beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第28章
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Waldo was by this time convinced that Van Tahn was raving mad；
and made an anxious； effort to humour him。
〃Go back to bed like a dear fellow；〃 he pleaded； 〃and your sheep will
turn up all right in the morning。〃
〃I daresay；〃 said Bertie gloomily； 〃without their tails。 Nice fool I
shall look with a lot of Manx sheep。〃
And by way of emphasising his annoyance at the prospect he sent
Waldo's pillows flying to the top of the wardrobe。
〃But WHY no tails？〃 asked Waldo； whose teeth were chattering with
fear and rage and lowered temperature。
〃My dear boy； have you never heard the ballad of Little Bo…Peep？〃
said Bertie with a chuckle。 〃It's my character in the Game； you know。
If I didn't go hunting about for my lost sheep no one would be able to
guess who I was； and now go to sleepy weeps like a good child or I
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shall be cross with you。〃
〃I leave you to imagine；〃 wrote Waldo in the course of a long letter
to his mother； 〃how much sleep I was able to recover that night； and you
know how essential nine uninterrupted hours of slumber are to my
health。〃
On the other hand he was able to devote some wakeful hours to
exercises in breathing wrath and fury against Bertie van Tahn。
Breakfast at Blonzecourt was a scattered meal； on the 〃come when
you please〃 principle； but the house…party was supposed to gather in full
strength at lunch。 On the day after the 〃Game〃 had been started there
were； however； some notable absentees。 Waldo Plubley； for instance；
was reported to be nursing a headache。 A large breakfast and an
〃A。B。C。〃 had been taken up to his room； but he had made no appearance
in the flesh。
〃I expect he's playing up to some character；〃 said Vera Durmot； 〃isn't
there a thing of Moliere's； 'LE MALADE IMAGINAIRE'？ I expect
he's that。〃
Eight or nine lists came out； and were duly pencilled with the
suggestion。
〃And where are the Klammersteins？〃 asked Lady Blonze； 〃they're
usually so punctual。〃
〃Another character pose； perhaps；〃 said Bertie van Tahn； 〃 'the Lost
Ten Tribes。' 〃
〃But there are only three of them。 Besides； they'll want their lunch。
Hasn't anyone seen anything of them？〃
〃Didn't you take them out in your car？〃 asked Blanche Boveal；
addressing herself to Cyril Skatterly。
〃Yes； took them out to Slogberry Moor immediately after breakfast。
Miss Durmot came too。〃
〃I saw you and Vera come back；〃 said Lady Blonze； 〃but I didn't see
the Klammersteins。 Did you put them down in the village？〃
〃No；〃 said Skatterly shortly。
〃But where are they？ Where did you leave them？〃
〃We left them on Slogberry Moor；〃 said Vera calmly。
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〃On Slogberry Moor？ Why； it's more than thirty miles away！
How are they going to get back？〃
〃We didn't stop to consider that；〃 said Skatterly； 〃we asked them to
get out for a moment； on the pretence that the car had stuck； and then we
dashed off full speed and left them there。〃
〃But how dare you do such a thing？ It's most inhuman！ Why； it's
been snowing for the last hour。〃
〃I expect there'll be a cottage or farmhouse somewhere if they walk a
mile or two。〃
〃But why on earth have you done it？〃
The question came in a chorus of indignant bewilderment。
〃THAT would be telling what our characters are meant to be；〃 said
Vera。
〃Didn't I warn you？〃 said Sir Nicholas tragically to his wife。
〃It's something to do with Spanish history； we don't mind giving you
that clue；〃 said Skatterly； helping himself cheerfully to salad； and then
Bertie van Tahn broke forth into peals of joyous laughter。
〃I've got it！ Ferdinand and Isabella deporting the Jews！ Oh；
lovely！ Those two have certainly won the prize； we shan't get anything
to beat that for thoroughness。〃
Lady Blonze's Christmas party was talked about and written about to
an extent that she had not anticipated in her most ambitious moments。
The letters from Waldo's mother would alone have made it memorable。
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COUSIN TERESA
BASSET HARROWCLUFF returned to the home of his fathers；
after an absence of four years； distinctly well pleased with himself。 He
was only thirty…one； but he had put in some useful service in an out…of…
the…way； though not unimportant； corner of the world。 He had quieted
a province； kept open a trade route； enforced the tradition of respect
which is worth the ransom of many kings in out…of…the…way regions； and
done the whole business on rather less expenditure than would be
requisite for organising a charity in the home country。 In Whitehall
and places where they think； they doubtless thought well of him。 It was
not inconceivable； his father allowed himself to imagine； that Basset's
name might figure in the next list of Honours。
Basset was inclined to be rather contemptuous of his half…brother；
Lucas； whom he found feverishly engrossed in the same medley of
elaborate futilities that had claimed his whole time and energies； such as
they were； four years ago； and almost as far back before that as he
could remember。 It was the contempt of the man of action for the man
of activities； and it was probably reciprocated。 Lucas was an over…well
nourished individual； some nine years Basset's senior； with a colouring
that would have been accepted as a sign of intensive culture in an
asparagus； but probably meant in this case mere abstention from exercise。
His hair and forehead furnished a recessional note in a personality that
was in all other respects obtrusive and assertive。 There was certainly no
Semitic blood in Lucas's parentage； but his appearance contrived to
convey at least a suggestion of Jewish extraction。 Clovis Sangrail；
who knew most of his associates by sight； said it was undoubtedly a case
of protective mimicry。
Two days after Basset's return； Lucas frisked in to lunch in a state of
twittering excitement that could not be restrained even for the immediate
consideration of soup； but had to be verbally discharged in spluttering
competition with mouthfuls of vermicelli。
〃I've got hold of an idea for something immense；〃 he babbled；
〃something that is simply It。〃
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