ch.nativetongue-第22章

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　The　man　from　the　medical　examiner's　reached　into　the　van　and　tugged　at　the　woolen　blanket；　revealing　the　dead　man's　features。
　〃I　was　right；〃　said　the　coroner；　scribbling　again。　〃Brown　they　are。〃
　Jim　Tile　stared　at　the　rictus　face　and　said；　〃Damn；　I　know　that　guy。〃　He　wasn't　a　fisherman。
　〃A　name　would　be　nice；〃　the　coroner　said。　〃He　lost　his　wallet　when　he　lost　his　pants。〃
　Angel；　the　trooper　said。　Angel　Gaviria。　〃Don't　ask　me　how　to　spell　it。〃
　〃Where　do　you　know　him　from？〃
　〃He　used　to　be　a　cop。〃　Jim　Tile　yanked　the　blanket　up　to　cover　the　dead　man's　face。　〃Before　he　got　convicted。〃
　〃Convicted　of　what？〃
　〃Everything　short　of　first…degree　murder。〃
　〃Jesus　Christ。　And　here　he　is；　out　of　the　slammer　already。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　said　Jim　Tile。　〃Modeling　neckwear。〃
　
　Bud　Schwartz　had　been　a　two…bit　burglar　since　he　was　seventeen　years　old。　He　was　neither　proud　of　it　nor　ashamed。　It　was　what　he　did；　period。　It　suited　his　talents。　Whenever　his　mother　gave　him　a　hard　time　about　getting　an　honest　job；　Bud　Schwartz　reminded　her　that　he　was　the　only　one　of　her　three　children　who　was　not　in　psychoanalysis。　His　sister　was　a　lawyer　and　his　brother　was　a　stockbroker；　and　both　of　them　were　miserably　fucked　up。　Bud　Schwartz　was　a　crook；　sure；　but　at　least　he　was　at　peace　with　himself。
　He　considered　himself　a　petent　burglar　who　was　swift；　thorough　and　usually　cautious。　The　times　he'd　been　caught…five　in　all…these　were　flukes。　A　Rottweiler　that　wasn't　in　the　yard　the　night　before。　A　nosy　neighbor；　watering　her　begonias　at　three　in　the　goddamn　morning。　A　getaway　car　with　bad　plugs。　That　sort　of　thing。　Occupational　hazards；　in　Bud　Schwartz's　opinion…plain　old　lousy　luck。
　Normally　he　was　a　conservative　guy　who　played　the　odds　and　didn't　like　unnecessary　risks。　Why　he　ever　accepted　the　rat…napping　job　from　Molly　McNamara；　he　couldn't　figure。　Broad　daylight；　thousands　of　people；　the　middle　of　a　fucking　theme　park。　Jesus！　Maybe　he　did　it　just　to　break　the　monotony。　Or　maybe　because　ten　grand　was　ten　grand。
　Definitely　a　score。　In　his　entire　professional　burgling　career；　Bud　Schwartz　had　never　stolen　anything　worth　ten　thousand　dollars。　The　one　time　he'd　pinched　a　Rolex　Oyster；　it　turned　out　to　be　fake。　Another　time　he　got　three　diamond　rings　from　a　hotel　room　on　Key　Biscayne…a　big…time　movie　actress；　too…and　the　fence　informed　him　it　was　all　zircon。　Fucking　paste。　Or　so　said　the　fence。
　Who　could　blame　him　for　saying　yes　to　Molly　McNamara；　or　at　least　checking　it　out？　So　when　he　gets　out　of　jail；　he　rounds　up　Danny　Pogue…Danny；　who's　really　nothing　but　a　pair　of　hands；　somebody　you　drag　along　to　help　carry　the　shit　to　the　car。　But　reliable；　as　far　as　that　goes。　Not　really　smart　enough　to　pull　anything。
　So　together　they　meet　the　old　lady　once；　twice。　Get　directions；　instructions。　Go　over　the　whole　damn　thing　until　they're　bored　to　tears；　except　for　the　part　about　what　to　do　with　the　voles。　Bud　Schwartz　had　assumed　the　whole　point　was　to　free　the　damn　things；　the　way　Molly　talked。　〃Liberate〃　was　the　word　she'd　used。　Of　course；　if　he'd　known　then　what　he　knew　now；　he　wouldn't　have　chucked　that　one　little　rat　into　the　red　convertible。　If　he'd　known　there　were　only　two　of　the　damn　things　left　on　the　whole　entire　planet；　he　wouldn't　ever　have　let　Danny　take　a　throw　at　the　Winnebago。
　Now　the　voles　were　gone；　and　Bud　Schwartz　and　Danny　Pogue　were　nursing　their　respective　gunshot　wounds　in　the　old　lady's　apartment。
　Watching　a　slide　show　about　endangered　species。
　〃This　formidable　fellow；〃　Molly　McNamara　was　saying；　〃is　the　North　American　crocodile。〃
　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃Looks　like　a　gator。〃
　〃No；　it's　a　different　animal　entirely；〃　said　Molly。　〃There's　only　a　few　dozen　left　in　the　wild。〃
　〃So　what？〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃You　got　tons　of　gators。　So　many　they　went　and　opened　a　hunting　season。　I　can't　see　getting'　all　worked　up　about　crocodiles　dyin〃　off；　not　when　they　got　a　season　on　gators。　It　don't　make　sense。〃
　Molly　said；　〃You're　missing　the　point。〃
　〃He　can't　help　it；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃Just　go　on　to　the　next　slide。〃
　Molly　clicked　the　remote。　〃This　is　the　Schaus'　swallowtail　butterfly。〃
　〃Now　that's　pretty；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃I　can　see　wanting　to　save　somethin〃　like　that。　Isn't　that　a　pretty　butterfly；　Bud？〃
　〃Beautiful；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃Really　gorgeous。　Next？〃
　Molly　asked　why　he　was　in　such　a　hurry。
　〃No　reason；〃　he　replied。
　Danny　Pogue　snickered。　〃Maybe　'cause　there's　a　movie　he　wants　to　see　on　cable。〃
　〃Really？〃　Molly　said。　〃Bud；　you　should've　told　me。　We　can　always　continue　the　orientation　tomorrow。〃
　〃That's　okay；〃　Bud　Schwartz　said。　〃Go　on　with　the　program。〃
　〃Amazon　Cheerleaders；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃We　seen　the　ending　the　other　night。〃
　Molly　said；　〃I　don't　believe　I've　heard　of　that　one。〃
　〃Get　on　with　the　slides；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz　gloomily。　Of　all　the　partners　he'd　ever　had；　Danny　Pogue　was　turning　out　to　be　the　dumbest　by　a　mile。
　A　picture　of　something　called　a　Key　Largo　wood　rat　appeared　on　the　slide　screen；　and　Danny　exclaimed：　〃Hey；　it　looks　just　like　one　a　them　voles！〃
　〃Not　really；〃　said　Molly　McNamara　patiently。　〃This　hardy　little　fellow　is　one　of　five　endangered　species　native　to　the　North　Key　Largo　habitat。〃　She　went　on　to　explain　the　uniqueness　of　the　island…hardwood　hammocks；　brackish　lakes　and　acres　of　precious　mangroves。　And；　only　a　few　miles　offshore；　the　only　living　coral　reef　in　North　America。　〃Truly　a　tropical　paradise；〃　said　Molly　McNamara；　〃which　is　why　it's　worth　fighting　for。〃
　As　she　clicked　through　the　rest　of　the　slides；　Bud　Schwartz　was　thinking：　How　hard　would　it　be　to　overpower　the　old　bat　and　escape？　Two　grown　men　with　six　functional　limbs；　e　on。　Just　grab　the　frigging　purse；　take　the　gun…what　could　she　do？
　The　trouble　was；　Bud　Schwartz　wasn't　fond　of　guns。　He　didn't　mind　stealing　them；　but　he'd　never　pointed　one　at　anybody；　never　fired　one；　even　at　a　tin　can。　Getting　shot　by　Molly　McNamara　had　only　reinforced　his　view　that　guns　were　a　tool　for　the　deranged。　He　knew　the　law；　and　the　law　smiled　on　harmless　unarmed　house　burglars。　A　burglar　with　a　gun　wasn't　a　burglar　anymore；　he　was　a　robber。　Not　only　did　robbers　get　harder　time；　but　the　acmodations　were　markedly　inferior。　Bud　Schwartz　had　never　been　up　to　Raiford　but　he　had　a　feeling　he　wouldn't　like　it。　He　also　had　a　hunch　that　if　push　came　to　shove；　Danny　Pogue　would　roll　over　like　a　big　dumb　puppy。　Do　whatever　the　cops　wanted；　including　testify。
　Bud　Schwartz　decided　he　needed　more　time　to　think。
　A　new　slide　came　up　on　the　screen　and　he　told　Molly　McNamara　to　wait　a　second。　〃Is　that　an　endangered　species；　too？〃　he　asked。
　〃Unfortunately　not；〃　Molly　said。　That's　Francis　X。　Kingsbury；　the　man　who's　destroying　the　island。〃
　Danny　Pogue　lifted　his　chin　out　of　his　hands　and　said；　〃Yeah？　How？〃
　〃Mr。　Kingsbury　is　the　founder　and　chief　executive　officer　of　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills…the　so…called　amusement　park　you　boys　raided　the　other　day。　It's　a　tourist　trap；　plain　and　simple。　It　brings　traffic；　garbage；　litter；　air　pollution；　effluent…Kingsbury　cares　nothing　about　preserving　the　habitat。　He's　a　developer。〃
　The　word　came　out　as　an　epithet。
　Bud　Schwartz　studied　the　jowly　middle…aged　face　on　the　screen。　Kingsbury　was　smiling；　and　you　could　tell　it　was　killing　him。　His　nose　was　so　large　that　it　seemed　three…dimensional；　a　huge　mottled　tuber　of　some　kind；　looming　out　of　the　wall。
　〃Public　enemy　number　one；〃　said　Molly。　She　glared　at　the　picture　on　the　screen。　〃Yes；　indeed。　The　park　is　only　a　smokescreen。　We've　got　reason　to　believe　that　Mr。　Kingsbury　holds　the　majority　interest　in　a　new　golfing　resort　called　Falcon　Trace；　which　abuts　the　Amazing　Kingdom。　We　have　reason　to　believe　that　Kingsbury's　intention　is　to　eventually　bulldoze　every　square　inch　of　ocean　waterfront。　You　know　what　that　means？〃
　Danny　Pogue　pursed　his　lips。　Bud　Schwartz　said　nothing；　he　was　trying　to　guess　where　the　old　coot　was　heading　with　this。
　Molly　said；　〃It　means　no　more　crocodiles；　no　more　wood　rats；　no　more　swallowtail　butterflies。〃
　〃No　more　butterflies？〃　Danny　Pogue　looked　at　her　with　genuine　alarm。　〃What　kinda　bastard　would　do　something　like　that？〃
　〃This　kind；〃　said　Molly；　aiming　a　s