小说园

第46部分（第2页）

The　man　didnt　remember　why。　He　was　sorry；　he　just　couldnt　seem　to　recall。　Under　repeated　questioning　from　Norman；　the　man　became　less　charming；　more　irritable。　Finally　he　turned　threatening　and　angry；　pounding　the　table；　demanding　that　Norman　talk　about　something　else。

Only　then　did　it　dawn　on　Norman　who　this　man　was：　Alan　Whittier；　who　as　a　teenager　had　murdered　his　mother　and　sister　in　their　trailer　in　Palm　Desert；　and　then　had　gone　on　to　kill　six　people　at　a　gas　station　and　three　others　in　a　supermarket　parking　lot；　until　he　finally　turned　himself　in　to　the　police；　sobbing；　hysterical　with　guilt　and　remorse。　Whittier　had　been　in　the　state　hospital　for　ten　years；　and　he　had　brutally　attacked　several　attendants　during　that　time。

This　was　the　man　who　was　now　enraged；　standing　up　in　front　of　Norman；　and　kicking　the　table；　flinging　his　chair　back　against　the　wall。　Norman　was　still　a　student；　he　didnt　know　how　to　handle　it。　He　turned　to　flee　the　room；　but　the　door　behind　him　was　locked。　They　had　locked　him　in；　which　is　what　they　always　did　during　interviews　with　violent　patients。　Behind　him；　Whittier　lifted　the　table　and　threw　it　against　the　wall；　he　was　ing　for　Norman。　Norman　had　a　moment　of　horrible　panic　until　he　heard　the　locks　rattling；　and　then　three　huge　attendants　dashed　in；　grabbed　Whittier；　and　dragged　him　away；　still　screaming　and　swearing。

Norman　went　directly　to　his　supervisor；　demanded　to　know　why　he　had　been　set　up。　The　supervisor　said　to　him；　Set　up？　Yes；　Norman　had　said；　set　up。　The　supervisor　said；　But　werent　you　told　the　mans　name　beforehand？　Didnt　the　name　mean　anything　to　you？　Norman　replied　that　he　hadnt　really　paid　attention。

＇＇313＇＇　You　better　pay　attention；　Norman；　the　supervisor　had　said。　You　cant　ever　let　down　your　guard　in　a　place　like　this。　Its　too　dangerous。

Now；　looking　across　the　habitat　at　Beth；　he　thought：　Pay　attention；　Norman。　You　cant　let　down　your　guard。　Because　youre　dealing　with　a　crazy　person　and　you　havent　realized　it。

〃I　see　you　dont　believe　me；〃　Beth　said；　still　very　calm。　〃Are　you　able　to　talk？〃

〃Sure；〃　Norman　said。

〃Be　logical；　all　of　that？〃

〃Sure；〃　he　said；　thinking：　Im　not　the　crazy　one　here。

〃All　right；〃　Beth　said。　〃Remember　when　you　told　me　about　Harry…how　all　the　evidence　pointed　to　Harry？〃

〃Yes。　Of　course。〃

〃You　asked　me　if　I　could　think　of　another　explanation；　and　I　said　no。　But　there　is　another　explanation；　Norman。　Some　points　you　conveniently　overlooked　the　first　time。　Like　the　jellyfish。　Why　the　jellyfish？　It　was　your　little　brother　who　was　stung　by　the　jellyfish；　Norman；　and　you　who　felt　guilty　afterward。　And　when　does　Jerry　speak？　When　youre　there；　Norman。　And　when　does　the　squid　stop　its　attack？　When　you　were　knocked　unconscious；　Norman。　Not　Harry；　you。〃

Her　voice　was　so　calm；　so　reasonable。　He　struggled　to　consider　what　she　was　saying。　Was　it　possible　she　was　right？　〃Step　back。　Take　the　long　view；〃　Beth　said。　〃Youre　a　psychologist；　down　here　with　a　bunch　of　scientists　dealing　with　hardware。　Theres　nothing　for　you　to　do　down　here…you　said　so　yourself。　And　wasnt　there　a　time　in　your　life　when　you　felt　similarly　professionally　bypassed？　Wasnt　that　an　unfortable　time　for　you？　Didnt　you　once　tell　me　that　you　hated　that　time　in　your　life？〃

〃Yes；　but…〃

〃When　all　the　strange　things　start　to　happen；　the　problem　isnt　hardware　any　more。　Now　its　a　psychological　problem。　Its　right　up　your　alley；　Norman；　your　particular　area　of　expertise。　Suddenly　you　bee　the　center　of　attention；　dont　you？〃

No；　he　thought。　This　cant　be　right。

＇＇314＇＇　〃When　Jerry　starts　to　municate　with　us；　who　notices　that　he　has　emotions？　Who　insists　we　deal　with　Jerrys　emotions？　None　of　us　are　interested　in　emotions；　Norman。　Barnes　only　wants　to　know　about　armaments；　Ted　only　wants　to　talk　science；　Harry　only　wants　to　play　logical　games。　Youre　the　one　whos　interested　in　emotions。　And　who　manipulates　Jerry…or　fails　to　manipulate　him？　You；　Norman。　Its　all　you。〃

〃It　cant　be；〃　Norman　said。　His　mind　was　reeling。　He　struggled　to　find　a　contradiction；　and　found　it。　〃It　cant　be　me…because　I　havent　been　inside　the　sphere。〃

〃Yes；　you　have；〃　Beth　said。　〃You　just　dont　remember。〃

He　felt　battered；　repeatedly　punched　and　battered。　He　couldnt　seem　to　get　his　balance；　and　the　blows　kept　ing。

〃Just　the　way　you　dont　remember　that　I　asked　you　to　look　up　the　balloon　codes；〃　Beth　was　saying　in　her　calm　voice。　〃Or　the　way　Barnes　asked　you　about　the　helium　concentrations　in　E　Cyl。〃

He　thought；　what　helium　concentrations　in　E　Cyl？　When　did　Barnes　ask　me　about　that？

〃Theres　a　lot　you　dont　remember；　Norman。〃

Norman　said；　〃When　did　I　go　to　the　sphere？〃

〃Before　the　first　squid　attack。　After　Harry　came　out。〃

〃I　was　asleep！　I　was　sleeping　in　my　bunk！〃

〃No；　Norman。　You　werent。　Because　Fletcher　came　to　get　you　and　you　were　gone。　We　couldnt　find　you　for　about　two　hours；　and　then　you　showed　up；　yawning。〃

〃I　dont　believe　you；〃　he　said。

〃I　know　you　dont。　You　prefer　to　make　it　somebody　elses　problem。　And　youre　clever。　Youre　skilled　at　psychological　manipulation；　Norman。　Remember　those　tests　you　conducted？　Putting　unsuspecting　people　up　in　an　airplane；　then　telling　them　the　pilot　had　a　heart　attack？　Scaring　them　half　to　death？　Thats　pretty　ruthless　manipulation；　Norman。

〃And　down　here　in　the　habitat；　when　all　these　things　started　happening；　you　needed　a　monster。　So　you　made　＇＇315＇＇　Harry　the　monster。　But　Harry　wasnt　the　monster；　Norman。　You　are　the　monster。　Thats　why　your　appearance　changed；　why　you　became　ugly。　Because　youre　the　monster。〃

〃But　the　message。　It　said　My　name　is　Harry。　〃