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第32章

ib.thewaspfactory-第32章

小说: ib.thewaspfactory 字数: 每页4000字

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  'Right。 I'll see you later。 See you behave yourself。'
  
  I smiled and looked back to the screen。 'Yes; Dad。 See you。'
  
  'Hnnh;' he said; and with one last look round the lounge; as if still checking for vanished silver; he closed the door and I heard him clicking down the hall and out the front door。 I watched him go up the path; sat for a while; then went up and tested the door to the study; which; as usual; as always; was so firm it might as well have been part of the wall。
  
  I had fallen asleep。 The light outside was waning; some awful American crime series was on the television; and my head was sore。 I blinked through gummed eyes; yawned to unstick my lips and get some air into my stale…tasting mouth。 I yawned and stretched; then froze; I could hear the telephone。
  
  I leaped out of the seat; stumbled; almost fell; then got to the door; the hall; the stairs and finally the phone as quickly as I could。 I lifted the receiver with my right hand; which hurt。 I pressed the phone to my ear。
  
  'Hello?' I said。
  
  'Hi; Frankie lad; how's it goin'?' said Jamie。 I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment。 I sighed。
  
  'Ah; Jamie。 OK。 How are you?'
  
  'Off work。 Dropped a plank on my foot this morning and it's all swollen。'
  
  'Nothing too serious; though?'
  
  'Naw。 I'll get the rest of the week off if I'm lucky。 I'm goin' to see the doctor tomorrow for a sick line。 Just thought I'd let you know I'll be at home during the day。 You can bring me grapes sometime if you want。'
  
  'OK。 I'll e round maybe tomorrow。 I'll give you a call first to let you know。'
  
  'Great。 Any more word from you…know…who?'
  
  'Nup。 I thought that might have been him when you called。'
  
  'Aye; I thought you might think that。 Don't worry about it。 I haven't heard of anything strange happening in the town; so he probably isn't here yet。'
  
  'Yeah; but I want to see him again。 I just don't want him to start doing all the daft things he did before。 I know he'll have to go back; even if he doesn't; but I'd like to see him。 I want both things; know what I mean?'
  
  'Yeah; yeah。 It'll be OK。 I think it'll all be all right in the end。 Don't worry about it。'
  
  'I'm not。'
  
  'Good。 Well; I'm off to buy a few pints of anaesthetic down the Arms。 Fancy in' along?'
  
  'No; thanks。 I'm pretty tired。 I was up early this morning。 I might see you tomorrow。'
  
  'Great。 Well; take care an' that。 See you; Frank。'
  
  'Right; Jamie; 'bye。'
  
  'Bye;' said Jamie。 I hung up and went downstairs to turn the television over to something more sensible; but got no farther than the bottom step when the phone went again。 I went back up。 Just as I did so; a tingle went through me that it might be Eric; but no pips sounded。 I grinned and said: 'Yeah? What did you forget?'
  
  'Forget? I didn't forget anything! I remember everything! Everything!' screamed a familiar voice at the other end of the line。
  
  I froze; then gulped; said: 'Er…'
  
  'Why are you accusing me of forgetting things? What are you accusing me of forgetting? What? I haven't forgotten anything!' Eric gasped and spluttered。
  
  'Eric; I'm sorry! I thought you were somebody else!'
  
  'I'm me!' he yelled。 'I'm not anybody else! I'm me! Me!'
  
  'I thought you were Jamie!' I wailed; closing my eyes。
  
  'That dwarf? You bastard!'
  
  'I'm sorry; I…' Then I broke off and thought。 'What do you mean; 〃that dwarf〃; in that tone? He's my friend。 It isn't his fault he's small;' I told him。
  
  'Oh; yeah?' came the reply。 'How do you know?'
  
  'What do you mean how do I know? It wasn't his fault he was born like that!' I said; getting quite angry。
  
  'You only have his word for that。'
  
  'I only have his word for what?' I said。
  
  'That he's a dwarf!' Eric spat。
  
  'What?' I shouted; scarcely able to believe my ears。 'I can see he's a dwarf; you idiot!'
  
  'That's what he wants you to think! Maybe he's really an alien! Maybe the rest of them are even smaller than he is! How do you know he isn't really a giant alien from a very small race of aliens? Eh?'
  
  'Don't be stupid!' I screamed into the phone; gripping it sorely with my burned hand。
  
  'Well; don't say I didn't warn you!' Eric shouted。
  
  'Don't worry!' I shouted back。
  
  'Anyway;' Eric said in a suddenly calm voice; so that for a second or two I thought somebody else had e on the line; and I was left somewhat nonplussed as he went on in level; ordinary speech: 'How are you?'
  
  'Eh?' I said; confused。 'Ah。。。 fine。 Fine。 How are you?'
  
  'Oh; not too bad。 Nearly there。'
  
  'What? Here?'
  
  'No。 There。 Christ; it can't be a bad line over this distance; can it?'
  
  'What distance? Eh? Can it? I don't know。' I put my other hand to my forehead; getting the feeling that I was losing the thread of the conversation entirely。
  
  'I'm nearly there;' Eric explained tiredly; with a calm sigh。 'Not nearly here。 I'm already here。 How else could I be calling you from here?'
  
  'But where's 〃here〃?' I said。
  
  'You mean you don't know where you are again?' Eric exclaimed incredulously。 I closed my eyes again and moaned。 He went on; 'And you accuse me of forgetting things。 Ha!'
  
  'Look; you bloody madman!' I screamed into the green plastic as I gripped it hard and sent spears of pain up my right arm and felt my face contort。 'I'm getting fed up with you calling me up here and being deliberately awkward! Stop playing games!' I gasped for breath。 'You know damn well what I mean when I ask where 〃here 〃 is! I mean where the hell are you! I know where I am and you know where I am。 Just stop trying to mess me about; OK?'
  
  'H'm。 Sure; Frank;' Eric said; sounding uninterested。 'Sorry if I was rubbing you up the wrong way。'
  
  'Well…' I started to shout again; then controlled myself and quieted down; breathing hard。 'Well 。。。 just 。。。 just don't do that to me。 I was only asking where you are。'
  
  'Yeah; that's OK; Frank; I understand;' Eric said evenly。 'But I can't actually tell you where I am or somebody might overhear。 Surely you can see that; can't you?'
  
  'All right。 All right;' I said。 'But you're not in a call…box; are you?' 'Well; of course I'm not in a call…box;' he said with a bit of an edge in his voice again; then I heard him control his tone。 'Yeah; that's right。 I'm in somebody's house。 Well; a cottage actually。'
  
  'What?' I said。 'Who? Whose?'
  
  'I don't know;' he replied; and I could almost hear him shrug。 'I suppose I could find out if you're really that interested。 Are you really that interested?'
  
  'What? No。 Yes。 I mean; no。 What does it matter? But where… I mean how… I mean who do you…?'
  
  'Look; Frank; ' Eric said tiredly; 'it's just somebody's little holiday cottage or weekend retreat or something; right? I don't know whose it is; but; as you so perceptively put it; it doesn't matter; all right?'
  
  'You mean you've broken in to someobdy's home?' I said。
  
  'Yeah; so what? I didn't even have to break in; in fact。 I found the key to the back door in the guttering。 What's wrong? It's a very nice little place。'
  
  'Aren't you frightened of getting caught?'
  
  'Not much。 I'm sitting here in the front room looking down the drive and I can see way down the road。 No problem。 I've got food and there's a bath and there's a phone and there's a freezer… Christ; you could fit an Alsatian in there…and a bed and everything。 Luxury。'
  
  'An Alsatian!' I screeched。
  
  'Well; yes; if I had one。 I don't; but if I did I could have kept that in there。 As it is…'
  
  'Don't;' I interrupted; closing my eyes yet again and holding up my hand as though he was there in the house with me。 'Don't tell me。'
  
  'OK。 Well; I just thought I'd ring you and tell you I'm all right; and see how you are。'
  
  'I'm fine。 Are you sure you're OK; too?'
  
  'Yeah ; never felt bette

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