"WhereafterMaryland?"Iasked.
"Uh...here.IseenthisadintheBloodHorse,andIwrote.Itwasajoke,mostly.Ineverexpectedtohearaword,knowingthiswasabigplaceandeverything.ButMrOffen,itseemshedidn"twantnogreatbusinessman,justsomeonewithafeelingforthemares...andhe"skeepingmeon,hesays,thoughtherewastwobeforemeheletgoafterthey"dbeenhereamonth."
Itdidn"tseemtoworryhim.HehadtheG.o.d-will-providenaturewhichdoesn"tunderstandanxietyandneverstoresupwinternuts.Notthathehadanyneedto.His"feelingformares"wasinfactpriceless:hewouldprobablynevercashinonitashecould,buthe"dneverwantforajob.
Kiddowatchedusgointhesamecalmfriendlinesswithwhichhe"dshownusround.WaltandIagreedonthewaybacktoSantaBarbarathathewasonlypotentiallyanopponent.LoyaltymightbegiventoOffenifhedemandedit,butatpresentKiddohadnoideawhatwasgoingon.
"Unless,"Waltsaidthoughtfully,"he"sabrilliantactor."
Ishookmyhead."Hewasn"tacting.Noneofthesigns."
Waltlookedatmecuriously,takinghiseyestoolongofftheroad."Canyoualwaystell?"
Ismiled."That"soneofthoseunanswerablequestions.I"veafeelingforit,likeKiddowithhismares.Butifitletsmedownsometimes,howamItoknow?"
"You"dknowsoonenoughwhensecretsstartedleakingtotheotherside,"Waltpointedout."Haveyoueverpa.s.sedasclearanyonewhoturnedouttobeaspy?"
"Yes."
"Howoften?"
"Once."
"Inyourfirstyear,Isuppose,"Waltsaidwithmildsarcasm.
"Inmysecondyear.HewasthefirstseriousspyIhadtodealwith,andIdidn"tspothim.Thecounter-espionagechapsturnedhimupsixmonthslaterwhenhe"ddoneagooddealofdamage,andthepressmadetheusualscathingremarksaboutthefeeblenessofourscreeningsystem."
"Whichyoutooktoheart,"Waltsaiddryly.
"Iguessso."
Hedroveamileandthensaid,"Andnowyou"resogoodat.i.tthattheybeatyouup.Whatdoyouthinkaboutthingswhenthathappens?"
"Thatthere"sabigfishcomingdownthepipelineandtheywantmeoutoftheway."
"Soyoulookalltheharder."Astatement,notaquestion.
"Youmightsayso.Yes."
"They"llkillyouoneofthesedays."
Ididn"tanswer.Waltflickedaglancesidewaysandsighed."Isupposeyoudon"tcare."
"Therearealotofothersinthedepartment."
WaltdroveintoSantaBarbarawithoutanotherword,wherewejoinedEuniceandLynnieintheterracerestaurantforlunch.Theyhad,theysaid,boughtthatmorningthebigbrightdanglingearringswhichswungwitheveryturnoftheirheads.Lynnie"swerescarlet,Eunice"sacidgreen;otherwiseidentical.Stillfriends,Ithoughtinsomerelief.Stillinharmony.Whether Eunicewoulddoasmallch.o.r.eformewas,however,anothermatter.
Wehadclamchowderwithshrimptofollow,andLynniesaidwithallthisseafoodshe"dbegrowingfins.Duringcoffee,whenshestooduprestlesslyandsaidshewasgoingdowntothesea,itwasWalt,afterapause,whosaidhewouldgowithher.Shelookedatmequestioningly,worriedly,andthenturnedandwalkedquicklyoffwithhim,talkingagooddealtoobrightly.
"Don"tyouhurtthatchild,"Eunicesaidfiercely.
"Idon"twantto."
"You"retoob.l.o.o.d.yattractive."
"Yeah.Charmthebirdsoffthetrees,"Iagreedsardonically."Littlewivesspilltheirhusbands"secretsintomyb.l.o.o.d.yattractiveears."
Shelookedshocked.Quiteachange,Ithought,fromdishingitout.
"Youmeanyou...useit?"
"Likeacanopener.Andasacatalyst.Whodoesn"t?Salesmen,politicians,actors,women,allusingitlikemad."
"ForG.o.d"ssake..."Hervoicewasfaint,butshewasalsolaughing.
"ButnotonLynnie,"Iaddedwryly.
"Youdidn"tneedto,Iguess.DraggingDaveoutoftheThameswasalotmoreeffective."
IwatchedLynnie"sandWalt"sbacksastheyreachedthetideline.
"Sothat"swhy...?"Isaid,almosttomyself.
"Heroworship,"Eunicesaidwithbarbs."Doesitgiveyouakick?"
"Likeamule"sinthestomach..."
Shelaughed."It"snotthatyou"resomadlyhandsomeinanyobviousway."
"No,"Iagreedwithtruth,"I"mnot."
Shelookedasifsheweregoingtosaymoreandthenthoughtbetterofit.Ijumpedstraightinwhilehermindwa.s.stillhalfflirting,knowing,anddespisingtheknowledge,thatinthatmoodshewasmorelikelytodowhatIasked.
"HasLynniestillgotthosephotographsofme?"
"Don"tworry,"shesaidsarcastically."Inafire,she"dsavethemfirst."
"I"dlikeCulhamJamesOffentoseethem."
"You"dlikewhat?Whatareyoutalkingabout?"
"AboutyouandLynniedrivingovertopayaneighbourlycallonCulhamJamesthisafternoon,andeasily,dearestEunice,youcouldtellhimaboutmepullingDaveoutoftheThames,andLynniecouldshowhimmyphotograph.Especiallytheoneofmesittingbyatableoutsideapub.Thatgroupofallofus."
Shegapedandgasped,andthenstartedthinking.
"Youreallycan"tbeaspleasedwithyourselfasallthat...soforG.o.d"ssake,why?"
"Anexperiment."
"That"snoanswer."
"EarningmykeepatTheVacationer."
Alookofdisgustturneddownhermouth.
"Findingthatb.l.o.o.d.yhorse?"
"I"mafraidso."
"Youdon"tmean...surelyyoucan"tmeanthatOffenhasanythingtodowithit?"
"I"dliketomakesurehehasn"t."
"Oh,Isee.Well.Iguessthat"snotmuchtoask.Sure.I"llgetLynnietocomewithme."
"AndtellhimI"mlookingforAllyx."
Shegavemeastraighta.s.sessingstare,andsaid,"HowaboutChrysalis?"
"Whateveryoulike.SaythatDaveemployedmetogethimback."
"Idon"tknowwhyI"mdoingit."
"Moreinterestingthangolf?"Isuggested.
"Isitagame?"Shewa.s.sceptical.
"Well...likehuntingbears,"Ismiled.
"Oh,yes."Shenoddedsardonically."Asport."
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN.
IparkedahiredcarinsomescrubofftheroadleadingtoOrpheusFarm,andsmokedararecigarette.Thefierceafternoonsunroastedthroughthemetalroofandawatermiragehunginastreakoverthedryroad.Adayforlizardstolookforshade.They"drunoutofair-conditionedheapsatthehirefirms:I"dhadtotakeoneofthoseoldfashionedjobswhereyoubreathedfreshairbyopeningthewindow.Theairinquestionwasasfreshaslastweek"snewsandashotastomorrow"s.
AtfivepastfourEuniceandLynniepa.s.sedunseeinglyacrossmybows,headingbacktoSantaBarbara.Ifinishedthecigaretteandstubbeditoutcarefullyintheflakedchromiumashtray.Ilookedatmyfingernailsfortenminutes.Nospecialinspiration.AthalfpastfourIstartedthecar,pointeditsnosetowardsOrpheus,andwenttocallonUncleBark.
ThistimeIdrovestraightuptothehouseandrangtheornatebell.Ahouseboycame:allonthesamescaleasatJeffRoots".WhenhewenttofindCulhamJamesIfollowedquietlyonhisheels,somyhost,evenifhehadmeantto,hadnochancetosayhewasout.Thehouseboyopenedthedoorontoasquarecomfortableoffice-sitting-roomandCulhamJameswasrevealedsittingathisdeskwithagreentelephonereceivertohisear.
Hegavethehouseboyandmyselfamurderousglarebetweenuswhichchangedtoreasonableaffabilityoncehe"dgotcontrolofit."I"llcallyoulater,"hesaidtothetelephone."AMrHawkinshasthisminutearrived...that"sright...laterthen."Heputdownthereceiverandraisedhiseyebrows.
"Didyoumisssomethingthismorning?"heasked.
"No...shouldwehavedone?"
Heshookhisheadinmildannoyance."Iammerelyaskingthepurposeofthisreturnvisit."
"MycolleagueandIwantedanswerstooneortwoextraquestionsabouttheprecautionsyoutakeagainstfire,especiallyasregardsthosetwoexceptionallyvaluablestallions...er...MoviemakerandCentigrade."
Underhissuntannedface,behindthewhitebracketofeyebrows,CulhamJamesOffenwasbeginningtoenjoyahugejoke.Itfizzedlikesodawaterinhispaleblueeyesandbubbledinhisthroat.Hewasevenhavingdifficultyinpreventinghimselffromsharingit:butafterastrugglehehaditnaileddownunderhatches,andcalmwithatouchofseveritytookover.Wewentsolemnlythroughthefarceoffireprecautions,meleaningonhisdeskandcheckingoffWalt"ssolidsoundinginventionsonebyone.Theymostlyhadtodealwiththeamountofsupervisioninthestallions"barnatnight.Whethertherewereanyregularpatrols,anydogslooseonwatch,anyphotoelectricapparatusfordetectingopacity,suchasheavysmoke?
Offenclearedhisthroatandanswerednotothelot.
"Wehavetheextremelyexpensiveandreliablesprinklersystemwhichyousawthismorning,"hepointedout."Itisthoroughlytestedeverythreemonths,asItoldyouearlier."
"Yes.Thankyou,then.Iguessthat"sall."Ishutmynotebook."You"vebeenmosthelpful,MrOffen."
"You"rewelcome,"hesaid.Thejokerumbledinhisvoice,butwascolourednowwithunmistakablemalice.Hightimetogo,Ithought:andwent.
WhenIgotbacktoTheVacationersomewhilelaterIfoundEuniceandLynnieandWaltsittinginaglumrowbehindemptygla.s.ses.Ifloppedintoachairoppositethemandsaid"Whythema.s.sdepression?"
"You"relate,"Waltsaid.
"Itoldyounottowaitdinner."Icaughtapa.s.singwaiteronthewingandarrangedrefillsallround.
"Wewereconsideringasearchparty,"Eunicesaid.
Ilookedatallthreeofthemmorecarefully."You"vebeencomparingnotes,"Isaidresignedly.
"Ithinkit"sterribleofyou...wicked,"Lynnieburstout."Tohavemademegoanddeliberately...deliberately...putyouinsuchfrightfuldanger."
"Lynnie,stopit.Iwasn"tinanydanger...hereIam,aren"tI?"
"ButWaltsaid..."
"Waltneedshisbrainsseento."
Waltglaredandcompressedhismouthintoarigidline."Youdidn"ttellmeyou"darrangedforOffentoknowyouwerethemanwhotookChrysalis.Andyoudidn"ttellmetheCliveshadtriedtokillMrTeller."
"Andyoudidn"ttellme,"Euniceadded,"thatthecoupleinthebackgroundofthephotographLynnieshowedCulhamOffenhadtriedtokillyoutoo."
"Oryou"dneverhaveletLynnieshowittohim?"
"No,"shesaidslowly.
"JustaswellIdidn"t."
"AndyoudeliberatelymisledmebysayingyouwantedtoclearOffen.Itwasn"ttrue."
"Er...no.ButIdidwantyoutobehavenaturallywithhim.Andanyway,whyallthefuss?"
"Wethought..."Lynniesaidinasubduedvoice."Wealmostthought...asyouweregonesolong...thatyou...thatthey..."