Part 30 (1/2)

”Paw? h.e.l.l, no!”

Thurlow appeared caught by something in Murphey's tone. He said: ”You and your father ever fight?”

”Jawed some, that's all.”

”You mean argued.”

”Yeah. He always wanted me to stay with the mules and wagon.”

Thurlow sat waiting, watchful, studying.

Murphey a.s.sumed a death's head grin. ”That's an old saying we had in the family.” Abruptly, he put down the card in his hand, took up the third one. He c.o.c.ked his head to one side. ”Hide of a muskrat stretched out to dry. They brought eleven cents apiece when I was a boy.”

Thurlow said: ”Try for another a.s.sociation. See if you can find something else in the card.”

Murphey flicked a glance at Thurlow, back to the card. An appearance of spring-wound tension came over him. The silence dragged out.

Watching the scene, Kelexel had the sensation that Thurlow was reaching through Murphey to the pantovive's audience. He felt that he himself was being examined by the witch doctor. Logically, Kelexel knew this scene already lay in the past, that it was a captured record. There was an immediacy about it, though, a sensation of moving freely in time.

Again Murphey looked at Thurlow. ”It might be a dead bat,” he said. ”Somebody might've shot it.”

”Oh? Why would anyone do that?”

”Because they're dirty!” Murphey put the card on the table, pushed it away from him. He looked concerned. Slowly, he reached for the next card, exposed it as though fearful of what he might find.

Thurlow checked the watch, returned his attention to Murphey.

Murphey studied the card in his hand. Several times he appeared about to speak. Each time he hesitated, remained silent. Presently, he said: ”Fourth of July rockets, the fire kind that go off in the air. Dangerous d.a.m.n' things.”

”The explosive kind?” Thurlow asked.

Murphey peered at the card. ”Yeah, the kind that explode and shoot out stars. Those stars can start fires.”

”Have you ever seen one start a fire?”

”I've heard about it.”

”Where?”

”Lotsa places! Every year they warn people about those d.a.m.n' things. Don't you read the papers?”

Thurlow made a note on the pad in front of him.

Murphey glowered at him a moment, went on to the next card. ”This one's a drawing of where they've poisoned an ant hill and cut the hill in half to map out how the holes were dug.”

Thurlow leaned back, his attention concentrated on Murphey's face. ”Why would someone make such a map?”

”To see how the ants work it out. I fell on an anthill when I was a kid. They bit like fire. Maw put soda on me. Paw poured coal oil on the hill and set a match to it. Man, did they scatter! Paw jumping all around, smas.h.i.+ng 'em.”

With a reluctant motion, Murphey put down the card, took up the next one. He glared at Thrulow's hand making notes, turned his attention to the card. A charged silence settled over him.