dw.jimmythekid-第16节

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　Jimmy　nodded。　His　mouth　and　throat　were　dry。　Picking　up　the　phone；　he　held　it　so　the　back　part　was　out　and　away　from　his　ear。　〃Hello？〃
　〃Hel…lo；　there；　is　this　James　Harrington？〃　The　cheerful　male　voice　came　tinnily　from　the　phone。
　〃Yes；　it　is。〃
　〃Well；　this　is　Bob　Dodge　of　radio　WRTZ；　the　voice　of　Sussex　County；　calling　you　from　Hotline　For　Facts。　Your　postcard　has　been　selected　at　random；　and　you　have　the　opportunity　to　win　prizes　totaling　over　five　hundred　dollars！　And　now；　here's　Lou　Sweet　to　tell　you　what　prizes　are　in　this　week's　Hotline　Jackpot！〃
　Another　voice　began　to　ripple　from　the　phone；　describing　prizes；　in　each　case　giving　the　name　of　the　merchant　who　had　contributed　the　prize。　A　camera　from　a　drugstore。　Dog　food　from　a　supermarket。　A　dictionary　and　a　table　radio　from　a　department　store。　Dinner　for　two　at　a　local　restaurant。
　〃I　don't　believe　this；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　May　shushed　him　again。
　Bob　Dodge　came　back　on　the　phone。　〃Are　you　familiar　with　the　rules　of　our　game？〃　he　asked；　but　before　Jimmy　could　answer　he　gave　them　anyway；　talking　at　top　speed。　There　seemed　to　be　something　about　levels；　options　of　subject　matter；　various　other　sophistications；　but　the　main　idea　was　that　they　would　ask　him　questions　and　he　would　try　to　answer　them。　〃Are　you　ready；　James？〃
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Jimmy　said。　He　sometimes　listened　to　this　program　in　the　car　on　the　way　home　from　Dr。　Schraubenzieher；　and　it　always　seemed　as　though　he　knew　the　right　answers　whenever　the　contestants　got　them　wrong。　About　six　months　ago　he'd　sent　in　a　postcard；　giving　both　his　home　phone　and　the　mobile　telephone　unit　in　the　car；　but　he'd　never　expected　them　to　call　him。　Particularly　not　the　mobile　telephone　number。
　And　he　sure　wished　it　hadn't　happened　now。　It　was　embarrassing　to　be　here　on　the　phone　like　this；　answering　some　quiz　show's　silly　questions；　with　a　lot　of　strangers　looking　on。
　〃And　here's　your　first　question；〃　Bob　Dodge　said。　〃Name　four　of　the　states　of　Australia。〃
　Australia。　Concentrating；　Jimmy　said；　〃New　South　Wales。　Queensland。　Victoria。　And　Northern　Territory。〃
　〃Very　good！　Next；　give　the　atomic　number　of　samarium。〃
　〃Sixty…two。〃
　〃What　is　hemialgia？〃
　〃Pain　on　one　side　of　the　head。〃
　〃I've　got　pain　on　both　sides　of　my　head；〃　Dortmunder　muttered。
　〃Sshh！〃　Kelp　said。
　〃Who　wrote　Adrienne　Toner？〃
　〃Anne　Sedgwick。〃
　〃What　year　was　the　battle　of　Lancaster　Abbey？〃
　Jimmy　hesitated。　The　others　in　the　car　all　tensed；　looking　at　him；　waiting。　Finally；　with　the　question　apparent　in　his　voice；　he　said；　〃Fourteen　ninety…three？〃
　〃Yes！〃
　Everybody　in　the　car　sighed　with　relief；　three　Mickey　Mouse　masks　ballooned。
　Jimmy　answered　four　more　questions；　on　astronomy；　economics；　French　history　and　physics；　and　then　the　next　question　was；　〃In　astrology；　what　are　the　signs　before　and　after　Gemini？〃
　Astrology；　that　was　one　of　Jimmy's　weak　areas。　He　had　no　belief　in　it；　and　so　had　never　studied　it。　He　said；　〃The　signs　before　and　after？〃
　〃Before　and　after　Gemini；　yes。〃
　〃Before　Gemini　。　。　。　is　Taurus。〃
　〃Yes！　And　after？〃
　〃After　Gemini。〃
　Kelp　whispered；　〃Cancer。〃
　Dortmunder　glared　at　him。　He　whispered；　〃If　you're　wrong…〃
　〃Time　is　almost　up；　James。〃
　Jimmy　took　a　deep　breath。　He　didn't　like　accepting　help　on　a　test；　but　what　else　could　he　do？　He　hadn't　asked　for　it；　and　it　might　not　even　be　right。　He　said；　〃Cancer？〃
　〃Absolutely　right！〃
　Again；　general　relief。　Even　with　the　mask　over　his　face；　Kelp　could　be　seen　smiling。
　〃You；　James　Harrington；〃　Bob　Dodge　was　saying；　〃have　won　our　Hotline　Jackpot！〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　Jimmy　said；　and　when　he　saw　Dortmunder　gesturing　violently　at　him　he　added；　〃I　have　to　hang　up　now；〃　and　hung　up。
　〃Well；〃　May　said。　〃Jimmy；　that　was　really　impressive。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃Now　that　the　kid　got　his　dog　food　and　his　dinner　for　two；　let's　get　back　to…〃
　And　the　planks　gave　way；　both　of　them　at　once。　The　Cadillac　slapped　down　onto　the　road　like　a　palm　slapping　down　on　a　table。　Everybody　was　tossed　up；　ricocheted　off　the　roof；　and　jolted　into　their　seats　again。　In　the　process；　Dortmunder's　gun　went　sailing　out　the　open　window　next　to　him；　and　Kelp's　gun　bounced　off　the　roof；　the　steering　wheel　and　the　dashboard　before　landing　in　Van　Gelden's　lap。
　〃Hands　up！〃　Van　Golden　yelled；　and　scrabbled　in　his　lap　for　the　gun。　Both　Dortmunder　and　Kelp　were　obediently　lifting　their　arms；　and　Van　Golden　was　still　bobbling　the　gun；　when　May　reached　over　his　shoulder；　took　it　away　from　him；　and　handed　it　to　Dortmunder。
　〃All　right；〃　Dortmunder　said。　〃All　right；　that's　enough　fooling　around。〃　To　May　he　said；　〃Put　the　mask　on　the　kid　and　put　him　in　our　car。〃　To　Kelp　he　said；　〃Put　the　cuffs　on　this　guy。　If　it　won't　upset　you　too　much；　we're　gonna　rewrite　that　book　of　yours　a　little　bit。〃
　〃Anything　you　say；〃　Kelp　said。　He　was　puffing　the　handcuffs　out　of　his　hip　pocket。
　〃And　you；〃　Dortmunder　told　the　chauffeur；　〃you　just　sit　there　and　keep　your　mouth　shut。　'Hands　up；'　is　it？〃　Giving　the　chauffeur　a　look　of　disgust　that　the　chauffeur　couldn't　see　through　the　Mickey　Mouse　mask；　Dortmunder　got　out　of　the　Cadillac；　picked　up　his　gun　from　the　road；　and　said　to　Murch；　〃Forget　that　goddam　truck。　We'll　go　straight　to　the　hideout　from　here。　All　that　other　crap　was　more　plicated　than　it　had　to　be　anyway？'
　〃Right；〃　Murch　said。　〃I'll　get　my　Mom；〃　he　said；　and　jumped　down　out　of　the　truck。
　May　had　put　the　Mickey　Mouse　mask　with　the　taped　eyeholes　over　Jimmy's　head。　She'd　considered　using　the　dialogue　from　the　book　about　pretending　it　was　night　and　all　that；　but　somehow　it　didn't　seem　to　fit　the　case；　so　all　she'd　said　was；　〃I'm　going　to　blindfold　you　now。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Jimmy　said。
　Murch　rid　himself　of　his　mask　and　went　over　to　the　school　bus；　where　his　Mom　was　impatiently　tapping　her　fingernails　on　the　steering　wheel。　She　pushed　the　lever　on　her　left；　the　door　accordioned　open；　and　she　said；　〃So？　You　want　to　tell　me　something？〃
　〃We're　all　taking　off　in　our　car；　Mom。　Run　the　bus　out　of　the　way　and　e　on　over。〃
　〃I　been　sitting　here；〃　she　said。　〃Wondering　what's　going　on。〃
　〃It　would　take　a　while　to　tell；　Mom。〃
　〃I　saw　the　Caddy　bounce；〃　she　said。
　〃That　was　part　of　it。〃
　〃I　wish　I　had　springs　like　that　in　the　cab；〃　she　said。　〃Climb　aboard。〃　She　shifted　into　first；　and　Murch　stepped　up　into　the　bus　as　she　eased　it　forward　and　off　onto　the　shoulder　of　the　road。
　May　had　now　led　the　boy　from　the　Cadillac　to　the　back　seat　of　the　Caprice；　Kelp　had　handcuffed　Van　Golden　to　the　steering　wheel；　and　Dortmunder　had　filled　his　pockets　with　guns　and　was　standing　beside　the　Cadillac　looking　mulish。　When　Murch　and　his　Mom　came　over　from　the　school　bus　Dortmunder　said；　〃Stan；　you　drive。〃
　〃Right。〃
　Murch's　Mom　got　in　the　back　seat　with　May　and　Jimmy。　〃Well；　hello；　Jimmy；〃　she　said。　〃I　see　you're　playing　Mickey　Mouse。〃
　May　shook　her　head。　〃It's　not　quite　like　that；〃　she　said。　Inside　his　mask；　Jimmy　said；　〃I　really　am　a　bit　old　for　this　kind　of　psychological　reassurance。〃
　〃Hmp；〃　Murch's　Mom　said。　〃A　smart　aleck。〃
　In　the　front　seat；　Kelp　sat　in　the　middle；　with　Murch　on　his　left　and　Dortmunder　on　his　right。　As　Murch　started　the　engine；　Kelp　said　to　Dortmunder；　〃Can　I　have　my　gun　back？〃
　〃No；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　looked　around　at　the　setting　they　were　leaving；　giving　everything　the　same　impartial　look　of　disgust：　truck；　school　bus；　planks；　Cadillac；　chauffeur。　〃Hands　up；〃　he　muttered；　and　the　Caprice　drove　off　in　a　flurry　of　falling　leaves。
　
　14
　
　DORTMUNDER　　SAID；　〃What's　taking　so　long？　We　been　driving　for　forty…five　minutes。〃
　〃I've　been　taking　some　extra　turns　and　cutbacks；〃　Murch　said；　〃to　confuse　the　boy's　sense　of　direction。　That's　what　they　did　in　the　book。〃
　〃In　the　meantime；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃the　cops　are　out　looking　by　now。〃
　〃We　should　have　picked　up　the　detour　signs；〃　Kelp　said。　〃We　shouldn't　have　left　them　behind　like　that。〃
　〃We　don't　need　them　any　more；〃　Dortmunder　told　him。　〃And　I　don't　want　to　waste　any　more　time。〃　To　Murch　he　said；　〃So　let's　go　straight　to　the　farmhouse。　No　more　extra　turns？'
　〃Well；〃　Murch　said。
　Dortmunder　looked　at　him。　〃What　do　you　mean；　well？〃
　〃Well；　the　fact　is；〃　Murch　said。　He　was　blinking　a　lot　as　he　drove；　and　looking　troubled；　even　embarrassed。　〃The　fact　is；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　I　took　too　many　extra　turns　and　cutbacks　already。〃
　〃You're　lost？〃
　〃Well；〃　Murch　said；　〃not　exactly　lost。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean；　not　exactly　lost？〃
　〃Well；　there　was　a　road　I　thought　was　down　this　way；　and　it　isn't　here。　I　can't　seem　to　find　it。〃
　〃If　you　can't　seem　to　find　the　road　you're　looking　for；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃that　means　you're　lost。　Exactly　lost。〃
　〃It　would　help　if　the　sun　was　out；〃　Murch　said。　It　was　late　afternoon　now；　and　the　sky　was　filling　with　clouds。
　〃I　think　it's　gonna　rain；〃　Kelp　said。
　Dortmunder　nodded。　〃And　we're　lost。〃
　〃If　I　take　the　next　left；〃　Murch　said；　〃we　should　be　all　right。〃
　〃You　think　so；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃Maybe；〃　Murch　said。
　
　15
　
　〃THERE　IT　IS；〃　Murch　said。　〃This　time　I'm　positive。〃
　〃The　last　time　you　were　positive；〃　Kelp　said；　〃I　almost　got　bit　by　a　dog。〃
　The　three　men　peered　squinting　out　the　windshield；　through　the　streaming　sheets　o