《No Country for Old Men》第50章

she　nodded。
he　watched　her；　his　chin　in　his　hand。　all　right；　he　said。　this　is　the　best　i　can　do。
he　straightened　out　his　leg　and　reached　into　his　pocket　and　drew　out　a　few　coins　and took　one　and　held　it　up。　he　turned　it。　for　her　to　see　the　justice　of　it。　he　held　it　between his　thumb　and　forefinger　and　weighed　it　and　then　flipped　it　spinning　in　the　air　and caught　it　and　slapped　it　down　on　his　wrist。　call　it；　he　said。
she　looked　at　him；　at　his　outheld　wrist。　what？　she　said。
call　it。
i　wont　do　it。
yes　you　will。　call　it。
god　would　not　want　me　to　do　that。
of　course　he　would。　you　should　try　to　save　yourself。　call　it。　this　is　your　last　chance。
heads；　she　said。
he　lifted　his　hand　away。　the　coin　was　tails。
im　sorry。
she　didnt　answer。
maybe　its　for　the　best。
she　looked　away。　you　make　it　like　it　was　the　coin。　but　youre　the　one。
it　could　have　gone　either　way。
the　coin　didnt　have　no　say。　it　was　just　you。
perhaps。　but　look　at　it　my　way。　i　got　here　the　same　way　the　coin　did。
she　sat　sobbing　softly。　she　didnt　answer。
for　things　at　a　mon　destination　there　is　a　mon　path。　not　always　easy　to　see。　but there。
everthing　i　ever　thought　has　turned　out　different；　she　said。　there　aint　the　least　part　of my　life　i　could　of　guessed。　not　this；　not　none　of　it。
i　know。
you　wouldnt　of　let　me　off　noway。
i　had　no　say　in　the　matter。　every　moment　in　your　life　is　a　turning　and　every　one　a choosing。　somewhere　you　made　a　choice。　all　followed　to　this。　the　accounting　is scrupulous。　the　shape　is　drawn。　no　line　can　be　erased。　i　had　no　belief　in　your　ability　to move　a　coin　to　your　bidding。　how　could　you？　a　persons　path　through　the　world　seldom changes　and　even　more　seldom　will　it　change　abruptly。　and　the　shape　of　your　path　was visible　from　the　beginning。
she　sat　sobbing。　she　shook　her　head。
yet　even　though　i　could　have　told　you　how　all　of　this　would　end　i　thought　it　not　too much　to　ask　that　you　have　a　final　glimpse　of　hope　in　the　world　to　lift　your　heart　before the　shroud　drops；　the　darkness。　do　you　see？
oh　god；　she　said。　oh　god。
im　sorry。
she　looked　at　him　a　final　time。　you　dont　have　to；　she　said。　you　dont。　you　dont。
he　shook　his　head。　youre　asking　that　i　make　myself　vulnerable　and　that　i　can　never　do。
i　have　only　one　way　to　live。　it　doesnt　allow　for　special　cases。　a　coin　toss　perhaps。　in this　case　to　small　purpose。　most　people　dont　believe　that　there　can　be　such　a　person。
you　can　see　what　a　problem　that　must　be　for　them。　how　to　prevail　over　that　which　you refuse　to　acknowledge　the　existence　of。　do　you　understand？　when　i　came　into　your　life your　life　was　over。　it　had　a　beginning；　a　middle；　and　an　end。　this　is　the　end。　you　can say　that　things　could　have　turned　out　differently。　that　they　could　have　been　some　other way。　but　what　does　that　mean？　they　are　not　some　other　way。　they　are　this　way。　youre asking　that　i　second　say　the　world。　do　you　see？
yes；　she　said；　sobbing。　i　do。　i　truly　do。
good；　he　said。　thats　good。　then　he　shot　her。
the　car　that　hit　chigurh　in　the　intersection　three　blocks　from　the　house　was　a　ten　year old　buick　that　had　run　a　stop…sign。　there　were　no　skidmarks　at　the　site　and　the　vehicle had　made　no　attempt　to　brake。　chigurh　never　wore　a　seatbelt　driving　in　the　city　because of　just　such　hazards　and　although　he　saw　the　vehicle　ing　and　threw　himself　to　the other　side　of　the　truck　the　impact　carried　the　caved…in　driver　side　door　to　him　instantly and　broke　his　arm　in　two　places　and　broke　some　ribs　and　cut　his　head　and　his　leg。　he crawled　out　of　the　passenger　side　door　and　staggered　to　the　sidewalk　and　sat　in　the　grass of　someones　lawn　and　looked　at　his　arm。　bone　sticking　up　under　the　skin。　not　good。　a woman　in　a　housedress　ran　out　screaming。
blood　kept　running　into　his　eyes　and　he　tried　to　think。　he　held　the　arm　and　turned　it　and tried　to　see　how　badly　it　was　bleeding。　if　the　median　artery　were　severed。　he　thought not。　his　head　was　ringing。　no　pain。　not　yet。
two　teenage　boys　were　standing　there　looking　at　him。
are　you　all　right；　mister？
yeah；　he　said。　im　all　right。　let　me　just　sit　here　a　minute。
theres　an　ambulance　in。　man　over　yonder　went　to　call　one。
all　right。
you　sure　youre　all　right。
chigurh　looked　at　them。　what　will　you　take　for　that　shirt？　he　said。
they　looked　at　each　other。　what　shirt？
any　damn　shirt。　how　much？
he　straightened　out　his　leg　and　reached　in　his　pocket　and　got　out　his　moneyclip。　i　need something　to　wrap　around　my　head　and　i　need　a　sling　for　this　arm。
one　of　the　boys　began　to　unbutton　his　shirt。　hell；　mister。　why　didnt　you　say　so？　ill give　you　my　shirt。
chigurh　took　the　shirt　and　bit　into　it　and　ripped　it　in　two　down　the　back。　he　wrapped　his head　in　a　bandanna　and　he　twisted　the　other　half　of　the　shirt　into　a　sling　and　put　his　arm in　it。
tie　this　for　me；　he　said。
they　looked　at　each　other。
just　tie　it。
the　boy　in　the　t…shirt　stepped　forward　and　knelt　and　knotted　the　sling。　that　arm　dont look　good；　he　said。
chigurh　thumbed　a　bill　out　of　the　clip　and　put　the　clip　back　in　his　pocket　and　took　the bill　from　between　his　teeth　and　got　to　his　feet　and　held　it　out。
hell；　mister。　i　dont　mind　helpin　somebody　out。　thats　a　lot　of　money。
take　it。　take　it　and　you　dont　know　what　i　looked　like。　you　hear？
the　boy　took　the　bill。　yessir；　he　said。
they　watched　him　set　off　up　the　sidewalk；　holding　the　twist　of　the　bandanna　against　his head；　limping　slightly。　part　of　thats　mine；　the　other　boy　said。
you　still　got　your　damn　shirt。
that　aint　what　it　was　for。
that　may　be；　but　im　still　out　a　shirt。
they　walked　out　into　the　street　where　the　vehicles　sat　steaming。　the　streetlamps　had e　on。　a　pool　of　green　antifreeze　was　collecting　in　the　gutter。　when　they　passed　the open　door　of　chigurhs　truck　the　one　in　the　t…shirt　stopped　the　other　with　his　hand。　you see　what　i　see？　he　said。
shit；　the　other　one　said。
what　they　saw　was　chigurhs　pistol　lying　in　the　floorboard　of　the　truck。　they　could already　hear　the　sirens　in　the　distance。　get　it；　the　first　one　said。　go　on。
why　me？
i　aint　got　a　shirt　to　cover　it　with。　go　on。　hurry。
he　climbed　the　three　woode