ch.nativetongue-第8章

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　What　the　hell；　it　was　only　four　bucks。　He　could　certainly　afford　it。
　
　FOUR
　On　the　morning　of　July　17；　Danny　Pogue　awoke　in　a　cold　sweat；　his　T…shirt　soaked　from　neck　to　navel。　He　kicked　the　covers　off　the　bed　and　saw　the　lump　of　gauze　around　his　foot。　It　wasn't　a　dream。　He　limped　to　the　window　and　from　there　he　could　see　everything：　the　Olympic…sized　swimming　pool；　the　freshly　painted　tennis　courts；　the　shady　shuffleboard　gazebo。　Everywhere　he　looked　there　were　old　people　with　snowy　heads　and　pale　legs　and　fruit…colored　Bermuda　shorts。　All　the　men　wore　socks　with　their　sandals；　and　all　the　women　wore　golf　visors　and　oversized　sunglasses。
　〃Mother　of　Christ；〃　said　Danny　Pogue。　He　hollered　for　his　partner　to　e　quick。
　Bud　Schwartz　ambled　in；　looking　settled　and　well　rested。　He　was　spooning　out　half　a　grapefruit；　cupped　in　the　palm　of　one　hand。　〃Do　you　believe　this　fucking　place？〃　he　said　to　Danny　Pogue。　〃What　a　gas。〃　
　〃We　gotta　get　out。〃　
　〃How　e？〃
　〃Just　look。〃　Danny　Pogue　pointed　out　the　window。　
　〃So　now　you　got　a　problem　with　senior　citizens？　What…they　don't　have　the　right　to　have　fun？　Besides；　there's　some　young　people　that　live　here；　too。　I　saw　a　couple　a　hot　ones　out　by　the　swimming　pool。　Major　titties。〃
　〃I　don't　care；〃　mumbled　Danny　Pogue。
　〃Hey；〃　Bud　Schwartz　said。　〃She　shot　your　foot；　not　your　weenie。〃
　〃Where　is　she？〃
　〃Long　gone。　You　want　some　lunch？　She　loaded　up　at　the　Publix；　you　should　see。　Steaks；　chops；　beer…we're　set　for　a　couple　a　weeks；　easy。〃
　Danny　Pogue　hopped　back　to　the　bed　and　peeled　off　the　damp　shirt。　He　spotted　a　brand…new　pair　of　crutches　propped　in　the　corner。　He　said；　〃Bud；　I'm　gonna　split。　Seriously；　I'm　taking　off。〃
　〃I　can　give　you　ten　thousand　reasons　not　to。〃
　〃Speaking　of　which。〃
　〃She's　bringing　a　grand　for　each　of　us；　just　like　she　promised；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃Good　faith　money　is　what　she　called　it。〃
　〃Invisible　is　what　I　call　it。〃
　〃Hey；　lighten　the　fuck　up。　She's　an　old　lady；　Danny。　Old　ladies　never　lie。〃　Bud　Schwartz　lobbed　the　grapefruit　skin　into　some　kind　of　designer　wastebasket。　〃What's　wrong　with　you；　man？　This　is　like　a　vacation；　all　expenses　paid。　Look　at　this　freaking　condo…two　bedrooms；　two　bathrooms。　Microwave　in　the　kitchen；　Cinemax　on　the　cable。　Say　what　you　will；　the　old　geezer　knows　how　to　live。〃
　〃Who　is　she？〃　Danny　Pogue　asked。
　〃Who　cares？〃
　〃I　care。　She　shot　me。〃
　Bud　Schwartz　said；　〃Just　some　crazy；　rich　old　broad。　Don't　worry　about　it。〃
　〃It's　not　you　that　got　shot。〃
　〃She　won't　do　it　again；　Danny。　She　got　it　out　of　her　system。〃　Bud　Schwartz　wiped　his　hands　on　the　butt　of　his　jeans　to　get　the　grapefruit　juice　off。　He　said；　〃She　was　pissed；　that's　all。　On　account　of　us　losing　the　rats。〃
　Danny　Pogue　said；　〃Well；　screw　that　deal。　I'm　leaving。〃　He　made　a　move　for　the　crutches　but　faltered；　hot　and　dizzy。　Molly　McNamara　had　fed　him　some　pain　pills　late　last　night；　that　much　he　remembered。
　〃I　don't　know　where　you　think　you're　going；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃The　truck's　history。〃
　〃I'll　hitch；〃　said　Danny　Pogue　woozily。
　〃Look　in　the　mirror。　Your　own　mother　wouldn't　pick　you　up。　The　Hell's　Fucking　Angels　wouldn't　pick　you　up。〃
　〃Somebody'll　stop；〃　Danny　Pogue　said。　〃Especially　with　me　on　them　crutches。〃
　〃Oh；　sure。〃
　〃Maybe　even　some　girls。〃　Danny　Pogue　eased　himself　back　on　the　pillow。　He　took　deep　breaths　and　tried　to　blink　away　the　haze　in　his　brain。
　〃Have　another　codeine；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃Here；　she　got　a　whole　bottle。〃　He　went　to　the　kitchen　and　came　back　with　a　cold　Busch。
　Danny　Pogue　swallowed　two　more　pills　and　slurped　at　the　beer　can　noisily。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　said；　〃She　ain't　never　gonna　pay　us；　Bud。〃
　〃Sure　she　is；〃　said　his　partner。　〃She's　loaded；　just　look　at　this　place。　You　should　see　the　size　of　the　TV。〃
　〃We　better　get　away　while　we　can。〃
　〃Go　back　to　sleep；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃I'll　be　down　at　the　pool。〃
　
　The　Mothers　of　Wilderness　met　every　other　Tuesday　at　a　public　library　in　Cutler　Ridge。　This　week　the　main　item　on　the　agenda　was　the　proposed　bulldozing　of　seventy…three　acres　of　mangroves　to　make　room　for　the　back　nine　of　a　championship　golf　course　on　the　shore　of　North　Key　Largo。　The　Mothers　of　Wilderness　strenuously　opposed　the　project；　and　had　begun　to　map　a　political　strategy　to　obstruct　it。　They　pursued　such　crusades　with　unflagging　optimism；　despite　the　fact　that　they　had　never　succeeded　in　stopping　a　single　development。　Not　one。　The　builders　ignored　them。　Zoning　boards　ignored　them。　County　missioners　listened　politely；　nodded　intently；　then　ignored　them；　too。　Of　all　the　environmental　groups　fighting　to　preserve　what　little　remained　of　Florida；　the　Mothers　of　Wilderness　was　regarded　as　the　most　radical　and　shrill　and　intractable。　It　was　also；　unfortunately；　the　smallest　of　the　groups　and　thus　the　easiest　to　brush　off。
　Still；　the　members　were　nothing　if　not　mitted。　Molly　McNamara　steadfastly　had　refused　all　offers　to　merge　her　organization　with　the　Audubon　Society　or　the　Sierra　Club　or　the　Friends　of　the　Everglades。　She　wanted　no　part　of　coalitions　because　coalitions　promised。　She　enjoyed　being　alone　on　the　fringe；　enjoyed　being　the　loose　cannon　that　establishment　environmentalists　feared。　The　fact　that　the　Mothers　of　Wilderness　was　politically　impotent　did　not　diminish　Molly　McNamara's　passion；　though　occasionally　it　ate　at　her　pride。
　She　ran　the　meetings　with　brusque　efficiency；　presiding　over　a　membership　that　tended　to　be　retired　and　liberal　and　well…to…do。　For　its　size；　the　Mothers　of　Wilderness　was　exceedingly　well　financed；　Molly　knew　this　was　why　the　other　environmental　groups　wooed　her；　in　hopes　of　a　merger。　The　Mothers　had　bucks。
　They　had　hired　a　hotshot　Miami　land…use　lawyer　to　fight　the　golf　course　project；　which　was　called　Falcon　Trace。　The　lawyer；　whose　name　was　Spacci；　stood　up　at　the　meeting　to　update　the　Mothers　on　the　progress　of　the　lawsuit；　which；　typically；　was　about　to　be　thrown　out　of　court。　The　case　was　being　heard　in　Monroe　County…specifically；　Key　West…where　many　of　the　judges　were　linked　by　conspiracy　or　simple　inbreeding　to　the　crookedest　politicians。　Moreover；　the　zoning　lawyer　admitted　he　was　having　a　terrible　time　ascertaining　the　true　owners　of　the　Falcon　Trace　property；　he　had　gotten　as　far　as　a　blind　trust　in　Dallas；　then　stalled。
　Molly　McNamara　thanked　Spacci　for　his　report　and　made　a　motion　to　authorize　another　twenty　thousand　dollars　for　legal　fees　and　investigative　expenses。　It　passed　unanimously。
　After　the　meeting；　Molly　took　the　lawyer　aside　and　said；　〃Next　time　I　want　to　see　some　results。　I　want　the　names　of　these　bastards。〃
　〃What　about　the　lawsuit？〃
　〃File　a　new　one；〃　Molly　said。　〃You　ever　considered　going　federal？〃
　〃How？〃　asked　Spacci。　〃On　what　grounds？〃
　Pinching　his　elbow；　Molly　led　him　to　an　easel　behind　the　rostrum。　Propped　on　the　easel　was　an　aerial　map　of　North　Key　Largo。　Molly　pointed　and　said；　〃See？　There's　where　they　want　the　golf　course。　And　right　here　is　a　national　wildlife　refuge。　That's　your　federal　jurisdiction；　Counselor。〃
　The　lawyer　plucked　a　gold　pen　from　his　breast　pocket　and　did　some　pointing　of　his　own。　〃And　right　here；　Ms。　McNamara；　is　a　two…thousand…acre　amusement　park　that　draws　three　million　tourists　every　year。　We'd　be　hard　pressed　to　argue　that　one　lousy　golf　course　would　be　more　disruptive　to　the　habitat　than　what's　already　there…a　major　vacation　resort。〃
　Molly　snapped；　〃You're　the　damn　attorney。　Think　of　something。〃
　Bitterly　she　remembered　the　years　she　had　fought　the　Kingsbury　project；　the　Mothers　of　Wilderness　had　been　the　only　group　that　had　never　given　up。　Audubon　and　the　others　had　realized　immediately　that　protest　was　futile；　the　prospect　of　a　major　theme　park　to　pete　with　Disney　World　carried　an　orgasmic　musk　to　local　chambers　of　merce。　The　most　powerful　of　powerful　civic　leaders　clung　to　the　myth　that　Mickey　Mouse　was　responsible　for　killing　the　family　tourist　trade　in　South　Florida；　strangling　the　peninsula　so　that　all　southbound　station　wagons　stopped　in　Orlando。　What　did　Miami　have　to　offer　as　petition？　Porpoises　that　could　pitch　a　baseball　with　their　blow…holes？　Wisecracking　parrots　on　unicycles？　Enjoyable　diversions；　but　scarcely　in　the　same　high