"Untranslatable,"Isaid."Goodbyeforjustnow."
ItelephonedimmediatelytoKentWagner"sheadquartersandbydintofthreats andpersuasionfinallytrackedhimtothehomeofhisniece,whowascelebrating herbirthdaywithabrunch.
"Sorry,"Isaid;andexplainedatsomelength.
"JesusChrist,"hesaid."WhoisthisguyPucinelli?"
"Agoodcop.Verybrave.Talktohim."
"Yeah."
IgavehimthetelephonenumbersandEnrico"sschedule."AndtheGoldonisare goingtoNewYork,"Isaid."Mrs.Goldonitoldme.Ithinkthey"regoingtoday.
They"vebeenstayinghereattheRegency."
"I"llgetontoitrightaway.w.i.l.l.youbeatth.e.s.h.erryattstill?"
"Yes,I"mtherenow."
"Staybythephone."
"O.K."
Hegrunted."Thanks,Andrew."
"Apleasure,Kent,"Isaid,meaningit."Justcatchhim.He"sallyours."
a.s.soonasIputthereceiverdowntherewasaknockonthedoor,andIwas alreadyopeningitbeforeitoccurredtomethatperhapsIshouldstarttobe careful.Itwasonlythemaid,however,onmydoorstep;short,dumpy, middle-agedandharmless,wantingtocleantheroom.
"Howlongw.i.l.l.yoube?"Isaid,lookingatthecartoffreshlinenandthelarge vacuumcleaner.
ShesaidinCentral-AmericanSpanishthatshedidn"tunderstand.Iaskedherthe samequestioninSpanish.Twentyminutes,shesaidstolidly.AccordinglyI liftedthetelephone,askedtheswitchboardtoputanycallsthroughtomein thelobbytemporarily,andwentdownstairstowait.
Towait-andtothink.
IthoughtchieflyaboutBeatriceGoldoniandherexcitedguilt.Ithoughtofher son,banishedfromhisfather"shouse.Ithought.i.thighlylikelythat.i.twasn"t aloverBeatricehadbeensneakingofftomeetinWashingtonthatFriday,buta stillbelovedblacksheep.Hewouldhaveset.i.tuphimself,knowingshewas therefortherace,andstillfeeling,onhispart,affection.
Foracertaintyshedidn"tknowhewasthekidnapperofAlessiaandFreemantle.
Shehadn"tthatsortofguile.Shedidknow,however,that.i.thadbeenIwho"d negotiatedAlessia"sransom,becauseatthatFridaybreakfastPaoloCencihad toldher.Whatelsehehadtoldher,heavenknew.Maybehehadtoldheralso aboutDominic:itwouldn"thavebeenunreasonable.Manypeopledidn"tunderstand whyLibertyMarketlikedtokeepquietabout.i.tswork,andsawnogreatharmin telling.
IhadmyselfdrivenBeatriceintoWashington;andshetalked,always,alot.
Chatter,chatter,we"reherewiththeCencis,yourememberAlessiawhowas kidnapped...andthere"sayoungmanwithher,theonewhocametoItalytoget herbacksafely...he"sherebecauseofthisotherkidnapping...andPaoloCenci toldusherescuedalittleboycalledDominicinEngland...Alessiawasthere too...chatter,chatter,chatter.
Istoodupfromthelobbysofa,wenttothedesk,andsaidIwascheckingout; wouldtheypleasepreparemybill.ThenIgotthroughagaintoKentWagner,who saidI"djustcaughthim,hewasleavingthebrunch.
"Yousureash.e.l.lbrokeupmyday,"hesaid,thoughsoundingphilosophical.
"Thoughtofsomethingelse?"
IsaidIwasleavingth.e.s.h.erryatt,andwhy.
"Jee-sus,"hesaid."Comedowntoheadquarters;I"llputyouintoagoodplace whereGoldoniwouldneverfindyou...it"ssureprudenttoa.s.sumethathedoesnow knowyouexist."
"Mightbesafer,"Iagreed."I"monmyway."
ThedesksaidmyaccountwouldbereadywhenIcamedownwithmygear.The twentyminuteswasbarelyup,butwhenIsteppedoutoftheliftIsawthemaid pushinghercartawaydownthepa.s.sage.Iunlockedmydoorandwentin.
Therewerethreemeninthere,allinhigh-domedpeakedcapsandwhiteoveralls, withInternationalRugCo.Inc.onchestsandbacks.Theyhadpushedsomeofthe furnituretothewallsandwereunrollingalargeIndian-typeruginthecleared freecenter.
"What..."Ibegan.AndIthought:it"sSunday.
Ispunonmyheeltoretreat,but.i.twasalreadytoolate.
Afourthman,InternationalRugCo.Inc.onhischest,wasblockingthedoorway; advancing,stretchingouthisarms,thrustingmeforcefullybackwardsintothe room.
Ilookedintohiseyes...andknewhim.
Ithoughtinlightningflashes.
Ithought:I"velost.
Ithought:I"mdead.
Ithought:Imeanttowin.IthoughtIwouldwin.IthoughtI"dfindhimandget himarrestedandstophim,anditneverseriouslyoccurredtomeitcouldbe thiswayround.
Ithought:I"mafool...andI"velost...IthoughtIwouldwin,andBrunelleschi...
thedanger...hasbeatenme.
Everythinghappenedveryfast,inablur.Asortofcanvasbagcamedownovermy head,blockingoutsight.Iwastrippedandtossedbymanyhandstothefloor.
Therewasasharpstinginmythigh,likeawasp.Iwasconsciousofbeing turnedoverandover...realizeddimlythatIwasbeingrolleduplikeasausage intheIndianrug.
ItwasthelastthingIthoughtforquitealongwhile.
Iwokeupoutofdoors,feelingcold.
Iwasrelievedtowakeupatall,b.u.t.thatsaid,couldfindlittleelseof comfort.
Forastart,Ihadnothingon.
Sodit,Ithoughtfuriously.Truetob.l.o.o.d.yform.JustlikeAlessia.Morgan Freemantle...hetoo,Idaredsay,wascurrentlystarkers.
LibertyMarket"sownprivateunofficialtrainingmanual,issuedtoeachpartner onjoining,spelleditout:"immediateandeffectivedominationand demoralizationofthevictimisachievedbydeprivinghim/herofclothes."
Dominichadhadclothes:they"devenaddedajerseytohistinyshorts.Dominic, ontheotherhand,wastoolittletofindanythinghumiliatinginnakedness.
Therewouldhavebeennopoint.
Theonlythingtodowastotrytothinkofmyselfasdressed.
Iwa.s.sittingontheground;groundbeingloamyearthcoveredwithfallen leaves.Iwasleaningagainstthetreefromwhichmostofthesaidleaves appearedtohavedescended:asmalltreewithasmoothhardtrunknomorethan fourinchesindiameter.
Theviewwaslimitedoneverysidebygrowthsofevergreen;mostly,itseemedto meironically,oflaurel.Iwasinasmallclearing,withonlyoneother youthfultreeforcompany.Beechtrees,perhaps,Ithought.
Themainandmostdepressingproblemwasthefactofbeingunabletowalkaway onaccountofhavingsomethingthatfeltlikehandcuffsonmywrists,onthe wrongsideofthetreetrunk,behindmyback.
Itwasquietintheclearing,butbeyondIcouldhearthem.u.f.fledconstantroar whichannounceditselfascity.WhereverIwas,itwasn"tfarout.Notnearlyas far,forinstance,asLaurel.Morelikeamileortwo...inasuburb.
Iopenedmymouthandyelledatthetopofmylungsthecornyoldword"Help."I yelleditmanytimes.Consistentlynegativeresults.
Thesky,sobluefortherace-week,wascloudingover:gray,likemythoughts.
Ihadnoideawhattimeitwas.Myfingers,exploring,discoveredIhadno watch.
Icouldstandup.
Istood.
Icouldkneeldown:didn"tbother.
Icouldcircleroundthetree.
Ididthat.Thesurroundinggreenerywa.s.similarfromallangles.
Thebranchesofthetreespreadfromjustabovemyhead,narrowhardarmsending insmalleroffshootsandtwigs,Agoodmanytan-coloredleavesstillclung there.Itriedshakingthemoff,butmyeffortshardlywobbledthemandthey stubbornlyremained.
Isatdownagainandthoughtagoodmanyfurtherunwelcomethoughts,chiefamong thembeingthatintheLibertyMarketofficeIwouldneverlivethisdaydown...
ifeverIlivedtotell.
Gettingmyselfkidnapped...b.l.o.o.d.ystupid.
Embarra.s.singtoadegree.
Ithoughtback...IfPucinellihadbeeneasiertoreachIwouldhavelearnedabout theGoldonifamilysooner,andIwouldhavebeenlonggonebythetimethe InternationalRugCo.Inc.arrivedatth.e.s.h.erryattwiththeirrug.
IfIhadn"tgoneupstairstofetchmythings...
If,if,if.
IthoughtofthefaceofGiuseppe-Peter-PietroGoldonicomingthroughmybedroom door;intent,determined,asoldierinaction,remindingmeinhisspeedand neatnessofTonyVine.HehadhimselftakenDominicfromthebeach,andina maskhadbeentherepersonallytoseizeAlessia.Itwaspossibletoimaginethat ithadbeenhewhohadannouncedhimselfasthechauffeurtocollectMorgan Freemantle;andifsotheactualactofsuccessfulabductioncouldbealmostas potentasatisfactiontohimasthemoneyitbrought.
IfIunderstoodhim,Iwondered,wouldIbebetterequipped?I"dnever negotiatedfacetofacewithakidnapperbefore:alwaysthroughproxies.Theart ofcoercivebargaining,LibertyMarkettrainingmanual,chaptersix.Hardtobe coercivewhileatthepresentdisadvantage.
Timepa.s.sed.Airlinersflewatintervalsoverheadandacoupleofbirdscame crosslytoinspectthestrangerintheirterritory.Isat,notuncomfortably, tryingtoshapemymindtothepossibilityofremainingwhereIwasforsome time.
Itbegantorain.
Thetreegavelittleshelter,butIdidn"tparticularlymind.Thedrops spatteredthroughthedyingleavesinasoftshower,freshandinterestingonmy skin.I"dneverbeenoutintherainbeforewithnoclotheson,thatIcould remember.Iliftedmyfaceup,andopenedmymouth,anddrankwhatcamemyway.
Afterawhiletherainstopped,anditgrewdark.Allnight,Ithoughtcoldly.
Well.Allnight,then.Faceit.Accept.i.t.It"snotsohard.
Iwa.s.strongandhealthyandpossessedofanaturalinbornstaminawhichhad rarelybeentestedanywherenearitslimits.Therestrictiontomyarmswas looseandnotunbearable.Icouldsitthereforalongtimewithoutsuffering.I guessed,infact,thatIwouldhaveto.
Thegreatestdiscomfortwascold,towhichItriedtoshutmymind,joined,as thenightadvanced,byadesireforanicehotdinner.
Itriedonandofftorubthehandcuffsvigorouslyagainstthetreetrunktosee ifthefrictionwoulddoanythingspectacularlyusefullikesawingthewood rightthrough.Theresultofsuchlaborswasaslightrougheningofthetree"s surfaceandamoreconsiderablerougheningoftheskininsidemyarms.Smallthe treetrunkmightbe,butdensely,forbiddinglysolid.
Islept,onandoff,dozingquitedeeplyandtopplingsidewaysonce,waking laterwithmynoseonthedeadleavesandmyshouldersstretchedandaching.I triedtofindamorecomfortablewayoflying,buteverythingwascompromise: sittingwasthebest.
Waiting,shivering,fordawn,Ibegantowonderseriouslyforthefirsttime whetherheintendedsimplytoleavemetotheelementsuntilIdied.
Hehadn"tkilledmeinthehotel.Theinjectioninmythighwhichhadputme unconsciouscouldjustaseasilyhavebeenfatal,ifdeathhadbeenwhathe intended.Abodyinarugcouldhavebeencarriedoutofahotelasboldlydead asunconscious.Ifhe"dsimplywantedmeoutofhislife,whywasIstillinit?
Ifhe"dwantedrevenge...thatwa.s.somethingelse.
I"dtoldKentWagnerconfidentlythatGiuseppe-Peterwouldn"tkillbyinches...
andperhapsI"dbeenwrong.
Well,Itoldmyselfastringently,you"lljusthavetowaitandsee.
Daylightcame.Agrayday,thecloudslower,scurrying,fullofunhappypromise.
Where"stheVerdi?Ithought.Iwouldn"tmindanorchestralearful.Verdi...
GiuseppeVerdi.
Oh,well.Giuseppe...Itmadesense.
Peterwashisownname-Pietro-inEnglish.
Coffeewouldn"tbebad,Ithought.Ringroomservicetobringit.
Thefirsttwenty-fourhoursweretheworstforakidnapvictim:chapterone, LibertyMarkettrainingmanual.Frommyownintimateviewpoint,Inowdoubted it.
Atwhatwouldhavebeenfulldaylightexceptfortheclouds,hecametoseeme.
Ididn"thearhimapproach,buthewa.s.suddenlythere,halfbehindme,stepping roundoneofthelaurels;Giuseppe-Peter-PietroGoldoni,dressedinhisbrown leatherjacketwiththegoldbucklesatthecuffs.
IfeltasifIhadknownhimforever,yethewastotallyalien.Therewa.s.some qualityofimplacabilityinhisapproach,asortofmuteviolenceinthewayhe walked,asubtlearroganceinhiscarriage.Hissatisfactionathavingbrought metothispa.s.swasplaintosee,andthehairsroseinvoluntarilyallupmy spine.
Hestoppedinfrontofmeandlookeddown.