gns.batsoutofhell- 第12部分

　　
　　A　cauldron　of　hatred　seethed　inside　Ursin…Davies。　He　forced　his　knife…arm　back　and　upwards。　The　muscles　were　stiff　and　unyielding　at　first；　but　sheer　determination　defeated　the　semi…paralytic　tendons。　It　just　needed　one　supreme　effort。
　　
　　He　brought　the　knife　down　with　every　ounce　of　his　thirteen　stone　behind　it。　It　took　the　head　boy　between　the　shoulders；　the　blade　buckling　but　sinking　in　up　to　the　hilt　with　the　weight　of　the　blow；　twisting　and　tearing　as　blood　gushed　out　of　the　jagged　wound。
　　
　　Bryce…Janson　screamed；　a　strangled；　unnatural　sound　that　died　away　in　a　hiss　of　spittle。　He　sank　to　his　knees；　clutching　at　the　sheets　and　pulling　them　to　the　floor　with　him。　Boys　stared　in　horror；　disbelief　on　their　faces。　Ursin　wrenched　the　knife　free　and　held　it　up；　blood　dripping　on　to　the　floor。　He　tried　to　laugh；　but　no　sound　came。　Just　a　baring　of　the　teeth；　lips　drawn　back；　spittle　frothing；　bubbling；　bursting。　Then　came　brief　realisation；　momentary　sanity　amidst　the　madness；　as　his　mouth　opened　with　shock。
　　
　　He　gripped　the　knife　again；　exerting　unwilling　muscles；　struggling　to　turn　the　bloody　blade　so　that　it　pointed　inwards；　forcing　it　up　towards　his　own　jowls。　Staccato　movements；　an　inch　at　a　time；　beads　of　sweat　rolling　down　his　face　with　the　strain。
　　
　　'No　。。。　no　。。。　Fatty；　no！'　nine…year…old　Montgomery　screamed；　the　only　one　to　realise　the　full　implication　of　Ursin…Davies's　actions。
　　
　　This　time　the　blade's　entry　was　achieved　more　easily。　It　slid　into　the　soft　fat　without　the　hindrance　of　bone；　once　again　going　hi　up　to　the　hilt；　severing　the　jugular　vein；　until　blood　spouted　like　an　oil…geyser；　jetting　on　to　beds　and　boys　alike。
　　
　　The　door　opened；　and　Matron　entered；　a　short；　middle…aged　doctor　at　her　heels。
　　
　　'These　are　the　boys；　doctor；'　she　was　saying；　4it　really　is　most　puzzling。。。　and。。。　'
　　
　　She　broke　off；　saw　the　tottering　boy；　the　knife　embedded　in　his　throat；　the　fountain　of　blood；　and　fell　forward　unconscious。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　Six
　　
　　The　sun　beat　down　relentlessly　on　the　squat　buildings　which　prised　the　Biological　Research　Centre　on　Can…nock　Chase；　so　that　as　early　as　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　heat　in　Haynes's　office　was　stifling。　The　air…conditioning　laboured　under　the　strain；　and　the　four　people　in　the　room　knew　that　by　midday　it　would　be　virtually　ineffective。　They　all　recalled　the　freak　summer　of　1976；　but　this　one　threatened　to　break　all　records。　Farmers　were　forecasting　disastrous　potato　crops　again。　Fire…brigades　were　at　full　stretch　in　an　attempt　to　bat　heath　and　forestry　fires。　Yet；　suddenly；　all　these　had　bee　of　minor　importance。
　　
　　Copies　of　every　daily　newspaper　for　the　past　week　lay　spread　out　on　the　desk。　The　headlines　bore　a　similarity　as　the　Fleet　Street　prophets　of　doom　revelled　in　the　latest　sensations。　'BATS　FROM　HELL　SPREAD　KILLER　DISEASE'；　'SCHOOL　QUARANTINE　AS　PLAGUE　AND　MADNESS　STRIKE'；　'DEATH　VIRUS　ESCAPES　FROM　RESEARCH　CENTRE'；　and　so　on。　The　accounts　varied。　Some　followed　the　truth　religiously；　others　exaggerated。　The　man　in　the　street　would　believe　that　which　he　chose　to　believe。　In　all；　fear　would　predominate。
　　
　　Haynes　regarded　Brian　Newman；　Professor　Rickers　and　Susan　Wylie　steadily。　He　fidgeted　with　his　spectacles；　and　chewed　his　lower　lip。
　　
　　'It　seems　you　were　right；　Brian。'　He　averted　his　eyes　as　he　spoke。　He　wasn't　accustomed　to　making　apologies；　nor　to　admitting　that　he　was　wrong。　'I　owe　you　an　apology。'
　　
　　'Thanks。'　Newman　said。　He　could　have　made　it　tougher　for　his　chief；　but　he　had　no　wish　to　do　so。　The　situation　now　was　far　too　serious　for　either　of　them　to　indulge　in　petty　jealousies。
　　
　　Rickers　shuffled　his　feet　and　mumbled。　'I　still　can't　believe　it。　It's　just　not　scientifically　possible。'
　　
　　'Well；　it's　happened；　and　that's　that。'　Haynes　spoke　sharply。　'And　right　now　we've　got　to　do　something　about　putting　it　right。　How　have　your　tests　gone；　Brian？　Is　an　antidote　possible？'
　　
　　'Not　at　the　moment。'　Newman　shook　his　head　gravely。　'I　injected　a　fresh　lot　of　bats；　but　they　died　in　just　the　same　way。　I　tried　taking　germs　from　those　which　appeared　to　be　immune　and　injecting　the　virus　into　the　sufferers。　They　died。　It　had　no　effect。'
　　
　　'Hell！'　Haynes　lit　a　cigarette　and　blew　a　cloud　of　smoke　into　the　air。　'The　Press　are　really　gunning　for　us　now。　So　are　our　own　boys　in　London。　We're　the　villains　of　the　piece。'
　　
　　'I　am；'　Professor　Newman　corrected　him。　'It　was　my　fault　that　the　bats　escaped；　I　was　careless　enough　to　knock　the　cage　over。'　He　noticed　Susan　blush　and　start　to　say　something；　but　his　frown　silenced　her。　'It's　got　to　e　out；　anyway；　and　I'm　prepared　to　take　full　responsibility。'　'Let's　get　a　few　facts　together　first；'　Haynes　said；　'working　from　the　information　we　already　have。　By　now　a　large　percentage…it's　impossible　to　quote　figures…of　bats　are　carrying　the　virus。　Those　which　they　e　into　contact　with　either　catch　it；　and　die　within　a　very　short　time；　or　else　they　bee　carriers　themselves。　Hence　the　disease　will　spread　at　an　alarming　rate。　It　is　reasonable　to　assume；　in　the　light　of　recent　information；　that　the　bats　were　responsible　for　the　death　of　the　Williams'　family　and　that　they　caused　the　horses　to　bolt　on　to　the　road。　Therefore　the　Wooden　Stables　were　their　first　home　after　their　escape。　Then　they　vanished。　Was　it　because　they　were　disturbed？　Let　us　assume　so。　Then　for　some　time　they　disappeared　altogether；　presumably　to　some　quiet　place。　The　main　。bunch；　anyway。　They　chose　the　upper　regions　of　Lichfield　Cathedral's　main　spire。　They　were　disturbed　again；　this　time　by　a　firm　of　contractors　working　on　the　spire。　They　came　into　contact　with　schoolboys　and　a　headmaster。　The　headmaster　and　six　boys　died　horribly　from　this　meningitis　type　disease　within　three　days。　But　nobody　else。　Consequently　we　can　assume；　at　this　point；　that　humans　do　not　carry　the　disease。　They　only　catch　it　directly　from　the　bats。　Therefore；　the　bats　are　the　real　menace。　If　you　keep　out　of　their　way　you're　safe；　unless　of　course　you　meet　up　with　someone　in　the　'mad'　stage　of　the　disease。　Williams　killed　his　wife；　and　that　schoolboy　murdered　the　head　boy。　But　can　the　virus　be　carried　by　animals　or　birds；　rats；　mice；　starlings；　all　the　scavengers；　for　instance？'
　　
　　That　we　don't　know　yet；'　Professor　Newman　answered。　The　greatest　danger　could　be　from　rats　and　mice；　but　at　the　moment　there　are　no　reports　to　substantiate　this。'
　　
　　'But　the　question　everybody　is　asking；'　Haynes　said　slowly；　pausing　to　draw　on　his　cigarette；　'Is　just　where　have　the　bats　gone　now？　Nobody　has　set　eyes　on　them　since　the　episode　in　the　cathedral。'
　　
　　'We　can　only　guess；'　Brian　Newman　said。　The　time　between　the　Wooden　Stables　affair　and　the　one　in　the　cathedral　we　can　presume　is　the　period　they　took　to　adjust　to　their　new　way　of　life；　hiding　away　from　humans。　Then　they　were　disturbed　by　those　contractors。　They　have　now　retired　somewhere　to　breed。　The　period　of　gestation　is　seven　weeks。　That　takes　us　up　to　July。　The　young　are　not　capable　of　leading　an　independent　life　for　two　months　after　birth。　By　September；　we　could　be　in　the　midst　of　the　most　terrible　spread　of　the　disease　imaginable。　It　could　be　nationwide　instead　of　just　confined　to　the　Midlands。　Our　only　hope　is　to　find　the　main　colony　and　destroy　them。　Now！'
　　
　　'A　task　equivalent　to　looking　for　the　proverbial　needle　in　the　haystack；'　Rickers　said。　'Where　the　hell　do　we　start？'
　　
　　'There　is　no　longer　any　point　in　attempting　to　conceal　the　facts　from　the　public；'　Newman　continued。　The　more　they　are　kept　informed；　the　better。　We　must　enlist　their　help。　Anybody　who　sees　bats　must　report　it　at　once；　and　we　must　have　teams　of　pest…control　experts　standing　by　to　move　into　action。　Whilst　the　bats　remain　in　rural　areas　there　is　still　hope；　but　once　they　converge　on　the　towns　and　cities…well；　it　doesn't　bear　thinking　about！'
　　
　　Haynes　said；　'Oh；　God！'
　　
　　'We　play　ball　with　the　Press；　then？'　Rickers　pulled　a　wry　face。
　　
　　'We　must；'　Haynes　replied。　'Give　them　the　full　facts；　don't　leave　them　to　draw　their　own　conclusions。　There's　already　been　too　much　exaggeration　and　surmising。　I'm　attending　a　Press　conference　this　afternoon；　and　I　shall　attempt　to　educate　them　on　bats　and　mutated　viruses。　Now；　Brian；　what's　the　chance　of　ing　up　with　an　antidote？　Is　it　hopeless？'
　　
　　'We'll　keep　trying；'　Professor　Newman　told　him。　There　isn't　much　else　I　can　do　at　this　stage。　However；　to　be　perfectly　honest；　I　don't　hold　out　much　hope。'
　　
　　Ken　Tyler　had　been　gamekeeper　in　charge　of　the　land　around　the　ancient　site　of　Castle　Ring；　on　the　edge　of　Cannock　Chase；　for　five　years。　His　duties　varied　between　rearing　pheasants　for　his　employers；　who　rented　the　shooting　rights　over　the　surrounding　two　thousand　acres；　controlling　the　vermin；　assisting　in　the　culling　of　the　deer　herds；　and　spending　his　weekends　patrolling　in　his　Land…68
　　
　　Rover　to　ensure　that　none　of　the　picnickers　who　converged　on　the　Chase　at　fine　weekends　either　lit　fires　or　deposited　litter。
　　
　　A　small；　wiry　man；　he　wore　the　traditional　suit　of　plus…fours　in　all　weathers；　including