chiaasen.stormyweather-第6节

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how　they'd　lived　or　died；　but　from　touching　them　he　drew　energy。
　
　In　his　spare　time　Augustine　read　books　and　watched　television　and　hiked　what　was　left　of　the　Florida　wilderness。　Even　before　he　became　wealthy…when　he　worked　on　his　father's　fishing　boat；　and　later　in　law　school　Augustine　nursed　an　unspecific　anger　that　he　couldn't　trace　and　wasn't　sure　he　should。　It　manifested　itself　in　the　occasional　urge　to　burn　something　down　or　blow　something　up…a　high…rise；　a　new　interstate　highway；　that　sort　of　thing。
　
　Now　that　Augustine　had　both　the　time　and　the　money；　he　found　himself　without　direction　for　these　radical　sentiments；　and　with　no　trustworthy　knowledge　of　heavy　explosives。　Out　of　guilt；　he　donated　large　sums　to　respectable　causes　such　as　the　Sierra　Club　and　the　Nature　Conservancy。　His　ambition　to　noble　violence　remained　a　harmless　fantasy。　Meanwhile　he　bobbed　through　life's　turbulence　like　driftwood。
　
　The　near…death　experience　that　made　Augustine　so　rich　had　given　him　zero　insight　into　a　grand　purpose　or　cosmic　destiny。　Augustine　barely　remembered　the　damn　Beechcraft　going　down。　Certainly　he　saw　no　blinding　white　light　at　the　end　of　a　cool　tunnel；　heard　no　dead　relatives　calling　to　him　from　heaven。　All　he　recalled　of　the　a　that　followed　the　accident　was　an　agonizing　and　unquenchable　thirst。
　
　After　recovering　from　his　injuries；　Augustine　didn't　return　to　the　hamster…wheel　routine　of　law　school。　The　insurance　settlement　financed　a　fortable　aimlessness　that　many　young　men　would　have　found　appealing。　Yet　Augustine　was　deeply　unhappy。　One　night；　in　a　fit　of　depression；　he　violently　purged　his　bookshelves　of　all　genius　talents　who　had　died　too　young。　This　included　his　treasured　Jack　London。
　
　Typically；　Augustine　was　waiting　for　a　woman　to　e　along　and　fix　him。　So　far；　it　hadn't　happened。
　
　One　time　a　dancer　whom　Augustine　was　dating　caught　him　juggling　his　skulls　in　the　bedroom。　She　thought　it　was　a　stunt　designed　to　provoke　a　reaction。　She　told　him　it　wasn't　funny；　it　was　perverted。　Then　she　moved　to　New　York。　A　year　or　so　later；　for　no　particular　reason；　Augustine　sent　the　woman　one　of　his　dividend　checks　from　Paine　Webber。　She　used　the　money　to　buy　a　Toyota　Supra　and　sent　Augustine　a　snapshot　of　herself；　smiling　and　waving　in　the　driver's　seat。　Augustine　wondered　who'd　taken　the　picture　and　what　he'd　thought　of　the　new　car。
　
　Augustine　had　no　brothers　and　sisters；　his　mother　was　in　Nevada　and　his　father　was　in　the　slammer。　The　closest　relative　was　his　uncle　Felix　Mojack；　the　wildlife　importer。　As　a　boy；　Augustine　often　visited　his　uncle's　small　cluttered　farm　out　in　the　boondocks。　It　was　more　fun　than　going　to　the　zoo；　because　Felix　let　Augustine　help　with　the　animals。　In　particular；　Felix　encouraged　his　nephew　to　familiarize　himself　with　exotic　snakes；　as　Felix　himself　was　phobic　（and；　it　turned　out；　fatally　inpetent）　when　it　came　to　handling　reptiles。
　
　After　Augustine　grew　up；　he　saw　less　and　less　of　his　busy　uncle。　Progress　conspired　against　Felix；　development　swept　westward；　and　zoning　regulations　forced　him　to　move　his　operation　repeatedly。　Nobody；　it　seemed；　wished　to　build　elementary　schools　or　shopping　malls　within　walking　distance　of　caged　jungle　cats　and　wild　cobras。　The　last　time　Felix　Mojack　was　forced　to　relocate　his　animals；　Augustine　gave　him　ten　thousand　dollars　for　the　move。
　
　At　the　time　of　Felix's　death；　the　farm　inventory　listed　one　male　African　lion；　three　cougars；　a　gelded　Cape　buffalo；　two　Kodiak　bears；　ninety…seven　parrots　and　macaws；　eight　Nile　crocodiles；　forty…two　turtles；　seven　hundred　assorted　lizards；　ninety…three　snakes　（venomous　and　nonvenomous）　and　eighty…eight　rhesus　monkeys。
　
　The　animals　were　kept　on　a　nine…acre　spread　off　Krome　Avenue；　not　far　from　the　federal　prison。　The　day　after　the　funeral；　Augustine　drove　out　to　the　place　alone。　He　had　a　feeling　that　his　uncle　ran　a　loose　operation；　and　a　tour　of　the　facility　corroborated　his　suspicion。　The　fencing　was　buckled　and　rusty；　the　cages　needed　new　hinges；　and　the　concrete　reptile　pits　hadn't　been　drained　and　cleaned　in　months。　In　the　tar…paper　shed　that　Felix　had　used　for　an　office；　Augustine　found　paperwork　confirming　his　uncle's　low　regard　for　U。S。　Customs　regulations。
　
　It　came　as　no　surprise　that　Felix　had　been　a　smuggler；　rather；　Augustine　was　grateful　that　his　uncle's　choice　of　contraband　had　been　exotic　birds　and　snakes；　and　not　something　else。　Wildlife；　however；　presented　its　own　unique　challenges。　While　bales　of　marijuana　required　no　feeding；　bears　and　cougars　did。　Lean　and　hungry　was　a　mild　description　of　the　illegal　menagerie；　Augustine　was　appalled　by　the　condition　of　some　of　the　animals　and　presumed　their　deterioration　was　a　result　of　his　uncle's　recent　financial　troubles。　Fortunately；　the　two　young　Mexicans　who　worked　for　Felix　Mojack　graciously　agreed　to　help　out　for　a　few　days　after　his　death。　They　stocked　the　freezers　with　raw　meat　for　the　large　carnivores；　bought　boxloads　of　feed　for　the　parrots　and　monkeys；　and　restocked　on　white　mice　and　insects　for　the　reptiles。
　
　Meanwhile　Augustine　scrambled　to　locate　a　buyer　for　the　animals；　somebody　qualified　to　take　good　care　of　them。　Augustine　was　so　preoccupied　with　the　task　that　he　didn't　pay　enough　attention　to　news　reports　of　a　tropical　storm　intensifying　in　the　Caribbean。　Even　when　it　bloomed　into　a　hurricane；　and　Augustine　saw　the　weather　bulletin　on　television；　he　assumed　it　would　do　what　most　storms　did　in　late　summer…veer　north；　away　from　South　Florida；　on　the　prevailing　Atlantic　steering　currents。
　
　Once　it　became　clear　that　the　hurricane　would　strike　southern　Dade　County　with　a　direct　hit；　Augustine　had　little　time　to　act。　He　was　grimly　aware　what　sustained　one…hundred…mile…per…hour　winds　would　do　to　his　dead　uncle's　shabby　farm。　He　spent　the　morning　and　afternoon　on　the　telephone；　trying　to　find　a　secure　location　for　the　animals。　Interest　invariably　dropped　off　at　the　mention　of　a　Cape　buffalo。　At　dusk　Augustine　drove　out　to　fasten　tarps　and　tie…downs　on　the　cages　and　pens。　Sensing　the　advancing　storm；　the　bears　and　big　cats　paced　nervously；　growling　in　agitation。　The　parrots　were　in　a　panic；　the　frenetic　squawking　attracted　several　large　hawks　to　the　nearby　pines。　Augustine　stayed　two　hours　and　decided　it　was　hopeless。　He　sent　the　Mexicans　home　and　drove　to　a　nearby　Red　Cross　shelter　to　wait　out　the　storm。
　
　When　he　returned　at　dawn；　the　place　was　destroyed。　The　fencing　was　strewn　like　holiday　tinsel　across　the　property。　The　corrugated　roofing　had　been　peeled　off　the　pound　like　a　sardine　tin。　Except　for　a　dozen　befuddled　turtles；　all　his　uncle's　wild　animals　had　escaped　into　the　scrub　and　marsh　and；　inevitably；　the　Miami　suburbs。　As　soon　as　phone　service　was　restored；　Augustine　notified　the　police　what　had　happened。　The　dispatcher　laconically　estimated　it　would　be　five　or　six　days　before　an　officer　could　be　spared；　because　everybody　was　working　double　shifts　after　the　hurricane。　When　Augustine　asked　how　far　a　Gaboon　viper　could　travel　in　five　or　six　days；　the　dispatcher　said　she'd　try　to　send　somebody　out　there　sooner。
　
　Augustine　couldn't　just　sit　and　wait。　The　radio　said　a　troop　of　storm…addled　monkeys　had　invaded　a　residential　subdivision　off　Quail　Roost　Drive；　only　miles　from　the　farm。　Augustine　immediately　loaded　the　truck　with　his　uncle's　dart　rifle；　two　long…handled　nooses；　a　loaded　。38　Special；　and　a　five…pound　bag　of　soggy　monkey　chow。
　
　He　didn't　know　what　else　to　do。
　
　Canvassing　the　neighborhood　in　search　of　her　husband；　Bonnie　Lamb　encountered　the　dull…eyed　boy　with　the　broken　bicycle。　His　description　of　the　tourist　jerk　with　the　video　camera　fit　Max　too　well。
　
　〃He　ran　after　the　monkey；〃　the　boy　said。
　
　Bonnie　Lamb　said；　〃What　monkey？〃
　
　The　boy　explained。　Bonnie　assessed　the　information　calmly。　〃Which　way　did　they　go？〃　The　boy　pointed。　Bonnie　thanked　him　and　offered　to　help　pry　his　bicycle　off　the　tree。　The　boy　turned　away；　so　she　walked　on。
　
　Bonnie　was　puzzled　by　the　monkey　story；　but　most　of　the　questions　clouding　her　mind　concerned　Max　Lamb's　character。　How　could　a　man　wander　off　and　forget　about　his　new　wife？　Why　was　he　so　fascinated　with　the　hurricane　ruins？　How　could　he　so　cruelly　intrude　on　the　suffering　of　those　who　lived　here？
　
　During　two　years　of　courtship；　Max　had　never　seemed　insensitive。　At　times　he　could　be　immature　and　self…centered；　but　Bonnie　had　never　known　a　man　who　wasn't。　In　general；　Max　was　a　responsible　and　attentive　person；　more　than　just　a　hard　worker；　an　achiever。　Bonnie　appreciated　that；　as　her　two　previous　boyfriends　had　taken　a　casual　approach　to　the　concept　of　full…time　employment。　Max　impressed　her　with　his　seriousness　and　mitment；　his　buoyant　determination　to　attain　professional　success　and　financial　security。　At　thirty；　Bonnie　was　at　a　point　in　life　where　she　liked　the　prospect　of　security；　she　was　tired　of　worrying　about　money；　and　about　men　who　had　none。　Beyond　that；　she　truly　found　Max　Lamb　attractive。　He　wasn't　exceptionally　handsome　or　romantic；　but　he　was　sincere…boyishly；　pletely；　relentlessly　sincere。　His　earnestness；　even　in　bed；　was　endearing。　This　was　a　man　Bonnie　thought　she　could　trust。
　
　Until　today；