'Gene?'hesaid,"Nowlisten,fella.Apartfromcuriosity,isthereanygoodreasonforfindingthoseanswersyoutalkedabout?'

'Forestallingrepet.i.tion,'Isaidpromptly.

'Nomorestolenstallionsandnomoreattacksonme?'

'That'sright.'

Therewasapause.

'I'llbuytheanswers,then,'hesaid.'Ifyoucangetthem.AndasforAllyx...ifyouthinkthere'sanychanceoffindinghimaliveandvigorous,thenIguessI'mmorallyobligedtogiveyouthego-ahead.I'dhavetosyndicatehimalloveragain,ofcourse.He'llbetwelvenow.Thatwouldgivehimonlyaboutsixtoeightmoreyearsofhighpotency...ButhisgetfrombeforehisdisappearancearewinningalloverEurope.Business-wiseI'mnottoohappyaboutthosethreelostyears.Butblood-wise,itwouldbecriminalnottotrytogethimback.'

'Allright.'Isaid.'I'llseewhatIcando.'

'WhatyouspentonfindingChrysalisislessthanhisfeeforcoveringasinglemare.You'veafreehandagainforAllyx.'

'Right,'Isaid.

'SimKeeblesaysyou'vegotsevendays'extensionofleave.Somethingabout.i.tbeingduetoyouanyway,fromaweekyouwereent.i.tledtoatChristmasanddidn'ttake.'

'I'dforgottenaboutthat.'

'IguessIcouldfixitwithhimformore,iftheextraweekisn'tenough.'

'IfIhaven'tfinishedbythenI'llhavefailedanyway,andmightaswellgohome.'

'Oh.'Hesoundeddisappointed.'Verywell,we'llleaveitlikethatforthepresent.'Heclearedhisthroat.'Eunicedidn'tseemtothinkyoulookedtoowell.'

'Theboyonthepuntwhoknockedyououtdidthesamethingforme.'

'Gene!'Hisvoicewa.s.shocked.

'Yeah.Don'ttellmybossI'mthatincompetent.Thoughcometothinkofit,heknows.'

Helaughed.'Whenyoufindthatboyagaingivehimaone-twofrombothofus.'

'Sure,'Isaid.ButI'dbeentaughtmyjobbycerebralpeoplewhodidn'treckonascreenerwouldeverhavetofightforhislife,andbythetimeIprovedthemwrongIwastoooldtobecomeexpertatboxingorjudo,evenifI'dlikedtheidea,whichIdidn't.Ihadlearnedinsteadtoshootstraight,andtheLugerhadinthepastthreeyea.r.s.extricatedmeunharmedfromtwostickysituations.ButinastanduphandtohandaffairwiththatyoungbullMattCliveIwouldbeafivehundredtooneloser,and'givinghimaone-twofrombothofus'inanyphysicalsensewasaverydimpossibilityindeed.

'Keepintouch,fella,'Davesaid.

'Sure,'Iansweredagain,meaningitaslittle:andwerangoff.

Curledoppositeinatomatoarmchair,Eunicesaidgloomily,'Igatherwe'restuckwiththatb.l.o.o.d.yAllyx.'

'Onlyifwefindhim.'

'Oh,you'lldothat,blastyou.'Herbitternesswa.s.somarkedthatLynniestaredather.Tooyoungtounderstand,Ithought,that.i.twasn'tmeparticularlythatEunicewantedtohurt,butlifeingeneral.

TheywentupstairsshortlyafterwardsmurmuringaboutCaliforniainthemorning,andIswitchedoffthelightandsatinneardarkness,finishingthefourthofEunice'sma.s.siveideasondrinkandworkingoutthequestions1wouldaskthenextday.IcouldfindAllyxonpaper,ifIwerelucky:buthecouldhardlyturnuplooseafterthreeyears.Threeweekshadbeenstrictlythelimit.Thewholethingmighthavetobemoreorthodox,morepublic.AndIwouldn'tagain,Idecidedmildly,putmyselfwithinaccidentreachofthemurderousClives.

AfterawhileIdesertedthelasthalfofthedrinkandwanderedupstairstothes.p.a.ciousair-conditionedroomEunicehadgivenme.WithatiredhandIswitchedonthelightinsidethedoor,andyellowpoolsinfrillyshadesshoneoutonbrownandgoldandwhitefurnishings.

Onesplashofjarringbrightpink.Euniceherself,inafluffytrimmedwrapper,waslyingonmybed.

Iwalkedslowlyacrossthethickwhitecarpetandsatbesideheronthewhitespottedmuslincoverlet.

'Whatdoyouwant?'Isaidgently.

'Whatdoyouthink?'

Ishookmyhead.

'Doesthatmeanno?'Hervoicewasabruptlymatteroffact.

'I'mafraiditdoes,'Isaid.

'Yousaidyouweren'tqueer.'

'Well...I'mnot.'Ismiledather.'ButIdohaveoneunbreakablerule.'

'Andthatis?'

'Nottosleepwiththewives...ordaughters...ofthemenIworkfor.'

Shesatboltuprightsothatherfacewasclosetomine.Hereyeshadtheusualcontractedpupilsofthequarterdrunk.

'ThatincludesLynnie,'shesaid.

'Yes.Itdoes.'

'WellI'llbed.a.m.ned.YoumeanthatnightyouspentinNewYorkwithheryoudidn'teventry...'

'Itwouldn'thavebeenmuchgoodifIhad.'Isaid,halflaughing.

'Don'tyoubelieveit.Shenevertakeshereyesoffyou,andwhenyouwereawayshetalkedaboutnothingelse.'

Istaredatherinrealsurprise.'Youmustbewrong.'

'Iwasn'tbornyesterday,'shesaidgloomily.'Shehastwophotographsofyouaswell.'

'Whatphotographs?'Iwa.s.staggered.

'Someherbrothertook.Thatdayontheriver.'

'Butsheshouldn't...'

'Maybesheshouldn't,'Eunicesaiddryly.'Butshedoes.'SheswungherlegscarelesslyaroundtositontheedgeofthebedbesidemeandIsawthatforsomeonebentonseductionshehadcomewellwrappedup.

'Youexpectedmetosayno,'Isaid.

Shemadeaface'Ithoughtyoumight.But.i.twasworthatry.'

'Eunice,you'renuts,'Isaid.

'I'mbored,'shesaidexplosively,andwithanundoubteddepthofunbearabletruth.

'Thatputsmeintothegolfandbridgecategory.'

Shewa.s.stillplayinggames.

'Atleastyou'reG.o.ddamhuman,'shesaid,hermouthcrackingintoasmile.'Morethanyoucansayaboutmostmen.'

'WhatdoyoulikebestaboutmovingtoCalifornia?'Iasked.

Shestared.'Yourmind'slikeab.l.o.o.d.ygra.s.shopper.Whathasthattodowiths.e.x?'

'Youtellme,andI'lltellyou.'

'ForG.o.d'ssake...'Butshemadesomeeffortatconcentrating,andintheendcameupwiththeanswerIhadbeenmostexpecting.

'Fixinguptherooms,Iguess.'

'Youdidallthese...'Iwavedmyhandaround,embracingthehouse.

'Yeah,Idid.Sowhat?'

'Sowhydon'tyoustartinbusiness,doingitforotherpeople?'

Shehalflaughed,ridiculingtheidea,andhalfclungtoit:andIknewshe'dthoughtofitinthepast,becauseIhadn'tsurprisedher.

'I'mn.o.b.l.o.o.d.ygenius.'

'Youhaveaneyeforcolour.Morethanthat:formood.ThisisthemostcomfortinghouseI'veeverbeenin.'

'Comforting?'shesaid,puzzled.

'Yeah.Laugh,clown,laugh.Thatsortofthing.Youcanfillotherpeopleeventhoughyoufeelemptyyourself.'

Tearswelledupinhergrey-greeneyes,andsheshutthelids.Hervoiceremainednormal.

'Howdoyouknow?'

'Iknow.'

Afterapause,shesaid,'AndIsupposewhat.i.thastodowiths.e.xisthatinteriordecoratingwouldbeasuitablesublimationforamiddle-agedwomanwhosephysicalattractionisfadingfasterthanherappet.i.te...'Thebitternesscamefromlongacquaintancewiththejargonanditspointofview.

'No.'Isaidmildly.'Theopposite.'

'Huh?'Sheopenedhereyes.Theywerewetandshiny.

'Playinggamesiseasierthanworking.'

'Spellitout,'shesaid.'YoutalkinG.o.ddamriddles.'

's.e.x...thissortofcasuals.e.x...'Ipattedthebedwhereshe'dlain,'canbeawayofrunningawayfromrealeffort.Alovermaybeasublimationofadeeperneed.Peoplewhocan'tfacethedemandsofonemayoptforpa.s.singthetimewiththeother.'

'ForChrist'ssake...Idon'tunderstandab.l.o.o.d.yword.'Sheshuthereyesandlayflatbackacrossthebed.

'Thousandsofpeoplenevertryanythingseriousbecausethey'reafraidoffailing,'Isaid.

Sheswallowed,andafterapausesaid,'Andwhatifyoudob.l.o.o.d.yfail?Whatthen?'

Ididn'tanswerher,andafterawhilesherepeatedthequestioninsistently.

'Tellmewhatyoudoifyoufail?'

'Ihaven'tgotthatonelickedmyself,yet.'

'Oh.'Shelaughedweakly.'OhG.o.d.Theblindleadingtheblind.Justlikethewholeb.l.o.o.d.yhumanrace.'

'Yeah.'Isighedandstoodup.'Weallstumblealonginthedark,andthat'safact.'

'Idon'tknowifyou'llbelieveit,butI'vebeenutterlyb.l.o.o.d.yfaithfultoDave...exceptforthis...'

'I'msureofit,'Isaid.

Shegottoherfeetandstoodswayingslightly.

'IguessI'mtight.'

'Betterthanloose,'Isaidsmiling.

'ForG.o.d'ssake,sparemeG.o.ddampunsatoneo'clockinthemorning.Isupposeifyou'relookingforthatsoandsoAllyxthere'snochanceofyoucomingtoCalifornia?'

'Iwishtherewere.'

'G.o.ddamliar,'shesaidvaguely.'Goodnight.'

Shemadestraightforthedooranddidn'tlookback.

Idrovethemtotheairportinthemorning.EunicehadlentmehercarandthehouseforaslongasIneededthem,andhadpa.s.sedoffherovernightvisitwithonesarcasticdigatbreakfast.

'Betterunders.e.xedthansorry.'

'What?'saidLynnie.

'Euniceisofferingasolutiontothepopulationexplosion,'Iexplained.

Lynniegiggled.Euniceshowedmeadoublerowofteethandtoldmetopa.s.sthecream.