第33部分（第1页）

of　the　snake；　slipping　swiftly　over　the　carpets　dry　hackles。　At　his　heels　now；

perhaps　rising　up　with　the　clear　poison　dribbling　from　its　brass　snout。

Danny　reached　the　stairs　and　had　to　pinwheel　his　arms　crazily　for　balance。　For

one　moment　it　seemed　sure　that　he　would　cartwheel　over　and　go　head…for…heels　to

the　bottom。

He　threw　a　glance　back　over　his　shoulder。

The　hose　had　not　moved。　It　lay　as　it　had　lain；　one　loop　off　the　frame；　the

brass　nozzle　on　the　hall　floor；　the　nozzle　pointing　disinterestedly　away　from

him。　You　see；　stupid？　he　berated　himself。　You　made　it　all　up；　scaredy…cat。　It

was　all　your　imagination；　scaredy…cat；　scaredy…cat。

He　clung　to　the　stairway　railing；　his　legs　trembling　in　reaction。

（It　never　chased　you）

his　mind　told　him；　and　seized　on　that　thought；　and　played　it　back。

（never　chased　you；　never　chased　you；　never　did；　never　did）

It　was　nothing　to　be　afraid　of。　Why；　he　could　go　back　and　put　that　hose　right

into　its　frame；　if　he　wanted　to。　He　could；　but　he　didnt　think　he　would。　Because

what　if　it　had　chased　him　and　had　gone　back　when　it　saw　that　it　couldnt　。。。

quite　。。。　catch　him？

The　hose　lay　on　the　carpet；　almost　seeming　to　ask　him　if　he　would　like　to　e

back　and　try　again。

Panting；　Danny　ran　downstairs。

》

TALKING　TO　MR。　ULLMAN

The　Sidewinder　Public　Library　was　a　small；　retiring　building　one　block　down

from　the　towns　business　area。　It　was　a　modest；　vine…covered　building；　and　the

wide　concrete　walk　up　to　the　door　was　lined　with　the　corpses　of　last　summers

flowers。　On　the　lawn　was　a　large　bronze　statue　of　a　Civil　War　general　Jack　had

never　heard　of；　although　he　had　been　something　of　a　Civil　War　buff　in　his

teenage　years。

The　newspaper　files　were　kept　downstairs。　They　consisted　of　the　Sidewinder

Gazette　that　had　gone　bust　in　1963；　the　Estes　Park　daily；　and　the　Boulder

Camera。　No　Denver　papers　at　all。

Sighing；　Jack　settled　for　the　Camera。

When　the　files　reached　1965；　the　actual　newspapers　were　replaced　by　spools　of

microfilm　（〃A　federal　grant；〃　the　librarian　told　him　brightly。　〃We　hope　to　do

1958　to　64　when　the　next　check　es　through；　but　theyre　so　slow；　arent　they？