"Yes.Yes."His.e.xcitement,thoughinternalised,wascatching."Yourealisethattheticksyou"vebroughtmehavenoname?Nooneha.s.sofaridentifiedthevectorofE.risticii.Doyourealisethatif...iftheseticksarethevector-avectorisacarrierofadisease-thenwe"reonthevergeofabreakthroughinidentifyingthepathofPotomochorsefever?"Hestopped,overcome.
"Practically,"Isaid."Couldyouanswersomequestions?"
"Fireaway."
"Well,whathappenstoahorseifitgetsPotomachorsefever?Doesitdie?"
"Notusually.Eightypercentlive.Mindyou,ifit"sathoroughbredracehorse,whichpresumablyyou"remostinterestedin,itwillprobablyneverwinanotherrace.WhatI"veseenofthedisease,it"sverydebilitating."
"How,exactly?"
"It"sanentericinfection.That"stodowiththeintestines.Apartfromtheanorexiaandsoon,thereisusuallyfiercediarrhoeaandcolic.Thehorseismuchweakenedbythefever."
"Howlongdoesthefeverlast?"
"Fourorfivedays."
"Soshort?"
"ThehorsedevelopsantibodiessotheEhrlichiaedon"taffect.i.tanymore.Ifthevectorisatick,thetickwouldgorightonliving.Ticks,Imaysay,arethemselvesnotmuchunderstood.Forinstance,onlythematureonesarebrown.Yoursoapwascrowdedwithnymphets,youngticks,whicharealmosttransparent."Hepausedverybriefly."DoyoumindifIcometoseewhatyou"vegotthere,downinPixhill?CanIsee,forexample,yourrabbit?"
"I"mafraidIdeducedtherabbit."
"Oh."Helookeddisappointed.
"Butcome,"Iinvitedhim."Stayinmyhouse."
"Soon?Imean,Idon"twanttoupsetyou,butyousaidyourhorsewasold,andit"stypicallyoldretiredhorsesoutatpasturethatgetthisillness,andtheoldertheyare,themorelikelytodie.Sorry.Sorry."
"Canyoungerhorsesbeaffected?"
"Ifit"sracehorsesinastablethatyoumean,thenyes,theycan,b.u.t.they"regroomed,aren"tthey?Thegroomingmightgetridofthetick.Yes,that"satheory.InAmericaitismostlyhorsesoutatpasturethatgetill."
"Um,"Isaid,"isthereacureforit?"
"Tetracycline,"hesaidpromptly.I"llbringsomeforyouroldboy.Itmaybeintime.Itdepends."
"And...er..."Isaid,"canhumanscatchthisdisease?"
Henodded."Yes.Theycan.It"susuallynotproperlydiagnosedastherearesomanyconfusingsymptoms.ItgetsmistakenforRockyMountainspottedfever,but.i.t"sdifferent.It"srare.Andtetracyclinedoesthetrickthere,too."
"Howcoulditbediagnosed?"
"Bloodtest,"hesaidpromptly."Theamountyoubroughtwasn"treallyenough."
CHAPTER12.
ItravelledbackonthelastEdinburghtoHeathrowflightoftheday,againsurroundedbyshoalsofred-and-whitescarvesbeltingoutbawdier-than-eververses.Ba.s.sandbaritonevoices,tuneful,reverberating.Theredandwhitescarves,itwasclear,hadwontheInternationalatMurrayfield.BeerdisappearedataJogger-likepace.Anakedflamewouldhaveexplodedthealcoholfumesinthecabin.Theflightattendantsgottheirbottomspinched.Theecstasylevelrose,ifanything,duringthehourintheair.
Isatwithmyheadwhirlingfromdifferentstimuli,hearinginflashbacksthefactsthathadpouredoutofGuggenheim.
Themanhimselfwa.s.somewhereamongthescarves,sittingseparatelybecausetherehadn"tbeentwoseatsavailabletogether.Hehadbroughtwithhimminimalovernightnecessities,ahugeamountofhopeandalargebagofscientificfieldinstruments.NothingwouldhavestoppedhiminhisquestfortheunnamedvectorofE.risticii.Hequiveredwithhunger.Hereachedoutwithpercipientfingertips,likeHandeltoHallelujah,likeNewtontocalculus,likeEhrlich,nodoubt,toa.r.s.enicforsyphilis.Reachedoutwithgeniustowardsrecognition.
"It"searlyintheyearforPotomacfever,"hehadsaid."It"sawarmweatherthing,usually..."
"ThetickscamefromdownsouthinFrance,"Itoldhim."FromtheRhoneValley."
"Ariver!ButusuallyMaythroughOctober."
"WehadadeadrabbitcrawlingwithticksinAugustlastyear."
"Yes.Yes.August."
"WehadabuggoingroundlocallyinPixhilllastsummerthatputasmallnumberofhorsesoutofactionfortheseason."
Hegroaned.Withpleasure,asfarasIcouldsee.
"TheyhadthesamesortofunspecifiedfeverishillnessalsoinplacesinFrance,"Isaid."Ireaditagaininthenewspaperonlythisweek."
"Findthenewspaper."
"Yes,OK."
"Noonewouldhavetestedforequineehrlichiosis...it"sstillalmostanunknowninfection.Rare.Sporadic.Notanepidemic.Hardtofind.Thisiswonderful."
"Nottothehorseowners."
"b.u.t.thisishistory..."
Itwasahopelessdisaster,Ithought,ifIcouldn"tcleareverythingupquickly."FreddieCroft"shorseboxesbroughtPotomachorsefevertoBritain."Icouldjustseetheheadlines."FreddieCroft"sdriversbroughtfevertoBritain."PerhapsitwouldbesafernottoemployFreddieCroft"stransport?Sorryandallthat,FreddiebutIcan"ttaketherisk."
Confidencewasfragile.Loyaltywasfickle.Rabbitsbringingticks?No,thanksverymuch.
FreddieCroftRacewaysoutofbusiness.
Isweated.
OneoftheWatermeadrabbitshadbeenmissing,onthepreviousSunday.Therewereonlyfourteen,notfifteen,thechildrenhadsaid.MaybeLewis,thetrustedrabbithandler,hadtakenthatonerabbitwithhimtoFrance.Takenitinahiddencompartment,outofsightabovethefueltanks.LastAugust.i.thadbeenLewiswhohadbroughtfromFrancethedeadrabbitcrawlingwithticks...Jogger"sdeadnun.
Ticks.Jogger"svoicecamedistinctlythroughtheroaringrugbysongs..."Polandhadthesamefive"...Achildhoodrhymepresenteditselfinsynchronisingtimewiththesinging.One,two,bucklemyshoe:three,four,knockatthedoor:five,six,pickupsticks..."Polandhadthesamefive,six"...six,sticks,ricks,mix,fix...Polandhadthesame...ticks.
Polandhadthesameticksonahorselastsummer,anditdied.
WhowasPoland?
OhG.o.d,Ithought.NotPolandandWaleska.NotPolandandcoalorPolandandDanzigorPolandandcorridororPolandandsolidarity.No...PolandandRussia.
Russia...Usher.
BenjyUsherhadthesameticks...
Dot"svoice,"Thoseoldwrecks.Theydied.Ihateit.Theywerealwaysoutsidethedrawing-roomwindow..."
Awell-pinchedflightattendantaskedifshecouldfetchmeanything,raisinghervoiceabovethejoyfulsurroundingdin.
"TrebleScotch...well,no,justone.Gottodrivehome."
Picturescrowdedmyinnereye.BenjyUsher,trainingthroughhisupstairswindow.Benjynevertouchinghishorses.BenjygettingmetosaddlehisrunnersatSandown.
Benjycouldn"thaveknown,surely,thathisolddyinglodgersprobablycarriedEhrlichiae...Couldhe?Benjy...afraidthemicroscopicorganismswouldhopontohimself?
Butifhe"dfearedthat,whywasheproposingtotaketwomoreoldhorses?Didheknowthatthey,too,mightcarryticks?
Lewisdroveforhimoften.
Theflightattendantbroughtmydrink.
Benjyenteredhishorsesinsmall-fieldracesandhadhadtheluckofthedevilwithwalk-overs.
Ithadtobecoincidental.Benjywasrich.
Whatifwhathehankeredforwerewinners,notmoney?Harve"svoice,"MrUsher"sarottentrainer..."
Itwasnonsense.Ithadtobe.
Fromsomewhere,mingledwiththerugbysongs,asentenceI"dreadoncesurfacedintoconsciousness:"Itisn"tnecessarytospeculateaboutthedrivingforcewithinus,itleapsoutandrevealsitself.Underpressure,itcan"tbehidden."
WhatifBenjyUsher"sdrivingforcewereahungerforwinners,ahungerhisownskillwasn"tenoughtoa.s.suage...?
No.Impossible.Yetwinnersgavehimo.r.g.a.s.micpleasure.
LewisoftendroveforBenjy.
Lewishadcutoffhisringletslastsummer.
HadLewisbeenafraidhewouldgetticksinhislonghair?
He"dtransportedthetick-infestednuninJogger"spit.
Jogger.
Benjyhadn"tkilledJogger.BenjyhadbeenplayingtennisontheWatermeads"courtataboutthetimeJoggerhaddied.
Lewishadn"tkilledJogger.He"dbeeninFrance.
Lewishadcomebacktothefarmyardlaterthanintended,attwointhemorningonMonday-to-Tuesdaynight.He"dstabledMichael"stwo-year-oldsinthefarmyardandleftmeanotetosayhehadflu.I"ddrivenhissuper-sixonTuesdaymorningwiththetwo-year-oldstoMichael"syard,andI"dhadbreakfastandwatchedIrkabAlhawagallop.Thenthesuper-sixhadgoneracingforthedaywithoneofthefleet"sotherdrivers.
WhatifLewishadinfacttakenthemissingrabbittoFrancetopickupitssick-makingcargo?Whatifithadstillbeenthere,nowtick-infested,inthehiddencontainer,whenI"ddriventhesuper-sixtoMichael"syard?Whatifithadstillbeenthereuntiltheboxreturnedfromtheracesintheevening?WhatifLewis,withonlyacoldafterall,hadgonelatetotheyardtoretrievetherabbit...andwhatifIhadwalkedintherewhilethisretrievalwasinprogress?
Diditmakesense?
Asmuchsenseasanythingelse.
WhathadJoggerwalkedinon,then?
WhathadoccurredonSundaymorninginthefarmyardthatJoggerhadseen,andwouldtellmeabout,that.i.twasn"tintendedthatheshouldsee?
WhathadhappenedinthefarmyardonthatSundaymorning?
Asktherightquestions,"Sandyhadsaid.
ThatSundaymorninghadbeenMarch6th,thedaytheofficecomputerhadbeenswitchedoninordertoactivatetheMichelangelovirus.Joggerwouldn"thaveunderstoodthecomputer.Itwasn"twhathe"dseeninthefarmyardofficethatmattered,butwho.
Therugbysongsswelledaroundme.Ihadanacutesenseofdanger.
OnthewayhomefromHeathrowIphonedIsobel,apologisingforthelatenessofthehour.
Thinknothingofit,shesaid.Thedayhadgonewell.HarvehadtakentwowinnerstoChepstow.AzizandDavehadreturnedallrightfromIrelandbutAzizhadsaidDavewasn"tingoodshape.Dave,Isobelthought,mightbedevelopingflu.
"b.u.g.g.e.r,"Isaid.
NinahadtakenawinnertoLingfield,andsohadNigel.LewishaddriventhreeofBenjyUsher"sjumperstoChepstow,andhadbeenremindedtobringhisovernightthingsonMondayforgoingtoItaly.PhilhadbeenphlegmaticallytoUttoxeter.MichaelWatermeadandMarigoldEnglishhadbothbookedtwoboxesforTuesdaytotakehorsestoDoncastersales.
"Great,"Isaidthankfully.MarigoldhaddisregardedPeterman"sproblem:sofar,atleast.
JerichoRichhadreportedlyfallenoutalreadywithhisnewtrainer,Isobelsaid.ShethoughtwemightbebringingthewholestringbacktoPixhillanydaysoon.
"Theman"smad,"Iremarked.
"Ihearyou"regoingtotheWatermeads"forlunchagaintomorrow,"Isobelsaid."I"llgoondoingthebookings,shallI?"
"Yes,please,"Isaidgratefully."Andwhotoldyou?"
"TessaWatermead.Shecameby.Itaughtherafewthings.That"sallright,isn"t.i.t?"
"Yes,sure."
"Goodnight,then."
"Goodnight."
Guggenheim,sittingbesidemeintheFourtrak,repudiatedmysuggestionthatwestopforsomethingtoeat.I"dhadnolunchandwashungry.Guggenheim"shungerfortruthwontheday.Besides,hesaid,rationalisingitandsilencingme,Petermanneededthetetracyclinea.s.soonaspossible.