Yes,Freddie.
Ifeltfor,andfound,theroundendofthecontainerabovetherearfueltank.Iunscrewedandlaiditonthegroundbesideme.Iswitchedonthetorchandraisedmyheadtolookintothecontainer.
Myhairbrushedagainstthemetal.Tonsofsteel.Shutup.MyhandswereslipperywithsweatandIcouldhardlybreatheandmyheartpounded,andI"driskeddeathinracingthousandsoftimesoverfourteenyearsandIhadn"tcared...ithadbeennothinglikethis.
Insidethetubularcontainertherelaywhatseemedtobealongflatnarrowplywoodtraystretchingawayintoshadow.Standingontheplywoodwasan.o.blongplastickitchenfood-boxveryliketheoneI"dtakentoScotland,exceptthatthisonehadnolid.
GrippingthetorchconvulsivelyIstuckmyarmwiththetorchintothetubeforadeeperlook.
Thekitchenfood-boxheldwater.
Littlestarsappearedabovethetubularcontainer,showingontheundersideofthehorseboxfloorabove.Thestarswerefromthetorch-lightinsidethetube.Thestarsweretheresultofholesinthetube.
"Therewouldhavetobeairholesinthecontainer,"Guggenheimhadsaid.
Therewereairholes.
Ipeeredstraightintothetube,myheadhardagainstthemetalabove,armsconstrictedbymetalonbothsides,nervesshottopatheticcrumbs.
Deepalonginthetubesomethingmoved.Aneyeshonebrightly.Inhismetalburrow,therabbitseemedatease.
Iswitchedoffthetorch,screwedtheendbackontothetubeandwriggledoutagainintothefreenightair.
Ilayonthehardground,regrouping,heartthudding,ashamedofmyself.Nothing,Ithought,nothingwouldgetmetodoanythinglikethateveragain.
Inthemorning,lifeinthefarmyardlookednormal.
Lewis,predictably,wasannoyedthatI"dallocatedNinatogowithhiminsteadofDave.
"Davewasn"twellonSat.u.r.day,"Isaid."I"mnotriskinghimgettingfluawayinItaly."
Daveatthatmomentcreakedintoviewonhisbicycle,obliginglyflushedandheavy-eyed.Fluwasn"tgoingtostophim,hesaid.
"Sorry,but.i.tis,"Ireplied."Gohometobed."
Ninaarrivedlookingtheepitomeoffemininefrailty,yawningartisticallyandstretching.Lewisregardedherthoughtfullyandmadenomoreobjections.
HeandshebothcollectedtheirtravelkitsfromIsobelandwentoverthepaperworkrequirementswithher.WhenLewiswentintothewashroomIhadaprivatemomenttomurmurinNina"sear.
"You"retakinganunwithyou."
Wide-eyed,shesaid,"Howdoyouknow?"
"Isawherarrive."
"When?"
"Fivethismorning.Aboutthen."
"Sothat"swhy...
Lewisreappeared,sayingiftheyweregoingtocatchtheferrythey"dbetterbeoff.
"Phonehome,"Isaid.
"Surething,"heagreedeasily.
Hedroveoutofthegatewithoutaworryintheworld.Ihopedtoh.e.l.lthatNinawouldcomebacksafely.
Fromthebusinesspointofviewitwasnotanoverpoweringlybusyday,b.u.t.theplainclothespolicesweptinwithsharpeyestotakeovertheplacebeforenine,settingupaninterviewroominmyoffice.Dispossessed,Ishowedthemwhatevertheywanted,offeredthemtherunofthecanteenandsatforawhileonasparechairinIsobel"soffice,watchingherwork.
Sandydroveininhisuniform,stillconfusedinhisloyalties.
"Tellthemaboutthecontainers,"heblurted."Ihaven"t."
"Thanks,Sandy."
"Didyoufindyouranswers?"
"Iaskedsomequestions."
HeknewIwasn"tbeingopenwithhim,butheseemedtopreferignorance.Inanycase,hejoinedhiscolleaguesandranerrandsforthemallday.
Thecolleaguesfoundoutaboutthecontainersfromthelandlordofthepub.
"Lonerangers?"Irepeatedwhentheyaskedmeoutinthefarmyard."Yes,Joggercameacrossthreecontainersunderthelorries.Allempty.Wedon"tknowhowlongthey"vebeenthere."
TheForcewantedtoinspectthem.Goahead,Iagreed,thoughPhilwouldn"tbebackwithhisownhorseboxuntilevening.
Lewishadreachedtheferryingoodtime,Isobelreported,andwasnowinFrance.Imetaphoricallybitmynails.
Thepoliceinterviewedeveryonetheycouldreachandspenttimeslidinginandoutundertheboxes.Ratherthemthanme.WhenPhilreturnedtheyremovedthetubefromabovethefueltanks(withmypermission)andbrought.i.touttowhereitcouldbeeasilyinspected.Fourfeetlong,eightinchesindiameter,emptyexceptfordust,smallholespunchedthroughit,screwcapmissing.
Theytookitawayforexamination.Iwonderediftheywouldfindrabbithairsinit.
Idrovehome.Thelittlehelicopterhadgone.Mypoorcrunchedcarstoodaloneandforlorn,awaitingatow-truckonthemorrow.Ipattedit.Silly,really.Theendofabigpartofmylife.Sayinggoodbye.
Iwentearlytobedandtossedandturned.
InthemorningLewisreportedtoIsobelthathehadclearedtheMontBlanctunnelandwouldcollectthecoltbeforenoon.
Thepoliceaskedmorequestions.HalfthefleetsetofftotakemerchandisetoDoncastersales,NigeldrivingforMarigold.Iprogressedfrommetaphoricalnailbitingtoactual.
AtnoonLewisreportedthatBenjyUsher"scoltwasunmanageable.
Italkedtohimmyself.
"I"mnotdrivingit,"hesaid."It"sawildanimal.It"lldamagethebox.It"llhavetostayhere.
"IsNinaaround?"
"She"stryingtopacifyit.Nochance."
"Letmetalktoher."
Shecameontheline."Thecolt"sscared,"sheagreed."Hekeepstryingtoliedownandthrashabout.Givemeanhour."
"Ifhe"sreallyunmanageable,comebackwithouthim."
"OK.".
"Anythingelse?"Iasked.
"No.Nothing."
Isat.w.a.tchingtheclock.
Arteranhour,Lewisphonedback."Ninareckonsthecoltsuffersfromclaustrophobia,"hesaid."Hegoesberserkifwetrytoshuthiminasinglestallinthehorsebox,andalsoifwetrytotiehimup.She"sgothimquiet,like,buthe"slooseinabigstall,likewearrangeitforamareandfoal.Youknow.Roomforthree,alltohimself.Andshe"sopenedallthewindows.Thecolt"sstandingwithhisnoseoutofoneofthematthemoment.Whatdoyoureckon?"
"It"suptoyou,"Isaid.I"lltellMrUsherwecan"tbringhiscoltout,ifyoulike."
"No."Hesoundedindecisivebutfinallysaid,"OK,I"llgiveitatry.Butifhegoesmadagainwhenwestartoff,I"llscrubit."
"Right."
Aclaustrophobichorse.Wedidsometimescomeacrossanimalsthatnoamountofpersuasionorbruteforcewouldgetthemuparampintoahorsebox.Isympathisedwiththem,especiallyafterthepreviousnight,butIcouldhavedone,thistime,withadozydocilepa.s.sengergivingLewisnotrouble.
Iwaited.Anotherhourcrawledby.
"Theymustbeontheirway,"Isobelsaid,unconcerned.
"Ihopeso."
Anotherhour.Nonews.
"I"mgoingtoMichaelWatermead"s,"ItoldIsobel."CallmeonthemobilephoneifLewisreports."
Shenodded,busywithotherthings,andItrundleddowntoMichael"stryingtoworkouthowbesttotellhimsomethinghewouldn"twanttohear.
Hewa.s.surprisedtoseemeinthehourofafternoondoldrumsbeforetheladsarrivedtofeedandwaterthehorsesandprepare,themforthenight.
"h.e.l.lo!"hesaid."WhatcanIdoforyou?Comealongin."
Hetookmeintoasmallfriendlysitting-room,notthebigimposingroomofSunday-lunchchampagnec.o.c.ktails.He"dbeenreadingnewspapers,whichlayscatteredoveralowtableandnearbyarmchair,andheroughlygatheredthemtogethertomakeas.p.a.ceformetosit.
"Maudie"sout,"hesaid."I"llmakesometeainaminute."
Hewavedformetositdown,obviouslywaitingformetobegin.Andwheretobegin...thatwastheproblem.
"Youremember,"Isaid,"themanwhodiedinoneofmyhorseboxes?"
"Died?Ohyes,ofcourse.OnthewaybackfromtakingJericho"stwo-year-olds,wretchedman."
"Mm."Ipaused."Look,"Isaidawkwardly,"Iwouldn"tbotheryouwiththis,butIdowanttoclearsomethingup."
"Carryon,then."Hesoundedreceptive,notimpatient,simplyinterested.
ItoldhimthatDavehadpickedthemanupnotcasuallybutbyarrangement.Michaelfrowned.Iexplainedaboutthecarrier-bagwiththethermosflaskthatI"dfoundinthenine-boxthenextevening,andIshowedhimthelasttwotubesthathadbeencarriedinthethermos,thatI"dhadinmysafe.
"Whatarethey?"heaskedcuriously,holdingoneuptothelight."What"sinthem?"
"Viraltransportmedium,"Isaid."Fortransportingavirus."
"Virus..."Hewa.s.shocked."Didyousayvirus?
Virus,toalltrainers,meant"thevirus",thedreadedrespiratoryinfectionthatmadehorsescoughandrunatthenose.Theviruscouldputastableoutofwinnersformostofayear.Theworstnewspossible,thatwas"thevirus".
Michaelhandedthetubesbackasifthey"dstunghim.
"TheycamefromPontefract,"Isaid."FromYorkshire."
Hestared."They"vegotthevirusupthere.Twoorthreeyardshaveit."Helookedworried."Youhaven"tmixedanyofmyhorsesinwithhorsesfromupnorth,haveyou?Because,ifso..."
"No,"Isaidpositively."Yourhorsesalwaystravelalone,unlessyougivespecificpermissionotherwise.I"dnevereverputyourhorsesindangerofinfectioninmytransport."
Hemarginallyrelaxed."Ididn"tthinkyouwould."Hewaseyeingthetubesasiftheyweresnakes."Whyareyoutellingmethis?"
"BecauseIthink...er...ifthehitchhikerhadn"tdied,thevirusthatwasinthesetubesmighthavefounditswayintothelastofJerichoRich"sstring-thefillies-onthelastdayofthetransfertoNewmarket."
Hestaredsomemore.Hethought.i.tover."Butwhy?heasked."That"scriminal."
"Mm."
"Why?"hesaidagain.
TogetevenwithJerichoRich."
"Ohno,"hesaidprotestingly,standingupsharply,stridingawayfromme,angerrising."Iwouldnever,neverdoathinglikethat."
"Iknowyouwouldn"t."
Heswungroundfuriously."Thenwho?"
"Um...Ithink...youmightaskTessa."
"Tessa!"Hisangerincreased;atme,notather."Shewouldn"t.What"smoreshecouldn"t.Thisisutterrubbish,Freddie,andI"mnotlisteningtoanymoreofit."
Isighed."Allright."Istooduptogo."Sorry,Michael."