Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第46部分 (第2/7頁)

hat。〃

〃I　know。　I　had　to。〃

〃How　are　they　wired？　Where's　the　button；　Beth？〃

〃There　is　no　button。　They're　set　on　automatic　vibration　sensors。〃

〃You　mean　they'll　go　off　automatically？〃

〃Yes；　Norman。〃

〃Beth；　this　is　crazy。　Someone　is　still　making　these　manifestations。　Who　is　doing　that；　Beth？〃

She　smiled　slowly；　a　lazy；　cat　smile；　as　if　he　secretly　amused　her。　〃Don't　you　really　know？〃

He　did　know。　Yes；　he　thought。　He　knew；　and　it　chilled　him。　〃You're　making　these　manifestations；　Beth。〃

〃No；　Norman；〃　she　said；　still　calm。　〃I'm　not　doing　it。　You　are。〃

0640　HOURS

He　thought　back　years　ago；　to　the　early　days　of　his　training；　when　he　had　worked　in　the　state　hospital　at　Borrego。　Norman　had　been　sent　by　his　supervisor　to　make　a　progress　report　on　a　particular　patient。　The　man　was　in　his　＇＇312＇＇　late　twenties；　pleasant　and　well　educated。　Norman　talked　to　him　about　all　sorts　of　things：　the　Oldsmobile　Hydramatic　transmission；　the　best　surfing　beaches；　Adlai　Stevenson's　recent　presidential　campaign；　Whitey　Ford's　pitching；　even　Freudian　theory。　The　man　was　quite　charming；　although　he　chain…smoked　and　seemed　to　have　an　underlying　tension。　Finally　Norman　got　around　to　asking　him　why　he　had　been　sent　to　the　hospital。

The　man　didn't　remember　why。　He　was　sorry；　he　just　couldn't　seem　to　recall。　Under　repeated　questioning　from　Norman；　the　man　became　less　charming；　more　irritable。　Finally　he　turned　threatening　and　angry；　pounding　the　table；　demanding　that　Norman　talk　about　something　else。

Only　then　did　it　dawn　on　Norman　who　this　man　was：　Alan　Whittier；　who　as　a　teenager　had　murdered　his　mother　and　sister　in　their　trailer　in　Palm　Desert；　and　then　had　gone　on　to　kill　six　people　at　a　gas　station　and　three　o