第37部分（第1页）

〃Yeah；〃　Danny　said。

Scott　leaned　forward。　〃His　dad　LOST　HIS　MARBLES　last　night。　They　took　him

away。〃

〃Yeah？　Just　for　losing　some　marbles？〃

Scotty　looked　disgusted。　〃He　went　crazy。　You　know。〃　Scott　crossed　his　eyes；

flopped　out　his　tongue；　and　twirled　his　index　fingers　in　large　elliptical　orbits

around　his　ears。　〃They　took　him　to　THE　BUGHOUSE。〃

〃Wow；〃　Danny　said。　〃When　will　they　let　him　e　back？〃

〃Never…never…never；〃　Scotty　said　darkly。

In　the　course　of　that　day　and　the　next；　Danny　heard　that

a。）　Mr。　Stenger　had　tried　to　kill　everybody　in　his　family；　including　Robin；

with　his　World　War　II　souvenir　pistol；

b。）　Mr。　Stenger　ripped　the　house　to　pieces　while　he　was　STINKO；

c。）　Mr。　Stenger　had　been　discovered　eating　a　bowl　of　dead　bugs　and　grass　like

they　were　cereal　and　milk　and　crying　while　he　did　it；

d。）　Mr。　Stenger　had　tried　to　strangle　his　wife　with　a　stocking　when　the　Red

Sox　lost　a　big　ball　game。

Finally；　too　troubled　to　keep　it　to　himself；　he　had　asked　Daddy　about　Mr。

Stenger。　His　daddy　had　taken　him　on　his　lap　and　had　explained　that　Mr。　Stenger

had　been　under　a　great　deal　of　strain；　some　of　it　about　his　family　and　some

about　his　job　and　some　of　it　about　things　that　nobody　but　doctors　could

understand。　He　had　been　having　crying　fits；　and　three　nights　ago　he　had　gotten

crying　and　couldnt　stop　it　and　had　broken　a　lot　of　things　in　the　Stenger　home。

It　wasnt　LOSING　YOUR　MARBLES；　Daddy　said；　it　was　HAVING　A　BREAKDOWN；　and　Mr。

Stenger　wasnt　in　a　BUGHOUSE　but　in　a　SANNY…TARIUM。　But　despite　Daddys　careful

explanations；　Danny　was　scared。　There　didnt　seem　to　be　any　difference　at　all

between　LOSING　YOUR　MARBLES　and　HAVING　A　BREAKDOWN；　and　whether　you　called　it

a　BUGHOUSE　or　a　SANNYTARIUM；　there　were　still　bars　on　the　windows　and　they

wouldnt　let　you　out　if　you　wanted　to　go。　And　his　father；　quite　innocently；　had

confirmed　another　of　Scottys　phrases　unchanged；　one　that　filled　Danny　with　a

vague　and　unformed　dread。　In　the　place　where　Mr。　Stenger　now　lived；　there　were

THE　MEN　IN　THE　WHITE　COATS。　They　came　to　get　you　in　a　truck　with　no　windows；　a

truck　that　was　gravestone　gray。　It　rolled　up　to　the　curb　in　front　of　your　house

and　THE　MEN　IN　THE　WHITE　COATS　got　out　and　took　you　away　from　your　family　and