stephen king - mist-第27节

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had　said　（while　his　wife　candled　eggs　and　roosters　crowed　querulously　outside）；　when　the　technologies　fail；　when　the　conventional　religious　systems　fail；　people　have　got　to　have　something。　Even　a　zombie　lurching　through　the　night　can　seem　pretty　cheerful　pared　to　the　existential　edy/horror　of　the　ozone　layer　dissolving　under　the　bined　assault　of　a　million　fluorocarbon　spray　cans　of　deodorant。
　We　had　been　trapped　here　for　twenty…six　hours　and　we　hadn't　been　able　to　do　diddlyshit。　Our　one　expedition　outside　had　resulted　in　fifty…seven　percent　losses。　It　wasn't　so　surprising　that　Mrs。　Carmody　had　turned　into　a　growth　stock；　maybe。
　〃Has　she　really　got　a　dozen　people？〃　I　asked。
　〃Well；　only　eight；〃　Cornell　said。　〃But　she　never　shuts　up！　It's　like　those　ten…hour　speeches　Castro　used　to　make。　It's　a　goddam　filibuster。〃
　Eight　people。　Not　that　many；　not　even　enough　to　fill　up　a　jury　box。　But　I　understood　the　worry　on　their　faces。　It　was　enough　to　make　them　the　single　largest　political　force　in　the　market；　especially　now　that　Dan　and　Mike　were　gone。　The　thought　that　the　biggest　single　group　in　our　closed　system　was　listening　to　her　rant　on　about　the　pits　of　hell　and　the　seven　vials　being　opened　made　me　feel　pretty　damn　claustrophobic。
　〃She's　started　talking　about　human　sacrifice　again；〃　Amanda　said。　〃Bud　Brown　came　over　and　told　her　to　stop　talking　that　drivel　in　his　store。　And　two　of　the　men　that　are　with　her　…　one　of　them　was　that　man　Myron　LaFleur…told　him　he　was　the　one　who　better　shut　up　because　it　was　still　a　free　country。　He　wouldn't　shut　up　and　there　was　a　。。。　well；　a　shoving　match；　I　guess　you'd　say。〃
　〃Brown　got　a　bloody　nose；〃　Cornell　said。　〃They　mean　business。〃
　I　said；　〃Surely　not　to　the　point　of　actually　killing　someone。
　Cornell　said　softly；　〃I　don't　know　how　far　they'll　go　if　that　mist　doesn't　let　up。　But　I　don't　want　to　find　out。　I　intend　to　get　out　of　here。〃
　〃Easier　said　than　done。〃　But　something　had　begun　to　tick　over　in　my　mind。　Scent。　That　was　the　key。　We　had　been　left　pretty　much　alone　in　the　market。　The　bugs　might　have　been　attracted　to　the　light；　as　more　ordinary　bugs　were。　The　birds　had　simply　followed　their　food　supply。　But　the　bigger　things　had　left　us　alone　unless　we　unbuttoned　for　some　reason。　The　slaughter　in　the　Bridgton　Pharmacy　had　occurred　because　the　doors　had　been　left　chocked　open…I　was　sure　of　that。　The　thing　or　things　that　had　gotten　Norton　and　his　party　had　sounded　as　big　as　a　house；　but　it　or　they　hadn't　e　near　the　market。　And　that　meant　that　maybe　。。。
　Suddenly　I　wanted　to　talk　to　Ollie　Weeks。　I　needed　to　talk　to　him。
　〃I　intend　to　get　out　or　die　trying；〃　Cornell　said。　〃I　got　no　plans　to　spend　the　rest　of　the　summer　in　here。〃
　〃There　have　been　four　suicides；〃　Amanda　said　suddenly。
　〃What？〃　The　first　thing　to　cross　my　mind；　in　a　semiguilty　flash；　was　that　the　bodies　of　the　soldiers　had　been　discovered。
　〃Pills；〃　Cornell　said　shortly。　〃Me　and　two　or　three　other　'guys　carried　the　bodies　out　back。〃
　I　had　to　stifle　a　shrill　laugh。　We　had　a　regular　morgue　going　back　there。
　〃It's　thinning　out；〃　Cornell　said。　〃I　want　to　get　gone。〃
　〃You　won't　make　it　to　your　car。　Believe　me。〃
　〃Not　even　to　that　first　rank？　That's　closer　than　the　drugstore。〃
　I　didn't　answer　him。　Not　then。
　About　an　hour　later　I　found　Ollie　holding　up　the　beer　cooler　and　drinking　a　Busch。　His　face　was　impassive　but　he　also　seemed　to　be　watching　Mrs。　Carmody。　She　was　tireless；　apparently。　And　she　was　indeed　discussing　human　sacrifice　again；　only　now　no　one　was　telling　her　to　shut　up。　Some　of　the　people　who　had　told　her　to　shut　up　yesterday　were　either　with　her　today　or　at　least　willing　to　listen…and　the　others　were　outnumbered。
　〃She　could　have　them　talked　around　to　it　by　tomorrow　morning；〃　Ollie　remarked。　〃Maybe　not　。。。　but　if　she　did；　who　do　you　think　she'd　single　out　for　the　honor？〃
　Bud　Brown　had　crossed　her。　So　had　Amanda。　There　was　the　man　who　had　struck　her。　And　then；　of　course；　there　was　me。
　〃Ollie；〃　I　said；　〃I　think　maybe　half　a　dozen　of　us　could　get　out　of　here。　I　don't　know　how　far　we'd　…get；　but　I　think　we　could　at　least　get　out。〃
　〃How？〃
　I　laid　it　out　for　him。　It　was　simple　enough。　if　we　dashed　across　to　my　Scout　and　piled　in；　they　would　get　no　human　scent。　At　least　not　with　the　windows　rolled　up。
　〃But　suppose　they're　attracted　to　some　other　scent？〃　Ollie　asked。　〃Exhaust；　for　instance？〃
　〃Then　we'd　be　cooked；〃　I　agreed。
　〃Motion；〃　he　said。　〃The　motion　of　a　car　through　fog　might　also　draw　them；　David。〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　Not　without　the　scent　of　prey。　I　really　believe　that's　the　key　to　getting　away。〃
　〃But　you　don't　know。〃
　〃No；　not　for　sure。〃
　〃Where　would　you　want　to　go？〃
　〃First？　Home。　To　get　my　wife。〃
　〃David…〃
　〃All　right。　To　check。　To　be　sure。〃
　〃The　things　out　there　could　be　everyplace；　David。　They　could　get　you　the　minute　you　stepped　out　of　your　Scout　into　your　dooryard。〃
　〃If　that　happened；　the　Scout　would　be　yours。　All　I'd　ask　would　be　that　you　take　care　of　Billy　as　well　as　you　could　for　as　long　as　you　could。〃
　Ollie　finished　his　Busch　and　dropped　the　can　back　into　the　cooler；　where　it　clattered　among　the　empties。　The　butt　of　the　gun　Amanda's　husband　had　given　her　protruded　from　his　pocket。
　〃South？〃　He　asked；　meeting　my　eyes。
　〃Yeah；　I　would；〃　I　said。　〃Go　south　and　try　to　get　out　of　the　mist。　Try　like　hell。〃
　〃How　much　gas　you　got？〃
　〃Almost　full。〃
　〃Have　you　thought　that　it　might　be　impossible　to　get　out？〃
　I　had。　Suppose　what　they　had　been　fooling　with　at　the　Arrowhead　Project　had　pulled　this　entire　region　into　another　dimension　as　easily　as　you　or　I　would　turn　a　sock　inside　out？　〃It　had　crossed　my　mind；〃　I　said；　〃but　the　alternative　seems　to　be　waiting　around　to　see　who　Mrs。　Carmody　taps　for　the　place　of　honor。〃
　〃Were　you　thinking　about　today？〃
　〃No；　it's　afternoon　already　and　those　things　get　active　at　night。　I　was　thinking　about　tomorrow；　very　early。〃
　〃　Who　would　you　want　to　take？〃
　〃Me　and　you　and　Billy。　Hattie　Turman。　Amanda　Dumfries。　That　old　guy　Cornell　and　Mrs。　Reppler。　Maybe　Bud　Brown　too。　That's　eight；　but　Billy　can　sit　on　someone's　lap　and　we　can　all　squash　together。〃
　He　thought　it　over。　〃All　right；〃　he　said　finally。　〃We'll　try。　Have　you　mentioned　this　to　anyone　else？〃
　〃No；　not　yet。〃
　〃My　advice　would　be　not　to；　not　until　about　four　tomorrow　morning。　I'll　put　a　couple　of　bags　of　groceries　under　the　checkout　nearest　the　door。　If　we're　lucky　we　can　squeak　out　before　anyone　knows　what's　happening。〃　His　eyes　drifted　to　Mrs。　Carmody　again。　〃If　she　knew；　she　might　try　to　stop　us。〃
　〃You　think　so？〃
　Ollie　got　another　beer。　〃I　think　so；〃　he　said。
　That　afternoon…yesterday　afternoon…passed　in　a　kind　of　slow　motion。　Darkness　crept　in；　turning　the　fog　to　that　dull　chrome　color　again。　What　world　was　left　outside　slowly　dissolved　to　black　by　eight…thirty。
　The　pink　bugs　returned；　then　the　bird…things；　swooping　into　the　windows　and　scooping　them　up。　Something　roared　occasionally　from　the　dark；　and　once；　shortly　before　midnight；　there　was　a　long；　drawn…out　Aaaaarooooooo！　that　caused　people　to　turn　toward　the　blackness　with　frightened；　searching　faces。　It　was　the　sort　of　sound　you'd　imagine　a　bull　alligator　might　make　in　a　swamp。
　It　went　pretty　much　as　Miller　had　predicted。　By　the　small　hours；　Mrs。　Carmody　had　gained　another　half　dozen　souls。　Mr。　McVey　the　butcher　was　among　them；　standing　with　his　arms　folded；　watching　her。
　She　was　totally　wound　Lip。　She　seemed　to　need　no　sleep。　Her　sermon；　a　steady　stream　of　horrors　out　of　Dore；　Bosch；　and　Jonathan　Edwards；　went　on　and　on；　building　toward　some　climax。　Her　group　began　to　murmur　with　her；　to　rock　back　and　forth　unconsciously；　like　true　believers　at　a　tent　revival。　Their　eyes　were　shiny　and　blank。　They　were　under　her　spell。
　Around　3：00　A。M。　（the　sermon　went　on　relentlessly；　and　the　people　who　were　not　interested　had　retreated　to　the　back　to　try　to　get　some　sleep）　I　saw　Ollie　put　a　bag　of　groceries　on　a　shelf　under　the　checkout　nearest　the　OUT　door。　Half　an　hour　later　he　put　another　bag　beside　it。　No　one　appeared　to　notice　him　but　me。　Billy；　Amanda；　and　Mrs。　Turman　slept　together　by　the　denuded　cold…cuts　section。　I　joined　them　and　fell　into　an　uneasy　doze。
　At　four…fifteen　by　my　wristwatch；　Ollie　shook　me　awake。　Cornell　was　with　him；　his　eyes　gleaming　brightly　from　behind　his　spectacles。
　〃It's　time；　David；〃　Ollie　said。
　A　nervous　cramp　hit　my　belly　and　then　passed。　I　shook　Amanda　awake。　The　question　of　what　might　happen　with　both　Amanda　and　Stephanie　in　the　car　together　passed　into　my　mind；　and　then　passed　right　out　again。　Today　it　would　be　best　to　take　things　just　as　they　came。
　Those　remarkable　green　eyes　opened　and　looked　into　mine。　〃David？〃
　〃We're　going　to　take　a　stab　at　getting　out　of　here。　Do　you　want　to　e？〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　I　started　to　explain；　then　woke　up　Mrs。　Turman　so　I　would　only　have　to　go　through　it　the　once。
　〃Your　theory　about　scent；〃　Amanda　said。　〃It's　really　only　an　educated　guess　at　this　point；　isn't　it　？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃It　doesn't　matter　to　me；〃　Hattie　said。　Her　face　was　white　and　in　spite　of　the　sleep　she'd　gotten　there　were　large　discolored　patches　under　her　eyes。　〃I　would　do　anything…take　any　chan