ch.nativetongue-第23章

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　〃This　kind；〃　said　Molly；　aiming　a　stern　papery　finger　at　the　screen。
　〃But　we　can　stop　him；　right？〃　Bud　Schwartz　was　smiling。
　〃You　can　help；　yes。〃
　〃How？〃　Danny　Pogue　demanded。　〃What　do　we　do？〃
　Molly　said；　〃I　need　to　know　the　full　extent　of　Mr。　Kingsbury's　financial　involvement…you　see；　there　are　legal　avenues　we　could　pursue；　if　only　we　knew。〃　She　flicked　off　the　slide　projector　and　turned　on　a　pair　of　brass　table　lamps。　〃Unfortunately；〃　she　said；　〃Mr。　Kingsbury　is　a　very　secretive　man。　Every　document　we've　gotten；　we've　had　to　sue　for。　He　is　extremely　wealthy　and　hires　only　the　finest　attorneys。〃
　From　his　expression　it　was　clear　that　Danny　Pogue　was　struggling　to　keep　up。　〃Go　on；〃　he　said。
　Bud　Schwartz　inhaled　audibly；　a　reverse　sigh。　〃Danny；　we're　burglars；　remember？　What　do　burglars　do？〃
　Danny　Pogue　glanced　at　Molly　McNamara；　who　said；　〃Your　partner's　got　the　right　idea。〃
　〃Wait　a　second；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃More　voles？〃
　〃Jesus　Christ；　no；〃　Bud　Schwartz　said。　〃No　more　voles。〃
　By　now　he　was　planning　ahead　again；　feeling　better　about　his　prospects。　He　was　wondering　about　Francis　X。　Kingsbury's　money；　and　thinking　what　a　shame　that　a　bunch　of　greedy　lawyers　should　get　so　much　of　it；　all　for　themselves。
　
　TEN
　Nina　didn't　believe　him；　not　for　a　second。
　〃You　were　drinking。　You　opened　your　big　fat　mouth　and　somebody　smacked　you。〃
　〃No；〃　Joe　Winder　said。　〃That's　not　what　happened。〃
　Well；　the　truth　would　only　frighten　her。　He　sat　up　and　squinted　brutally　at　the　sunlight。
　〃I'm　so　disappointed　in　you；〃　Nina　said。　She　studied　the　bruises　on　his　face；　and　not　out　of　concern；　she　was　looking　for　clues。
　〃I　wasn't　drinking；〃　said　Joe　Winder。　That　much　he　had　to　assert；　out　of　pride。　〃They　were　muggers；　that's　all。〃
　Nina　pointed　to　his　wallet；　which　was　on　the　dresser。　〃Muggers；　Joe？　Some　muggers。〃
　〃A　car　scared　them　off。〃
　She　rolled　her　eyes。　〃You're　only　making　it　worse。〃
　〃What　happened　to　trust？〃　Winder　said。　〃What　happened　to　true　goddamn　love？〃　He　got　out　of　bed　and　tested　his　legs。　Nina　watched　reproachfully。
　〃I　smell　perfume；〃　she　said。　〃Did　you　bring　a　woman　home　last　night？〃
　〃No；　a　woman　brought　me。　She　saw　me　on　Card　Sound　Road　and　wanted　to　go　to　the　police。　I　told　her　to　bring　me　here　so　I　could　be　with　the　love　of　my　life。〃
　〃Did　you　screw　her？〃
　〃Only　six　or　seven　times。〃　He　went　to　the　bathroom　and　stuck　his　face　under　the　shower　and　screamed　at　the　top　of　his　lungs；　it　hurt　so　bad。　He　screamed　until　his　ears　reverberated。　Then　he　came　out；　dripping；　and　said：　〃Nina；　be　reasonable。　Who'd　make　love　with　me；　looking　like　this？〃
　〃Not　me。〃
　〃Not　anybody。　Besides；　I　was　half　blind。　I　probably　would've　stuck　it　in　her　ear　by　mistake。〃
　Nina　smiled。　Finally。
　Winder　asked　her　who'd　called　so　damn　early。　The　phone　is　what　woke　him　up。
　〃Your　employer；　Mr。　Charles　Chelsea。　He　wanted　you　to　know　there　was　a　dead　person　hanging　from　the　bridge　this　morning。〃
　Joe　Winder　shuffled　back　to　the　shower。　This　time　he　stepped　all　the　way　in　and　braced　his　forehead　against　the　tile。　He　made　the　water　as　hot　as　he　could　bear。　Maybe　the　dead　man　was　Angel；　he　thought；　or　maybe　it　was　the　big　guy　who'd　saved　him　from　Angel。
　When　Winder　got　out；　Nina　stood　poised　with　a　towel　in　her　hand。　She　wore　a　white　halter　top　and　no　panties。　Winder　took　the　towel　and　draped　it　over　his　head。
　〃Why　do　you　do　this　to　me；〃　he　mumbled。
　〃Did　you　hear　what　I　said？　About　the　dead　man？〃　She　peeled　off　the　halter　and　climbed　in　the　shower。　〃Did　you　save　me　some　hot　water？　I've　got　to　shave　my　legs。〃　She　turned　the　faucet　handles　and　cursed　the　cold。
　〃Sorry；〃　said　Joe　Winder。　Raising　his　voice　over　the　beating　of　the　water：　〃So　why　is　Chelsea　calling　me；　just　because　there's　some　dead　guy？　The　bridge　is　five　miles　from　the　Kingdom。〃
　Nina　didn't　answer；　just　filed　the　question　away　and　kept　on　shaving。　Joe　Winder　sat　down　on　the　toilet　and　watched　the　fixtures　fog　up。　Plenty　of　hot　water；　he　thought；　no　problem。
　When　she　came　out；　he　remarked　how　beautiful　she　looked。　〃Like　a　sleek　arctic　seal。〃
　〃Oh　stop　it。〃
　〃Don't　dry　off；　please。　Don't　ever　dry　off。〃
　〃Get　your　hand　away　from　there。〃　Nina　slapped　him　sharply。　〃Put　your　clothes　on。　Chelsea's　waiting　at　the　office。〃
　Joe　Winder　said；　〃I'm　phoning　in　sick。〃
　〃No；　you're　not。　You　can't。〃　She　wrapped　the　towel　around　her　hair　and　left　the　rest　bare。　〃He　wasn't　calling　about　the　dead　person　on　the　bridge；　he　was　calling　about　the　whale。〃
　〃Orky？〃
　Nina　opened　the　bathroom　door　to　let　out　the　steamy　humidity。　Joe　Winder　impulsively　clutched　her　around　the　waist。　He　pressed　his　cheek　against　her　damp　thigh；　and　began　to　hum　the　tune　of　〃Poor　Pitiful　Me。〃　Nina　pried　him　loose　and　said；　〃I'm　glad　you　don't　get　beat　up　every　day。〃
　Something　was　out　of　alignment　in　Winder's　brain。　He　blinked　three　or　four　times；　slowly；　but　even　as　the　steam　cleared　it　didn't　go　away。　Double　vision！　The　bastards　had　pounded　him　that　badly。　Nina's　bare　bottom　appeared　to　him　as　four　gleaming　porcelain　orbs。
　Distractedly；　he　said；　〃Go　on。　Something　about　the　whale？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Nina。　She　stood　before　the　mirror；　checking　her　armpits　for　stubble。　〃Chelsea　said　the　whale　is　dead。〃
　〃Hmmm；〃　said　Joe　Winder。　Orky　the　Killer　Whale。
　〃And？〃　he　said。
　〃And；　I　don't　know。〃　Nina　stepped　into　her　panties。　〃He　said　for　you　to　e　right　away。　He　said　it　was　an　emergency。〃
　〃First　let's　go　to　bed。〃　Winder　came　up　behind　her。　In　the　mirror　he　saw　two　pairs　of　hands　cupping　two　pairs　of　nipples。　He　saw　two　faces　that　looked　just　like　his…lumpy；　lacerated；　empurpled…nuzzling　the　tan　silky　slopes　of　two　feminine　necks。
　〃All　right；　Joe；〃　Nina　said；　turning　around。　〃But　I've　got　to　be　honest：　I'm　very　disappointed　in　you…〃
　〃It　wasn't　what　you　think。〃
　〃…and　I'm　only　doing　this　because　you're　in　pain。〃　Mechanically　Nina　took　his　hand　and　led　him　toward　the　bed。　She　kicked　off　her　underwear　and　unwrapped　the　towel　from　her　hair。　Winder　was　grinning　like　an　idiot。
　〃I'm　warning　you；〃　Nina　said；　〃this　isn't　an　act　of　passion；　it's　an　act　of　pity。〃
　〃I'll　take　it；〃　said　Joe　Winder。　〃But；　please；　no　more　talking　for　a　while。〃
　〃All　right；〃　she　said。　〃No　more　talking。〃
　
　Orky　the　Killer　Whale　had　e　to　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills　under　clouded　circumstances。　His　true　name　（or　the　name　bestowed　by　his　human　captors　off　the　coast　of　British　Columbia）　was　Samson。　Delivered　in　a　drugged　stupor　to　a　north　California　marine　park；　he　was　measured　at　twenty…nine　feet　and　seven　inches；　a　robust　male　example　of　the　species　orca。　Samson　was　larger　than　the　other　tame　killer　whales　in　the　tank；　and　proved　considerably　more　recalcitrant　and　unpredictable。　In　his　first　six　months　of　captivity　he　mauled　two　trained　porpoises　and　chomped　the　tail　off　a　popular　sea　lion　named　Mr。　Mugsy。　Trainers　worked　overtime　trying　to　teach　their　new　star　the　most　rudimentary　of　whale　tricks…leaping　through　a　plastic　hoop；　or　snatching　a　dead　mackerel　from　the　fingers　of　a　pretty　model…with　minimal　success。　One　day　he　would　perform　like　a　champ；　the　next　he　would　sink　to　the　bottom　of　the　tank　and　fart　belligerently；　launching　balloon…sized　bubbles　of　fishy　gas　to　the　surface。　The　audience　seldom　found　this　entertaining。　Eventually　most　of　the　seasoned　whale　trainers　refused　to　enter　the　water　with　Samson。　Those　who　tried　to　ride　his　immense　black　dorsal　were　either　whiplashed　or　pretzeled　or　corkscrewed　into　semi　consciousness。
　Quite　by　accident；　it　was　discovered　that　Samson　was　enraged　by　the　color　green。　This　became　evident　on　the　day　that　the　human　trainers　switched　to　vivid　Kelly…green　tank　suits　without　telling　the　other　performing　mammals。　Samson　was　supposed　to　open　the　first　show　by　fetching　an　inflatable　topless　mermaid　and　gaily　delivering　it　to　a　young　man　on　a　ladder；　in　exchange　for　a　fistful　of　smelts。　On　this　particular　morning；　Samson　retrieved　the　toy；　carried　it　across　the　water　on　his　snout；　flipped　it　into　the　bleachers；　snatched　the　green…clad　trainer　off　the　ladder；　flipped　him　into　the　bleachers；　then　dived　to　the　bottom　of　the　tank　and　began　to　pass　gas　relentlessly。　Each　time　somebody　tried　to　lure　him　up；　Samson　shot　from　the