第14部分

請關閉瀏覽器的閱讀/暢讀/小說模式並且關閉廣告遮蔽過濾功能，避免出現內容無法顯示或者段落錯亂。

；　creating　little　strained　smiles　of　flesh　between　them。

And　there　was　a　smell。　Not　bad　in　itself；　but　unpleasant　in　its　associations。　I've　never　been　able　to　go　down　in　the　cellar　at　my　granddaughter's　house　when　they　bring　me　there；　although　that's　where　their　little　boy　has　his　Lionel　set…up；　which　he　would　dearly　love　to　share　with　his　great…grampa。　I　don't　mind　the　trains；　as　I'm　sure　you　can　guess　…　it's　the　transformer　I　can't　abide。　The　way　it　hums。　And　the　way；　when　it　gets　hot；　it　smells。　Even　after　all　these　years；　that　smell　reminds　me　of　Cold　Mountain。

Van　Hay　gave　him　thirty　seconds；　then　turned　the　juice　off。　The　doctor　stepped　forward　from　his　place　and　listened　with　his　stethoscope。　There　was　no　talk　from　the　witnesses　now。　The　doctor　straightened　up　and　looked　through　the　mesh。　〃Disorganized；〃　he　said；　and　made　a　twirling；　cranking　gesture　with　one　finger。　He　had　heard　a　few　random　heartbeats　from　Bitterbuck's　chest；　probably　as　meaningless　as　the　final　jitters　of　a　decapitated　chicken；　but　it　was　better　not　to　take　chances。　You　didn't　want　him　suddenly　sitting　up　on　the　gurney　when　you　had　him　halfway　through　the　tunnel；　bawling　that　he　felt　like　he　was　on　fire。

Van　Hay　rolled　on　three　and　The　Chief　surged　forward　again；　twisting　a　little　from　side　to　side　in　the　grip　of　the　current。　When　doc　listened　this　time；　he　nodded。　It　was　over。　We　had　once　again　succeeded　in　destroying　what　we　could　not　create。　Some　of　the　folks　in　the　audience　had　begun　talking　in　those　low　voices　again；　most　sat　with　their　heads　down；　looking　at　the　floor；　as　if　stunned。　Or　ashamed。

Harry　and　Dean　came　up　with　the　stretcher。　It　was　actually　Percy's　job　to　take　one　end；　but　he　didn't　know　and　no　one　had　bothered　to　tell　him。　The　Chief；　still　wearin