sk.dreamcatcher-第120章
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！
im for over twenty years。 Mr Gray had sensed those powers； and after his initial dismay had moved very efficiently to keep Jonesy from using them。 The trick was to keep finding ways around Mr Gray's roadblocks； just as Mr Gray himself kept finding ways to move south。
Jonesy closed his eyes and visualized a fax like the one in the History Department office； only he put it in the closet of his new office。 Then； feeling like Aladdin rubbing the magic lamp （only the number of wishes he was granted seemed infinite； as long as he didn't get carried away）； he also visualized a stack of paper and a Berol Black Beauty pencil lying beside it。 Then he went into the closet to see how he'd done。
Pretty well； it appeared at first glance 。 。 。 although the pencil was a tad eerie； brand…new and sharpened to a virgin point； but still gnawed all along the barrel。 Yet that was as it should be； wasn't it？ Beaver was the one who had used Black Beauty pencils； even way back in Witcham Street Grammar。 The rest of them had carried the more standard yellow Eberhard Fabers。
The fax looked perfect； sitting there on the floor beneath a dangle of empty coathangers and one jacket （the bright orange parka his mother had bought him for his first hunting trip； then made him promise … with his hand over his heart … to wear every single moment he was out of doors）； and it was humming in an encouraging way。
Disappointment set in when he knelt in front of it and read the message in the lighted window： GIVE UP JONESY E OUT。
He picked up the phone on the side of the machine and heard Mr Gray's recorded voice： 'Give up； Jonesy； e out。 Give up； Jonesy； e o…'
A series of violent bangs； almost as loud as thunderclaps； made him cry out and jump to his feet。 His first thought was that Mr Gray was using one of those SWAT squad door…busters； battering his way in。
It wasn't the door； though。 It was the window； and in some ways that was even worse。 Mr Gray had put industrial gray shutters steel； they looked like … across his window。 Now he wasn't just imprisoned； he was blind； as well。
Written across the inside； easily readable through the glass： GIVE UP E OUT。 Jonesy had a brief memory of The Wizard of Oz … SURRENDER DOROTHY Written across the sky … and wanted to laugh。 He couldn't。 Nothing was funny； nothing was ironic。 This was horrible。
'No！' he shouted。 'Take them down！ Take them down； damn you！'
No answer。 Jonesy raised his hands； meaning to shatter the glass and beat on the steel shutters beyond； then thought； Are you crazy？ That's what he wants！ The minute you break the glass； those shutters disappear and Mr Gray is in here。 And you're gone； buddy。
He was aware of movement … the heavy rumble of the plow。
Where were they by now？ Waterville？ Augusta？ Even farther south？ Into the zone where the precip had fallen as rain？ No； probably not； Mr Gray would have switched the plow for something faster if they had gotten clear of the snow。 But they would be clear of it； and soon。 Because they were going south。
Going where？
I might as well be dead already； Jonesy thought； looking disconsolately at the closed shutter with its taunt of a message。 I might as well be dead right now。
14
In the end it was Owen who took Roberta Cavell by the arms and … with one eye on the racing clock； all too aware that every minute and a half brought Kurtz a mile closer … told her why they had to take Duddits； no matter how ill he was。 Even in these circumstances； Henry didn't know if he could have uttered the phrase fate of the world may depend on it with a straight face。 Underhill； who had spent his life carrying a gun for his country； could and did。
Duddits stood with his arm around Henry； staring raptly down at him with his brilliant green eyes。 Those eyes； at least； had not changed。 Nor had the feeling they'd always had when around Duddits … that things were either perfectly all right or soon would be。
Roberta looked at Owen； her face seeming to grow older with every sentence he spoke。 It was as if some malign time…lapse photography were at work。
'Yes；' she said； 'yes； I understand you want to find Jonesy … to catch him … but what does he want to do？ And if he came here； why didn't he do it here？'
'Ma'am； I can't answer those questions…'
'War；' Duddits said suddenly。 'Onesy ont war。'
War？ Owen's mind asked Henry； alarmed。 What war？
Never mind； Henry responded； and all at once the voice in Owen's head was faint； hard to hear。 We have to go。
'Ma'am。 Mrs Cavell。' Owen took her arms again； very gently。 Henry loved this woman a lot； although he had ignored her quite cruelly over the last dozen years or so； and Owen knew why he'd loved her。 It came off her like a sweet smoke。 'We have to go。'
'No。 Oh please say no。' The tears ing again。 Don't do that； lady； Owen wanted to say。 Things are bad enough already。 Please don't do that。
'There's a man ing。 A very bad man。 We have to be gone when he gets here。'
Roberta's distracted； sorrowing face filled with resolution。 'All right； then。 If you have to。 But I'm ing with you。'
'Roberta； no；' Henry said。
'Yes！ Yes； I can take care of him 。 。 。 give him his pills 。 。 。 his Prednisone 。 。 。 I'll make sure to bring his lemon swabs and…'
'Umma； oo ay ere。'
'No； Duddie； no ！'
'Umma； oo ay ere！ Ayfe！ Ayfe！' Safe； safe。 Duddits growing agitated now。
'We really don't have any more time；' Owen said。
'Roberta；' Henry said。 'Please。'
'Let me e！' she cried。 'He's all I have！'
'Umma；' Duddits said。 His voice was not a bit childish。 'Ooo 。 。 。 ay 。 。 。 ERE。'
She looked at him fixedly； and her face sagged。 'Allnight；' she said。 'Just one more minute。 I have to get something。'
She went into Duddits's room and came back with a paper bag； which she handed to Henry。
'It's his pills；' she said。 'He has his Prednisone at nine o'clock。 Don't forget or he gets wheezy and his chest hurts。 He can have a Percocet if he asks； and he probably will ask； because being out in the cold hurts him。'
She looked at Henry with sorrow but no reproach。 He almost wished for reproach。 God knew he'd never done anything which had made him feel this ashamed。 It wasn't just that Duddits had leukemia； it was that he'd had it for so long and none of them had known。
'Also his lemon swabs； but only on his lips； because his gums bleed a lot now and the swabs sting him。 There's cotton for his nose if it bleeds。 Oh； and the catheter。 See it there on his shoulder？' Henry nodded。 A plastic tube protruding from a packing of bandage。 Looking at it gave him a weirdly strong feeling of déjà vu。
'If you're outside； keep it covered 。 。 。 Dr Briscoe laughs at me； but I'm always afraid the cold will get down inside 。 。 。 a scarf will work 。 。 。 even a handkerchief breaking through。
She was crying again； the sobs
'Roberta…' Henry began。 Now he was looking at the clock； too。
'I'll take care of him；' Owen said。 'I saw my Pop through to the end of it。 I know about Prednisone and Percocet。' And more： bigger steroids； better painkillers。 At the end； marijuana； methadone； and finally pure morphine； so much better than heroin。 Morphine； death's sleekest engine。
He felt her in his head； then； a strange； tickling sensation like bare feet so light they barely touched down。 Tickly； but not unpleasant。 She was trying to make out if what he'd said about his father was the truth or a lie。 This was her little gift from her extraordinary son； Owen realized； and she had been using it so long she no longer even knew she was doing it 。 。 。 like Henry's friend Beaver chewing on his toothpicks。 It wasn't as powerful as what Henry had； but it was there； and Owen had never in his life been so glad he had told the truth。
'Not leukemia； though；' she said。
'Lung cancer。 Mrs Cavell； we really have to…'
'I need to get him one more thing。'
'Roberta； we can't…' Henry began。
'In a flash； in a flash。' She darted for the kitchen。
Owen felt really frightened for the first time。 'Kurtz and Freddy and Perlmutter … Henry； I can't tell where they are！ I've lost them！'
Henry had unrolled the top of the
