按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
is that of a child who has spilled his ice cream on the grass at a birthday party。 There is no 。 。 。 how is the English？ 。 。 。 attenuation in them。 They spill each other's blood with great vigor。 Do you believe it？ Do you see？'
'Yes；' Corey said。 Looking into the stranger's eyes； he could see a great many things； all of them wonderful。
'The country is an amazing paradox。 In other lands； when a man eats to his fullest day after day； that man bees fat 。 。 。 sleepy 。 。 。 piggish。 But in this land 。 。 。 it seems the more you have the more aggressive you bee。 You see？ Like Mr Sawyer。 With so much； yet he begrudges you a few crumbs from his table。 Also like a child at a birthday party； who will push away another baby even though he himself can eat no more。 Is it not so？ ；
'Yes；' Corey said。 Barlow's eyes were so large； and so understanding。 It was all a matter of …
'It is all a matter of perspective； is it not？'
'Yes！' Corey exclaimed。 The man had put his finger on the right； the exact； the perfect； word。 The cigarette dropped unnoticed from his fingers and lay smoldering on the road。
'I might have bypassed such a rustic munity as this；' the stranger said reflectively。 'I might have gone to one of your great and teeming cities。 Bah！' He drew himself up suddenly； and his eyes flashed。 'What do I know of cities？ I should be run over by a hansom crossing the street！ I should choke on nasty air！ I should e in contact with sleek； stupid dilettantes whose concerns are 。 。 。 what do you say？ inimical？ 。 。 。 yes； inimical to me。 How should a poor rustic like myself deal with the hollow sophistication of a great city 。 。 。 even an American city？ No！ And no and no！ I spit on your cities！'
'Oh yes！' Corey whispered。
'So I have e here； to a town which was first told of to me by a most brilliant man； a former townsman himself； now lamentably deceased。 The folk here are still rich and full…blooded； folk who are stuffed with the aggression and darkness so necessary to 。 。 。 there is no English for it。 Pokol； vurderlak； eyalik。 Do you follow？'
'Yes；' Corey whispered。
'The people have not cut off the vitality which flows from their mother； the earth； with a shell of concrete and cement。 Their hands are plunged into the very waters of life。 They have ripped the life from the earth； whole and beating！ Is it not true？'
'Yes！'
The stranger chuckled kindly and put a hand on Corey's shoulder。 'You are a good boy。 A fine； strong boy。 I don't think you want to leave this so…perfect town； do you？'
'No 。 。 。 ' Corey whispered； but he was suddenly doubtful。 Fear was returning。 But surely it was unimportant。 This man would allow no harm to e to him。
'And so you shall not。 Ever again。'
Corey stood trembling； rooted to the spot； as Barlow's head inclined toward him。
'And you shall yet have your vengeance on those who would fill themselves while others want。'
Corey Bryant sank into a great forgetful river； and that river was time； and its waters were red。
10
It was nine o'clock and the Saturday night movie was ing on the hospital TV bolted to the wall when the phone beside Ben's bed rang。 It was Susan； and her voice was barely under control。
'Ben； Floyd Tibbits is dead。 He died in his cell some time last night。 Dr Cody says acute anemia…but I went with Floyd！ He had high blood pressure。 That's why the Army wouldn't take him！'
'Slow down；' Ben said； sitting up。
'There's more。 A family named McDougall out in the Bend。 A little ten months baby died out there。 They took Mrs McDougall away in restraints。'
'Have you heard how the baby died？'
'My mother said Mrs Evans came over when she heard Sandra McDougall screaming； and Mrs Evans called old Dr Plowman。 Plowman didn't say anything； but Mrs Evans told my mother that she couldn't see a thing wrong with the baby 。 。 。 except it was dead。'
'And both Matt and I； the crackpots； just happen to be out of town and out of action；' Ben said； more to himself than to Susan。 'Almost as if it were planned。'
'There's more。'
'What？'
'Carl Foreman is missing。 And so is the body of Mike Ryerson。'
'I think that's it；' he heard himself saying。 'That has to be it。 I'm getting out of here tomorrow。'
'Will they let you go so soon？'
'They aren't going to have anything to say about it。' He spoke the words absently； his mind had already moved on to another subject。 'Have you got a crucifix？'
'Me？' She sounded startled and a little amused。 'Gosh； no。'
'I'm not joking with you； Susan…I was never more serious。 Is there anyplace where you can get one at this hour？'
'Well； there's Marie Boddin。 I could walk…'
'No。 Stay off the streets。 Stay in the house。 Make one yourself； even if it only means gluing two sticks together。 Leave it by your bed。'
'Ben； I still don't believe this。 A maniac； maybe； someone who thinks he's a vampire； but…'
'Believe what you want； but make the cross。'
'But…'
'Will you do it？ Even if it only means humoring me？'
Reluctantly： 'Yes； Ben。'
'Can you e to the hospital tomorrow around nine？'
'Yes。'
'Okay。 We'll go upstairs and fill in Matt together。 Then you and I are going to talk to Dr James Cody。'
She said； 'He's going to think you're crazy； Ben。 Don't you know that？'
'I suppose I do。 But it all seems more real after dark； doesn't it？'
'Yes；' she said softly。 'God； yes。'
For no reason at all he thought of Miranda and Miranda's dying： the motorcycle hitting the wet patch； going into a skid； the sound of her scream； his own brute panic； and the side of the truck growing and growing as they approached it broadside。
'Susan？'
'Yes。'
'Take good care of yourself。 Please。'
After she hung up； he put the phone back in the cradle and stared at the TV； barely seeing the Doris Day…Rock Hudson edy that had begun to unreel up there。 He felt naked； exposed。 He had no cross himself。 His eyes strayed to the windows； which showed only blackness。 The old； childlike terror of the dark began to creep over him and he looked at the television where Doris Day was giving a shaggy dog a bubble bath and was afraid。
11
The county morgue in Portland is a cold and antiseptic room done entirely in green tile。 The floors and walls are a uniform medium green； and the ceiling is a lighter green。 The walls are lined with square doors which look like large bus…terminal coin lockers。 Long parallel fluorescent tubes shed a chilly neutral light over all of this。 The decor is hardly inspired； but none of the clientele have ever been known to plain。
At quarter to ten on this Saturday night； two attendants were wheeling in the sheet…covered body of a young homosexual who had been shot in a downtown bar。 It was the first stiff they had received that night； the highway fatals usually came in between 1：00 and 3：00 A。M。
Buddy Basb was in the middle of a Frenchman joke that had to do with vaginal deodorant spray when he broke off in midsentence and stared down the line of locker doors M…Z。 Two of them were standing open。
He and Bob Greenberg left the new arrival and hurried down q