《No Country for Old Men》第16章

n。　he　put　the　gun　back　in　his　belt　and pulled　his　shirt　over　it　and　walked　back　out　to　the　kitchen。
he　opened　the　refrigerator　and　took　out　a　carton　of　milk　and　opened　it　and　smelled　it and　drank。　he　stood　there　holding　the　carton　in　one　hand　and　looking　out　the　window。
he　drank　again　and　then　he　put　the　carton　back　in　the　refrigerator　and　shut　the　door。
he　went　into　the　livingroom　and　sat　on　the　sofa。　there　was　a　perfectly　good　twenty…one inch　television　on　the　table。　he　looked　at　himself　in　the　dead　gray　screen。
he　rose　and　got　the　mail　off　the　floor　and　sat　back　down　and　went　through　it。　he　folded three　of　the　envelopes　and　put　them　in　his　shirtpocket　and　then　rose　and　went　out。
he　drove　down　and　parked　in　front　of　the　office　and　went　in。　yessir；　the　woman　said。
im　looking　for　llewelyn　moss。
she　studied　him。　did　you　go　up　to　his　trailer？
yes　i　did。
well　id　say　hes　at　work。　did　you　want　to　leave　a　message？
where　does　he　work？
sir　i　aint　at　liberty　to　give　out　no　information　about　our　residents。
chigurh　looked　around　at　the　little　plywood　office。　he　looked　at　the　woman。
where　does　he　work。
sir？
i　said　where　does　he　work。
did　you　not　hear　me？　we　cant　give　out　no　information。
a　toilet　flushed　somewhere。　a　doorlatch　clicked。　chigurh　looked　at　the　woman　again。
then　he　went　out　and　got　in　the　ramcharger　and　left。
he　pulled　in　at　the　cafe　and　took　the　envelopes　out　of　his　shirtpocket　and　unfolded　them and　opened　them　and　read　the　letters　inside。　he　opened　the　phone　bill　and　looked　at　the charges。　there　were　calls　to　del　rio　and　to　odessa。
he　went　in　and　got　some　change　and　went　to　the　payphone　and　dialed　the　del　rio number　but　there　was　no　answer。　he　called　the　odessa　number　and　a　woman　answered and　he　asked　for　llewelyn。　the　woman　said　he　wasnt　there。
i　tried　to　reach　him　in　sanderson　but　i　dont　believe　hes　there　anymore。
there　was　a　silence。　then　the　woman　said：　i　dont　know　where　hes　at。　who　is　this？
chigurh　hung　up　the　phone　and　went　over　to　the　counter　and　sat　down　and　ordered　a cup　of　coffee。　has　llewelyn　been　in？　he　said。
when　he　pulled　up　in　front　of　the　garage　there　were　two　men　sitting　with　their　backs　to the　wall　of　the　building　eating　their　lunches。　he　went　in。　there　was　a　man　at　the　desk drinking　coffee　and　listening　to　the　radio。　yessir；　he　said。
i　was　looking　for　llewelyn。
he　aint　here。
what　time　do　you　expect　him？
i　dont　know。　he　aint　called　in　or　nothin　so　your　guess　is　as　good　as　mine。　he　leaned　his head　slightly。　as　if　hed　get　another　look　at　chigurh。　is　there　somethin　i　can　help　you with？
i　dont　think　so。
outside　he　stood　on　the　broken　oilstained　pavement。　he　looked　at　the　two　men　sitting　at the　end　of　the　building。
do　you　know　where　llewelyn　is？
they　shook　their　heads。　chigurh　got　into　the　ramcharger　and　pulled　out　and　went　back toward　town。
the　bus　pulled　into　del　rio　in　the　early　afternoon　and　moss　got　his　bags　and　climbed down。　he　walked　down　to　the　cab…stand　and　opened　the　rear　door　of　the　cab　parked there　and　got　in。　take　me　to　a　motel；　he　said。
the　driver　looked　at　him　in　the　mirror。　you　got　one　in　mind？
no。　just　someplace　cheap。
they　drove　out　to　a　place　called　the　trail　motel　and　moss　got　out　with　his　bag　and　the document　case　and　paid　the　driver　and　went　into　the　office。　a　woman　was　sitting watching　television。　she　got　up　and　went　around　behind　the　desk。
do　you　have　a　room？
i　got　more　than　one。　how　many　nights？
i　dont　know。
we　got　a　weekly　rate　is　the　reason　i　ask。　thirty…five　dollars　plus　a　dollar　seventy…five tax。　thirty…sieventy…five。
thirty…sieventy…five。
yessir。
for　the　week。
yessir。　for　the　week。
is　that　your　best　rate？
yessir。　theres　not　no　discounts　on　the　weekly　rate。
well　lets　just　take　it　one　day　at　a　time。
yessir。
he　got　the　key　and　walked　down　to　the　room　and　went　in　and　shut　the　door　and　set　the bags　on　the　bed。　he　closed　the　curtains　and　stood　looking　out　through　them　at　the squalid　little　court。　dead　quiet。　he　fastened　the　chain　on　the　door　and　sat　on　the　bed。　he unzipped　the　duffel　bag　and　took　out　the　machinepistol　and　laid　it　on　the　bedspread　and lay　down　beside　it。
when　he　woke　it　was　late　afternoon。　he　lay　there　looking　at　the　stained　asbestos　ceiling。
he　sat　up　and　pulled　off　his　boots　and　socks　and　examined　the　bandages　on　his　heels。
he　went　into　the　bathroom　and　looked　at　himself　in　the　mirror　and　he　took　off　his　shirt and　examined　the　back　of　his　arm。　it　was　discolored　from　shoulder　to　elbow。　he　walked back　into　the　room　and　sat　on　the　bed　again。　he　looked　at　the　gun　lying　there。　after　a while　he　climbed　up　onto　the　cheap　wooden　desk　and　with　the　blade　of　his　pocketknife set　to　unscrewing　the　airduct　grille；　putting　the　screws　in　his　mouth　one　by　one。　then　he pulled　the　grille　loose　and　laid　it　on　the　desk　and　stood　on　his　toes　and　looked　into　the duct。
he　cut　a　length　from　the　venetian　blind　cord　at　the　window　and　tied　the　end　of　the　cord to　the　case。　then　he　unlatched　the　case　and　counted　out　a　thousand　dollars　and　folded the　money　and　put　it　in　his　pocket　and　shut　the　case　and　fastened　it　and　fastened　the straps。
he　got　the　clothes　pole　out　of　the　closet；　sliding　the　wire　hangers　off　onto　the　floor；　and stood　on　the　dresser　again　and　pushed　the　case　down　the　duct　as　far　as　he　could　reach。　it was　a　tight　fit。　he　took　the　pole　and　pushed　it　again　until　he　could　just　reach　the　end　of the　rope。　he　put　the　grille　back　with　its　rack　of　dust　and　fastened　the　screws　and climbed　down　and　went　into　the　bathroom　and　took　a　shower。　when　he　came　out　he　lay on　the　bed　in　his　shorts　and　pulled　the　chenille　spread　over　himself　and　over　the submachinegun　at　his　side。　he　pushed　the　safety　off。　then　he　went　to　sleep。
when　he　woke　it　was　dark。　he　swung　his　legs　over　the　edge　of　the　bed　and　sat　listening。
he　rose　and　walked　to　the　window　and　pulled　the　curtain　back　slightly　and　looked　out。
deep　shadows。　silence。　nothing。
he　got　dressed　and　put　the　gun　under　the　mattress　with　the　safety　still　off　and　smoothed down　the　dustskirt　and　sat　on　the　bed　and　picked　up　the　phone　and　called　a　cab。