JК
Bag of Bones :: Кинг Стивен
Страница: 151 из 425They came to the uneral, and for a little while a ter, and then… you know what it was like? When I was a kid, our well dried up. For awhile you’d get a trickle when you turned on the tap, but then there was just air. Just air.” The cynicism was gone and there was only hurt in her voice. “I saw Helen at Christmas, and we promised to get together for the twins’
birthday, but we never did. I think she’s scared to come near me.”
“Because of the old man?”
“Who else? But that’s okay, life goes on.” She sat up, drank the rest of her Kool-Aid, and set the glass aside. “What about you, Mike? Did you come back to write a book? Are you going to name the TR?” This was a local bon mot that I remembered with an almost painful twinge of nostalgia. Locals with great plans were said to be bent on naming the TR. “No,” I said, and then astonished myself by saying: “I don’t do that anymore. I think I expected her to leap to her feet, overturning her chair and uttering a sharp cry of horrified denial. All of which says a good deal about me, I suppose, and none of it flattering. “You’ve retired?” she asked, sounding calm and remarkably unhorri-fled. “Or is it writer’s block?”
“Well, it’s certainly not chosen retirement.” I realized the conversation had taken a rather amusing turn. I’d come primarily to sell her on John Storrow—to shove John Storrow down her throat, if that was what it tookand instead I was for the first time discussing my inability to work. For the first time with anyone. “So it’s a block.”
“I used to think so, but now I’m not so sure. I think novelists may come equipped with a certain number of stories to tell—they’re built into the software. And when they’re gone, they’re gone.”
“I doubt that,” she said. “Maybe you’ll write now that you’re down here.
Maybe that’s part of the reason you came back.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Are you scared?”
“Sometimes. Mostly about what I’ll do for the rest of my life. I’m no good at boats in bottles, and my wife was the one with the green thumb.”
“I’m scared, too,” she said. “Scared a lot. All the time now, it seems like.”
“That he’ll win his custody case? Mattie, that’s what I—”
“The custody case is only part of it,” she said. “I’m scared just to be here, on the TR. It started early this summer, long after I knew Devore meant to get Ki away from me if he could. And it’s getting worse.
birthday, but we never did. I think she’s scared to come near me.”
“Because of the old man?”
“Who else? But that’s okay, life goes on.” She sat up, drank the rest of her Kool-Aid, and set the glass aside. “What about you, Mike? Did you come back to write a book? Are you going to name the TR?” This was a local bon mot that I remembered with an almost painful twinge of nostalgia. Locals with great plans were said to be bent on naming the TR. “No,” I said, and then astonished myself by saying: “I don’t do that anymore. I think I expected her to leap to her feet, overturning her chair and uttering a sharp cry of horrified denial. All of which says a good deal about me, I suppose, and none of it flattering. “You’ve retired?” she asked, sounding calm and remarkably unhorri-fled. “Or is it writer’s block?”
“Well, it’s certainly not chosen retirement.” I realized the conversation had taken a rather amusing turn. I’d come primarily to sell her on John Storrow—to shove John Storrow down her throat, if that was what it tookand instead I was for the first time discussing my inability to work. For the first time with anyone. “So it’s a block.”
“I used to think so, but now I’m not so sure. I think novelists may come equipped with a certain number of stories to tell—they’re built into the software. And when they’re gone, they’re gone.”
“I doubt that,” she said. “Maybe you’ll write now that you’re down here.
Maybe that’s part of the reason you came back.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Are you scared?”
“Sometimes. Mostly about what I’ll do for the rest of my life. I’m no good at boats in bottles, and my wife was the one with the green thumb.”
“I’m scared, too,” she said. “Scared a lot. All the time now, it seems like.”
“That he’ll win his custody case? Mattie, that’s what I—”
“The custody case is only part of it,” she said. “I’m scared just to be here, on the TR. It started early this summer, long after I knew Devore meant to get Ki away from me if he could. And it’s getting worse.