ch.nativetongue-第52章

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e　IV　rig　moved　on　wheels。
　〃Like　a　shopping　cart；〃　she　said　gaily。　Her　husband　handed　her　a　hundred…dollar　bill　and　she　waved　goodbye。
　There　she　goes；〃　Kingsbury　said。　〃Pedro；　did　you　show　your　little　buddy　the　golf　painting？　The　one　we　did　at　Biltmore？〃
　〃I　saw；〃　Churrito　said。　〃In　the　living　room。〃
　〃Those　are　the　real　McCoys；〃　said　Kingsbury。
　Churrito　looked　perplexed。　〃McCoys？〃
　〃Her　tits；　I　mean。　How　you　say；　hoot…aires？　Kingsbury　cackled。　〃Now；　about　this　afternoon；　these　assholes…I'm　not　interested　in　details。　Not　at　all　interested。〃
　That　was　fine　with　Pedro　Luz。　He'd　skipped　the　details　the　last　time；　too；　when　they　had　roughed　up　the　old　lady　at　the　condo。　Although　Churrito　had　nagged　him　to　lighten　up；　the　beating　had　been　therapeutic　for　Pedro；　a　venting　of　toxic　brain　fumes。　Like　the　rush　he　got　while　pinching　the　heads　off　Joe　Winder's　goldfish。
　〃I　doubt　this　monkey　place　will　be　crowded；〃　Kingsbury　was　saying；　〃except　for　the　baboons。〃
　〃We'll　be　careful；〃　Pedro　Luz　assured　him。
　〃You　get　caught；　no　offense；　but　I　don't　know　you。　Never　seen　you　bastards　before　in　my　life。〃
　〃We　won't　get　caught。〃
　Kingsbury　snapped　his　fingers。　〃The　files；　I'll　give　you　a　list。　Don't　do　anything　till　you　get　my　files　back。　After　that；　it's　your　call。〃
　Pedro　Luz　looked　at　his　wristwatch　and　said　it　was　time　to　go。　The　wheels　on　the　IV　rig　twittered　as　it　followed　him　to　the　door。
　〃I　wanted　to　ask；〃　Churrito　said；　〃is　it　okay　I　look　at　the　pitcher　again？　The　one　with　your　wife　and　those　real　McCoys。〃
　〃Be　my　guest；〃　said　Kingsbury；　beaming。　〃That's　what　it's　there　for。〃
　
　One　problem；　Bud　Schwartz　realized；　was　that　he　and　his　partner　had　never　done　a　blackmail　before。　In　fact；　he　wasn't　sure　if　it　was　blackmail　or　extortion；　technically　speaking。
　〃Call　it　a　trade；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。
　Bud　Schwartz　smiled。　Not　bad；　he　thought。　A　trade　it　is。
　They　were　waiting　in　the　rented　Cutlass　in　the　parking　lot　of　Monkey　Mountain。　Mrs。　Kingsbury's　chrome…plated　pistol　lay　on　the　seat　between　them。　Neither　of　them　wanted　to　handle　it。
　〃Christ；　I　hate　guns；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。
　〃How's　your　hand？〃
　〃Getting　there。　How's　your　foot？〃
　〃Pretty　good。〃　Danny　Pogue　opened　a　bag　of　Burger　King　and　the　oily　smell　of　hot　fries　filled　the　car。　Bud　Schwartz　rolled　down　the　window　and　was　counter…assailed　by　the　overpowering　odor　of　monkeys。
　Chewing；　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃I　can't　get　over　that　guy　in　the　house；　Molly's　friend。　Just　e　right　in。〃
　〃Bigfoot；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz；　〃without　the　manners。〃
　〃I　just　hope　he　don't　e　back。〃
　〃You　and　me　both。〃
　Bud　Schwartz　was　watching　out　for　Saabs。　Over　the　phone　Kingsbury　had　told　him　he'd　be　driving　a　〃navy　Saab　with　tinted　windows；　so　far；　no　sign　of　the　car。
　He　asked　his　partner：　〃You　ever　done　a　Saab？〃
　〃No；　they　all　got　alarms；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　〃Like　radar　is　what　I　heard。　Just　look　at　'em　funny；　and　they　go　off。　Same　with　the　Porsches；　I　fucking　whisper　just　walkin'　by　the　damn　things。〃
　At　two　minutes　after　four；　Bud　Schwartz　said　it　was　time　to　get　ready。　Gingerly　he　put　the　gun　in　his　pocket。　〃Leave　the　files　under　the　seat；〃　he　said。　〃We'll　make　the　trade　after　we　got　the　money。〃
　At　the　ticket　window　they　got　a　map　of　Monkey　Mountain。　It　wasn't　exactly　a　sprawling　layout。
　〃Hey；　they　even　got　a　gorilla；〃　said　Danny　Pogue；　〃name　of　Brutus。　From　the　picture　it　looks　like　an　African　silverback。〃
　〃Fascinating；〃　Bud　Schwartz　said。　He'd　had　about　enough　of　animal　lore。　Lately　Danny　Pogue　had　been　spending　too　many　hours　watching　wildlife　documentaries　on　the　Discovery　Channel。　It　was　all　he　talked　about；　he　and　Molly；　and　it　was　driving　Bud　Schwartz　up　the　wall。　One　night；　instead　of　the　Cubs　game；　he　had　to　sit　through　ninety　minutes　of　goddamn　hummingbirds。　To　Bud　Schwartz　they　resembled　moths　with　beaks；　he　got　dizzy　watching　the　damn　things；　even　the　slow…motion　parts。　Danny　Pogue；　on　the　other　hand；　had　been　enthralled。　The　fact　that　hummingbirds　also　inhabited　North　Key　Largo　heightened　his　sense　of　mission　against　Francis　X。　Kingsbury。
　As　they　set　out　for　the　Baboon　Tree；　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃Why'd　you　pick　this　place；　Bud？〃
　〃Cause　it's　out　in　public。　That's　how　you　do　these　things；　extortions。〃
　〃Are　you　sure？〃
　The　visitor　paths　through　Monkey　Mountain　were　enclosed　by　chicken　wire；　giving　the　effect　that　it　was　the　humans　who　were　encaged　while　the　wild　beasts　roamed　free。　Bud　Schwartz　was　unfortable　with　this　arrangement。　Above　his　head；　screeching　monkeys　loped　along　the　mesh；　begging　for　peanuts　and　crackers　that　Bud　Schwartz　had　neglected　to　purchase　at　the　concession　stand。　The　impatient　animals…howlers；　gibbons；　rhesus　and　spider　monkeys…got　angrier　by　the　second。　They　bared　yellow　teeth　and　spit　maliciously　and　shook　the　chicken　wire。　When　Danny　Pogue　reached　up　to　give　one　of　them　a　shiny　dime；　it　defecated　in　his　hair。
　〃You　happy　now？〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃Damn；　I　can't　believe　it。〃　Danny　Pogue　stopped　to　stick　his　head　under　a　water　fountain。　〃Don't　they　ever　feed　these　goddamn　things？〃　he　said。
　Above　them；　the　gang　of　furry；　shrieking；　incontinent　beggars　had　swollen　to　three　dozen。　Bud　Schwartz　and　Danny　Pogue　shielded　their　heads　and　jogged　the　rest　of　the　way　to　the　Baboon　Tree；　an　ancient　ficus　in　the　hub　of　a　small　plaza。　Bud　Schwartz　was　relieved　to　escape　the　yammering　din　and　the　rain　of　monkey　feces。　With　a　sigh　he　sat　next　to　a　Japanese　family　on　a　concrete　bench。　A　moat　of　filmy　brown　water　separated　them　from　the　bustling　baboon　colony　in　the　big　tree。　Danny　Pogue　said：　〃Know　why　they　don't　let　the　other　monkeys　together　with　the　baboons？〃　
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃Because　the　baboons'd　eat　'em。〃　
　〃What　a　loss　that　would　be。〃　
　〃Let's　go　see　Brutus。〃
　〃Danny；　we're　here　on　business。　Now　shut　the　fuck　up；　if　you　don't　mind。〃
　The　Japanese　husband　apparently　understood　at　least　one　word　of　English；　because　he　gave　Bud　Schwartz　a　sharp　look。　The　Japanese　wife；　who　hadn't　heard　the　profane　remark；　signaled　that　she　would　like　a　photograph　of　the　whole　family　in　front　of　the　moat。　Bud　Schwartz　motioned　that　his　partner　would　do　the　honors；　Danny　Pogue　had　stolen　many　Nikons；　but　he'd　never　gotten　a　chance　to　use　one。　He　arranged　the　Japanese　in　a　neat　row　according　to　height；　and　snapped　several　pictures。　In　the　background　were　many　wild…eyed　baboons；　including　a　young　male　gleefully　abusing　itself。
　Bud　Schwartz　was　glad　the　children　weren't　watching。　After　the　Japanese　had　moved　on；　Danny　Pogue　said：　〃That　was　two　hundred　bucks　right　there；　a　Nikon　with　autofocus。　I　got　a　guy　in　Carol　City　fences　nothing　but　cameras。〃
　〃I　told　you；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz；　〃we're　through　with　that。　We　got　a　new　career。〃　He　didn't　sound　as　confident　as　he　would've　liked。　Where　the　hell　was　Kingsbury？
　Danny　Pogue　joined　him　on　the　concrete　bench。　〃So　how　much　is　he　gonna　bring？〃
　〃Fifty　is　what　I　told　him。〃　Bud　Schwartz　couldn't　get　the　tremor　out　of　his　voice。　〃Fifty　thousand；　if　he　ever　shows　up。〃
　In　the　parking　lot；　Pedro　Luz　and　Churrito　got　into　a　heated　discussion　about　bringing　the　IV　rack。　Churrito　prevailed　on　the　grounds　that　it　would　attract　too　much　attention。
　The　first　thing　they　noticed　about　Monkey　Mountain　was　the　stink；　which　Churrito　likened　to　that　of　a　mass　grave。　Next　came　the　insistent　clamor　of　the　creatures　themselves；　clinging　to　the　chicken　wire　and　extending　miniature　brown　hands　in　hopes　of　food。　Churrito　lit　up　a　Marlboro　and　handed　it　to　a　rhesus；　who　took　a　sniff　and　hurled　it　back　at　him。　Pedro　Luz　didn't　think　it　was　the　least　bit　funny；　he　was　sinking　into　one　of　his　spells…every　heartbeat　sent　cymbals　crashing　against　his　brainpan。　An　act　of　irrational　violence　was　needed　to　calm　the　mood。　It　was　fortunate；　then；　that　the　monkeys　were　safely　on　the　other　side　of　the　chicken　wire。　Every　time　one　appeared　on　the　mesh　over　his　head；　Pedro　Luz　would　jump　up　and　smash　at　it　savagely　with　his　knuckles。　This　exercise　was　repeated　every　few　seconds；　all　the　way　to　the　Baboon　Tree。
　The　burglars…and　it　had　to　be　them；　greasy…looking　rednecks…were　sitting　on　a　bench。　Nobody　else　was　around。
　Pedro　Luz　whispered　to　Churrito：　〃Remember　to　get　their　car　keys。　They　left　the　damn