Chapter 18 Seventeen, in the cell

Rennie, the public affairs executive, thought that no one had seen Brenda come to his house this morning.He was right, for not one but three people had seen her in action this morning, and one of them was a man who also lived in Mill Street.If he knew this, would Lao Zhan decide not to kill him?It was hard to say, he believed he had done the right thing, and it was too late to turn back.But it might lead him to reflect (he is a reflective person, but always in his own way) on the parallels between murder and Lay's chips: it's hard to stop eating just one. Since they didn't want to be seen in the first place, James didn't see anyone when he walked to the corner of Mill Street and Main Street; not even Brenda when he walked up the town slope.They hid in the Peace Bridge, which is the place that everyone hates.But that's not the worst.If Claire MacLeitch caught him secretly smoking a cigarette, he would be in real trouble.In fact, there might be two troubles at once.Surely he could never be friends with Nolly Calvert again, even if the fate of the town depended on their little group.Because Nolly had given them the cigarettes—a twisted pack of Winstons that smelled awful.She found the pack of cigarettes on a shelf in the garage.Her father had given up smoking a year earlier, so the pack was covered in a thick layer of dust, but as far as Nori saw, the cigarettes themselves were fine.There are only three in it, but three happens to be the perfect number:

One stick per person. Think of it as a blessing ceremony, she told the other two. "We smoke like Indians praying for a good hunt, and then we go to work." "Sounds not bad," said Little Joe.He has always been very curious about smoking.He couldn't see what the attraction was about it, but there must be something about it.After all, there are a lot of people who smoke. "Which god do you pray to?" "Up to you," Nori replied, looking as if he was the dumbest creature in the universe. "God's God, if you please." She was wearing faded denim shorts and a pink sleeveless top, and instead of the ponytail that she usually sways back and forth when she wanders around town, her hair was down. Drooping down beside the pretty face.To both boys she looked stunning, in fact, downright out of place. "I'm going to pray to Wonder Woman."

"Wonder Woman isn't a goddess," said Little Joe, picking up a stale Winston and sniffing it straight out. "Wonder Woman is a superhero." He thought for a moment. "Maybe a superheroine." "She's my goddess," Nolly replied, giving him such a hard look that he couldn't argue with it, let alone make fun of it.She carefully smooths out her cigarette while Benny keeps his own, figuring there must be some cool reason for a bent cigarette to exist. "Before I was nine years old, I had a Wonder Woman power bracelet, but it disappeared. I think it must have been stolen by that bitch Yvonne Nader."

She lit a match, first for Jo the Scarecrow, and then for Benny.Just as she was about to light her own cigarette, Benny blew out the match. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Lighting three cigarettes with one match brings bad luck." "You really believe in such a thing?" "Not quite," Benny said, "but we're going to need all the luck we can get today." He glanced at the shopping bags in the bicycle basket, then took a puff on his cigarette.He only took a sip before coughing out the smoke, his eyes filled with tears. "It tastes like leopard shit!"

"It seems that you have smoked a lot of leopard shit?" Xiao Qiao asked.He took a puff on his own cigarette, not wanting to look like a mouse, but also not wanting to cough it up or throw it away.The smoke is hot, but not bad.Maybe there is really some charm in it, but he already feels a little dizzy now. It's easy to inhale, he thought, and exhaling is what really makes you want to throw up, not that cool.Unless, if he had the chance to pass out on Nolly Calvert's lap, maybe it would be really cool. Nolly reached into her shorts pocket and pulled out the lid of a juice bottle. "We can use this as an ashtray. I want to have an Indian smoking ceremony, but I don't want to burn the Peace Bridge." She closed her eyes and began to mutter silently, the cigarette between her fingers burning to ashes.

Benny looked at Little Joe, shrugged, and then closed his eyes. "Almighty Special Forces, please listen to the prayer of devout Private First Class Derek—" Nolly kicked him without opening her eyes. Joe got up (a little dizzy, but all right; when he straightened up he took another drag on his cigarette) and walked over to the area where the bicycles were parked, towards the sheltered sidewalk at the end of the town square. "Where are you going?" Nolly asked, her eyes still closed. "Seeing nature can make me pray more seriously," said Little Joe, but he really just wanted some fresh air.It had nothing to do with the burning cigarette, and he kind of liked the smell anyway.Will do, mainly because of other smells in the bridge.Rotting wood, old wine, and the sour smell of chemical spices that seemed to be wafting from the Prestige Creek below them (it was good, the chef might have told him, you'd love it).

The air outside was not that good, and it kind of reminded Xiao Qiao of the experience he had with his parents in New York last year.The air in the subway is a bit like that, especially later in the day when people are crowded in the subway, all trying to get home as quickly as possible. He flicked the ash in his hand, and as he scattered it, he saw Brenda Perkins climb up the ramp. Not long after, a hand was placed on his shoulder.Compared with Benny's hand, this hand is much smoother and more detailed. "Who's that?" Nolly asked. "I've seen it, but I don't know the name," he said.

Benny joined them: "That's Mrs. Perkins. The sheriff's widow." Nolly elbowed him. "It's the sheriff, stupid." Benny shrugged: "Whatever." They watched her, mostly because there was no one else around to watch. The rest of the town went to the supermarket in what was apparently the largest food war in history.The three children saw what was going on in the supermarket, but kept watching from afar.They don't need anyone to persuade them to stay away from there, after all, they are entrusted with very valuable equipment. Brenda walked across Main Street to the side near Prestige Creek, stopped outside McCain's house, then walked over to Mrs. Grinnell's.

"Let's do it," Benny said. "Not yet, until she leaves," Nolly said. Benny shrugged. "What's the big deal? Even if she saw us, she'd think we were just like any of the other kids hanging out in the town square. You know? Maybe she wouldn't even notice us. My lord." They don’t pay attention to children at all.” He does think so, "unless the kid is on a skateboard." "Or smoke," Nolly agreed.They all glanced at the cigarettes in their hands. Joe Jr. gestured with his thumb, pointing to the shopping bag on the shelf in front of Benny's biker. "If the kids are wandering around with expensive town hall equipment, they should be able to see it too."

Nolly held her cigarette in the corner of her mouth, making her look surprisingly strong, beautiful, and surprisingly mature. The boys turned back to watch again.The sheriff's widow was talking to Mrs. Grinnell at the moment.The conversation is not long.As Mrs. Perkins came up the steps, she took a large brown envelope from her canvas bag, and they watched as she handed it to Mrs. Grinnell.A few seconds later, Mrs. Grinnell nearly slammed the door in front of the visitor. "Whoa, that's rude," Benny said. "On probation this week." Joe and Nolly laughed. Perkins stood where he was for a moment, as if confused, then descended the steps again.Now she was facing the square, and the three children instinctively moved forward to hide in the shadow of the sidewalk.This made it impossible for them to see her, but Joe found a gap in the plank and continued to watch through the gap.

"Back to Main Street," he reported, "well, she's up the hill again...and now crossing the street again..." Benny pretended to hold up the microphone: "Camera eleven." Little Joe ignored him: "Now she's on my street." He turned to Benny and Nolly, "Do you think she's going to find my mother?" "Mill Street's four blocks long, man, said Benny," "What do you think the odds are?" Even though Xiao Qiao had no reason to think that it must be something bad for Mrs. Parkinson to go to his mother, she still felt a sense of relief.His mother was still quite worried about his father who was out of town, and Xiao Qiao didn't want to see her mother sadder than she was now.She almost banned him from the expedition.Thank goodness Miss Shumway talked to her about it herself, and told her that Dale Barbara had specifically named Joe for the job (to Joe—and Ben Ni and Nolly—they prefer the word "task"). "Mrs. McCleitch," Julia said, "if anyone is fit to handle this tool, Barbie thinks it's likely to be your son. That might be a very important thing." That made Joe feel good, but looking at his mother's face—worried, troubled—made him feel bad again. It has not even been three days since the dome came down, but she has already lost weight.The fact that she's holding a picture of her dad all the time makes him pretty uncomfortable too, like she thinks he's dead instead of just being in some kind of motel drinking beer and watching a movie channel maybe . She agreed to Miss Shumway anyway: "Well, he's a bright boy for handling tools, and always has been." She looked him up from head to toe, then sighed, "Son, when did you grow so tall?" "I don't know either." He answered honestly. "If I let you go, will you promise me to be careful?" "Take your friend with you," Julia said. "Benny and Nolly? Of course." "And," Julia added cautiously, "you know what that means, Joe?" "Well, ma'am, of course I do." This means never getting caught. Brenda's figure disappeared among the trees on the side of Mill Street. "Okay," Benny said, "let's go." Carefully, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray substitute and picked up the shopping bag from the bike tray.The bag contained the old yellow Geiger counters passed by Barbie, Rusty, Julia... Finally, there is Xiao Qiao and his friends. Xiao Qiao took the cap of the juice bottle and extinguished the cigarette in her hand. She thought that if she had more time in the future and could focus on feeling, she would definitely try smoking again.But from another perspective, it's better not to do it.His obsession with computers, Brian K. Vaughan graphic novels, and skateboards is enough of an addiction, I'm afraid. "We'll meet other people," he told Benny and Nolly, "and maybe more if they get tired of the supermarket. We can only hope they don't notice us." Again Miss Shumway's words to his mother resounded in his mind how important this matter was to the whole town.She didn't need to say much to him; he probably knew the matter better than they did. "But if you meet the police..." Nolly said. Xiao Qiao nodded: "Then put the things back in the bag, and take out the Frisbee from the bag to pretend." "You really think there's an alien engine buried in the Town Square?" Benny asked. "I said 'possible'," Xiao Qiao replied, with a stronger tone than she expected. "Anything is possible." In fact, Joe thinks the odds are higher than he expected. If the cause of the dome has nothing to do with supernatural forces, then it must be some kind of force field.The force field needs energy, and for him, there is absolutely no need for other things to prove this problem.But he didn't want them to expect too much, not even himself. "Then start looking," Nolly said.She bent over the dangling yellow police cordon. "I hope you both prayed seriously just now." Little Joe didn't believe that prayers really helped what he was about to do, but made another small wish: that if they ever found the starter, that Nolly Calvert would kiss him one more time, and To kiss longer. During the pre-departure meeting in the McClatchy family's living room in the early morning, Scarecrow Joe took off his right sneaker and white athletic sock. "Trick or treat if you don't give me sugar, let you smell my stinky feet and give me something delicious to taste." Benny said happily. "Shut up, idiot," replied Little Joe. "Don't call your friends stupid. Claire McCleitch said," But he gave Benny a reproachful look. Norrie didn't join in the conversation, but watched with interest as Jo put the sock on the living room rug and smoothed it out with her hands. "This is Chester's Mill," said little Joe. "It's the same shape, isn't it?" "Exactly, Benny agrees, that's what we're meant to do," "All in a town that looks like Joe McCleich Jr.'s running socks." "Like an old lady's shoe too," Nolly put in. "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe," Mrs. McCleitch recited.She sat on the sofa with her husband's photograph on her lap, just as Miss Shumway had come yesterday afternoon with the Geiger counter. "She has so many children, she doesn't know what to do." "Good answer, Ma," said little Joe, trying not to laugh. In his junior high school textbook, this paragraph has been redacted to say that she had so many children that her vagina fell out. He looked down at the sock again: "Does this sock have a center?" Benny and Nolly began to think.Little Joe let them figure it out for themselves, and in fact, being interested in such questions was one of the reasons he admired them. "It's not like a circle or a square has a center point, Nolly said at last," "It's a geometric figure." Benny said: "I guess the sock is indeed geometric - technically - but I don't know how to describe it. Angular?" Nolly laughed out loud, and even Claire smiled a little. "From the map, Mill Town is close to a hexagon, said Little Joe," "But don't worry about that for now, just go with the feeling." Nolly pointed to where the instep of the sock meets the calf: "Here, that's the center." Xiao Qiao drew a little there with a pen. "I'm not sure that's washable, sir," sighed Claire, "but I think you're about to need a new pair of socks." Before he could ask another question, she added, "From the map, it should be the town square. Are you going to look there?" "That's the first place we'll go," said Joe, a little discouraged at being preempted. "If there is a generator," said Mrs. McCleitch thoughtfully, "you think it would be in the middle of the town, or thereabouts." Little Joe nodded. "Cool, Mrs. McCleitch," said Benny, holding up a hand. "Give me a high-five, brother's mother." Claire McCleitch showed a weak smile, still holding the photo of her husband, and gave Benny a high-five, and then said: "At least the town square is a safe place, she stopped and thought for a while," Frowning slightly, "At least I hope so, but who knows?" "Don't worry," Nolly said, "I'll keep an eye on them." "Promise me, if you do find something, let the experts handle it," Claire said. Mom, Joe thought, I think, we might be the experts. But he didn't say it, knowing it wouldn't do anything to her. "Agreed, said Benny," holding up his hand again, "one more time, my good brother's—" This time she held the photo in both hands: "I love you, Benny, but you annoy me sometimes." He smiled bitterly: "My mother said the same." Xiao Qiao walked downhill with her friends and came to the bandstand in the center of the square.Behind them, Prestige Creek murmured. The water was low now, and the upper northwest stream that ran through the town of Chester's Mill was blocked by the dome.If the dome hadn't disappeared tomorrow, Little Joe thought the stream would be gone altogether, and there would be nothing but mud. "Okay," Benny said, "stop messing around, it's time for the skateboarders to save Chester's Mill. Let's get out that precious thing." Little Joe carefully (with genuine awe) picks up the shopping bag with the Geiger counter.The battery inside was very old, and the electrodes were still covered with a thick layer of goo, but all it took was some baking soda to get the rust off, not to mention Nolly was still in her father's tool cabinet and found three Six volt dry batteries. “He’s a freak when it comes to batteries,” she once revealed. “He nearly killed himself once trying to learn how to skateboard, but I still love him.” Xiao Qiao put his thumb on the switch and looked at them seriously: "Tell you, this thing can read any tiny radiation around us, and this may be the location of the starting device, not only will it emit alpha or beta waves -" "Jesus, open it," said Benny, "don't give me a break." "He's right," Nolly said. "Open it." But it's actually quite interesting.They had tested it many times back at Little Joe's house, and the Geiger counter worked fine—when they tested it with an old electronic watch, the hands visibly moved, and they each tried it again.But now, they were here—you could say they were on the scene—Little Qiao felt a chill in her heart.Sweat was dripping from his forehead, and he could feel the beads of sweat condensing and about to slide off. If Nori hadn't put her hand on his, he might have stood there for a while.Benny also put his hand up, and the three of them turned on the switch together.The pointer of the second index immediately jumps to "+5" position, Noli couldn't help but tightly grasped Xiao Qiao's shoulder, and then, the pointer returned to "+2", and then let go of her hand.They had no experience with Geiger counters, but thought it was a normal index. Xiao Qiao took the Geiger counter, raised the receiver connected to the wires to his body, and slowly circled around the bandstand.The power light glows bright amber, and the needle wobbles slightly over and over again, but mostly near the "0" position.They believe that some of the more obvious shaking may be caused by their own movements. He wasn't surprised—some part of him knew quite well that the job couldn't be that simple—but he was also deeply disappointed.It felt amazing, and it was, the disappointment and the sense of the unexpected tugging at each other like the Orson twins. "Let me do it," Nolly said, "and I might have better luck." He handed it to her without protest.For the next hour or so, they staggered around the town square, taking turns holding Geiger counters.They saw a car pull up Mill Street and didn't notice that the driver was Jen Rennie Jr.--he was feeling much better again.He didn't notice them either.An ambulance with flashing lights and siren blaring quickly passed the town slope and drove all the way to the food city supermarket.They watched for a while, but when Jennifer reappeared, this time in his father's Humvee, they were already focused on the task at hand. So focused were they that they never used the frisbee they brought in for camouflage.But it doesn't matter.As the townspeople walked home, only a relatively few glanced distressedly at the town square.Several of them were injured.Most people grabbed food, some even pushed shopping carts.Almost everyone looked ashamed of their actions. By noon, Xiao Qiao and her friends were about to give up, even hungry. "Go back to my house first," Xiao Qiao said, "My mother will help us get something to eat." "Great," Benny said. "Hope it's chow mein. Your mother makes great chow mein." "Can we cross the Peace Bridge and try the other side first?" Nolly asked. Xiao Qiao shrugged: "Okay, but there is nothing there except the woods. Besides, it is farther from the center." "Yes, but..." Her voice trailed off. "But what?" "It's okay, it's just a feeling, maybe it's a stupid idea." Jo looked at Benny, who shrugged and handed her the Geiger counter. They made their way back to the Peace Bridge, bending over the sagging police cordon.It was dark on the trail, but when they got to the middle of the bridge it wasn't so dim that Joe couldn't see the Geiger pointer shaking over Nori's head.They marched in a straight line, not trying to test how much weight the rotting planks could hold under their feet.They walked out on the other side of the bridge, and there was a sign ahead that said: You are leaving Chester's Mill Town Square, established in 1808.There was an old trail that sloped upwards, lined with oaks, ash and beeches.The maple leaves on the tree hang down weakly, and the color is not only not bright, but also gloomy. As soon as they set foot on the path, the pointer was at "+5" per second index It swayed between "+10", then surpassed "+10", quickly jumped to "+500" of different levels, then reached the position of "+1000", and then jumped back.The highest index area of ​​the meter is marked in red. The pointer is still some distance away from that area, but Xiao Qiao is very sure that the current index is definitely not normal. Benny looked at the slightly shaking pointer, but Little Joe looked directly at Nolly. "What do you think?" he asked her. "Don't be afraid, just say it. After all, it doesn't seem like a stupid idea." "Right." Benny agreed.He knocked on the dashboard of the per-second index, the pointer jumped, and returned to the vicinity of "+7" and "+8". "I think the launching device and the launch pad are actually the same thing," Nolly said. "The launch pad doesn't need to be at the center, as long as it's high enough." "The CIK radio tower is not," Benny said. "It's just an empty space, playing some Jesus stuff. I've been there." "Yeah, but there, the power is super strong, and Nolly said, uh," "My dad says it's around a hundred thousand watts. Maybe we're looking for something that doesn't have that much range. That's why I started thinking , where is the highest place in the town?" "Black Ridge." Xiao Qiao said. "Black Ridge." She agreed, raising her small fist. Little Joe punched her, and then pointed: "This way, there are still two miles, maybe three miles." He moved the receiver of the Geiger counter in that direction, and when the pointer rose to "+ 10", they all watched with fascination. "I'm going to make a big deal," Benny said. "Wait until you're forty," Nolly said, still rudely... but also a little embarrassed.Just a little bit. "There's an old orchard on Black Ridge Road," said Joe Jr. "You can see all of Milltown from there—even the TR-90 merged borough, at least that's what my dad said. Probably right there. Noah Li, you are a genius." This time he didn't passively wait for her to kiss him, although at most he only dared to kiss the corner of the mouth, but he still kissed her respectfully. She looked happy, but still frowned slightly: "It probably doesn't mean anything. The needle didn't really go up. Can we ride our bicycles and see?" "Of course!" said Little Joe. "Just after lunch," Benny added.He considers himself a rather down-to-earth person. Just as Joe, Benny, and Nolly are having lunch (chow mein, indeed) at McCleich's, Rusty Everett, assisted by Barbie and the two teenage girls, is treated at Katherine Russell Hospital during a supermarket riot When the wounded man was shot, old James Rennie sat in his study, busy making a list of things that needed to be confirmed. He saw his Humvee pull into the driveway, and he checked another item: Get rid of Brenda with the other bodies. He felt that everything was ready--at least as best as it could be. Even if the dome disappeared without a trace this afternoon, he thought he would be safe. Little Zhan came in and threw the keys of the Hummer on the old Zhan's desk.He was pale and in need of a good shave more than ever, but at least he didn't look like a drug overdose anymore.His left eye was red, but not too severe. "Son, are you done?" Xiao Zhan nodded: "Will we go to jail?" There was only curiosity in his tone, almost as if it had nothing to do with him. "No." Lao Zhan said.It never occurred to him that he might go to jail, not even when that old Perkins hag came here and started her charges.He smiled. "But Dale Barbara will." "No one will believe he killed Brenda Perkins." Lao Zhan continued to smile: "Yes. They are all terrified, so they will believe it. It always happens like this." "how do you know?" "Because I've learned a lot from history, you should try it if you have the chance." He almost asked why Xiao Zhan left Bowdoin University—do you miss it?Did you pass the exam?Or was expelled? But neither the time nor the place is the time to discuss it.Instead, he asked his son if he could help him with another matter. Xiao Zhan rubbed his temples: "It should be possible, anyway, I don't do one thing and two things." "You need help. I think you can take Frank with you. I'd like him better if that Kid Thipperdeau can walk today. But don't ask Searles, he's a good guy, just stupid." Little Zhan didn't say a word, which made old Zhan wonder what was going on with the kid again.But does he really want to know?Maybe it's better to wait until the crisis is over.At the same time, he still has a lot to prepare in advance.It's not far from serving time now. "What do you want me to do?" "Let me confirm one thing first." Lao Zhan picked up the phone.Every time he does this, he always thinks that the phone should be dead, but it always does.At least he can still dial numbers in the town, which is enough for him.He dialed the number of the police station.Just before the bell rang three times and was about to switch to the automated voice, Stacy Mockin answered the phone.Her voice sounded very busy, unlike her usual laconic, efficient tone.After the morning's extravaganza, it didn't surprise Lao Zhan; he could hear the commotion on the other end of the phone. "Police," she said, "if it's not an emergency please hang up and call later. We're very busy right now—" "I'm James Rennie, honey." He knew Stacey didn't like being called "darling," and that was why he did. "Give the call to the sheriff, quickly." "He's trying to stop a boxing match at the front right now," She said, "Maybe you can call later—" "No, I'm not free later," Old James said. "Do you think I'll call if there's nothing important? Turn the call over, honey, it's urgent. Tell Peter to come into his office to answer—" She didn't let him finish or tell him to wait.There was the sound of a microphone being tapped on the table from the other end of the phone.Lao Zhan was not displeased; when he deliberately annoyed someone, he always liked to actually feel the other person's anger.In the distance, he heard someone calling another a "son of a bitch," which made him smile. Stacy didn't say much to him at all and just turned the call over.After Lao Zhan listened to the police commercial song for a while, the phone was answered.It was Randolph, his voice out of breath. "Come on, old James, it's like a crazy asylum here. Some people have broken ribs and don't go to the hospital, and some people are like mad dogs. Everyone is yelling at everyone else. I try not to lock them in as much as possible. The cell below, but more than half of the people seem to be eager to get in." "Looks like strengthening the police force is a good idea for you today, doesn't it, Sheriff?" "Oh my God, that's right. We're under attack. There's a new cop—the girl named Lux—in the hospital with the entire bottom half of her face broken, looking like Frankenstein's bride." Lao Zhan laughed even wider.Sam Waidello has done the job. Of course, this is another proof of the effectiveness of induction.There are those rare moments where you can't play yourself and have to get things done and get the ball to the right player. "Someone hit her with a stone, even Marvin Searles. He was unconscious for a while but seems to be fine now. He was still in bad shape so I took him to hospital for treatment went." "Well, this is really hateful." Old Zhan said. "Someone targeted my officers, and I think more than one. Do we really have a way to find more recruits, old James?" "I think you'll find that there are still many honest young people in the town who are willing to join us," Old Zhan said. "To be honest, I also know a few in the Holy Savior Church. For example, those children in the Killian family." "Old Zhan, the children of the Kilian family are stupider than pigs." "I know, but they're strong, and they'll do what they're told." He paused. "And they know how to use a gun." "We're sending weapons to the new force?" Randolph's voice was hopeful and skeptical. "After today's incident? Of course. I think it's better to pick a dozen or so trustworthy young people first. Frank and Xiao Zhan can help choose. If this matter is not over by next week, we will need more people .When we started rationing supplies, we replaced paychecks with supplies and gave priority to them and their families." "Okay. Can you call Jr. over here? Frank is here, and so is Thipperdeau. He got hurt a bit at the supermarket, and the bandage on his shoulder needs a new one, but it doesn't hinder movement." Randolph lowered his voice. Volume, "He said it was Barbara who changed the bandages, and they were well dressed." "That's all very well, but our Mr. Barbara won't be able to keep the bandages on for long. I've got another job for Jen. Constable Thipperdeau is on board too. Send him over." "What job?" "If you need to know, I'll tell you. Just send him over. Little James and Frank can help you list the new members later." "Okay... you said so—" Randolph's voice was interrupted by another commotion.There was the sound of something breaking when something fell to the floor or hit the wall. "Separate them!" Randolph yelled. With a smile on his face, Lao Zhan moved the phone away from his ear.He still heard very clearly, without any difference. "Get those two... not those two, you idiot, but the other two... No, I don't mean to arrest them! Damn it, I want them to get out of here! If they do it again, get them Kick away!" After a while, he returned to the conversation with Lao Zhan again: "Remind me and tell me why I want this job, otherwise I will forget about it." "Things will pass," Lao Zhan reassured, "There will be five new people to help you tomorrow-five young and strong guys-and the other five will report on Thursday. This is still the minimum number. Now, Send Thipperdeau first to make sure the innermost cell downstairs is empty. Mr. Barbara will need it this afternoon." "What crime?" "How about four murders and a riot at the local supermarket? Enough?" He hung up the phone before Randolph could answer. "What do you want me to do with Carter?" Little Zhan asked. "This afternoon? Let's start with some scouting and planning. I'll help with the planning, and then get involved in the arrest of Barbara. I think you'll enjoy it." "Yes, I do." "As soon as Barbara is in the cell, you and Constable Thipperdeau are going to have a nice dinner. Because, the real work has to be done tonight." "What job?" "Burn the offices of the Democracy - what does that sound like?" Xiao Zhan opened his eyes wide: "Why?" It was disappointing that my own son would ask this question. "Because, in the immediate future, newspapers are not the best source of entertainment in our town. Have you any objection?" "Dad—did you ever think you might be crazy?" Lao Zhan nodded. "Very crazy," he said. "I've been in this room," said Ginny Tomlinson in a voice never heard before, "but never thought I'd be lying on this table." "Even if there was, you might not have imagined that it would be the guy who fried your steak and eggs in the morning to take care of you." Barbie tried her best to appear energetic, but since the first ambulance arrived at Catherine Russell Hospital , he has been busy applying medicine and bandaging, so he is indeed tired.But he suspects that the main reason may be the impact of stress, which makes him feel so tired. He's afraid he'll make someone else's injury worse instead of better. 他可以在吉娜·巴弗莱诺与哈丽特·毕格罗脸上看见相同的焦虑，只是，她们不用担心紧迫盯人的老詹·伦尼会跑出来搅局。 “我想，我恐怕得过好一阵子才能再吃块牛排了。”吉妮说。 生锈克去看其他患者以前，先治疗了她的鼻子。芭比帮忙扶住她头部两侧，动作尽可能轻柔，还轻声说了些鼓励的话。生锈克把浸有药用古柯碱的纱布塞入她鼻孔，等了十分钟好使麻醉剂生效（这段时间还帮一个胖女人治疗了严重扭伤的手腕，以及用弹性绷带包扎起她肿起的膝盖），接着才用镊子取出纱布条，拿起一把手术刀。助理医生的动作快得惊人。在芭比叫吉妮说句“如愿骨”前，生锈克已把手术刀的刀柄滑入她的鼻孔中撑起膈膜，将其作为杠杆，开始了清理工作。 就像撬起轮毂罩一样，芭比想，听见吉妮的鼻子传来一阵细微、但确实能听得到的嘎吱声响，显示鼻骨正逐渐回到原来的位置。她没有尖叫，但指甲却在覆盖检查台的纸张上撕裂了好几个洞，泪水不断顺着脸颊滑下。 她现在已经平静下来——生锈克给了她两粒止痛药——但泪水仍自她稍微消肿的双眼中徐徐流着。她的双颊仍淤青浮肿，使芭比觉得她看起来有点像是洛基与拳王阿波罗打完拳后的模样。 “你得往好处想。”他说。 “有这种东西吗？” “当然有。那个姓路克斯的女孩，看起来得喝上一个月的汤和奶昔才行。” “乔琪亚？我听说她被砸中了。情况多糟？” “还活得了，但得花上很长一段时间，才能恢复原本的模样。” “那可就永远没办法去竞选苹果花小姐了。” 她放低音量，“这是她在尖叫？” 芭比点了点头。乔琪亚的惨叫似乎不断回荡在整栋医院之中。“生锈克给了她吗啡，但也没能让她安静多久。她的身体肯定跟马一样壮。” “良心也跟短吻鳄一样。”吉妮模糊不清地补充，“我不希望会有人遇到跟她一样的事，但这证明了该死的因果报应的确存在。我在这里待多久了？我那可恶的表坏了。” 芭比瞥了一眼自己的表：“现在是下午两点半，我猜，再过五个半小时你就会好多了。”他转动一下臀部，听见关节的喀啦声响，觉得轻松了些。 他觉得汤姆·佩蒂所言不虚：等待才是最困难的部分。他猜，要是自己真被关进牢房，可能还会觉得轻松点。只要他没有先死在外头就好了。这念头才一闪过脑海，他便觉得自己倒是挺有可能会被人以拒捕罪名打死。 “在笑什么？”她问。 “没事。”他举起一把镊子，“现在安静点，让我把事情做完。越早开始，越快完成。” “我站起来好了，这样你比较方便做事。” “要是你真这么做，只会整个人跌倒在地。” 她看着镊子：“你真的知道这工具怎么用？” “知道，我还得过奥运会搬玻璃项目的金牌。” “你鬼扯的功力甚至比我前夫还厉害。”她露出一丝微笑。芭比猜那一定会痛，就算止痛药已发挥药效也一样，使他因此对她有了好感。 “你该不会是只要患者是自己，就会变成暴君的那种讨厌的医护人员吧？”他问。 “哈斯克医生才是。有一次，他的大拇指指甲裂了道大口子，当生锈克说要帮他拔掉时，巫师则说他希望能交给专业的来。”她大笑出声，接着一阵抽痛，呻吟出声。 “打你的警察被一颗石头砸中了头，希望这消息会让你感觉好些。” “又是因果报应。他可以下床走动吗？” “嗯。”马文·瑟尔斯的头上包着绷带，两小时前便已离开医院。 芭比手上拿着镊子，朝她弯下腰去。她本能地转过了头。他用手——动作十分轻柔——压着她脸颊没那么肿的地方，把她的头转了回来。 “我知道你非这么做不可，”她说，“但我的眼睛就跟婴儿一样脆弱。” “从他打你的力道来看，你实在幸运得很。玻璃碎片只伤到眼睛周围，而没刺到里头。” “我知道。只要别弄痛我就好，可以吗？” “好，”他说，“马上就没事了，吉妮。我会尽快完成。” 他擦了擦手，确保双手干燥（他不想戴手套，不相信戴着手套还能握紧镊子），接着弯得更近。 大概有六七块镜片碎片刺入了她的眉毛与双眼四周，但他最担心的，是她左眼眼角下方那块细小碎片。芭比相当确定，要是生锈克看见的话，一定会把碎片拔出来，只是，他刚才完全专注在她的鼻子上。 动作要快，他想，只要一个犹豫，通常就会把事情搞砸。 他夹起碎片，丢进长桌上的塑料盆里。一粒细小血珠从碎片原本的位置中流了出来。他松了口气：“好了。接下来就没什么了，好办多了。” “那就祝你好运啰。”吉妮说。 生锈克打开检查室的房门时，他正好把最后一块碎片夹了出来。生锈克问他能不能帮个小忙，手上还拿着一个原本用来装喉片的锡盒。 “什么小忙？” “一个走起路来像是长了痔疮的人，”生锈克说，“这个屁眼疼痛的家伙，一心想带着抢来的东西离开这里。在正常情况下，我会很高兴看着他凄惨的背影走出门外，但现在，他或许还派得上用场。” “吉妮？”芭比问，“你没问题吧？” 她朝门口挥了挥手。他知道她的意思，于是准备跟生锈克一同离开。当她喊了句“嘿，帅哥” 时，芭比转过身去。她给了他一个飞吻。 芭比伸手抓住。 切斯特磨坊只有一个牙医，名字叫乔·巴克斯。 他的诊所位于斯特劳巷的尽头，诊疗室里可以看见普雷斯提溪与和平桥的风景。要是你坐着的话，风景倒是赏心悦目，只不过大多数客人都是后仰着的，除了贴在天花板上那十几张乔·巴克斯养的吉娃娃的相片之外，也没有别的东西能看。 “其中有张相片，那只该死的狗看起来像是在拉屎。”道奇·敦切尔在某回看完牙以后，这么告诉生锈克，“或许那是狗坐下的某种动作吧，但我可不这么认为。我足足花了半小时，让巴克斯从我下巴里拔掉两颗智齿，过程中一直想找条抹布，好擦掉我眼前那一泡屎。他用的八成是螺丝起子吧，感觉起来就是那样。” 挂在巴克斯医生诊所外的招牌，就像一条大到可以给童话中的巨人穿的篮球短裤。招牌漆着浓艳的绿色与金色——也就是磨坊镇野猫队的颜色，文字写着乔·巴克斯牙科博士，而低一点的位置，则写有巴克斯的动作最快！这几个字。每个人都同意，他的动作的确十分迅速，但他不接受医疗保险，只收现金。要是有个裁纸工人，脸颊肿得像是嘴里塞满坚果的松鼠，带着化脓的牙龈走进诊所，开始与他谈起牙医保险的事，那么巴克斯就会叫他先找保险公司要钱，接着再回来找他。 如果镇上有竞争对手的话，或许会逼他放宽这条规矩。但过去那六间愿意在磨坊镇里试试看的牙医诊所，早在二十世纪九十年代初的时候，就都宣布放弃了。有些揣测指出，乔·巴克斯的好友老詹·伦尼，可能帮他在减少竞争对手这件事中出了点力，只是却没有任何证据可以证明这点。同时，巴克斯还可能会在随便一个日子，突然暂停营业，开着保时捷跑车四处溜达。跑车保险杆上的贴纸写着：我的另一辆车也是保时捷！ 芭比尾随生锈克来到大厅时，巴克斯正走向大门，或者说，正试着想这么做。抽筋敦抓着他一只手，而巴克斯的另一只手则挂着一个装满家乐氏松饼的篮子。里头没有别的东西，只有一包又一包的松饼。芭比纳闷——不是第一次了——他是不是还躺在北斗星酒吧停车场的水沟里，被人打成一摊烂泥，由于脑震荡而做着可怕的噩梦。 “我不要留下来！”巴克斯大喊，“我得把这些东西放进家里的冰箱！反正你的提议根本不会成功，所以快把手放开。” 芭比观察他眉毛上那块把眉毛一分为二的蝴蝶绷带，以及右前臂那块更大的绷带。看来，这牙医似乎为了那些冷冻松饼好好打了一架。 “叫这傻子放开我的手，他看见生锈克时说，” “我已经没事了，现在只想回家。” “还不行，”生锈克说，“你既然都接受了免费治疗，我希望你也能付出点热忱。” 巴克斯是个小个子，身高不超过五英尺四英寸，但他此刻把身体挺到最高程度，猛吸了一口气。“希望个鬼。我几乎从来没听过用口腔外科手术——补充一下，缅因州政府可没说我一定要这么做——来当作两块绷带的代价。我是为了讨生活才工作的，艾佛瑞特，我希望做了事就能拿到报酬。” “你会在天堂里得到报酬的，”芭比说，“这不就是你朋友伦尼会说的话吗？” “他跟这件事没有——” 芭比逼近一步，瞪着巴克斯的绿色塑料购物篮，手把上还印有美食城所有的字样。巴克斯试着要挡住篮子，却没有太大作用。 “说到报酬，你付了这些松饼的钱吗？” “太可笑了，每个人都拿了一堆东西，我只拿了这些而已。”他挑衅地看着芭比，“我有一个很大的冰箱，而我刚好喜欢松饼。” “'每个人都拿了一堆东西'这套说词，在你被控抢劫时，可不会起什么保护作用。”芭比和颜悦色地说。 巴克斯实在不可能再把自己的身子挺高，但不知为何，他却办到了。他的脸涨得通红，几乎成了紫色。“那就到法院告我啊！这里哪有什么法院啊？结案！哈！” 他再次准备转身离开。芭比伸手抓住他，但抓的是篮子而非手臂。“那我只好没收了，可以吗？” “你不能这么做！” “不行？那就把我告上法院啊。”芭比露出微笑，“喔，我忘了——哪有什么法院啊？” 巴克斯医生怒视着他，嘴唇向下扯紧，露出了完美无瑕的细小牙齿。 “我们只好去休息室烤那些松饼了，”生锈克说，“美味又好吃！” “嗯，趁我们还有电力可以烤的时候快动手，” 抽筋敦嘀咕着说，“不然之后也可以用叉子叉着，用医院后头的焚化炉来烤。” “你们不能这么做！” 芭比说：“让我把话说清楚：除非你完成生锈克交代的事，否则我不准备放开你的松饼。” 查兹·班德有些坏心地大笑起来。他的鼻梁与脖子一边各贴着一块创可贴。“付钱，医生！” 他大喊，“你不是老这样说吗？” 巴克斯先是怒瞪班德，接着又瞪向生锈克：“你要我做的事我八成不会答应，你得先弄清楚这点。” 生锈克打开喉片盒，往前一伸。里头有六颗牙齿。“多莉·麦唐纳在超市外捡起了这些牙齿。她跪在地上，从乔琪亚·路克斯的血里头找了出来。医生，如果你希望接下来还有松饼早餐可以吃，就得把这些牙齿装回乔琪亚的嘴里。” “要是我就这么走了呢？” 身为历史老师的查兹·班德往前站了一步，紧握着拳：“我嗜财如命的朋友啊，要是这样的话，我就会在停车场里揍到你脱肛。” “我也加入。”抽筋敦说。 “我不会加入，芭比说，”“不过会在旁边看。” 周围传出笑声与一些掌声。芭比同时感受到开心与反胃的感觉。 巴克斯的肩膀垮了下来。他只是个小个子，却再一次卷入对他体型来说太大了点的状况。他接过喉片盒，望向生锈克：“在最理想的状况下，口腔手术或许可以帮她把这些牙齿重新植回牙根，只是，我们通常会小心一点，不对病人做出任何保证。要是我这么做，幸运的话，她可以植回一两颗牙，但她更有可能会把这些牙吞进气管，然后噎着。” 一个满头浓密红发、身材矮胖的女人与查兹·班德肩并着肩，她说：“我会坐在她身旁，确保这事不会发生。我是她妈。” 巴克斯叹了口气：“她是清醒的吗？” 在他得到进一步的信息前，包括绿色警长座车在内的两辆切斯特磨坊警察局的警车，在回转道那里停了下来。弗莱德·丹顿、小詹·伦尼、弗兰克·迪勒塞、卡特·席柏杜等人走出前面那辆车。兰道夫警长与杰姬·威廷顿则从警长座车的前座下车，生锈克的妻子从后座出来。每个人都佩有武器，当他们接近医院大门时，还全把武器掏了出来。 几个原本在旁边看乔·巴克斯吵架的人开始窃窃私语，纷纷往后退开，其中有些人还深信自己会因盗窃罪而被逮捕。 芭比转向生锈克·艾佛瑞特。 “看着我。他说。” “什么意——” “看着我！”芭比高举手臂，转动了一下，以展示内外两侧，跟着又拉起上衣，先是露出平坦的腹部，随即转身展示背部。“看到伤痕了吗？任何淤青？” “没有——” “确保他们知道这点。”芭比说。 他的时间只够这么做而已。兰道夫领着他的警员走进门来。“戴尔·芭芭拉？向前一步。” 在兰道夫有机会举枪指向他前，芭比就先照做了。毕竟，总是会有意外发生，而有时意外是故意为之的。 芭比看见生锈克脸上的困惑，并为他的困惑而对他更生好感。他也看见吉娜·巴弗莱诺与哈丽特·毕格罗睁大双眼。但他大多数的注意力，仍集中在兰道夫与他的手下身上。他们全都面无表情，但在席柏杜与迪勒塞脸上，他看见毋庸置疑的心满意足。对他们来说，这一切都是为了要报复北斗星酒吧那晚的事。报复心就像个臭婊子。 生锈克站到芭比身前，仿佛要保护他。 “别这么做。”芭比低声说。 “生锈克，别这样！”琳达大喊。 “彼得？”生锈克问，“这是怎么回事？芭比是在帮我们的忙，而且做得好极了。” 芭比不敢把助理医生推到一旁，甚至连碰他一下都不敢。他只是极为缓慢地举起手臂，掌心向外。 才一看见他举起手，小詹与弗莱德·丹顿便朝芭比走去，速度非常快。小詹在前进时撞到了兰道夫，让警长手上的贝雷塔手枪因此走火。挂号区响起的枪声震耳欲聋。子弹射进距离兰道夫右脚三英寸的地板里，炸开一个惊人的大弹孔。 火药气味随即飘散而出，令人震惊不已。 吉娜与哈丽特一面尖叫，一面奔进主要走道，利落地跳过被吓倒在地、往后爬行、同时用手护住头部的乔·巴克斯。他那通常梳理整齐的头发，此刻全落在脸前。才刚治好下巴轻度脱臼的布兰登·艾勒比，在吓得逃走时，踢到了牙医的前臂。 喉片盒自巴克斯手中飞出，撞上总服务台，盒盖因此打开，让多莉·麦唐纳小心翼翼捡起的牙齿掉得四处都是。 小詹与弗莱德架起生锈克，生锈克并未试着抵抗，只是一脸茫然。他们把他推到一旁，生锈克踉跄着向大厅另一端跌去，试图让自己不要跌倒。琳达抓住了他，两人一同趴倒在地。 “这他妈的是怎么回事？”抽筋敦大吼，“到底是他妈的怎么回事？” 走起路来还有点跛的卡特·席柏杜走近芭比。 芭比知道会发生什么事，但依旧高举双手。把手放下来只会害他被杀，说不定死的还不只他自己。 枪已经开过一次火，害其他人牵连进来的几率变得更高了。 “哈啰，浑球，”卡特说，“你可真是个大忙人啊。”他重击芭比的腹部。 虽然芭比预测到了这拳，早就绷紧肌肉以待，但这拳还是让他痛弯了腰。这王八蛋实在是孔武有力。 “住手！”生锈克大吼。他看起来仍一脸茫然，但却也看得出十分愤怒。“现在就给我该死的住手！” 他试着想站起来，但琳达用双手环抱着他，不让他起身。“不要，”她说，“不要这样，他很危险。” “什么？”生锈克转过头去，不可置信地看着她，“你疯了吗？” 芭比依旧举着双手，让警察能看得见。由于他仍弯着腰，所以看起来像是在敬大礼似的。 “后退，”兰道夫说，“席柏杜，够了。” “把枪拿开，你这个白痴！”生锈克朝兰道夫喊，“你想杀人不成？” 兰道夫瞥了他一眼，眼神中有明显的轻蔑之意，接着转向芭比：“站直，孩子。” 芭比照做。还是很痛，但他仍设法挺直身体，知道要是刚才没有防范的话，席柏杜那拳肯定会让他痛倒在地、气喘如牛。到时兰道夫会不会试图用脚踢他？其他警察会不会加入？大厅里还有人正在看着，其中有一部分人还溜了回来，以便看得更清楚点，但他们会在乎这点吗？当然不会，因为他们血气上涌，事情总是如此。 兰道夫说：“我以杀害安杰拉·麦卡因、桃乐丝·桑德斯、莱斯特·科金斯与布兰达·帕金斯的罪名逮捕你。” 每个名字都像打了芭比一拳，但最后一个尤其严重，简直就是一记重拳。那个好女人。她忘了要小心一点。芭比并不怪她——她仍因丈夫的事身陷沉痛之中——而是自己竟然会让她去找伦尼对质，甚至还鼓励她这么做。 “发生什么事了？”他问兰道夫，“天啊，你们到底做了什么？” “别装得你不知道一样。”弗莱德·丹顿说。 “你到底是哪种变态？”杰姬·威廷顿问。 她的表情像是一张扭曲且充满厌恶的面具，眯起的眼睛中带着熊熊怒火。 芭比没理他们。他盯着兰道夫的脸，双手依旧高举过头。他们不会放过任何一个再小不过的借口。就算杰姬这个通常最讨人喜爱的女性成员，也可能会加入他们之中。虽然对她来说，这不是借口，而是真正的原因，但也说不定并非如此。 有时，就算好人也会突然不受控制。 “换个好一点的问题，”他对兰道夫说，“你放任伦尼做了什么？这是他搞出来的烂摊子，你清楚得很。他的指纹一定到处都是。” “闭嘴。”兰道夫转向小詹，“把他铐起来。” 小詹走至芭比身旁，但当他才快碰到芭比举起的手腕时，芭比便先把手放了下来，背到身后，自行转过身去。生锈克与琳达·艾佛瑞特仍坐在地板上，琳达用双手环抱着丈夫的胸膛，不让他轻举妄动。 “记住。”芭比对生锈克说。他的手穿过塑料束带……接着束紧，直到束带勒进手腕的肉里。 生锈克站了起来。当琳达试图抱着他时，他把她推到一旁，朝她望去的眼神，是她过去从未见过的模样。里头有严厉的神色、谴责的意味，但也有着怜悯存在。“彼得！”他说。兰道夫正准备要转身离开时，他又提高音量大喊：“我在跟你说话！你看着我，让我把话说完！” 兰道夫转身，面如磐石。 “他知道你会过来抓他。” “他当然知道，”小詹说，“他或许疯了，但可不是笨蛋。” 生锈克没理会这句话。“他让我看他的手臂、脸孔，掀起上衣让我看他的腹部与背后。他身上没有半点伤，只除了他举起手时，被席柏杜打的那一拳而已。” 卡特说：“三个女人？三个女人和一个牧师？这是他应得的。” 生锈克没把视线从兰道夫身上移开：“这是安排好的。” “放尊重点，艾瑞克，这不在你的管辖范围里。”兰道夫说。他把手枪放回腰侧的枪套。 “没错，”生锈克说，“我是个多管闲事的家伙，不是警察或律师。我要告诉你的是，要是他被羁押的这段期间，我还有机会再看见他的话，他身上最好不要有任何伤痕或淤青，上帝保佑你。” “你打算怎样？打电话给公民自由联盟？” 弗兰克·迪勒塞问。他气得嘴唇都发白了。“你朋友打死了四个人。布兰达·帕金斯的脖子断了。其中一个女孩是我的未婚妻，而且还被性侵了。这事很有可能不只是发生在她死前，死后也发生过。” 大多数被枪声吓得乱窜的人，此时已蹑手蹑脚地走了回来，在一旁观看。人群因为这句话而发出了惊恐的细微呻吟。 “你想保护这家伙？那就连你也应该要被关进监狱！” “弗兰克，闭嘴！”琳达说。 生锈克望向弗兰克·迪勒塞，他曾帮这男孩治疗过水痘、麻疹、在夏令营染上的头虱，以及滑向二垒时折断的手腕。有一次，当他十二岁时，还在有人故意整他的情况下，帮他处理过被毒藤刺伤的伤口。他几乎看不出那个男孩与眼前这个男人的相似性。“要是我被关起来呢？接着该怎么办，弗兰克？要是你母亲的胆囊又发作，就跟去年一样呢？我得在监狱里等到探望时间才有办法医治她吗？” 弗兰克走上前，举起一只手想给他一巴掌或一拳。小詹抓住了他：“他跑不掉的，别担心。每个跟芭芭拉同一队的人都一样。总有机会的。” “同一队？”生锈克的声音中有着厌恶的困惑感，“你在说什么啊？同一队？这可不是该死的足球比赛。” 小詹脸上挂着的微笑，仿佛知道什么秘密似的。 生锈克转向琳达：“这就是你同事说的话。你觉得听起来像是什么样子？” 有好一会儿，她无法直视着他。但在一番努力后，她还是办到了。“他们疯了，就这样，而且我不怪他们。我也一样。四个人啊，艾瑞克——你没听见吗？他杀了他们，而且几乎可以肯定还强奸了其中至少两个女人。我去鲍伊葬仪社帮忙把他们移出灵车，还看见了尸体上的痕迹。” 生锈克摇着头：“我跟他忙了一个早上，亲眼看着他帮助别人，而不是伤害别人。” “算了，”芭比说，“退后，老兄。现在不是时——” 小詹重重戳了一下他的肋骨：“你有权保持沉默，王八蛋。” “是他干的，”琳达说。她朝生锈克伸出手，发现他没打算握住，于是只好放回身侧。“他们在安琪·麦卡因手里发现了他的军籍牌。” 生锈克说不出半句话，只能看着芭比被推出去，走至警长座车旁，锁进后座中，双手依旧铐在身后。有那么一瞬间，芭比与生锈克四目相对。 芭比只是轻轻摇了摇头，动作却无比坚定。 接着，他就被带走了。 大厅里一片死寂。小詹与弗兰克已跟着兰道夫离开。卡特、杰姬与弗莱德·丹顿则朝另一辆警车走去。琳达站在原地，以恳求与愤怒的神色看着丈夫。没多久