Part 23 (1/2)

'Hemightreckonthatifhewaslosingeverythinganyway,he'dmakesureyouwentdownaswell.AndImeandown.'

EveryinstincttoldmenottoletWaltmeetMattClive.

'Supposehewon'tmakealateappointment?'hesaid.'WhenIgrantmostofthecompanywouldhavegonehome,anditwouldbemoredifficulttocheck.Supposeheinsistsonthreeintheafternoon,oreventhenextmorning?Doyouwanttos.n.a.t.c.hthosehorsesbyday?'

'Notmuch.But.i.twouldtakehimatleasttwohourseachway.Addanhourforwaitingandchecking.Evenifhecalledthepolice,itwouldn'tbeforthreehoursafterhelefthome.We'dhavebeengonewiththehorsesfortwoofthose.'

Waltobstinatelyshookhishead.'Thelimitsaretoonarrow.Ahorsevanwon'tbeabletodobetterthanthirtymilesanhouronthefarmroad,ifthatmuch.YouhavetogointoKingman,whichisintheoppositedirectionfromKentucky,andthenroundandacrossArizona...therearen'ttoomanyroadsinthatState,it'smostlydesert.Thepolicecouldfindyoutooeasily.'

'DownthroughPhoenix...'

'TheroadtoPhoenixtwiststhroughmountains,withhairpincurvesmostoftheway.'

'Idon'twantyouwalkingintoanemptyhousewithMattClive.'

Helookedatmewithoutexpression.'Butyouwouldgo.Ifhedidn'tknowyou,Imean.'

That'sdifferent.'

'How?'hesaid,halfinsulted,halfchallenging.

Ilookedathimsideways.'IbetIcanrunfasterthanyou.'

Hisforeheadrelaxed.'You'reinprettygoodshape,I'llgiveyouthat.Allthesame,I'mgoingtoLasVegas.'

He'dmanoeuvredmeintonotbeingabletopersuadehimagainst.i.tonthegroundsofsafety;andfromallotherpointsofviewitwasagoodidea.AgainstmyinstinctIagreedintheendthatheshouldgo.

'I'lldriftonouttomorrowandlookatthefarmbeyondKingman,'Isaid.'Isupposeyoucouldn'tseewhethertherewereanyotherhorsestherebesidesthetwowe'reafter?'

Helookedstartled.'Youmeantheremightbeanotheridentificationproblem?'

'Perhaps.ThoughI'dsayit'scertainourtwohaveMoviemaker'sandCentigrade'sstudbooknumberstattooedinsidetheirmouths.Theywouldhaveto,tosatisfyvisitinggrooms,forinstance,thattheirmareswerebeingmatedwiththerightstallion.ButI'veneverseenthem...ShowmanandAllyx.Ifthereareotherhorsesthere,it'llsimplymeangoingroundpeeringintoalltheirmouthsuntilIfindtherightones.'

Waltraisedhiseyestoheaven.'Youmakeeverythingsoundsodarnedeasy.Likeit'sonlyfivemilestothetopofEverest,andeveryonecanwalkfivemiles,can'tthey?'

Smiling,Iaskedhimforprecisedirectionstothefarm,andhetoldme.

'Andnowthisend...'Isaid.'HowmanystringscanyoupullwiththeLosAngelesfraudsquad?'

'Notmany,'hesaid.'Idon'tknowanyoneoutthere.'

'Butwithb.u.t.tressLifebehindyou?'

Hesighed.'Isupposeyouwantmetogoanddipmytoesinthewater?'

'Jumprightin,'Iagreed.'Talkyourwaytothetopchap,andtellhimb.u.t.tressLifesuspectthatMoviemakerandCentigradeareShowmanandAllyx.Geteverythingnicelystirredup.MakeOffenprovebeyondanydoubtthatthetwohorsesatOrpheusliterallyareMoviemakerandCentigrade.'

Henodded.'O.K.I'llstartthismorning.Havetogoalittlecarefully,though,orOffenwillcomeupsofastwithalibelsuitthatwe'llwonderwhathitus.'

'Youmustbeusedtoducking.'

'Yeah.'

IgavehimthepageMissBritthadwrittenoutformeinLexington.

'Herearethefigures.Noonecanquestionthese,notevenOffen.Youmightfindthemusefulingettingthelawmoving.'

Hetuckedthepaperintohispocketandnodded,andshortlyafter,withthehabitualmartyredsigh,leveredhimselfoutofhischairandambledonhisway.

Isatandthoughtforawhilebutgotnowherenew.TherewasgoingtobelittleelseformetodobutwaitandwatchforthenextfewdayswhileSamHengelmanrolledhiswaytwothousandmilesacrossthecontinent.

WhenIwentdowntolunchIfoundEuniceandLynniesittingincoolbrightdressesunderthedappledshadeofthesea-facingterrace.Theirhairwasglossyandneat,theirbigearringsgentlyswinging,theirlegssmoothandtanned,thewhitesoftheireyesadetergentwhite.

Theydidn'tgetthelingeringscrutinytheydeserved.Withthem,equallycrisp,equallyatease,satCulhamJamesOffen,UncleBark.

Allthreeseemedasc.r.a.pdisconcertedwhenIfoldedmyselfgentlyontothefourthchairroundthelowtableonwhichstoodtheirlongfrosteddrinks.

OffenandInoddedtoeachother.Therewa.s.stillinhismannerthesuperior,self-satisfiedamus.e.m.e.nthehadtreatedmewithathishouse.Rea.s.suring.Lynniesmiled,butwithaquicksidelongglanceatEunicetomakesuresuchtreacheryhadn'tbeennoticed.Eunicehadonan'I-am-your-employer's-wife'face,whichdidn'twipefrommymind,norhers,Iimagine,thememoryofthefluffypinkwrapper.

'Wethoughtyou'dgonetoL.A.withWalt,'Lynniesaid.

Eunicegaveherasharpglancewhichshedidn'tsee.'WeranintoMrOffeninthelobbyhere,wasn'tthatextraordinary?'

'Extraordinary,'Iagreed.

Offen'swhiteeyebrowswentupanddowninanembarra.s.smenthecouldn'tentirelysmother.

'Itsurehasbeenapleasure,'hesaid,'togettoknowyoufolksbetter.'HespokeexclusivelytoEunice,however.

Shehadwarmedagaintothecharmhehadswitchedonforher,andgavemethetagendofascornfulglance.HowcouldI,sheinferred,imaginethisniceinfluentialcitizencouldbeacrook.

'HowareMattandYolathesedays?'Isaidconversationally.

Offenvisiblyjumped,andablightfellontheparty.'Suchcharmingyoungpeople,'Isaidbenignly,andwatchedEunicerememberingwhathadhappenedtoDave,andalsoperhapswhatWalthadtoldherabouttheirattackonme.'Yournephewandniece,Ibelieve?'

Offen'spaleblueeyesweretheleastimpressivefeatureinhistannedfacewithitssnow-whiteframe.Ireadinthematouchofwariness,andwonderedwhetherinproddingEunicetofacerealityIhaddisturbedhiscomplacencytoofar.

'Theywouldsureliketomeetyouagain,'hesaidslowly,andtheheavyill-feelingbehindthewordscurdledfinallyforEunicehismilk-of-human-kindnessimage.

'Areyouexpectingthemwithinthenextfewdays?'Iasked,droppinginthemeresttouchofanxiety.

Hesaidhewasn't,andhisinneramus.e.m.e.ntabruptlyreturned.IhadsucceededinconvincinghimIwouldbetryingtoremovehishorsesfromOrpheusprettysoonnow;andshortlyafterwardshegotpurposefullytohisfeet,bentabeamingsmileonEunice,asmalleroneonLynnieandasmugoneonme,andmadeanimportantexitthroughthemotel.

AfteralongpauseEunicesaidflatly,'IguessIwaswrongaboutthatguybeingsweet.'

Weateanamicablelunchandspenttheafternoononthebeachunderafringedumbrella,withthebrightgreen-bluePacifichissinggentlyonthesand.Outontherollersthegoldenboysrodetheirsurfboards,andflatbymysidelittleLynniesighedtothebottomofherlungswithcontentment.'Iwishthiscouldgoonforever,'shesaid.'SodoI.'

Eunice,ontheothersideofLynnie,proppedherselfupononeelbow.'I'mgoingtotakeadip,'shesaid.'Coming?'

'Inaminute,'Lynniesaidlazily,andEunicewentalone.Wewatchedhertightwell-shapedfigurewalkunwaveringlydowntothewater,andLynniesaidwhatIwasthinking.'Shehardlydrinksatall,now.'