《No Country for Old Men》第34章

he　registered　and　got　the　key　and　hobbled　up　the　steps　and　down　the　hall　to　his　room and　went　in　and　locked　the　door　and　lay　on　the　bed　with　the　shotgun　across　his　chest staring　at　the　ceiling。　he　could　think　of　no　reason　for　the　transponder　sending　unit　to　be in　the　hotel。　he　ruled　out　moss　because　he　thought　moss　was　almost　certainly　dead。
that　left　the　police。　or　some　agent　of　the　matacumbe　petroleum　group。　who　must think　that　he　thought　that　they　thought　that　he　thought　they　were　very　dumb。　he　thought about　that。
when　he　woke　it　was　ten…thirty　at　night　and　he　lay　there　in　the　half　dark　and　the　quiet but　he　knew　what　the　answer　was。　he　got　up　and　put　the　shotgun　behind　the　pillows　and stuck　the　pistol　into　the　waistband　of　his　trousers。　then　he　went　out　and　limped　down the　stairs　to　the　desk。
the　clerk　was　sitting　reading　a　magazine　and　when　he　saw　chigurh　he　stuck　the magazine　under　the　desk　and　rose。　yessir；　he　said。
id　like　to　see　the　registration。
are　you　a　police　officer？
no。　im　not。
im　afraid　i　cant　do　that　sir。
yes　you　can。
when　he　came　back　up　he　stopped　and　stood　listening　in　the　hallway　outside　his　door。
he　went　in　and　got　the　shotgun　and　the　receiver　and　then　walked　down　to　the　room　with the　tape　across　it　and　held　the　box　to　the　door　and　turned　it　on。　he　went　down　to　the second　door　and　tried　the　reception　there。　then　he　came　back　to　the　first　room　and opened　the　door　with　the　key　from　the　desk　and　stepped　back　and　stood　against　the hallway　wall。
he　could　hear　traffic　in　the　street　beyond　the　parking　lot　but　still　he　thought　the　window was　closed。　there　was　no　air　moving。　he　looked　quickly　into　the　room。　bed　pulled away　from　the　wall。　bathroom　door　open。　he　checked　the　safety　on　the　shotgun。　he stepped　across　the　doorway　to　the　other　side。
there　was　no　one　in　the　room。　he　scanned　the　room　with　the　box　and　found　the　sending unit　in　the　drawer　of　the　bedside　table。　he　sat　on　the　bed　turning　it　in　his　hand。　small lozenge　of　burnished　metal　the　size　of　a　domino。　he　looked　out　the　window　at　the parking　lot。　his　leg　hurt。　he　put　the　piece　of　metal　in　his　pocket　and　turned　off　the receiver　and　rose　and　left；　pulling　the　door　shut　behind　him。　inside　the　room　the　phone rang。　he　thought　about　that　for　a　minute。　then　he　set　the　transponder　on　the　windowsill in　the　hallway　and　turned　and　went　back　down　to　the　lobby。
and　there　he　waited　for　wells。　no　one　would　do　that。　he　sat　in　a　leather　armchair pushed　back　into　the　corner　where　he　could　see　both　the　front　door　and　the　hallway　to the　rear。　wells　came　in　at　eleven…thirteen　and　chigurh　rose　and　followed　him　up　the stairs；　the　shotgun　wrapped　loosely　in　the　newspaper　hed　been　reading。　halfway　up　the stairs　wells　turned　and　looked　back　and　chigurh　let　the　paper　fall　and　raised　the shotgun　to　his　waist。　hello；　carson；　he　said。
they　sat　in　wells　room；　wells　on　the　bed　and　chigurh　in　the　chair　by　the　window。　you dont　have　to　do　this；　wells　said。　im　a　daytrader。　i　could　just　go　home。
you　could。
id　make　it　worth　your　while。　take　you　to　an　atm。　everybody　just　walks　away。　theres about　fourteen　grand　in　it。
good　payday。
i　think　so。
chigurh　looked　out　the　window；　the　shotgun　across　his　knee。　getting　hurt　changed　me； he　said。　changed　my　perspective。　ive　moved　on；　in　a　way。　some　things　have　fallen　into place　that　were　not　there　before。　i　thought　they　were；　but　they　werent。　the　best　way　i can　put　it　is　that　ive　sort　of　caught　up　with　myself。　thats　not　a　bad　thing。　it　was overdue。
its　still　a　good　payday。
it　is。　its　just　in　the　wrong　currency。
wells　eyed　the　distance　between　them。　senseless。　maybe　twenty　years　ago。　probably not　even　then。　do　what　you　have　to　do；　he　said。
chigurh　sat　slouched　casually　in　the　chair；　his　chin　resting　against　his　knuckles。
watching　wells。　watching　his　last　thoughts。　hed　seen　it　all　before。　so　had　wells。
it　started　before　that；　he　said。　i　didnt　realize　it　at　the　time。　when　i　went　down　on　the border　i　stopped　in　a　cafe　in　this　town　and　there　were　some　men　in　there　drinking　beer and　one　of　them　kept　looking　back　at　me。　i　didnt　pay　any　attention　to　him。　i　ordered　my dinner　and　ate。　but　when　i　walked　up　to　the　counter　to　pay　the　check　i　had　to　go　past them　and　they　were　all　grinning　and　he　said　something　that　was　hard　to　ignore。　do　you know　what　i　did？
yeah。　i　know　what　you　did。
i　ignored　him。　i　paid　my　bill　and　i　had　started　to　push　through　the　door　when　he　said　the same　thing　again。　i　turned　and　looked　at　him。　i　was　just　standing　there　picking　my　teeth with　a　toothpick　and　i　gave　him　a　little　gesture　with　my　head。　for　him　to　e　outside。
if　he　would　like　to。　and　then　i　went　out。　and　i　waited　in　the　parking　lot。　and　he　and　his friends　came　out　and　i　killed　him　in　the　parking　lot　and　then　i　got　into　my　car。　they were　all　gathered　around　him。　they　didnt　know　what　had　happened。　they　didnt　know that　he　was　dead。　one　of　them　said　that　i　had　put　a　sleeper　hold　on　him　and　then　the others　all　said　that。　they　were　trying　to　get　him　to　sit　up。　they　were　slapping　him　and trying　to　get　him　to　sit　up。　an　hour　later　i　was　pulled　over　by　a　sheriffs　deputy　outside of　sonora　texas　and　i　let　him　take　me　into　town　in　handcuffs。　im　not　sure　why　i　did this　but　i　think　i　wanted　to　see　if　i　could　extricate　myself　by　an　act　of　will。　because　i believe　that　one　can。　that　such　a　thing　is　possible。　but　it　was　a　foolish　thing　to　do。　a vain　thing　to　do。　do　you　understand？
do　i　understand？
yes。
do　you　have　any　notion　of　how　goddamned　crazy　you　are？
the　nature　of　this　conversation？
the　nature　of　you。
chigurh　leaned　back。　he　studied　wells。　tell　me　something；　he　said。
what。
if　the　rule　you　followed　led　you　to　this　of　what　use　was　the　rule？
i　dont　know　what　youre　talking　about。
im　talking　about　your　life。　in　which　now　everything　can　be　seen　at　once。
im　not　interested　in　your　bullshit；　anton。
i　thought　you　might　want　to　explain　yourself。
i　dont　have　to　explain　myself　to　you。
not　to　me。　to　yourself。　i　thought　you　might　have　something　to　say。
you　go　to　hell。
you　surprise　me；　thats　all。　i　expected　something　different。　it　call