sk.petsematary-第11节

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　　Louis　started　giggling。　Soon　he　was　laughing　out　loud。　He　could　feel　the　days…old　residue　of　tension　left　from　the　bitter　argument　with　Rachel　beginning　to　loosen。
　　〃So　she　says；　'Wait！　Wait！　Looka　this！'　And　they　all　stop　and　look。　And　goddam　if　she　ain't…〃
　　〃Jud；〃　Norma　said　warningly。
　　〃Sorry；　dear；　I　get　carried　away　yarning；　you　know　that。〃
　　〃I　guess　you　do；〃　she　said。　
　　〃And　darned　if　she　ain't　got　that　book　open　to　FUNERALS；　and　there's　a　picture　of　Queen　Victoria　getting　her　final　sendoff　and　bon　voyage；　and　there　are　about　forty…eleven　people　on　each　side　of　her　coffin；　some　sweatin　and　strainin　to　lift　the　bugger；　some　just　standin　around　in　their　funeral　coats　and　ruffled　collars　like　they　was　waitin　for　someone　to　call　post　time　at　the　racetrack。　And　Mandy　says；　'When　it's　a　ceremonial　funeral　of　state；　you　can　have　as　many　as　you　want！　The　book　says　so！'
　　〃That　solved　it？〃　Louis　asked。
　　〃That　did　the　trick。　They　ended　up　with　about　twenty　kids；　and　damn　if　they　didn't　look　just　like　the　picture　Mandy　had　found；　except　maybe　for　the　ruffles　and　tall　hats。　Mandy　took　charge；　she　did。　Got　em　lined　up　and　gave　each　of　em　a　wildflower…a　dandelion　or　a　lady's　slipper　or　a　daisy…and　off　they　went。；　By　the　gee；　I　always　thought　the　country　missed　a　bet　when　Mandy　Holloway　never　got　voted　to　the　U。S。　Congress。〃　He　laughed　and　shook　his　head。　〃Anyway；　that　was　the　end　of　Billy's　bad　dreams　about　the　Pet　Sematary。　He　mourned　his　dog　and　finished　his　mourning　and　got　on。　Which　is　what　we　all　do；　I　guess。〃
　　Louis　thought　again　of　Rachel's　near…hysteria。
　　〃Your　Ellie　will　get　over　it；〃　Norma　said　and　shifted　position。　〃You　must　be　thinking　that　death　is　all　we　talk　about　around　here；　Louis。　Jud　and　I　are　getting　on；　but　I　hope　neither　of　us　has　gotten　to　the　gore…crow　stage　yet…〃
　　〃No；　of　course　not；　don't　be　silly；〃　Louis　said。
　　〃…But　it's　not　such　a　bad　idea　to　be　on　nodding　acquaintance　with　it。　These　days。　。　。　I　don't　know。　。　。　no　one　wants　to　talk　about　it　or　think　about　it；　it　seems。　They　took　it　off　the　TV　because　they　thought　it　might　hurt　the　children　some　way　hurt　their　minds。　。　and　people　want　closed　coffins　so　they　don't　have　to　look　at　the　remains　or　say　goodbye。　。　。　it　just　seems　like　people　want　to　forget　it。〃
　　〃And　at　the　same　time　they　brought　in　the　cable　TV　with　all　those　movies　showing　people〃…Jud　looked　at　Norma　and　cleared　his　throat…〃showing　people　doing　what　people　usually　do　with　their　shades　pulled　down；〃　he　finished。　〃Queer　how　things　change　from　one　generation　to　the　next；　isn't　it？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　Louis　said。　〃I　suppose　it　is。〃
　　〃Well；　we　e　from　a　different　time；〃　Jud　said；　sounding　almost　apologetic　〃We　was　on　closer　terms　with　death。　We　saw　the　flu　epidemic　after　the　Great　War；　and　mothers　dying　with　child；　and　children　dying　of　infection　and　fevers　that　it　seems　like　doctors　just　wave　a　magic　wand　over　these　days。　In　the　time　when　me　and　Norma　was　young；　if　you　got　cancer；　why；　that　was　your　death　warrant；　right　there。　No　radiation　treatments　back　in　the　1920s！　Two　wars；　murders；　suicides　。　。
　　He　fell　silent　for　a　moment。
　　〃We　knew　it　as　a　friend　and　as　an　enemy；〃　he　said　finally。　〃My　brother　Pete　died　of　a　burst　appendix　in　1912；　back　when　Taft　was　President。　Pete　was　just　fourteen；　and　he　could　hit　a　baseball　farther　than　any　kid　in　town。　In　those　days　you　didn't　need　to　take　a　course　in　college　to　study　death；　hot…spice；　or　whatever　they　call　it。　In　those　days　it　came　into　the　house　and　said　howdy　and　sometimes　it　took　supper　with　you　and　sometimes　you　could　feel　it　bite　your　ass。〃
　　This　time　Norma　didn't　correct　him；　instead　she　nodded　silently。
　　Louis　stood　up；　stretched。　〃I　have　to　go；〃　he　said。　〃Big　day　tomorrow。〃
　　〃Yes；　the　merry…go…round　starts　for　you　tomorrow；　don't　it？〃　Jud　said；　also　standing。　Jud　saw　Norma　was　also　trying　to　get　up　and　gave　her　a　hand。　She　rose　with　a　grimace。
　　〃Bad　tonight；　is　it？〃　Louis　asked。
　　〃Not　so　bad；〃　she　said。
　　〃Put　some　heat　on　it　when　you　go　to　bed。〃
　　〃I　will；〃　Norma　said。　〃I　always　do。　And　Louis。　。　don't　fret　about　Ellie。　She'll　be　too　busy　gettin　to　know　her　new　friends　this　fall　to　worry　much　about　that　old　place。　Maybe　someday　all　of　em'II　go　up　and　repaint　some　of　the　signs；　or　pull　weeds；　or　plant　flowers。　Sometimes　they　do；　when　the　notion　takes　them。　And　she'll　feel　better　about　it。　She'll　start　to　get　that　nodding　acquaintance。〃
　　Not　if　my　wife　has　anything　to　say　about　it。
　　〃e　on　over　tomorrow　night　and　tell　me　how　it　went　up　at　the　college；　if　you　get　the　chance；〃　Jud　said。　〃I'll　whup　you　at　cribbage。〃
　　〃Well；　maybe　I'll　get　you　drunk　first；〃　Louis　said。　〃Double…skunk　you。〃
　　〃Doc；〃　Jud　said　with　great　sincerity；　〃the　day　I　get　double…skunked　at　cribbage　would　be　the　day　I'd　let　a　quack　like　you　treat　me。〃
　　He　left　on　their　laughter　and　crossed　the　road　to　his　own　house　in　the　late…summer　dark。
　　Rachel　was　sleeping　with　the　baby；　curled　up　on　her　side　of　the　bed　in　a　fetal；　protective　position。　He　supposed　she　would　get　over　it…there　had　been　other　arguments　and　times　of　coldness　in　their　marriage；　but　this　one　was　surely　the　worst　of　the　lot。　He　felt　sad　and　angry　and　unhappy　all　at　the　same　time；　wanting　to　make　it　up　but　not　sure　how；　not　even　sure　that　the　first　move　should　e　from　him。　It　was　all　so　pointless…only　a　capful　of　wind　somehow　blown　up　to　hurricane　proportions　by　a　trick　of　the　mind。　Other　fights　and　arguments；　yes；　sure；　but　only　a　few　as　bitter　as　the　one　over　Ellie's　tears　and　questions。　He　supposed　it　didn't　take　a　great　many　blows　like　that　before　the　marriage　sustained　structural　damage　and　then　one　day；　instead　of　reading　about　it　in　a　note　from　a　friend　（〃Well；　I　suppose　I　ought　to　tell　you　before　you　hear　it　from　someone　else；　Lou；　Maggie　and　I　are　splitting　。　。　。〃）　or　in　the　newspaper；　it　was　you。
　　He　undressed　to　his　shorts　quietly　and　set　the　alarm　for　6　A。M。　Then　he　showered；　washed　his　hair；　shaved；　and　crunched　up　a　Rolaid　before　brushing　his　teeth…Norma's　iced　tea　had　given　him　acid　indigestion。　Or　maybe　it　was　ing　home　and　seeing　Rachel　way　over　on　her　side　of　the　bed。　Territory　is　that　which　defines　all　else；　hadn't　he　read　that　in　some　college　history　course？
　　Everything　done；　the　evening　put　neatly　away；　he　went　to　bed。　。　。　but　couldn't　sleep。　There　was　something　else；　something　that　nagged　at　him。　The　last　two　days　went　around　and　around　in　his　head　as　he　listened　to　Rachel　and　Gage　breathing　nearly　in　tandem。　GEN。　PATTON　HANNAH　THE　BEST　DOG　THAT　EVER　LIVED　…。　MARIA　OUR　PET　RABIT。。。　Ellie；　furious。　I　don't　want　Church　to　ever　be　dead！。　。　。　He's　not　God's　cat！
　　Let　God　have　His　own　cat！　Rachel；　equally　furious。　You　as　a　doctor　should　know。　。　。　Norma　Crandall　saying　It　just　seems　like　people　want　to　forget　it　。　。　。　And　Jud；　his　voice　terribly　sure；　terribly　certain；　a　voice　from　another　age：　Sometimes　it　took　supper　with　you　and　sometimes　you　could　feel　it　bite　your　ass。
　　And　that　voice　merged　with　the　voice　of　his　mother；　who　had　lied　to　Louis　Creed　about　sex　at　four　but　told　him　the　truth　about　death　at　twelve；　when　his　cousin　Ruthie　had　been　killed　in　a　stupid　car　accident。　She　had　been　crushed　in　her　father's　car　by　a　kid　who　had　found　the　keys　in　a　Public　Works　Department　payloader　and　decided　to　take　it　for　a　cruise　and　then　found　out　he　didn't　know　how　to　stop　it。　The　kid　suffered　only　minor　cuts　and　contusions；　his　Uncle　Carl's　Fairlane　was　demolished。　She　can't　be　dead；　he　had　replied　in　answer　to　his　mother's　bald　statement。　He　had　heard　the　words；　but　he　couldn't　seem　to　get　the　sense　of　them。　What　do　you　mean；　she's　dead？　What　are　you　talking　about？　And　then；　as　an　afterthought：　Who's　going　to　bury　her？　For　although　Ruthie's　father；　Louis's　uncle；　was　an　undertaker；　he　couldn't　imagine　that　Uncle　Carl　would　possibly　be　the　one　to　do　it。　In　his　confusion　and　mounting　fear；　he　had　seized　upon　this　as　the　most　important　question。　It　was　a　genuine　conundrum；　like　who　cut　the　town　barber's　hair。
　　I　imagine　that　Donny　Donahue　will　do　it；　his　mother　replied。　Her　eyes　were　red…rimmed；　most　of　all　she　had　looked　tired。　His　mother　had　looked　almost　ill　with　weariness。
　　He's　your　uncle's　best　pal　in　the　business。　Oh；　but　Louis。
　　Sweet　little　Ruthie。　。　。　I　can't　stand　to　think　she　suffered　pray　with　me。　will　you；　Louis？　Pray　with　me　for　Ruthie。　I　need　you　to　help　me。
　　So　they　had　gotten　down　on　their　knees　in　the　kitchen；　he　and　his　mother；　and　they　prayed；　and　it　was　the　praying　that　finally　brought　it　home　to　him；　if　his　mother　was　praying　for　Ruthie　Creed's　soul；　then　it　meant　that　her　body　was　gone。　Before　his　closed　eyes　rose　a　terrible　image　of　Ruthie　ing　to　his　thirteenth　birthday　party　with　her　decaying　eyeballs　hanging　on　her　cheeks　and　blue　mould　growing　in　her　red　hair；　and　this　image　provoked　not　just　sickening　horror　but　an　awful　doomed　love。
　　He　cried　out　in　the　greatest　mental　agony　of　his　life；　〃She　can't　be　dead！　MOMMA；　SHE　CAN'T　BE　DEAD…I　LOVE　HER！〃
　　And　his　mother's　reply；　her　voice　flat　and　yet　full　of　images：　dead　fields　under　a　November　sky；　scattered　rose　petals　brown　and　turning　up　at　the　edges；　empty　pools　scummed　with　algae；　rot；　deposition；　dust