Under the Dome полностью

Feeling it. Which was why he wasn’t tired, even though he should have been exhausted. Which was why he wasn’t worried about Junior, in spite of Junior’s reticence and pale watchfulness. Which was why he wasn’t worried about Dale Barbara and Barbara’s troublesome coterie of friends, most notably the newspaper bitch. Which was why, when Peter Randolph and Andy Sanders looked at him, dumbfounded, Big Jim only smiled. He could afford to smile. He was feeling it.

“Close the supermarket?” Andy asked. “Won’t that get a lot of people upset, Big Jim?”

“The supermarket and the Gas and Grocery,” Big Jim corrected, still smiling. “Brownie’s we don’t have to worry about, it’s already closed. A good thing, too—it’s a dirty little place.” Selling dirty little magazines, he did not add.

“Jim, there’s still plenty of supplies at Food City,” Randolph said. “I spoke to Jack Cale about that just this afternoon. Meat’s thin, but everything else is holding up.”

“I know that,” Big Jim said. “I understand inventory, and Cale does, too. He should; he’s Jewish, after all.”

“Well… I’m just saying everything’s been orderly so far, because people keep their pantries well stocked.” He brightened. “Now, I could see ordering shorter hours at Food City. I think Jack could be talked into that. He’s probably already thinking ahead to it.”

Big Jim shook his head, still smiling. Here was another example of how things broke your way when you were feeling it. Duke Perkins would have said it was a mistake to put the town under any extra stress, especially after this night’s unsettling celestial event. Duke was dead, however, and that was more than convenient; it was divine.

“Closed up,” he repeated. “Both of them. Tight as ticks. And when they reopen, we’ll be the ones handing out supplies. Stuff will last longer, and the distribution will be fairer. I’ll announce a rationing plan at the Thursday meeting.” He paused. “If the Dome isn’t gone by then, of course.”

Andy said hesitantly, “I’m not sure we have the authority to close down businesses, Big Jim.”

“In a crisis like this, we not only have the authority, we have the responsibility.” He clapped Pete Randolph heartily on the back. The Mill’s new Chief wasn’t expecting it and gave out a startled squeak.

“What if it starts a panic?” Andy was frowning.

“Well, that’s a possibility,” Big Jim said. “When you kick a nest of mice, they’re all apt to come running out. We may have to increase the size of our police force quite a bit if this crisis doesn’t end soon. Yes, quite a bit.”

Randolph looked startled. “We’re going on twenty officers now. Including—” He cocked his head toward the door.

“Yep,” Big Jim said, “and speaking of those fellers, better bring em in, Chief, so we can finish this and send them home to bed. I think they’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

And if they get roughed up a little, so much the better. They deserve it for not being able to keep their jackhandles in their pants.

Frank, Carter, Mel, and Georgia shuffled in like suspects onto a police lineup stage. Their faces were set and defiant, but the defiance was thin; Hanna Compton would have laughed at it. Their eyes were down, studying their shoes. It was clear to Big Jim that they expected to be fired, or worse, and that was just fine with him. Fright was the easiest of emotions to work with.

“Well,” he said. “Here are the brave officers.”

Georgia Roux muttered something under her breath.

“Speak up, honeybunch.” Big Jim cupped a hand to his ear.

“Said we didn’t do nothing wrong,” she said. Still in that teacher’s-being-mean-to-me mumble.

“Then exactly what did you do?” And, when Georgia, Frank, and Carter all started to talk at once, he pointed at Frankie. “You.” And make it good, for gosh sake.

“We were out there,” Frank said, “but she invited us.”

“Right!” Georgia cried, folding her arms below her considerable bosom. “She—”

“Shut it.” Big Jim pointed a hammy finger at her. “One speaks for all. That’s how it works when you’re a team. Are you a team?”

Carter Thibodeau saw where this was going. “Yes, sir, Mr. Rennie.”

“Glad to hear it.” Big Jim nodded for Frank to go on.

“She said she had some beers,” Frank said. “That’s the only reason we went out. Can’t buy it in town, as you know. Anyway, we were sitting around, drinking beers—just a can each, and we were pretty much off-duty—”

“Completely off-duty,” the Chief put in. “Isn’t that what you meant?”

Frank nodded respectfully. “Yes, sir, that’s what I meant to say. We drank our beers and then said we’d better go, but she said she appreciated what we were doing, every one of us, and wanted to say thank you. Then she kind of spread her legs.”

“Showing her woofer, you know,” Mel clarified with a large and vacant smile.