sk.runningman-第16部分

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。　I'll　get　one　of　my　buddies　to　drive　it　up　to　Manchester。　It'll　be　cool　as　a　fool　in　Manchester　because　you're　bottled　up　in　Boston。　You　eatin；　Ma？〃
　　〃Yes　an　praise　Gawd。　〃　She　waddled　out　of　the　bedroom。　〃Your　sister　is　sleepin　a　little。〃
　　〃Good。〃　He　ladled　up　three　dishes　of　hamburger　gumbo　and　then　paused。　〃Where's　Stacey？〃
　　〃Said　he　was　goin　to　the　drug；〃　Ma　said　placently；　shoveling　gumbo　into　her　toothless　maw　at　a　blinding　speed。　〃Said　he　goan　to　get　medicine。〃
　　〃If　he　gets　busted；　I'll　break　his　ass；〃　Bradley　said；　sitting　heavily。
　　〃He　won't；〃　Richards　said。　〃He's　got　money。〃
　　〃Yeah；　maybe　we　don't　need　no　charity　money；　graymeat。〃
　　Richards　laughed　and　salted　his　meal。　〃I'd　probably　be　nabbed　now　if　it　wasn't　for　him；〃　he　said。　〃I　guess　it　was　earned　money。〃
　　Bradley　leaned　forward；　concentrating　on　his　plate。　None　of　them　said　anything　more　until　the　meal　was　done。　Richards　and　Bradley　had　two　helpings；　the　old　woman　had　three。　As　they　were　lighting　cigarettes；　a　key　scratched　in　the　lock　and　all　of　them　stiffened　until　Stacey　came　in；　looking　guilty；　frightened；　and　excited。　He　was　carrying　a　brown　bag　in　one　hand　and　he　gave　Ma　a　bottle　of　medicine。
　　〃Thass　prime　dope；〃　he　said。　〃That　of　man　Curry　ast　me　where　I　got　two　dollars　and　semney…fi　cents　to　buy　prime　dope　an　I　tole　him　to　go　shit　in　his　boot　and　eat　it。〃
　　〃Doan　swear　or　the　devil　will　poke　you；　〃　Ma　said。　〃Here's　dinner。〃
　　The　boy's　eyes　widened。　〃Jesus；　there's　meat　in　it！〃
　　〃Naw；　we　jus　shat　in　it　to　make　it　thicker；〃　Bradley　said。　The　boy　looked　up　sharply；　saw　his　brother　was　joking；　giggled；　and　fell　to。
　　〃Will　that　druggist　go　to　the　cops？〃　Richards　asked　quietly。
　　〃Curry？　Naw。　Not　if　there　might　be　some　more　squeezin　green　in　this　fambly。　He　knows　Lassie's　got　to　have　heavy　dope。〃
　　〃What　about　this　Manchester　thing？〃
　　〃Yeah。　Well；　Vermont's　no　good。　Not　enough　of　our　kind　of　people。　Tough　cops。　I　get　some　good　fella　like　Rich　Goleon　to　drive　that　Wint　to　Manchester　and　park　it　in　an　automatic　garage。　Then　I　drive　you　up　in　another　car。〃　He　crushed　out　his　cigarette。　〃In　the　trunk。　They're　only　using　Jiffy　Sniffers　on　the　back　road。　We'll　go　right　up　495。〃
　　〃Pretty　dangerous　for　you；〃　Richards　said。
　　〃Oh；　I　wasn't　gonna　do　it　free。　When　Cassie　goes；　she's　gonna　go　out　wrecked。〃
　　〃Praise　Gawd；〃　Ma　said。
　　〃Still　pretty　dangerous　for　you。〃
　　〃Any　pig　grunts　at　Bradley；　he　make　'em　shit　in　their　boot　an　eat　it；〃　Stacey　said；　wiping　his　mouth。　When　he　looked　at　Bradley；　his　eyes　glittered　with　the　flat　shine　of　hero　worship。
　　〃You're　dribblin　on　your　shirt；　Skinner；〃　Bradley　said。　He　knuckled　Stacey's　head。　〃You　beatin　your　meat　yet；　Skinner？　Ain't　big　enough；　are　ya？〃
　　〃If　they　catch　us；　you'll　go　in　for　the　long　bomb；〃　Richards　said。　〃Who's　going　to　take　care　of　the　boy？〃
　　〃He'll　take　care　of　himself　if　something　happens；〃　Bradley　said。　〃Himself　and　Ma　here。　He's　not　hooked　on　nothin。　Are　you　Stace？〃
　　Stacey　shook　his　head　emphatically。
　　〃An　he　knows　if　I　find　any　pricks　in　his　arms　I'll　beat　his　brains　out。　Ain't　that　right；　Stacey？〃
　　Stacey　nodded。
　　〃Besides；　we　can　use　the　money。　This　is　a　hurtin　family。　So　don't　say　no　more　about　it。　I　guess　I　know　what　I'm　doin。〃
　　Richards　finished　his　cigarette　in　silence　while　Bradley　went　in　to　give　Cassie　some　medicine。
　　
　　Minus　063　and　COUNTING
　　When　he　awoke；　it　was　still　dark　and　the　inner　tide　of　his　body　put　the　time　at　about　four…thirty。　The　girl；　Cassie；　had　been　screaming；　and　Bradley　got　up。　The　three　of　them　were　sleeping　in　the　small；　drafty　back　bedroom；　Stacey　and　Richards　on　the　floor。　Ma　slept　with　the　girl。
　　Over　the　steady　wheeze　of　Stacey's　deep…sleep　respiration；　Richards　heard　Bradley　e　out　of　the　room。　There　was　a　clink　of　a　spoon　in　the　sink。　The　girl's　screams　became　isolated　moans　which　trailed　into　silence。　Richards　could　sense　Bradley　standing　somewhere　in　the　kitchen；　immobile；　waiting　for　the　silence　to　e。　He　returned；　sat　down；　farted；　and　then　the　bedsprings　shifted　creakily　as　he　lay　down。
　　〃Bradley？〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Stacey　said　she　was　only　five。　Is　that　so？〃
　　〃Yes。〃　The　urban　dialectic　was　gone　from　his　voice；　making　him　sound　unreal　and　dreamlike。
　　〃What's　a　five…year…old　kid　doing　with　lung　cancer？　I　didn't　know　they　got　it。　Leukemia；　maybe。　Not　lung　cancer。〃
　　There　was　a　bitter；　whispered　chuckle　from　the　bed。　〃You're　from　Harding；　right？　What's　the　air…pollution　count　in　Harding？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Richards　said。　〃They　don't　give　them　with　the　weather　anymore。　They　haven't　for　。　。　。　gee；　I　don't　know。　A　long　time。〃
　　〃Not　since　2020　in　Boston；〃　Bradley　whispered　back。　〃They're　scared　to。　You　ain't　got　a　nose　filter；　do　you？〃
　　〃Don't　be　stupid；〃　Richards　said　irritably。　〃The　goddam　things　cost　two　hundred　bucks；　even　in　the　cut…rate　stores。　I　didn't　see　two　hundred　bucks　all　last　year。　Did　you？〃
　　〃No；〃　Bradley　said　softly。　He　paused。　〃Stacey's　got　one。　I　made　it。　Ma　and　Rich　Goleon　an　some　other　people　got　em；　too。〃
　　〃You're　shitting　me；〃　Richards　said。
　　〃No；　man。〃　He　stopped。　Richards　was　suddenly　sure　that　Bradley　was　weighing　what　he　had　said　already　against　a　great　many　more　things　which　he　might　say。　Wondering　how　much　was　too　much。　When　the　words　came　again；　they　came　with　difficulty。　〃We've　been　reading。　That　Free…Vee　shit　is　for　empty…heads。〃
　　Richards　grunted　agreement。
　　〃The　gang；　you　know。　Some　of　the　guys　are　just　cruisers；　you　know？　All　they're　interested　in　is　honky…stomping　on　Saturday　night。　But　some　of　us　have　been　going　down　to　the　library　since　we　were　twelve　or　so。〃
　　〃They　let　you　in　without　a　card　in　Boston？〃
　　〃No。　You　can't　get　a　card　unless　there's　someone　with　a　guaranteed　ine　of　five　thousand　dollars　a　year　in　your　family。　We　got　some　plump…ass　kid　an　kifed　his　card。　We　take　turns　going。　We　got　a　gang　suit　we　wear　when　we　go。　〃　Bradley　paused。　〃You　laugh　at　me　and　I'll　cut　you；　man。〃
　　〃I'm　not　laughing。〃
　　〃At　first　we　only　read　sexbooks。　Then　when　Cassie　first　started　getting　sick；　I　got　into　this　pollution　stuff。　They've　got　all　the　books　on　impurity　counts　and　smog　levels　and　nose　filters　in　the　reserve　section。　We　got　a　key　made　from　a　wax　blank。　Man；　did　you　know　that　everybody　in　Tokyo　had　to　wear　a　nose　filter　by　2012？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃Rich　and　Dink　Moran　built　a　pollution　counter。　Dink　drew　the　picture　out　of　the　book；　and　they　did　it　from　coffee　cans　and　some　stuff　they　boosted　out　of　cars。　It's　hid　out　in　an　alley。　Back　in　1978　they　had　an　air　pollution　scale　that　went　from　one　to　twenty。　You　understand？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃When　it　got　up　to　twelve；　the　factories　and　all　the　pollution…producing　shit　had　to　shut　down　till　the　weather　changed。　It　was　a　federal　law　until　1987；　when　the　Revised　Congress　rolled　it　back。〃　The　shadow　on　the　bed　rose　up　on　its　elbow。　〃I　bet　you　know　a　lot　of　people　with　asthma；　that　right？〃
　　〃Sure；〃　Richards　said　cautiously。　〃I've　got　a　touch　myself。　You　get　that　from　the　air。　Christ；　everybody　knows　you　stay　in　the　house　when　it's　hot　and　cloudy　and　the　air　doesn't　move…〃
　　〃Temperature　inversion；〃　Bradley　said　grimly。
　　〃…and　lots　of　people　get　asthma；　sure。　The　air　gets　like　cough　syrup　in　August　and　September。　But　lung　cancer…〃
　　〃You　ain't　talkin　about　asthma；〃　Bradley　said。　〃You　talkin　bout　emphysema。〃
　　〃Emphysema？〃　Richards　turned　the　word　over　in　his　mind。　He　could　not　assign　a　meaning　to　it；　although　the　word　was　faintly　familiar。
　　〃All　the　tissues　in　your　lungs　swell　up。　You　heave　an　heave　an　heave；　but　you're　still　out　of　breath。　You　know　a　lot　of　people　who　get　like　that？〃
　　Richards　thought。　He　did。　He　knew　a　lot　of　people　who　had　died　like　that。
　　〃They　don't　talk　about　that　one；〃　Bradley　said；　as　if　he　had　read　Richards's　thought。　〃Now　the　pollution　count　in　Boston　is　twenty　on　a　good　day。　That's　like　smoking　four　packs　of　cigarettes　a　day　just　breathing。　On　a　bad　day　it　gets　up　as　high　as　forty…two。　Old　dudes　drop　dead　all　over　town。　Asthma　goes　on　the　death　certificate。　But　it's　the　air；　the　air；　the　air。　And　they're　pouring　it　out　just　as　fast　as　they　can；　big　smokestacks　going　twenty…four　hours　a　day。　The　big　boys　like　it　that　way。
　　〃Those　two…hundred…dollar　nose　filters　aren't　worth　shit。　They're　just　two　pieces　of　screen　with　a　little　piece　of　metholated　cotton　between　them。　That's　all。　The　only　good　ones　are　from　General　Atomics。　The　only　ones　who　can　afford　them　are　the　big　boys。　They　gave　us　the　Free…Vee　to　keep　us　off　the　streets　so　we　can　breathe　ourselves　to　death　without　making　any　trouble。　How　do　you　like　that？　The　cheapest　G…A　nose　filter　on　the　market　goes　for　six　thousand　New　Dollars。　We　made　one　for　Stacey　for　ten　bucks　from　that　book。　We　used　an　atomic　nugget　the　size　of　the　moon　on　your　fingernail。　Got　it　out　of　a　hearing　aid　we　bought　in　a　hockshop　for　seven　bucks。　How　do　you　like　that？〃
　　Richards　said　nothing。　He　was　speechless。
　　〃When　Cassie　boots　off；　you　think　they'll　put　cancer　on　the　death　certificate？　Shit　they'll　put　asthma。　Else　somebody　might　get　scared。　Somebody　might　kife　a　library　card　and　find　out　lung　cancer　is　up　seven　hundred　percent　since　2015。〃
　　〃Is　that　true？　Or　are　you　making　it　up？〃
　　〃I　read　it　in　a　book。　Man；　they're　killing　us。　The　Free…Vee　is　killing　us。　It's　like　a　magician　getting　you　to　watch　the　cakes　falling　outta　his　helper's　blouse　while　he　pulls　rabbits　out　of　his　pants　and　puts　'em　in　his　hat。〃　He　paused　and　then　said　dreamily：　〃　Sometimes　I　think　that　I　could　blow　the　whole　thing　outta　the　water　with　ten　minutes　talk…time　on　the　Free…Vee。　Tell　em。　Show　em。　Everybody　could　have　a　nose　filter　if　the　Network　wanted　em　to　have　em。
　　〃And　I'm　helping　them；〃　Richards　said。
　　〃That　ain't　your　fault。　You　got　to　run。
　　Killian's　face；　and　the　face　of　Arthur　M。　Burns　rose　up　in　front　of　Richards。　He　wanted　to　smash　them；　stomp　them；　walk　on　them。　Better　still；　rip　out　their　nose　filters　and　turn　them　into　the　street。
　　〃People's　mad；〃　Bradley　said。　〃They've　been　mad　at　the　honkies　for　thirty　years。　All　they　need　is　a　reason。　A　reason　。　。　。　one　reason　。　。　。〃
　　Richards　drifted　off　to　sleep　with　the　repetition　in　his　e