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！
the bed； where he had e to spend more and more of his time； haunted her。 The dull morning light on the pillow； which still bore the circular indentation of his head； was inexpressibly cruel。
Henry thought she'd let Duddits go because they believed the future of the whole world somehow hinged on finding Jonesy； and finding him fast。 But that wasn't it。 She had let him go because it was what Duddits wanted。 The dying got signed baseball caps； the dying also got to go on trips with old friends。
But it was hard。
Losing him was so hard。
She put her handful of tee…shirts to her face in order to blot out the sight of the bed and there was his smell： Johnson's shampoo； Dial soap； and most of all； worst of all； the arnica cream she put on his back and legs when his muscles hurt。
In her desperation she reached out to him； trying to find him with the two men who had e like the dead and taken him away； but his mind was gone。
He's blocked himself off from me； she thought。 They had enjoyed （mostly enjoyed） their own ordinary telepathy over the years； perhaps only different in minor degree from the telepathy most mothers of special children experienced （she had heard the word rapport over and over again at the support…group meetings she and Alfie sometimes attended）； but that was gone now。 Duddits had blocked himself off； and that meant he knew something terrible was going to happen。
He knew。
Still holding the shirts to her face and inhaling his scent； Roberta began to cry again。
17
Kurtz had been okay （mostly okay） until they saw the road…flares and blue police lightbars flashing in the grim morning light； and beyond it； a huge semi lying on its side like a dead dinosaur。 Standing out front； so bundled up his face was pletely invisible； was a cop waving them toward an exit ramp。
'Fuck！' Kurtz spat。 He had to fight an urge to draw the nine and just start spraying away。 He knew that would be disaster … there were other cops running around the stalled semi … but he felt the urge； all but ungovernable； just the same。 They were so close！ Closing in； by the hands of the nailed…up Christ！ And then stopped like this！ 'Fuck； fuck； fuck！'
'What do you want me to do； boss？' Freddy had asked。 Impassive behind the wheel； but he had drawn his own weapon … an automatic rifle … across his lap。 'If I nail it； I think we can skate by on the night。 Gone in sixty seconds。'
Again Kurtz had to fight the urge to just say Yeah； punch it； Freddy； and if one of those bluesuits gets in the way； bust his gut for him。 Freddy might get by 。 。 。 but he might not。 He wasn't the driver he thought he was； that Kurtz had already ascertained。 Like too many pilots； Freddy had the erroneous belief that his skills in the sky were mirrored by skills on the ground。 And even if they did get by； they'd be marked。 And that was not acceptable； not after General Yellow…Balls Randall had hollered Blue Exit。 His Get…Out…of…Jail…Free card had been revoked。 He was strictly a vigilante now。
Got to do the smart thing； he thought。 That's why they pay me the big bucks。
'Be a good boy and just go the way he's pointing you；' Kurtz said。 'In fact； I want you to give him a wave and a big thumb's…up when you take the ramp。 Then keep moving south and get back on the turnpike at your earliest opportunity。' He sighed。 'Lord love a duck。' He leaned forward； close enough to Freddy to see the whitening fuzz of Ripley in his right ear。 He whispered； ardent as a lover； 'And if you ditch us； laddie…buck； I'll put a round in the back of your neck。' Kurtz touched the place where the soft nape joined the hard skull。 'Right here。'
Freddy's wooden…Indian face didn't change。 'Yes； boss。' Next； Kurtz had gripped the now…nearlatose Perlmutter by the shoulder and had shaken him until Pearly's eyes at last fluttered open。
'Lea' me 'lone； boss。 Need to sleep。'
Kurtz placed the muzzle of his nine…millimeter against the back of his former aide's head。 'Nope。 Rise and shine； buck。 Time for a little debriefing。'
Pearly had groaned； but he had also sat up。 When he opened his mouth to say something； a tooth had tumbled out onto the front of his parka。 The tooth had looked perfect to Kurtz。 Look； Ma； no cavities。
Pearly said that Owen and his new buddy were still stopped； still in Derry。 Very good。 Yummy。 Not so good fifteen minutes later； as Freddy sent the Humvee trudging down another snow…covered entrance ramp and back onto the turnpike。 This was Exit 28； only one interchange away from their target； but a miss was as good as a mile。
'They're on the move again；' Perlmutter said。 He sounded weak and washed out。
'Goddammit！' He was full of rage … sick and useless rage at Owen Underhill； who now symbolized （at least to Abe Kurtz） the whole sorry； busted operation。
Pearly uttered a deep groan； a sound of utter； hollow despair。 His stomach had begun to rise again。 He was clutching it； his cheeks wet with perspiration。 His normally unremarkable face had bee almost handsome in his pain。
Now he let another long and ghastly fart； a passage of wind which seemed to go on and on。 The sound of it made Kurtz think of gadgets they'd constructed at summer camp a thousand or so years ago； noisemakers that consisted of tin cans and lengths of waxed string。 Bullroarers； they'd called them。
The stench that filled the Humvee was the smell of the red cancer growing in Pearly's sewage…treatment plant； first feeding on his wastes； then getting to the good stuff。 Pretty horrible。 Still； there was an upside。 Freddy was getting better and Kurtz had never caught the damned Ripley in the first place （perhaps he was immune； in any case； he had taken off the mask and tossed it indifferently in back fifteen minutes ago）。 And Pearly； although undoubtedly ill； was also valuable； a man with a really good radar jammed up his ass。 So Kurtz patted Perlmutter on the shoulder； ignoring the stench。 Sooner or later the thing inside him would get out； and that would likely mean an end to Pearly's usefulness； but Kurtz wouldn't worry about that until he had to。
'Hold on；' Kurtz said tenderly。 'Just tell it to go back to sleep again。'
'You 。 。 。 fucking 。 。 。 idiot！' Perlmutter gasped。
'That's right；' Kurtz agreed。 'Whatever you say； buck。' After all； he was a fucking idiot。 Owen had turned out to be a cowardly coyote； and who had put him in the damn henhouse？
They were passing Exit 27 now。 Kurtz looked up the ramp and fancied he could almost see the tracks of the Hummer Owen was driving。 Somewhere up there； on one side of the overpass or the other； was the house to which Owen and his new friend had made their inexplicable detour。 Why？
'They stopped to get Duddits；' Perlmutter said。 His belly was going down again and the worst of his pain seemed to have passed。 For now； at least。
'Duddits？ What kind of name is that？'
'I don't know。 I'm picking this up from his mother。 Him I can't see。 He's different； boss。 It's almost as if he's a grayboy instead of human。'
Kurtz felt his back prickle at that。
'The mother thinks of this guy Duddits as both a boy and a man；' Pearly said。 This was the most unprompted munication from him Kurtz had gotten since they'd left Gosselin's。 Perlmutter sounded almost interested； by God。
'Maybe he's retarded；' Freddy said。
Perlmutter glanced over at Freddy。 That could be。 Whatever he is； he's sick。' Pearly sighed。 'I know how he feels。'
Kurtz patted Perlmutter's shoulder again。 'Chin up； laddie。 What about the fellows they're after？ This Gary Jones and the supposed Mr Gray？' He didn't much care； but there was the possibility that the course and progress of Jones … and Gray； if Gray existed outside of Owen Underhill's fevered imagination … would impact upon the course and progress of Underhill； Devlin； and 。 。 。 Duddits？
Perlmutter shook his head； then closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat again。 His little spate of energy and interest seemed to have passed。 'Nothing；' he said。 'Blocked off。'
'Maybe not there at all？'
'Oh； something's there；' Perlmutter said。 'It's like a black hole。' Dreamily； he said： 'I hear so many voices。 They're a