Part 19 (1/2)

'WhereafterMaryland?'Iasked.

'Uh...here.IseenthisadintheBloodHorse,andIwrote.Itwasajoke,mostly.Ineverexpectedtohearaword,knowingthiswasabigplaceandeverything.ButMrOffen,itseemshedidn'twantnogreatbusinessman,justsomeonewithafeelingforthemares...andhe'skeepingmeon,hesays,thoughtherewastwobeforemeheletgoafterthey'dbeenhereamonth.'

Itdidn'tseemtoworryhim.HehadtheG.o.d-will-providenaturewhichdoesn'tunderstandanxietyandneverstoresupwinternuts.Notthathehadanyneedto.His'feelingformares'wasinfactpriceless:hewouldprobablynevercas.h.i.+nonitashecould,buthe'dneverwantforajob.

Kiddowatchedusgointhesamecalmfriendlinesswithwhichhe'dshownusround.WaltandIagreedonthewaybacktoSantaBarbarathathewasonlypotentiallyanopponent.LoyaltymightbegiventoOffenifhedemandedit,butatpresentKiddohadnoideawhatwasgoingon.

'Unless,'Waltsaidthoughtfully,'he'sabrilliantactor.'

Ishookmyhead.'Hewasn'tacting.Noneofthesigns.'

Waltlookedatmecuriously,takinghiseyestoolongofftheroad.'Canyoualwaystell?'

Ismiled.'That'soneofthoseunanswerablequestions.I'veafeelingforit,likeKiddowithhismares.Butifitletsmedownsometimes,howamItoknow?'

'You'dknowsoonenoughwhensecretsstartedleakingtotheotherside,'Waltpointedout.'Haveyoueverpa.s.sedasclearanyonewhoturnedouttobeaspy?'

'Yes.'

'Howoften?'

'Once.'

'Inyourfirstyear,Isuppose,'Waltsaidwithmildsarcasm.

'Inmysecondyear.HewasthefirstseriousspyIhadtodealwith,andIdidn'tspothim.Thecounter-espionagechapsturnedhimupsixmonthslaterwhenhe'ddoneagooddealofdamage,andthepressmadetheusualscathingremarksaboutthefeeblenessofourscreeningsystem.'

'Whichyoutooktoheart,'Waltsaiddryly.

'Iguessso.'

Hedroveamileandthensaid,'Andnowyou'resogoodat.i.tthattheybeatyouup.Whatdoyouthinkaboutthingswhenthathappens?'

'Thatthere'sabigfishcomingdownthepipelineandtheywantmeoutoftheway.'

'Soyoulookalltheharder.'Astatement,notaquestion.

'Youmightsayso.Yes.'

'They'llkillyouoneofthesedays.'

Ididn'tanswer.Waltflickedaglancesidewaysandsighed.'Isupposeyoudon'tcare.'

'Therearealotofothersinthedepartment.'

WaltdroveintoSantaBarbarawithoutanotherword,wherewejoinedEuniceandLynnieintheterracerestaurantforlunch.Theyhad,theysaid,boughtthatmorningthebigbrightdanglingearringswhichswungwitheveryturnoftheirheads.Lynnie'swerescarlet,Eunice'sacidgreen;otherwiseidentical.Stillfriends,Ithoughtinsomerelief.Stillinharmony.Whether Eunicewoulddoasmallch.o.r.eformewas,however,anothermatter.

Wehadclamchowderwithshrimptofollow,andLynniesaidwithallthisseafoodshe'dbegrowingfins.Duringcoffee,whenshestooduprestlesslyandsaidshewasgoingdowntothesea,itwasWalt,afterapause,whosaidhewouldgowithher.Shelookedatmequestioningly,worriedly,andthenturnedandwalkedquicklyoffwithhim,talkingagooddealtoobrightly.

'Don'tyouhurtthatchild,'Eunicesaidfiercely.

'Idon'twantto.'

'You'retoob.l.o.o.d.yattractive.'

'Yeah.Charmthebirdsoffthetrees,'Iagreedsardonically.'Littlewivesspilltheirhusbands'secretsintomyb.l.o.o.d.yattractiveears.'

Shelookedshocked.Quiteachange,Ithought,fromdis.h.i.+ngitout.

'Youmeanyou...useit?'

'Likeacanopener.Andasacatalyst.Whodoesn't?Salesmen,politicians,actors,women,allusingitlikemad.'

'ForG.o.d'ssake...'Hervoicewasfaint,butshewasalsolaughing.

'ButnotonLynnie,'Iaddedwryly.

'Youdidn'tneedto,Iguess.DraggingDaveoutoftheThameswasalotmoreeffective.'

IwatchedLynnie'sandWalt'sbacksastheyreachedthetideline.

'Sothat'swhy...?'Isaid,almosttomyself.

'Herowors.h.i.+p,'Eunicesaidwithbarbs.'Doesitgiveyouakick?'

'Likeamule'sinthestomach...'

Shelaughed.'It'snotthatyou'resomadlyhandsomeinanyobviousway.'

'No,'Iagreedwithtruth,'I'mnot.'

Shelookedasifsheweregoingtosaymoreandthenthoughtbetterofit.Ijumpedstraightinwhilehermindwa.s.stillhalfflirting,knowing,anddespisingtheknowledge,thatinthatmoodshewasmorelikelytodowhatIasked.

'HasLynniestillgotthosephotographsofme?'

'Don'tworry,'shesaidsarcastically.'Inafire,she'dsavethemfirst.'

'I'dlikeCulhamJamesOffentoseethem.'

'You'dlikewhat?Whatareyoutalkingabout?'

'AboutyouandLynniedrivingovertopayaneighbourlycallonCulhamJamesthisafternoon,andeasily,dearestEunice,youcouldtellhimaboutmepullingDaveoutoftheThames,andLynniecouldshowhimmyphotograph.Especiallytheoneofmesittingbyatableoutsideapub.Thatgroupofallofus.'

Shegapedandgasped,andthenstartedthinking.

'Youreallycan'tbeaspleasedwithyourselfasallthat...soforG.o.d'ssake,why?'