sk.petsematary-第51部分

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　　〃We　drove　over　in　Hannibal　Benson's　car…that　son　of　a　bitch　got　all　the　A…coupons　he　wanted；　I　don't　know　how。　Nobody　said　much；　but　all　four　of　us　was　smokin　like　chimblies。　We　was　scared；　Louis；　just　as　scared　as　we　could　be。　But　the　only　one　who　really　said　anything　was　Alan　Purinton。　He　says　to　George；　'Bill　Baterman　has　been　up　to　dickens　in　that　woods　north　of　Route　15；　and　I'll　put　my　warrant　to　that。'　Nobody　answered；　but　I　remember　George　noddin　his　head。
　　〃Well；　we　got　there；　and　Alan　knocked；　but　nobody　answered；　so　we　went　around　to　the　back　and　there　the　two　of　them　were。　Bill　Baterman　was　sitting　there　on　his　back　stoop　with　a　pitcher　of　beer；　and　Timmy　was　at　the　back　of　the　yard；　just　staring　up　at　that　red；　bloody　sun　as　it　went　down。　His　whole　face　was　orange　with　it；　like　he'd　been　flayed　alive。　And　Bill　。　。　。　he　looked　like　the　devil　had　gotten　him　after　his　seven　years　of　highfalutin。　He　was　floatin　in　his　clothes；　and　I　judged　he'd　lost　forty　pounds。　His　eyes　had　gone　back　in　their　sockets　until　they　were　like　little　animals　in　a　pair　of　caves。　。　。　and　his　mouth　kep　goin　tick…tick…tick　on　the　left　side。〃
　　Jud　paused；　seemed　to　consider；　and　then　nodded　imperceptibly。　〃Louis；　he　looked　damned。
　　〃Timmy　looked　around　at　us　and　grinned。　Just　seeing　him　grin　made　you　want　to　scream。　Then　he　turned　and　went　back　to　looking　at　the　sun　go　down。　Bill　says；　'I　didn't　hear　you　boys　knock；'　which　was　a　bald…faced　lie；　of　course；　since　Alan　laid　on　that　door　loud　enough　to　wake　the。　。　。　to　wake　up　a　deaf　man。
　　〃No　one　seemed　like　they　was　going　to　say　anything；　so　I　says；　'Bill；　I　heard　your　boy　was　killed　over　in　Italy。'
　　〃That　was　a　mistake；'　he　says；　looking　right　at　me。
　　〃Was　it？'　I　says。
　　〃You　see　him　standin　right　there；　don't　you？'　he　says。
　　〃So　who　do　you　reckon　was　in　that　coffin　you　had　buried　out　at　Pleasantview？'　Alan　Purinton　asks　him。
　　〃'Be　damned　if　I　know；'　Bill　says；　'and　be　damned　if　I　care。'
　　He　goes　to　get　a　cigarette　and　spills　them　all　over　the　back　porch；　then　breaks　two　or　three　trying　to　pick　them　up。
　　〃Probably　have　to　be　an　exhumation；'　Hannibal　says。　'You　know　that；　don't　you？　I　had　a　call　from　the　goddam　War　Department；　Bill。　They　are　going　to　want　to　know　if　they　buried　some　other　mother's　son　under　Timmy's　name。'
　　〃Well；　what　in　the　hell　of　it？'　Bill　says　in　a　loud　voice。　'That's　nothing　to　me；　is　it？　I　got　my　boy。　Timmy　e　home　the　other　day。　He's　been　shell…shocked　or　something。　He's　a　little　strange　now；　but　he'll　e　around。'
　　〃Let's　quit　this；　Bill；'　I　says；　and　all　at　once　I　was　pretty　mad　at　him。　'If　and　when　they　dig　up　that　army　coffin；　they're　gonna　find　it　dead　empty；　unless　you　went　to　the　trouble　of　filling　it　up　with　rocks　after　you　took　your　boy　out　of　it；　and　I　don't　think　you　did。　I　know　what　happened；　Hannibal　and　George　and　Alan　here　know　what　happened；　and　you　know　what　happened　too。　You　been　foolin　around　up　in　the　woods；　Bill；　and　you　have　caused　yourself　and　this　town　a　lot　of　trouble。'
　　〃You　fellas　know　your　way　out；　I　guess；'　he　says。　'I　don't　have　to　explain　myself　to　you；　or　justify　myself　to　you；　or　nothing。　When　I　got　that　telegram；　the　life　ran　right　out　of　me。　I　felt　her　go；　just　like　piss　down　the　inside　of　my　leg。　Well；　I　got　my　boy　back。　They　had　no　right　to　take　my　boy。　He　was　only　seventeen。　He　was　all　I　had　left　of　his　dear　mother；　and　it　was　illfuckinlegal。　So　fuck　the　army；　and　fuck　the　War　Department；　and　fuck　the　United　States　of　America；　and　fuck　you　boys　too。　I　got　him　back。　He'll　e　around。　And　that's　all　I　got　to　say。　Now　you　all　just　march　your　boots　back　where　you　came　from。'
　　〃And　his　mouth　is　tick…tick…tickin；　and　there's　sweat　all　over　his　forehead　in　big　drops；　and　that　was　when　I　saw　he　was　crazy。　It　would　have　driven　me　crazy　too。　Living　with　that　。　。　。　that　thing。〃
　　Louis　was　feeling　sick　to　his　stomach。　He　had　drunk　too　much　beer　too　fast。　Pretty　soon　it　was　all　going　to　e　up　on　him。　The　heavy；　loaded　feeling　in　his　stomach　told　him　it　would　be　ing　up　soon。
　　〃Well；　there　wasn't　much　else　we　could　do。　We　got　ready　to　go。　Hannibal　says；　'Bill；　God　help　you。'
　　〃Bill　says；　'God　never　helped　me。　I　helped　myself。'
　　〃That　was　when　Timmy　walked　over　to　us。　He　even　walked　wrong；　Louis。　He　walked　like　an　old；　old　man。　He'd　put　one　foot　high　up　and　then　bring　it　down　and　then　kind　of　shuffle　and　then　lift　the　other　one。　It　was　like　watchin　a　crab　walk。　His　hands　dangled　down　by　his　legs。　And　when　he　got　close　enough；　you　could　see　red　marks　across　his　face　on　the　slant；　like　pimples　or　little　burns。　I　reckon　that's　where　the　Kraut　machine　gun　got　him。　Must　have　damn　near　blowed　his　head　off。
　　〃And　he　stank　of　the　grave。　It　was　a　black　smell；　like　everything　inside　him　was　just　lying　there；　spoiled。　I　saw　Alan　Purinton　put　a　hand　up　to　cover　his　nose　and　mouth。　The　stench　was　just　awful。　You　almost　expected　to　see　grave　maggots　squirming　around　in　his　hair…〃
　　〃Stop；〃　Louis　said　hoarsely。　〃I've　heard　enough。〃
　　〃You　ain't；〃　Jud　said。　He　spoke　with　haggard　earnestness。　〃That's　it；　you　ain't。　And　I　can't　even　make　it　as　bad　as　it　was。　Nobody　could　understand　how　bad　it　was　unless　they　was　there。　He　was　dead；　Louis。　But　he　was　alive　too。　And　he。　。　。　he。　。　。　he　knew　things。〃
　　〃Knew　things？〃　Louis　sat　forward。
　　〃Aynh。　He　looked　at　Alan　for　a　long　time；　kind　of　grinning…　you　could　see　his　teeth；　anyway…and　then　he　spoke　in　this　low　voice；　you　felt　like　you　had　to　strain　forward　to　hear　it。　It　sounded　like　he　had　gravel　down　in　his　tubes。　'Your　wife　is　fucking　that　man　she　works　with　down　at　the　drugstore；　Purinton。　What　do　you　think　of　that？　She　screams　when　she　es。　What　do　you　think　of　that？'
　　〃Alan；　he　kind　of　gasped；　and　you　could　see　it　had　hit　him。　Alan's　in　a　nursing　home　up　in　Gardener　now；　or　was　the　last　I　heard…he　must　be　pushing　ninety。　Back　when　all　this　happened；　he　was　forty　or　so；　and　there　had　been　some　talk　around　about　his　second　wife。　She　was　his　second　cousin；　and　she　had　e　to　live　with　Alan　and　Alan's　first　wife；　Lucy；　just　before　the　war。　Well；　Lucy　died；　and　a　year　and　a　half　later　Alan　up　and　married　this　girl。　Laurine；　her　name　was。　She　was　no　more　than　twenty…four　when　they　married。　And　there　had　been　some　talk　about　her；　you　know。　If　you　were　a　man；　you　might　have　called　her　ways　sort　of　free　and　easy　and　let　it　go　at　that。　But　the　women　thought　she　might　be　loose。　And　maybe　Alan　had　had　a　few　thoughts　in　that　direction　too　because　he　says；　'Shut　up！　Shut　up　or　I'll　knock　you　down；　whatever　you　are！'
　　〃Shush　now；　Timmy；'　Bill　says；　and　he　looks　worse　than　ever；　you　know；　like　maybe　he's　going　to　puke　or　faint　dead　away；　or　do　both。　'You　shush；　Timmy。'
　　〃But　Timmy　didn't　take　no　notice。　He　looks　around　at　George　Anderson　and　he　says；　'That　grandson　you　set　such　a　store　by　is　just　waiting　for　you　to　die；　old　man。　The　money　is　all　he　wants；　the　money　he　thinks　you　got　socked　away　in　your　lockbox　at　the　Bangor　Eastern　Bank。　That's　why　he　makes　up　to　you；　but　behind　your　back　he　makes　fun　of　you；　him　and　his　sister。　Old　wooden…leg；　that's　what　they　call　you；'　Timmy　says；　and　Louis；　his　voice…it　changed。　It　got　mean。　It　sounded　like　the　way　that　grandson　of　George's　would　have　sounded　if。　。　。　you　know；　if　the　things　Timmy　was　saying　was　true。
　　〃Old　wooden…leg；'　Timmy　says；　'and　won't　they　shit　when　they　find　out　you're　poor　as　a　church　mouse　because　you　lost　it　all　in　1938？　Won't　they　shit；　George？　Won't　they　just　shit？'
　　〃George；　he　backed　away　then；　and　his　wooden　leg　buckled　under　him；　and　he　fell　back　on　Bill's　porch　and　upsat　his　pitcher　of　beer；　and　he　was　as　white　as　your　undershirt；　Louis。
　　〃Bill；　he　gets　him　back　on　his　feet　somehow；　and　he's　roarin　at　his　boy；　'Timmy；　you　stop　it！　You　stop　it！'　But　Timmy　wouldn't。　He　said　somethin　bad　about　Hannibal；　and　then　he　said　something　bad　about　me　too；　and　by　then　he　was　。　。　。　ravin；　I'd　say。　Yeah；　he　was　ravin；　all　right。　Screamin。　And　we　started　to　back　away；　and　then　we　started　to　run；　draggin　George　along　the　best　we　could　by　the　arms　because　he'd　gotten　the　straps　and　harnesses　on　that　fake　leg　twisted　somehow；　and　it　was　all　off　to　one　side　with　the　shoe　turned　around　backward　and　draggin　on　the　grass。
　　〃The　last　I　seen　of　Timmy　Baterman；　he　was　on　the　back　lawn　by　the　clothesline；　his　face　all　red　in　the　settin　sun；　those　marks　standin　out　on　his　face；　his　hair　all　crazy　and　dusty　somehow　and　he　was　laughin　and　screechin　over　and　over　again　'Old　wooden…leg！　Old　wooden…leg！　And　the　cuckold！　And　the　whoremaster！　Goodbye；　gentlemen！　Goodbye！　Goodbye！'　And　then　he　laughed；　but　it　was　screaming；　really。　。　。　something　inside　him　screaming。　。　。　and　screaming。　。　。　and　screaming。〃
　　Jud　stopped。　His　chest　moved　up　and　down　rapidly。
　　〃Jud；〃　Louis　said。　〃The　thing　this　Timmy　Baterman　told　you　was　it　truer'
　　〃It　was　true；〃　Jud　muttered。　〃Christ！　It　was　true。　I　used　to　go　to　a　whorehouse　in　Bangor　betimes。　Nothing　many　a　man　hasn't　done；　although　I　s'pose　there　are　plenty　that　walk　the　straight　and　narrow。　I　just　would　get　the　urge…the　pulsion；　maybe…　to　sink　it　into　strange　flesh　now　and　then。　Or　pay　some　woman　to　do　the　things　a　man　can't　bring　himself　to　ask　his　wife　to　do。　Men　keep　their　gardens　too；　Louis。　It　wasn't　a　terrible　thing；　what　I　done；　and　all　of　that　has　been　behind　me　for　the　last　eight　or　nine　years；　and　Norma　would　not　have　left　me　if　she　had　known。　But　something　in　her　would　have　died　forever。　Something　dear　and　sweet。〃
　　Jud's　eyes　were　red　and　swollen　and　bleary。　The　tears　of　the　old　are　singularly　unlovely；　Louis　thought。　But　when　Jud　groped　across　the　table　for　Louis's　hand；　Louis　took　it　firmly。
　　〃He　told　us　only　the　bad；〃　he　said　after　a　moment。　〃Only　the　bad。　God　knows　there　is　enough　of　that　in　any　human　being's　life；　isn't　there？　Two　or　three　days　later；　Laurine　Purinton　left　Ludlow　for　good；　and　folks　in　town　who　saw　her　before　she　got　on　the　train　said　she　was　sporting　two　shiners　and　had　cotton　stuffed　up　both　bores　of　her　pump。　Alan；　he　would　never　talk　about　it。　George　died　in　1950；　and　if　he　left　anything　to　that　grandson　and　granddaughter　of　his；　I　never　heard　about　it。　Hannibal　got　kicked　out　of　office　because　of　something　th