"Wellno,Ijustwonderedifyou"dseenone.Notthismorning,early?"
"No,itwasjustachance.Sure.Yeah.Thanksanyway."Sheputdownthereceiverwithacrash.
Waltraisedhiseyebrows."Pikelet?"
"CoupleofshopsandafillingstationwheretheClives"ownroadjoinsthemainroadtoJackson."
"Justaswellwedidn"t..."hebegan,andthenchangeditto,"Isthatwhyyouinsistedonthelongwayround?"
"Partly,"Iagreed."IwantedittolookasifChrysalishadgoneoffbyhimself.Iwantedtoavoidthemrealisinghe"dbeendeliberatelystolenKeepthemguessingabit,giveustimetogetwellclear."
Thetapebeganagain.Mattcamebackrunning.
"Yola.Thatman.Thatd.a.m.nedman."
"Whatman?"Shewasbewildered.
"ThemanthatpulledTelleroutoftheriver.Howlonghashebeenhere?"
Yolasaidalmostinawhisper,"Here?"
Mattwa.s.shouting."Here.Havingbreakfast.Stayinghere,youstupidb.i.t.c.h."
"Idon"t...Idon"t..."
"IsawhimatReadingtoo,"Mattsaid."HecalledtoseeTellerinthehospital.Theylethiminpastallthewatchdogs.Isawhimlookingoutofthewindow.Howtheh.e.l.ldidhegethere?WhyinG.o.d"snamedidn"tyouspothim,youstupid,stupid...He"stheonethat"stakenthehorse.AndI"lld.a.m.nwellmakehimbringitback."
"How?"Yolasaid,wailing.
"Excuseme,"saidthevoiceofthegirlwhowaitedattable."Excuseme,MissClive.MrHochnerwantshisbill."
"Thereonthedesk,"Yolasaid.
"WhichisHochner?"Matt,urgent.
TheGermanincabinthree."
"Wherewashesittingatbreakfast?Whatdoeshelooklike?"
"Hehadhisbacktothedoorfromthehall,"thegirlsaid."He"swearingablueandwhitecheckshirt,andhe"squitetallandhasdarkbrownhairandatiredsortofface."
"Givehimthebillthen,"Mattsaid,andwaiteduntilshehadgone."Hochner!"Thevoicewasalmostincoherentwithrage."Howlonghashebeenhere?"
"Since...Tuesday."Yola"svoicewasfaint.
"Getyourrifle,"Mattsaid."Ifhewon"tgiveusthathorseback...I"llkillhim."
Thereweresmallmovingaboutsounds,andthetapewentquiet.Thetimetheyhadspentinmycabintelescopedintotwentysecondsofsilence;andtherecordingbeganagain.
"Hewasright,Matt,"Yolasaid."Weshouldhavelethimgo."Hervoicehadgonequietwithdespair,butMatt"sstillrodeonanger.
"Hehadhischance.Heshouldhavetolduswhathe"ddonewithChrysalis."
AfterapauseYolasaid,"Hewasn"tgoingtodothat.Hesaidso.Whateveryoudo,hesaid,youwon"trecoverthehorse."
"Shutup,"Mattsaidviolently.
"Matt."Awailinhervoice."Hewasright.Wewon"trecoverthehorse,andhisfriendswillcomelookingforhim,likehesaid."
"They"llonlyfindanaccident."
"b.u.t.theywon"tbelieveit."
"Theywon"tbeabletoproveanydifferent,"Mattinsisted.
AfteranotherpauseYolasaidalmostwithoutemotion,"Ifhegotthehorsecleanaway...ifsomeoneelsehashimnow,andhe"sonhiswaybacktoTeller...they"llknowwehadChrysalishere.We"llbearrestedforthat."
"Hochnerwasn"tgoingtosayhe"dstolenthehorsefromhere."
"Butyouwouldn"tlisten."Yolasuddenlyflaredintoangerofherown."Hewasrightallthetime.Weshouldhavelethimgo.We"dhavelostChrysalis...b.u.t.thiswaywe"reinterribletrouble,they"llneverbelievehediedbyaccident,we"llhavethewholeF.B.I,hereandwe"llendup...we"llendupin..."
"Shutup,"Mattsaid."Shutup."
"Hemightnotbedeadyet...can"twegoandstopit?"Hervoicewasurgent,beseeching.
"Andhavehimaccuseusofattemptedmurder?Don"tbesuchafool.Noonecanproveitisn"tanaccident,canthey?Canthey?"
"Isupposenot..."
"Soyouleavehim,Yola.Youjustleavehim.Hehadhischance.Igavehimhischance...Youjustwaitforsom.eofthegueststoseethesmokeandcomeandtellyou,likewesaid.Don"tyoutrygoingupthere.Justdon"ttryit."
"No..."
"AndI"mgoingbackonthemountainwiththewranglers.Chrysaliswentacrossthebridge.Histracksarethere.Well...I"mgoingtracking.MrCleverHochnermightbebluffingallalongtheline.HemighthaveChrysalistiedtosometreeupthere,andhemightnothavetoldanyonewhereheis,andnoonewillcomeasking."Heconvincedhimselfthatthisviewofthingswasreasonable,andintheendYolahalfwayagreed.
"We"llhavetotellUncleBark,"shesaidfinally.
Therewasablankpausewhiletheyconsideredthis.
"He"llblowhistop."Mattsaidgloomily."Afterallthatplanning."
"He"llhavetoknow,"Yolasaid.
"I"llcallhimthisevening,ifwehaveto.ButwemighthavefoundChrysalisbythen."
"Isurehopeso..."
Mattwentawaythenonhissearch,andpresently,afterYolahadlefttogobacktotheranch-house,therewascontinuedsilenceonthetape.
Waltswitchedtherecorderoffandlookedacrossatmewithacompleteabsenceofexpression.
"Whatdidtheydo?"
Itoldhim.
"Wouldithavepa.s.sedasanaccident?"
"Iexpectso.Neatlittlepicture:manlightingcigarette,throwsmatchabsentmindedlyintubofpepinsteadofwastebasket,panics,spillsthestuff,stepswildlybackfromflames,tripsoverstoveandknockshimselfout.Bingo."
"Doyousmoke,though?"
"Sometimes.Theyusedmyownpack,fromthebedsidetable.Andmyownmatches.Itwasimpulsive,unpremeditated.Theyjustlookedroundandusedwhatcametohand.They"requitegoodat.i.t."
"Luckyyouwokeupintime,"Waltsaid.
"Isupposeso."IshutmyeyesandwonderedhowhewouldreactifIaskedhimtogooutforsomecodeine.
"I"veworkedwithoneortwopeoplelikeyoubefore,"hesaid."AndIcan"tsayIlikeit."
"Thanks,"Isaidsardonically.Nopills.
"Withyourkind,"hesaid,"dyingcomeseasy.It"slivingtakestheguts."
Iopenedmyeyes.Hewaswatchingmesteadily,hissoberfaceremovinganypossibilitythathewasintendingtobefunny.
"Howareyouonguts?"heasked.
"Freshout."
Hesigheddeeply."Thatfigures."
"Walt..."Ibegan.
"Itstruckmefirstlastnight,onthemountain.YouweresureanxiousaboutChrysalis,butyoudidn"tgiveaG.o.ddamaboutfallingoffthetopyourself.Itmademefreezejusttowatchyouleadinghimalongthatledge...andyoucamebackascalmasifithadbeenyourownbackyard."
Hewasapologising,inhisindirectway,forhisstartlingappearanceonthepath.
"Walt,"Isaid,halfsmiling."w.i.l.l.yougogetmesomethingforaheadache?"
CHAPTERELEVEN.
Eunice,Lynnie,SamKitchens,andstudgroomChubLodovskileanedinarowontherailofthestallions"paddockatMidwayandwatchedChrysaliseatKentuckygra.s.swithopinionsvaryingfromLodovski"senthusiasmtoEunice"sresignation.
Thehalfamillionpounds"worthlookednonetheworseforhistripuptheTetons.Betterthanontheranch,a.s.samKitchenshadremovedalltheWyomingdustfromhiscoatonthejourneyback,andthebayhideshonewithglitteringgoodhealthinthesunshine.Therewasn"t,Lodovskia.s.suredme,theslightestchanceofhisgoingmissingagain.
Batteriesofphotographersandpressmenhadcomeandgone:thestallionhadbeen"found"strayingonthelandofafriendofDaveTeller"saboutthirtymilesfromwherehehaddisappeared.Alltheexcitementwasover.
IwalkedbacktoDave"shousewithEuniceandLynnie,andEunicepouredmeadrinkwhichwasfour-fifthswhiskyandone-fifthice.
"Whoputyouthroughwhatmeatgrinder?"shesaid."Youlooklikeahoneymooncoupleonthetenthnight."
SamHengelmanhaddrivenintoMidwaywithChrysalisatlunchtime(Tuesday).IhadflowntoNewYorkwithWaltthedaybefore,andhadjustbacktrackedtoLexington,intimetocatchthetailendofEuniceinterviewingthepress.Severalofthathardbittenfraternityhadtotteredoutpastmewithpole-axedexpressionsandLynniehadbeenhalfwaythroughafitofgiggles.
Imadeinroadsintotheheftydrink.
"Icoulddowithagoodlongsleep,"Iadmitted."Ifyoucouldgivemeabed?Orthere"sthemotel..."
"Stayhere,"Eunicesaidabruptly."Ofcourseyou"restayinghere."
IlookedfromhertoLynnie.Icouldn"tstayinthehousewithonealone:perfectlyproperwithboth.Silly.
"Thanks,then.AndImustcallDave,inEngland."
Dave,stillinhospital,soundedincredulous.
"Ihearditonanewsflash,nothalfanhourago,"hesaid."Chrysalisjustplainturnedup."
"Hesuredid,"Isaiddryly.
"Wherehadhebeen?"
"It"salongstory,"Isaid,"Andwireshaveears.b.u.t.theexpensesstandrightnowatsomewherenearsixthousandthreehundreddollars.Isthatenoughforyou,ordoyouwanttogoonforsomeanswers?"
"Towhatquestions,fella?"Hesoundeduncertain.
"TowhyChrysaliswashi-jacked,andwhyyoufellintheriver.Andanotherthing:doyouwantAllyxback?"
"ForG.o.d"ssake...doyouknowwhereheis?"
"No.ButmaybeIcouldfindhim.However,ifIdo,andwegetaspositiveanidentificationasonChrysalis,theinsurancemoneyonAllyxwillhavetoberepaidtob.u.t.tressLife.Thatwillbetheequivalentofbuyinghimalloveragain.He"sthreeyearsoldernow,andyou"llhavelostthreecropsoffoals.Hemaynotbeagoodpropositionforyouoryoursyndicateanymore.Inwhichcaseyoumightprefernottohavehimfound.It"suptoyou."
"Jeez,"hesaid.
"w.i.l.l.youthinkitover,andcallback?"Isuggested."YourwifeandLynniearefillingmeupwithfoodanddrink,andIguessI"llbestayingheretonight.Butifyouwantmetogoon,w.i.l.l.youclearitwithKeeble?I"mduebackatmydeskatninea.m.nextMondaymorning,andImightnotmakeit."
"Sure,"hesaid,somewhatweakly,andIhandedthereceivertoEunice.
"How"sitgoing,honey?"shesaid,andItookagoodswallow,putmyheadbackonthechair,andlistenedtoherlong-married-wifelyconversationwithmyeyesshut.
"Don"taskmehowhedidit,Dave,Idon"tknow.AllIknowisherangfromNewYorkyesterdayafternoonandaskedmeforthenameofanyclosefriendofourswhowasinfluentialandrespected,preferablyhighupinhorsebreedingcircles,andwhosewordwouldbetakenasgospelbythepress.So,afterarakearoundIsaidIguessedJeffRootsfilledthebill;andloandbeholdChrysalisturneduponJeff"slandthismorning...Yeah,thehorseisasgoodasnew;whereverhe"sbeenthey"vetreatedhimright...Look,Dave,surelyenough"senough?IheardwhatGenesaidaboutfindingAllyx.Well,don"tdoit.WeneedAllyxlikeadoseofclap.AndyourboyhereisnoG.o.ddamHercules,apuffofwindwouldknockhimoff,thewayhe"scomeback...Lynnie"sfine,sure.We"retakingatriptomorrowouttoCalifornia.I"llmeasureupthecurtainsforthenewplace,thingslikethat,andLynniecanhavesomedaysonthebeachandmaybetrysomesurfingwiththosedeVeseyboys.Solook,whydon"twetakeGenewithus,huh?...Sure,I"vemadereservationsatTheVacationerinSantaBarbara...they"reboundtohaveanotherroom Ilistenedtoherplanswithdisappointment.IfIwantedtolazeanywhere,itwasrightwhereIwas,ontheMidwayFarm.Bythepeacefulpoolinthequietgreengarden,sleeping,drinking,andlookingatLynnie.
Euniceputdownthereceiver,andwehaddinner,andlateintheeveningDaverangthroughagain.