Part 16 (1/2)

'Gene?'hesaid,”Nowlisten,fella.Apartfromcuriosity,isthereanygoodreasonforfindingthoseanswersyoutalkedabout?'

'Forestallingrepet.i.tion,'Isaidpromptly.

'Nomorestolenstallionsandnomoreattacksonme?'

'That'sright.'

Therewasapause.

'I'llbuytheanswers,then,'hesaid.'Ifyoucangetthem.AndasforAllyx...ifyouthinkthere'sanychanceoffindinghimaliveandvigorous,thenIguessI'mmorallyobligedtogiveyouthego-ahead.I'dhavetosyndicatehimalloveragain,ofcourse.He'llbetwelvenow.Thatwouldgivehimonlyaboutsixtoeightmoreyearsofhighpotency...ButhisgetfrombeforehisdisappearancearewinningalloverEurope.Business-wiseI'mnottoohappyaboutthosethreelostyears.Butblood-wise,itwouldbecriminalnottotrytogethimback.'

'Allright.'Isaid.'I'llseewhatIcando.'

'WhatyouspentonfindingChrysalisislessthanhisfeeforcoveringasinglemare.You'veafreehandagainforAllyx.'

'Right,'Isaid.

'SimKeeblesaysyou'vegotsevendays'extensionofleave.Somethingabout.i.tbeingduetoyouanyway,fromaweekyouwereent.i.tledtoatChristmasanddidn'ttake.'

'I'dforgottenaboutthat.'

'IguessIcouldfixitwithhimformore,iftheextraweekisn'tenough.'

'IfIhaven'tfinishedbythenI'llhavefailedanyway,andmightaswellgohome.'

'Oh.'Hesoundeddisappointed.'Verywell,we'llleaveitlikethatforthepresent.'Heclearedhisthroat.'Eunicedidn'tseemtothinkyoulookedtoowell.'

'Theboyonthepuntwhoknockedyououtdidthesamethingforme.'

'Gene!'Hisvoicewa.s.shocked.

'Yeah.Don'ttellmybossI'mthatincompetent.Thoughcometothinkofit,heknows.'

Helaughed.'Whenyoufindthatboyagaingivehimaone-twofrombothofus.'

'Sure,'Isaid.ButI'dbeentaughtmyjobbycerebralpeoplewhodidn'treckonascreenerwouldeverhavetofightforhislife,andbythetimeIprovedthemwrongIwastoooldtobecomeexpertatboxingorjudo,evenifI'dlikedtheidea,whichIdidn't.Ihadlearnedinsteadtoshootstraight,andtheLugerhadinthepastthreeyea.r.s.extricatedmeunharmedfromtwostickysituations.ButinastanduphandtohandaffairwiththatyoungbullMattCliveIwouldbeafivehundredtooneloser,and'givinghimaone-twofrombothofus'inanyphysicalsensewasaverydimpossibilityindeed.

'Keepintouch,fella,'Davesaid.

'Sure,'Iansweredagain,meaningitaslittle:andwerangoff.

Curledoppositeinatomatoarmchair,Eunicesaidgloomily,'Igatherwe'restuckwiththatb.l.o.o.d.yAllyx.'

'Onlyifwefindhim.'

'Oh,you'lldothat,blastyou.'Herbitternesswa.s.somarkedthatLynniestaredather.Tooyoungtounderstand,Ithought,that.i.twasn'tmeparticularlythatEunicewantedtohurt,butlifeingeneral.

TheywentupstairsshortlyafterwardsmurmuringaboutCaliforniainthemorning,andIswitchedoffthelightandsatinneardarkness,finis.h.i.+ngthefourthofEunice'sma.s.siveideasondrinkandworkingoutthequestions1wouldaskthenextday.IcouldfindAllyxonpaper,ifIwerelucky:buthecouldhardlyturnuplooseafterthreeyears.Threeweekshadbeenstrictlythelimit.Thewholethingmighthavetobemoreorthodox,morepublic.AndIwouldn'tagain,Idecidedmildly,putmyselfwithinaccidentreachofthemurderousClives.

AfterawhileIdesertedthelasthalfofthedrinkandwanderedupstairstothes.p.a.ciousair-conditionedroomEunicehadgivenme.WithatiredhandIswitchedonthelightinsidethedoor,andyellowpoolsinfrillyshadesshoneoutonbrownandgoldandwhitefurnis.h.i.+ngs.

Onesplashofjarringbrightpink.Euniceherself,inafluffytrimmedwrapper,waslyingonmybed.

Iwalkedslowlyacrossthethickwhitecarpetandsatbesideheronthewhitespottedmuslincoverlet.

'Whatdoyouwant?'Isaidgently.

'Whatdoyouthink?'

Ishookmyhead.

'Doesthatmeanno?'Hervoicewasabruptlymatteroffact.

'I'mafraiditdoes,'Isaid.

'Yousaidyouweren'tqueer.'

'Well...I'mnot.'Ismiledather.'ButIdohaveoneunbreakablerule.'

'Andthatis?'

'Nottosleepwiththewives...ordaughters...ofthemenIworkfor.'

Shesatboltuprightsothatherfacewasclosetomine.Hereyeshadtheusualcontractedpupilsofthequarterdrunk.

'ThatincludesLynnie,'shesaid.

'Yes.Itdoes.'

'WellI'llbed.a.m.ned.YoumeanthatnightyouspentinNewYorkwithheryoudidn'teventry...'

'Itwouldn'thavebeenmuchgoodifIhad.'Isaid,halflaughing.

'Don'tyoubelieveit.Shenevertakeshereyesoffyou,andwhenyouwereawayshetalkedaboutnothingelse.'

Istaredatherinrealsurprise.'Youmustbewrong.'

'Iwasn'tbornyesterday,'shesaidgloomily.'Shehastwophotographsofyouaswell.'

'Whatphotographs?'Iwa.s.staggered.

'Someherbrothertook.Thatdayontheriver.'

'Butsheshouldn't...'

'Maybesheshouldn't,'Eunicesaiddryly.'Butshedoes.'SheswungherlegscarelesslyaroundtositontheedgeofthebedbesidemeandIsawthatforsomeonebentonseductionshehadcomewellwrappedup.

'Youexpectedmetosayno,'Isaid.

Shemadeaface'Ithoughtyoumight.But.i.twasworthatry.'