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！
Still he was sure that ladies must be different from men down there and they had spent a long purple summer dusk discussing it； swatting mosquitoes and watching a scratch baseball game in the lot of the moving van pany across the street from Burr's。 He could feel； actually feel in the half…waking dream the sensation of the hard curb beneath his fanny。
The next year he had hit Jimmy Owens in the mouth with the barrel of his Daisy air rifle while they were playing guns and Jimmy had to have four stitches in his upper lip。 A year after that they had moved away。 He hadn't meant to hit Jimmy in the mouth。 It had been an accident。 Of that he was quite sure； even though by then he had known Jimmy was right because he had seen his own mother naked （he had not meant to see her naked…it had been an accident）。 They were hairy down there。 Hairy and cut open。
Shhh； it isn't a tiger； love； only your teddy bear； see？ 。 。 。 Cockles and mussels； alive； alive…o 。 。 。 Mother loves her boy 。 。 。 Shhh 。 。 。 Go to sleep 。 。 。
〃Warning！ Warning 47！〃
An elbow poked him rudely in the ribs。 〃That's you； boy。 Rise and shine。〃 McVries was grinning at him。
〃What time is it？〃 Garraty asked thickly。
〃Eight thirty…five。〃
〃But I've been…〃
〃…dozing for hours；〃 McVries said。 〃I know the feeling。〃
〃Well； it sure seemed that way。〃
〃It's your mind；〃 McVries said； 〃using the old escape hatch。 Don't you wish your feet could？〃
〃I use Dial；〃 Pearson said； pulling an idiotic face。 〃Don't you wish everybody did？
Garraty thought that memories were like a line drawn in the dirt。 The further back you went the scuffier and harder to see that line got。 Until finally there was nothing but smooth sand and the black hole of nothingness that you came out of。 The memories were in a way like the road。 Here it was real and hard and tangible。 But that early road； that nine in the morning road； was far back and meaningless。
They were almost fifty miles into the Walk。 The word came back that the Major would be by in his jeep to review them and make a short speech when they actually got to the fifty…mile point。 Garraty thought that was most probably horseshit。
They breasted a long； steep rise； and Garraty was tempted to take his jacket off again。 He didn't。 He unzipped it； though； and then walked backward for a minute。 The lights of Caribou twinkled at him； and he thought about Lot's wife； who had looked back and fumed into a pillar of salt。
〃Warning！ Warning 47！ Second warning； 47！〃
It took Garraty a moment to realize it was him。 His second warning in ten minutes。 He started to feel afraid again。 He thought of the unnamed boy who had died because he had slowed down once too often。 Was that what he was doing？
He looked around。 McVries； Harkness； Baker and Olson were all staring at him。 Olson was having a particularly good look。 He could make out the intent expression on Olson's face even in the dark。 Olson had outlasted six。 He wanted to make Garraty lucky seven。 He wanted Garraty to die。
〃See anything green？〃 Garraty asked irritably。
〃No；〃 Olson said； his eyes sliding away。 〃Course not。〃
Garraty walked with determination now； his arms swinging aggressively。 It was twenty to nine。 At twenty to eleven…eight miles down the road…he would be free again。 He felt an hysterical urge to proclaim he could do it； they needn't send the word back on him； they weren't going to watch him get a ticket 。 。 。 at least not yet。
The groundfog spread across the road in thin ribbons； like smoke。 The shapes of the boys moved through it like dark islands somehow set adrift。 At fifty miles into the Walk they passed a small； shut…up garage with a rusted…out gas pump in front。 It was little more than an ominous； leaning shape in the fog。 The clear fluorescent light from a telephone booth cast the only glow。 The Major didn't e。 No one came。
The road dipped gently around a curve； and then there was a yellow mad sign ahead。 The word came back； but before it got to Garraty he could read the sign for himself：
STEEP GRADE TRUCKS USE LOW GEAR
Groans and moans。 Somewhere up ahead Barkovitch called out merrily： 〃Step into it； brothers！ Who wants to race me to the top？〃
〃Shut your goddam mouth； you little freak；〃 someone said quietly。
〃Make me； Dumbo！〃 Barkovitch shrilled。 〃e on up here and make me！〃
〃He's crackin'；〃 Baker said。
〃No；〃 McVries replied。 〃He's just stretching。 Guys like him have an awful lot of stretch。〃
Olson's voice was deadly quiet。 〃I don't think I can climb that hill。 Not at four miles an hour。 〃
The hill stretched above them。 They were almost to it now。 With the fog it was impossible to see the top。 For all we know； it might just go up forever； Garraty thought。
They started up。
It wasn't as bad； Garraty discovered； if you stared down at your feet as you walked and leaned forward a little。 You stared strictly down at the tiny patch of pavement between your feet and it gave you the impression that you were walking on level ground。 Of course； you couldn't kid yourself that your lungs and the breath in your throat weren't heating up； because they were。
Somehow the word started ing back…some people still had breath to spare； apparently。 The word was that this hill was a quarter of a mile long。 The word was it was two miles long。 The word was that no Walker had ever gotten a ticket on this hill。 The wont was that three boys had gotten tickets here just last year。 And after that； the word stopped ing back。
〃I can't do it；〃 Olson was saying monotonously。 〃I can't do it anymore。〃 His breath was ing in doglike pants。 But he kept on walking and they all kept on walking。 Little granting noises and soft； plosive breathing became audible。 The only other sounds were Olson's chant； the scuff of many feet； and the grinding； ratcheting sound of the halftrack's engine as it chugged along beside them。
Garraty felt the bewildered fear in his stomach grow。 He could actually die here。 It wouldn't be hard at all。 He had screwed around and had gotten two warnings on him already。 He couldn't be much over the limit right now。 All he had to do was slip his pace a little and he'd have number three…final warning。 And then 。 。 。
〃Warning！ Warning 70！〃
〃They're playing your song； Olson；〃 McVries said between pants。 〃Pick up your feet。 I want to see you dance up this hill like Fred Astaire。〃
〃What do you care？〃 Olson asked fiercely。
McVries didn't answer。 Olson found a little more inside himself and managed to pick it up。 Garraty wondered morbidly if the little more Olson had found was his last legs。 He also wondered about Stebbins； back there tailing the group。 How are you； Stebbins？ Getting tired？
Up ahead； a boy named Larson； 60； suddenly sat down on the road。 He got a warning。 The other boys split and passed around him； like the Red Sea around the Children of Israel。
〃I'm just going to rest for a while； okay？〃 Larson said with a trusting； shellshocked smile。 〃I can't walk anymore right now； okay？〃 His smile stretched wider； and he fumed it on the soldier who had jumped down from the halftrack with his rifle unslung and the stainless steel chronometer in his hand。
〃Warning； 60；〃 the soldier said。 〃Second warn