iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第73章

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。　I　feel　sleepy；　almost　drunk。
　Gil　is　calling　the　police。　An　emergency；　he　says。　On　Olden　Street。　At　the　Institute。
　His　voice　is　loud　against　the　silence。　Paul　mumbles　the　house　number；　and　Gil　echoes　it　into　the　phone。
　Hurry。
　Suddenly　Paul　raises　himself　from　the　floor。　〃We　need　to　get　out　of　here。〃
　〃What？〃
　My　senses　are　returning。　I　put　a　hand　on　Paul's　shoulder；　but　he　darts　into　the　bedroom；　looking　everywhere…the　space　beneath　the　bed；　the　crack　between　the　doors　of　Taft's　closet；　odd　slats　in　tall　bookshelves。
　〃It's　not　here　。　。　。〃　he　says。　Then　he　turns；　struck　by　something　else。　〃The　map；〃　he　blurts。　〃Where's　my　map？〃
　Gil　looks　at　me　as　if　this　is　it；　the　sign　that　Paul　has　lost　touch。
　〃In　the　lockbox　at　Ivy；〃　he　says；　taking　Paul　by　the　arm。　〃Where　we　put　it。〃
　But　Paul　shakes　him　off　and　begins　toward　the　stairs　on　his　own。　In　the　far　distance　there　es　the　sound　of　sirens。
　〃We　can't　leave；〃　I　call　out。
　Gil　glances　at　me；　but　follows　him。　The　sirens　are　closer　now…blocks　away；　but　rising。　Outside；　through　the　window；　the　hills　are　the　color　of　metal。　In　a　church　somewhere；　it　is　Easter。
　〃I　lied　to　the　police　about　Vincent；〃　Paul　cries　back。　〃I　can't　be　here　when　they　find　him。〃
　I　follow　them　out　the　front　door；　pushing　toward　the　Saab。　Gil　fires　the　engine；　flooding　it　with　gas；　and　the　car　roars　in　neutral；　loud　enough　to　bring　on　the　lights　in　the　house　next　door。　Throwing　the　gearshift　into　first；　he　guns　the　engine　again。　When　the　tires　catch　asphalt；　the　car　rockets　into　motion。　Just　as　Gil　turns　onto　an　adjoining　road；　the　first　patrol　car　arrives　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　street。　We　watch　as　it　es　to　a　stop　in　front　of　Taft's　house。
　〃Where　are　we　going？〃　Gil　says；　glancing　at　Paul　in　the　rearview　mirror。
　〃Ivy；〃　he　says。
　
　Chapter　28
　
　The　club　is　silent　when　we　arrive。　Someone　has　piled　rags　on　the　floor　of　the　main　hall　to　sop　up　the　alcohol　Parker　spilled；　but　puddles　of　booze　still　glisten。　Curtains　and　tablecloths　are　stained。　Nowhere　is　the　staff　to　be　found。　Kelly　Danner　seems　to　have　emptied　the　club　of　every　last　soul。
　The　carpet　on　the　stairway　to　the　second　floor　is　damp　underfoot；　where　partygoers　have　trudged　alcohol　up　on　the　bottoms　of　their　shoes。　At　the　entrance　to　the　Officers'　Room；　Gil　closes　the　door　and　flicks　on　the　overhead　lamp。　The　remains　of　the　broken　wet　bar　are　pushed　up　into　a　corner。　A　fire　has　been　left　to　die　in　the　fireplace；　but　the　embers　are　still　raw；　spitting　up　stray　flames　and　red　heat。
　Seeing　the　phone　on　the　table；　I　think　of　the　number　I　couldn't　remember　when　Gil's　cell　phone　went　dead；　and　it　es　to　me　suddenly；　what　all　of　this　is。　A　failure　of　memory；　a　mismunication。　The　line　connecting　Richard　Curry　to　Paul　has　filled　with　static；　and　somehow　Curry's　message　was　lost。　Yet　Curry　had　made　his　demands　clear。
　Tell　me　where　the　blueprint　is；　Vincent；　he　said　at　the　Good　Friday　lecture；　and　you　won't　see　me　again。　That's　the　only　business　we　have　anymore。　But　Taft　refused。
　Gil　produces　a　key　and　opens　the　mahogany　lockbox。　〃Here；〃　he　says　to　Paul；　pulling　out　the　map。
　I　can　see　Curry　again；　advancing　toward　Paul　in　the　courtyard；　then　backing　away　toward　the　chapel；　toward　Dickinson　Hall　and　Bill　Stein's　office。
　〃Jesus；〃　Gil　says；　〃how　are　we　going　to　deal　with　this？〃
　〃Call　the　police；〃　I　tell　him。　〃Curry　could　e　for　Paul。〃
　〃No；〃　Paul　says。　〃He　won't　hurt　me。〃
　But　Gil　meant　something　else：　dealing　with　what　we've　done；　fleeing　Taft's　house。　〃Curry　killed　Taft？〃　he　says。
　I　lock　the　door。　〃And　he　killed　Stein。〃
　The　room　suddenly　feels　airtight。　The　wreckage　of　the　wet　bar；　brought　up　from　downstairs；　gives　the　place　a　sweet；　rotten　odor。
　Gil　stands　at　the　head　of　the　table；　speechless。
　〃He　won't　hurt　me；〃　Paul　repeats。
　But　I　remember　the　letter　we　found　in　Stein's　desk。　I　have　a　proposition　for　you。　There's　more　than　enough　here　to　suit　both　of　us。　Followed　by　Curry's　reply；　which　I'd　misunderstood　until　now：　What　about　Paul？
　〃He　will；〃　I　say。
　〃You're　wrong；　Tom；〃　Paul　snaps。
　But　I'm　seeing　more　and　more　clearly　where　this　all　leads。
　〃You　showed　Curry　the　diary　when　we　went　to　the　exhibit；〃　I　tell　him。　〃He　knew　Taft　had　stolen　it。〃
　〃Yes；　but…〃
　〃Stein　even　told　him　they　were　going　to　steal　your　thesis。　Curry　wanted　to　get　it　before　they　did。〃
　〃Tom…〃
　〃Then；　at　the　hospital；　you　told　him　everything　you'd　found。　You　even　told　him　you　were　looking　for　the　blueprint。〃
　I　reach　for　the　phone；　but　Paul　places　a　hand　down　on　the　receiver；　holding　it　in　place。
　〃Stop；　Tom；〃　he　says。　〃Listen　to　me。〃
　〃He　killed　them。〃
　Now　it's　Paul　who　leans　in；　looking　heartbroken；　to　say　something　Gil　and　I　don't　expect。
　〃Yes。　That's　what　I'm　telling　you。　Will　you　just　listen？　That's　what　he　meant　at　the　hospital。　Remember？　Just　before　you　came　into　the　waiting　room？　We　understand　each　other；　son。　He　told　me　he　couldn't　sleep　because　he　was　worried　about　me。〃
　〃So？〃
　Paul's　voice　trembles。　〃Then　he　said；　If　I'd　known　what　you　were　going　to　do；　I　would've　done　things　differently。　Richard　thought　I　knew　he'd　killed　Bill。　He　meant　he　would've　done　it　differently　if　he'd　known　I　was　going　to　leave　Vincent's　lecture　early。　That　way　the　police　wouldn't　have　e　looking　for　me。〃
　Gil　begins　pacing。　On　the　far　side　of　the　room；　a　log　breaks　in　the　fireplace。
　〃Remember　the　poem　he　mentioned　at　the　exhibit？〃
　〃Browning。　'Andrea　del　Sarto。'　〃
　〃How　did　it　go？〃
　〃　'You　do　what　many　dream　of；　all　their　lives；'　〃　I　tell　him。　〃　'Dream？　Strive　to　do；　and　agonize　to　do；　and　fail　in　doing。'　〃
　〃Why　would　he　choose　that　poem？〃
　〃Because　it　went　with　the　del　Sarto　painting。〃
　Paul　bangs　his　hand　on　the　table。　〃No。　Because　we　solved　what　he　and　your　father　and　Vincent　never　solved。　What　Richard　dreamed　of　doing；　all　his　life。　What　he　strove；　and　agonized；　and　failed　in　doing。〃
　A　frustration　has　e　over　him　that　I　haven't　seen　since　we　worked　together；　when　he　seemed　to　expect　that　we　could　act　as　a　single　organism；　think　a　single　thought。　It　shouldn't　be　taking　you　that　long。　It　shouldn't　be　that　hard。　We　are　riddling　again；　puzzling　meaning　from　a　man　he　thinks　we　ought　to　know　equally。　I　have　never　understood　Colonna；　or　Curry；　well　enough　for　Paul。
　〃I　don't　understand；〃　Gil　says；　seeing　that　something　has　e　between　us；　something　outside　his　experience。
　〃The　paintings；〃　Paul　says；　still　to　me；　trying　to　make　me　see。　〃The　stories　of　Joseph。　I　even　told　you　what　they　meant。　We　just　didn't　know　what　Richard　was　getting　at。　Now　Jacob　loved　Joseph　more　than　all　his　children；　because　he　was　the　son　of　his　old　age。　And　he　made　him　a　coat　of　many　colors。〃
　He　waits　for　me　to　give　some　signal；　to　tell　him　I　understand；　but　I　can't。
　〃It's　a　gift；〃　he　says　finally。　〃Richard　thinks　he's　giving　me　a　gift。〃
　〃A　gift？〃　Gil　asks。　〃Have　you　lost　your　mind？　What　gift？〃
　〃This；〃　Paul　says；　extending　his　arms；　enpassing　everything。　〃What　he　did　to　Bill。　What　he　did　to　Vincent。　He　stopped　them　from　taking　it　away　from　me。　He's　giving　me　what　I　found　in　the　Hypnerotomachia。〃
　There　is　an　awful　equanimity　when　he　says　it；　fear　and　pride　and　sadness　circling　around　a　quiet　certainty。
　〃Vincent　stole　it　from　him　thirty　years　ago；〃　Paul　says。　〃Richard　wouldn't　let　the　same　thing　happen　to　me。〃
　〃Curry　lied　to　Stein；〃　I　tell　him；　unwilling　to　let　him　be　fooled　by　a　man　trading　on　an　orphan's　weakness。　〃He　lied　to　Taft。　He's　doing　the　same　thing　to　you。〃
　But　Paul　is　past　the　point　of　doubting。　Beneath　the　horror　and　disbelief　in　his　voice　is　something　approaching　gratitude。　Here　we　are；　in　another　room　of　borrowed　paintings；　another　exhibit　in　the　museum　of　fatherhood　Curry　built　for　the　son　he　never　had；　and　the　gestures　have　bee　so　grand　that　the　motives　are　unimportant。　It's　a　final　wedge。　It　reminds　me；　suddenly；　that　Paul　and　I　are　not　brothers。　That　we　believe　in　different　things。
　Gil　begins　to　speak；　ing　between　us　to　bring　this　discussion　back　to　earth；　when　a　shuffling　sound　es　from　outside。　All　three　of　us　turn。
　〃What　the　hell　was　that？〃　Gil　says。
　Then　Curry's　voice　es。
　〃Paul；〃　he　murmurs；　from　just　on　the　other　side　of　the　door。
　We　all　freeze。