"Isuppose,"Isaid,"that.i.twasTigwoodwithallhismedicaljournalswhounderstoodaboutticks?AndwhoknewwhatyouneededforbringingthevirusfromYorkshireforTessaWatermeadtoinfectJerichoRich"shorses?Youcouldn"tgivetheJerichoRichhorsestickfever,becausebythenyouhadn"tbeenovertocollectthisyear"sticks."
Hewasagainspeechless.Iglancedathim.
Isaid,"Youhaven"tmuchchanceifyou"renotwillingtobeawitness.Tessatoldmeandherfatherwhatyoudid."
IphonedSandySmith"snumberand,findinghimathome,invitedhimtodrivealongtoCentaurCare."Bringyourhandcuffs,"Isaid.
IttookLewisaslowpainfulmiletomakeuphismind,butasIturnedthroughthegatesofthecrumblingheadquartersofadisgracedcharity,hesaid,mumbling,"Allright.Awitness."
Thedecrepitplacewasalivewithpeople.
LornaLipton"sRangeRoverstoodinthedriveway.LornawastalkingtoTigwoodandtherewerechildren-children-runningabout.Maudie"stwoyoungestchildren...andCinders.
AzizwasoutoftheFourtrak,alsoNina,alsoGuggenheim.Theystoodindeterminately,notknowingwhattoexpect.
JohnTigwoodlookedbewildered.
Istoppedthehorseboxandjumpedtotheground.SandySmithjoinedthecrowd,lightsflashing,uniformb.u.t.toned,nosiren.
"What"sgoingon?"Tigwoodasked.
Iwasn"tsurehowhewouldreact.Thetrailhe"dleftwithhisaxeonmypropertyurgedanydefenceIcouldthinkof.Keepingthechildrensafewasafirstpriority.
IsaidtoMaudie"syoungones,"TakeCindersandwriggleunderthehorseboxandplaybeinginapirate"scavethere,orsomething."
Theygiggled.
"Goon,"Isaid,urgingthem."Crawlinthere."
Theydid,allthreeofthem.Lorna,watching,saidmerely,"Won"ttheygetdirty?"
They"llclean."
Tigwoodsaid,"Whyareyouhere?"
Iansweredhim."Webroughtbackyourrabbit."
"What?"
"LewisandI,"Isaid,"havebroughtbacktherabbit-withticks."
Tigwoodstrodetothepa.s.sengerseatsideandyankedopenthedoor.
"Lewis!"heyelled.Itcameoutasascreech,allfruitinessgone.
Lewisshrankawayfromhim."Heknowsitall,"hesaiddesperately."Freddieknowseverything."
TigwoodstretchedanarmintothecabandpulledLewisout.Tigwood"sweedy-lookingappearancewasmisleading.Everyonecouldseethestringypowerthattweakedthebiggermanoutontothegroundwithacrash.Lewis"sshoulderslandedfirst,thenhishead,thenhislegs.
Lewis,rollinginpain,tookaroughswingatTigwood.Tigwoodkickedhiminthefaceandturnedhisattentiontome.
"Youb.a.s.t.a.r.d,"hesaid,white-faced,intent."I"llkillyou."
Hemeant.i.t.Hetried.Herushedme,smashingmebysheerspeedagainstthesideofthehorsebox.
Hehadn"tanaxe,however,oratyrelever,butonlyhishands;andthey,hadwebeenalone,mighthaveindeedbeenenough.
Azizcameupbehindhimandhauledhimoff.Azizdisplayedatimelyandusefulskillintwistingaman"sarmupbehindhisbackuntilitreachedthepointofcracking.
Tigwoodscreamed.SandyproducedhishandcuffsportentouslyandwithhelpfromAzizlockedTigwood"swriststogetherbehindhisback.
Sandysaidtomeoutofthesideofhismouth,"What"sgoingon?"
"Ithinkyou"llfindthatJohnTigwoodaxedmyhouse."
"b.a.s.t.a.r.d,"Tigwoodsaid,hisvoiceasnarl.
IaskedSandy,"Idon"tsupposeyouhaveasearchwarranthandy?"
Heshookhisheadbemusedly.
"Idon"tneedone,"Azizsaid."WhatamIlookingfor?"
"Anaxe.Arustytyrelever.Athingforslidingunderlorries.Abunchoftoolsinaredplasticcrate.Andperhapsagreymetalcashboxwitharoundbrightpatchamidthedirt.Theymightbeinhiscar.Ifyoufindthem,don"ttouchthem."
Hissmileshoneout,bright,whiteandhappy."Gotyou,"hesaid.HeleftTigwoodtoSandyandbouncedawayoutofsight.
Lornableatedinbafflement,"John?Idon"tunderstand..."
"Shutup,"hesaidfuriously.
"What"veyoudone"?"Lornawailed.
Noonetoldher.
Tigwoodstaredatmewithunnervingnakedhatredandinatautwhiteragecalledmeab.a.s.t.a.r.dagain,amongotherthings,repeatingwhatLewishadtoldme.I"dneverimaginedtheoverpoweringstrengthofhismurderouscorrosiveloathing,notevenwithhisaxe"shandiworkallaroundme.Ifeltshrivelledbyit,andweak.Sandy,whohadseensomanydreadfulthings,lookeddeeplyshocked.
Lornaswungroundatmewithloathingofherown."Whatdidyoudotohim?"sheaccusedme.
"Nothing."
Shedidn"tbelieveme,andneverwould.
Azizreappearedfromthedirectionoftheramshacklestables.
"Everything"sthere,"hereported,beaming."They"reinoneofthestalls,underahorserug."
Sandysmiledatmebriefly,pushingTigwoodhardagainstthehorsebox."Reckonit"stimetocallmycolleagues."
"Reckonitis,"Iagreed."Theycantakeitfromhereon."
"AndtheJockeyClubcantakeonBenjyUsher,"saidAziz.
Anothercarjoinedthemelee.Notthecolleaguesyet,butSusanandHugoPalmerstone,withMaudie.MichaelhadtoldthemthatthechildrenwereherewithLorna,theysaid.They"dcometotakethemhome.
Tigwoodinhandcuffsappalledthem.Lornatoldthemitwasallmyfault.Hugobelievedhereasily.
"Wherearethechildren?"Susanasked."Where"sCinders?"
"They"resafe."Ibentdownandlookedunderthehorsebox."Youcancomeoutnow,"Isaid.
GuggenheimtouchedmyarmasIstraightened."Didyou...Imean..."hesaid."Istherabbitthere?"
"Ithinkso."
He,atleast,lookedhappy.Hewascarryingawhiteplasticsmall-animalcarrierandwearingprotectivegloves.
Maudie"stwochildrenwriggledoutontheirbacksandstoodup,brushingoffdirt.Oneofthemsaidtome,inaquietlittlevoice,"Cindersdoesn"tlikeitunderthere.She"scrying."
"Isshe?"Iwentdownonmykneesandlookedunderneath.Shewaslyingflatonherstomach,herfacepressedtotheground,herwholebodyquivering."Comeonout,"Isaid.
Shedidn"tmove.
Ilaydownonthegroundonmybackandputmyheadunderthesideofthehorsebox.Ishuffledbackwardsonheels,hipsandshoulders,untilIreachedher.IfoundtherewerethingsIwouldgoundertonsofsteelforwithoutasecondthought.
"Comeon,"Isaid."We"llgoouttogether."
Shesaid,shivering,"I"mfrightened."
"Mm.b.u.t.there"snothingtobeafraidof."Ilookedupatthesteelofthecha.s.sisnotfarabovemyface."Turnontoyourback,"Isaid."Holdmyhandandwe"llwriggleouttogether."
"It"llfallonme."
"No...itwon"t."Iswallowed."Turnover,Cinders.It"seasieronyourback."
"Ican"t."
"Yourmotherandfatherarehere."
"There"samanshouting..."
"He"sstoppednow,"Isaid."Comeon,darling,everything"sfine.Holdmyhand."
Itouchedherhandwithmineandshegrabbedittightly.
"Turnover,"Isaid.
Sheturnedslowlyontoherbackandlookedupwardstothesteelstruts.
"It"sprettydirtyunderhere,"Isaidprosaically."Keepyourheaddownoryou"llmakeyourhairfilthy.Now,ourtoesarepointingtowhereyourparentsare,sojustshuntalongbesidemeandwe"llbeoutinnotime."
Ibegantowriggleout,andshewriggled,sobbing,besideme.
Itwasafterallonlyafewfeet.Itcan"thaveseemedmuchtothepeopleoutside.
WhenwewereoutIkneltbesideher,brushingdirtfromherclothesandherhair.Sheclungtome.Herlittleface,closetomine,wa.s.solikethepicturesofmyselfatherage.ThetendernessIfeltforherwasdevastating.
Hergazeslidbeyondmetowhereherparentsstood.Sheletgoofmeandrantothem.RantoHugo.
"Daddy!"shesaid,hugginghim.
Heputprotectivearmsaroundherandglaredatmewiththegreeneyes.
Isaidnothing.Istoodup:brushedsomegritoffmyself;waited.
SusanputonearmroundHugo"swaistandwiththeotherenclosedCinders;thethreeofthemafamily.
Hugobrusquelyturnedthemawaywithhimtowardstheircar,lookingfiercelyoverhisshoulder.Heshouldn"tfearme,Ithought.Perhapsintimehewouldn"t.Iwouldneverupsetthatchild.
IwasawarethatGuggenheimandAzizwereslitheringunderthehorsebox.Guggenheimscrambledoutwithvisionsofimmortalityinhiseyes,cuddlingthewhiteplasticcarrierasifitcontainedtheHolyGrail.
"Therabbit"shere,"hesaidjoyfully,"andit"sgotticks!"
"Great."
Ninacametostandbesideme.Iputmyarmroundhershoulders.Itfeltrightthere.Eightandahalfyearsdidn"tmatter.
"AreyouOK?"sheasked.
"Mm."
WewatchedthePalmerstones"cardriveaway.
"Freddie...?"Ninamurmuredtentatively,"thatlittlegirl...whenyourheadsweretogether,shelooked...almost..."
"Don"tsayit,"Isaid.