白噪音(White Noise) (英文版)作者:唐·德里罗(Don DeLillo)-第24章

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the　two　girls　got　excited　again　and　went　downstairs　to　wait　for　Babette　at　the　door　and　surprise　her　with　news　of　what　they'd　seen。
　　The　small　boy　remained　at　the　TV　set；　within　inches　of　the　dark　screen；　crying　softly；　uncertainly；　in　low　heaves　and　swells；　as　Murray　took　notes。
　　II　The　Airborne　Toxic　Event
　　21
　　After　a　night　of　dream…lit　snows　the　air　turned　clear　and　still。　There　was　a　taut　blue　quality　in　the　January　light；　a　hardness　and　confidence。　The　sound　of　boots　on　packed　snow；　the　contrails　streaked　cleanly　in　the　high　sky。　Weather　was　very　much　the　point；　although　I　didn't　know　it　at　first。
　　I　turned　into　our　street　and　walked　past　men　bent　over　shovels　in　their　driveways；　breathing　vapor。　A　squirrel　moved　along　a　limb　in　a　flowing　motion；　a　passage　so　continuous　it　seemed　to　be　its　own　physical　law；　different　from　the　ones　we've　learned　to　trust。　When　I　was　halfway　down　the　street　I　saw　Heinrich　crouched　on　a　small　ledge　outside　our　attic　window。　He　wore　his　camouflage　jacket　and　cap；　an　outfit　with　plex　meaning　for　him；　at　fourteen；　struggling　to　grow　and　to　escape　notice　simultaneously；　his　secrets　known　to　us　all。　He　looked　east　through　binoculars。
　　I　went　around　back　to　the　kitchen。　In　the　entranceway　the　washer　and　dryer　were　vibrating　nicely。　I　could　tell　from　Babette's　voice　that　the　person　she　was　talking　to　on　the　phone　was　her　father。　An　impatience　mixed　with　guilt　and　apprehension。　I　stood　behind　her；　put　my　cold　hands　to　her　cheeks。　A　little　thing　I　liked　to　do。　She　hung　up　the　phone。
　　〃Why　is　he　on　the　roof？〃
　　〃Heinrich？　Something　about　the　train　yards；〃　she　said。　〃It　was　on　the　radio。〃
　　〃Shouldn't　I　get　him　down？〃
　　〃Why？〃
　　〃He　could　fall。〃
　　〃Don't　tell　him　that。〃
　　〃Why　not？〃
　　〃He　thinks　you　underestimate　him。〃
　　〃He's　on　a　ledge；〃　I　said。　'There　must　be　something　I　should　be　doing。〃
　　'The　more　you　show　concern；　the　closer　he'll　go　to　the　edge。〃
　　〃I　know　that　but　I　still　have　to　get　him　down。〃
　　〃Coax　him　back　in；〃　she　said。　〃Be　sensitive　and　caring。　Get　him　to　talk　about　himself。　Don't　make　sudden　movements。〃
　　When　I　got　to　the　attic　he　was　already　back　inside；　standing　by　the　open　window；　still　looking　through　the　glasses。　Abandoned　possessions　were　everywhere；　oppressive　and　soul…worrying；　creating　a　weather　of　their　own　among　the　exposed　beams　and　posts；　the　fiberglass　insulation　pads。
　　〃What　happened？〃
　　'The　radio　said　a　tank　car　derailed。　But　I　don't　think　it　derailed　from　what　I　could　see。　I　think　it　got　rammed　and　something　punched　a　hole　in　it。　There's　a　lot　of　smoke　and　I　don't　like　the　looks　of　it。〃
　　〃What　does　it　look　like？〃
　　He　handed　me　the　binoculars　and　stepped　aside。　Without　climbing　onto　the　ledge　I　couldn't　see　the　switching　yard　and　the　car　or　cars　in　question。　But　the　smoke　was　plainly　visible；　a　heavy　black　mass　hanging　in　the　air　beyond　the　river；　more　or　less　shapeless。
　　〃Did　you　see　fire　engines？〃
　　〃They're　all　over　the　place；〃　he　said。　〃But　it　looks　to　me　like　they're　not　getting　too　close。　It　must　be　pretty　toxic　or　pretty　explosive　stuff；　or　both。〃
　　〃It　won't　e　this　way。〃
　　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　　〃It　just　won't。　The　point　is　you　shouldn't　be　standing　on　icy　ledges。　It　worries　Baba。〃
　　〃You　think　if　you　tell　me　it　worries　her；　I'll　feel　guilty　and　not　do　it。　But　if　you　tell　me　it　worries　you；　I'll　do　it　all　the　time。〃
　　〃Shut　the　window；〃　I　told　him。
　　We　went　down　to　the　kitchen。　Steffie　was　looking　through　the　brightly　colored　mail　for　coupons；　lotteries　and　contests。　This　was　the　last　day　of　the　holiday　break　for　the　grade　school　and　high　school。　Classes　on　the　Hill　would　resume　in　a　week。　I　sent　Heinrich　outside　to　clear　snow　from　the　walk。　I　watched　him　stand　out　there；　utterly　still；　his　head　turned　slightly；　a　honed　awareness　in　his　stance。　It　took　me　a　while　to　realize　he　was　listening　to　the　sirens　beyond　the　river。
　　An　hour　later　he　was　back　in　the　attic；　this　time　with　a　radio　and　highway　map。　I　climbed　the　narrow　stairs；　borrowed　the　glasses　and　looked　again。　It　was　still　there；　a　slightly　larger　accumulation；　a　towering　mass　in　fact；　maybe　a　little　blacker　now。
　　〃The　radio　calls　it　a　feathery　plume；〃　he　said。　〃But　it's　not　a　plume。〃
　　〃What　is　it？〃
　　〃Like　a　shapeless　growing　thing。　A　dark　black　breathing　thing　of　smoke。　Why　do　they　call　it　a　plume？〃
　　〃Air　time　is　valuable。　They　can't　go　into　long　tortured　descriptions。　Have　they　said　what　kind　of　chemical　it　is？〃
　　〃It's　called　Nyodene　Derivative　or　Nyodene　D。　It　was　in　a　movie　we　saw　in　school　on　toxic　wastes。　These　videotaped　rats。〃
　　〃What　does　it　cause？〃
　　'The　movie　wasn't　sure　what　it　does　to　humans。　Mainly　it　was　rats　growing　urgent　lumps。〃
　　〃That's　what　the　movie　said。　What　does　the　radio　say？〃
　　〃At　first　they　said　skin　irritation　and　sweaty　palms。　But　now　they　say　nausea；　vomiting；　shortness　of　breath。〃
　　〃This　is　human　nausea　we're　talking　about。　Not　rats。〃
　　〃Not　rats；〃　he　said。
　　I　gave　him　the　binoculars。
　　〃Well　it　won't　e　this　way。〃
　　〃How　do　you　know？〃　he　said。
　　〃I　just　know。　It's　perfectly　calm　and　still　today。　And　when　there's　a　wind　at　this　time　of　year；　it　blows　that　way；　not　this　way。〃
　　〃What　if　it　blows　this　way？〃
　　〃It　won't。〃
　　〃Just　this　one　time。〃
　　〃It　won't。　Why　should　it？〃
　　He　paused　a　beat　and　said　in　a　flat　tone；　'They　just　closed　part　of　the　interstate。〃
　　'They　would　want　to　do　that；　of　course。〃
　　〃Why？〃
　　'They　just　would。　A　sensible　precaution。　A　way　to　facilitate　movement　of　service　vehicles　and　such。　Any　number　of　reasons　that　have　nothing　to　do　with　wind　or　wind　direction。〃
　　Babette's　head　appeared　at　the　top　of　the　stairway。　She　said　a　neighbor　had　told　her　the　spill　from　the　tank　car　was　thirty…five　thousand　gallons。　People　were　being　told　to　stay　out　of　the　area。　A　feathery　plume　hung　over　the　site。　She　also　said　the　girls　were　plaining　of　sweaty　palms。
　　'There's　been　a　correction；〃　Heinrich　told　her。　'Tell　them　they　ought　to　be　throwing　up。〃
　　A　helicopter　flew　over；　headed　in　the　direction　of　the　accident。　The　voice　on　the　radio　said：　〃Available　for　a　limited　time　only　with　optional　megabyte　hard　disk。〃
　　Babette's　head　sank　out　of　sight。　I　watched　Heinrich　tape　the　road　map　to　two　posts。　Then　I　went　down　to　the　kitchen　to　pay　some　bills；　aware　of　colored　spots　whirling　atomically　somewhere　to　the　right　and　behind　me。
　　Steffie　said；　〃Can　you　see　the　feathery　plume　from　the　attic　window？〃
　　〃It's　not　a　plume。〃
　　〃But　will　we　have　to　leave　our　homes？〃
　　〃Of　course　not。〃
　　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　　〃I　just　know。〃
　　〃Remember　how　we　couldn't　go　to　school？〃
　　'That　was　inside。　This　is　outside。〃
　　We　heard　police　sirens　blowing。　I　watched　Steffie's　lips　form　the　sequence：　wow　wow　wow　wow。　She　smiled　in　a　certain　way　when　she　saw　me　watching；　as　though　gently　startled　out　of　some　absent…minded　pleasure。
　　Denise　walked　in；　rubbing　her　hands　on　her　jeans。
　　〃They're　using　snow…blowers　to　blow　stuff　onto　the　spill；〃　she　said。
　　〃What　kind　of　stuff？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　but　it's　supposed　to　make　the　spill　harmless；　which　doesn't　explain　what　they're　doing　about　the　actual　plume。〃
　　〃They're　keeping　it　from　getting　bigger；〃　I　said。　〃When　do　we　eat？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　but　if　it　gets　any　bigger　it'll　get　here　with　or　without　a　wind。〃
　　〃It　won't　get　here；〃　I　said。
　　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　　〃Because　it　won't。〃
　　She　looked　at　her　palms　and　went　upstairs。　The　phone　rang。　Babette　walked　into　the　kitchen　and　picked　it　up。　She　looked　at　me　as　she　listened。　I　wrote　two　checks；　periodically　glancing　up　to　see　if　she　was　still　looking　at　me。　She　seemed　to　study　my　face　for　the　hidden　meaning　of　the　message　she　was　receiving。　I　puckered　my　lips　in　a　way　I　knew　she　disliked。
　　'That　was　the　Stovers；〃　she　said。　〃They　spoke　directly　with　the　weather　center　outside　Glassboro。　They're　not　calling　it　a　feathery　plume　anymore。〃
　　〃What　are　they　calling　it？〃
　　〃A　black　billowing　cloud。〃
　　〃That's　a　little　more　accurate；　which　means　they're　ing　to　grips　with　the　thing。　Good。〃
　　〃There's　more；〃　she　said。　〃It's　expected　that　some　sort　of　air　mas