JК
Desperation :: Кинг Стивен
Страница: 399 из 422And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
Through the amen, Cynthia continued on: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.” She looked up with the little twinkle Johnny had come to like quite a lot. “That’s the way I learned it—kind of a Protestant dance-mix, y’know.”
David was looking at Johnny now.
“Help me do my best,” Johnny said. “If you’re there, God-and I now have reason to believe you are-help me to do my best and not weaken again. I want you to take that request very seriously, because I have a long history of weakening. David, what about you. Anything to say.”
David shrugged and shook his head. “Said it already.” He let go of the hands holding his, and the circle broke.
Johnny nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Do what.” Mary asked. “Do what. Will you please tell me.”
“I’m supposed to go in,” David said. “Alone.”
Johnny shook his head. “Nope. And don’t start in with your God-told-me-to stuff, because right now he’s not telling you anything. Your TV screen has got a PLEASE STAND BY sign on it, am I right.”
David looked at him uncertainly and wet his lips.
Johnny lifted a hand toward the waiting darkness of the drift and spoke in the tone of a man conveying a large favor. “You can go first, though. How’s that.”
“My dad-”
“Right behind you. He’ll catch you if you fall.”
“No,” David said. He suddenly looked scared—terrified. “I don’t want that. I don’t want him in there at all. The roof might cave in, or-”
“David! What you want doesn’t matter.”
Cynthia grabbed Johnny’s arm. She would have been digging into him if she hadn’t nibbled her nails to the quick. “Leave him alone! Christ, he saved your fucking 4fe!
Can’t you quit badgering him.”
“I’m not,” Johnny said. “At this point he’s badger—ing himself. If he’ll just let go, remember who’s in charge…”
He looked at David. The boy muttered something under his breath, far too low to hear, but Johnny didn’t have to hear it to know what he had said.
“That’s right, he’s cruel. But you knew that. And you have no control over the nature of God anyway. None of us do. So why won’t you relax.”
David made no reply. His head was bowed, but not in prayer this time. Johnny thought it was resignation. In some way, the boy knew what was coming, and that was the worst part. The cruelest part, if you liked.
Through the amen, Cynthia continued on: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.” She looked up with the little twinkle Johnny had come to like quite a lot. “That’s the way I learned it—kind of a Protestant dance-mix, y’know.”
David was looking at Johnny now.
“Help me do my best,” Johnny said. “If you’re there, God-and I now have reason to believe you are-help me to do my best and not weaken again. I want you to take that request very seriously, because I have a long history of weakening. David, what about you. Anything to say.”
David shrugged and shook his head. “Said it already.” He let go of the hands holding his, and the circle broke.
Johnny nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Do what.” Mary asked. “Do what. Will you please tell me.”
“I’m supposed to go in,” David said. “Alone.”
Johnny shook his head. “Nope. And don’t start in with your God-told-me-to stuff, because right now he’s not telling you anything. Your TV screen has got a PLEASE STAND BY sign on it, am I right.”
David looked at him uncertainly and wet his lips.
Johnny lifted a hand toward the waiting darkness of the drift and spoke in the tone of a man conveying a large favor. “You can go first, though. How’s that.”
“My dad-”
“Right behind you. He’ll catch you if you fall.”
“No,” David said. He suddenly looked scared—terrified. “I don’t want that. I don’t want him in there at all. The roof might cave in, or-”
“David! What you want doesn’t matter.”
Cynthia grabbed Johnny’s arm. She would have been digging into him if she hadn’t nibbled her nails to the quick. “Leave him alone! Christ, he saved your fucking 4fe!
Can’t you quit badgering him.”
“I’m not,” Johnny said. “At this point he’s badger—ing himself. If he’ll just let go, remember who’s in charge…”
He looked at David. The boy muttered something under his breath, far too low to hear, but Johnny didn’t have to hear it to know what he had said.
“That’s right, he’s cruel. But you knew that. And you have no control over the nature of God anyway. None of us do. So why won’t you relax.”
David made no reply. His head was bowed, but not in prayer this time. Johnny thought it was resignation. In some way, the boy knew what was coming, and that was the worst part. The cruelest part, if you liked.