dk.nightchills-第47节

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ou　do　that；　Harry？〃
　〃Sure。　I'll　forget　that　we　talked；　that　I　saw　any　of　you　just　now；　all　of　it；　like　a　you　said。〃
　For　a　human　robot；　for　an　honest…to…God　zombie；　Paul　thought；　he　seemed　damned　relaxed。
　〃You'll　think　we're　still　inside；〃　Sam　said。
　Thurston　stared　at　the　back　of　the　general　store。
　〃You'll　guard　the　place　exactly　as　you　were　doing　a　few　minutes　ago；〃　Sam　said。
　〃Guard　it。。　。　That's　what　Bob　told　me　to　do。〃
　〃Then　do　it；〃　Sam　said。　〃And　forget　you've　seen　us。〃
　Obediently；　Harry　Thurston　returned　to　the　man…size　niche　in　the　wall　of　lilac　bushes。　He　stood　with　his　feet　apart。　He　held　the　shotgun　in　both　hands；　parallel　to　the　ground；　prepared　to　raise　it　and　fire　within　a　second　if　faced　with　a　sudden　threat。
　〃Incredible；〃　Jenny　said。
　〃Looks　like　a　storm　trooper；〃　Sam　said　wearily。　〃e　on。　Let's　get　out　of　here。〃
　Jenny　followed　him。
　Paul　took　hold　of　Rya's　icy　hand。
　Her　face　drawn；　a　haunted　look　in　her　eyes；　she　squeezed　his　hand　and　said；　〃Will　it　be　all　right　again？〃
　〃Sure。　Everything　will　be　fine　before　much　longer；〃　he　told　her；　not　certain　if　that　was　the　truth　or　another　lie。
　They　went　west；　across　the　rear　lawns　of　the　neighboring　houses；　walking　fast　and　hoping　they　wouldn't　be　seen。
　With　every　step　Paul　expected　someone　to　shout　at　them。　And　in　spite　of　the　manner　in　which　Harry　Thurson　had　behaved；　he　also　expected　to　hear　a　shotgun　blast　close　behind　him；　much　too　close　behind　him；　inches　from　his　shoulder　blades：　one　sudden　apocalyptic　roar　and　then　an　endless　silence。
　Halfway　down　the　block　they　came　to　the　back　of　St。　Luke's；　the　town's　all…denominational　church。　It　was　a　freshly　painted；　neatly　kept　rectangular　white　frame　structure　on　a　brick…faced　foundation。　There　was　a　five…story…high　bell　tower　at　the　front　of　the　building；　out　on　the　Main　Street　side。
　Sam　tried　the　rear　door　and　found　it　unlocked。　They　slipped　inside；　one　at　a　time。
　For　two　or　three　minutes　they　stood　in　the　narrow；　musty；　windowless　foyer；　and　waited　to　see　if　Harry　Thurston　or　anyone　else　would　follow　them。
　No　one　did。
　〃Small　blessings；〃　Jenny　said。
　Sam　led　them　into　the　chamber　behind　the　altar。　That　room　was　even　darker　than　the　foyer。　They　accidentally　knocked　over　a　rack　full　of　choir　gowns…and　stood　very　still　until　the　echo
　of　the　crash　had　faded　away；　until　they　were　certain　that　they　hadn't　revealed　themselves。
　Holding　hands；　forming　a　human　chain；　they　stumbled　out　of　that　room　and　onto　the　altar　platform。　Because　the　storm　clouds　filtered　the　day　into　twilight　before　it　was　filtered　again　by　the　leaded　stained…glass　windows；　the　church　proper　was　only　marginally　brighter　than　the　room　behind　it；　Nevertheless；　there　was　sufficient　light　to　allow　them　to　break　the　chain；　and　they　followed　Sam　along　the　center　aisle；　between　the　two　ranks　of　pews；　without　having　to　feel　their　way　as　if　they　were　blind　people　in　a　strange　house。
　At　the　rear　of　the　nave；　on　the　left…hand　side；　Sam　pulled　open　a　door。　Beyond　lay　an　enclosed　spiral　staircase。　Sam　went　first；　Jenny　went　next；　then　Rya。
　Paul　stood　on　the　bottom　step；　staring　out　at　the　shadowy　church　for　a　minute　or　two。　His　revolver　was　ready　in　his　right　hand。　When　the　big　room　remained　silent　and　deserted；　he　closed　the　stairwell　door　and　went　up　to　join　the　others。
　The　top　of　the　bell　tower　was　a　nine…foot…square　platform。　The　bell…one　yard　wide　at　the　mouth…was　at　the　center　of　the　platform；　of　course；　suspended　from　the　highest　point　of　the　arched　ceiling。　A　chain　was　welded　to　the　rim　of　the　bell　and　trailed　through　a　small　hole　in　the　floor；　down　to　the　base　of　the　tower　where　the　toiler　could　tug　on　it。　The　walls　were　only　four　feet　high；　open　from　there　to　the　ceiling。　A　white　pillar　rose　at　each　corner；　supporting　the　peaked；　slate…shingled　roof。　Because　the　roof　overhung　the　wails　by　four　feet　on　all　sides；　the　rain　hadn't　e　in　through　the　open　spaces；　and　the　belfry　platform　was　dry。
　'When　he　reached　the　head　of　the　stairs；　Paul　got　on　his　hands　and　knees。　People　seldom　looked　up　as　they　hurried　about　their　business；　especially　when　they　were　in　a　familiar　place；　however；　there　was　no　reason　to　risk　being　seen。　He　crawled　around　the　bell　to　the　opposite　side　of　the　platform。
　Jenny　and　Rya　were　sitting　on　the　floor；　their　back　to　the　half…wall。　The　。22　rifle　lay　at　Jenny's　side。　She　was　talking　to　the　girl　in　a　low　voice；　telling　her　a　joke　or　a　story；　trying　to　help
　her　ease　her　tensions　and　overe　some　of　her　grief。　Jenny　glanced　at　Paul；　smiled；　but　kept　her　attention　focused　on　Rya。
　That　should　be　my　job；　Paul　thought。　Helping　Rya。　Reassuring　her　and　forting　her；　being　with　her。
　And　then　he　thought；　No。　For　the　time　being；　your　job　is　to　prepare　yourself　to　kill　at　least　one　man。　Maybe　two　or　three。　Maybe　as　many　as　half　a　dozen。
　Suddenly　he　wondered　how　the　violence　past　and　the　violence　yet　to　e　would　affect　his　relationship　with　his　daughter。　Knowing　he　had　killed　several　men；　would　Rya　fear　him　as　she　now　feared　Bob　Thorp？　Knowing　he　was　capable　of　the　ultimate　brutal　act；　would　she　ever　be　at　ease　with　him　again？　Death　had　taken　his　wife　and　his　son。　Would　alienation　take　his　daughter　from　him？
　Sam　was　on　his　knees；　peering　over　the　belfry　wall。
　Deeply　disturbed　but　aware　that　this　wasn't　the　time　to　worry　about　more　than　a　few　hours　of　the　future；　easing　in　beside　Sam；　Paul　looked　eastward；　to　his　left。　He　could　see　Edison's　General　Store　half　a　block　away。　Karkov's　service　station　and　garage。　The　houses　in　the　last　section　of　town。　The　baseball　diamond　on　the　meadow　near　the　river。　At　the　end　of　the　valley；　near　the　bend　in　the　highway；　a　police　car　was　angled　across　both　lanes。
　〃Roadblock。〃
　Sam　said；　〃I've　seen　it。〃
　〃Salsbury　does　have　us　penned　up。〃
　〃And　right　now　he's　probably　wondering　why　the　hell　we　haven't　tried　to　call　the　cops　or　leave　Black　River。〃
　To　Paul's　right　was　the　main　part　of　town。　The　square。　Ultman's　Cafe　with　its　pair　of　enormous　black　oak　trees。　The　municipal　building。　Beyond　the　square；　more　lovely　houses：
　brick　houses　and　stone　houses　and　white　gingerbread　Gothic　houses　and　trim　little　bungalows。　A　couple　of　shops　with　striped　awnings　out　in　front。　The　telephone　pany　office。　St。　Margaret　Mary's。　The　cemetery。　The　Union　Theater　with　its　old　fashioned　marquee。　And　then　the　road　to　the　mill。　The　entire　panorama；　so　recently　scrubbed　by　the　storm；　looked　crisp　and
　bright　and　quaint…and　too　innocent　to　contain　the　evil　that　he　knew　it　harbored。
　〃You　still　think　Salsbury's　holed　up　in　the　municipal　building？〃　Paul　asked。
　〃Where　else？〃
　〃I　guess　so。〃
　〃The　chief's　office　is　the　logical　mand　center。〃
　Paul　looked　at　his　watch。　〃A　quarter　past　five。〃
　〃We'll　wait　here　until　dark；〃　Sam　said。　〃Nine　o'clock　or　thereabouts。　Then　we'll　sneak　across　the　street；　get　past　his　guards　with　the　code　phrase；　and　reach　him　before　he's　seen　us　ing。〃
　〃It　sounds　so　easy。〃
　〃It　will　be；〃　Sam　said。
　Lightning　flashed　like　a　fuse　and　thunder　exploded　and　rain　like　shrapnel　clattered　on　the　tower　roof　and　on　the　streets　below。
　5：20　P。M。
　Smiling　as　he　had　been　told　to　smile；　his　arms　folded　across　his　broad　chest；　Bob　Thorp　leaned　casually　against　the　window　sill　and　watched　Salsbury；　who　was　working　at　Bob's　desk
　The　infinity　transmitter　was　connected　to　the　office　telephone。　The　line　was　open　to　Sam　Edison's　place…or　at　least　the　number　had　been　dialed；　and　the　line　should　have　been　open。
　Salsbury　hunched　over　the　chief's　desk；　the　receiver　gripped　so　tightly　in　his　right　hand　that　his　knuckles　appeared　to　be　about　to　slice　through　the　pale　skin　that　sheathed　them。　He　listened　closely　for　some　sound；　some　insignificant　tiny　little　sound　of　human　origin；　from　the　general　store　or　from　the　living　quarters　on　the　two　floors　above　the　store。
　Nothing。
　〃e　on；〃　he　said　impatiently。
　Silence。
　Cursing　the　infinity　transmitter；　telling　himself　that　the　damned　thing　hadn't　worked；　that　it　was　a　piece　of　crappy　Belgian…made　hardware　and　so　what　could　you　expect；　he　hung　up。　He　checked　to　see　if　the　wires　were　attached　to　the　proper　terminals；　then　dialed　the　Edisons'　number　again。
　The　line　opened：　hissing；　a　soft　roar　not　unlike　the　echo　of　your　own　circulation　when　you　held　a　seashell　to　your　ear。
　In　the　background　at　the　Edison's　place；　a　clock　ticked　rather　noisily；　hollowly。
　He　looked　at　his　watch。　5：24
　Nothing。　Silence。
　5：26
　He　hung　up；　dialed　again。
　He　heard　the　ticking　clock。
　5：28
　5：29
　5：30
　　
　No　one　spoke　over　there。　No　one　cried　or　laughed　or　sighed　or　coughed　or　yawned　or　moved。
　5：32
　5：33
　Salsbury　pressed　the　receiver　to　his　ear　as　hard　as　he　could；　concentrated；　strained　with　his　whole　body　and　attention　to　hear　Edison　or　Annendale　or　one　of　the　others。
　5：34
　5：35
　They　were　over　there。　Dammit；　they　were！
　5：36
　He　slammed　the　receiver　into　its　cradle。
　The　bastards　know　I'm　listening　to　them；　he　thought。　They're　trying　to　be　quiet；　trying　to　worry　me。　That's　it。　That　has　to　be
　it。
　He　picked　up　the　telephone　and　dialed　the　Edisons'　number。
　A　ticking　clock。　Nothing　else。
　5：39
　5：40
　　
　〃Bastards！〃
　He　hung　up　the　phone　with　a　b