"Oh?Comealongthen,Aziz."
Iwatchedthemclimbaboard,twototallyincompatiblemenwiththewell-intentionedCause-embracerbetweenthem.Azizlookedgrimlyoutofthewindowinmydirection,allrelishfortheday,smallatbest,evaporating.Icouldn"tblamehim.I"dhavehatedtohavetakenhisplace.
Underthatnine-box,Ireflected,asAzizturnedcompetentlyoutofthegate,wasthemagnetJoggerhadfound.I"dtakenitontrustthatthenailsintheinsulatingblockofwoodwerestillholdingfast.Ihadn"twarnedAzizitwasthere.Ihadn"ttoldhimtolookoutforstrangerstryingtorollunderthefueltanksectionofthecha.s.sis.Icouldn"tenvisageanyoneseekingtotransportanythinginsuchawkwardsecrecybetweenYorkshireandPixhill,whenallthey"dhavetodowasdrivedowninacar.
Harveleftin.a.z.iz"swake,settingoutfiveminutesafter,intimetopickuptworunnersforthelaterracesatCheltenham.Anotherboxhadalreadyleftforthesamedestination,twohadgonetoBristolairporttocollectIrishhorsesflyingoverforGoldCupdayandthreewereoutwithbroodmares.Notbad,considering.
IwentintotheofficeswhereIsobelandRosewerelookinginfrustrationatblankcomputerscreensandaskingwhattheyshoulddowiththeday.
"Typelettersontheold-fashionedtypewriter?"Isuggested.
"Isupposewe"llhaveto,"Rosesaid,disgusted.
"Themanpromisedhe"dcometomorrow,"Ia.s.suredher.
"Notbeforetime."
Tigwood"scollectingboxstoodonIsobel"sdeskandIpickeditupandshookit.Theresultwasahollowrattle,threeorfourcoinsatmost.
"MrTigwoodcametoemptyitlastweek,"Isobelsaid."Therewasn"tmuchinthere.Hethinksweshouldtryharder."
"Perhapsweshould."
IwentouttomyjalopyanddrovetoNewburytoleavemyfilmofJoggerwithaone-hourdevelopingoutfitandtocollecttheordered,reservedandreadyrhymingdictionary.Ihadn"tactuallyseenoneofthesebeforeandsatinthecarparkflickingoverthepagestopa.s.sthehour"swait,findingthattherhymeswerelistednotinregularalphabeticalfashionbutallstartingwithvowels.
"Amely",Iread."Gamely,lamely,namely,tamely".
"Etter-better,debtor,fetter,getter,letter,setter,sweater,wetter..."
"Oard-board,floored,ford,gourd,h.o.a.rd,horde,oared,pored,sword,toward,aboard,afford..."
Hundredsandthousandsofrhymes,availablebutuseless.IrealisedIneededtohaveJogger"scrypticstatementsundermyeyes,notjustinmymemory.MaybeifIcouldsimultaneouslyseewhathe"dsaid,somesparkmightflyoutofentrieslike"unch-brunch,bunch,crunch,hunch,lunch,munch,punch,scrunch..."
Alwaysremembering,Ithoughtindepression,thatinJogger"sc.o.c.kneyaccentbikebecameboikeandlady,lidey,andtsanddscouldbeswallowedandnotheard.
Closingthebook,Icollectedthesharpsadpicturesofhisdeathanddrovehometotidythehouseandgetmysister"sroomready,whichmeantmakingthebedandopeningthewindowstoletinwhateverMarchcaredtodeliver.
Ipickedmoredaffodilsandputtheminavase,andpunctuallyatnoonmysisterLizziearrived.
Sheflewinliterally,fromonhigh,inahelicopter.
CHAPTER6.
LizzieownedaquartershareofthetinyRobinson22,heronlyextravaganceandthewayshechosetouseherinheritancefromourparents.Tomymind,thehelicopterwasherequivalentofRoger"scruiseshipsandmysteeplechasing,theeldersister"sstatementthatifboyscouldhavetoys,socouldgirls.Shehadshownuseachinturnaschildrenhowtorunacomplicatedtrainset.She"dtaughtushowtobatunafraidatcricket,she"dclimbedtreeslikeacat;inherteensshe"dledusintojunglewoodsandscarycavesanddefendedusandliedforusinourwrongdoings.Becauseofher,we"dgrownupunderstandingmanyfacesofcourage.
Shecuttheengineand,whentherotorhadstopped,jumpeddownfromthelittlegla.s.sbubbleandwalkedcollectedlytomeetmeonthetarmac.
"Hi,"shesaid;small,light,wiry,pleasedwithlife.
Ihuggedher.
"Haveyoufixedlunch?"sheasked.
"No."
"Good.Ibroughtapicnic."
Shereturnedtothehelicopterandretrievedacarrier,whichwetookwithusintothehouse.Shenevercameemptyhanded.Ineverwastedtimecateringforherexcepttoputchampagneonice.Ipoppedthecorkandpoureditstraight,andsherelaxedinabigchair,takingadeepfizzygulpandlookingmeovera.s.sistersdo.
"Howwastheflight?"Iasked.
"b.u.mpyoverthemoors.Somesnowstilllyingabout.IdroppeddownatCarlisletorefuel.Fourhours,doortodoor."
"Threehundredandfiftymiles,"Isaid.
"Nearenough."
"It"sgreattoseeyou."
"Mm."Shestretched,almostpurring."Tellmeall."
Itoldheragooddeal,explainingwhoeveryonewas:SandySmith,BruceFarway,theWatermeads,JerichoRich,Brett,Dave,KevinKeithOgdenandJogger.ItoldheraboutNinaYoungandhermetamorphosis.
Sheinspectedtheemptycashboxstandinginallitsgrimeonthenewspaper.IshowedhertherhymingdictionaryandplayedherthetapeofJogger"slastmessage,butallthementalagilityunderthegreyingdarkcapofhaircouldn"tunlocktheoldsoldier"smeaning.
"Sillyman,"Lizziesaid."Didhefallorwashepushed?"
"Pushingsomeoneintoafive-feetdeepinspectionpitisnotasurefirewayofkillingthem."
"Anaccidentalpush,then."
"Noonehasowneduptoit."
WithsomehesitationIofferedtoshowherthephotographsofJoggerinthepit.
"I"mnotsqueamish,"sheprotested."Handthemover."
Shestudiedthematlength."There"snothingtotell,onewayoranother."
"No,"Iagreed,takingthephotosbackandreturningthemtotheirpacket.
Afterapausesheasked,"Whataboutthesetubesinthethermosflask?"
Itooktwoofthetubesfrommysafe,whereI"dkeptthemovernight,andgavethemtoher.Sheunwrappedeachfromitstissueandheldthemuptothelight.
"Tenccs,"shesaid,readingthesmallnumbers."Inotherwords,onetablespoonful."
"Onlyone?"Iwa.s.slightlysurprised.I"dthoughtthetubesheldmore.
"Onlyone,"Lizzieconfirmed."Alargemouthful."
"Yuk."
"Well,yes,itwouldn"tbeprudenttodrinkthis."Sheputthetubesbackintothetissues,andintoherhandbag,justlikeNina."Isupposeyouwanttheresultslike,say,yesterday?"
"Itwouldbehelpful."
"Dayaftertomorrow,"shepromisedprosaically."Thebestthatcanbedone."
"I"lltryforpatience."
"Neveryourbestvirtue."
Shesniffedthecontentsofthethermosandpouredalittleintoasparegla.s.s,puttinghernosedownclosetothesurface.
"Coffee,"shesaid,"andthemilk"soff."
"It"sbeeninthethermossinceThursdayatleast."
"Doyouwantthisa.n.a.lysedaswell?"
"Whatdoyouthink?"Iasked.
Shesaid,"I"dthinkthecoffeewasjusttheretocushionthetubes."
"Leaveit,then,"Isaid.
Wedrankmorechampagneandunpackedthepicnic,whichwasthegloriousgiftofarguablythebestrestaurantinScotland,LaPotiniereatGullaneinEastLothian."TheBrownssendyoutheirlove,"Lizziesaid,referringtotheowners."Theywanttoknowwhenyou"recomingback."
Theywouldwanttoknowsixmonthsinadvanceandeventhenonemightnotgetatable.SometimesLizzie,theirclosefriend,hadbeendownonherknees.Thistime,they"dsentchickenb.r.e.a.s.t.sstuffedwithamousselineofcream,hazelnutsandCalvadosandawatercresssaladwithitshazelnutoildressingpackedseparately,followedbyalightlemoncheesecakethatmeltedtoambrosiaonthetongue.
IseldomcaredmuchwhatIate.Lizziedeploreditandeducatedmewhenshecould.I"dhavebeenwillingtohavegraduatedatLaPotiniere.
WecompanionablywatchedthefirstoftheCheltenhamracesontelevision,anditwasnouselookingback,itwasthreeyearssinceI"dfinishedsecondintheChampionHurdle,abittersweetlossontheday.
Begladyou"reoutoftheworryofit,"Lizziesaid,watchingmewatchingthejockeys.
"Whatworry?"
Theworryofsomeoneelsebeinggivenyourrides."
Ismiled.Thatwas,foralljockeys,theworstofworries,andIsaid,"You"reright.It"sarelief.NowIonlyhavetoworryaboutothertransportfirmspinchingmycustomers."
"WhichIdon"tsupposetheydo,much."
"Notsofar,luckily."
ThephonerangwithacallfromIsobel,reportingprogress.
"Everything"sOK,"shesaid."Thatnewman,Aziz,hasphonedfromYorkshiretosaytheywanthimtobringbackeightanimals,notseven,andtheeighthisahalf-baldoldponythatcanhardlywalk.Whatdoyouwanthimtodo?"
"JohnTigwood"sthere,"Isaid."Ifhe"llberesponsibleiftheponydiesontheway,we"llshipit.TellAziztogetTigwoodtowriteanoteabsolvingus,andsignanddateit,includingthetime."
"Right."
"HowdidAzizsound?"
"Fedup,"Isobelsaidcheerfully."Can"tblamehim."
"What"sallthatabout?"LizzieaskedlazilyasIputdownthereceiver,andIexplainedaboutthegeriatricexpeditionandgaveherarun-downonJohnTigwood,profit-makingphilanthropist.
"Afanatic?"
"Hehastobe."
Wewatchedtherestoftheraces,all,thatis,thatwereshown.Isobelphonedagaininmid-programmeatfourtoreportallwell;shewasgoingoffhome.OneofthelocalhorsesHarvehaddriventoCheltenhamhadwon,hadInoticed?
"Yes,terrific."
"Goodforcustomatthepub,"sheobserved,brightgirl,remindingme,asithappened,thatIhadn"tcheckedthatdayonJogger"smemorial.
ItoldLizzieaboutthememorial,andthereasonforit.
"Soyoudon"tthinkitwasanaccident!"shesaid.
"Iwant.i.ttobe."
Whentheraceshadfinished,weswitchedoffthetelevisionandjusttalkedingeneral,andlaterAziztelephoneddirecttomyhouse,sayinghehopedIdidn"tmindb.u.t.theofficewa.s.shut-withmyownnumberonitsansweringmachine.
"No,ofcoursenot,Idon"tmind.Whereareyou?"
"Chieveleyservicestation;thatplacenorthofNewbury.I"minside,inaphonebooth.Iwantedtotalktoyouwithoutthemlistening."
"What"sthematter?"
"It"smyfirstdaywithyou,andI..."Hestopped,seekingthewords."Doyoumind,"hesaidinarush,"comingtomeetthisboxwhereveritisthatI"mtakingit?"
"CentaurCare."
"Yes.Thesehorsesaren"tfittotravel.ItoldMrTigwoodbutheinsistedwebringthem.MrsLipton"sworriedthey"lldiebeforeweunloadthem..."
"Allright,"Isaiddecisively."WhenyougetnearPixhill,callmeagainonthehorseboxphoneandI"lldriveroundatonce.Don"tlettherampsdownuntilIgetthere.Sitinthecabandwriteupthelogsheet.Doanything.Understand?"