cb.damnationgame-第29节

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　　〃I　don't　trust　him；〃　he　said。　He　took　his　gaze　off　the　water　to　look　around　at　her。　His　bewilderment　was　perfectly　apparent。
　　〃I　know　how　to　handle　him；〃　she　replied。　〃I've　made　a　bargain　with　him。　He　understands　bargains。　He　gets　me　to　stay　with　him；　and　I　get　what　I　want。〃　〃Which　is？〃　Now　she　looked　away。　The　spume　off　the　whipping　water　was　a　grubby　brown。　〃A　little　sunshine；〃　she　finally　replied。
　　〃I　thought　that　came　free；〃　Marty　said；　puzzled。
　　〃Not　the　way　I　like　it；〃　she　answered。　What　did　he　want　from　her？　Apologies？　If　so；　he'd　be　disappointed。
　　〃I　should　get　back　to　the　house；〃　he　said。
　　Suddenly；　she　said：　〃Don't　hate　me；　Marty。〃　〃I　don't；〃　he　came　back。
　　〃There's　a　lot　of　us　the　same。〃　〃The　same？〃　〃Belonging　to　him。〃　Another　ugly　truth。　She　was　positively　brimful　of　them　today。
　　〃You　could　get　the　hell　out　of　here　if　you　really　wanted　to；　couldn't　you？〃　he　said；　peevishly。
　　She　nodded。　〃I　suppose　I　could。　But　where？〃　The　question　made　no　sense　to　him。　There　was　an　entire　world　outside　the　fences；　and　she　surely　didn't　lack　the　finances　to　explore　it；　not　Joseph　Whitehead's　daughter。　Did　she　really　find　the　prospect　so　stale？　They　made　such　a　strange　pair。　He　with　his　experience　so　unnaturally　abbreviated…years　of　his　life　wasted…and　now　anxious　to　make　up　for　lost　time。　She；　so　apathetic；　fatigued　by　the　very　thought　of　escape　from　her　self…defined　prison。
　　〃You　could　go　anywhere；〃　he　said。
　　〃That's　as　good　as　nowhere；〃　she　replied　flatly；　it　was　a　destination　that　remained　much　on　her　mind。　She　glanced　across　at　him；　hoping　some　light　would　have　dawned　but　he　didn't　show　a　glimmer　of　prehension。
　　〃Never　mind；〃　she　said。
　　〃Are　you　ing？〃　〃No；　I　think　I'll　stay　here　for　a　while。〃　〃Don't　throw　yourself　in。〃　〃Can't　swim；　eh？〃　she　replied；　testily。　He　frowned；　not　understanding。　〃Doesn't　matter。　I　never　took　you　for　a　hero。〃　He　left　her　standing　inches　from　the　edge　of　the　bank；　watching　the　water。　What　he'd　told　her　was　true；　he　wasn't　good　with　people。　But　with　women；　he　was　even　worse。　He　should　have　taken　the　cloth；　the　way　his　mother　had　always　wanted　him　to。　That　would　have　solved　the　problem；　except　that　he　had　no　grasp　of　religion　either；　and　never　had。　Maybe　that　was　part　of　the　problem　between　him　and　the　girl：　they　neither　of　them　believed　a　damn　thing。　There　was　nothing　to　say；　there　were　no　issues　to　debate。　He　glanced　around。　Carys　had　walked　a　short　way　along　the　bank　from　the　spot　where　he'd　left　her。　The　sun　glared　off　the　skin　of　the　water　and　burned　into　her　outline。　It　was　almost　as　if　she　wasn't　real　at　all。
　　
　　
　　Part　Three　DEUCE
　　
　　deuce1　n。　The　two　at　dice　or　cards；　（Tennis）　state　of　score　（40　all；　games　all）　at　which　either　party　must　gain　two　consecutive　points　or　games　to　win。
　　
　　deuce2　n。　Plague；　mischief；　the　Devil。
　　
　　V。
　　Superstition
　　
　　29
　　Less　than　a　week　after　the　talk　at　the　weir；　the　first　hairline　cracks　began　to　appear　in　the　pillars　of　the　Whitehead　Empire。　They　rapidly　widened。　Spontaneous　selling　began　on　the　world's　stock　markets；　a　sudden　failure　of　faith　in　the　Empire's　credibility。　Crippling　losses　in　share　values　soon　mounted。　The　selling　fever；　once　contracted；　appeared　well…nigh　incurable　In　the　space　of　a　day　there　were　more　visitors　to　the　estate　than　Marty　had　ever　seen　before。　Among　them；　of　course；　the　familiar　faces。　But　this　time　there　were　dozens　of　others；　financial　analysts；　he　presumed。　Japanese　and　European　visitors　mingled　with　the　English；　until　the　place　rang　with　more　accents　than　the　United　Nations。
　　The　kitchen；　much　to　Pearl's　irritation；　became　an　impromptu　meeting　place　for　those　not　immediately　required　at　the　great　man's　hand。　They　gathered　around　the　large　table；　demanding　coffee　in　endless　supply；　to　debate　the　strategies　they　had　congregated　here　to　formulate。　Much　of　their　debating；　as　ever；　was　lost　on　Marty；　but　it　was　clear　from　the　snippets　he　overheard　that　the　corporation　was　facing　no　explicable　emergency。　There　were　falls　of　staggering　proportions　happening　everywhere；　talk　of　government　intervention　to　prevent　imminent　collapse　in　Germany　and　Sweden；　talk　too　of　the　sabotage　that　had　instigated　this　catastrophe。　It　seemed　to　be　the　conventional　wisdom　among　these　prophets　that　only　an　elaborate　plan…one　that　had　been　in　preparation　for　several　years…could　have　damaged　the　fortunes　of　the　corporation　so　fundamentally。　There　were　murmurs　of　secret　government　interference；　of　a　conspiracy　of　the　petition。　The　paranoia　in　the　house　knew　no　bounds。
　　There　was　something　about　the　way　these　men　fretted　and　fought；　hands　carving　up　the　air　in　their　efforts　to　contradict　the　previous　speaker's　remarks；　that　struck　Marty　as　absurd。　After　all；　they　never　saw　the　billions　they　lost　and　gained；　or　the　people　whose　lives　they　so　casually　rearranged。　It　was　all　an　abstraction；　numbers　in　their　heads。　Marty　couldn't　see　the　use　of　it。　To　have　power　over　notional　fortunes　was　just　a　dream　of　power；　not　power　itself。
　　On　the　third　day；　with　everyone　drained　of　gambits；　and　praying　now　for　a　resurrection　that　showed　no　sign　of　ing；　Marty　encountered　Bill　Toy；　engaged　in　a　heated　debate　with　Dwoskin。　To　his　surprise　Toy；　seeing　Marty　passing　by；　called　him　across；　cutting　the　conversation　short。　Dwoskin　hurried　away　scowling；　leaving　Toy　and　Marty　to　talk。
　　〃Well；　stranger；〃　said　Toy；　〃and　how　are　you　doing？〃　〃I'm　OK；〃　Marty　said。　Toy　looked　as　if　he　hadn't　slept　in　a　long　while。　〃And　you？〃　〃I'll　survive。〃　〃Any　idea　of　what's　going　on？〃　Toy　offered　a　wry　smile。　〃Not　really；〃　he　said；　〃I've　never　been　a　moneyman。　Hate　the　breed。　Weasels。〃　〃Everyone's　saying　it's　a　disaster。〃　〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　said　with　equanimity；　〃I　think　it　probably　is。〃　Marty's　face　fell。　He'd　been　hoping　for　some　words　of　reassurance。　Toy　caught　his　disfort；　and　its　origins。　〃Nothing　terrible's　going　to　happen；〃　he　said；　〃as　long　as　we　stay　levelheaded。　You'll　still　be　in　a　job；　if　that's　what　you're　worried　about。〃　〃It　did　cross　my　mind。〃　〃Don't　let　it。〃　Toy　put　his　hand　on　Marty's　shoulder。　〃If　I　thought　things　looked　that　bad；　I'd　tell　you。〃　〃I　know。　I　just　get　jittery。〃　〃Who　doesn't？〃　Toy　tightened　his　grip　on　Marty。　〃What　say　the　two　of　us　go　on　the　town　when　the　worst　of　this　is　over？〃　〃I'd　like　to。〃　〃Ever　been　to　the　Academy　Casino？〃　〃Never　had　the　money。〃　〃I'll　take　you。　We'll　lose　some　of　Joe's　fortune　for　him；　eh？〃　〃Sounds　good　to　me。〃　The　anxiety　still　lingered　on　Marty's　face。
　　〃Look；〃　said　Toy；　〃it's　not　your　fight。　You　understand　me？　Whatever　happens　from　now　on；　it　won't　be　your　fault。　We've　made　some　mistakes　along　the　way；　and　now　we've　got　to　pay　for　them。〃　〃Mistakes？〃　〃Sometimes　people　don't　forgive；　Marty。〃　〃All　this〃…Marty　spread　a　hand　to　take　in　the　whole　circus…〃because　people　don't　forgive？〃　〃Take　it　from　me。　It's　the　best　reason　in　the　world。〃　It　struck　Marty　that　Toy　had　bee　an　outsider　of　late；　that　he　wasn't　the　pivotal　figure　in　the　old　man's　worldview　that　he　had　been。　Did　that　explain　the　sour　look　that　had　crept　across　his　weary　face？
　　〃Do　you　know　who's　responsible？〃　Marty　asked。
　　〃What　do　boxers　know？〃　Toy　said　with　an　unmistakable　trace　of　irony；　and　Marty　was　suddenly　certain　the　man　knew　everything。
　　
　　The　panic　days　stretched　into　a　week　without　any　sign　of　letup。　The　faces　of　the　advisers　changed；　but　the　smart　suits　and　the　smart　talk　remained　the　same。　Despite　the　influx　of　new　people；　Whitehead　had　bee　increasingly　laxer　with　his　security　arrangements。　Marty　was　required　to　be　with　the　old　man　less　and　less；　the　crisis　seemed　to　have　put　all　thoughts　of　assassination　out　of　Papa's　head。
　　The　period　was　not　without　its　surprises。　On　the　first　Sunday　Curtsinger　took　Marty　aside　and　undertook　a　labored　seduction　speech　that　began　with　boxing；　moved　laterally　to　the　pleasures　of　intermale　physicality；　and　ended　up　with　a　straight　cash　offer。　〃Just　half　an　hour；　nothing　elaborate。〃　Marty　had　guessed　what　was　in　the　air　several　minutes　before　Curtsinger　came　clean；　and　had　prepared　a　suitably　polite　refusal。　They　parted　amicably　enough。　Such　diversions　aside；　it　was　a　listless　time。　The　rhythm　of　the　house　had　been　broken；　and　it　was　impossible　to　establish　a　fresh　one。　The　only　way　Marty　could　preserve　his　sanity　was　by　keeping　out　of　the　house　as　much　as　he　could。　He　ran　a　great　deal　that　week；　often　chasing　his　tail　around　and　around　the　perimeter　of　the　estate　until　an　exhaustion　fugue　set　in；　and　he　could　go　back　to　his　room；　threading　his　way　through　the　well…dressed　dummies　who　loitered　in　every　corridor。　Upstairs；　behind　a　door　that　he　happily　locked　（to　keep　them　out；　not　to　keep　himself　in）　he　would　shower　and　sleep　for　long　hours　the　deep；　dreamless　sleep　he　enjoyed。
　　
　　Carys　had　no　such　liberty。　Since　the　night　the　dogs　had　found　Mamoulian　she　had　taken　it　into　her　head；　on　occasion；　to　play　the　spy。　Why　this　was；　she　wasn't　certain。　She'd　never　been　much　interested　in　goings…on　at　the　Sanctuary。　Indeed　she'd　actively　avoided　contact　with　Luther；　and　Curtsinger；　and　all　the　rest　of　her　father's　cohorts。　Now；　however；　strange　imperatives　stirred　her　without　warning：　to　go　into　the　library；　or　into　the　kitch