"Moving?"
"Yes.ToCalifornia."
"Movingthestud?Horses,andeverything?"
"That"sright.Dave"sjustboughtafarmdownnearSantaBarbara,andwe"removingoverthereinthefall."
"Iwouldhavethoughtyouweresettledhereforlife.Wasn"tthisDave"sfather"splace?"
"Ohno.Wemovedhereabouttenyearsago.TheoldfarmwasontheothersideofLexington,outontheVersaillesRoad."
"Californiaisalongway,"Icommented.Butshedidn"trespondwithareasonforthemove,andafterapauseIsaid,"Ifitwouldn"tbemuchtroubletoyou,I"dlikeverymuchtoseethehorsesandstablesyouhavehere."
Shenarrowedhereyes."Businessorpleasure?"
"Both,"Ismiled.
Sheshrugged."Helpyourself.Butgetmeanotherdrinkfirst."
Apoolsideicebox,Ireflected,wouldsavealotofwalking:butmaybeshestillneededtheillusionthatshedidn"tdrinkintheafternoon.Ifetchedherarefill,changedintomyclothes,andfoundherstillfacedowninthebikini.
"SayIsentyou,"shesaid.
BeforeIcouldmove,however,DaverangfromEngland,andEvabroughtaportabletelephoneoutandpluggedthelongcordintoasocketinthehut.Dave"swifemadethreeorfourunanxiousenquiriesaboutherhusband"scondition,andthensaid,"Yes,he"shererightnow."Sheheldoutthereceivertome."Hewantstotalktoyou."
"Gene?"Hisvoicewasasclearasifhe"dbeeninLexington,andmuchstrongerthanithadbeenthepreviousmorning.
"Hi."Isaid.
"Lookfella,SimandIwantyoubackhereforaconference.Canyougetaplanetomorrow?"
"b.u.t.thefare..."Iprotestedmildly.
"Toh.e.l.lwiththefare.You"vegotareturnticket."
"Allright."
"Youhaven"tfoundthehorseyet?"
"No."
"Doyouthinkyouwill?"
"Idon"tknowyet."
Hesighed."SeeyouThursday,then,"andthelinewentdead.
Thestableslaysomedistanceawayonthefarsideofthehouse.Iwalkedroundthereandwa.s.shortlytalkingtothestudgroom,ChubLodovski,alargegood-naturedmanwithslowspeech,abirdhead,andgreatham-likehands.Heshowedmeroundthewholesetupwithunlimitedpatienceandan.o.bviousprideinhisjob.Thestateoftheplacewashistestimonial.Themaresandfoalsatepeacefullyinneatlyrailedpaddocksreachedbyimpeccablenarrowdriveswithsharplycutgra.s.sedges.Thestallionslivedinashortrowofsixlargeairybox-stallsinas.p.a.ciousbarn,withawoodenrailedexercisepaddockinfront,flankedbytwohigh-walledmatingcompounds.
Onlyfiveofthesestallswereoccupied.ThevacancywasforChrysalis.
"IsthiswhereyoukeptAllyx?"Iasked.
"That"sright.Secondstallfromtheend.Hewasonlyinitfourdays."
"Andwherewasthefire?"
Hefrowned."Itstartedinsomestrawonenight,justabouthere."Wewerefairlycentral."Itwasn"tmuch.Mostlysmoke."
"Andyouturnedthehorsesoutintotheexercisepaddockinfronthere?"
"That"sright.Justasaprecaution.Butoneofthosedoggoneanimalsgotscaredandbrokearailonthefarside,andthewholebunchgotoutacrossthatstretchofgra.s.sontothatdirtroadoverthere.WeneverdidfindAllyx.Therehasn"tbeensightnorsoundofhimsince."
Wetalkedforawhileaboutthesearchthey"dmadenextmorning,but,Lodovskisaid,thewholeofKentuckywasplasteredwithhorses,andnoonethoughtmuchabout.i.tiftheysawoneloose,andalthougharewardhadbeenoffered,andtheinsurancepeoplehadswarmedaroundlikebloodhounds,they"dneverfoundhim.
"AndnowChrysalis,"Isighedsympathetically.
"Sure.Andtheysaylightningneverstrikesthesameplacetwice!"
Hewasmoderatelyupsetthatthestudlookedlikelosinganothermajorattraction,but.i.twasn"thismoneythatwasinvolved,andbesidesthathewasproudenoughofthestallionsremaininginresidence.Iaskedhimifhe"deverbeentoCalifornia.
"Thefarm"smovingoutthere,didyouknow?"hesaid.
"Areyougoing,yourself?"
"Mebbe,mebbenot.Dependsonthemissus,andshecan"tmakeuphermind."HegrinnedcomfortablyandacceptedthenoteIgavehimwithdignity.
WhenIgotbacktothepoolDave"swifehadgotherdressonagainandEvawasbrushingthesplintersofwhiskygla.s.sintoadustpan,whichshecarriedcarefullyawayacrossthelawn.
"Well,whatdidyouthinkoftheplace?"
"Thehorsesalllookedverywell.Thestallionsespecially."
"Sowouldyou,ifallyouhadtodowas..."shebegan,andthenstoppedandshrugged."Sowouldyou."
Apartfromanoccasional"b.l.o.o.d.y"whichcreptinfromhabit,thatwasthelastofherverbalsquibsfortheday.Butmylackofscandalisedreactiondidn"thavethesameeffectonherdrinking,andshekeptupas...o...b..tsteadyintakerightthroughduskanddinner.Hermentalbrakesremainedhalfon,halfoff,asbefore.
Overthickslicesofrarebeefshesaid,"Areyoumarried?"
"No."Ishookmyhead.
"Divorced?"
"No,"Isaid."I"veneverbeenmarriedatall."
"Areyouqueer?"sheasked,a.s.simplyasifshe"dsaid,"areyoucomfortable?"
Ismiledslightly."No."
"Thenwhyaren"tyoumarried?"
"Ihaven"tfoundanyonewhowillmarryme."
"Don"tberidiculous.Youmusthavewomenlyingdownforyouindroves."
"It"snotthesamething."
Shelookedatmebroodinglyovertherimofhergla.s.s."Soyouliveallalone?"
"That"sright."
"Noparents?"
"They"rebothdead,"Isaid."AndI"ven.o.brothers,nosisters,nouncles,auntsorcousins."Ismiled."Anythingelse?"
"Staythenight."
Shesaiditabruptly,asifitcamefromadeeperlevelthanherfairlyharmlessinterrogation,andtherewasanelementofsurpriseandalarmonherfaceafterwards.
"I"msorry,"Isaidmatter-of-factly,"butIcan"t."
Shelookedatmewithoutexpressionforabouttenseconds.
"Ihaveamother,"shesaid."Andsisters,andbrothers,anddozensofrelations.Andahusband,andason,andallthis."Shewavedahandaroundthemillionairebracketwalls."Ihaveeverything."Hereyesfilledwithtears,butshewentonlookingstraightacrossthetable,withoutblinking.
"Ihave...b.l.o.o.d.y...everything."
CHAPTERSIX.
TherewasanenvelopefromWaltinmyroomatthemotelcontainingashortnoteandalist.
"Gene, Thisisallthedriverscameupwith.Ithinkit"ssafetobetthattheyactuallydidseethesevehicles.Thetopthree,theybothremembered.Theothers,onlyoneofthemremembered.Nohorsevans,though.
Thelistread: "Impala,lilac,2yearsold,Californianumberplates.Pa.s.sengersincludedafatchildwhomadefacesoutoftherearwindow.Bothdays.
Greystationwagontrailingaloadoffurniture.Bothdays.
DarkgreenFordMustang,Nevadaplates.Youngcouple,nodescription.ThehorsevandriversrememberthisonebecausetheywerediscussingwhethertheMustangwasagoodcarornot.Seconddayonly.
Whiteconvertible:youngwomanwithblondehairwoundonrollers.Seconddayonly.
Armygreenpick-uptruckwithwhiteletteringonthedoors.Seconddayonly.
Thepick-up,oneofthedriversthinks,wasprobablyonInter-btate70,afterZanesvilleandbeforetheyturnedoffsouth.Hedoesn"trememberclearly."
IreadthelistthroughthreetimeswhileIundressed.Theloadoffurniturelookedthemostpromising,butnoneofitexactlyinspired.
Walt,drivingtotheairportinthemorning,dampedeventhefurniture.
"ItwasonlyoneofthoseSnailExpresstrailers."
"LiketheU-Haul,"Isaid.
"That"sright."Carryyourhouseonyourback,butletustaketheweight"."hesaid,quotingtheSnailExpressadvertisingslogan."Thedriverssaiditwasn"tbigenoughtoputahorsein."
Therewerefurnituretrailersofallsizesalloverthecountry:peoplemovinghousehiredoneattheiroldhome,loadedup,anddroveofftothenew,maybesixStatesaway.Theretheyunloadedandsimplyleftthetrailerinalocaldepot,fromwherethehaulagefirmhiredittothenextremovingclient.ThebrightorangeU-HaultrailersandthealuminiumandblueonesoftheSnailExpresswereasfrequentontheroadsastheGreyhoundbuses.
"Howaboutthepickup?"Iasked.
"Muchtoosmallforahorse,"Waltsaidgloomily.
HecamebackwithmetoNewYorkandrubbedhisthumbcontinuouslyoverthefingerpadswhileIwentthroughthefilewehadmadeonthecase.
Therewasabatchofphotographsofthemissinghorse,mostlytakenfromstudbookadvertis.e.m.e.nts,bythelookofthem.Notaveryremarkablecreatureonpaper,Ithought.
SamHengelmanhadsenthistwomostcarefuldriverstofetchChrysalis.HehadhadacallfromMrsTellerinforminghimofthedatefixedforthehorsetoflyover,andalsoacablefromEnglandwhenhewasonhisway.HengelmanhadtelephonedKennedyAirportandbeentoldthehorseswouldbethroughthe24-hourimmigrationregulationsatnoon,Tuesday.Hehadsentthevana.s.soonashegotthecable,onSunday.Therewas,heagreed,asystemliketheU-Haulinoperationamonghorsevans,toavoidtheneedforlongemptyjourneys,butsomefolkslikedpersonalservice,andMrTellerwasoneofthem.
Theb.u.t.tressLifeInsurancecoveredtransport.SamHengelmanhadnothadtotakeoutapolicyforthetrip,andneitherstoodtolosenorgainfromthehi-jacking.
Bothdrivershadcleanrecordsgoingwayback.
Bothgroomshadbeenintheirpresentjobsformorethanthreeyears.OneofthemcamefromMidwayFarm;theotherfromanotherfarmwhichhadahorsecominginonthesametrip.
AninterviewwithMrsEuniceTellerhadproducednohelpfulinformation.
Ishutthefolderwithasmile,andgaveitbacktoWalt.
"HowaboutcheckingwithSnailExpress,ontheoff-chance?"
Helookedsceptical."Thedriverssaidthetrailerwasn"thighenough."
"They"reusedtothinkingintermsofordinaryhorsevans.Andtheywerelookingdown,fromtheircab.Youcouldsqueezearacehorseintoaboxaboutsevenfeetbyfour,bysixfeethigh,ifyouwereruthlessenough.FindouthowmanytrailersthatsizeorlargerSnailExpresshadoutlastMondayorTuesday,whichmightconceivablyhavebeenontheturnpike."
"Allright,"hesaidexpressionlessly."Ifyousayso."
Withthetimelagworkinginreverseitwas3a.m.ThursdaymorningwhenIlandedatHeathrow,and12beforeIwalkedintoDaveTeller"sroominaReadinghospital.FlamingJunehadcomeandgone:itwasrainingagain.
Ifonediscountedtheropes,pulleys,slingsandplastersuspendinghisleginmidair,thepatientlookedhealthyenough.Hegreetedmewithoutfuss,thedirecteyessteadyandbright.
"Tiringtrip?"
"Soso."