gns.snakes-第21节

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　been　he　wondered　if　there　was　enough　petrol　in　the　tank　to　get　them　out　of　there。　You're　a　stupid　prick；　Keith　Doyle。　The　snake　on　the　bonnet　seemed　to　be　laughing　in　agreement　with　him。
　　
　　'We're　stuck。'　Kirsten　was　sobbing　again。　'There's　no　way　we're　going　to　get　out　of　here。'
　　
　　'Don't　be　stupid；　we're　only　yards　from　the　village；　the　main　street。　I've　only　got　to　blow　the　horn　and　the　soldiers　will　e　on　the　run。'
　　
　　'Blow　it　then。'
　　
　　He　pressed　the　klaxon　button；　knew　even　as　he　did　so　that　it　would　not　even　muster　up　the　force　of　a　good　fart。　Simply　because　the　horn　worked　off　the　battery　like　everything　else　on　a　vehicle…lights；　flashers…the　battery　was　the　heart　of　a　motor　car；　determined　whether　it　lived　or　died。　And　Keith　Doyle's　van　right　now　was　very　dead。
　　
　　'I'll　think　of　something。　Don't　panic。'　He　leaned　across　her　and　locked　the　door；　as　much　to　prevent　her　from　leaping　out　as　the　snake　from　getting　in。　'It　can't　get　to　us。'
　　
　　'It's　。　。　。　horrible。'
　　
　　'I　wonder　what　species　it　is。'　Talking　for　the　sake　of　talking。　'It　certainly　isn't　a　rattler　because　I　know　what　they　look　like。'　A　joke　that　did　not　sound　funny。
　　
　　'I　don't　care　what　sort　it　is；'　she　snapped。　'I　just　wish　it　was　dead　along　with　all　its　mates。'
　　
　　It　was　dark　now；　the　two　people　inside　the　vehicle　could　barely　see　each　other's　silhouettes。　Even　the　dashboard　lights　were　too　faint　to　give　off　so　much　as　a　glow。　But　there　was　enough　light　for　them　to　be　able　to　make　out　the　shape　of　the　snake　that　held　them　prisoner。　It　had　coiled　itself　up　again；　settled　down　on　the　bonnet；　head　up　against　the　glass　windscreen。　Watching　and　waiting。
　　
　　And　the　coral　snake　which　had　so　recently　witnessed　the　death　of　its　mate　at　the　hands　of　Man　was　in　no　hurry。　Vengeance　was　within　its　grasp　and　there　was　no　way　it　was　going　to　allow　its　prisoners　to　escape。　After　it　had　killed　them　it　would　die　because　there　would　be　nothing　left　to　live　for。　It　would　wait。
　　
　　'We　can't　stop　here。'
　　
　　Keith　was　relieved　to　hear　Kirsten　speak　fairly　normally；　keeping　her　face　turned　away　from　the　windscreen；　pushing　herself　back　into　the　seat。
　　
　　'At　the　moment　we　can't　do　much　else。'　he　answered。　He　remembered　that　the　rear　doors　of　the　van　were　not　locked　but　it　did　not　really　matter；　no　snake　would　be　capable　of　turning　the　handle；　and；　in　any　case；　the　lock　only　functioned　from　the　outside。　Don't　think　about　it。　'We'll　just　have　to　be　patient。　Somebody　is　bound　to　find　us　soon。'
　　
　　He　did　not　add　that　it　was　unlikely　to　be　before　morning。　The　searchers　had　called　off　the　hunt　for　today；　it　would　be　seven　o'clock　before　they　remenced。　He　and　Kirsten　were　almost　certainly　there　for　the　night。
　　
　　It　was　going　to　be　a　long　one。
　　
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　12
　　
　　PC　KEN　AYLOTT　stared　around　the　small　room　that　for　the　past　two　years　had　been　his　office。　It　bore　little　resemblance　to　the　neatly　arranged　room　that　had　contained　only　a　week　ago　two　filing　cabinets；　a　desk　with　some　wire　trays　on　it；　telephone；　a　notice…board　with　warnings　about　such　relatively　harmless　creatures　as　Colorado　beetles　pinned　on　it。　Dull　and　boring　but　at　least　it　had　been　his。　Whatever　his　resentment　about　this　out…of…the…way　posting；　he　had　had　the　small　consolation　of　knowing　that　this　was　his　pad　and　he　was　the　boss。　Now；　within　the　space　of　a　few　days；　all　that　had　been　taken　from　him。
　　
　　The　office　was　a　shambles；　piles　of　untidily　heaped　papers　that　would　in　all　probability　never　be　sorted　and　filed；　a　mountain　of　rubber　boots　in　the　corner；　discarded　clothing。　If　he　had　been　in　charge　of　operations　the　place　would　never　have　been　allowed　to　get　into　this　state。　Damn　it；　he　had　been　relegated　to　the　status　of　office　boy。　Stop　here　and　answer　the　phone；　Aylott；　radio　us　if　anything　important　crops　up。　Your　job　is　to　hold　the　fort。　The　super　made　it　sound　important；　like　telling　a　child　he　was　responsible　for　picking　up　his　scattered　toys；　do　your　best　and　we'll　check　it　over　when　we　get　back。　You're　not　getting　the　chance　to　skive　on　outside　operations。　Not　that　Aylott　particularly　wanted　to　be　out　there　with　every　chance　of　a　rattler　jumping　at　you　out　of　the　undergrowth。
　　
　　Shirley；　his　wife；　was　asleep　in　the　police　house　adjoining　the　official　office　block。　She　didn't　seem　to　be　able　to　grasp　that　Stainforth　was　a　dead…end　job；　said　quite　calmly　that　she　would　be　happy　to　stay　here　for　the　rest　of　her　life；　buy　one　of　those　semis　in　the　village　after　Ken　retired　in　another　fifteen　years。　Fifteen　years；　Jesus　wept！　Ken　Aylott　could　weep　if　he　stopped　to　think　about　it　too　long。
　　
　　Of　course；　it　was　the　Raglan　case　that　was　the　sole　reason　for　his　posting　to　Stainforth；　A　balls…up；　the　classical　clanger　that　a　copper　on　a　Manchester　beat　should　not　have　dropped。　He'd　picked　up　Raglan；　the　man　who　had　mitted　a　dozen　horrific　sex　murders　and　questioned　him。　He　should　have　held　the　bastard；　but　at　the　time　the　man's　story　seemed　genuine　enough。　The　policeman　had　fallen　for　a　false　name　and　address　and　a　volume　of　lies　thrown　in；　a　few　scribblings　in　his　notebook　that　he　had　not　thought　worth　the　paperwork　so　he'd　let　it　go　at　that；　and　Raglan　too。　Three　months　and　six　corpses　later　the　CID　had　nailed　Raglan　and　everything　came　out。　You　could　have　saved　us　millions　of　pounds　and　six　lives　as　well；　copper；　if　you　had　done　your　job　properly　on　the　night　of　10　January。　Every　rookie　makes　a　mistake；　some　bigger　than　others。　This　will　go　against　you。
　　
　　'It　wasn't　your　fault；〃　Shirley　had　said。　She　had　stuck　by　him　as　she　invariably　did　in　everything。　'They　can't　blame　you；　you　weren't　to　know。'
　　
　　Kick　PC　Aylott's　arse。　Hard。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　an　acute　shortage　of　manpower　due　to　the　police　mitment　on　manning　picket　lines　Ken　might　well　have　had　his　arse　kicked　even　harder；　right　out　of　the　Force。　He　spent　weeks　away　from　home　in　the　daily　turmoil　of　shoving；　yelling　crowds；　had　a　week　in　hospital　when　he　was　unfortunate　enough　to　have　a　half…brick　land　on　his　head。　And　then；　within　a　fortnight　of　the　settlement　of　the　long　dispute；　he　received　the　Stainforth　posting。
　　
　　They　even　tried　to　make　a　meal　out　of　that；　〃This　is　your　big　chance；　copper；　your　opportunity　to　prove　yourself。'　There　was　the　odd　case　of　sheep…worrying　by　dogs　（there　weren't　even　any　rustlers　around　Stainforth）；　threatening　to　nick　the　Rising　Sun　because　one　night　there　were　half　a　dozen　in　there　drinking　after　eleven。　Keeping　an　eye　on　one　or　two　suspect　vehicles　that　might　not　get　through　their　MOTs　and　could　just　be　used　on　the　roads　when　their　owners　were　in　possession　of　a　failed　certificate。　Oh；　Mother　of　God；　big　deal！
　　
　　It　wasn't　Ken　Aylott's　week　on　nights　but　he　clicked　for　it　just　the　same。　They　had　taken　the　two　boys　from　the　town　off　the　night　shift…they　should　have　covered　Stainforth　from　8　P。M。　to　8　A。M。…because　they　needed　them　on　'days'　to　man　the　road…blocks。　'It'll　help　if　you'll　cover　the　night　shift；　Ken。　There　won't　be　much　happening。'　There　never　bloody　well　was；　that　was　the　trouble。　Keep　on　your　toes；　copper；　this　is　your　big　chance。
　　
　　Ken　lit　a　cigarette；　sat　looking　at　this　pig…hole　of　an　office；　even　thought　about　tidying　it　up；　restoring　some　semblance　of　order。　He'd　get　a　bollocking　from　the　super　for　sure　if　he　did　that。　You　seem　to　think　this　is　jour　office；　Constable。
　　
　　He　half…considered　jacking　it　all　in；　typing　out　his　notice　and　leaving　it　on　the　desk　for　Burlington　to　see　when　he　arrived　in　the　morning。　Stick　that　where　the　monkey　sticks　his　nuts；　I　finish　on　Saturday　week。　But　he　didn't；　and　not　just　because　Shirley　was　expecting　their　first　baby　and　the　monthly　jobless　tally；　according　to　the　television　last　Monday；　had　risen　by　another　2；000　in　the　month　of　May。　That　alone　wouldn't　have　stopped　him；　it　was　his　personal　pride　that　did。　You　failed；　copper；　so　you　threw　in　the　sponge；　hadn't　the　guts　to　see　if　you　could　make　it　all　the　way　back；　claw　yourself　out　of　demotion　and　Stainforth。　You　took　the　easy　way　out；　didn't　you？
　　
　　But　how；　for　Christ's　sake；　tell　me　how？　He　knew　the　answer　without　waiting　for　it　to　echo　back　off　those　four　walls　in　taunting　whispers。　You　know　how；　copper；　go　out　and　find　those　snakes。　Nobody　else　has　so　far。　You'll　be　a　national　hero；　they'll　have　to　give　you　your　stripes　then　because　if　they　don't　the　people　of　Stainforth　will　petition　for　your　promotion。　Like　bloody　hell　they　will！　The　villagers　don't　petition　for　anything　except　against　somebody　making　too　much　noise　on　a　Sunday。
　　
　　It'll　still　count　for　a　lot。　Yeah；　maybe　you're　right　but　I　don't　stand　much　chance；　not　in　the　dark。　You　won't　get　your　opportunity　in　the　daytime；　you　know　that；　stop　here　and　mind　the　phone；　Constable。　Radio　us　if　there's　anything　really　important。
　　
　　Ken　Aylott　was　sweating　just　at　the　thought　of　going　out　there。　He　could　smell　his　own　body　odours；　a　sour　stench　that　highlighted　his　fears；　stopped　him　from　kidding　even　himself　that　he　was　not　afraid。　A　good　copper's　one　who　does　his　duty　even　though　he's　scared　to　hell；　only　fools　and　liars　kid　themselves