stephen king - mist-第5节

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　Bill　Giosti　gave　my　son　Bill　a　long；　bloodshot　glance　that　finally　deflated　him。　〃These　are　different　atoms；　Son。〃
　〃Oh；　yeah；〃　Billy　muttered；　giving　in。
　Dick　Muehler；　our　insurance　agent；　said　the　Arrowhead　Project　was　an　agricultural　station　the　government　was　running；　no　more　or　less。　〃Bigger　tomatoes　with　a　longer　growing　season；〃　Dick　said　sagely；　and　then　went　back　to　showing　me　how　I　could　help　my　family　most　efficiently　by　dying　young。　Janine　Lawless；　our　postlady；　said　it　was　a　geological　survey　having　something　to　do　with　shale　oil。　She　knew　for　a　fact；　because　her　husband's　brother　worked　for　a　man　who　had
　Mrs。　Carmody；　now　。。。　she　probably　leaned　more　to　Bill　Giosti's　view　of　the　matter。　Not　just　atoms；　but　different　atoms。
　I　cut　two　more　chunks　off　the　big　tree　and　dropped　them　over　the　side　before　Billy　came　back　with　a　fresh　beer　in　one　hand　and　a　note　from　Steff　in　the　other。　If　there's　anything　Big　Bill　likes　to　do　more　than　run　messages；　I　don't　know　what　it　could　be。
　〃Thanks；〃　I　said；　taking　them　both。
　〃Can　I　have　a　swallow？〃
　〃Just　one。　You　took　two　last　time。　Can't　have　you　running　around　drunk　at　ten　in　the　morning。〃
　〃Quarter　past；〃　he　said；　and　smiled　shyly　over　the　top　of　the　can。　I　smiled　back…not　that　it　was　such　a　great　joke；　you　know；　but　Billy　makes　them　so　rarely…and　then　read　the　note。
　〃Got　JBQ　on　the　radio；〃　Steffy　had　written。　〃Don't　get　drunk　before　you　go　to　town。　You　can　have　one　more；　but　that's　it　before　lunch。　Do　you　think　you　can　get　up　our　road　okay？〃
　I　handed　him　the　note　back　and　took　my　beer。　〃Tell　her　the　road's　okay　because　a　power　truck　just　went　by。　They'll　be　working　their　way　up　here。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃Champ
　〃What；　Dad？〃
　〃Tell　her　everything's　okay。〃
　He　smiled　again；　maybe　telling　himself　first。　〃Okay。〃
　He　ran　back　and　I　watched　him　go；　legs　pumping；　soles　of　his　zori　showing。　I　love　him。　It's　his　face　and　sometimes　the　way　his　eyes　turn　up　to　mine　that　make　me　feel　as　if　things　are　really　okay。　It's　a　lie；　of　course…things　are　not　okay　and　never　have　been…but　my　kid　makes　me　believe　the　lie。
　I　drank　some　beer；　set　the　can　down　carefully　on　a　rock；　and　got　the　chainsaw　going　again。　About　twenty　minutes　later　I　felt　a　light　tap　on　my　shoulder　and　turned；　expecting　to　see　Billy　again。　Instead　it　was　Brent　Norton。　I　turned　off　the　chainsaw。
　He　didn't　look　the　way　Norton　usually　looks。　He　looked　hot　and　tired　and　unhappy　and　a　little　bewildered。
　〃Hi；　Brent；〃　I　said。　Our　last　words　had　been　hard　ones；　and　I　was　a　little　unsure　how　to　proceed。　I　had　a　funny　feeling　that　he　had　been　standing　behind　me　for　the　last　five　minutes　or　so；　clearing　his　throat　decorously　under　the　chainsaw's　aggressive　roar。　I　hadn't　gotten　a　really　good　look　at　him　this　summer。　He　had　lost　weight；　but　it　didn't　look　good。　It　should　have；　because　he　had　been　carrying　around　an　extra　twenty　pounds；　but　it　didn't。　His　wife　had　died　the　previous　November。　Cancer。　Aggie　Bibber　told　Steffy　that。　Aggie　was　our　resident　necrologist。　Every　neighborhood　has　one。　From　the　casual　way　Norton　had　of　ragging　his　wife　and　belittling　her　（doing　it　with　the　contemptuous　ease　of　a　veteran　matador　inserting　banderillas　in　an　old　bull's　lumbering　body）；　I　would　have　guessed　he'd　be　glad　to　have　her　gone。　If　asked；　I　might　even　have　speculated　that　he'd　show　up　this　summer　with　a　girl　twenty　years　younger　than　he　was　on　his　arm　and　a　silly　my…cock…has…died…and…gone…to…heaven　grin　on　his　face。　But　instead　of　the　silly　grin　there　was　only　a　new　batch　of　age　lines；　and　the　weight　had　e　off　in　all　the　wrong　places；　leaving　sags　and　folds　and　dewlaps　that　told　their　own　story。　For　one　passing　moment　I　wanted　only　to　lead　Norton　to　a　patch　of　sun　and　sit　him　beside　one　of　the　fallen　trees　with　my　can　of　beer　in　his　hand；　and　do　a　charcoal　sketch　of　him。
　〃Hi；　Dave；〃　he　said；　after　a　long　moment　of　awkward　silence　…　a　silence　that　was　made　even　louder　by　the　absence　of　the　chainsaw's　racket　and　roar。　He　stopped；　then　blurted：　〃That　tree。　That　damn　tree。　I'm　sorry。　You　were　right。〃
　I　shrugged。
　He　said；　〃Another　tree　fell　on　my　car。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　h…〃　I　began；　and　then　a　horrid　suspicion　dawned。　〃It　wasn't　the　T…Bird；　was　it？〃
　〃Yeah。　It　was。〃
　Norton　had　a　1960　Thunderbird　in　mint　condition；　only　thirty　thousand　miles。　It　was　a　deep　midnight　blue　inside　and　out。　He　drove　it　only　summers；　and　then　only　rarely。　He　loved　that　Bird　the　way　some　men　love　electric　trains　or　model　ships　or　target…shooting　pistols。
　〃That's　a　bitch；〃　I　said；　and　meant　it。
　He　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃I　almost　didn't　bring　it　up。　Almost　brought　the　station　wagon；　you　know。　Then　I　said　what　the　hell；　I　drove　it　up　and　a　big　old　rotten　pine　fell　on　it。　The　roof　of　it's　all　bashed　in。　And　I　thought　I'd　cut　it　up　。。。　the　tree；　I　mean　。。。　but　I　can't　get　my　chainsaw　to　fire　up　。。。　I　paid　two　hundred　dollars　for　that　sucker　。。。　and　。。。　and　。。。　〃
　His　throat　began　to　emit　little　clicking　sounds。　His　mouth　worked　as　if　he　were　toothless　and　chewing　dates。　For　one　helpless　second　I　thought　he　was　going　to　stand　there　and　bawl　like　a　kid　on　a　sandlot。　Then　he　got　himself　under　some　halfway　kind　of　control；　shrugged；　and　turned　away　as　if　to　look　at　the　chunks　of　wood　I　had　cut　up。
　〃Well；　we　can　look　at　your　saw；〃　I　said。　〃Your　T…Bird　insured　？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　he　said；　〃like　your　boathouse。〃
　I　saw　what　he　meant；　and　remembered　again　what　Steff　had　said　about　insurance。
　〃Listen；　Dave；　I　wondered　if　I　could　borrow　your　Saab　and　take　a　run　up　to　town。　I　thought　I'd　get　some　bread　and　cold　cuts　and　beer。　A　lot　of　beer。〃
　〃Billy　and　I　are　going　up　in　the　Scout；〃　I　said。　〃e　with　us　if　you　want。　That　is；　if　you'll　give　me　a　hand　dragging　the　rest　of　this　tree　off　to　one　side。〃
　〃Happy　to。〃
　He　grabbed　one　end　but　couldn't　quite　lift　it　up。　I　had　to　do　most　of　the　work。　Between　the　two　of　us　we　were　able　to　tumble　it　into　the　underbrush。　Norton　was　puffing　and　panting；　his　cheeks　nearly　purple。　After　all　the　yanking　he　had　done　on　that　chainsaw　starter　pull；　I　was　a　little　worried　about　his　ticker。
　〃Okay？〃　I　asked；　and　he　nodded；　still　breathing　fast。　〃e　on　back　to　the　house；　then；　I　can　fix　you　up　with　a　beer。　〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　he　said。　〃How　is　Stephanie？〃　He　was　regaining　some　of　the　old　smooth　pomposity　that　I　disliked。
　〃Very　well；　thanks。〃
　〃And　your　son？〃
　〃He's　fine；　too。〃
　〃Glad　to　hear　it。〃
　Steff　came　out；　and　a　moment's　surprise　passed　over　her　face　when　she　saw　who　was　with　me。　Norton　smiled　and　his　eyes　crawled　over　her　tight　T…shirt。　He　hadn't　changed　that　much　after　all。
　〃Hello；　Brent；〃　she　said　cautiously。　Billy　poked　his　head　out　from　under　her　arm。
　〃Hello；　Stephanie。　Hi；　Billy。〃
　〃Brent's　T…Bird　took　a　pretty　good　rap　in　the　storm；〃　I　told　her。　〃Stove　in　the　roof；　he　says。〃
　〃Oh；　no！〃
　Norton　told　it　again　while　he　drank　one　of　our　beers。　I　was　sipping　a　third；　but　I　had　no　kind　of　buzz　on；　apparently　I　had　sweat　the　beer　out　as　rapidly　as　I　drank　it。
　〃He's　going　to　e　to　town　with　Billy　and　me。〃
　〃Well；　I　won't　expect　you　for　a　while。　You　may　have　to　go　to　the　Shop…and…Save　in　Norway。〃
　〃Oh？　Why？〃
　〃Well；　if　the　power's　off　in　Bridgton…〃
　〃Mom　says　all　the　cash　registers　and　things　run　on　electricity；〃　Billy　supplied；
　It　was　a　good　point。
　〃Have　you　still　got　the　list？〃
　I　patted　my　hip　pocket。
　Her　eyes　shifted　to　Norton。　〃I'm　very　sorry　about　Carla；　Brent。　We　all　were。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　he　said。　〃Thank　you　very　much。〃
　There　was　another　moment　of　awkward　silence　which　Billy　broke。　〃Can　we　go　now；　Daddy？〃　He　had　changed　to　jeans　and　sneakers。
　〃Yeah；　I　guess　so。　You　ready；　Brent？〃
　〃Give　me　another　beer　for　the　road　and　I　will　be。〃
　Steffy's　brow　creased。　She　had　never　approved　of　the　onefor…　the…　road　philosophy；　or　of　men　who　drive　with　a　can　of　Bud　leaning　against　their　crotches。　I　gave　her　a　bare　nod　and　she　shrugged。　I　didn't　want　to　reopen　things　with　Norton　now；　She　got　him　a　beer。
　〃Thanks；〃　he　said　to　Steffy；　not　really　thanking　her　but　only　mouthing　a　word。　It　was　the　way　you　thank　a　waitress　in　a　restaurant。　He　turned　back　to　me。　〃Lead　on；　Macduff。〃
　〃Be　right　with　you；〃　I　said；　and　went　into　the　living　room。
　Norton　followed；　and　exclaimed　over　the　birch；　but　I　wasn't　interested　in　that　or　in　the　cost　of　replacing　the　window　just　then。　I　was　looking　at　the　lake　through　the　sliding　glass　panel　that　gave　on　our　deck。　The　breeze　had　freshened　a　little　and　the　day　had　warmed　up　five　degrees　or　so　while　I　was　cutting　wood。　I　thought　the　odd　mist　we'd　noticed　earlier　would　surely　have　broken　up；　but　it　hadn't。　It　was　closer；　too。　Halfway　across　the　lake　now。
　〃I　noticed　that　earlier；〃　Norton　said；　pontificating。　〃Some　kind　of　temperature　inversion；　that's　my　guess。〃
　I　didn't　like　it。　I　felt　very　strongly　that　I　had　never　seen　a　mist　exactly　like　this　one。　Part　of　it　was　the　unnerving　straight　edge　of　its　leading　front。　Nothing　in　nature　is　that　even；　man　is　the　inventor　of　straight　edges。　Part　of　it　was　that　pure；　dazzling　whiteness；　with　no　variation　but　also　without　the　sparkle　of　moisture。　It　was　only　half　a　mile　or　so　off　now；　and　the　contrast　between　it　and　the　blues　of　the　lake　and　sky　was　more　striking　than　ever。
　〃e