JК
Desperation :: Кинг Стивен
Страница: 385 из 422Something about a fireor an earthquake. She watched Ralph give his son a fierce one-armed hug, the Ruger.44 in his other hand, actually lifting David up off his feet and then setting him down again.
Mary slid to the ground, and staggered a little. The muscles of her legs were still trembling from her run. I ran for my life, she thought, and that’s something I’ll never be able to explain, not by talking, probably not even in a poem-how it is to run not for a meal or a medal or a prize or to catch a train but for your very fucking life.
Cynthia put a hand on her arm. “You okay.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Give me five years and I’ll be in the goddam pink.”
Steve joined them. “No sign of her,” he said-meaning Ellen, Mary supposed. Then he went over to David and Marinville. “David. All right.”
“Yes,’—David said. “So’s Johnny.”
Steve looked at the man he had been hired to shepherd, his face noncommittal. “That so.”
“I think so,” Marinville said. “I had…” He glanced at David. “You tell him, cabbage.
You got the head on you.”
David smiled wanly at that. “He had a change of heart. And if it was my mother you were looking for… the thing that was inside my mother… you can stop. She’s dead.”
“You’re sure.”
David pointed. “We’ll find her body about halfway up the embankment.” Then, in a voice which struggled to be matter-of-fact and failed, he added: “I don’t want to look at her. When you move her out of the way, I mean. Dad, I don’t think you should, either.”
Mary walked over to them, rubbing the backs of her thighs, where the ache was the worst. “The Ellen-body is finished, and it couldn’t quite catch me, So it’s stuck in its hole again, isn’t it.”
“Ye-es…
Mary didn’t like the doubtful sound of David’s voice. There was more guessing than knowing in it.
“Did it have anyone else it could get into.” Steve asked. “Is there anyone else up here. A hermit. An old prospector.”
“No,” David said. More certain now.
“It’s fallen and it can’t get up,” Cynthia said, and pumped her fist at the star-littered sky.
“Yesss!”
“David.” Mary asked.
He turned to her.
“We’re not done, even if it is stuck in there. Are we. We’re supposed to close the drift.”
“First the an tak,” David said, nodding, “then the drift, yeah. Seal it in, like it was before.” He glanced at his father.
Ralph put an arm around him.
Mary slid to the ground, and staggered a little. The muscles of her legs were still trembling from her run. I ran for my life, she thought, and that’s something I’ll never be able to explain, not by talking, probably not even in a poem-how it is to run not for a meal or a medal or a prize or to catch a train but for your very fucking life.
Cynthia put a hand on her arm. “You okay.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Give me five years and I’ll be in the goddam pink.”
Steve joined them. “No sign of her,” he said-meaning Ellen, Mary supposed. Then he went over to David and Marinville. “David. All right.”
“Yes,’—David said. “So’s Johnny.”
Steve looked at the man he had been hired to shepherd, his face noncommittal. “That so.”
“I think so,” Marinville said. “I had…” He glanced at David. “You tell him, cabbage.
You got the head on you.”
David smiled wanly at that. “He had a change of heart. And if it was my mother you were looking for… the thing that was inside my mother… you can stop. She’s dead.”
“You’re sure.”
David pointed. “We’ll find her body about halfway up the embankment.” Then, in a voice which struggled to be matter-of-fact and failed, he added: “I don’t want to look at her. When you move her out of the way, I mean. Dad, I don’t think you should, either.”
Mary walked over to them, rubbing the backs of her thighs, where the ache was the worst. “The Ellen-body is finished, and it couldn’t quite catch me, So it’s stuck in its hole again, isn’t it.”
“Ye-es…
Mary didn’t like the doubtful sound of David’s voice. There was more guessing than knowing in it.
“Did it have anyone else it could get into.” Steve asked. “Is there anyone else up here. A hermit. An old prospector.”
“No,” David said. More certain now.
“It’s fallen and it can’t get up,” Cynthia said, and pumped her fist at the star-littered sky.
“Yesss!”
“David.” Mary asked.
He turned to her.
“We’re not done, even if it is stuck in there. Are we. We’re supposed to close the drift.”
“First the an tak,” David said, nodding, “then the drift, yeah. Seal it in, like it was before.” He glanced at his father.
Ralph put an arm around him.