第12部分(第1/7 页)

〃That　one　says　SLOWER　VEHICLES　USE　RIGHT　LANE。　That　means　us。〃

〃The　bug　will　make　it；〃　Danny　said。

〃Please；　God；〃　Mommy　said；　and　crossed　her　fingers。　Danny　looked　down　at　her

open…toed　sandals　and　saw　that　she　had　crossed　her　toes　as　well。　He　giggled。　She

smiled　back；　but　he　knew　that　she　was　still　worried。

The　road　wound　up　and　up　in　a　series　of　slow　S　curves；　and　Jack　dropped　the

bug's　stick　shift　from　fourth　gear　to　third；　then　into　second。　The　bug　wheezed

and　protested；　and　Wendy's　eye　fixed　on　the　speedometer　needle；　which　sank　from

forty　to　thirty　to　twenty；　where　it　hovered　reluctantly。

〃The　fuel　pump。。。〃　she　began　timidly。

〃The　fuel　pump　will　go　another　three　miles；〃　Jack　said　shortly。

The　rock　wall　fell　away　on　their　right；　disclosing　a　slash　valley　that　seemed

to　go　down　forever；　lined　a　dark　green　with　Rocky　Mountain　pine　and　spruce。　The

pines　fell　away　to　gray　cliffs　of　rock　that　dropped　for　hundreds　of　feet　before

smoothing　out。　She　saw　a　waterfall　spilling　over　one　of　them；　the　early

afternoon　sun　sparkling　in　it　like　a　golden　fish　snared　in　a　blue　net。　They　were

beautiful　mountains　but　they　were　hard。　She　did　not　think　they　would　forgive

many　mistakes。　An　unhappy　foreboding　rose　in　her　throat。　Further　west　in　the

Sierra　Nevada　the　Donner　Party　had　bee　snowbound　and　had　resorted　to

cannibalism　to　stay　alive。　The　mountains　did　not　forgive　many　mistakes。

With　a　punch　of　the　clutch　and　a　jerk；　Jack　shifted　down　to　first　gear　and

they　labored　upward；　the　bug's　engine　thumping　gamely。

〃You　know；〃　she　said；　〃I　don't　think　we've　seen　five　cars　since　we　came

through　Sidewinder。　And　one　of　them　was　the