"IthinkSandySmith"sright.Smashingupmythingswasout-of-controlvandalism,doneonthepleasureprinciple.IthinkIwalkedintothefarmyardwhenIwasn"texpected,andtherestwasembroidery.Infantileglee.Slychildishimpulsetohurt."
"Somechild,bythesoundofthings."
"Animmatureadult,then."
"Orapsychotic."
"Abetterwordforit."
Shefinishedhercoffee."Isupposewe"dbettergetonifwe"retocatchthatferry.Realistically,isanythinG.o.ddlikelytohappenonthistrip?"
"Idon"tknow.DidItellyouexactlywherethecontaineris,underyourlorry?"
"Notexactly,no."
"It"sametaltubefixedforeandaftinas.p.a.cethatrunsbeneaththefloorboardsandabovethefueltanks.Thats.p.a.ceisoutsidethemainlongitudinalstrutsofthecha.s.sis,buthiddenbythecoachworksides.Youcan"tseethes.p.a.cefromtheoutsideorfromunderneath,butifyouknowthetube"sthere,it"seasilyaccessible.Youcanscrewtheendofitonandoffwithouttrouble,Joggersaid."
"Imightgounderandtakealook."
Ratherherthanme."Nigelwasgoingtomakeanewsliderforrollingunderneath,"Isaid.
"Yes,hemadeit.Hewa.s.showingittoHarve."
"Ifyouwanttolook,usetheslider.TellHarveandNigelItoldyouthere"sadieselinspectionsortofgla.s.sbowlscrewedonunderneath,onthefuellinebetweenthetanksandengine.Youcancheckbythatthatthediesel"sclean.Ifitis,thebowlwilllookclear.Anydirtinthedieseldropsintothebowlandonecanunscrewitandcleanitout.Wehadafilthylotoffueldeliveredonce.Theinspectionglobewasblackwithmuck.Anyway,tellHarveyouwanttoseeit."
"Ihadaninspectionarrangementinmyownbox."
"Sorry,Iforgot."
Shesmiled.I"lltakealook."
Shewentoutanddidso.HarveandNigelthoughtherfussy,shesaid,comingbackandbrushingoffdust."Andyoucouldsmuggleanythinginthattube,"sheadded."I"llkeepaneyeonit."Shelookedatthetelephone."AquickwordwithPatrick,doyoumind?"
"Goahead."
ShephonedhimathomebecauseoftheearlyhourandtoldhimHarve"sversionofthenight"sevents,checkingeachstatementwithmewithhereyebrows.Inoddedafewtimes.Thegistwasright;theomissionshadbeenmyown.
"Patrick,"shesaidtome,"wantstoknowwhat.i.twasyouwalkedinon."
"WhenIfindout,I"lltellhim."
"Hesaystobecareful."
"Mm."
Harverappedonthewindow,pointingathiswatch.
"Gottogo,"Ninasaid."ByePatrick.ByeFreddie.I"monmyway."
Iwa.s.sorrytoseeherdepart.ExceptforSandyandLizzie,shewastheonlypersonaroundthatIfoundItrusted.Suspicionwasanasty,unaccustomedcompanion.
Nigeldroveoutofthefarmyard.FromthecabNinawavedbacktomeasIwatchedfromthewindow.
ReckoningthatallgoodhorsepeoplebythattimewouldbeupandaboutIphonedJerichoRich"sdaughterandtoldherthathertransportwasrollingandsheshouldhavehernewhorsewithherbythenextevening,soonaftereighto"clock,ifthatwouldsuither.
"Sosoon?Whatservice!"sheexclaimed."Didyousendthatgroom-Dave,isit?-thatmyfathersuggested?"
"NotDave,butsomeoneasgood."
"Oh,well,great.Thankyou."
"Apleasure,"Isaid,meaningit.Andthat"swhat.i.twas:apleasuretogetaneatjobdoneandmorethansatisfycustomers.
Anothermore-than-satisfiedcustomeratthatmomentdroveintothefarmyardinajeepfromwhicheverycomforthadbeenstrippedbytimeandhardusage.MarigoldEnglish,againinbasicclothesandwoollyhat,jumpedoutofhervehiclealmostbeforeithadstoppedrollingandlookedaboutherforsignsoflife.
Iwentouttomeether.
"MorningMarigold.Howareyousettlingin?"
"h.e.l.loFreddie.FeelasifI"velivedhereforcenturies."Hersmilecameandwent.Hervoice,asalways,wasgearedtothedeaf."I"monmywayuptotheDownsbut.i.thoughtI"djustcallinforabriefword.Iphonedyourhousebutsomefemalesaidyouwerehere."
"Mysister,"Isaid.
"Oh,yes?Well,look,whatdoyouknowaboutthisJohnTigwoodandsomesortofancienthorseretirementscheme?Thefellowwantstoropemein.WhatdoIdo?Tellmefrankly.Noonecanoverhearyou.Give!"
Igaveittoherasfranklya.s.seemedprudent."He"sadedicatedsortofmanwhopersuadesalotofpeopleroundheretogiveoldhorsesgoodhomes.MichaelWatermead"stakingtwoofthenewbatchwebroughttoPixhillyesterday.SoisBenjyUsher,unlessDotputsherconsiderablefootdown.There"snoharminit,ifyou"vegotroomandgra.s.s."
"Wouldyousayyestohim,then?"
"It"saregularcharityinPixhill."Ithoughtforamomentandsaid,"Actually,oneofthisnewlotisahorseIusedtoridelongago.Agreatperformer.Agreatbuddy.CouldyouaskJohnTigwoodtoletyouhavethatparticularhorse?Hisname"sPeterman.Ifyou"dfeedhimoatsregularlytokeephimhealthyandwarm,I"llpayforthem."
"Sothere"sasoftheartinsidethere!"sheteasedme.
"Well...hewonracesforme."
"OK,I"llphonethisTigwoodandofferthedeal.Peterman,didyousay?"
Inodded."Don"tmentiontheoats."
Shegavemeaslantedglanceoffriendlyamus.e.m.e.nt."Oneofthesedaysyourgooddeedswillfindyouout."
Shespedbacktothejeep,revveduptheengineandtoreanothermillimetreoffthetyretreads.Outofwheretheremightoncehavebeenawindowsheyelleda.s.sherolledforward,"MysecretarywillcontactyoursaboutDoncaster."
Ishoutedthankswhichsheprobablydidn"thearabovethewhineofancientgears.IthoughtshewouldbegoodforPixhillandhopedshewouldprosper.
Variousdriverscametoworkandwentintothecanteen.Harve"saccountofmynocturnalexperienceshadthemallcomingoutdoorsagain,gaping,carryingcoffeemugsandinspectingmeasifIweresomehowunreal.
OneofthedriverswastheWatermeadfamily"sfavourite,Lewis,thewhizzwiththerabbits,supposedlynursinghiswoesinbed.
"Whathappenedtotheflu?"Iaskedhim.
Hesniffedandwithahoa.r.s.ethroatsaid,"Reckonit"sjustacoldafterall.Notemperature,see?"Hecoughedandsneezed,sprayinginfectionsregardless.
"It"sbetteryoudon"tscatteryourgermsanyway,"Isaid."We"vetoomanysickdriversasitis.Takeanotherdayoff."
"Straightup?"
"ComebackonFriday,workSat.u.r.daytoo."
"OK,"hewheezednonchalantly."I"llsitandwatchCheltenham.Thanks."
Phil,obliging,phlegmatic,un.o.bservant,incuriousandunimaginativelyreliable,saidtome,"Isittrueyourhousegottrashed?"
""Fraidso."
"AndthatJag?"
"Yeah."
I"dkilltheb.u.g.g.e.r,"hesaid.
"Justgivemethechance."
Theothersnodded,understandingthefeeling.Noone,intheircollectiveethos,noonemessedwiththeirbelongingswithoutreprisals./P "Isuppose,"Isaid,"thatnoneofyoucamepastthefarmyardafterelevenlastnight?"
Noonehad,itseemed.
Lewissaid,"Didn"tyouseewhohadagoatyou?"
"Didn"tevenhearanyone.Askaround,w.i.l.l.you?"
Theysaidtheywould,dubiousandwilling.
Manyofthedriverslookedsuperficiallyalike,Ithought,surveyingthegroup.Allunderforty,noneofthemfat.Mostlydarkhaired,allwithgoodeyesight,noneveryshortoroversixfeet:thephysiquethatwentbestwiththejob.Incharacter...differentmatter.
Lewishadjoinedtheforcetwoyearsagowithringlets.Whentheotherdriverscalledhim"girlie",he"dgrownaslabofmoustacheandthrownhisfistsabouttosilencesarcastictongues.He"dthenproducedablondebimboinscarletstilettosandagainthrownhisfistsabouttosilencewolfwhistles.Duringthelastpastsummerhe"dcutthehairandshavedoffthemoustacheandthebimbohadbroughtforthasonoverwhichbothparentsdrooled.Lewiscouldn"twait,heoftensaid,toplayfootballwithhisinfant.Thecompleteinstantfather,transformed.
"Don"tsneezeonthebaby,"Itoldhim,and,alarmed,hesaid"Noway."
Davecreakedinthroughthegatesonhisrustybicycle,cheekyandcheeryandasirresponsibleasever.Hisgrinandhisfrecklesgaveanimpressionofeternalyouth,thePeterPansyndrome.Dave"swifemotheredhimalongwiththeirtwodaughters,puttinguplarge-heartedlywithhispub-hauntinghabitsandhisbettingongreyhounds.
Azizarrivedalso,darkeyesandwhiteteetha-flashing.Harvedetailedtheday"sjobs,checkingwithalist,makingsureeachdriverknewexactlywheretogo,whichhorsestocollectandwhentheyhadtoarrive.
IleftthemalltellingDaveandAzizofmynight"sadventures,hearingmistakescreepingintotheretellingbutnotbotheringtointerruptandputthemright.
"PortsmouthDocks,"Philwaserroneouslysaying,withDaveunderstandinglynodding.AlthoughweneverusedSouthamptonforhorseswedidoccasionallyshipthembyferryfromPortsmouthtoLeHavre.ThedriversallknewPortsmouthDocks,eventhoughIpreferredtosendhorsesbytheDover-Calaisroute,becausethesea-crossingwa.s.shorter.Manyhorsessufferedfromsea-sicknessonlongcrossings,madealltheworsethroughbeingunabletovomit.Ahorsehaddiedonceofsea-sicknessinoneofmyboxes,whichmademeespeciallyawareofthedanger.
"PortsmouthDocks."Thedriverswereallnodding.Portsmouth,justalongthecoastfromSouthampton,soundedmorefamiliar."Bull-dozedhisJaguar...""Brokeallthegla.s.sinthehouse..."
Downtheboozer,asJoggerwouldhavesaid,they"dhavemedroppedoverthesideofthePortsmouth-LeHavreferrybynightfall,withmycarthroughthewindowinthesitting-room.
IsobelandRosearrivedandcomplainedagainaboutthedefunctstateofthecomputer.Ithoughtoftheevenmoredefunctstateoftheterminalinmysitting-roomandwithaneffortrememberedthatthiswasthedayappointedforthemantofixit.IsobelandRosetooktheshroudsoffthesupersededmechanicaltypewritersandlookedpatheticallymartyred.
Iphonedthecentralagencythatkeptmycreditcardnumbersandaskedthemtogetbusyputtingastoponmyaccounts,andIgotthroughtotheinsurancecompanywhosaidtheywouldsendaform.Wouldtheybesendingaman,Iasked,orofcourseawoman,whowouldverifythewrite-offoftheJaguarandsomuchelseofmyproperty?Theysaidacopyofapolicereportwouldprobablybeenough.
AfterthatIsatandlistenedtomyheadachingwhileHarvefinishedgettingtheday"sworkorganised.Azizcameintotheofficewithhis...o...b..erationofvitalityandaskediftherewereanypersonalerrandshecouldrunforme.Iconsidereditthoughtfulofhim,particularlyashismannerwascasualand,asfarasIcouldsee,notself-serving.
"Harvesaysthereisn"tadrivingjobformetoday,"hesaid."Hesaidtoaskifyouwantedmetodomaintenance,asyou"velostyourmechanic.Hesaidtwooftheboxesneedoilchanges."
"Itwouldbehelpful."Ipickedthetoolstorekeysoutofthedeskandhandedthemtohim."You"llfindallyouneedinthere.GetachecklistfromIsobelandreturnittoherwhenyou"vefilleditinandsignedit."
"Right."
"AndAziz..."Myachingheadcameupwithatherapeuticidea."WouldyouminddrivingmyFourtraktoHeathrow,totakemysistertocatchtheshuttletoEdinburgh?"
"Begladto,"hesaidwillingly.
"Eleveno"clockatmyhouse."
"Onthedot,"heagreed.
WithAzizdrivingLewis"sboxalongtothebarnforitsoilchangeandwiththeothersthinningoutastheyleftontheday"smissions,IdrovehometosaygoodbyetoLizzieandbegherforgivenessforsendingherwithAziz.
You"remoreconcussedthanyouwanttosay,"sheaccusedme."Youshouldbeinbed,resting."
"Oh,sure."
Sheshookherheadinolder-sisterlydisapprovalandrubbedherhanddownmybackinthegestureshe"dalwaysusedtoshowaffectionfortwolittlebrotherswho"dthoughtkissingwa.s.sissy.
"Lookafteryourself,"shesaid.
"Mm.Youtoo."
Thephonerang:Isobel"sagitatedvoice."Thecomputerman"shere,"shesaid."Hesayssomeone"skilledoffourmachinewithavirus."
CHAPTER8.
Thecomputerman,perhapstwenty,withlonglightbrownhairthroughwhichheranhisfingersinartisticaffectationeveryfewseconds,hadgivenuptryingtoresuscitateourhardwarebythetimeIgotbacktotheoffice.
"Whatvirus?"Iasked,comingtoahaltbyIsobel"sdeskandfeelingoverlybeleaguered.Wehadflu,wehadaliens,wehadbodies,wehadvandals,wehadconcussion.Avirusinthecomputercouldtakethecameltoitsknees.
"Allourrecords,"Isobelmourned.