第20部分 (第2/7页)

enter。

Its　shape　was　not　perfect　because　the　space　between　the　flashing　and　the　boards

was　too　narrow；　but　he　thought　the　little　buggers　had　still　done　a　pretty

respectable　job。　The　surface　of　the　nest　was　acrawl　with　the　lumbering；　slow…

moving　insects。　They　were　the　big　mean　ones；　not　yellow　jackets；　which　are

smaller　and　calmer；　but　wall　wasps。　They　had　been　rendered　sludgy　and　stupid　by

the　fall　temperatures；　but　Jack；　who　knew　about　wasps　from　his　childhood；

counted　himself　lucky　that　he　had　been　stung　only　once。　And；　he　thought；　if

Ullman　had　hired　the　job　done　in　the　height　of　summer；　the　workman　who　tore　up

that　particular　section　of　the　flashing　would　have　gotten　one　hell　of　a

surprise。　Yes　indeedy。　When　a　dozen　wall　wasps　land　on　you　all　at　once　and　start

stinging　your　face　and　hands　and　arms；　stinging　your　legs　right　through　your

pants；　it　would　be　entirely　possible　to　forget　you　were　seventy　feet　up。　You

might　just　charge　right　off　the　edge　of　the　roof　while　you　were　trying　to　get

away　from　them。　All　from　those　little　things；　the　biggest　of　them　only　half　the

length　of　a　pencil　stub。

He　had　read　someplace　—　in　a　Sunday　supplement　piece　or　a　back…of…the…book

newsmagazine　article　—　that　7　per　cent　of　all　automobile　fatalities　go

unexplained。　No　mechanical　failure；　no　excessive　speed；　no　booze；　no　bad

weather。　Simply　one…car　crashes　on　deserted　sections　of　road；　one　dead　occupant；

the　driver；　unable　to　explain　what　had　happened　to　him。　The　article　had　included

an　interview　with　a　state　trooper　who　theorized　that　many　of　these　so…called

〃foo　crashes〃　resulted　from　insects　in　the　car。　Wasps；　a　bee；　possibly　even