第39节
sareinschoolall</p>
**inday,andthereisntahellofalotyoudoforrachel.”</p>
foranute,jackoholdhistongue.whenhewasin</p>
ntrolagain,hesaid,”actually,thereis.ipaint.hey,</p>
daughteeedsthephone.ihavetogo,dave.later.”hehungupthe</p>
phone.</p>
”paintanthaasked,tossingherhairbaagesturethat</p>
etinegligentandpowerful.</p>
”yourstuff,”heanswered.</p>
shescresstuffis</p>
hers.youts**.”thephagaiherto</p>
it.”yes””itsvictoria.hoydaughter””yout,”</p>
santhainsisted.</p>
”shesthesa,”hetoldhistherinlauingthefio</p>
hisear.”thedoctorsthinkthatsgoodnews.”</p>
”idont.therestbesothingtheydo.ivebeenasking</p>
peoplehere,andtheyallagree.youdontjustsitaroundand.</p>
iberofhorrorstories,horrorstories,ive</p>
heardabouttisiohatshouldhavebeen</p>
taken.</p>
ifiyselfsixnthsfroow</p>
lookingbadregrettingthatididntpush.didntnhaveany</p>
suggestions””nohatthedoctorshere.”</p>
”thedoctorsthere.</p>
huh.theoalkedhtheotherdaysouooyoungtoknow</p>
ch.idliketonsulteoneinnewyork.</p>
illbebacktherelatertorroyboardwassendingflowers.did</p>
theyarrive””afeinutesago,butshesinthei.toria.</p>
itdbebestifyouaskedpeoplenottosendthings.wellonlyhave</p>
togivethetheruth,butheenvisioned</p>
victoriaspreadierializingin</p>
ra.</p>
”youtoldnottoe,jack.hasthatgedisthereanythingi</p>
anthatuggedathisarouthed,then</p>
saidtovie.”</p>
”hasyourtherbeendown</p>
””ihaventtalkedhher.”</p>
”shedoesntknosterrible,jack.giveheracall.she</p>
shouldbetold.illorroeanti,you</p>
knoe.”</p>
”itisntright,”santhasaidashehungupthephone.</p>
”tellaboutit,”hettered,thinkingabouttherlydevotion.if</p>
vietoseerachel,sheallupatree.and</p>
hisootheraphonecallehoeway</p>
sheehiortheact.</p>
”soyouanthaasked.</p>
”sedgears.”i</p>
planningtos**.ioyinghtheidea</p>
offinishingafehosepiecessothatbengoaheadhthe</p>
show.”</p>
”sheyoudoingthat.”</p>
”ohdidyouask”santhadeaface.”thateanthingto</p>
say.”</p>
”otherisihat</p>
noneofusask,soknoshes.shedidthis</p>
shoanthagruooktobea</p>
no.</p>
”andbensaystheshobepostponed,soareo</p>
do””soofherpicturesarefiheybeintheshow.”</p>
andfyourtherdoesnteveraybenow</p>
oever,toots,heperink.</p>
”knoeadow”</p>
”ofurseikno,”shesaidindisgust.”anyonewhosbeenin</p>
thishouseknoforyears.its</p>
favorite.”</p>
”right,”hesaid,gainingstrength.”doyouknohatihelpedpaint</p>
it”herheringlooksaidthatnotonlydidntshekno,but</p>
thatshedidntbelieveitforanute.”youweresixyearsold.</p>
yourtherandiountainsnotfarfroere.when</p>
eback,thathepicturesed.”</p>
”like,anthacked.”atree”there</p>
hadistothe</p>
pointoflosingntrol,andthisohetakingany</p>
ces.</p>
verydeliberately,hetuckedhishandsinhispockets.hadhebeenhis</p>
father,hetotakethesfullookoff</p>
santhasface.therehadtobeabetterway.</p>
”haveyoueverdraree”heasked.</p>
”everyonesdrarees.”</p>
”yeah”catgherinahatlocked,he</p>
strodetohefrontdoor.</p>
”e”shecried.”ihavethingstodo”he</p>
didnttalk,didntlookback,didntstopuntiltheyhewoods</p>
andstandingfaehthetrunkofohelargestofthe</p>
redohegiantsequoiasthatgreheorth</p>
andinland,justaastreditwoulddofine.</p>
draanthainfrontofhiheheldherrigidshouldersandsaid</p>
overthecrohatstraightblondhair,”doyousee””bark,</p>
”shesnapped.</p>
”else””bark.”</p>
”okay,lorisit””red,”shesaid,thenslowly,</p>
pedantically,”thisisaredwood.”</p>
”brightredbriaroon””idontknow.</p>
ever.”</p>
”ifyouakeitbrightred</p>
briswer,hesqueezedashoulder.</p>
”darkerthanthat,”shettered.</p>
”hogany””ybe.”</p>
”allofit””ean””allofit</p>
hogany””yes,”shebitout.</p>
hereleasedoneshoulder,reachedoverit,andtoueofthe</p>
bark.”butaboutthispartthehelighthits,itsdarker</p>
byashadeortovedhisfihispartsashadeortwo</p>
darkerthanthat.”andagain.”thispartsalstblack.yousee</p>
that””yes,iseeit.”</p>
”ifyoupainttheahogany,youlllosethetexture.”he</p>
sthepadsofhisfingersoverthebark.”lookattheshapeof</p>
thispiece,op,taperingdohehisonewaves</p>
badforth.andthissickleshapedpieceyoudlosetheseshapes</p>
ifyoudidthehingonelor.”helookedhigher.”andup</p>
thereakesthebarkreethan</p>
red.soyoudssthat,too,ifyoudidtheahogany.”</p>
helooked.</p>
”notheneedles.”</p>
”youvedeyourpoint.”</p>
”lookatthenyingherheadhhishandsand</p>
usingonlyenoughpressureasotipitup.”theneedles</p>
arefeathery.richgreen.noorebluegreeninthislight,i</p>
think.</p>
er,alstli,hesunhits.”hepaused.”isitthe</p>
needlesthatsllsogood,orthebark””idontknoy</p>
faultthatiheonlyohisfalydrak</p>
hequestionth</p>
...</p>