Part 13 (1/2)

'UncleBark?'Yola'svoicesaid,lowandclear.Oneofthebugswasbehindapictureofdroopingrosesonthewalloverthetelephonetable.

'...honey.'Theoccasionalwordescapedfromthereceiverinreturn,butYolamusthavebeenholdingitclosetoherear.

'Sure.Everything'sjustfinehere,'shesaid.'Absolutelynokindoftrouble.'

'...Matt?...'

'That'swhatIcalledabout,UncleBark.Mattwrotemehe'shavingtogiveupinEurope.Hesayshecan'tgetneartoyou-know-who,they'vegothimholedupastightasFortKnox.SoIguesswe'lljusthavetokeepeverythingunderwrapsforawhilelonger.'

'Itsureisanuisance,yeah.Butaslongaswegethimtoyoubeforethesnowscomeagain...'

'Howcanwe?Youknowitisn'tbuiltforthat.'

'...stay...'

'Wecertainlycan'tsendhimdowntoClint'swiththeothers.We'dwasteawholeyearandhemightbreakalegorsomething.'

'...desert.'

'Wedon'twanthimatPitts,itisn'tbuiltforit.b.u.t.there'sagoodlongtimeforMatttoarrangesomething.'

'...hadn'tstarted.'

'Yeah,I'msureyouwould.But.i.t'stoolatenow.HowwerewetoknowthatsomethingsoG.o.ddamstupidwouldhappen?Mattwillprobablybehomesometimetomorrow.I'llhavehimcallyou.'

Sheputdownthereceiversoonafterthat:andIwoundbackthetapeandplayedtheconversationoveragain.Twounsubstantialpointsemerged.IfDaveTellerhadbeentooobviouslyguarded,Mattwouldhaverealisedthatthepuntepisodewasnotconsideredtobeanaccident.Andthesomething'G.o.ddamstupid'whichhadsomewhereorotherupsettheClives'originalplansmightbethatI'dbeentheretofishDaveoutoftheriver,ormightbesomethingelsequitedifferent;somethingwhichhadmadetheremovalofDavenecessaryinthefirstplace.ThehorsehadbeenstolenonJune15th,Tuesday,andYolahadaskedtheLondonhotelforDave'sweek-endaddressonJune19th,Sat.u.r.day.Sowhat,ifanything,hadhappenedinthefourdaysbetween?SomethingG.o.ddamstupid...

ItoldYolaafterbreakfastonSat.u.r.daymorningthatIhadenjoyedmystayimmenselyandwouldbeleavingthefollowingday.Shesmiledtheregulationsmilewithoutclearlyfocussing,andthankedmeforlettingherknow.

'SoifIcouldhavemybillatbreakfasttomorrow?'Isuggested.

'Sure,'shesaid,'Butyoucan'tstayoverMondayfortheFourth?'

I'mafraidnot.'

Shenodded,notcaringonewayortheother.'I'llget.i.treadyforyou,then.'

TheWilkersons.e.xclaimedovermygoing.'You'llmissthebarbecue,'Samanthasaid.'Andthefloattripdowntheriver.'

AlocalmantookpartiesdownthefastflowingSnakeonblackinflatedrubberraftdinghies:oneofthearea'sattractions,liketherodeoandtheskilift.TheWilkersonshadaskedmetojointhem.'MaybeI'llcomebacknextyear,'Isaid.AndmaybeIwouldn't.

IlookedafterthechildrenthatafternoonwhileBetty-AnnwenttothehairdresserandWilkiedrovetoadistantlakeforthefis.h.i.+ng.Theyswaminthestream,whereIrefusedtojointhemincasemyheadinthewaterjoggedYola'ssleepingmemory,andwefedsugarandhandfulsofgra.s.sthroughtherailstotheleggyfoalsinthelittlepaddock.Therailsweresolidyoungtreetrunksdove-tailedandnailedintoevenst.u.r.dierposts,andthegatewasjusta.s.substantial.Its.h.i.+ngeswereboltedthroughthegatepost,andaheavypadlockfasteneditthroughtwostronghasps.Noneofthisstrengthwasnew.

SamanthaandMickeydidn'tthinkmuchofthesardinebay.

'Toospindly,'Mickeysaid.'Hislegswouldsnapifhewentupthemountain.'IlookedacrossattheTetonrange,thetopss.h.i.+ningwhiteinthehotsun.Thesure-footedborn-to-itranchhorsespickedtheirwayeasilyupanddownthesteeprockypathsoverthere,throughthewoodsgrowingwithflathuckleberryleaves,acrossthescreesleftfromlandslips,andontothebarestonypatchesabovethesnowline.

'Whydon'tyoustay'I'lllMondaynight?'saidMickey.'Ifyougotomorrow,you'llmissthefireworks.'

CHAPTERNINE.

Atoneo'clock,earlySundaymorning,Istoodontheporchofmycabinwaitingformyeyestodilate,andlisteningtothenight.

Aslightwind,rifflingthetrees.Acarhorn,verydistant.Thefainthumoftheelectricgeneratorinitsspecialhouse.NosoundfromYola'scabin.Noneallevening.Matthadn'tyetcomehome.

WithsomemisgivingsIhadleftmyridingbootsinthecabin,andworeonlythinrubber-soledplimsolls,withapairofsocksontop.Iwalkedquietlythroughthesagebrushonthelongwayroundtothelittlepaddock,thespicyfragrancerisingintomynoseasIdisturbedthesilvergreyleaves.Thehalfmoonlightwasenoughtoseebywithoutatorchandstreakycloudsmades.h.i.+ftingshadowsacrosstheground:itcouldn'thavebeenbetterifI'dsentinanorder.

Thepadlock'sstrengthwasillusory.Ithadasimplelevermovementinsidewhichtookmelessthanfiveminutestofiddleopen.Noonecouldhaveheardtheclickofsuccess.Northetinysqueakofthegateopening.Islippedthroughanddistributedsugartothemaresandfoals.Thebaywiththewhiteblazegreetedthiswithatrumpetingwhinny;butnolightswentoninYola'scabinorthewranglers'bunkhouse.

ThesardinehorseflaredhisnostrilsatmebutatethesugarandletmeslipoverhisheadthesimpleropehalterIhadcomearmedwith.Ispentsometimerubbinghisnoseandpattinghisneck,andwhenIwalkedtowardsthegatehecamewithmedocilelyenough.Iopenedthegateandledhimthrough,andthemaresandfoalsquietlyfollowed,theirunshodhoovesmakingdulllittleclopsontheloamyground.

Thegentleprocessionwentslowlyacrosstowardstheriver,overtheflatbridgewithhollowthuds,andupintothedarknessofthepinewoods.Themaressoonstoppedtograze,andthefoalswiththem,b.u.t.thebaystallionwiththeblazesuddenlyrealisedhewasfreeagain,andcrashedpastmeathighspeed,squealingandcanteringupthepathandmakingasmuchnoiseasatrain-loadoffootb.a.l.l.supporters.Anxious,heart-quickenedmomentspa.s.sed:butstillnoreactionfrombelow.

Thesardinebaytuggedhardtofollow.Isoothedhimandsteadiedhim,andwepresentlywalkedon.Hepickedhiswaytoocautiouslyoverthestonesandcornersofrocksstickingupinthenarrowpath,butIcouldn'thurryhimwithoutrisk;myneckp.r.i.c.kledatthethoughtofbeingslungintoaWyomingjailforhorsestealing;but.i.twasnothingtothefearIhadthatMickeymightberightaboutthosespindlylegs.

Inplacesallthewayupthewidthofthepathdwindledtotwofeet,withawallofrockononesideandasteepslopeontheother.Ridingalongthembydayonesimplyhadtotrustthatone'shorsewouldn'ttumbleovertheedge,asnothingcouldthenhavestoppedarock-strewnrollingdescentoftwoorthreehundredfeet.Atthesepointstherewasn'troomtowalksidebysidewithahorseonewasleading:Iinchedupthepathaheadofhim,andslowly,cautiously,heputhisfeetdelicatelydownbetweenthebiggerstones,andscrunchedafterme.

Twoorthreetimeswepa.s.sedsmallgroupsofhorsesfromtheranch,thecowbellclankinggentlyroundtheneckoftheleaderandbetrayingtheirpresence.Theirdarkshapesmeltedintothejumbledbackgroundofwoodsandrocks,andthemoonlightpickedoutonlyaneye,arump,aswis.h.i.+ngtail.Thewranglersfoundthemeachmorningbytracking,asthebellswereonlyaudibleforafurlong.I'dhadalongtalkwithoneoftheboysabouttracking,andhe'dshownmehowtheydidit.TheyweregoingtobeabletofollowmywayupthemountainasclearlyasifI'dgiventhemdirections,andtotellthetimeIwentbytheamountofdewwhichformedinthehoofprints.Theboyhadshownmehoofprints,toldmehowmanyhorseshadgonebyandwhen,andallIhadseenweresomescattereddustymarks.Theyreadthegroundlikeabook.IfItriedtoobliteratethesardinehorse'shoofprints,IobliteratedalsoanychanceoftheClivesbelievinghehadwanderedoffbyaccident.Thefuzzyoutlineofplimsollsundersockswas,Ihoped,goingtopa.s.sunnoticed:nothinglesswasworththediscomfortofwearingthemonsuchjaggedgoing.

IttooktwohourstoreachtwelvethousandfeetandtocometotheendofthetracksI'dlearnedinthepastfourdays.Fromthereitwasacaseoftrustingmyownnose.ThedriftingstreaksofcloudmadeblackshadowslikepitsacrosstherocksandseveraltimesIstoodstillandfeltaheadwithonetoetomakesurethatthegroundwasinfactstillthere,andIwasnotsteppingstraightoffaprecipice.Themoonitself,andthecoldmountainairmovingagainstmyrightcheek,keptmegoingintherightgeneraldirection,b.u.t.thedotted-linetrailIhadstudiedonthemapprovedmoreoptimisticthanactual.

Thehorse'slegsstooduptoitremarkablywell.Minehadalreadyhadenough.MountaineeringwasnotamongCivilServicerequirements.

ThepeakoftheGrandTetonrosetothirteenthousandsevenhundredfeet.Thesummitloomedveryclose.Patchesofsnow,halfmelted,exposedblack-lookingbanksofscree.Icamesuddenlyacrossanarrowtrailwindingpastthemlikeaneel:peoplehadwalkedalongthererecently,sc.r.a.pingintothesnow.Ihad,withsomeluck,cometherightway.Thecoldbitdownundermyblackjerseyandthroughthethins.h.i.+rtunderneath,andIwishedIhadhadthesensetobringgloves.But.i.tcouldn'tbeagreatdealfurther:throughtheshortcanyonpa.s.s,andouttheotherside.Ilookedatmywatch.TheclimbhadtakennearlythreehoursandIwaslate.

Itwasdarkerinthecanyon,butalsoinvisiblefromthevalleybelow.Itookthesmalltorchoutofmyjeanspocket,andshoneitinfrontofmyfeet.Becauseofthat,thewholeexpeditioncameunstuck.

Amansuddenlyroundedacornerashortwayaheadandstoodfoursquareinthecentreofthetrail.StartledevenmorethanIwas,thehorsebackedinstantlyaway,toretheropeoutofmyhand,pulledmeflatoverasItriedtohangon,andskippedsharplyawayalonganarrowridgebranchingofftotheleft.

SickandfuriousIgotbackonmyfeetandturnedtogoafterhim.Themantookatentativestepdownthetrailandcalledout.

'Gene?'

ItwasWalt.

Ibitmytongueliterallytostoptherageinmymindfromspillingoverhim.Therewasn'ttimeforit.

'Isawyoucoming.Thelight,'heexplained.'IthoughtI'dcomealongtomeetyou.You'relaterthanyousaid.'

'Yes.'Ishutmymouth.Therewashalfamillionpoundslooseinadeathtrap.Myresponsibility,andmyfault.

Themoonpushedoutafeebletwentywatts.Icouldn'tseethehorse.Thepathhehadtakeninpanicwasaledgeeighteenincheswidewithsheerrockontheleftandafierceslopeofscreeontheright.Agradientsosteepthat.i.twasasdangerousasastraightdowndrop:andinitsblackinvisibledepthstherewouldbetheusualbigslabswithupjuttingedges.

'Stayhere,'IsaidtoWalt.'Andkeepquiet.'

Henoddedwithoutspeaking,understandingthatthesituationwasbeyondapology.Hisinstructionshadbeenexpresslytowaitformeatonearrangedspot.