you　could　go　north　toward　one　dull　town　（Presque　Isle）　or　south　toward　any　number　of　other　dull　towns　（Bangor　and　Derry；　for　starters）。　The　helicopters　were　fine；　as　long　as　their　pilots　didn't　have　to　depend　on　all　the　sophisticated　navigational　equipment；　which　was　also　FUBAR。
　　　　'Did　those　fellows　go　in　or　out？'　Kurtz　asked。
　　　　'Back　in；'　Perlmutter　said。　He　could　not　quite　bring　himself　to　meet　Kurtz's　eyes；　he　looked　everywhere　but。　'There's　a　woods　road；　Gosselin　says　it's　called　the　Deep　Cut　Road。　It's　not　on　the　standard　maps；　but　I　have　a　Diamond　International　Paper　survey　map　that　shows　'
　　　　'That's　fine。　Either　they'll　e　back　out　or　stay　in。　Either　way；　it's　fine。'
　　　　More　helicopters；　some　unshipping　their　。50s　now　that　they　were　safely　away　from　the　wrong　eyes。　This　could　end　up　being　as　big　as　Desert　Storm。　Maybe　bigger。
　　　　；You　understand　your　mission　here；　Pearly；　don't　you？'　Perlmutter　most　definitely　did。　He　was　new；　he　wanted　to　make　an　impression；　he　was　almost　jumping　up　and　down。　Like　a　spaniel　that　smells　lunch；　Kurtz　thought。　And　he　did　it　all　without　making　eye　contact。　'Sir；　my　job　is　triune　in　nature。'
　　　　Triune；　Kurtz　thought。　Triune；　how　about　that？
　　　　'I　am　to　a；　intercept；　b；　turn　intercepted　persons　over　to　medical；　and　c；　contain　and　segregate　pending　further　orders。'
　　　　'Exactly。　That's…'
　　　　'But　sir；　beg　your　pardon；　sit；　but　we　don't　have　any　doctors　here　yet；　only　a　few　corpsmen；　and…'
　　　　'Shut　up；'　Kurtz　said。　He　didn't　speak　loudly；　but　half　a　dozen　men　in　unmarked　green　coveralls　（they　were　all　wearing　unmarked　green　coveralls；　including　Kurtz　himself）　hesitated　as　they　went　double…timing　on　their　various　errands。　They　glanced　toward　where　Kurtz　and　Perlmutter　were　standing；　then　got　moving　again。　Triple…time；　As　for　Perlmutter；　the　roses　in　his　cheeks　died　at　once。　He　stepped　back；　putting　another　foot　between　himself　and　Kurtz。
　　　　'If　you　ever　interrupt　me　again；　Pearly；　I'll　knock　you　down。　Interrupt　me　a　second　time　and　I'll　put　you　in　the　hospital。　Do　you　understand？'
　　　　With　what　was　clearly　a　tremendous　effort；　Perlmutter　brought　his　gaze　up　to　Kurtz's　face。　To　Kurtz's　eyes。　He　snapped　off　a　salute　so　crisp　it　almost　crackled　with　static　electricity。　'Sir；　yes　sir！'
　　　　'You　can　quit　that　too；　you　know　better。'　And　when　Perhnutter's　gaze　began　to　drop：　'Look　at　me　when　I'm　talking　to　you；　laddie。'
　　　　Very　reluctantly；　Perlmutter　did　so。　His　plexion　was　now　leaden。　Although　the　noise　of　the　helicopters　lined　up　along　the　road　was　cacophonous；　it　somehow　seemed　very　quiet　right　here；　as　if　Kurtz　traveled　in　his　own　weird　air…pocket。　Perlmutter　was　convinced　that　everyone　was　watching　them　and　that　they　could　all　see　how　terrified　he　was。　Some　of　it　was　his　new　boss's　eyes　…　the　cataclysmic　absence　in　those　eyes；　as　if　there　were　really　no　brain　behind　them　at　all。　Perlmutter　had　heard　of　the　thousand…yard　stare；　but　Kurtz's　seemed　to　go　on　for　a　million　yards；　maybe　light…years。
　　　　Yet　somehow　Perlmutter　held　Kurtz's　gaze。　Looked　into　the　absence。　He　was　not　off　to　a　good　start　here。　It　was　important　…　it　was　imperative　…　that　the　slide　be　stopped　before　it　could　bee　an　avalanche。
　　　　'All　right；　good。　Better；　anyway。'　Kurtz's　voice　was　low　but　Perlmutter　had　no　problem　hearing　him　despite　the　overlapping　chunter　of　the　helicopters。　'I'm　going　to　say　this　to　you　Just　once；　and　only　because　you're　new　to　my　service　and　you　clearly　don't　know　your　asshole　from　your　piehole。　I　have　been　asked　to　run　a　phooka　operation　here。　Do　you　know　what　a　phooka　is。
　　　　'No；'　Perlmutter　said。　It　caused　him　almost　physical　pain　not　to　be　able　to　say　No　sir。
　　　　'According　to　the　Irish；　who　as　a　race　have　never　entirely　crawled　from　the　bath　of　superstition　in　which　their　mothers　gat　them；　a　phooka　is　a　phantom　horse　that　kidnaps　travelers　and　carries　them　away　on　its　back。　I　use　it　to　mean　an　operation　which　is　both　covert　and　wide　open。　A　paradox；　Perlmutter！　The　good　news　is　that　we've　been　developing　contingency　plans　for　just　this　sort　of　clusterfuck　since　1947；　when　the　Air　Force　first　recovered　the　sort　of　extraterrestrial　artifact　now　known　as　a　flashlight。　The　bad　news　is　that　the　future　is　now　and　I　have　to　face　it　with　guys　like　you　in　support。　Do　you　understand　me；　buck？'
　　　　'Yes；　s　。　。　。　yes。'
　　　　'I　hope　so。　What　we've　got　to　do　here；　Perlmutter；　is　go　in　fast　and　hard　and　utterly　phooka。　We're　going　to　do　as　much　dirtywork　as　we　have　to　and　e　out　as　clean　as　we　can　clean　yes；　Lord；　and　smilin　。　。　。'
　　　　Kurtz　bared　his　teeth　in　a　brief　smile　of　such　brutally　satiric　intensity　that　Perlmutter　felt　a　little　like　screaming。　Tall　and　stoop…shouldered；　Kurtz　had　the　build　of　a　bureaucrat。　Yet　something　about　him　was　terrible。　You　saw　some　of　it　in　his　eyes；　sensed　some　of　it　in　the　still；　prim　way　he　held　his　hands　in　front　of　him　。　。　。　but　those　weren't　the　things　that　made　him　scary；　that　made　the　men　call　him　Old　Creepy　Kurtz。　Perlmutter　didn't　know　exactly　what　the　really　scary　thing　was；　and　didn't　want　to　know。　What　he　wanted　right　now　…　the　only　thing　he　wanted　…　was　to　get　out　of　this　conversation　with　his　ass　on　straight。　Who　needed　to　go　twenty　or　thirty　miles　west　to　make　contact　with　an　alien　species？　Perlmutter　had　one　standing　right　here　in　front　of　him。
　　　　Kurtz's　lips　snapped　shut　over　his　teeth。　'On　the　same　page；　are　we？'
　　　　'Yes。'
　　　　'Saluting　the　same　flag？　Pissing　in　the　same　latrine？'
　　　　'Yes。'
　　　　'How　are　we　going　to　e　out　of　this；　Pearly？'
　　　　'Clean？'
　　　　'Boffo！　And　how　else？'
　　　　For　one　horrible　second　he　didn't　know。　Then　it　came　to　him。　'Smiling；　sir。'
　　　　'Call　me　sir　again　and　I'll　knock　you　down。'
　　　　'I'm　sorry；'　Perlmutter　whispered。　He　was；　too。
　　　　Here　came　a　school　bus　rolling　slowly　up　the　road　with　its　offside　wheels　in　the　ditch　and　canted　almost　to　the　tipover　point　so　it　could　get　past　the　helicopters。　MILLINOCKET　SCHOOL　DEPT　was　written　up　the　side；　big　black　letters　against　a　yellow　background。　mandeered　bus。　Owen　Underhill　and　his　men　inside。　The　A…team。　Perlmutter　saw　it　and　felt　better。　At　different　times　both　men　had　worked　with　Underhill。
　　　　'You'll　have　doctors　by　nightfall；'　Kurtz　said。　'All　the　doctors　you　need。　Check？'
　　　　'Check。'
　　　　As　he　walked　toward　the　bus；　which　stopped　in　front　of　Gosselin's　single　gasoline　pump；　Kurtz　looked　at　his　pocket…watch。　Almost　eleven。　Gosh；　how　the　time　flew　when　you　were　having　fun。　Perlmutter　walked　with　him；　but　all　the　cocker　spaniel　spring　had　gone　out　of　Perlmutter's　step。
　　　　'For　now；　Archie；　eyeball　em；　smell　em；　listen　to　their　tall　tales；　and　document　any　Ripley　you　see。　You　know　about　the　Ripley；　I　assume？'
　　　　'Yes。'
　　　　'Good。　Don't　touch　it。'
　　　　'God；　no！'　Perlmutter　exclaimed；　then　flushed。
　　　　Kurtz　smiled　thinly。　This　one　was　no　more　real　than　his　shark's　grin。　'Excellent　idea；　Perlmutter！　You　have　breathing　masks？'
　　　　'They　just　arrived。　Twelve　cartons　of　them；　and　more　on　the　w…'
　　　　'Good。　We　want　Polarolds　of　the　Ripley。　We　need　mucho　documentation。　Exhibit　A；　Exhibit　B；　so　on　and　so　forth。　Got　it？'
　　　　'Yes。'
　　　　'And　none　of　our　。　。　。　our　guests　get　away；　right？'
　　　　'Absolutely　not。'　Perlmutter　was　shocked　by　the　idea；　and　looked　it。
　　　　Kurtz's　lips　stretched。　The　thin　smile　grew　and　once　more　became　the　shark's　grin。　Those　empty　eyes　looked　through　Perlmutter　…　looked　all　the　way　to　the　center　of　the　earth；　for　all　Perlmutter　knew。　He　found　himself　wondering　if　anyone　would　leave　Blue　Base　when　this　was　over。　Except　Kurtz；　that　was。
　　　　'Carry　on；　Citizen　Perlmutter。　In