sk.petsematary-第25节

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　　〃It　can　wait　till　tomorrow　when　we　can　see…〃
　　〃Does　she　love　the　cat？〃
　　〃Yes；　but…〃　jud's　voice；　soft　and　somehow　logical：　〃And　do　you　love　her？〃
　　Of　course　I　love　her；　she　s　my　dau…　〃Then　e　on。〃
　　Louis　went。
　　Twice…maybe　three　times…on　the　walk　up　to　the　Pet　Sematary　that　night　Louis　tried　to　talk　to　Jud；　but　Jud　didn't　answer。　Louis　gave　up。　That　feeling　of　contentment；　odd　under　the　circumstances　but　a　pure　fact；　persisted。　It　seemed　to　e　from　everywhere。　The　steady　ache　in　his　muscles　from　carrying　Church　in　one　hand　and　the　shovel　in　the　other　was　a　part　of　it。　The　wind；　deadly　cold；　numbing　exposed　skin；　was　a　part　of　it；　it　wound　steadily　in　the　trees。　Once　they　got　into　the　woods；　there　was　no　snow　to　speak　of。　The　bobbing　light　of　Jud's　flash　was　a　part　of　it。　He　felt　the　pervasive；　undeniable；　magnetic　presence　of　some　secret。　Some　dark　secret。
　　The　shadows　fell　away　and　there　was　a　feeling　of　space。　Snow　shone　pallidly。
　　〃Rest　here；〃　Jud　said；　and　Louis　set　the　bag　down。　He　wiped　sweat　off　his　forehead　with　his　arm。　Rest　here？　But　they　were　here。　He　could　see　the　markers　in　the　moving；　aimless　sweep　of　Jud's　light　as　Jud　sat　down　in　the　thin　snow　and　put　his　face　between　his　arms。
　　〃Jud？　Are　you　all　right？〃
　　〃Fine。　Need　to　catch　my　breath　a　bit；　that's　all。〃
　　Louis　sat　down　next　to　him　and　deep…breathed　half　a　dozen　times。
　　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃I　feel　better　than　I　have　in　maybe　six　years。　I　know　that's　a　crazy　thing　to　say　when　you're　burying　your　daughter's　cat；　but　it's　the　flat　truth；　Jud。　I　feel　good。〃
　　Jud　breathed　deeply　once　or　twice　himself。　〃Yeah；　I　know；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　that　way　once　in　a　while。　You　don't　pick　your　times　for　feeling　good；　any　more　than　you　do　for　the　other。　And　the　place　has　something　to　do　with　it　too；　but　you　don't　want　to　trust　that。　Heroin　makes　dope　addicts　feel　good　when　they're　putting　it　in　their　arms；　but　all　the　time　it's　poisoning　them。　Poisoning　their　bodies　and　poisoning　their　way　of　thinking。　This　place　can　be　like　that；　Louis；　and　don't　you　ever　forget　it。　I　hope　to　God　I'm　doing　right。　I　think　I　am；　but　I　can't　be　sure。　Sometimes　my　head　gets　muddled。　It's　senility　ing；　I　think。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about。〃
　　〃This　place　has　power；　Louis。　Not　so　much　here；　but　。　。　。　the　place　we're　going。〃
　　〃Jud…〃
　　〃e　on；〃　Jud　said　and　was　on　his　feet　again。　The　flashlight's　beam　illuminated　the　deadfall。　Jud　was　walking　toward　it。　Louis　suddenly　remembered　his　episode　of　somnambulism。　What　was　it　Pascow　had　said　in　the　dream　that　had　acpanied　it？
　　Don't　go　beyond；　no　matter　how　much　you　feel　you　need　to；　Doctor。　The　barrier　was　not　made　to　be　broken。
　　But　now；　tonight；　that　dream　or　warning　or　whatever　it　had　been　seemed　years　rather　than　months　distant。　Louis　felt　fine　and　fey　and　alive；　ready　to　cope　with　anything；　and　yet　full　of　wonder。　It　occurred　to　him　that　this　was　very　much　like　a　dream。
　　Then　Jud　turned　toward　him；　the　hood　seeming　to　surround　a　blankness；　and　for　one　moment　Louis　imagined　that　it　was　Pascow　himself　who　now　stood　before　him；　that　the　shining　light　would　be　reversed；　trained　on　a　grinning；　gibbering　skull　framed　in　fur；　and　his　fear　returned　like　a　dash　of　cold　water。
　　〃Jud；〃　he　said；　〃we　can't　climb　over　that。　We'll　each　break　a　leg　and　then　probably　freeze　to　death　trying　to　get　back。〃
　　〃Just　follow　me；〃　Jud　said。　〃Follow　me　and　don't　look　down。　Don't　hesitate　and　don't　look　down。　I　know　the　way　through；　but　it　has　to　be　done　quick　and　sure。〃
　　Louis　began　to　think　that　perhaps　it　was　a　dream；　that　he　had　simply　never　awakened　from　his　afternoon　nap。　If　I　was　awake；　he　thought；　I'd　no　more　head　up　that　deadfall　than　I'd　get　drunk　and　go　skydiving。　But　I'm　going　to　do　it。　I　really　think　I　am。　So
　　I　must　be　dreaming。　Right？
　　Jud　angled　slightly　left；　away　from　the　center　of　the　deadfall。　The　flash's　beam　centered　brightly　on　the　jumbled　heap　of
　　（bones）
　　fallen　trees　and　old　logs。　The　circle　of　light　grew　smaller　and　even　brighter　as　they　approached。　Without　the　slightest　pause；　without　even　a　brief　scan　to　assure　himself　that　he　was　in　the　right　place；　Jud　started　up。　He　did　not　scramble；　he　did　not　climb　bent　over；　the　way　a　man　will　climb　a　rocky　hillside　or　a　sandy　slope。　He　simply　mounted；　as　if　climbing　a　set　of　stairs。　He　walked　like　a　man　who　knows　exactly　where　his　next　step　is　ing　from。
　　Louis　followed　in　the　same　way。
　　He　did　not　look　down　or　search　for　footholds。　It　came　to　him　with　a　strange　but　total　surety　that　the　deadfall　could　not　harm　him　unless　he　allowed　it　to。　It　was　a　piece　of　utter　assholery　of　course；　like　the　stupid　confidence　of　a　man　who　believes　it's　safe　to　drive　when　totally　shitfaced　as　long　as　he's　wearing　his　St。　Christopher's　medallion。
　　But　it　worked；
　　There　was　no　pistol…shot　snap　of　an　old　branch　giving　way；　no　sickening　plunge　into　a　hole　lined　with　jutting；　weather…whitened　splinters；　each　one　ready　to　cut　and　gore　and　mangle。　His　shoes
　　（Hush　Puppy　loafers…hardly　remended　for　climbing　dead…falls）　did　not　slip　on　the　old　dry　moss　which　had　overgrown　many　of　the　fallen　trees。　He　pitched　neither　forward　nor　backward。　The　wind　sang　wildly　through　the　fir　trees　all　around　them。
　　For　a　moment　he　saw　Jud　standing　on　top　of　the　deadfall；　and　then　he　began　down　the　far　side；　calves　dropping　out　of　sight；　then　thighs；　then　hips　and　waist。　The　light　bounced　randomly　off　the　whipping　branches　of　the　trees　on　the　other　side　of　the　barrier。　Yes；　that's　what　it　was…why　try　to　pretend　it　wasn't？　The　barrier。
　　Louis　reached　the　top　himself　and　paused　there　momentarily；　right　foot　planted　on　an　old　fallen　tree　that　was　canted　up　at　a　thirty…five…degree　angle；　left　foot　on　something　springier…a　mesh　of　old　fir　branches？　He　didn't　look　down　to　see；　but　only　switched　the　heavy　trashbag　with　Church's　body　in　it　from　his　right　hand　to　his　left；　exchanging　it　for　the　lighter　shovel。　He　turned　his　face　up　into　the　wind　and　felt　it　sweep　past　him　in　an　endless　current；　lifting　his　hair。　It　was　so　cold；　so　clean　。　。　。　so　constant。
　　Moving　casually；　almost　sauntering；　he　started　down　again。　Once　a　branch　that　felt　to　be　the　thickness　of　a　brawny　man's　wrist　snapped　loudly　under　his　foot；　but　he　felt　no　concern　at　all
　　…and　his　plunging　foot　was　stopped　firmly　by　a　heavier　branch　some　four　inches　down。　Louis　hardly　staggered。　He　supposed　that　now　he　could　understand　how　pany　manders　in　World　War　I　had　been　able　to　stroll　along　the　top　of　the　trenches　with　bullets　snapping　all　around　them；　whistling　〃Tipperary。〃　It　was　crazy；　but　the　very　craziness　made　it　tremendously　exhilarating。
　　He　walked　down；　looking　straight　ahead　at　the　bright　circle　of　Jud's　light。　Jud　was　standing　there；　waiting　for　him。　Then　he　reached　the　bottom；　and　the　exhilaration　flared　up　in　him　like　a　shot　of　coal　oil　on　embers。
　　〃We　made　it！〃　he　shouted。　He　put　the　shovel　down　and　clapped　Jud　on　the　shoulder。　He　remembered　climbing　an　apple　tree　to　the　top　fork　where　it　swayed　in　the　wind　like　a　ship's　mast。　He　had　not　felt　so　young　or　so　viscerally　alive　in　twenty　years　or　more。　〃Jud；　we　made　it！〃
　　〃Did　you　think　we　wouldn't？〃　Jud　asked。
　　Louis　opened　his　mouth　to　say　something…Think　we　wouldn't？
　　We're　damn　lucky　we　didn't　kill　ourselves！…and　then　he　shut　it　again。　He　had　never　really　questioned　at　all；　not　from　the　moment　Jud　approached　the　deadfall。　And　he　was　not　worried　about　getting　back　over　again。
　　〃I　guess　not；〃　he　said。
　　〃e　on。　Cot　a　piece　to　walk　yet。　Three　miles　or　more。〃
　　They　walked。　The　path　did　indeed　go　on。　In　places　it　seemed　very　wide；　although　the　moving　light　revealed　little　clearly；　it　was　mostly　a　feeling　of　space；　a　feeling　that　the　trees　had　drawn　back。　Once　or　twice　Louis　looked　up　and　saw　stars　wheeling　between　the　massed　dark　border　of　trees。　Once　something　loped　across　the　path　ahead　of　them；　and　the　light　picked　up　the　reflection　of　greenish　eyes…there　and　then　gone。
　　At　other　times　the　path　closed　in　until　underbrush　scratched　stiff　fingers　across　the　shoulders　of　Louis's　coat。　He　switched　the　bag　and　the　shovel　more　often；　but　the　ache　in　his　shoulders　was　now　constant。　He　fell　into　a　rhythm　of　walking　and　became　almost　hypnotized　with　it。　There　was　power　here；　yes；　he　felt　it。　He　remembered　a　time　when　he　had　been　a　senior　in　high　school。　He　and　his　girl　and　some　other　couple　had　gone　way　out　in　the　boonies　and　had　ended　up　necking　at　the　end　of　a　dead…end　dirt　road　near　a　power　station。　They　hadn't　been　there　long　before　Louis's　girl　said　that　she　wanted　to　go　home；　or　at　least　to　another　place；　because　all　her　teeth　（all　the　ones　with　fillings；　anyway；　and　that　was　most　of　them）　were　aching。　Louis　had　been　glad　to　leave　himself。　The　air　around　the　power　station　had　made　him　feel　nervous　and　too　awake。　This　was　like　that；　but　it　was　stronger。　Stronger　but　not　unpleasant　at　all。　It　was…　Jud　had　stopped　at　the　base　of　a　long　slope。　Louis　ran　into　him。
　　Jud　turned　toward　him。　〃We're　almost　where　we're　going　now；〃　he　said　calmly。　〃This　next　bit　is　like　the　deadfall…you　got　to　walk　steady　and　easy。　Just　follow　me　and　don't　look　down。　You　felt　us　going　downhill？〃
　　〃Y