sk.petsematary-第1节

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　　John　Dean。　Henry　Kissinger。　Adolph　Hitler。　Caryl　Chessman。　Jeb　Magruder。　Napoleon。　Talleyrand。　Disraeli。　Robert　Zimmerman；　also　known　as　Bob　Dylan。　Locke。　Charlton　Heston。　Errol　Flynn。　The　Ayatollah　Khomeini。　Gandhi。　Charles　Olson。　Charles　Colson。　A　Victorian　Gentleman。　Dr。　X。
　　Most　people　also　believe　that　God　has　written　a　Book；　or　Books；　telling　what　He　did　and　why…at　least　to　a　degree…He　did　those　things；　and　since　most　of　these　people　also　believe　that　humans　were　made　in　the　image　of　God；　then　He　also　may　be　regarded　as　a　person。　。　。　or；　mare　properly；　as　a　Person。
　　Here　are　some　people　who　have　not　written　books；　telling　what　they　did。　。　。　and　what　they　saw：
　　The　man　who　buried　Hitler。　The　man　who　performed　the　autopsy　on　John　Wilkes　Booth。　The　man　who　embalmed　Elvis　Presley。　The　man　who　embalmed…badly；　most　undertakers　say…　Pope　John　XXIII。　The　twoscore　undertakers　who　cleaned　up　Jonestown；　carrying　body　bags；　spearing　paper　cups　with　those　spikes　custodians　carry　in　city　parks；　waving　away　the　flies。　The　man　who　cremated　William　Holden。　The　man　who　encased　the　body　of　Alexander　the　Great　in　gold　so　it　would　not　rot。　The　men　who　mummified　the　Pharaohs。
　　Death　is　a　mystery；　and　burial　is　a　secret。
　　
　　
　　　PART　ONE
　　　THE　PET　SEMATARY
　　Jesus　said　to　them；　〃Our　friend　Lazarus　sleeps；　but　I　go；　that　I　may　awake　him　out　of　his　sleep。〃
　　Then　the　disciples　looked　at　each　other；　and　some　smiled　because　they　did　not　know　Jesus　had　spoken　in　a　figure。　〃Lord。　if　he　sleeps；　he　shall　do　well。〃
　　So　then　Jesus　spoke　to　them　more　plainly；　〃Lazarus　is　dead；　yes　。　。　。　nevertheless　let　us　go　to　him。〃
　　…JOHN'S　GOSPEL　（paraphrase）
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　　Louis　Creed；　who　had　lost　his　father　at　three　and　who　had　never　known　a　grandfather；　never　expected　to　find　a　father　as　he　entered　his　middle　age；　but　that　was　exactly　what　happened　。　。　。　although　he　called　this　man　a　friend；　as　a　grown　man　must　do。　when　he　finds　the　man　who　should　have　been　his　father　relatively　late　in　life。　He　met　this　man　on　the　evening　he　and　his　wife　and　his　two　children　moved　into　the　big　white　frame　house　in　Ludlow。　Winston　Churchill　moved　in　with　them。　Church　was　his　daughter　Eileen's　cat。
　　The　search　mittee　at　the　university　had　moved　slowly；　the　hunt　for　a　house　within　muting　distance　of　the　university　had　been　hair…raising；　and　by　the　time　they　neared　the　place　where　he　believed　the　house　to　be…all　the　landmarks　are　right　。　。　。　like　the　astrological　signs　the　night　before　Caesar　was　assassinated；　Louis　thought　morbidly…they　were　all　tired　and　tense　and　on　edge。　Gage　was　cutting　teeth　and　fussed　almost　ceaselessly。　He　would　not　sleep；　no　matter　how　much　Rachel　sang　to　him。　She　offered　him　the　breast　even　though　it　was　off　his　schedule。　Gage　knew　his　dining　schedule　as　well　as　she…better；　maybe…and　he　promptly　bit　her　with　his　new　teeth。　Rachel；　still　not　entirely　sure　about　this　move　to　Maine　from　Chicago；　where　she　had　lived　her　whole　life；　burst　into　tears。　Eileen　promptly　joined　her。　In　the　back　of　the　station　wagon；　Church　continued　to　pace　restlessly　as　he　had　done　for　the　last　three　days　it　had　taken　them　to　drive　here　from　Chicago。　His　yowling　from　the　cat　kennel　had　been　bad；　but　his　restless　pacing　after　they　finally　gave　up　and　set　him　free　in　the　car　had　been　almost　as　unnerving。
　　Louis　himself　felt　a　little　like　crying。　A　wild　but　not　Unattractive　idea　suddenly　came　to　him：　He　would　suggest　that　they　go　back　to　Bangor　for　something　to　eat　while　they　waited　for　the　moving　van；　and　when　his　three　hostages　to　fortune　got　out；　he　would　floor　the　accelerator　and　drive　away　without　so　much　as　a　look　back；　foot　to　the　mat；　the　wagon's　huge　four…barrel　carburetor　gobbling　expensive　gasoline。　He　would　drive　south；　all　the　way　to　Orlando；　Florida；　where　he　would　get　a　job　at　Disney　World　as　a　medic；　under　a　new　name。　But　before　he　hit　the　turnpike…big　old　95　southbound…he　would　stop　by　the　side　of　the　road　and　put　the　fucking　cat　out　too。
　　Then　they　rounded　a　final　curve；　and　there　was　the　house　that　only　he　had　seen　up　until　now。　He　had　flown　out　and　looked　at　each　of　the　seven　possibles　they　had　picked　from　photos　once　the　position　at　the　University　of　Maine　was　solidly　his；　and　this　was　the　one　he　had　chosen：　a　big　old　New　England　colonial　（but　newly　sided　and　insulated；　the　heating　costs；　while　horrible　enough；　were　not　out　of　line　in　terms　of　consumption）；　three　big　rooms　downstairs；　four　more　up；　a　long　shed　that　might　be　converted　to　more　rooms　later　on…all　of　it　surrounded　by　a　luxuriant　sprawl　of　lawn；　lushly　green　even　in　this　August　heat。。
　　Beyond　the　house　was　a　large　field　for　the　children　to　play　in；　and　beyond　the　field　were　woods　that　went　on　damn　near　forever。　The　property　abutted　state　lands；　the　realtor　had　explained；　and　there　would　be　no　development　in　th？　foreseeable　future。　The　remains　of　the　Micmac　Indian　tribe　had　laid　claim　to　nearly　eight　thousand　acres　in　Ludlow　and　in　the　towns　east　of　Ludlow；　and　the　plicated　litigation；　involving　the　federal　government　as　well　as　that　of　the　state；　might　stretch　into　the　next　century。
　　Rachel　stopped　crying　abruptly。　She　sat　up。　〃Is　that…〃
　　〃That's　it；〃　Louis　said。　He　felt　apprehensive…no；　he　felt　scared。　In　fact　he　felt　terrified。　He　had　mortgaged　twelve　years　of　their　lives　for　this；　it　wouldn't　be　paid　off　until　Eileen　was　seventeen。
　　He　swallowed。
　　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　　〃I　think　it's　beautiful；〃　Rachel　said；　and　that　was　a　huge　weight　off　his　chest…and　off　his　mind。　She　wasn't　kidding；　he　saw；　it　was　in　the　way　she　was　looking　at　it　as　they　turned　in　the　asphalted　driveway　that　curved　around　to　the　shed　in　back；　her　eyes　sweeping　the　blank　windows；　her　mind　already　ticking　away　at　such　matters　as　curtains　and　oilcloth　for　the　cupboards；　and　God　knew　what　else。
　　〃Daddy？〃　Ellie　said　from　the　back　seat。　She　had　stopped　crying　as　well。　Even　Gage　had　stopped　fussing。　Louis　savored　the　silence。
　　〃What；　love？〃
　　Her　eyes；　brown　under　darkish　blond　hair　in　the　rearview　mirror；　also　surveyed　the　house；　the　lawn；　the　roof　of　another　house　off　to　the　left　in　the　distance；　and　the　big　field　stretching　up　to　the　woods。
　　〃Is　this　home？〃
　　〃It's　going　to　be；　honey；〃　he　said。
　　〃Hooray！〃　she　shouted；　almost　taking　his　ear　off。　And　Louis；　who　could　sometimes　bee　very　irritated　with　Ellie；　decided　he　didn't　care　if　he　ever　clapped　an　eye　on　Disney　World　in　Orlando。
　　He　parked　in　front　of　the　shed　and　turned　off　the　wagon's　motor。
　　The　engine　ticked。　In　the　silence；　which　seemed　very　big　after　Chicago　and　the　bustle　of　State　Street　and　the　Loop；　a　bird　sang　sweetly　in　the　late　afternoon。
　　〃Home；〃　Rachel　said　softly；　still　looking　at　the　house。
　　〃Home；〃　Gage　said　placently　on　her　lap。
　　Louis　and　Rachel　stared　at　each　other。　In　the　rearview　mirror；　Eileen's　eyes　widened。
　　〃Did　you…〃
　　〃Did　he…〃
　　〃Was　that…〃
　　They　all　spoke　together；　then　all　laughed　together。　Gage　took　no　notice；　he　only　continued　to　suck　his　thumb。　He　had　been　saying　〃Ma〃　for　almost　a　month　now　and　had　taken　a　stab　or　two　at　something　that　might　have　been　〃Daaa〃　or　only　wishful　thinking　on　Louis's　part。
　　But　this；　either　by　accident　of　imitation；　had　been　a　real　Word　Home。
　　Louis　plucked　Gage　from　his　wife's　lap　and　hugged　him。
　　That　was　how　they　came　to　Ludlow。
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　　In　Louis　Creed's　memory　that　one　moment　always　held　a　magical　quality…partly；　perhaps；　because　it　really　was　magical；　but　mostly　because　the　rest　of　the　evening　was　so　wild。　In　the　next　three　hours；　neither　peace　nor　magic　made　an　appearance。
　　Louis　had　stored　the　house　keys　away　neatly　（he　was　a　neat　and　methodical　man；　was　Louis　Creed）　in　a　small　manila　envelope　which　he　had　labeled　〃Ludlow　House…keys　received　June　29。〃　He　had　put　the　keys　away　in　the　Fairlane's　glove　partment。　He　was　absolutely　sure　of　that。　Now　they　weren't　there。
　　While　he　hunted　for　them；　growing　increasingly　irritated；　Rachel　hoisted　Gage　onto　her　hip　and　followed　Eileen　over　to　the　tree　in　the　field。　He　was　checking　under　the　seats　for　the　third　time　when　his　daughter　screamed　and　then　began　to　cry。
　　〃Louis！〃　Rachel　called。　〃She's　cut　herself！〃
　　Eileen　had　fallen　from　the　tire　swing　and　hit　a　rock　with　her　knee。　The　cut　was　shallow；　but　she　was　screaming　like　someone　who　had　just　lost　a　leg；　Louis　thought　（a　bit　ungenerously）。　He　glanced　at　the　house　across　the　road；　where　a　light　burned　in　the　living　room。
　　〃All　right；　Ellie；〃　he　said。　〃That's　enough。　Those　people　over　there　will　think　someone's　being　murdered。〃
　　〃But　it　hurrrrts！〃
　　Louis　struggled　with　his　temper　and　went　silently　back　to　the　wagon。　The　keys　were　gone；　but　the　first…aid　kit　was　still　in　the　glove　partment。　He　got　it　and　came　back。　When　Ellie　saw　it；　she　began　to　scream　louder　than　ever。
　　〃No！　Not　the　stingy　stuff　I　don't　want　the　stingy　stuff　Daddy！　No…〃
　　〃Eileen；　it's　just　Mercurochrome；　and　it　doesn't　sting…〃
　　〃Be　a　big　girl；〃　Rachel　said。　〃It's　just…〃
　　〃No…no…no…no…no〃
　　〃You　want　to　stop　that　or　your　ass　will　sting；〃　Louis　said。　
　　〃She's　tired；　Lou；〃　Rachel　said　quietly。
　　〃Yeah；　I　know　the　feeling。　Hold　her　leg　out。〃
　　Rachel　put　Gage　down　and　held